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Vote counting under way in Taiwan’s closely watched elections

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Vote counting under way in Taiwan’s closely watched elections

Taipei, Taiwan – Voters have cast their ballots in Taiwan’s closely watched presidential and parliamentary elections, with the first results expected to be announced later on Saturday.

The presidential vote is a surprising three-way race between incumbent Vice President William Lai Ching-te from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); the former mayor of New Taipei City Hou Yu-ih from the more conservative Kuomintang (KMT); and third-party candidate Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People’s Party.

At stake is the future direction of Taiwan’s democracy: A continued push for a higher international profile as a de facto independent state by the DPP; closer ties with China but potentially better economic relations as promised by the KMT; or an untested but new third way between both parties as promised by the TPP.

Also at stake is the makeup of Taiwan’s 113-person unicameral legislature, voted in based on geographic constituency and a second list based on a party’s proportion of votes. Six seats are reserved for Indigenous Taiwanese.

In the last election, the DPP snuck through with a legislative majority, but their victory is far from certain this time thanks to competition from the KMT and TPP in many local races.

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Some 19.5 million people were eligible to vote aged 20 and over, and voter turnout is expected to be high based on public transit data.

Taiwanese are required to return to the location of their household registration – typically their hometown – to vote in person, which means the leadup to elections can be a busy time for the island-wide rail service.

On Friday, Taiwan Railway Administration predicted a record 758,000 tickets in sales – higher than any previous election.

It was a surprise turnaround for what has been a relatively lacklustre campaign season focused on domestic issues, according to Brian Hioe, a frequent commentator on Taiwanese politics and founder of New Bloom Magazine.

“Shortly before train ticket sales weren’t doing that well and there was a sudden rebound,” he said. “I think it shows how quickly things can change in Taiwanese politics.”

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“Oftentimes before the election itself, it suddenly sets up a national doom feeling. People suddenly worry what will happen if X candidate gets elected or if one rally turnout appears higher than expected,” Hioe also said. “That makes people mobilise.”

Hioe said two key events may have spooked some voters this week into voting. The first was the massive turnout of 350,000 people on Friday at a rally for third-party candidate Ko, showing voters that he was a real contender despite the relative inexperience of his party.

The second were remarks made this week by former president and KMT member Ma Ying-jeou that Taiwan should trust Chinese President Xi Jinping.

While Ma is long retired from the presidency, he still carries weight within his party and some voters may be alarmed about his sway over KMT candidate Hou, Hioe said.

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Many Taiwanese are distrustful of Beijing, which claims Taiwan as a province, and want their democracy to maintain its de facto independence.

Beijing typically relies on a combination of “carrot and stick” strategies to try to lure voters and also scare them into voting for their preferred candidates at election time – typically anyone other than the DPP.

Voters told Al Jazeera that polls had been busy since they opened early on Saturday.

Taipei resident Jason Wang said his plan to get to the polls early with his wife and daughter was put off slightly by a surprisingly long and diverse queue for 8am.

“It wasn’t old people, which was surprising. It was a lot of young couples – and I mean people who would spend their Friday night partying it up,” he said.

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Guava Lai, a young DPP supporter in his 20s, said his social media was full of panicked posts from friends on Friday night that candidate Ko could win.

“My friends were pretty anxious especially the night before. For context most of my friends would be voting for DPP …and then seeing the news on Friday that Ko Wen-je had this many people and Hou Yu-ih had that many people,” he said. “That was the vibe I saw on my social media feed, people being anxious and also trying to reassure each other.”

The DPP has been in power for the past eight years under President Tsai Ing-wen.

In an ordinary election, Taiwan’s two main parties, the KMT and DPP, should be due to switch power, but Ko has upset the normal trajectory.

The outspoken former mayor of Taipei has been popular with younger voters who say they want something new from the old two-party system.

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They include 25-year-old Nicky who told Al Jazeera she had voted for Ko as she left an elementary school voting station in Taipei on Saturday. Declining to use her full name, she said she liked Ko’s record as mayor and his can-do attitude and plainer style of speaking.

“He was the mayor of Taipei for eight years,” she said. “He can really get things done and he can solve problems. That’s what you want.” Her friends felt the same, she added.

Nicky was uncertain about Ko’s chances to win as most older voters prefer Taiwan’s two traditional parties, but she still wanted to show her support.

“I think it’s time for a change,” she said.

Some of her concerns were echoed by Ross Feingold, a lawyer and political analyst based in Taipei.

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He emphasised that some voters were concerned with issues other than China, including transparency in public office.

“Just like other countries, there are recurring corruption issues, nepotism issues under the leadership of different political parties in Taiwan, and I think voters here want to know that the person who is going to lead them for the next four years is an honest man,” he told Al Jazeera.

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Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung Crime Thriller ‘Made in Korea’ Sets Disney+ Debut

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Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung Crime Thriller ‘Made in Korea’ Sets Disney+ Debut

Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung go head-to-head in “Made in Korea,” a 1970s crime noir that launches Dec. 24 on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere.

The series stars Hyun Bin (“Crash Landing on You,” “Confidential Assignment”) as Baek Kitae, an ambitious KCIA agent in 1970s South Korea who leads a dangerous double life. By day, he works as a government operative, while by night he runs an illegal operation, using his underworld connections to consolidate power, protect his brother and generate substantial revenue for the agency.

Jung Woo-sung (“Tell Me That You Love Me,” “12.12: The Day”) co-stars as Jang Geonyoung, an incorruptible prosecutor determined to bring Kitae down. Woo Dohwan (“Bloodhounds,” “Mr. Plankton”) plays Kitae’s brother Baek Kihyun.

The series is written by Park Eunkyo (“Mother,” “A Normal Family,” “The Silent Sea”) and Park Joonseok (“A Normal Family”), directed by Woo Minho (“The Man Standing Next,” “Inside Men,” “Harbin”), and produced by Hive Media Corp (“Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next,” “12.12: The Day”).

Following the two-episode premiere, “Made in Korea” will release two additional episodes on Dec. 31, with the final two episodes rolling out weekly through Jan. 14. The series has already been renewed for a second season, which is currently in production.

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The thriller joins Disney+’s expanding slate of Korean drama content that launched in 2025, including “Unmasked,” “Nine Puzzles,” “Hyper Knife,” “Low Life,” “The Murky Stream” and “Tempest.”

The streamer has additional Korean series slated for 2026, including “Gold Land” starring Park Boyoung, “Perfect Crown” starring IU and Byeon Wooseok, and the return of “A Shop for Killers” for a second season with Lee Dongwook and Kim Hyejun.

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Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘very disappointed’ after Illinois approves assisted suicide law

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Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘very disappointed’ after Illinois approves assisted suicide law

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Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday he was “very disappointed” after his home state of Illinois approved a law allowing medically assisted suicide.

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Leo, who grew up in Chicago, said he had spoken “explicitly” with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker while the legislation was on his desk and urged him not to sign the bill into law, saying the measure undermines respect for human life from “the very beginning to the very end.”

“Unfortunately, for different reasons, he decided to sign that bill,” Leo told reporters outside Rome. “I am very disappointed about that.”

The Medical Aid in Dying Act, also referred to as “Deb’s Law,” was signed into law by Pritzker on Dec. 12 and allows eligible terminally ill adult patients to obtain life-ending medication after consultation with their doctors.

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Pope Leo XIV met with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on Nov. 19 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

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The measure was named after Deb Robertson, a lifelong Illinois resident with a rare terminal illness who had pushed for the bill’s approval.

The law takes effect in September 2026, giving participating healthcare providers and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) time to implement required processes and protections.

Leo said Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich also urged Pritzker not to sign the bill, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

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Pope Leo XIV said he was very disappointed” that Illinois passed a law allowing medically assisted suicide. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)

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“I would invite all people, especially in these Christmas days, to reflect upon the nature of human life, the goodness of human life,” Leo said. “God became human like us to show us what it means really to live human life, and I hope and pray that the respect for life will once again grow in all moments of human existence, from conception to natural death.”

The state’s six Catholic dioceses have also criticized Pritzker’s decision to sign the bill, saying it puts Illinois “on a dangerous and heartbreaking path.”

Illinois joins a growing list of states allowing medically assisted suicide. Eleven other states and the District of Columbia allow medically assisted suicide, according to the advocacy group, Death with Dignity, and seven other states are considering allowing it.

After signing the bill, Pritzker said the legislation would allow patients with terminal illnesses to “avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives,” and said it would be “thoughtfully implemented” to guide physicians and patients through deeply personal decisions.

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Medical Aid in Dying Act on Dec. 12, allowing eligible terminally ill adult patients to obtain life-ending medication after consultation with their doctors. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Europeans show solidarity with Denmark after Trump’s Greenland threat

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Europeans show solidarity with Denmark after Trump’s Greenland threat

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Exactly one year after Donald Trump first announced his intention to integrate Greenland into US territory on grounds of “national protection”, he’s back for more.

The US president has appointed Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, as the new US special envoy for Greenland with the stated objective of “integrating Greenland into the United States” and repeated the US needs the territory for its national security.

His comments have been taken seriously by EU heads of state and government, who are presenting a united front against what they describe as American expansionist ambitions towards the autonomous territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

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France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, both responded to the announcement by reaffirming their support for the integrity of Denmark’s territory.

“Greenland belongs to its people. Denmark stands as its guarantor. I join my voice to that of Europeans in expressing our full solidarity.”

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters the United States “needs Greenland for national security, not for minerals or oil, but national security. And if you take a look at Greenland, there are Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. So, we need this for protection.”

He also chastised Denmark for what he described neglecting the territory, “they have spent no money, they have no military protection, they say Denmark arrived there 300 years ago with boats – we were there with boats too, I’m sure. We’ll have to work it all out.”

Adding to the European voices pushing back on the US ambitions and the criticism of Denmark, Commission Ursula von der Leyen insisted that “territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law”. Despite the tone coming out of Washington, she appeared to refer to the US as an ally in arctic security.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez echoed those remarks. “Respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity is central to the EU and to all nations of the world,” he wrote on X. “Security in the Arctic is a priority in which we seek to work with allies and partners.”

The US and Denmark are part of NATO, which is supposed to ensure mutual defence in the event of aggression against one of its members. That principle has never been tested by conflict between members of the alliance if one were to seize territory from another.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has so far remained silent on the issue. During a press conference with Trump in the White House’s Oval Office in March, he also chose not to comment after a question from a journalist.

“When it comes to Greenland, if it joins the US or not, I will leave that outside of me in this discussion because I don’t want to drag NATO into that,” he said.

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