Trump hints 'One China' policy could end

Donald Trump hints US could end 'One China' policy

President-elect Donald Trump has questioned whether the US should continue its "One China" policy, sparking fury from Chinese state media. 

Under the policy, the US has formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province.

This principle has been crucial to US-China relations for decades.
But Mr Trump said he saw no reason why this should continue without key concessions from Beijing.
His comments prompted an angry response from Chinese state media. An editorial in the Global Times warned him that the "One China policy cannot be traded".

It comes after he took a phone call from Taiwan's president, sparking a diplomatic row and a formal protest from Beijing.

It was in 1979 that the US broke formal diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island of Taiwan and switched recognition to China, ushering in a new era of deepening ties.

But even though formal diplomatic relations were broken, the US has maintained close unofficial ties with Taiwan over the years.

'Very disrespectful'

In the interview, broadcast by Fox News on Sunday, Mr Trump said: "I don't know why we have to be bound by a One China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade."

Mr Trump also said China was not co-operating with the US on its handling of its currency, on North Korea, or on tensions in the South China Sea.

No US president or president-elect had spoken directly to a Taiwanese leader for decades. But in the Fox interview, Mr Trump said it was not up to Beijing to decide whether he should take a call from Taiwan's leader.

"I don't want China dictating to me and this was a call put into me," Mr Trump said. "It was a very nice call. Short. And why should some other nation be able to say I can't take a call?

"I think it actually would've been very disrespectful, to be honest with you, not taking it."
In the same interview, Mr Trump said he "doesn't believe" a CIA assessment that Russian hackers tried to sway the US presidential election in his favour.

'Resolute battle'

His comments prompted an angry editorial in Chinese state media outlet Global Times, known for its hawkish rhetoric.

Titled "Mr Trump please listen clearly: The One China policy cannot be traded", it labelled Mr Trump's move "a very childish rash act" and said he needed "to humbly learn about diplomacy".

It also called for a strong response, saying: "China must resolutely battle Mr Trump, only after a few serious rebuffs then will he truly understand that China and other global powers cannot be bullied."

China has so far been restrained in its official responses to Mr Trump, choosing instead to stress the importance of Sino-US ties.

Its foreign ministry has said it would not comment on his tweets, although it has labelled the Trump-Tsai phone call a "petty trick" by Taiwan.

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Outlines of a strategy? Analysis by John Sudworth, BBC News, Beijing

Well it's not as if Donald Trump didn't tell us he was going to be tough on China.
Now, though, we are getting what looks like the outline of a strategy: the use of Taiwan as a bargaining chip.
It's a bold - some would say reckless - gambit, given that for China there is nothing vaguely negotiable about the island's status.

So far, at each stage - from Mr Trump's campaign rhetoric, to his protocol-breaching phone call with the Taiwanese president - China has been measured in its response, daring to hope that it has all been based on bluster or miscalculation.

That may now begin to change, with the blow-hard state-run tabloid, The Global Times, true to form in being the first to up the ante, with the talk of retaking Taiwan by force, or of arming America's foes.
We'll know soon enough whether Beijing's official rhetoric will follow suit.

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How Jones has become Man Utd's mainstay

It is not so long ago that Phil Jones was becoming Manchester United's forgotten man but he showed again in Sunday's 1-0 win over Tottenham that he can be the mainstay of their back four.

Injuries meant he did not play for United's first team from 2 January until the start of November and, in that time, they signed Eric Bailly, and also used Daley Blind, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo at centre-back.

I was left wondering where Jones would fit into Jose Mourinho's plans when he returned to fitness.

His ability and potential were not in doubt but his problem was the same as it often has been since he joined United aged 19 in 2011 - a lack of consistency, either in staying fit or in playing in one position for a sustained period.

Jones was at the point in his career where he had to play, and deliver. So far, he is doing both.
The time to assess him fully on that will be at the end of the season but, since coming back into the team, he has been in absolutely unbelievable form.

What we are seeing now are the benefits of him being given the same role in the centre of defence and, over the past seven games, he has proved that he has the ability to become United's number one centre-back.

'Mourinho has found a defensive partnership that works'

Striker Harry Kane had only one shot for Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday, which was off target from outside the United area

 

In the past there were always the accusations that Jones was a little bit rash - that he would dive into silly tackles and get himself injured.


But I have not seen that since he has come back into the team and there seems to be a bit more maturity to his game.

What has also helped him is having a regular partner at the back, and being part of a settled back four.
Throughout his managerial career, once Mourinho finds a defensive combination that works then he doesn't seem to change it.

At United, Matteo Darmian is his equivalent of Cesar Azpilicueta at Chelsea - a right-footed left-back - and Antonio Valencia has probably been one of the best right-backs in the Premier League this season.
Mourinho has found a partnership that works in the centre too, with Jones and Marcos Rojo.

The beauty of that is that they are a right and left-footed pairing and I also like the way they concentrate on defending and winning their duels rather than hitting 60 or 70-yard passes or dribbling out from the back.
It works. You cannot say they have not been tested together yet because they have come up against three of the best strikers in the league in the past few weeks.

Jones and Rojo kept Harry Kane completely quiet on Sunday, the same as they handled Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez and Everton's Romelu Lukaku, and they stopped all three of them from scoring.

'Herrera is United's fireman'

Bailly is going away to the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts on 14 January, with Ivory Coast and he is going to find it really difficult to get back in the United team before then.

Apart from him not playing at the moment, however, I think Mourinho feels he has found his best team with the line-up that faced Everton and Spurs.

They look strong at the back and they have got a fantastic balance in midfield with players who can win the ball and use it.

A big part of that is Ander Herrera, who has been absolutely outstanding. He does not have the flair or Pogba or the class of Carrick but having him in the team makes both of them better.

Herrera is the type that you don't know the true value of until you play or work with him because, from the outside, it may not appear that he scores or makes enough goals, or plays the killer passes.

But I would describe him as United's fireman because he is always exactly where he is needed on the pitch.
He set up United's winner against Tottenham but, quietly and efficiently, he did a lot more than that. He
covered more ground than any other player, made the most interceptions and tackles and, if you look at his touch map, then he touched the ball in every area of the pitch.

Herrera made 49 touches against Spurs, including 25 in the opposition half, and covered 11.14km. He made five tackles and four interceptions, gaining possession for his side 11 times

 

You can almost say to him 'you go wherever there is trouble, and sort it out'. He is not only a tough player, because of his background at Athletic Bilbao, he is a clever one too.

'United heading in the right direction'

Yes, Sunday's win over Spurs was only United's second in the past nine league games but some of the criticism of Mourinho has been getting over their form is very unfair.

They only lost one game during that time and people were trying to look at their draws as disasters when they were nothing of the sort.

People might say I am biased as an ex-United player but I am just saying 'look at things from a balanced point of view'.

United are sixth in the Premier League, into the last 32 of the Europa League and in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup. That is no disaster.

Last week's performance at Everton was probably their poorest in the past couple of months but generally, I have been watching them and thinking they are heading in the right direction.

After watching their draw with Arsenal on 19 November I thought this was a much-improved United team with a system that worked.

They look like they are going to attack, create chances and score goals.
Not only that, they play an exciting and attractive style of football that I associate with United and one that, as a fan for 39 years, I want to see when I go to Old Trafford. Mourinho deserves credit for that, not criticism.
Phil Neville was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

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Williams reject Mercedes bid for Bottas

Mercedes want Williams' Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas is Mercedes' first choice to replace Nico Rosberg as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate, BBC Sport has learned.

But Williams have rejected an initial offer to release Finn Bottas from his 2017 contract.
In a separate development, Mercedes technical boss Paddy Lowe is close to finalising a deal to join Williams.
Lowe is set to be replaced at the world champions by former Ferrari technical director James Allison.

The Mercedes driver conundrum

Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has zeroed in on Bottas as his favoured option as a replacement for Rosberg, who retired five days after winning his first world title last month despite having two further years on his Mercedes contract.

Wolff has approached Williams with a proposal that he gives them a major reduction in their engine bill - said to be in the region of €10m euros (£8.4m); more than half the total fee - in return for releasing Bottas.
Williams also have the option to run Mercedes reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein in Bottas' place.

Wolff, who is part of Bottas' management team, sees the 27-year-old as a close like-for-like replacement for Rosberg - quick, a reliable and consistent points scorer, and relatively easy to manage alongside the more mercurial Hamilton.
Williams have said no to Wolff's first offer but negotiations are expected to continue in the coming days.

Williams' problem with losing Bottas

Williams feel they need an experienced contender in one of their cars next season because their other driver is Canadian rookie Lance Stroll.
The 18-year-old, who won the Formula Three Euroseries in 2016 and comes with a budget reputed to be at least £20m, has been on an extensive test programme intended to prepare him comprehensively for his F1 debut.

But Williams are concerned that partnering him with 22-year-old Wehrlein, who has only one year's experience with the back-of-the-grid Manor team, would be a significant risk to their chances of maximising their championship position.

Each place in the constructors' table is worth millions of pounds.
There is also a complication with Williams' sponsors, among them the drinks giant Martini, for which having two drivers under 25 does not sit well in promotional terms.

German Wehrlein is also in talks with the Swiss Sauber team, which is yet to name a team-mate for Swede Marcus Ericsson.

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Venezuela to swap banknotes for coins

Venezuela to swap highest denomination banknotes for coins

 

The Venezuelan government has announced it will replace the country's highest-denomination banknotes with coins within 72 hours. 

It hopes swapping the 100-bolivar notes will help to stop smuggling and tackle shortages of food and other items.

President Nicolas Maduro says gangs operating in border areas will not have time to repatriate the notes.
His critics dismissed the move as the latest desperate attempt by Mr Maduro to tackle the economic crisis.
"When ineptitude governs! Who would possibly think of doing something like this in December amid all our problems?" opposition leader Henrique Capriles wrote on Twitter (in Spanish).

Others argued it would be impossible to swap all the 100-bolivar notes in circulation in the time allotted.
The 100-bolivar note has lost most of its value over the past few years and is now worth about 2 US cents (£0.015).

Venezuela, which is facing a serious economic and political crisis, has one of the world's highest inflation rates.
"I have given the orders to close all land, maritime and air possibilities so those bills taken out can't be returned and they're stuck with their fraud abroad," said Mr Maduro on television.

Earlier this month, the central bank said that six new bills ranging from 500 to 20,000 bolivars would come into circulation on 15 December.

The government last published figures for inflation in December 2015, putting it at 180%, but the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that next year's prices will rise by more than 2,000%.
In India, a similar move to scrap high-value bank notes last month has caused major disruption.

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Bomb blast kills many at Cairo church

Bomb attack near Cairo Coptic cathedral kills at least 25

A bombing near the Coptic cathedral in the Egyptian capital Cairo has killed at least 25 people, officials say.

Dozens of others were injured in the blast at St Peter's church during a Sunday church service.

The church is adjacent to St Mark's cathedral, within the same complex. Photos and video footage showed damage to the church, with shattered windows and broken roofing.

The explosion happened at 10:00 (08:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The explosion happened at 10:00 (08:00 GMT). Video footage carried by regional media showed the interior of the church littered with broken and scattered furniture, along with blood and clothing on the floor.

"I saw a headless woman being carried away,'' one eyewitness told the Associated Press news agency. "Everyone was in a state of shock."

"There were children. What have they done to deserve this? I wish I had died with them instead of seeing these scenes,'' she said.

President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has declared a three-day period of national mourning.

He condemned the attack, calling for the perpetrators to be punished, local television reported.

"Vicious terrorism is being waged against the country's Copts and Muslims. Egypt will emerge stronger and more united from this situation," he was quoted as saying.

Coptic Christians make up about 10% of Egypt's population.

St Mark's Cathedral is the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox church, and the home of its leader, Pope Tawadros II.

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What is the Coptic Christian faith?

The Coptic Orthodox Church is the main Christian Church in Egypt. While most Copts live in Egypt, the Church has about a million members outside the country.

Copts believe that their Church dates back to around 50 AD, when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt. Mark is regarded as the first Pope of Alexandria - the head of their church.

This makes it one of the earliest Christian groups outside the Holy Land.

The Church separated from other Christian denominations at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) in a dispute over the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ.

The early Church suffered persecution under the Roman Empire, and there were intermittent persecutions after Egypt became a Muslim country. Many believe that continues to this day.

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Bishop Angaelos of the UK's Coptic Orthodox Church said his prayers were with Egyptian Copts, "as well as for the broader Egyptian society that fall victim to similar inhumane attacks."

On Saturday, six policemen were killed when a bomb exploded on a main road leading to the pyramids at Giza. The explosion, at a police checkpoint, was the deadliest attack on security forces in Cairo in over six months.

A recently formed militant group called Hasm said it carried out the attack.

Egypt's Coptic Christian minority have complained of discrimination in the mostly Muslim nation.

Two people were killed outside St Mark's cathedral in 2013, when people mourning the death of four Coptic Christians killed in religious violence clashed with local residents.

In February this year, a court sentenced three Christian teenagers to five years in prison for insulting Islam. The teenagers had appeared in a video, apparently mocking Muslim prayers, but claimed they had been mocking the Islamic State group following a number of beheadings.

Egypt has pursued a number of blasphemy cases since the country's 2011 uprising. Many of those cases have been against Copts.

President Sisi, then head of the army, seized power in 2013, and won a presidential election a year later. He outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, and has been battling insurgent Islamic groups ever since.

Most of the militant attacks have been focused in the Sinai province, where an IS-linked jihadist group is active, but Cairo has also suffered a string of attacks in the past two years.

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Nathan Sykes Oozes Sex Appeal In New Video: Watch

Check out 'More Than You'll Ever Know.' 

 A week after releasing his debut solo single, “More Than You’ll Ever Know,” Nathan Sykes has given the song a slicked-out video treatment.

In the stylish new clip that premiered Thursday (March 12), the 21-year-old British babe croons through his passionate track while rocking a crisp suit that gives us major Christian Grey vibes.

Nathan’s black-and-white vid is perfectly suited for the song’s snap-filled, big-band sound, and definitely oozes retro energy. Kind of like a certain famous ex of his…

 

The former The Wanted boy bander is gearing up to release his debut solo album this spring, for which he reportedly collaborated with songwriters Diane Warren and Babyface, as well as producer Harmony Samuels. Can’t wait!

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