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☆ China has launched new drills encircling Taiwan. Why now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Tensions are once again ratcheting up in the Taiwan Strait, with China launching military drills encircling Taiwan just days after the democracy swore in a new leader long loathed by Beijing. The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said it launched joint military drills involving the army, navy, air force and rocket force in areas around Taiwan early Thursday morning. The drills are being conducted in the Taiwan Strait – a narrow body of water separating the self-ruling island with mainland China – as well as north, south and east of Taiwan. The Chinese guided missile frigate Nantong, one of the vessels in the series of military drills around Taiwan. The defeated Nationalist Party fled to Taiwan, moving the seat of their Republic of China (ROC) government from the mainland to Taipei.

Persons: ”, Lai Ching, China’s, Xi Jinping, Li Xi, Lai, Wu Mei, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Tsai Ing, Tsai –, Mike Gallagher Organizations: CNN, Communist Party, Eastern Theater Command, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, People's Liberation Army, Weibo, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Nationalist Party, US, Communist, Beijing, Tuesday Locations: Taiwan, China, Beijing, Kinmen, Taipei, People’s Republic of China, Republic of China, Xi, Washington

☆ German Court Fines Far-Right Leader for Using Nazi Phrase
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Christopher F. Schuetze | More About Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A German court on Tuesday found a prominent far-right politician from the Alternative for Germany party guilty of using a banned Nazi slogan during a campaign speech in 2021. A panel of four judges sentenced the politician, Björn Höcke, head of the Alternative for Germany party in the eastern state of Thuringia, to a fine of 13,000 euros, roughly $14,000. The trial, in the city of Halle, has been closely watched in Germany as the far-right nationalist party, known as the AfD, stands to make major gains in state elections in September. During the trial, which began last month, Mr. Höcke admitted to using the phrase “Everything for Germany” but claimed that he had not known about its Nazi origin. The slogan was used by the paramilitary wing of the Nazi party, which engraved it on their knives.

Persons: Björn Höcke, Höcke, Germany ” Organizations: Germany, Nazi Locations: Germany, Nazi, Thuringia, Halle

☆ Catalan separatists lose majority as Spain’s pro-union Socialists win regional elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A pro-unity rally marches through Barcelona, Spain, on October 8, 2017, in response to last Sunday's disputed referendum on Catalan independence. This was the first time the Socialists led a Catalan election in both votes and seats won. Illa led Spain's response to the COVID-19 pandemic before Sánchez sent him back to Barcelona to lead his party. The Socialists are already in a coalition government in Madrid with the Sumar party, which now has six seats in the Catalan parliament. Separatists have held the regional government in Barcelona since 2012 and had won majorities in four consecutive regional elections.

Persons: Carles Puigdemont, Salvador Illa savored, Illa, Catalonia's, Sánchez, bode, Pedro Sánchez, Puigdemont, pardoning, Puigdemont's, Pere Aragonès, Vox Organizations: Socialist Party, Socialists, Sánchez's Socialists, Republican, Popular Party, Catalan Alliance Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Catalonia, Madrid, Catalan, France, Spain's, Spanish, Catalans

☆ Aya Nakamura: The most streamed female Francophone artist has become a target in France’s culture wars ahead of Paris 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Bea Adeleke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Aya Nakamura was born in the former French colony of Mali, raised in France and is widely considered the most streamed female Francophone artist in the world. However, ahead of Paris 2024, Nakamura finds herself at the center of France’s culture wars. Aya Nakamura attends the Kenzo Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 20, 2023 in Paris, France. “I think that the people who criticize her actually don’t accept that she embodies France,” French activist Rokhaya Diallo told CNN. Politicians such as Le Pen hailed the legislation as an “ideological victory” whilst French health Minister, Aurelien Rousseau resigned in protest.

Persons: Aya Nakamura, Nakamura, Edith Piaf, Piaf, “, ”, I’m, Rachida, Kenzo, Pascal Le Segretain, Marion Maréchal, Marine Le, Rokhaya Diallo, ” Nakamura, ’, le, Geoffroy Van Der, Emanuel Macron, Nakamura “, Le Pen, Vincent Martigny, Thomas Samson, Marion Marechal, Emmanuel Dunand, Martigny, Diallo, Zinedine Zidane, ” Diallo, ‘, Oliver Roy, Reynaud Julien, Macron, Aurelien Rousseau Organizations: CNN, France’s, of Culture, Rally, Blacks, Rassemblement National, Getty, Olympic Aquatics, France Inter, Science, University of Nice, National Assembly, soccer team, Paris Olympic, Le, Palais des Sports, EUI, of Transnational Governance, Twitter, APS, France, BMFTV, RMC Locations: Mali, France, French, Paris, Bamako, Europe, ”, Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt, AFP, Rassemblement, Ukraine, North, Carhaix

☆ Simon Harris becomes Ireland’s youngest-ever leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Simon Harris has become the youngest-ever prime minister of Ireland, officially taking office in Dublin on Tuesday after Leo Varadkar suddenly stepped down last month. Harris, 37, ran unopposed to replace Varadkar as leader of the ruling Fine Gael party, and the final formalities of his rise to power were completed in the Dáil, Ireland’s parliament. And we are seeing innocent children, women, and men being starved and slaughtered,” Harris told lawmakers in the Irish parliament. The son of a taxi driver, born in eastern Ireland, Harris studied journalism and French at a Dublin university but dropped out to instead focus on politics. As health minister, Harris was prominent when Ireland voted to legalize abortion.

Persons: CNN — Simon Harris, Leo Varadkar, Harris, Varadkar, Sinn Fein, Israel, “, ” Harris, Fine, ”, Brian Lawless, Simon Harris ”, “ chillax, “ Didn’t, chillax, …, Jennifer Bray, Enda Kenny, Harris’s Organizations: CNN, Ireland, Fine Gael, Irish Republican Army, Irish, Hot Press, Varadkar, Twitter, “, Sky News Locations: Dublin, Ireland’s, Ireland, Gaza, “, Northern Ireland

☆ German Government, Opposition Agree Constitutional Changes to Protect Top Court, Newspaper Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's centre-left ruling coalition and the main conservative opposition have agreed a draft law to protect its highest court, the Rheinische Post newspaper reported on Thursday, at a time of growing concern about the strength of the far-right AfD party. The anti-establishment, nationalist party is already under state surveillance on suspicion of being extremist and anti-constitution. The AfD rejects allegations it is undemocratic and has said the Constitutional Court, which is appointed by parliament, is biased and closely linked with the government. The 12-page draft law will incorporate the mandate of the Federal Constitutional Court into the constitution, the Rheinische Post reported, with the aim of enshrining its independence with the following passage:"The decisions of the Federal Constitutional Court bind the constitutional bodies of the federal and state governments as well as all courts and authorities." Photos You Should See View All 60 Images"All of these regulations are therefore exempt from change with a simple majority in the future," the Rheinische Post added, quoting the draft legislation.

Persons: Riham, Mark Heinrich Organizations: BERLIN, Rheinische Post, Constitutional, Federal Constitutional Court, Federal, Court

☆ Leo Varadkar: What was behind Irish PM’s shock resignation?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Prime Minister Leo Varadkar sent shockwaves through Ireland when he candidly announced last week that he was “no longer the best person” to lead his country. Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray was given less than an hour’s notice of the surprise statement from the taoiseach on Wednesday. His successor, largely tipped to be Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, will need to lead the center-right political party, Fine Gael, against a fired-up opposition. The 37-year-old who rose to prominence during his spell as health minister during the pandemic is considered by many to be a “mirror image” to Varadkar, Murphy said. Mary Lou McDonald, president of opposition party Sinn Fein, which has been making steady gains since 2020.

Persons: Leo Varadkar, Ireland’s, Varadkar, Joe Biden, Jennifer Bray, Bray, ” Gary Murphy, ”, ” Murphy, “, Simon Harris, Murphy, Varadkar “, Boris Johnson “, resoundingly, Nick Bradshaw, Paschal Donohoe, Harris, Tik Tok, “ Simon Harris, ” Bray, Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein, Charles McQuillan, Sinn Féin Organizations: CNN —, Israel, Irish Times, Wednesday, CNN, Dublin City University, Higher Education, Fine Gael, Irish, Catholic Church Locations: shockwaves, Ireland, Gaza, Irish, Brussels, United Kingdom, Bray, Varadkar

☆ Indian State's Polygamy Ban Divides Some Muslim Women
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

For others like Jafar, Muslim politicians and Islamic scholars, it is an unwelcome stunt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party. A 2013 survey found 91.7% of Muslim women nationwide saying a Muslim man should not be allowed to have another wife while married to the first. The Supreme Court in 2017 found the Islamic instant divorce unconstitutional, but the order did not ban polygamy or some other practices that critics say violate equal rights for women. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board called the code impractical and a direct threat to a multi-religious Indian society. "Banning polygamy makes little sense because data shows very few Muslim men have more than one wife in India," said board official S.Q.R.

Persons: Bano, Sadaf Jafar, Jafar, Narendra Modi's, Modi's, Ilyas, Rupam Jain, William Mallard Organizations: DELHI, Reuters, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, SOCIETY BJP, Islam Locations: Islam, Uttarakhand, India's, India, Uttar Pradesh

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — With fireworks, feasts and red envelopes stuffed with cash for the kids, numerous Asian nations and overseas communities have welcomed Saturday the Lunar New Year. It begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days later on the first full moon. Firing bottle rockets and other fireworks is a traditional way of welcoming the new year and seeing off any lingering bad memories. Royal palaces and other tourist sites were also packed with visitors wearing the country’s colorful traditional “hanbok” flowing robes. Parades and commemorations are also being held in cities with large Asian communities overseas, particularly in New York and San Francisco.

Persons: Lai Ching, Han Kuo, Tsai, “, ” Tsai, Yoon Suk Yeol Organizations: Nationalist Party Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, Seoul, Southern, Paju, North Korea, Vietnam, New York, San Francisco

☆ Bangladesh Welcomes Biden Letter on Support for Economic Goals
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said the U.S. is willing to work with Bangladesh to help the South Asian nation achieve its economic goals, nearly a month after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sworn in following an election boycotted by the opposition. Biden made his comments in a letter to Hasina, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters on Monday, adding through this letter ties between the two countries will advance further. Hasina and her party won a fourth straight term in the Jan. 7 election, which the main opposition dismissed as a sham. "We welcome the letter written by President Biden. "The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh's ambitious economic goals and partnering with Bangladesh on our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific," Biden said in his letter, provided to reporters.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sheikh Hasina, Biden, Hasina, Hasan Mahmud, Mahmud, Ruma Paul, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S . State Department, Reuters, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP Locations: DHAKA, U.S, Bangladesh, United States, Dhaka didn't, Russia, Ukraine

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s finance minister unveiled on Thursday a short-term budget to meet government expenditures until national elections are held by May, saying it will boost spending on infrastructure projects, build homes for poor villagers and cut the fiscal deficit by reducing subsidies. The short-term budget is mostly free of big-spending new programs. The short-term budget must be approved by Parliament. The government allocated $145 billion for infrastructure projects in the short-term budget. The Modi government’s budget last year totaled $550 billion and focused on ramping up capital spending to spur economic growth.

Persons: Nirmala Sitharaman, Narendra Modi’s, giveaways, Modi, Sitharaman, Sibi Arasu Organizations: DELHI, —, Parliament, Monetary Fund Locations: India, United Kingdom, Bengaluru

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government on Wednesday published the details of a deal that has broken Northern Ireland’s political deadlock and should — barring a major upset — restore the regional government in Belfast after almost two years on ice. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThat angered Northern Ireland’s British unionists, who said the east-west customs border undermined Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. In February 2022, the Democratic Unionist Party walked out of Northern Ireland’s government in protest. The new changes go farther, eliminating routine checks and paperwork for goods entering Northern Ireland and making legal tweaks designed to reassure unionists that Northern Ireland’s position in the U.K. is secure. The Northern Ireland Assembly then can meet to elect a speaker, followed by the nomination of a first minister and a deputy first minister.

Persons: Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Fein Organizations: European Union, EU, Northern Ireland, U.K, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Northern Ireland’s, Windsor Framework, Northern, Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinn, Irish Republican Army Locations: Belfast, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Northern, Northern Ireland’s, Ireland

☆ Northern Ireland power-sharing could resume within days, after two-year hiatus
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Sinn Féin won the most seats in the elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly last year. Post-Brexit trade rules imposed customs checks on goods moving to Northern Ireland from the UK’s mainland. A deal known as the Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed to allow Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, to remain within the EU market so that it could trade goods freely across its land border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state. Unionists in Northern Ireland, like the DUP, are in favor of remaining in the United Kingdom, whereas nationalists, like Sinn Féin, are in favor of the unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. “The people of Northern Ireland are best served by a power-sharing government in Stormont as outlined in the Good Friday Agreement.

Persons: Jeffrey Donaldson, Sinn Féin, Brexit, Sinn, Donaldson, “, ”, ” What’s, Northern Ireland Chris Heaton, Harris, Heaton, ” “, Sinn Féin’s, Michelle O’Neill, Tánaiste, Micheál Martin –, Martin, Claire Cronin, Biden Organizations: CNN, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Sinn, Northern Ireland Assembly, Northern, Protocol, Irish, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Union, BBC Radio, Stormont, State, Government, Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Executive Locations: Northern Ireland, Ireland, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Belfast, Republic of, Westminster, Northern, Stormont –, Stormont

☆ Taiwan's political disrupter could be kingmaker in a split parliament. Here's why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je speaks during an interview in New Taipei City on December 12, 2023. He urged his disappointed young supporters, some of them crying, not to give up, and framed himself as a one-man social movement crusading for political change. Since this social movement has not fully materialized, let's keep working hard," the former Taipei City Mayor told supporters in Mandarin. That kind of populist messaging appeals to people who feel like Taiwan's current economic and political system is not benefiting them. Taiwan's young and restlessIn any case, Taiwan's two major parties now face a battle to cater to younger voters that could come at the expense of older votes or a focus on broader strategic interests.

Persons: Ko Wen, Cheng, we'll, Ko, let's, Wei, Ting Yen, Sara Newland, Taiwan's, Newland, Lai Ching, Taiwan People's Party —, —, Yuan, Beijing's, Tsai Ing, Annice Lyn, Xi Jinping, Lily, Hwa CHENG, HWA CHENG, Ho Organizations: Taiwan People's Party, AFP, Getty, TAIPEI, Taipei City Mayor, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, Franklin, Marshall College, CNBC, Sara Newland Smith, Ko's, Taipei, KMT, Smith College, National Taiwan University, Democratic, Chinese Communist Party, HWA, Afp, Sunflower Movement Locations: Taiwan, New Taipei City, China, Taipei, Xinzhuang, AFP

☆ Temple Tourism Set to Soar Under India's Modi
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

In comparison, about 9 million people visit Vatican City in a year and about 20 million Mecca. Since Modi inaugurated the Hindu pilgrimage site of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor on the banks of the Ganges in 2021 in his constituency of Varanasi, more than 130 million tourists have visited the area, according to government data. With nearly $200 billion in revenue, tourism contributes about 7% of India's economy, which is below most large emerging and developed economies by up to 5 percentage points. The new temple and renovations of many others are likely to greatly boost the electoral prospects of the Hindu nationalist party of Modi, who is widely expected to win a rare third straight term in general elections due by May. Muslims account for about 14% of India's population of 1.42 billion, most of them Hindus.

Persons: Krishna, Narendra Modi, Modi, Lord Ram, Monday's, Modi's, Sandeep Shastri, Krishn Kaushik, Ed Osmond Organizations: Das NEW, Indian, Monday, Jefferies, Analysts, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Ministry Locations: Das NEW DELHI, Ayodhya, Vatican, Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi, India's, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi

He has ensured this with the Ram Temple,” said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, an expert in Hindu nationalism and author of a book on Modi. Modi’s Hindu nationalist party is expected to once again exploit religion for political gain in the upcoming national elections in April or May and secure power for a third consecutive term. The mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs in December 1992, sparking nationwide riots that killed more than 2,000 people, mostly Muslims. That fraught history is still an open wound for many Muslims, and some say the temple is the biggest political testament yet to Hindu supremacy. Modi has released postage stamps on Ram Temple, and live screenings of the ceremony are planned across the country.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Lord Ram, Modi, ”, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, Modi's, ” Mukhopadhyay, “ Modi, Ram, Salam, ” Salam, revivalism —, “ Organizations: DELHI, —, Indian, Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party, Ram, BJP Locations: India, Ayodhya —, Ayodhya, Babri, Gujarat, Babri Mosque, Hindu India

☆ Indian Devotees Splurge on Jets, Gold Idols as Hindu Temple Opens
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. Officials estimate 100 private jets will descend on Jan. 22 on Ayodhya airport, filling it to capacity. Mehra did not disclose the price of the charters, but private jet booking website JetSetGo lists the price of a Mumbai-Gorakhpur flight on a Falcon 2000 jet with nine passengers on board at about $74,000. There is a waiting period of two weeks," said Baldev Singh, a manager at HS Jewellers in Lucknow city. "People are betting on economic prosperity but there's also emotional attachment to be part of the Ayodhya story."

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Tanvi Mehta, Narendra Modi, Mukesh Ambani, Lord Ram, Modi, It's, Rajan Mehra, Mehra, Baldev Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhinandan, Abhinandan Lodha, Aditya Kalra Organizations: Indian, Ram, Bharatiya Janata Party, Dassault, Reuters Locations: Tanvi Mehta AYODHYA, India, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Mumbai, Thailand, Lucknow city

☆ ‘Annapoorani’: Netflix removes Indian movie after backlash by right-wing Hindu groups
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New Delhi CNN —Netflix has removed an Indian film from its platform after it sparked backlash and protest from right wing Hindu groups – the latest in several recent controversies where India’s entertainment industry has caved to religious pressure campaigns. The movie was released on Netflix on December 29, where it quickly became the streaming platform’s top trending movie in India, according to production studio Zee Entertainment. “We removed this film at the request of the licensor,” a Netflix spokesperson confirmed to CNN in a statement Tuesday. CNN reached out to Zee Entertainment and the film’s director, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. That incident, like the ongoing controversy over ‘Annapoorani,’ prompted a police complaint against Netflix executives.

Persons: ”, Ramesh N Solanki, Lord Ram, Shriraj Nair, Vikram Seth, Narendra Modi’s, ‘, ’, Modi Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Netflix, Zee Entertainment, CNN, Hindu IT Cell, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, India, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, – Locations: New Delhi, India, Asia, Indian, Delhi, Mumbai

☆ Taiwan's new president will face a divided parliament. Here's why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A kid runs across the flag of Taiwan banner during the announcement of official results on January 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. While Lai won the presidential election on Saturday with 40% of the popular vote, his DPP lost 10 seats in Taiwan's parliament from its previous 61, giving up its majority. Taiwan's president- and vice president-elect from the Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim standing along several party's heavyweight on the central stage in Taipei on Janauary 13, 2024 to celebrate victory in Taiwan's 8th presidential election. The Chinese Communist Party has refused to engage with outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen since she assumed office in 2016. Supporters attend the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) campaign rally on January 12, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Persons: Sawayasu Tsuji, Lai Ching, Han Kuo, rancor, —, Lai, Timothy S, Rich, Sara Newland, TPP, Tsai, Gabriel Wildau, Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching, Hsiao, Alberto Buzzola, Tsai Ing, Ting Yen Franklin Organizations: Getty, TAIPEI —, Taiwan People's Party, Democratic Progressive Party, Beijing Kuomintang, Kuomintang, KMT, TPP, Rich Western Kentucky University, Smith College, Lightrocket, Chinese Communist Party, Marshall College China, DPP, Chinese Communist Party officials, Taiwan Straits, Western Kentucky University, Supporters Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, China, Taiwan's, Beijing

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan on Sunday condemned what it said were “fallacious comments” by China following the self-governing island's presidential and parliamentary election the previous day. The verbal sparring did not bode well for the future of Taiwan's relations with China under the winner, President-elect Lai Ching-te, or for China's relations with the United States. The institute is the de-facto U.S. Embassy, since the United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and says that it should not even have a foreign ministry or any official relations with foreign governments. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in its statement that "the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair.

Persons: bode, Lai Ching, Stephen Hadley, State James Steinberg, Tsai Ing, China's, ” Lai, Tsai, ” Chen Binhua Organizations: —, Sunday, Former National Security, State, American Institute, U.S, Embassy, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's Foreign, Foreign Ministry, Taiwan Affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Kuomintang, Nationalist Party, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, Taiwan Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, — Taiwan, China, United States, U.S, Taipei

☆ Protesters in Georgia demand punishment for woman accused of defacing Stalin icon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A large protest was held in Tbilisi on Saturday to demand harsh punishment for a woman accused of defacing a religious icon depicting Josef Stalin which was recently-installed in the Georgian capital, as tensions over the incident remained high. Thousands of Orthodox believers and supporters of the Alt-Info pro-Russian ultra-conservative movement gathered on Saturday in front of the country’s parliament before matching through the city in the direction of the cathedral. The icon is located at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia. The police opened an investigation into “petty hooliganism” and questioned the woman who had damaged the icon. Flowers were placed by the icon on Saturday as believers lined up to kiss the part of it depicting Stalin.

Persons: Josef Stalin, Irakli Gedenidze, Stalin, St Matrona, ”, Flowers Organizations: CNN, Trinity Cathedral, Reuters, Alliance of Patriots, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Church Locations: Tbilisi, Georgia, Soviet, Russian, Georgian, Tbilisi , Georgia, Soviet Union, Moscow

☆ China skeptic Lai Ching-te wins Taiwan's presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te (left) gestures beside his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim during a rally outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei on January 13, 2024, after winning the presidential election. The outcome of the presidential election on Saturday riled Beijing, which has repeatedly labeled Lai as a "stubborn worker for Taiwan independence" and a dangerous separatist. Annabelle Chih | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesDPP's Lai — Taiwan's current vice-president — won more than 40% of the popular vote in Taiwan's eighth presidential election. DPP is the first party to win the presidential office three times in row since direct presidential elections were introduced in 1996. This year, 71.9% of all eligible voters cast their ballots for the presidential election, according to preliminary data from Taiwan's Central Election Commission.

Persons: Lai Ching, Hsiao Bi, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Lai, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Annabelle Chih, DPP's Lai, Taiwan's, —, Beijing's, Hou, Ko Wen, Chen Binhua, Chen, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Ko, Wei, Ting Yen Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, AFP, Getty, TAIPEI, Saturday, Beijing, Chinese Communist Party, DPP, KMT, Chinese Communist Party officials, Democratic Progressive, Kuomintang, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwan's, Taiwan Affairs Office, State Council, CNBC, Franklin, Marshall College, Taiwan's DPP Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, China, U.S, Taiwan Strait, Beijing, Taiwan —, Republic of China, Xinhua, United States

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Ruling-party candidate Lai Ching-te emerged victorious in Taiwan’s presidential election on Saturday, a result that will determine the trajectory of the self-ruled democracy’s contentious relations with China over the next four years. Beijing strongly opposes Lai, the current vice president who abandoned his medical career to pursue politics from the grassroots to the presidency. It's the first time a single party has led Taiwan for three consecutive four-year presidential terms since the first open presidential election in 1996. Its candidate, Hou Yu-ih, also had promised to restart talks with China while bolstering national defense. Evelyn Ni traveled from China especially to get a taste of Taiwan’s election.

Persons: Lai Ching, Lai, Tsai Ing, Hou Yu, Hou, “, I’m, David Chiau, Ko Wen, Ko, Chen Binhua, Beijing wouldn't, ” Chen, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Evelyn Ni, Tony Chen, ”, Xi Jinping, Stacy Chen, Gabrielle Reid, Sung Organizations: Democratic, Nationalist, KMT, ih, Taiwan People’s Party, DPP, Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office, Biden, Associated Press Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Japanese, United States, Taipei, Russia, Ukraine, South China

☆ Vote counting begins in closely watched Taiwan election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

With China intensifying its rhetoric on its claim over Taiwan, global observers are billing this Taiwan election as highly pivotal for security in the Asia-Pacific at a time of testy U.S.-China relations. If Lai and Hsiao win the Jan. 13 vote for the Taiwan presidential office, it would mark the first time any political party has stayed in office for more than two consecutive terms since Taiwan introduced direct presidential elections in 1996. Campaign posters for various legislative member candidates in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. China's Taiwan affairs office has characterized the self-ruled island's election as a choice between "peace and war, prosperity and decline." "China has always meddled whenever there is an election in Taiwan, but this time, it's the most serious."

Persons: Hou Yu, Hei Leung, Ko Wen, policymaking, Tsai Ing, Ko, Cynthia Wu, Jing Bo, jiun, Sam Yeh, Jing, Tsai, Lai Ching, Hsiao, United States —, Lai, Timothy S, Rich, Jaw Shaw, kong, Hou, Kevin Luo, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Rong Xu, Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching, Yasuyoshi Chiba, DPP's Lai, Weeks Organizations: ih, Anadolu, Getty, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, Taiwan People's Party, China, Local, KMT, Taiwan Studies, University of Oxford, AFP, Taiwan, Rich Western Kentucky University, Taiwan's National Police Agency, New, DPP, University of Minnesota, Western Kentucky University, U.S, China -, APEC, CNBC, Former U.S, Bloomberg, Taiwan's DPP, Beijing, Cross Straits Service Locations: Taichung, Taiwan, Taipei, Asia, Pacific, U.S, China, Hsinchu, United States, Overconfidence, New Taipei City, China - U.S, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, Kaohsiung

In the months leading up to a pivotal presidential election for Taiwan, candidates have focused on who can best handle the island democracy’s volatile relationship with China, with its worries about the risks of war. But at a recent forum in Taipei, younger voters instead peppered two of the candidates with questions about everyday issues like rent, telecom scams and the voting age. It was a telling distillation of the race, the outcome of which will have far-reaching implications for Taiwan. The island is a potential flashpoint between the United States and China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has signaled that it could escalate military threats if the Democratic Progressive Party wins. A considerable number expressed disillusionment with Taiwan’s two dominant parties, the governing Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalist Party.

Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, Nationalist Party Locations: Taiwan, China, Taipei, United States

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