World
Who is Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te?
William Lai Ching-te from the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who is seen as a “dangerous separatist” by China, has won Taiwan’s presidential election.
Lai, the current vice president, who has asserted the self-ruled island’s sovereignty, beat his nearest rival Hou Yu-ih of the conservative Kuomintang (KMT) by more than 900,000 votes in Saturday’s elections.
With Lai’s win, the DPP secured an unprecedented third consecutive term in power, signifying that the majority of Taiwanese stand behind the party’s values of preserving democracy.
The DPP does not represent the mainstream public opinion on the island, Beijing said after Lai was named the winner of Saturday’s vote, adding that the vote “will not impede the inevitable trend of China’s reunification”.
In his victory speech, the 64-year-old Lai congratulated voters for refusing to be swayed by “external forces” trying to influence the election in an apparent reference to China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory.
He said he wanted to cooperate with China – Taiwan’s biggest trade partner – and maintain peace and stability, but pledged not to be “intimidated” by Beijing.
Here’s more about the president-elect that China has vocally opposed:
Steering Taiwan as vice president
In his most recent role as vice president, Lai helped promote Taiwan’s interests internationally.
Last August, he made a diplomatic mission to Paraguay, a move criticised by Beijing. The Latin American country is one of a dozen that still maintains formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Taiwan, however, has trade ties with countries around the world.
Lai has also drawn a line between Taiwan and Ukraine and the rise of authoritarianism globally, saying the phenomenon has “awakened the international community to the fragility of democracy”.
During his and outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen’s tenure, Taiwan increased arms acquisitions from the United States, which is bound by law to provide the island with weapons needed to protect itself. Washington does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in line with its “one China” policy.
As such, during his run as VP, Lai talked about the need to build up Taiwan’s military deterrence capabilities, strengthen its economic security, and forge partnerships with democracies worldwide.
“We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy,” Lai told his supporters on Saturday night.
Relations with China
China has been vocal about its opposition to Lai, calling him a dangerous separatist. Beijing had, in fact, called the poll a choice between war and peace.
The new president-elect, however, has repeatedly said during the campaign that he wanted to keep the status quo with China and has on numerous occasions offered to talk to Beijing.
Lai once said the head of state he would most like to have dinner with is Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he said needs to “chill out a little”.
With the leader now elected, what is at stake is peace, social stability and prosperity on the island, as Beijing builds up military activity around the island, which it has said could be retaken by force if necessary.
Taiwan is home to the world’s leading semiconductor industry, producing tiny chips used in everything from Bluetooth headphones to missile systems.
These silicon wafers are the lifeblood of the modern global economy, placing great responsibility on Lai to maintain a careful balance on tensions as the United States and China tussle over technology exports.
In running for president, Lai advocated for domestic issues such as reviving the sluggish economy and housing affordability.
From humble origins to Harvard-educated
Lai grew up in northern Taiwan and hails from a humble background as the son of a coal miner who died when the president-elect was a small child.
He left his medical career as a physician specialising in spinal cord injuries to pursue politics.
Before becoming president-elect, Lai held several prominent jobs including vice president, premier, legislator and mayor of the southern city of Tainan.
The new leader of Taiwan has a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University in the US.
World
Israeli Strikes Kill a Journalist and Injure Another in Lebanon
Israeli strikes killed one journalist and wounded another in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, rattling a tenuous cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon.
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said the Israeli military had targeted the journalists in the town of Tayri, where they took shelter in a nearby house after an airstrike struck a vehicle in front of the car they were traveling in. About an hour and a half later, a second strike hit the house they were hiding in, according to a statement by a Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which employed the journalist who was killed.
The Lebanese Red Cross said its teams came under fire while trying to evacuate the journalists from the house, forcing them to withdraw. The rescue crews were targeted by a warning strike and machine-gun fire, the Lebanese health ministry said.
Zeinab Faraj, a photojournalist, was rescued from the house. The other journalist, Amal Khalil, who was a reporter for Al-Akhbar, remained trapped under rubble for hours before emergency medics recovered her body, according to the Lebanese Civil Defense.
In addition to Ms. Khalil, the two people in the car in front of her were killed in the strikes, Al-Akhbar reported.
Amid the 10-day truce between Israel and Lebanon, Israel has continued strikes against what it says are Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, citing its right to self-defense. Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia group, said that it had fired rockets and drones into Israel on Tuesday in response to what it said were violations of the cease-fire. Earlier on Wednesday, the Lebanese News Agency reported that an Israeli drone strike killed one person and wounded two others in another part of the country.
The Lebanese health ministry called the strikes in Tayri a “blatant double breach, involving both the obstruction of rescue efforts for a civilian known for her media and humanitarian work, and the direct targeting of an ambulance clearly marked with the Red Cross.”
The Israeli military denied in a statement that it had prevented rescuers from reaching the injured journalists, and said the incident was under investigation.
A spokeswoman for the Israeli military said Israeli forces had spotted two vehicles emerging from a military building used by Hezbollah. The military observed the vehicles cross what the spokeswoman called the forward defense line, determining the move to be a violation of the truce agreement.
The spokeswoman confirmed that the Israeli military had struck one of the vehicles and the building some of the occupants of the second vehicle had taken shelter in.
Ms. Khalil had covered southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah exercises strong control, since at least 2006. In a tribute to Ms. Khalil, a colleague from Al-Akhbar said she embodied the resilience of the southern Lebanese through her relentless reporting, refusing to leave the front lines of war where thousands of Lebanese had been displaced.
“As with every act of aggression, wearing a press vest did not protect those who wore it from the treachery of the Israeli enemy,” Al-Akhbar said in a statement. “Instead, it has become a danger to journalists’ lives, as part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at silencing anyone who seeks to expose the crimes and practices of the occupation.”
In a forceful statement on social media, Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese prime minister, accused the Israeli military of war crimes for targeting journalists and obstructing access to medical aid. He said that Lebanon would pursue action to ensure Israel is held accountable with international bodies.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said that it was outraged by the attack, and that it raised serious concerns of deliberate targeting.
“The repeated strikes on the same location, the targeting of an area where journalists were sheltering, and the obstruction of medical and humanitarian access constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.
World
Former Mexican beauty queen found shot dead as investigators examine possible family involvement: reports
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A former Mexican beauty queen was found shot to death in her Mexico City apartment, with investigators examining the possible involvement of her mother-in-law, according to local reports.
Carolina Flores Gómez, 27, was found dead inside an apartment in the Polanco neighborhood, one of the city’s most affluent areas, Reporte Índigo, a Mexico-based news outlet, reported.
Authorities said the death is being investigated as a homicide, after initial findings indicated she suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency responders were called to the scene, where paramedics confirmed she showed no signs of life.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Flores Gómez’s mother-in-law, Erika María, as well as a man described in reports as her partner or husband, may have been involved in her death.
CALIFORNIA HIKER’S BODY FOUND NAKED IN BIG SUR BACKCOUNTRY
Carolina Flores Gómez was found shot dead in her luxury apartment April 15 in Mexico City. Her mother-in-law has been named the main suspect in the suspected homicide. (Jam Press)
The man, identified as Alejandro, accused his mother of killing Flores Gómez, Mexican news outlet Azteca Guerrero reported.
The outlet also reported that the woman’s mother-in-law was present at the scene when the gun was fired and that authorities are looking into the timeline of when the incident was reported.
WIDOW, SON OF LATE CHICAGO COMMISSIONER FOUND SHOT DEAD INSIDE HOME IN SUSPECTED HOMICIDE
Mexican prosecutors have opened a homicide with intent case in the death of former beauty queen Carolina Flores Gómez. (Jam Press)
Preliminary reports cited by Mexican news outlet Diario Puntual indicate that a security guard at the building did not hear gunshots, adding uncertainty about how the crime occurred.
Authorities in Baja California, Mexico, also responded to the case, Diario Puntual reported.
CIA PERSONNEL KILLED IN MEXICO CRASH TIED TO CARTEL OPERATION; QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER US ROLE
Former beauty queen Carolina Flores Gómez, 27, was found dead in her Mexico City apartment. (Jam Press)
Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda expressed solidarity with the victim’s family and called for the case to be clarified.
State prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez also said there is coordination with Mexico City authorities to support the investigation.
Flores Gómez previously competed in beauty pageants and was crowned Miss Teen Universe Baja California in 2017.
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The case has drawn attention in Mexico amid ongoing concerns about violence against women, with advocacy groups calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The investigation into the matter is open and ongoing.
World
‘Blockade and threats’: Iran blames US siege of ports for stalled talks
Israeli attacks on Lebanon killed at least five people on Wednesday, including Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, in what was described as a ‘heinous crime’ by the government.
Published On 23 Apr 2026
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