2026-02-23
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is planning to delay a high stakes visit to China later in March by about a month because of the Iran war.
“We’ve requested that we delay it a month or so,” he told reporters at the White House, adding that it was important that he remained available to oversee the war.
The meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently set to take place between 31 March to 2 April, following their last face to face talks i October last year.
Chinese foreign affairs spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday that Beijing and Washington are in talks over “the timing and related matters of President Trump’s visit to China”.
The Iran War has eclipsed most of Trump’s other foreign policy priorities, faced with an intensifying conflict and disruptions to the global oil supply, which has threatened to raise prices in the US.
Trump said he had proposed the delay solely to make sure he was around to manage the war.
“I’m looking forward to being with him,” he said, referring to Xi. “We have a very good relationship.”
“There’s no tricks to it either,” Trump added. “It’s very simple. We’ve got a war going on. I think it’s important that I be here.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that the meeting’s delay would not be due to Washington’s request that Beijing help in the Gulf, or any trade disagreements.
Bessent said: “The President wants to remain in DC to coordinate the war effort… Travelling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal.”
The latest development comes a day after Trump told the Financial Times that he might postpone the meeting if China did not help unblock the Strait of Hormuz – a critical waterway for the Gulf’s energy shipments.
He also called on other nations to help ships transit safely through the channel.
Trump’s remarks come as frictions between the world’s two largest economies have grown, fuelled by the Iran war.
Beijing is a major buyer of Iranian energy exports and has criticised the US and Israeli strikes against the country.
Washington also announced it would investigate trade practices among a list of countries, including China, after Trump’s signature tariff policy was struck down by the Supreme Court in February.
Representatives from the US and China have met in Paris in recent days for negotiations, such as over investments, tariffs and economic sanctions.
The sides reached consensus on some issues and will carry on with negotiations, Chinese trade representative Li Chenggang was quoted as saying in state media outlet Xinhua on Monday.
US representatives briefed their Chinese counterparts on changes to Washington’s tariff measures, said Li.
Chinese negotiators expressed “serious concern” about Washington’s plans to probe the country’s trade practices and urged the US to maintain economic stability, he said.
[BBC]
Pakistan have complained to match referee Neeyarmur Rashid over the on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena’s decision to allow Bangladesh to take an lbw review off the penultimate ball of the third ODI in Mirpur. ESPNcricinfo has learnt the Pakistan management registered their complaint on the grounds that they believe Bangladesh took the review after a replay of the delivery flashed up on the big screen.
The decision to take the review, and its ultimate consequences helped Bangladesh assume an unassailable position in the game. Before that delivery, Pakistan needed 12 to win off two balls. Rishad Hossain flighted one up onto leg stump that spun down the leg side, away from Shaheen Afridi. The umpire called it a wide as it went down leg. After brief discussions, Bangladesh decided to take a review for lbw, even though, to the naked eye, the ball was nowhere near Afridi’s legs or any part of his body.
*As per the playing conditions, the fielding team can seek a review for a dismissal only once they have appealed. Also, the appeal can be made any time before the next delivery is bowled. It could not be ascertained whether the on-field umpire, after signalling the wide, informed Bangladesh that in case they want to review, they would need to appeal for lbw or whether Bangladesh asked for the review themselves. Only once the review is signalled by the on-field umpire does the 15-second timer start.
Pakistan have argued normal protocols were not followed, with the big screen at the stadium showing the ball passing the bat, and potentially giving Bangladesh enough information to suggest it may have made contact. Pakistan are also understood to be aggrieved at the possibility Bangladesh were allowed to review outside the maximum 15 seconds within which such a decision must be made. No timer appeared on the broadcast, so whether Bangladesh reviewed in time could not be independently confirmed.
However, the reason for Afridi’s visible frustration became clear as soon as the DRS went to Hawk-Eye, with a spike at the moment the ball passed the bottom of his bat, suggesting it had kissed the toe end and could not, therefore, be a wide. Bangladesh lost the review, but the wide decision was reversed and the equation became 12 in one ball. Afridi was stumped off the final delivery and swung his bat over the stumps in frustration. It secured victory for Bangladesh by 11 runs, and a 2-1 series win.
It is not yet clear yet what action the PCB wants from the match referee, though it is believed they expect at minimum a public acknowledgment that an error was made.
The decision is the second in as many games Pakistan have felt they may have come out the wrong side of. Salman Agha was run out after being caught outside his crease trying to hand the ball to Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the second ODI. Agha’s frustration spilled over and he had heated words before throwing his bat and gloves down, earning him a demerit point.
[Cricinfo]
Weather
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces after 2.00 pm.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 17 MARCH 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 17 March 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara and Kaluthara districts during the early hours of the morning.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces after 2.00 pm.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Trump seeks to delay meeting with Xi in China
Pakistan lodge official complaint about Bangladesh’s review at end of chase
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces after 2.00 pm.
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