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Taiwan's president meets Hawaii's governor and members of Congress in a visit condemned by China

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Taiwan's president meets Hawaii's governor and members of Congress in a visit condemned by China


HONOLULU (AP) — On a two-day visit to Hawaii, Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te met with the state’s governor and congressional representatives as part of a Pacific island tour that has already triggered criticism from Beijing.

On Sunday, China’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemned” U.S. support for Lai’s visit and had lodged a complaint with the U.S. It also denounced a newly announced U.S. weapons sale to Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its own territory.

“China will closely monitor the situation’s development, and take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the statement.

Hawaii was Lai’s first stop on a weeklong voyage that will later take him to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau. They account for three of the 12 countries Taipei has formal diplomatic relations with.

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Hawaii’s Gov. Josh Green on Saturday hosted Lai at the state’s emergency management agency where they discussed disaster preparedness. Green, who was a longtime emergency room physician before becoming governor, posted on social media that he and Lai discussed how their experiences in health care informed their governance. Lai is also a physician by training and obtained a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University.

“Together, we extended a warm aloha to Lai and his delegation, highlighting Hawai’i’s shared values of resilience and collaboration with Taiwan,” Green said in an Instagram post.

Lai also visited Bishop Museum, Hawaii’s leading museum of natural history and Native Hawaiian culture.

In the evening, Lai posed for photos with Hawaii congressional representatives and state lawmakers at a dinner banquet with the Taiwanese American community.

U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat who represents Honolulu in Congress, said on social media that he told the audience that “our ties endured on shared values and interests to advance mutual goals and meet shared challenges.”

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It is unclear whether Lai with meet with any senior officials from the Biden administration or anyone from the incoming Trump administration during his Hawaii stay.

President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg in July that Taiwan should pay for its defense. The island has purchased billions of dollars of defense weaponry from the U.S.

Trump evaded answering whether he would defend the island from Chinese military action.

The new arms announced by the U.S. State Department Friday include $385 million in spare parts and equipment for a fleet of F-16s, as well as support for tactical communication system to Taiwan.

The U.S. is obligated to help the island defend itself under the Taiwan Relations Act but maintains a position of strategic ambiguity over whether it would ever get involved if Taiwan were to be invaded by China.

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Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen drew vocal opposition from China when she stopped in New York last year on her way to Latin America. Tsai met with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the time.

The Chinese military also launched drills around Taiwan last year as a “stern warning” over what it called collusion between “separatists and foreign forces” days after Lai, then Taiwan’s vice president, stopped over in the U.S.

China also strongly objects to leading American politicians visiting the island as it views any official contact with foreign governments and Taiwan as an infringement on its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Washington switched its formal recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.





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Hawaii

Emalia Dalire named Miss Hawaii 2025 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Emalia Dalire named Miss Hawaii 2025 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser


Emalia Dalire named Miss Hawaii 2025 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARADVERTISER.COM

Miss Hawaii 2025 Emalia Dalire.

JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Miss Hawaii Teen 2025 Anya Teruya, left, who won her competition Friday night, congratulated newly crowned Miss Hawaii 2025 Emalia Dalire on stage Saturday night at Hawaii Theatre.

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Miss Hawaii Teen 2025 Anya Teruya, left, who won her competition Friday night, congratulated newly crowned Miss Hawaii 2025 Emalia Dalire on stage Saturday night at Hawaii Theatre.

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Emalia Dalire named Miss Hawaii 2025 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Miss Hawaii Teen 2025 Anya Teruya, left, who won her competition Friday night, congratulated newly crowned Miss Hawaii 2025 Emalia Dalire on stage Saturday night at Hawaii Theatre.
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The stage at Hawaii Theatre was crowded with pageant officials, prize sponsors, and many other well-wishers as newly crowned Miss Hawaii 2025 Emalia Dalire conducted her first news media interview Saturday night as a titleholder.

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Appreciative as she is for all the glamour that comes with the title, sash and tiara, Dalire says she’s looking forward to a year of community service.

“I don’t think I’ve had time to comprehend that it’s happening, everything is happening so fast, but most importantly, I’m just grateful, grateful for the (Miss Hawaii) organization and for having the opportunity to represent not only my class (of Miss Hawaii candidates) but my entire state of Hawaii,” she said. “For tomorrow (Sunday), I gotta wake up at 6 a.m. so I’m gonna take the time to actually sleep a little bit, but tomorrow I plan to just hit the ground running and continuing to help my community and this organization.”

Competing as Miss Kaneohe, Dalire beat 12 other hopefuls — officially known as “delegates”— to become the 80th woman to hold the title of Miss Hawaii. She is the sixth Miss Hawaii to win the title under the new rules that have contestants display their health and fitness wearing sports bras, leggings and athletic shoes instead of the traditional pageant swimsuit and heels.

Miss Moku O Keawe Tatia Denis-McRight was first runner-up; she will inherit the title if Dalire becomes the third Miss Hawaii to win the national title. Second runner-up Miss Hawaii Island Tyra Bates also won the evening gown award, and tied with Dalire as co-winners of the Candes Mejiide Gentry Talent Award.

Miss Oahu Darja Bassut was third runner-up. Fourth runner-up was Miss Diamond Head Sarah Look.

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The delegates were judged on their ability to stay on subject while answering a random question on stage, their performance in talent and in lifestyle and fitness competition and their design choices in evening gown competition.

They were also scored on their performance in private interviews with the judges, and previous rounds of talent and evening gown competition earlier in the week.

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Miss Hawaii Teen 2025 Anya Teruya, who received her title Friday night, was in the audience Saturday night to congratulate the new Miss Hawaii.

Miss Hawaii 2005 Malika Dudley and Miss Hawaii 2019-2020 Nicole Holbrook co-emceed the evening.




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HPD makes arrests in connection with Makaha shooting that killed one, wounded four

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HPD makes arrests in connection with Makaha shooting that killed one, wounded four


WAIANAE (HawaiiNewsNow) – Honolulu Police said three males have beenarrested in connection a shooting in Makaha that left a 19-year-old man dead and four others wounded Wednesday night.

HPD said in a social media post that three males, aged 17, 20 and 21, were arrested in the Waianae area Saturday. They face charges of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and several firearms offenses.

The shooting happened at a home on Lahaina Street near Jade Street shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday.

The 19-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. A 41-year-old woman, two 19-year-old men, and a 21-year-old man were seriously wounded.

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Police said charges are still pending against the suspects.



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Arrest made in Kona parking scam – West Hawaii Today

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Arrest made in Kona parking scam – West Hawaii Today


Police have arrested and charged 29-year-old Emmy Cedeno Perez of Kailua-Kona for a parking violation scam involving a “barnacle” device placed on the windshields of vehicles in West Hawaii.

Police launched the investigation after receiving two reports of a parking-enforcement device known as a barnacle being placed on the windshield of parked vehicles at the top of Napoopoo Road near the popular Kaawaloa Trailhead in Captain Cook, on public property in an area without “no parking” signs.

A barnacle is a device similar to a briefcase that suctions to a vehicle’s windshield and can’t be removed until payment is made via instructions on the device.

The device is then released by the driver via a code sent to the driver’s mobile phone. After payment, the driver is instructed to drop off the barnacle at a drop box for a partial refund of their payment.

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Through investigation, officers identified Perez as the party responsible for the barnacle.

He was arrested Tuesday and was subsequently charged with fraud, third-degree theft, second-degree criminal tampering, contempt of court, failure to appear and driving without a license.

Perez posted $11,600 bail and was released from police custody. He was ordered to appear in court on June 26.





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