Donald Trump has cautioned Taiwan against formally declaring independence from China.

"I'm not looking to have somebody go independent," the US president told Fox News on Friday, at the end of his two-day summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Trump earlier said he had "made no commitment either way" about the self-governing island – which China claims as part of its territory and has not ruled out taking by force.

The US has long supported Taiwan, including being bound by law to provide it with a means of self-defence, but has frequently had to square this alliance with maintaining a diplomatic relationship with China.

Washington's established position is that it does not support Taiwanese independence, with continued ties with Beijing being contingent on its acceptance that there is only one Chinese government.

Many Taiwanese consider themselves to be part of a separate nation – though most are in favour of maintaining the status quo in which Taiwan neither declares independence from China nor unites with it.

In his interview with Fox News, Trump reiterated that US policy on the matter had not changed.

"You know, we're supposed to travel 9,500 miles (15,289km) to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down."

On the flight back to Washington, the US president had told reporters that he and Xi had spoken "a lot" about the island, but said he had declined to discuss whether the US would defend it.

Xi "feels very strongly" about the island and "doesn't want to see a movement for independence", Trump said.

"The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations," Xi warned during the talks, according to Chinese state media, adding: "If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict."

Asked if he foresaw a conflict with China over Taiwan, Trump had said: "No, I don't think so. I think we'll be fine. [Xi] doesn't want to see a war."

China has ramped up military drills around the island in recent years, raising tensions in the region and testing the balance that Washington has struck.

Late last year, the Trump administration announced an $11bn ($8bn) package of weapons to be sold to Taiwan, including advanced rocket launchers and a variety of missiles, which Beijing condemned.

Trump said he would soon decide whether that sale could go ahead, adding that he and Xi had discussed it "in great detail" and that he would speak to Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te first.

"I may do it. I may not do it," he told Fox News.

"We're not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China's going to be OK with that. But we're not looking to have somebody say, 'Let's go independent because the United States is backing us'."

The US has previously provoked anger from China for seeming to soften its stance on independence.

Its State Department dropped a statement from its website reiterating Washington's opposition to Taiwanese independence in February 2025 – something Beijing said "sends a wrong… signal to separatist forces".

US officials in Taiwan said at the time: "We have long stated that we oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side."

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said his team had been monitoring the US-China summit, and had maintained good communication with the US and other countries "to ensure the stable deepening of Taiwan-US relations and safeguard Taiwan's interests".

He said Taiwan had always been a "guardian of peace and stability" in the region and accused China of escalating risk with its "aggressive military actions and authoritarian oppression".

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John Beaton was the referee at Fir Park on Wednesday evening

The Scottish FA says referee John Beaton and his family "spent last night at home under police surveillance following a leak of personal details online".

The association says that it is calling for "tolerance and perspective to prevent any further, unthinkable escalation".

And Police Scotland have confirmed a man, 19, has been arrested "in connection with a data protection offence".

Beaton has faced criticism following the award of a late penalty, which was converted, in Celtic's 3-2 win at Motherwell on Wednesday.

The incident at Fir Park, which involved VAR, was the latest in a series of controversial refereeing decisions as the Scottish Premiership title race reaches its conclusion.

Celtic's win kept them within a point of leaders Hearts. Those two sides meet at Celtic Park in Saturday's final top-six fixtures.

"The Scottish FA condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to compromise the safety of match officials," said the SFA, which organises refereeing in the SPFL.

"Such vigilantism, motivated by decisions perceived to be right or wrong on a field of play, is a scourge on our national game and we are grateful to Police Scotland for their swift intervention.

"As we approach what should be an exciting finale to the season, we ask those who have personalised and hyperbolised their opinions, those who have sought the easy way out by attributing defeats to perceived refereeing errors, and those who have approved incendiary statements and posts to reflect on their contribution to creating an environment of intimidation, fear and alarm."

Police Scotland said in their statement: "Officers investigating a complaint of personal information being shared online relating to a Scottish football official, have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with a data protection offence. Enquiries are continuing."

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The SFA cited those they see as responsible for an escalation in tensions.

"We are also clear, sadly, that this is the inevitable consequence of the heightening criticism, intolerance and scapegoating demonstrated this season by media pundits, supporters, official supporters' groups, clubs, players, managers and former match officials," it said.

"We do not make that point lightly as the national association. Yet it is an inconvenient truth. Those who have sought to apportion blame and conspiracy towards match officials to deflect from defeats or perceived injustices throughout the season have contributed to an environment that puts the safety of our staff and match officials in jeopardy.

"This is the consequence of a hysterical media narrative, fuelled by irresponsible knee-jerk post-match media interviews, commentary and official social media posts.

"The cumulative effect impacts on our ability to provide enough referees to service our game at all levels. When it compromises the safety and wellbeing of our most senior match officials, enough is enough."

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The SFA insisted their officials "are not infallible".

And they added: "Mistakes will be made on the field, and subjective calls made in front of the VAR monitor, just as managers will pick the wrong team, goalkeepers concede soft goals and strikers miss from five yards out. Yet the reaction to these inevitabilities could not be more contrasting.

"What happened yesterday is not an isolated incident. There are many examples of match officials being placed in harmful situations but with individuals fearful of speaking out lest it exacerbates the situation or causes further alarm to friends, family and colleagues.

"We will not allow this to become the norm. We will not allow a situation where match officials require special provision to protect their children at school to be considered an occupational hazard. We will not allow a situation where staying at home with the front door locked and avoiding the hazards of public interaction becomes a coping strategy.

"The Scottish FA will be seeking to strengthen its rules to better protect those integral to the game and urge those who will doubtless join us in condemning incidents like this to support those proposals, not contribute to their watering-down on the basis of self-preservation.

Celtic score controversial late penalty to set up epic final day

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A hospital trust has admitted that nearly 50 staff members looked inappropriately at the medical records of victims of the Southport knife attack.

The data breach happened at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool, where some of the injured were treated, in the days after the July 2024 attack but has only emerged this week.

The BBC understands the three patients affected included a 13-year-old girl who had been helping to supervise the Taylor Swift-themed dance class that was targeted in the attack – and adult teacher Leanne Lucas.

The NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG), which runs Aintree, said the breach was "inexcusable" and changes had been made – although no-one has been sacked.

Lucas was stabbed five times in the attack, which killed three young girls and seriously wounded eight children and another adult.

"I am absolutely devastated and horrified that my privacy has been invaded when I was at my most vulnerable," she said.

"Nothing will take away my gratitude to the staff who saved my life, but 48 people not involved in my care abused their position of trust to access the files of victims who have suffered unspeakable trauma."

It is understood that the breach emerged as part of a standard information access audit carried out by the trust in the days after the attack.

Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, from Fletcher's Solicitors which represents the teenage patient, said: "This is a deeply disturbing abuse of power and a shocking breach of privacy into the care of several Southport victims, including a young girl.

"Our client, who is now growing into a young woman, is old enough to properly understand what this means: that staff opened her records, not to aid to her recovery but to pry."

The chief executive of UHLG, James Sumner, said the trust was "sincerely sorry for any distress that may have been caused to the patients".

He said that staff who were found to have accessed patient records were subject to disciplinary processes ranging from "informal counselling to a final written warning". None of the staff members were dismissed.

Lucas said: "The decision to keep this from me for almost two years is a new low.

"I am speaking out as I want this scandal and the attempted cover up by senior management exposed for what it is."

She told the BBC she only learned about the data breach on Thursday when the hospital's chief nurse spoke to her.

Lucas believes that it was only revealed to her because a journalist from the Health Service Journal had contacted the hospital.

She added: "I'm also angry that the Information Commissioner's Office was told about it in August 2024, and I've only been told now because I was about to read about it in a paper."

Sumner said the decision not to inform the patients was taken on clinical advice, "taking into consideration the potential psychological impact it may have upon them at the time".

He added that the "relevant regulators and professional bodies" were contacted.

The Information Commissioner's Office said it was not intending to start a criminal investigation "at this time", but added: "We continue to remind all healthcare organisations about the importance of keeping patient data secure."

Solicitor Nicola Brook, of Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents adult survivors of the attack, said: "This is a truly unbelievable breach of privacy for victims of one of the most horrific attacks this country has ever seen.

"This is more than a few bad apples when it was 48 different members of staff who for no legitimate reason, chose to access vulnerable victims' records.

"That speaks to a culture, and one that will only change if there are real consequences for those responsible.

"For the Trust to then try to hide that it happened is appalling. The Trust has many questions to answer and we will be ensuring our clients get those answers as soon as possible."

Ryan-Donnelly described the two-year delay in telling her client as "absolutely shameful".

She also called on the Trust to give more answers to the teenage girl's family, and for staff to "face proper accountability".

The Labour MP for Southport, Patrick Hurley, told the BBC he was "deeply concerned" by reports of the data breach.

He said: "The suggestion that confidential records may have been accessed without legitimate reason, particularly at a time when survivors and families were at their most vulnerable, is profoundly troubling."

He added: "We must make sure this doesn't happen again, either here in Southport or in other high profile cases where people are receiving confidential health care."

Layla Moran MP, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, said that any breach of this kind "fundamentally undermines patient confidence".

The shadow health secretary, Stuart Andrew, said: "Any inappropriate access to confidential medical records is a serious violation of that trust and should never have happened.

"The vast majority of NHS staff uphold the highest professional standards every day under immense pressure. Where those standards are breached, it is right that disciplinary action is taken."

The UHLG said in a statement: "Breaches of patient confidentiality are inexcusable and undermine the hard work of those teams who sought to provide the highest standard of care to these patients after they experienced such traumatic and life-changing events.

"Staff who were found to access patient records were subject to HR disciplinary processes.

"When we concluded our investigation into the incident, we consulted the clinical team who had managed the patients' care and made a decision not to inform the patients involved, taking into consideration the potential psychological impact it may have upon them at the time.

"We notified the relevant regulators and professional bodies, including the ICO, and were fully transparent about any findings and actions taken. Learning from the incident has led to the introduction of a digital solution which reduces inappropriate access to patient records of this nature."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "This is a serious breach.

"It is completely unacceptable for NHS staff to inappropriately access people's health records – especially those who have been through such horrific and traumatic experiences.

"While the trust has rightly apologised, we will be following up to make sure measures are being taken to prevent this happening again."

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