South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) looks to be facing its biggest electoral setback since the end of apartheid, after the partial results of municipal elections.

With 85% of the votes in, the ANC trails its main rival, the Democratic Alliance, in the cities of Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
The two parties are in a close fight in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
But the ANC is still in the lead nationally.
Unemployment and corruption scandals surrounding President Jacob Zuma have tarnished the ANC's image.
Election results as they happened
"The ANC failed to enthuse their voters and give them a credible offer and that is what often happens to parties that have mismanaged the economy, mismanaged the city, but it also says that we are growing as a party," Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane told the BBC.
"We've been able to make an offer before South Africans that is compelling."
Mr Maimane earlier told 702 radio: "We call this the change election because we felt that it was a referendum on Jacob Zuma as a national figure, but we also had a referendum about the future of South Africa."
Final results are expected on Friday.
The municipal election result is probably the biggest wake-up call the governing African National Congress has received since it ushered in democracy in South Africa in 1994.
Clearly the ANC still commands huge support across the country but that support is waning. It can no longer take it for granted that the black majority will blindly follow it.
Its power and influence is in decline.
In-fighting, public squabbles and a host of corruption scandals have been slowly eating away at the reputation of a once glorious movement of the people.
The best example is in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality where the ANC is lagging behind in a city (Port Elizabeth) which has a rich history of anti-apartheid struggle. The man poised to be the new mayor is the Democratic Alliance's Athol Trollip, who is white.
Twenty-two years after the end of apartheid, black people are now voting on issues and not on race. Mr Trollip, who speaks fluent Xhosa, would not be where he is if the vast majority of black people had not voted for him.
The ANC has won more than 60% of the vote at every election since the end of apartheid more than two decades ago.
With two-thirds of the votes counted on Thursday, the ANC had 53%, followed by 28% for the Democratic Alliance and 7% for the radical Economic Freedom Fighters.
The local elections are being seen as an indication of the mid-term popularity of President Zuma. Correspondents say a poor ANC performance could embolden Mr Zuma's rivals within the party to challenge him.
The next general elections are due in 2019 but Mr Zuma cannot stand for a third term as president.
South Africa's economy has also been one of the main issues for voters, with growth expected to be zero this year, and unemployment standing at 27%.
Protests demanding better housing and amenities have sprung up across South Africa.
Mr Zuma has also had to weather a corruption scandal, after being ordered to repay taxpayers' money spent on his private home.
Security was tight for the elections and the electoral commission said voting had passed off smoothly.


A woman has admitted endangering a toddler by losing control of a pram while drunk and on drugs.

Fiona Winter admitted pushing a pram containing a three-year-old girl onto a road in Perth without looking and while under the influence of drink and drugs on 23 April this year.
The 35-year-old, of Dundee, pleaded guilty to exposing the child to "the likelihood of unnecessary suffering" at Perth railway station.
Sentence was deferred for reports.
Perth Sheriff Court heard Winter was supposed to be looking after the child when she was seen staggering around the streets of Perth.
Police were called, and found she was heavily under the influence of drink and drugs.
The court heard Winter has 11 previous convictions dating back 15 years, including for possession of heroin, shoplifting, assault, theft, breach of the peace and making false statements to police.


A man with terminal cancer who travelled to Switzerland to end his life has died.

Assisted suicide campaigner Bob Cole, 68, a former town councillor in north Wales, travelled to Dignitas on Wednesday from his home in Chester.
His wife, Ann Hall, died at the same centre in Zurich last year.
Campaign group Dignity in Dying confirmed Mr Cole died on Friday afternoon.
The Sun newspaper said Mr Coles' last wish before he died was for the law on assisted dying in the UK to be changed.
He had called on MPs to support the Assisted Dying Bill that is due for debate in the House of Commons in September.
Under current UK law, a person encouraging or assisting a suicide or suicide attempt could face up to 14 years in prison, if a decision was taken to prosecute.
Mr Cole, who had been a councillor in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, was diagnosed in June with mesothelioma, a lung cancer caused by asbestos.
He told the Sun that he had been left "doubled up in pain" and had "no wish to die in pain without any dignity" after doctors told him he only had months to live.
His wife died at the same centre in February 2014 after suffering from the degenerative brain condition, supranuclear palsy.
Mr Cole, originally from Manchester, became a vocal campaigner for changes to assisted dying laws - making regular trips to London to demonstrate over the issue.
Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said: "Bob's decision is yet another reminder that the current law is broken.
"Parliament's job is to fix the law so people like Bob and his wife Ann are no longer forced to travel abroad to simply have control over the manner and timing of their own deaths."
However, an expert in end-of-life care, Baroness Ilora Finlay, said she remained opposed to any change in the law.
The professor in palliative care at Cardiff University told BBC Radio Wales on Friday that the focus should be on improving care so people are able to maintain dignity as they die, rather than ask doctors to assist in deaths.
"The vast majority of doctors don't want to be involved in this," she told Good Morning Wales.
"I think it is really dangerous if we change the law and doctors become gatekeepers."
She said people were sometimes ending their lives unnecessarily early.
"People get the diagnosis wrong and they get the predicted life expectancy wrong," she said.


UK manufacturing growth fell to a near three-year low in February following a slowdown in new orders, new figures show.

The latest Markit/CIPS manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 50.8 last month.
A figure above 50 indicates growth, but the figure was the lowest reading since April 2013 and below 52.9 in January.
Output slowed sharply after levels of new business failed to increase from the numbers recorded in January.
Exports shrank for a second consecutive month, with orders down in mainland Europe, the US, Brazil and Russia.
"The near-stagnation of manufacturing highlights the ongoing fragility of the economic recovery at the start of the year and provides further cover for the Bank of England's increasingly dovish stance," said Rob Dobson, a senior economist at Markit.
"The breadth of the slowdown is especially worrisome. The domestic market is showing signs of weakening while export business continued to fall."
UK manufacturing has been under pressure for a number of months, hampered by a slowdown in demand from major overseas economies.
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics indicated that the manufacturing sector dragged on UK economic growth during the final three months of 2015, with the economy dependant on the service sector and consumer spending.
The information for February's PMI survey was compiled before the recent fall in sterling against the dollar, which sent the pound to a seven-year low of $1.3876. Sterling is currently trading at close to $1.40.
A weak pound makes goods cheaper for overseas customers looking to buy British goods but it also means that imports and manufacturing materials become more expensive for UK companies.


Arlene Foster is promising a new style, but no change in the fundamental values of the DUP.

The next few months will provide an opportunity to assess if the DUP is heading in a more liberal direction, or standing its traditional ground, albeit with more modern slicker presentation.
Health Minister Simon Hamilton's announcement that he would approve blood donations from gay men if experts decide it's safe appears a pointer.
It's hard to imagine either of his predecessors, Jim Wells and Edwin Poots, making a similar announcement.
But if the health minister felt emboldened by Mrs Foster's impending promotion, in her initial interviews the new leader has avoided any further gestures.
Instead, Mrs Foster has reiterated the DUP's opposition to same sex marriage and declined to respond directly to questions about whether DUP MLAs might get a free vote on abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality (Mrs Foster referred to the need to assess the recent judgement on the issue from Mr Justice Horner).
Although the new leader explicitly rejects the notion that the DUP has an old wing and a new wing, like every political organisation, its members aren't carbon copies of each other.
Among those gathered at an east Belfast hotel to applaud Mrs Foster's elevation, for example, were Alderman Maurice Mills who reportedly blamed Hurricane Katrina on an annual gay event and MLA Pam Cameron who privately insisted, when challenged over same-sex marriage that she had gay friends, wasn't a "homophobic bigot" and was one of many who would "see NI move forward".
Mrs Foster will probably enjoy, like most new leaders, a honeymoon period. But the five months between now and the assembly elections will undoubtedly provide opportunities to test her instincts, not just on these social and moral issues.
The DUP isn't the only party to have staged a changing of the guard during 2015.
The SDLP also has a new young leader. Colum Eastwood, like Arlene Foster, has to manage a party in which there is a range of views on issues like same sex marriage, which the party officially supports, or changes to the abortion law, which it doesn't.
While Mrs Foster was getting unanimously elected, Mr Eastwood was accusing both the DUP and Sinn FÃ©in of failing to live up to their promises in the Fresh Start deal.
Section F of the deal promised that agendas would be circulated one day in advance of executive meetings, a move intended to address the concerns of smaller parties that they weren't being given enough time to examine important policies decided behind closed doors by the big two power brokers.
But Mr Eastwood complained that Mrs Foster - in finance minister mode - had circulated her draft budget just 12 hours before Thursday's executive meeting and put the final document before ministers only 20 minutes before they were required to vote.
The SDLP leader described this as "a political snub" and "a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise the people we represent".
Alliance ministers also voted against the draft budget, claiming "there was no justification for rushing the budget within hours".
Some of the faces at Stormont's top tables may be changing. But my guess is that many of the arguments between the parties will still sound awfully familiar.


Former Welsh Secretary David Jones has been handed a role in Britain's exit from the EU as new Prime Minister Theresa May continues to shape her administration.

The Clwyd West MP has been appointed minister of state at the Department for Exiting the European Union.
He led the Welsh arm of the Vote Leave campaign for the EU referendum.
Following the appointment, Mr Jones tweeted saying he was "honoured".
Elsewhere, Guto Bebb and the former leader of the Welsh Conservatives Lord Bourne have retained their junior ministerial positions in the Wales Office.


A sharp rise in the number of tourists from North America helped drive a 6% increase in overseas visitors to Scotland last year, according to new figures.

The Office for National Statistics found overseas visits to Scotland rose by 155,000 in 2016, compared with 2015.
The numbers were boosted by an 18% rise in visitors from the US and Canada.
Tourism body VisitScotland attributed that increase in part to the success of the television series Outlander.
It said the series, which was filmed at various locations across Scotland, including Doune Castle near Stirling, had fuelled a growing interest in ancestral tourism.
The latest ONS figures also showed that international visitors spent Â£1.85bn in Scotland in 2016 - a rise of 9% compared with the previous year.
Edinburgh was found to be the most popular city with overseas overnight visitors to the UK outside of London.
Glasgow was the sixth most popular, while Inverness was in 12th place and Aberdeen at number 19.
VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead said: "Overall, 2016 was a very positive year for Scottish tourism, with these figures showing that there is a huge appetite among overseas visitors to explore Scotland.
"A growing interest in ancestral tourism, which in part has been fuelled by the success of the hit television series Outlander, as well as increased airline capacity, has continued to see visitors from North America coming here in large numbers.
Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "These figures underline Scotland's appeal as a world-class tourism destination and are a credit to our tourism industry's hard work to attract and welcome more than 2.7 million overseas visitors last year."


Scottish airport operators have said they are dismayed and disappointed that the control of air passenger duty (APD) will not be devolved to Scotland.

The UK government gave Northern Ireland the power to reduce the level of the tax because it said it had a special economic case.
That prompted calls from Scottish and Welsh airports for similar treatment.
The UK Treasury said it had not ruled out devolving APD to Scotland and Wales in the future.
A report published following a consultation on reform of APD said the government at Westminster would "continue to explore the feasibility and likely effects of devolution to Scotland and Wales".
Earlier this year Chancellor George Osborne announced the duty would be cut for direct long-haul routes from Northern Ireland airports, and he would devolve control over the tax to the Northern Irish Assembly.
The move came in response to fears that some routes could be scrapped due to competition from Irish airports where APD is much lower.
Commenting on the UK Government's decision not to grant the Scottish government similar powers for now, Jim O'Sullivan, managing director of Edinburgh Airport, said: "APD is already costing Scotland passengers and having an impact on tourism revenues.
"We know from discussions with our airline partners that it is a major factor in their decision to connect further routes to Scotland.
"We would urge the Westminster Government to see Scotland as it does Northern Ireland and understand the need to both reduce and devolve this unfair and damaging tax."
Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: "On the question of devolution of APD, Glasgow Airport has always been supportive of this proposal given the Scottish government's more progressive approach to aviation and its greater appreciation of the role the industry plays in supporting the growth of the Scottish economy."
Scottish Transport Minister, Keith Brown said the case for devolving APD was "compelling" and had been backed by all four of Scotland's biggest airports, and recommended by the Calman Commission.
He added: "We need to be able to deal with the competitive and connectivity disadvantages that Scotland faces and if APD were devolved now we could provide the means to incentivise airlines to provide new direct international connections to Scotland, benefiting our aviation industry and our passengers and supporting the growth of the Scottish economy.
"The UK government needs to listen to the many voices in Scotland who clearly want to see full devolution of the policy on APD."


An 83-year-old widow died after becoming trapped underneath an overturned quad bike, an inquest has been told.

June Matthews, 83, who had impaired mobility, used quad bikes to get round her 130-acre farmland at Oxton, near Starcross, Devon.
She was taking out rubbish when the accident happened last November.
Torbay, Plymouth and South Devon coroner Ian Arrow concluded Mrs Matthews' death was accidental.
The hearing was told Mrs Matthews had ridden quad bikes for more than 50 years, but because of problems with her knees, she rode in a side saddle position.
Her daughter Elizabeth said her mother was a "very competent rider" who "rode quite fast".
Neighbours found Mrs Matthews trapped underneath the quad bike the following morning - up to 12 hours after she was fatally injured.
A post-mortem examination revealed she died from vehicle trauma including broken ribs and aortic transection.
The inquest head tyre pressures were overinflated on one side of the all-terrain vehicle and underinflated on the other side, which made it veer when the accelerator was activated.
Neighbours described her as a "fiercely independent and determined lady" who loved the seclusion of her house and land.


Somerset director of cricket Matt Maynard has hailed the arrival of former Australian opener Chris Rogers as a marquee signing for next season.

Rogers, 38, will play in next season's County Championship and Maynard is delighted with the signing.
"He has agreed to come in and bat at three for the summer and that's a real top signing for us, a marquee player," Maynard told BBC Radio Somerset.
"He is a great acquisition, I'm really looking forward to working with him."
Maynard says the Sydney-born left-hander will be a huge asset to the side and will help support the opening duo of Marcus Trescothick and 21-year-old Tom Abell.
"I think it was quite evident that apart from Marcus and Tom at the top of the order, we needed a bit more stability at three.
"He's got a world of experience, he is still very athletic, he is a very fit lad, he has got that Aussie determination, that steely quality and we saw during the summer he is a high-class player on tough wickets."
Rogers announced his retirement from Test cricket prior to this summer's Ashes series and Maynard hopes his experience can help the younger members of Somerset's squad.
"We can't stifle our young talent and ask Tom Abell to bat out of position. He has established himself as an opener, he still has a long way to go but has the potential to go all the way and bat for England for a number of years.
"Obviously Marcus is still at the top of his game. Chris has batted at three a number of times in his career and is happy there. Also it will give him time to bed in, he is a quality performer and we're hoping for an excellent season from him."


Sting is to join the likes of Ray Davies, Van Morrison and Sir Tim Rice when he becomes one of the recipients of the BMI Icon award next month.

The star will be honoured for his contribution to music, as well as his acting and humanitarian work.
His catalogue includes hits such as Every Breath You Take, Fields of Gold and Don't Stand So Close To Me.
"Sting is an icon in the truest sense of the word," said Brandon Bakshi of the BMI, a music rights organisation.
"His musical catalogue has had an enormous impact on music lovers from around the globe across multiple generations."
When the former Police frontman won the outstanding contribution award at the Brit Awards in 2002, he said: "I've had a very, very long career in music.
"If I have gleaned any wisdom, it's encapsulated in five words: 'Music is its own reward.'"
He has also won 16 Grammys and been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is due to release a new album, 57th & 9th, in November.
The BMI - whose full name is Broadcast Music, Inc - keeps track of the songs played on radio and television and collects royalties on behalf of writers and publishers.
Now in their 65th year, the BMI London Awards honour the writers and publishers of the most-performed British pop songs during the past 12 months.
Last year, the US version of the ceremony saw Taylor Swift win a Taylor Swift Award - created in the star's name to recognise her domination of the airwaves in 2015.
Swift told the audience: "If they had chosen someone else to give the Taylor Swift Award to, I'd be kind of bummed about it."
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No charges are to be brought against a woman accused of posting a malicious message on Facebook about a terminally ill five-year-old boy.

Bradley Lowery. from Blackhall Colliery, near Hartlepool, has terminal neuroblastoma.
A 24-year-old from Hartlepool was arrested in December on suspicion of offences under the Malicious Communications Act.
Cleveland Police said the case remained open and inquiries were continuing.
Bradley, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2013, made headlines around the world after featuring as Sunderland Football Club's mascot.
Last year Â£700,000 was raised for him and treatment has now begun in hospital in a bid to prolong his life.


Staff at Leyton Orient say they have had no correspondence from club owner Francesco Becchetti as they await their wages for March.

In a statement, club employees say they are "hugely concerned" by the "lack of communication" from the O's hierarchy.
Orient are bottom of League Two and their 112-year Football League stay could end with relegation on Saturday.
"We appeal to the club's directors to communicate the situation and provide us with an update regarding our pay."
The statement added: "A formal grievance was raised by club staff in lin e with the club's policies and procedures, though to this date it remains unacknowledged with no indication as to when, or if, we are to be paid."
The club's staff are due to be paid their April wages in nine days' time.
The East London side were the subject of a winding-up petition brought by HM Revenue & Customs over unpaid taxes, and while those debts have now been paid, money is owed to four other creditors.
Orient also survived an immediate winding-up order last month, with Italian Becchetti given until 12 June to pay off debts or sell the club.
"With debts continuing to mount and us as staff not being paid our contractual wage, it raises questions as to whether the directors are on course to meet this arrangement," the staff statement continued.
"Despite their concern club staff have continued in their respective roles, rallying behind the team in their bid to preserve Leyton Orient's proud English Football League association."


A woman has been seriously injured after two cars collided in Peterhead.

A silver Renault Clio and a silver Honda Civic crashed on the town's West Road at about 14:30.
The woman, who is believed to have been driving one of the cars, has been airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
A man, thought to be the other driver, was described as "walking wounded".


Attempts to recapture an eagle which went missing from Warwick Castle have ended.

Stanley the white-tailed eagle flew off during a show in September and despite a number of sightings handlers were unable to catch him.
He was first spotted in Leamington and was later seen in a tree in Preston Capes, Northamptonshire, in October.
A Warwick Castle spokesman said staff had not given up hope of him returning but admitted it was unlikely.
The general manager of the tourist attraction, Tim Harrison-Jones, said: "We had a few sightings over in Northamptonshire and we sent our falconers out to go and see if they could find him.
"We located him to a tree but he was feeding quite well on what we think were dead rabbits so the falconers have decided to leave him.
"What we hope is he'll make it to the coast. If he can make it to the coast he'll have a really good life."
Stanley, who is aged over 10, has a wingspan of more than 6ft (1.82m). He is named after Kazakhstan, where he is originally from, and had been flying at the castle for more than eight years.


Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa says he is "still frightened" after an attack on the Bundesliga team's bus on 11 April.

Three explosions hit the bus carrying Dortmund to their home Champions League quarter-final match against Monaco.
Defender Marc Bartra had an operation after breaking a bone in his wrist in the attack, with the game postponed until the following day.
"I'm afraid to get on the bus, I am afraid to drive to games," said Kagawa.
"I was frightened - and I am still frightened, to be honest," added the 28-year-old Japan player.
Investigators believe three explosive devices packed with metal pins were hidden in a hedge and set off as the bus passed.
Police charged a man identified only as Sergej W and investigators say the motive for the attack was financial and not terror-related.
"I was petrified," wrote Kagawa on his blog. "I looked back and saw the shattered window panes.
"I saw Marc Bartra curled up. Like everybody else, I was completely shaken."
The former Manchester United player said he and his team-mates "couldn't imagine" playing the rearranged first leg, which Dortmund lost 3-2.
"In my head was only the scenes from the bus and thoughts of the hellish detonation," he added.


Many dementia patients fail to have the proper checks when they are in hospital, an audit of care has found.

The National Audit of Dementia found some improvements since its first analysis of care in England and Wales in 2011.
But it says too few patients have their mental state assessed, and information is often not shared properly.
The Alzheimer's Society said a "culture change" was needed to improve care further.
The audit, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), was led by the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Centre for Quality Improvement in partnership with other organisations.
It looked at data from 210 hospitals across England and Wales, including case notes for 8,000 patients with dementia.
Many people with the condition become very confused when they are admitted to hospital.
But the audit found only half had their mental state assessed, and even fewer were checked for delirium - a state of mental confusion - rates it said were "alarmingly low".
The authors said: "Delirium is associated with greater risks of longer admission, hospital acquired infections, admission to long term care, and death.
"Failure to assess and plan for mental health needs may also prevent appropriate assessment and care for physical health needs."
In addition, a third of hospitals did not have guidance available to staff on how to involve the patient's carer and how to share information.
Flaws were also found with patient notes, which often failed to include information that could have helped staff communicate with them  - and with poor discharge information.
At board level, the audit said, hospital trusts failed to do enough to review the quality of care for people with dementia.
Two in five hospitals did not provide dementia awareness training to new staff.
However, since the last audit report in December 2011, some improvements were found.
There has been a 10% drop in the overall number of prescriptions of antipsychotic drugs, and patients are now more likely to receive an assessment of the food they are eating.
Prof Peter Crome, who led the audit's steering group, said he was pleased there had been improvements since the 2011 report.
But he added: "Much still needs to be done and there remains a large gap between what hospitals say should happen and what actually does happen."
Prof John Young, the government's National Clinical Director (or tsar) for Integration and the Frail Elderly, who advised the audit, said: "Hospitals are at last engaging with the special care requirements necessary to support people with dementia and their families."
George McNamara, head of policy and public affairs at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Given that people with dementia occupy a quarter of hospital beds, it is scandalous that improving dementia care is not a top priority for a number of hospital managers."
He said hospitals must do more to give staff the training they needed to look after patients with dementia better.
Dr Peter Carter, general secretary the Royal College of Nursing, said: "A recent RCN report found that specialist dementia nurses can reduce the length of hospital stays, prevent readmissions and provide education and leadership for other staff.
"We must not deny our most vulnerable patients these improvements in care, and dementia specialist nurses should be a top priority."


Wales' final 2018 World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in October will be held at Cardiff City Stadium.

Manager Chris Coleman and his players have always favoured playing at the home of Cardiff City rather than switching to the Principality Stadium.
Coleman's side are four points behind Serbia and the Republic of Ireland in Group D with four matches remaining.
The final qualifier against the Republic is on Monday, 9 October.
Before then they host Austria at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, 2 September before away games in Moldova and Georgia.


International students coming to London contribute £2.3bn towards the economy, according to a report.

They say migration targets should be reclassified and students should have visitor status and be able to work after graduating.
The Home office says all immigrants in the UK affect communities, housing and public services and should be included in net migration figures.
But the report argues international students are made to  feel "unwelcome".
The research was commissioned by London First, an organisation representing businesses in London and the accountancy firm PwC.
Students who responded to the study came from about 70 countries and attended 10 of the 39 higher education institutions in London.
As well as contributing to the economy, the study says, international students "support nearly 70,000 jobs" because of the money they spend in the city.
But, a vast majority of the students said it was difficult for them to secure work after they had finished their courses because of the complex immigration system.
Jo Valentine, chief executive of London First said: "International students are made to feel unwelcome because of the anti-immigration rhetoric," and because they are included in the government's net migration targets.
"Students' expenditure here is a modern-day export: they pay substantial fees and contribute significantly to consumer spending."
Calculations by the research team show, they say, that international students do not burden public services.
Their figures show that while international students contribute a "total of £2.8bn" through the spending they bring to the country, they consume £540m in public spending, including the NHS.
Julia Onslow-Cole at PwC said: "While politicians recognise the importance of international students, there has been considerable debate over their economic value.
"This is the first study to quantify the benefits of student migration.
"We need more hard data like this to inform immigration policies and targets."
Immigration minister James Brokenshire said: "The government will pursue further reforms to tackle abuse while continuing to attract the brightest and the best to our world-class universities."
"The latest figures show this strategy is working - university applications from overseas students are up by 18% since 2010."


Parliament's back, but not yet firing on all cylinders.

The Commons select committee system will be kick-started with a motion to re-establish it on Wednesday, but the chairs and the ordinary members will not be in place for a couple of weeks yet. With no legislation to be processed, the only real action is in the main chambers with the Commons and Lords' respective debates on the content of the Queen's Speech.
Keep an eye out for MPs auditioning for a variety of roles - aspirant select committee chairs will be weighing in, during suitable sections of the Queen's Speech debate, and those with a hat in the ring for Labour's leadership and deputy leadership, and even the candidacy for the London mayoralty, will all be seeking to cut a dash.
Commons-watchers will also take a keen interest in the elections for the three deputy speakerships - with former Backbench Business Committee chair Natascha Engel joining incumbents Lindsay Hoyle and Eleanor Laing.
Even if there are just three candidates for the three posts, one nuance to watch is that the candidate with the most votes gets the job of Chairman of Ways and Means - which will put them in the chair for the Budget statement in July.....and into pole position to become the next Speaker when John Bercow calls it a day. Nominations close on Monday and the election is on Wednesday.
The heavy legislating starts the following week with the second reading of the Scotland Bill on Monday 8 June and the second reading of the European Union Referendum Bill on Tuesday 9 June. There's also another, as yet unspecified, bill to get a second reading on Thursday 11 June.
Over in the Lords, peers get their first bill - the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill on Monday 8, then the Psychoactive Substances Bill arrives on Tuesday 9, followed by the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill on Wednesday 10 June.
But in the meantime, here's my rundown of the week ahead:
Monday
The Commons meets at 2.30pm to continue the Queen's Speech debate. The subject du jour is "Britain in the World".
In the Lords (from 2.30pm) the first business is the introduction of two new peers - the pensions expert Baroness Altmann who will sit as a Conservative, and serve as a pensions minister; and Lord O'Neill of Gatley - Jim O'Neil, a former Goldman Sachs economist credited with identifying the group of emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India and China, aka BRIC.
Having previously led a review into the growing resistance of bugs to antibiotics, he has now been tasked with leading the government's Northern Powerhouse initiative, as Commercial Secretary to the Treasury.
In questions to ministers, Labour's Lord Kennedy of Southwark fires the opening shot in what promises to be one of the party's legislative campaigns, to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in a referendum on the EU.
The subject for the day's segment of the Queen's Speech debate is Constitutional Affairs, Legal Affairs and Devolved Affairs - which will take place without any SNP voice, because the party refuses to nominate peers.
One interesting feature will be the maiden speech of Sir Robert Rogers, former Clerk of the House of Commons, now Lord Lisvane.
Tuesday
The Commons meets at 11.30am for the first departmental question time of the new Parliament, with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt at the despatch box. And he will stay in his place as the debate on the Queen's Speech turns to Health and Social Care.
There's an interesting-looking adjournment debate on the creation of a national institute for the study of the sexual abuse of children - led by Labour's Graham Allen. He says the proposed institute would use best evidence and practice to prevent and reduce child sexual abuse.
In the Lords (2.30pm) another pair of new peers take their seats - the Conservative former campaign director Lord Bridges of Headley, who will be a junior minister working with the government's policy czar, Oliver Letwin. Next up is Lord Prior of Brampton - David Prior, son of the Thatcher-era cabinet minister, Jim Prior - who has been appointed minister for NHS productivity.
Questions to ministers include Lord Moynihan asking about the recent arrests of FIFA officials relating to charges of corruption - and then the Queen's Speech debate turns to home affairs, local government, energy, environment and agriculture.
Wednesday
In the Commons (11.30am), the first business is International Development Questions - followed at noon by David Cameron's first PMQs as a majority prime minister.
Then the debate on the Queen's Speech moves on to devolution and growth across Britain  - showcasing the Cities Devolution Bill and the Northern Powerhouse agenda.
And the day ends with an adjournment debate on health services in Staffordshire - local MP Jeremy Lefroy continues his long-running parliamentary campaign which grew out of the Mid Staffs NHS Trust scandal.
In the Lords (3pm) the Queen's Speech focuses on health, education, welfare and culture.
Thursday
The Commons meets at 9.30am for the question time debut of the new Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, John Whittingdale.
That is followed (according to the Commons agenda) by questions to the MP who speaks for the House of Commons Commission - which could be rather short, because under the Straw Commission proposals, approved by MPs shortly before the election, much of the Commission will now be elected, and that won't have happened by Thursday. So MPs will have to store up any gripes about offices, computers etc until the Commission members are in place.
And the new Leader of the House, Chris Grayling, had better be in place to deliver his weekly Business Statement slightly earlier than his order paper might suggest.
The subject for the final day's debate on the Queen's Speech is the economy.
In the Lords (11am) questions to ministers include the former Cabinet minister Lord Fowler on consulting the public on the renewal of the BBC Royal Charter, and the Conservative constitutionalist Lord Lexden on postal voting fraud at the general election.
And the Queens Speech debate will cover business, economic affairs and transport.
Neither House sits on Friday - the first Friday sittings will be in the Lords on 19 June and 17 July - the list of private members' bills proposed by peers has now been published.
The Commons is some way from holding its annual ballot for debating time for private members' bills  - but their first Friday sitting will be on 11 September.


Panama's Supreme Court has launched an investigation into allegations that ex-President Ricardo Martinelli ordered illegal wiretaps.

Mr Martinelli, who governed from 2009 to 2014, is already under investigation over corruption allegations.
The former president has denied any wrongdoing, saying he is the victim of a "political persecution".
Investigators say more than 150 people, including politicians and business people, were spied on illegally.
Among the alleged victims of the wiretaps are high-ranking members of the opposition Revolutionary Democratic Party, as well as lawmaker Jose Luis Varela, who is the brother of current President Juan Carlos Varela.
They allege that their phones were tapped and that the administration of Mr Martinelli prepared dossiers against them containing intimate information.
One alleged victim says her private emails and messages to members of her family were monitored and recorded.
Investigators said the wiretaps were carried out by members of Panama's National Security Council, who used sophisticated spy technology bought from Israel, which has since disappeared.
Two former directors of the National Security Council, Alejandro Garuz and Gustavo Perez, have been called to give evidence in the case.
They were arrested in January in connection with the alleged illegal wiretaps.
Mr Martinelli has not returned to Panama since leaving the country in January days before the Supreme Court voted in favour of having him investigated over alleged corruption.
He is believed to be living in Miami, Florida.


Twitter has announced it is to close its video sharing service Vine about four years after it launched.

Vine let people share six-second-long video clips that played on a loop.
Twitter did not give a reason for the closure, but earlier on Thursday it announced it was cutting 9% of its workforce following slow growth of the social network.
"In the coming months we'll be discontinuing the [Vine] mobile app," the company said in a blog.
On learning of the move, Rus Yusupov - one of the three co-founders of Vine - tweeted: "Don't sell your company!"
Twitter acquired Vine before it had officially launched in 2012 for a reported $30m (Â£24.6m).
But it has since integrated a separate video facility into Twitter's main platform, and acquired and launched the livestreaming app Periscope.
"Nothing is happening to the apps, website or your Vines today," the blog added.
"You'll be able to access and download your Vines. We'll be keeping the website online because we think it's important to still be able to watch all the incredible Vines that have been made."
It added that users would be notified before it made any changes to the Vine app or website.
"Twitter was all about setting a constraint on communication - 140 characters - and with Vine it tried to do the same to video," said Ian Fogg, an analyst at the tech consultancy IHS Markit.
"The problem is that Vine didn't keep pace with the innovation from Snapchat, Facebook and other players in the market."
Analysis: Dave Lee, North America technology reporter
Vine seemed a natural progression for Twitter when it was launched in 2013.
Six-second videos seemed a great pairing for a service famed for its punchy 140-character posts.
But in time, it was clear Vine just couldn't compete with short video on Snapchat and Instagram, and that's why Twitter has decided to shut it down.
And with Twitter looking to shed a fair bit of its workforce (again), there really is no justification for a separate app.
What's not clear is whether Twitter plans to integrate Vine-like features into its main app - I'd be very surprised if they binned the format altogether.
Vine has a dedicated fan base, and there are many Vine celebrities out there.
But you're almost as likely to see a Vine re-shared on Facebook than you are to see it on Vine itself - perhaps that was part of the problem.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter


Local police officers with local knowledge are crucial to helping residents of rural Wales feel safe, a survey for Dyfed-Powys Police shows.

The research by university specialists found that communities want stronger neighbourhood bonds with the police.
The work, known as Rural Connect, was paid for by the force's police and crime commissioner Christopher Salmon.
Mr Salmon also said a decision to withdraw the Bobby Van scheme - a free home security service - was a mistake.
"Local policing is vital. I want officers to know and be known in their communities. That way we build trust and confidence," he said.
"This research is an important reminder of some old lessons. Local people say the small stuff matters.
"We must tackle the crime and antisocial behaviour that doesn't make headlines but does make their lives miserable.
"Senior officers must encourage the effort needed to build grassroots relationships. They must empower local officers to make judgements."
Mr Salmon will also look at better mobility for local officers, including cycles and mopeds, along with launching a campaign encouraging officers and the public to speak more often.Â


The former home of Stoke-on-Trent's most famous writer is set to be restored.

Arnold Bennett, who was born in 1867, lived in the house on Waterloo Road in Burslem during his teenage years.
His novels immortalised the Potteries and his reputation as a respected English realist writer was firmly established by his death in 1931.
The large three-storey red brick house was the fictional home of the eponymous hero Edwin Clayhanger in one of Bennett's most famous works.
In the novel Clayhanger, Bennett wrote: "...to Edwin it was not a house, it was a work of art, it was an epic poem, it was an emanation of the soul."
The building was bought in the 1950s by the city council and opened as the Arnold Bennett Museum in 1960.
It was later sold and turned into flats.  Over recent years, it has remained, in part, derelict.
New owner, Mr Burhan Khan, now wants to restore the building to its former glory.  He has applied for planning permission to turn it into his family home.
"When we came to view it, it was literally just another house to us," said Mr Khan.
"It was only a few days before the actual auction that that we realised that it was Grade II listed and who the former owner was.
"When we found out it was Arnold Bennett's house, it took a bit to sink in.
"We had decided to rent out it out as bedsits, but as we got more involved, we decided to move in ourselves, because we knew no-one would take as good care of it as we would."
Professor Ray Johnson, vice president of the Arnold Bennett Society, said: "It's a very inspiring house.
"I would like to go back in... when it's a family house again and that's what it should be."


Tensions have surfaced in Germany's new ruling coalition over how to handle migrants from Bulgaria and Romania.

Conservative Bavarian allies of Chancellor Angela Merkel say extra measures are needed to prevent "benefit tourism" in the EU.
But the foreign ministry, now run by the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), warned that questioning freedom of movement was "harmful to Europe".
Bulgarian and Romanian workers are now free to get jobs anywhere in the EU.
Bulgaria and Romania, the EU's poorest countries, were subject to temporary labour market restrictions when they joined the EU in 2007. Nine countries kept the barriers in place until 1 January.
There is much concern in the UK about the possible impact of new EU migrants on the welfare system. The influx of East European migrants after EU enlargement in 2004 was much bigger than UK officials had anticipated.
Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), allied with the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), set up a coalition government with the SPD in mid-December.
The CSU issued a statement on 29 December calling for extra measures to curb "poverty-driven migration" in the EU.
"For Germany we must develop a range of measures to protect our welfare system against abuses," the CSU statement said. "The acceptance of European freedom of movement is threatened by abusive migration targeting the welfare system - but not by justified defensive measures against abuses."
It also said: "Europe should not obstruct us if we want to have national regulation of poverty-driven migration. It is disastrous behaviour for Brussels to shut its eyes to this problem and to limit the possibilities for national measures against poverty-driven migration."
The CSU wants a re-entry ban for migrants who defraud the welfare system and wants migrants to be barred from making benefit claims during the first three months of their stay.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hit back at the CSU statement in an interview with the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
He said: "European freedoms are the core of our idea of Europe, free movement of workers is an essential part of European integration.
"Germany has derived immense benefit from that, and certainly much more than others."
He said the arrival of many young jobseekers from southern Europe "helps us and helps the states they come from".
Germany's new Europe Minister, Michael Roth of the SPD, said the CSU had "not understood Europe - and clearly doesn't want to either".
He accused CSU politicians of trying to bend public opinion with "stupid slogans" which had no validity - whether in a Bavarian beer hall or in Berlin. "That is not the level at which the grand coalition should be working," he added.


Everton have signed Wigan striker Arouna Kone on a three-year deal after meeting a £6m release clause.

Newcastle and Everton both met the clause in the 29-year-old's Wigan contract but the Ivorian has opted to move to Merseyside
He will link up again with manager Roberto Martinez, who left Wigan at the end of the season.
Kone scored 11 Premier League goals for last season's FA Cup winners who were relegated to the Championship.
Kone said: "Every player dreams of playing for a bigger club and coming here is a big step up for me.
"I hope to be able to fulfil all my dreams and get as far as I can through hard work.
"I hope to score as many goals as I can next season."
Wigan boss Owen Coyle said last week he expected Kone to leave the club and that Everton was his preference.
Martinez, who took over at Everton last month, signed Kone on a three-year deal from Spanish side Levante last summer.
"For me it's an honour to be back working with the manager once again. Last season he really helped me a lot," added the player.
Kone has also played for Belgians Lierse SK, Dutch sides Roda JC and PSV and Sevilla in Spain.
He has played his part in three African Cup of Nations campaigns and was also selected for the World Cup in Germany in 2006.
The fee was officially announced as undisclosed.


A temporary "duck lane" has been created beside a canal in Powys to remind visitors to share limited space on its towpath.

GlandÅµr Cymru, the Canal and River Trust in Wales, took the measure at the Brecon basin on Thursday.
The industrial revolution paths are now "busier than ever" with walkers, cyclists, anglers and animals, it said.
The charity called on visitors to make canals "preserves for old-fashioned good manners".


Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma has again refused to sign a bill legalising abortion, saying it should be put to a referendum.

It was unanimously passed by MPs in December, but Mr Koroma refused to sign it after protests by religious leaders.
After consultations, MPs returned the bill to him last month, unaltered.
The law would allow women to terminate a pregnancy in any circumstances up to 12 weeks and in cases of incest, rape and foetal impairment up to 24 weeks.
Abortion is currently illegal in Sierra Leone under any circumstances.
Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and five Sierra Leonean organisations, wrote to President Koroma in February urging him to give the bill his assent.
"Unsafe abortions - often resulting from restrictive laws and poor access to sexual and reproductive health services, information, and education - is one of the main factors contributing to maternal deaths in Sierra Leone," their letter said.
The World Health Organization estimates that Sierra Leone has the world's highest maternal mortality ratio at 1,360 deaths per 100,000 live births last year.
The BBC's Umaru Fofana in the capital, Freetown, says the abortion issue has led to heated debates and protests on both sides.
President Koroma has now referred the controversial legislation to the Constitutional Review Committee, which is currently reviewing the constitution.
Our correspondent says it will decide whether to include the abortion law in its recommended changes to the constitution, which will be put to a referendum.
When President Koroma sent the legislation back to parliament in January, he asked for it to be reviewed after consultation with religious and women's groups as it went beyond an African Union protocol on women's rights which only backs abortion in cases of sexual assault and in medical emergencies.
Under Sierra Leone's current constitution, the president cannot veto a bill which received a two-thirds majority in parliament, our reporter says.
The speaker of the house could sign the Safe Abortion Act into law, but our correspondent says he is highly unlikely to do so as he comes from the president's party.
Mr Koroma met leaders from the Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL), who all oppose abortion, in January, saying they "represent a huge constituency across the country".
Catholic Archbishop Tamba Charles, vice-president of IRCSL, reiterated their view at summit on the issue later in the month declaring: "No life can be destroyed on the basis of choice as life is sacred.
"If they want to fight for the right of women, then let them be provided with the required medical facilities that will help reduce maternal mortality rate in the country," Sierra Leone's Politico news website quotes him as saying.
Our reporter says the recent Ebola outbreak exposed Sierra Leone's weak health system.
The country is still recovering from a brutal 10-year civil war, which ended in 2002 and ravaged much of its infrastructure.


On 23 April, after one of the longest confirmation processes in the history of the US, the Senate finally approved Loretta Lynch, President Barack Obama's nominee for attorney general, the nation's highest law officer.

Two days later the city of Baltimore, in Maryland, erupted in rioting over the death of a young black man in police custody there. Madam attorney general, welcome to the job.
Freddie Gray died after suffering unexplained injuries and falling into a coma; six police officers have now been charged in connection with his death.
It follows a string of similar cases - in Ferguson, Missouri, for example, where police shot dead an unarmed black teenager in August last year, or, more recently, in South Carolina, where a white officer shot another unarmed black man five times as he was running away.
Each time something like this happens, it raises the same question with ever increasing urgency: can the law offer justice to black Americans?
Ms Lynch seems peculiarly well-placed to provide the answer.
She was born in North Carolina in 1959, so into a world where law and justice were most certainly not the same thing.
In the early 1960s, life in the American South was still dominated by the so-called "Jim Crow" laws - legislation introduced after the American Civil War to segregate white people and black people.
Despite that, her father, the Reverend Lorenzo Lynch, a Protestant pastor like his father before him, believed the law could be a force for change. And when the future attorney general was a very young girl, he used to take her down to the local law courts.
"When I was growing up we were taught [to] stay away from the courthouse," he told me. "Don't be caught at the courthouse. [But] I thought it was a positive institution, and I wanted her to have a different view of it."
The Jim Crow laws finally went in the mid-1960s, but casual racism remained.
The "Jim Crow" laws were used to segregate white people and black people in parts of the United States until the 1960s and covered all aspects of life including:
Ms Lynch's mother, Lorine, remembers that her daughter's teachers had trouble accepting how clever she was.
When she was in the second grade - so seven or eight years old - she had to retake a class test because she did so well the first time round.
"[The teachers] felt it was not accurate because she was African-American and all the white students scored lower," Mrs Lynch told me.
Her score was even higher second time round.
None of this seems to have blunted her aspirations. Ms Lynch pursued a childhood dream of going to Harvard - America's oldest institution of higher education - where she completed a first degree in English literature before switching to law.
A student radical she was not. Karen Freeman-Wilson, now a mayor in Indiana, was a member of the same sorority (a student club for women) and remembers how smartly turned-out she always was.
"In college you tend to wear jeans, you tend to wear khakis, you tend to dress down," she says, "but I can't remember an occasion that Loretta dressed down. I used to tease her... 'Do you ever have any play clothes?'"
The sharply dressed lawyer of the future was already in the making.
The big New York law firms were still very male and very white when she joined Cahill Gordon and Reindel in the mid-1980s.
Two other black American women were part of her cohort, and the three liked to refer to themselves as "the triplets".
One of them, Alysa Christmas Rollock, who is now a vice-president at Purdue University in Indiana, told me they used the nickname because the firm's receptionists, who knew the 250 male partners and associates by name, seemed to be "incapable of identifying us from each other, so we became the non-identical triplets".
The slight must have been - to put it at its mildest - irritating, but there seems no evidence Ms Lynch resented the racism she faced. Those we spoke to for BBC Radio Four's Profile programme said she lacked any trace of bitterness.
We can restore trust and faith both in our laws and in those of us who enforce them
Her first really high-profile case - in 1999, not long after the then President, Bill Clinton, appointed her the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York - raised just the issues that are back in the spotlight as she takes on her new job.
Abner Louima, a Haitian, had been arrested after an altercation outside a nightclub and accused of hitting a police officer.
The police later admitted the charge was false, but Mr Louima was brutally beaten.
During the trial it emerged one of the police officers involved was in a long-term relationship with a black American woman, and it was put to the court he was therefore unlikely to have violated the rights of a black man.
Alan Vinegrad, who worked with Ms Lynch on the case, remembers the way she tackled this sensitive issue head on, accusing the officer concerned of "hiding behind the colour of his girlfriend's skin".
It was high-stakes stuff - the trial team had to be escorted out of the courtroom by US marshals that day - but it was done in a "calm and measured way".
Ms Lynch's ability to stay calm stood her in good stead when she faced rough questioning during her confirmation hearings.
"Many of us looked at the treatment she receivedâ€¦ [and] we didn't feel good about it, we did not feel there was a sense of fairness," her old friend, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, said.
"But her reaction was, 'That's OK, let's just keep our heads and eyes on the prize.' That's who she really is."
She is also - and everyone seems to agree on this - a formidably good lawyer, a "consummate professional" in the judgement of one of those who worked with her.
She will need all of those qualities if she is to restore faith in US justice.
Listen to the latest edition of BBC Radio 4's Profile programme or download the podcast.


Firefighters in the US state of Oregon have had to use all their shovelling skills to do a delicate job: dig a camel out of a sinkhole.

They were called by the Clackamas County owners of the 1,500lb (680kg) animal, named Moses, who said they were simply unable to free him.
The rescuers had to dig for hours to rescue Moses, whose long skinny legs were deep in the mud.
A veterinarian later checked the animal and said he was unhurt.
The firefighters got a call from the animal's owners late on Tuesday.
They said they had tried but failed to pull Moses out of the sinkhole at their rural Oregon City property.
The owners also said they were worried that the animal would break his legs if he tried to free himself while still partially buried.
The firefighters dug around Moses - who continuously cried and wailed - for several hours and eventually managed to slip straps under its belly and pull him out.
Moses had to lie on his side for about an hour, resting after the ordeal.
He eventually got up on his knees, rose fully and slowly walked to his barn.


A greying white horse hillfigure in Wiltshire is to be cleaned in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Westbury white horse has "deteriorated substantially over the last 12 months" and is a "matter of local concern", said the local council.
It is maintained by English Heritage and last underwent a Â£20,000 refurbishment in 2006.
A Â£10,000 grant has been awarded by Westbury Town Council and Westbury Area Board to clean the "grubby" horse.
Area board chairman, Julie Swabey, said the horse had become "so grey and dirty" it was "hard to distinguish it as a landmark".
"It is sad to see her in such a poor state," she said.
"But, hopefully working together with the town council and groups who have offered to help with its brush up will see the horse finally white again."
English Heritage was originally approached, and whilst appreciating the landmark had been affected by "natural weathering" said it was "not at risk of serious damage or disrepair".
"English Heritage continually monitors its condition and regularly removes graffiti from it," said Stuart Maughan, property manager for Wiltshire.
"We care for over 100 historic sites in the South West alone and, therefore, funding is limited.
"So we are delighted that Westbury Town Council has offered to raise funds to repaint the white horse. We are working closely with them to share our expertise to ensure this much-loved local landmark is continually cared for."
Once restored, the town council is planning to illuminate the carving with searchlights as part of Westbury's Jubilee celebrations.
Westbury's horse is said to be the oldest in Wiltshire. It was restored in 1778, but many believe it is far older than that.
It is thought to have been originally carved in 878 AD to commemorate King Alfred's victory over the Danes at the Battle of Ethandune.


The 2016 United States Grand Prix has been listed as provisional on a record 21-race calendar confirmed by Formula 1's governing body the FIA.

The Austin race is in doubt because of a 20% cut in Texas state funding.
Meanwhile, FIA president Jean Todt and commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone have been given a mandate to make changes on "pressing issues".
The FIA has also allowed in-season engine development and increased tyre choices for next season.
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The longest season in the history of F1 starts in Australia on 20 March and features a new race in the Azerbaijan capital Baku on 19 June.
The Mexican Grand Prix has been moved forward seven days to 30 October, a week after Austin.
Among other changes from this year, the Russian Grand Prix moves from October to 1 May, with Malaysia moving from its previous slot after Australia to 2 October.
The British Grand Prix is on 10 July.
The FIA World Council has taken the unusual step of giving Todt and Ecclestone the right to "make recommendations and decisions regarding a number of pressing issues in F1 such as governance, power units and cost reduction".
This move follows the rejection of a plan by the pair to introduce a low-cost 'alternative engine', after opposition from Mercedes and Ferrari.
F1's two bosses are locked in a fight with the major teams over power and control of the sport, with engines the main battle ground.
Ecclestone wants to re-establish his authority, while Todt's main aim so far has been to persuade the engine manufacturers to lower the cost of the power-units they supply to customers.
A statement by the FIA said Todt and Ecclestone had "expressed their intention to establish conclusions on these matters by 31 January 2016".
That is two weeks after the engine manufacturers have agreed to present a proposal on engines, including ways to reduce costs, increase availability and simplify their design.
Major steps have been made by the FIA to free up engine development in an attempt to allow rival companies to catch up with the dominant Mercedes team.
All manufacturers will have 32 development 'tokens' available next season, ascribed to parts of the engine depending on their influence on performance. That is an increase from the previous number of 25 for next year.
The amount of tokens available in succeeding years has also been increased, to 25 in 2017, 20 in 2018 and 15 in 2019.
The rules governing potential new entrants have also changed.
Honda had to fight to be allowed only nine tokens in its first season this year and was scheduled to then move into step with the restrictions on its three rivals, Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault, all of whom have had one more year's racing with their engines.
But now any new manufacturer will be allowed 15 tokens in its first season, and then 32, 25 and so on in succeeding years.
In another change to the engine rules, manufacturers will now be allowed to supply more than one specification of engines to customers.
The FIA has agreed to allow Ferrari make a supply of 2015 engines to a team which it did not specify, but which is known to be the Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso.
Teams will be allowed to choose from three tyre types at each race next year, compared to the current two.
This is an attempt to introduce more strategic variety and uncertainty into the races.
Teams will still have to use at least two different types in each race, unless there is wet weather.


People living in a part of Rotherham have said they are being "forced into fuel poverty" since a new prepaid meter system was installed by the council.

Up to 250 homes on the Fitzwilliam Estate have seen the tariff rise from 7.61p to 8.72p per kwh after the new meter was put in place two years ago.
A petition has started in a bid to force the authority to cut the charges.
The council said it would "assess a full year of costs" and "provide a pro-rata refund for any surplus generated".
The average tariff by the big six major energy companies is between three and five pence per kilowatt an hour.
Natasha Howe, 23, a working mother of two who lives in a three-bed detached bungalow on the estate, started the campaign because residents were "struggling with paying the bills and have been forced into fuel poverty".
"I want the tariff to be lowered," she said.
"Since the new system was put in place there's been a massive difference.
"It's costing about £150 a month to run your heating for four hours a day.
"People could run their house at 30 degrees paying £15-£20 a week running it 24/7 and now they can't run that for four hours a day. I've got people in wheelchairs suffering, in pain because they can't afford to [pay for] it.
"I'm now having to find £150 to £200 a month to pay for my heating. My last month's bill for heating alone was £156 and I've woke up this morning and found it's not even working.
"We're in 2017, we shouldn't be choosing food over heating."
Rotherham Council said: "We are aware of the concerns regarding heating bills on the Fitzwilliam Estate and appreciate that some bills appear to be unusually high.
"We are therefore exploring possible reasons for this with tenants and have already been in contact with anyone who has raised issues with us."


Actress Deborah Watling, who played one of Patrick Troughton's companions in the early years of Doctor Who, has died at the age of 69.

Watling played Victoria Waterfield in 40 episodes between 1967 and 1968, most of which were wiped after transmission.
Her father was the actor Jack Watling, who appeared alongside her in two Doctor Who adventures.
Her brother Giles Watling, Conservative MP for Clacton, said she would be "sorely missed".
"She was a lovely, lovely girl, bubbly and vibrant," he said of his sibling.
Born in Loughton in Essex in 1948, Watling made her first TV appearance as a child in William Tell.
She went on to appear in a TV version of HG Wells' The Invisible Man and played Alice Liddell in a Wednesday Play by Dennis Potter about author Lewis Carroll.
Watling made her first appearance in Doctor Who in the second part of 1967 serial The Evil of the Daleks, the only episode of that adventure that still exists.
She went on to appear in six more serials, only two of which - The Tomb of the Cybermen and The Enemy of the World - still exist in their entirety.
After Doctor Who, Watling appeared in The Newcomers, Rising Damp and World War II drama Danger UXB.
In 1993 she reprised her companion role for a Children in Need short called Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time.
Earlier this week it was announced that Jodie Whittaker will be the first female Doctor when Peter Capaldi relinquishes the role at Christmas.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


The UK government has incurred fines of £642m from the European Commission for the way it manages EU farming payments.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said the penalties, imposed since 2005, gave the UK the sixth worst record of the 28 EU member states.
It said the government had made progress in the past year in managing the Common Agricultural Policy fines.
But it warned the amount of fines levied was likely to rise because the policy had been made more complex.
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which supports the agricultural sector with subsidies, is the most expensive scheme in the EU, accounting for about 38% of its budget.
The money is spent on direct payments to farmers and rural development programmes.
The European Commission can impose fines where it does not think member states have complied with its guidelines.
The NAO said that of every £100 received from Brussels through the policy, £2.70 was given back in fines, with late payments to farmers and poor mapping data among the reasons.
Despite attempts to make the scheme more simple, the NAO said the updated policy had become more complex - with the government warning it will be 15% more expensive to manage than the old version.
Meg Hillier, the chairwoman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, which oversees the work of the NAO, said the prospect of further fines was "frightening".
"Complicated CAP rules don't help but the department must get a grip to deal with these persistent problems and ensure we aren't throwing away taxpayers' money on financial penalties," she said.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering spending £25m to £45m to improve mapping and avoid penalties of up to £370m, the report said.


The maker of a pocket spectrometer, which can scan and identify a variety of objects, says his company is working hard to fulfil outstanding orders.

The Scio device was backed by about 13,000 people in a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2014.
However, some have complained they are still waiting for their device to be delivered.
Co-founder Dror Sharon told the BBC that 5,000 devices had been shipped.
Mr Sharon has previously described Scio as the first cheap, accessible molecular spectrometer.
It takes an electro-magnetic reading of objects, then compares the result with an online database. It can be used, for example, to distinguish between medicines, or summarise the fat content of a slice of cheese.
During the crowdfunding campaign, backers paid between $150 (Â£115) and $300 for the device, with developer kits costing up to $1,000.
Consumer Physics, the company behind the product, raised $2.7m in the campaign and estimated that devices would be delivered by February 2015.
However, Mr Sharon admitted the firm had experienced delays.
"It has taken more time than we expected," he told the BBC.
"We had to design the technology from the ground up, we had to do some redesigns, and we had some issues with suppliers.
"Each bump in the road took weeks to rectify."
Some backers have expressed concern about the delay on the company's Facebook page, after its crowdfunding page was taken offline.
Visitors are now told the company is facing an "intellectual property dispute", but Mr Sharon said the issue was solely concerning the Scio name.
"It has nothing to do with the intellectual property in the sensor or the optics, it's purely a trademark dispute," he said.
"But Kickstarter has a very careful policy, they took down the page and put up the note - we tried to reason with them, but they have their policy and we respect that."
He said the company was continuing to produce the devices, but had chosen to prioritise deliveries to app developers, to speed up the creation of its app ecosystem.
"We've shipped thousands of these little scanners all over the world," Mr Sharon told the BBC.
"We decided to start shipping to developers first, which has added some delay for Kickstarter backers who were expecting to get the device very early.
"We realise it's late, but we're doing our best to ship as fast as we can. Between a third to a half of our backers have their device."


A coastal search for a 90-year-old man who went missing after going out to sea on his boat has been called off.

Arthur Roy Taylor, known as Archie, left his accommodation at about 09:30 BST on Saturday to take his boat out from Gwbert boat club in Ceredigion.
The vessel was found later but Dyfed-Powys Police said Mr Taylor was unaccounted for.
The coastguard completed a low tide search on Sunday and said the search was now a missing person inquiry.
A coastguard spokesman said it was "unlikely" they would be formally tasking teams to search for him on Monday morning "unless new evidence comes to light".
The matter was now one for police, he added.
Police had asked for any video or photos taken by members of the public on Saturday morning as they may have captured him sailing.
A spokeswoman said: "Mr Taylor is 5'4", of slim build and has grey hair. He was wearing a navy jumper and dark grey waterproof jacket."


Mainland Chinese shares made solid gains after reports that a government agency and Chinese funds are looking to add billions into the stock market.

The agency tasked with buying stocks to prop up the market is looking for another $322bn (Â£207bn) in funds, according to Bloomberg.
Local reports also said that close to 300 Chinese funds were waiting on the sidelines to enter the market.
The Shanghai Composite index closed up 2.3% at 3,744.20.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index finished 0.7% higher at 24,552.47.
Shares in China Railway Signal & Communication Corp (CRSCC) rose 0.3% on its market debut. The company - which is the world's largest builder of rail traffic control systems - raised $1.4bn (Â£902m) through a flotation to help grow its business.
Trading in the rest of Asia was mixed, with investors remaining cautious ahead of key US jobs data due out later.
July's non-farm payrolls figure could give a strong pointer as to when the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates.
The central bank next meets in mid-September, and opinion is split as to whether the Fed will act in September or wait until December.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.3% at 20,724.56 after the Bank of Japan kept its stimulus programme unchanged, as widely expected.
In Australia, weaker commodity prices continued to weigh on shares, as oil prices fell on concerns of oversupply.
The S&P/ASX 200 index finished 2.4% down at 5,474.80.
Shares in ANZ bank fell more than 7% after the lender announced on Thursday that it was raising $2.2bn to meet tougher capital ratio rules. Its third quarter earnings figures also came in below expectations.
South Korea's Kospi closed down 0.2% at 2,010.23. The index lost 1% over the week, marking its third consecutive week of losses.


It was written and directed by the guy who plays Batman, but in terms of box office receipts, Live by Night was more of a Joker.

According to Variety, the Ben Affleck crime drama is set to lose the Warner Bros studio $75m (£60m).
The film cost an estimated $65m (£52m) to make but has only made $16.5m (£13m) of it back.
Factor in the costs of marketing and distribution and the period gangster thriller looks like it's firing blanks.
It's a galling comedown for Affleck, whose last film as director was the Oscar-winning Argo.
It also came off the back of the stinging reviews he received for both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and another thriller calledThe Accountant.
Yet the 44-year-old should perhaps take heart from the fact that Live by Night will occupy a fairly lowly position on any rundown of expensive film flops.
Indeed, it would have had to lose more than twice as much to challenge 47 Ronin, a 2013 martial arts fantasy starring Keanu Reeves.
With worldwide grosses of $151m (£119.4m) set against an estimated budget of £225m (£179m), the film is believed to have left Universal with a $149m (£118m) hole in its coffers.
Variety called it "one of the costliest box office flops of 2013", citing rewrites, reshoots and a "novice" director as factors in its downfall.
Then there is Mars Needs Moms, a 2011 Disney fantasy that made use of the performance capture technology popularised by 2004's The Polar Express.
Estimated to have cost $150m (£119.3m) to make, Simon Wells's film took just $38.9m (£30.9m) at cinemas - landing the House of Mouse with an estimated write-down of $130.5m (£103.7m).
Other Disney offerings that had their bean-counters running for cover include 2012's John Carter - estimated to have lost the company $125m (£99.4m) - and 2013's The Lone Ranger, thought to have accrued losses of around $150m (£119.5m).
Yet even these may be dwarfed by The 13th Warrior, a 1999 action fantasy that is rumoured to be the biggest box office disaster ever.
We say "rumoured" because it has never been accurately ascertained exactly how much Antonio Banderas's Viking saga cost to produce.
Could it be as high as $160m (£127m)? If so, its adjusted for inflation losses can be calculated to be around $183m - an eye-watering £145m in UK currency.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams has criticised the "inconsistent" nature of the refereeing in his side's 2-2 draw with Portsmouth in League Two.

The match was the first time the clubs had met since they played one another in last season's play-off semi-final, which Argyle won.
"I thought the referee booked some of our players for challenges and allowed their players to go free," he said.
"I thought that was a bit inconsistent at times from the referee."
Argyle had Jordan Slew, Ben Purrington and Yann Songo'o yellow-carded as they extended their unbeaten run to 11 games - their best in the league since 2001-02.
"There's got to be a consistent nature to the game and I don't think there was," Adams added to BBC Radio Devon.
"When they scored the goal they went across to our supporters and celebrated in front of our supporters and we knew that was going to incense our supporters.
"It's not right, but nobody got booked in that situation and that's what I'm talking about, consistency, and it wasn't there.
"Portsmouth are a very good side, they're the best side we've played this season and they're always going to be because of the squad they're able to generate this season."


Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes says Ryan Jack has assured him he will not be joining Rangers in the summer.

The 25-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, has been linked with a free transfer to Ibrox.
But after speaking to Jack, McInnes reckon the reports are off the mark.
"He gave me assurances that there has been no contact, that he doesn't anticipate contact and that it's not something he's interested in," McInnes said on the club's twitter account.
Club captain Jack has played almost 200 games for the Pittodrie outfit, who are currently second in the Premiership, nine points clear of third-placed Rangers.
And McInnes remains hopeful the Scot will decide his future lies with the Dons.
"I spoke to Ryan this morning as I normally do at training," the Aberdeen boss added.
"Ryan feels that he is really happy here. He hasn't ruled out staying here and we're all hoping that he will be here next season.
"But if he does decide to move on his likely destination will be England. He sees that maybe being his next opportunity if he decides to leave Aberdeen.
"So there's absolutely nothing in it and you have to question the reason for it, whether it's to try and destabilise us or whatever.
"I have been assured by Ryan - and I trust Ryan - that he nor his agent have had any contact with Rangers."
Aberdeen face St Johnstone in Perth on Saturday, looking to bounce back from their 3-0 home defeat by Rangers on Sunday.


There is an "invisible epidemic" afflicting the world, but it's not contagious or infectious, and there are often no outward symptoms.

It is hearing loss - a condition that can still have profound consequences, experts say.
"Hearing loss is considered an invisible epidemic because people don't see it or know that someone suffers from it," says De Wet Swanepoel, professor of audiology at South Africa's Pretoria University.
"Not even parents may realise their child has hearing loss before critical developmental periods have lapsed."
Delays in diagnosis can affect the educational attainment and life chances of children in particular. One in 10 children globally have "educationally significant" hearing loss, says Prof Swanepoel.
The problem is that there aren't enough trained audiologists able to go out to sometimes very remote, rural areas to diagnose the condition.
This is where the smartphone is making a big difference.
An app called HearScreen, the result of a research project led by Prof Swanepoel and Dr Herman Myburgh at Pretoria University, can detect hearing loss with just a low-cost smartphone and a pair of headphones.
Complete with real-time background noise monitoring, the app turns a mobile phone's microphone into a calibrated sound level meter.
You put the headphones on, and the tester, sitting behind you, uses the phone to send audio beeps at different volumes to your ears. If you can hear them you raise your hand and the tester records your responses.
It's all very simple - the app can screen two ears in less than 60 seconds and its makers claim that the system is six times cheaper than traditional testing equipment.
The data captured is stored to the cloud where specialists can access and analyse it remotely.
The "clinically validated" app can be operated effectively by non-specialists, the company says, making it ideally suited for use in remote locations.
"More than 80% of the app's usage is in underserved and rural areas," says Prof Swanepoel, "providing many populations with access to hearing testing for the first time."
If a test diagnoses hearing loss, the app can refer the patient by text to the closest healthcare facility for follow-up services.
Shannon Kruyt, an audiologist at HearInAfrica, which provides hearing care in schools in a number of African countries, knows all about this "invisible epidemic".
She says: "[HearScreen] is improving my work because the screening of hearing can now be done at a community-based level, without audiologists needing to go out into the field.
"The biggest challenge we are facing is the disparity between the shortage of audiologists and prevalence of hearing loss in Africa. HearScreen has been a massive game changer."
The app has also won the approval of partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and USAID.
But how much should we trust such diagnostic apps, however well-intended?
Dr Shelly Chadha, technical officer for deafness and hearing at the WHO, says: "Mobile apps can serve a very useful role in raising awareness about hearing and making hearing care more accessible.
"But if a mobile app for hearing assessment is not accurate this can give incorrect information to the user, which can be harmful."
HearScreen maintains that its app conforms to ISO calibration standards and compares favourably to traditional audiometry equipment.
But the WHO is concerned that other diagnostic apps may not have been systematically evaluated or clinically proven to work effectively and safely.
There are 259,000 health apps available to consumers globally, according to a recent study by the health research group Research2Guidance, measuring everything from heart health to female fertility, asthma to diabetes.
IBM and its Watson supercomputer are getting better at identifying skin cancer from photos taken by a smartphone equipped with a special camera, but even it admits that "work is still in its early stages".
And while the potential benefits of the smartphone "pocket doctor" are indisputable - remote monitoring by doctors being a major one - there is also the danger of mis-diagnosis and incorrect self-treatment if the apps are not proven.
This is why regulatory approval and an evidence-based approach is so important.
For example, US-based eye testing app mVT Service has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and wears this endorsement like a badge of honour.
The app is prescribed to patients via their doctors and enables patients to monitor their eyesight from the comfort of their own homes.
"Our goal is to reduce vision blindness by actively monitoring the patient's home vision test results and alerting the patient's licensed eye-care doctor of any significant vision function change," says myVisionTrack chief marketing officer George Mavro.
Currently launching with a select group of specialists and 98% effective at detecting changes in vision, mVT Service uses a smartphone app and eye patch to test patients.
All users have to do is look at a choice of shapes and select the one that looks different. Results are then shared with their doctor via the cloud.
"The goal of the service is to reduce vision blindness by actively monitoring the patient's home vision test results and alerting the patient's prescriber to any significant vision function change," Mr Mavro says.
Obviously, the earlier we can detect potential problems the better.
Organisations such as the WHO are working hard on assessing the quality of individual apps, and giving their blessing to the relevant ones.
For the good of healthcare worldwide, sorting the good from the bad will be key if mHealth is to fulfil its promise.
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Astra Giurgiu's Kehinde Fatai and Seidu Yahaya have arrived in Scotland for their Europa League tie at Celtic after visa problems delayed their departure.

The Romanian champions' flight to Glasgow arrived three hours late on Tuesday amid reports of problems over the payment for their flight.
But paperwork problems over Nigerian striker Fatai and Ghanaian midfielder Yahaya, both 24, were resolved.
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And the pair arrived later on a separate flight to Scotland.
Astra are due to play at Celtic Park on Thursday in their third Europa League Group D game.
Celtic lead the group on four points along with Red Bull Salzburg, with Astra bottom after two defeats.


A serving Royal Marine arrested in Somerset over Northern Ireland-related terrorism is from Larne, County Antrim.

The 30-year-old's arrest, by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's Counter Terrorism Command, was followed by searches in Larne and Devon.
The pre-planned operation involved several UK police forces, including the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
It is understood MI5 is also involved in the operation in England.
Following the arrest on Wednesday afternoon, police in Devon searched a house in Exminster and a wooded area nearby, while the PSNI has carried out searches at a least two houses in on the Old Glenarm Road in Larne.
It is understood the operation is connected to the discovery of two arms dumps near Larne earlier this year, which were suspected to be linked to dissident republican paramilitaries.
In March, the PSNI said they had uncovered a "significant terrorist hide" of bomb-making components and explosives at Carnfunnock Country Park.
In May, a second significant arms cache, including an armour-piercing improvised rocket and two anti-personnel mines, was found at Capanagh Forest, near Larne.
The man under arrest is suspected of being involved in preparing for acts of terrorism
He is being held at a West Country police station.
Police said the arrest was pre-planned and intelligence-led as part of a collaboration between the Met, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the South West Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit.
The arrest was made at 12:20 BST by Met detectives supported by officers from Avon and Somerset and Devon and Cornwall Police.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: "We are aware of a police investigation involving the arrest of a member of the armed forces under the 2000 Terrorism Act and will assist this investigation fully.
"It would be inappropriate to comment further on an ongoing investigation."


China's manufacturing sector showed further contraction in March, according to a new report which mainly tracks activity in smaller factories.

The HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) gave a reading of 48.1 for March, compared to 48.5 in February.
A reading below 50 indicates contraction, while one above 50 shows expansion.
The HSBC survey focuses on smaller companies in the private sector.
China's official PMI survey, weighted more towards bigger and state-owned enterprises, will be released later this month.
China's official PMI came in at 50.2 in February - an eight-month low, reinforcing signs of a modest slowdown in the world's second biggest economy.
China's exports also dropped 18% from a year earlier in February, leading to a trade deficit of $23bn (Â£14bn) for the month.
At China's annual National People's Congress earlier this month, Premier Li Keqiang set a growth target of 7.5% this year - the same rate as last year.
But he added that there was some flexibility on that target for 2014 and that the Chinese government's main concern was jobs.


China says it is "seriously concerned" after US President-elect Donald Trump expressed doubts about continuing to abide by the "One China" policy.

Under the policy, the US has formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province.
In a TV interview on Sunday, Mr Trump said he saw no reason why this should continue without key concessions.
China urged Mr Trump to understand the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue.
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that the "One China" policy was the basis for relations with Washington.
China's hawkish Global Times tabloid dubbed Mr Trump "ignorant as a child".
"I fully understand the 'One China' policy, but I don't understand why we have to be bound by the 'One China' policy unless we make a deal with China, having to do with other things, including trade."
The US was being hurt by Chinese currency devaluation, tariffs, the building of a "massive fortress" in the South China Sea, and a failure to help over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, he told Fox News.
The comments come hot on the heels of Mr Trump taking a call from the Taiwanese president, who congratulated him on his election victory. It earned a rebuke from Beijing.
In Sunday's interview, Mr Trump remained defiant.
"It was a call, very short call, saying 'congratulations, sir, on the victory'... and why should some other nation be able to say I can't take a call?"
Taiwan: A pawn in Trump's chess game
The Trump phone call that will stun Beijing
Trump rejects CIA Russia hacking report
Rewind to 1949 and the Communist takeover in China. Kuomintang nationalists fled to Taiwan and set up their own government.
Since then, China has seen it as a renegade province, sometimes going so far as to threaten the use force if it ever declares independence.
After decades of formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the US decided in 1979 it was in its best interests to recognise the Communist government in Beijing as the sole legal government of China.
This was the result of years of warming ties between Washington and Beijing, starting with President Richard Nixon's celebrated visit in 1972.
Formal ties with Taiwan were cut, but strong informal links remain, including substantial military support.
So the "One China" policy is Washington recognising that there is only one China, and Taiwan is part of it. It is seen by many as ambiguous, but any suggestion that this could be changing raises hackles in Beijing.
Read more on the 'One China' policy?
The strength of China's displeasure depends on who you listen to.
Here's that Chinese foreign ministry spokesman again:
"China has noted the report and expresses serious concern about it. I want to stress that the Taiwan issue concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and involves China's core interests.
"Upholding the 'One China' principle is the political basis for developing China-US ties. If this basis is interfered with, or damaged, then the healthy development of China-US relations and bilateral co-operation in important areas is out of the question."
But the Global Times, which is linked to the ruling Communist Party, is somewhat firmer.
It suggests China may have to consider arming America's enemies or taking back Taiwan by force. The "One China policy cannot be traded", it warns.
"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."
He may be a businessman, it went on, "but in the field of diplomacy, he is as ignorant as a child".
China already formally protested to the US on 3 December over that phone call from Taiwan's president.
By way of contrast, on 7 December, China hailed Mr Trump's nominee for US ambassador in Beijing, Terry Branstad, as an "old friend" of China who could help advance relations.
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.
Mr Trump's team includes so-called "long-time friends of Taiwan" or China hawks who clearly understand the value of the island, at least as a bargaining tool in dealings with Beijing.
Some in Taiwan's administration feel his tough approach toward Beijing could enable Taiwan to build closer ties with Washington, its most important ally.
But many Taiwanese people are unsure if this approach will be good for Taiwan and question whether Mr Trump will truly stand up for Taiwan if conflict breaks out with China.


Cambridge came from behind to beat AFC Wimbledon and preserve their unbeaten start to the League Two season.

The Dons took the lead when Jake Reeves' drive found its way to Tom Elliott and the former U's striker fired home off the crossbar.
However, almost immediately after the restart Leon Legge headed home an equaliser from a Ryan Donaldson corner.
Two minutes later Barry Corr fired in a volley - this time from Harrison Dunk's corner - to seal the turnaround.


Nurses who have dementia should be supported to continue their work for as long as they are able, a nursing union has agreed.

The decision was taken in a vote at the Royal College of Nursing's annual Congress in Liverpool.
The nurse who proposed the idea said reasonable adjustments could be made to the job for colleagues with dementia.
The plan was controversial though, with some members arguing it could put patients at risk.
A dementia nurse from London, Jo James, suggested developing an RCN strategy for supporting colleagues with the condition.
She told the conference: "A dementia diagnosis is likely to signal the end of a nurse's professional life.
"In a single moment they will go from nurse to patient, regardless of the severity of their dementia or how it's affecting them.
"We have robust laws in place against discrimination - but dementia is often seen as the exception to the rule and stigmatised."
An RCN steward from Coventry and Warwickshire, Phil Noyes, said he had represented a number of people with memory problems.
He said: "If we address this, we allow people to continue working for as long as they are able - and that's the limit point."
But some nurses expressed concern.
Mary Codling, a nurse from Berkshire, said: "I have grown up with people with dementia, and it's been a constant theme in my life for the past 20 years.
"My father had dementia. To the outside world, he looked quite normal and carried on with his day-to-day life.
"But he was actually driving up and down one-way streets.
"How do you ensure that that person is delivering safe practice to patients?"
And doubts were also voiced by Shirley Ali, a senior anaesthetic practitioner from London.
She told the conference: "We administer drugs to the miniscule microgramme.
"If I have dementia and try to do my job, how am I ensuring patient safety?"
Jo James thanked her colleagues for an "inspiring" debate.
She said: "I think we need an RCN strategy on this because it's difficult to manage in the workplace.
"We don't want people to hide their diagnosis from their managers because they're frightened they will lose their livelihood.
"We need people with dementia to be honest and open about what's happening.
"We should obviously never put patient safety at risk - but we can nurse in other ways."
Jo James added: "We employed a member of staff because she has dementia. It was complicated - HR had a paddy.
"She teaches our staff and gets fantastic feedback."
Afterwards, the head of the RCN Janet Davies said: "The chances are there will be workers who are developing dementia in every setting in the UK, in healthcare and beyond.
"Just because someone has a mental or physical impairment, it doesn't mean they're dangerous.
"The requirement for reasonable adjustments means you assess that person so they're not putting anyone in danger.
"If they didn't have the capacity, they wouldn't be making critical decisions or calculations."