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Taiwan opposition leader meets Xi in Beijing as Taiwan defense fight intensifies

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Taiwan opposition leader meets Xi in Beijing as Taiwan defense fight intensifies

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KAOHSIUNG – Taiwan: For the first time in nearly a decade, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) supreme leader and the head of the communist party, Xi Jinping, held a meeting with the chairperson of Taiwan’s main opposition party. Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (also known as the Kuomintang, KMT), met Xi in Beijing on Friday. 

Before their closed-door meeting the pair posed for pictures. Xi said that Taiwan is historically a part of China and remains an “inalienable” and “inseparable” part of Chinese territory. He said the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” was a “broader trend” that will not change. China’s state-controlled media and government officials often repeat these party lines, even though, after its establishment in 1949, the communist regime has not ruled Taiwan for a single day.

The two met in their capacities as heads of their respective political parties. China refuses to speak to the democratically elected government of Taiwan, led by President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The DPP won Taiwan’s presidential elections in 2016, 2020, and 2024, although in 2024 it narrowly lost control of the parliament to an opposition coalition led by the KMT. 

TAIWAN ‘WILL NOT ESCALATE, BUT WILL NOT YIELD’ TO CHINESE INTIMIDATION, FOREIGN MINISTER WARNS

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In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Kuomintang (KMT) party leader Cheng Li-wun in Beijing on Friday, April 10, 2026. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP)

The meeting came as Taiwan is mired in a dispute over defense spending, with the opposition coalition blocking President Lai’s proposed $40 billion special defense budget. During a recent visit to Taipei, Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said approval of the package would send a clear message that Taiwan is prepared to invest in its own defense and “peace through strength.”

Hours before Cheng and Xi smiled for the cameras, Lai did not directly mention the Beijing meeting, but said on social media that any compromise with an authoritarian regime would damage Taiwan’s sovereignty. There are also concerns that if the special budget isn’t approved soon, the willingness of President Donald Trump to sell weapons to Taiwan could change should Trump decide to strike some kind of deal with Xi at a possible meeting in May.

Xi’s phrase “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” which was repeated by Cheng, is a reference to the goal of China becoming a — if not the — major world power by 2049, the centennial of the founding of the communist PRC. 

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, center, walks before an offshore anti-terrorism drill at the Kaohsiung harbor in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP)

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In comments that are sure to evoke controversy in Taiwan, Cheng repeated much of Xi’s phrasing, claiming that in the more than 100 years of interactions between the KMT and the CCP, “all we ever wanted is to guide the Chinese nation out of decline and toward rejuvenation.” Cheng went on to say, “The great Chinese rejuvenation involves people on both sides of the strait. It is about the reawakening and resurgence of Chinese civilization.”

That’s not how many here in Taiwan see things. Rose Chou, 45, works as an administrator in one of the biggest primary schools in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan’s largest city and a major port. Chou told Fox News Digital it was time for Taiwan to dump any connection to being China or a part of China. “Yes, I want a Republic of Taiwan. I have an 18-year-old son. And, yes, I realize we may have to fight. I’m willing to fight.”

US LAWMAKERS WARN TAIWAN TO ‘MEET THE MOMENT’ AS CHINA STAGES INVASION-STYLE DRILLS

A screen grab captured from a video shows the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command launching large-scale joint military exercises around Taiwan with naval vessels and military aircraft in China on May 24, 2024. Led by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), “integrated operations inside and outside the island chain are being conducted to test the command’s capabilities to jointly take battlefield control and launch joint strikes, and to seize control of crucial areas,” Li Xi, the spokesman for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said. (Photo by Feng Hao / PLA / China Military/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Feng Hao/PLA/China Military/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Chou readily admitted that most people she knows favor maintaining the status quo. A very small number, she said, are committed to the idea of unification — but under what terms they hope that could occur, Chou said she didn’t know. 

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Under the status quo that dates from the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, Taiwan’s official name remains the Republic of China, to nominally indicate that Taiwan is a part of China, just not “Red China.” This formula previously satisfied the communist regime in Beijing, but — especially since Xi Jinping’s rise — Beijing has pushed Taiwan towards outright submission.

A meeting between the head of the KMT and the CPP hasn’t happened in almost a decade, but there is precedent. A KMT chair met Xi in 2015, and again in 2016, and separately, in 2015, then-Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou met Xi in Singapore, during which each addressed the other as “Mister,” and titles used were “Leader of Taiwan” and “Leader of Mainland China,” respectively.

In a statement after the meeting, a spokesperson for the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei, said, “The United States supports cross-Strait dialogue. We expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait. Meaningful cross-Strait exchange should focus on dialogue between Beijing’s leadership and Taiwan’s democratically elected authorities without preconditions, while also including engagement with all other political parties in Taiwan.”

A nuclear-powered Type 094A Jin-class ballistic missile submarine of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is seen during a military display in the South China Sea April 12, 2018.  (Reuters/Stringer)

Elizabeth Freund Larus, a Taiwan Fellowship Scholar in Taipei, told Fox News Digital the KMT’s traditional China approach no longer connects with much of Taiwan’s electorate. “KMT Chair Cheng’s trip is trying to replicate Ma Ying-jeou’s approach to cross-Strait relations,” Larus said. “But that approach is 30-years old and no longer appeals to the Taiwanese. As a result, many people in Taiwan are critical of her China trip.”

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Larus said Beijing is also likely to use the visit for domestic propaganda, presenting it as proof that Taiwan embraces cultural and social affinities with mainland China while casting the government in Taipei as an outlier. “Cheng may be welcomed in Beijing,” Larus said, “but her party may receive a less enthusiastic reception” in local elections later this year and in the next presidential and legislative elections in 2028.

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Taipei-based political risk analyst and Tamkang University assistant professor Ross Feingold told Fox News Digital, “President Lai’s DPP has a savvy media team, which for many years has successfully shaped public opinion towards China. Following today’s meeting, Cheng and the KMT will be portrayed as traitors willing to sell out Taiwan.”

He concluded by noting, “Ultimately, though, the success or failure of Cheng’s visit to China and meeting with Xi will be determined by Taiwan’s voters, despite efforts from China and the United States to influence events. For the Trump administration, though, its near-term priority in Taiwan remains legislative approval to purchase billions of dollars of American weapons and speedy implementation of Taiwan’s commitment to invest $250 billion in the United States.”

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Where to Watch Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani Boxing Live Online

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Where to Watch Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani Boxing Live Online

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In a title bout for the undisputed super bantamweight (junior featherweight) championship, Japanese fighter Naoya Inoue takes on fellow Japanese boxer Junto Nakatani in a 12-round match. What’s on the line? Inoue’s IBF, WBC and WBO World Super Bantam title belts. At the end of the contest, one of these fighters will have both titles — or it will end with a draw.

On Saturday, May 2, Inoue (32-0-0) vs. Nakatani (32-0-0) takes place at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan with a start time of 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT. Ringwalk for the main event is expected around 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT.

Inoue vs. Nakatani is available as a premium live boxing event, so it’s free to watch for DAZN subscribers.

Not a DAZN subscriber? Right now, you can purchase access to the event starting at $20.99/month. Additionally, DAZN’s “Ultimate Tier” plan goes for just $49.99/month to get access to this PPV event, as well as 11 other PPV events throughout the year at no extra cost. It’s just a flat monthly subscription price. The plan also have access to more than 100 live fights all year long, as well as fight replays, highlights and documentaries.

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The fights during the Inoue vs. Nakatani event are free to watch for subscribers.

Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani Odds & Predictions

For the main event, Inoue is the favorite to heavy win against Nakatani. Oddsmakers give Naoya Inoue a -450 moneyline (bet $450 to win $100), while Junto Nakatani received a line of +310 (bet $100 to win $310), as the underdog. Want more odds? Check out the complete odds and wagers at BetMGM.com online here.

Taking place on Saturday, May 2, Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani is available to livestream on DAZN for subscribers.

Main Card, 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT

  • Super Bantamweight (Junior Featherweight): Naoya Inoue (champion) vs. Junto Nakatani — Main Event, IBF, WBC and WBO World Super Bantam Title Fight
  • Bantamweight: Takuma Inoue (champion) vs. Kazuto Ioka — WBC Title Fight
  • Featherweight: Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Reiya Abe
  • Welterweight: Sora Tanaka vs. Jin Sasaki
  • Flyweight: Kosuke Tomioka vs. Shogo Tanaka
  • Super Middleweight: Deok No Yun vs. Yuito Moriwaki
  • Super Bantamweight: Yoshiki Takei vs. Dekang Wang

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‘Killing off the country’: Iran executes dozens, arrests 4,000+ in war crackdown

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‘Killing off the country’: Iran executes dozens, arrests 4,000+ in war crackdown

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U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday accused Iran’s regime of dramatically intensifying its crackdown on dissent in the wake of the February conflict, warning that Tehran has carried out executions, mass arrests, torture and one of the world’s longest internet shutdowns while invoking national security.

In a sharply worded statement from Geneva, Türk said at least 21 people have been executed and more than 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges since Feb. 28, as the regime faces mounting scrutiny over what he described as a sweeping assault on fundamental rights. 

“I am appalled that, on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict, the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways,” Türk said.

COULD NARGES MOHAMMADI UNITE IRAN’S OPPOSITION? HUSBAND SAYS IMPRISONED NOBEL LAUREATE STILL FIGHTING

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A protester holds ‘Stop executions in Iran’ and ‘Free Iran’ placards during the demonstration. Demonstrators gathered outside Downing Street in protest against executions in Iran and in support of freedom for Iran.  (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Since the start of the conflict two months ago, the U.N. said nine people have been executed in connection with the January 2026 protests, 10 for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two on espionage charges. It’s estimated that some 40,000 people were killed by regime forces during January’s uprising.

Türk warned that Iran’s broad use of vaguely defined national security laws has enabled authorities to fast-track prosecutions, deny legal counsel, and rely on coerced confessions.

“Even where national security is invoked, human rights can only be limited where strictly necessary and proportionate,” he said, calling on Tehran to halt executions, impose a moratorium on capital punishment, and immediately release those arbitrarily detained.

For many Iranian dissidents, the findings reflect an already dire reality.

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A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader on March 9, 2026.  (AFP/Via Getty Images)

“It is bad,” Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist and editor of the Iran So Far Away Substack, told Fox News Digital. “They’re completely killing off the country.”

On Saturday, it was reported that Iran had executed another athlete, a 21-year-old karate champion. Sassan Azadvar Joonqani was detained in January during the anti-regime protests and was executed by the regime on Thursday, according to a report in Euronews.

Wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi was executed by the regime in March for alleged illegal actions in January’s protests against the authorities.  (The Foreign Desk)

In March, Iran executed another athlete, 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi, for protesting against the regime, Fox News Digital reported. 

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Türk’s office said detainees have reportedly faced enforced disappearances, torture, mock executions, and televised confessions, with ethnic and religious minorities including Bahá’ís, Zoroastrians, Kurds and Baluch Iranians facing particular risk.

RUBIO REVOKES IRANIAN OFFICIALS’ US TRAVEL PRIVILEGES OVER DEADLY PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS

Ali and Kiana Rahmani accept the Nobel Peace Prize 2023 on behalf of their mother, imprisoned Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, at Oslo City Hall in Norway on Dec. 10, 2023. (Javad Parsa/NTB/Reuters)

Among those cited by the U.N. was imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, whose condition sharply worsened Friday after what her family described as a catastrophic health crisis following months of being denied specialized care.

According to a statement from the Narges Foundation that was published Friday, Mohammadi was urgently transferred by ambulance from Zanjan Prison to a hospital after suffering two episodes of complete loss of consciousness in a single day, accompanied by severe cardiac distress. The foundation said prison doctors determined her condition could no longer be managed on-site after what her family called a “last-minute” transfer that may have come dangerously late.

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Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, told Fox News Digital earlier this week that her physical condition had already become increasingly dire after what he described as a violent arrest and deteriorating prison treatment. “She has sustained severe trauma and urgently requires medical attention.”

Rahmani previously said Mohammadi’s medical team and outside specialists had pushed for treatment in Tehran due to her history of multiple heart procedures, while authorities allegedly blocked those recommendations until her condition became life-threatening. Despite her physical decline, Rahmani said, “Spiritually and mentally, Narges remains steadfast.”

IRAN’S KHAMENEI LASHES OUT AT PROTESTERS AS NATIONWIDE ANTI-REGIME UNREST GROWS

In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, tear gas is fired during an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (UGC via AP) (UGC via AP)

The U.N. statement, combined with Mohammadi’s emergency hospitalization, has intensified scrutiny of Iran’s prison conditions, which Türk described as marked by overcrowding, medical neglect, and severe human rights abuses.

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Türk also cited dire prison conditions, including overcrowding, shortages of food, water and medicine, and denial of medical care.

The U.N. further highlighted reports of lethal violence in detention facilities, including claims that security forces killed at least five detainees in Chabahar Prison after protests over suspended food distribution.

But while dissidents welcomed the U.N.’s unusually forceful language, some also questioned whether condemnation without action can meaningfully alter conditions, especially as Iran this week was elevated to a vice-chair role on a U.N. nuclear nonproliferation committee.

“The reason why Iranians just don’t trust, don’t like and don’t want to know from the U.N.,” Zand said, is what she described as its repeated failure “to rise to the occasion of responding to the regime and holding their feet to the fire at the right time… with the right amount of pressure.”

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Iranian diaspora activists gathered in front of the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin on Jan. 27, 2024, to protest the increase in death sentences by Iran’s Islamic Republic rulers. The demonstration was organized by the Echo Iran group. (Echo Iran/Middle East Images/AFP)

While she said the latest statement itself was important, Zand argued many view such condemnations as hollow when paired with what they see as institutional legitimacy granted to Tehran.

“They’re making a statement… fine,” she said. “But what are they gonna do about it?”

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Torture claims and a ship that leaves flotilla detainees in Israel

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Torture claims and a ship that leaves flotilla detainees in Israel

The Israeli government has announced that Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila are already in the country, where they will be interrogated imminently. Israel’s foreign ministry made the announcement on social media, without specifying either their point of arrival or the location of the questioning.

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Israel accuses both men of maintaining ties with Hamas through the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, an organisation the United States has designated as a front for the Palestinian Islamist movement. It specifically names Abu Keshek as one of the “leaders” of that structure, while describing Ávila as working for the group in activities it considers illegal.

Both will receive consular visits from their respective countries. In the case of the Spaniard, it will be the Spanish consul in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Brazilian activist Ávila will be assisted by diplomats from his own country.

Albares: (Keshek) should be in Crete with the others

The Spanish foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, was unequivocal in an interview with ‘Catalunya Ràdio’: it was, he said, “an illegal detention carried out in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities.”

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For Spain’s top diplomat, Abu Keshek should never have set foot on Israeli soil; he should have been put ashore on the Greek island of Crete together with the rest of the activists.

On Thursday, the foreign ministry urgently summoned the head of the Israeli embassy in Madrid to convey the government’s condemnation.

Spain has also signed up to a joint declaration with ten other countries, including Turkey, Brazil, Colombia and South Africa, stating that the Israeli attacks on the ships and the detention of the activists constitute “flagrant violations of international law.”

Asked whether Abu Keshek may have been tortured, Albares acknowledged that he could not confirm it because there has not yet been direct contact with him. What he did confirm is that several activists needed medical attention in Crete and that the Spanish consul dispatched there had to accompany them.

The flotilla alleges systematic torture

The Global Sumud Flotilla goes further in its accusations.

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In a statement released in the early hours of Saturday, the organisation claims that both Abu Keshek and Ávila were tortured by the Israeli army after being separated from the other 174 activists who were also taken to the Israeli naval vessel Nahshon.

“Eyewitnesses have testified to the screams of Abu Keshek echoing throughout the ship as he was systematically tortured after being separated from the others,” the statement says.

The organisation describes what happened as a “serious escalation” and an “additional war crime”. As many as 35 activists, according to the organisers, had to receive medical treatment as a result of the violence during the Israeli operation.

Family left in the dark and afraid

Sally Issa, the activist’s wife told channel TVE that they had been without information for hours. “We have been given no information about the transfer,” she said. “Israel cannot seize people in international waters. It is an illegal act, and we call on the Spanish government to do everything it can to secure his release.”

What worries her most, she said, is her husband’s physical condition. “We have testimony from activists who were there who said that there has been systematic violence against Saif, and we are gravely concerned for his health,” she explained, adding that beyond lawyers, his family also needs guarantees of medical care.

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The rest of the flotilla’s activists, apart from Abu Keshek and Ávila, disembarked in Crete on Friday, where some were treated in medical centres, and the rest began to be repatriated to their respective countries.

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