Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te reiterates his desire for talks based on ‘parity and respect’ with China.

Taiwan’s president has said he hopes the United States approves a $14bn arms sale “as soon as possible”, reiterating that the island “rejects unification” with China.

Taiwan relies heavily on US support to deter any potential Chinese attack, and Washington has put pressure on Taipei to increase its defence spending.

But arms sales also complicate ties between Washington and Beijing. Democratically governed Taiwan is viewed by China as its own territory, and Beijing has ⁠stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on the island.

In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the $14bn deal was “under review”.

Speaking to the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Taipei on Thursday, Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te reiterated his desire for talks based on “parity and respect” with China, but said only the Taiwanese people can decide their future.

“Taiwan’s safeguarding of its own national security and maintaining its democratic and free way of life, ‌its refusal to accept unification, and its refusal to accept rule by the Chinese Communist Party should not be seen as a provocation against China,” he added.

Taiwan said the US’s commitments to Taiwan have not changed, as it is required under domestic law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. A top US military official said last month Washington was pausing its $14bn arms sale to Taiwan to conserve munitions for its war on Iran.

“We will continue to maintain close communication with the US government, and we also hope the arms purchases can be approved as ⁠soon as possible,” Lai said.

The Taiwanese president has championed increased defence spending, though last month Taiwan’s parliament only approved two-thirds of the $40bn defence budget Lai had proposed, cutting the part that had been meant for drones and domestically produced weapons.

On Thursday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said it was proposing another special ‌defence package worth $210bn new Taiwan dollars ($6.64bn) for surveillance and small unmanned surface drones.

Lai said China should renounce the use of force and its military activities in the Western Pacific, as Taiwan’s arms purchases send an important message to the world that it is willing to defend ‌itself.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man who tried to get into pop star Sabrina Carpenter ‘s home more than a dozen times was ordered by a judge Wednesday to stay away from her for five years.

William Applegate, 31, said at a hearing that he and Carpenter were part of a classified military program that required them to “be together as soon as possible” because it’s essential to “national and global security.”

In one instance last month, Applegate hit a security guard and was arrested after reaching the front door of Carpenter’s home in Los Angeles, she said in a petition. He got there through a neighboring property. He came back in the following days, and the judge issued a temporary restraining order on May 29.

Applegate admitted to all his appearances, saying Carpenter wanted him to be there. However, he said he would be “more than willing” to stay away from her if she told him herself. He said police and her representatives were working against him.

With no attorney, he delivered the message coherently, wearing a suit and sitting at the defense table with a laptop.

Carpenter was ready to testify remotely but was not called to do so.

Her attorney Blair Berk told the judge “she is in fear for her own personal safety and the safety of members of her family.” Berk questioned Applegate only to verify that social media posts about Carpenter were from him.

Applegate said in his filing opposing the restraining order that he was at Carpenter’s Coachella festival performance in April and she had looked at him as she sang in an attempt to communicate with him.

In her petition, Carpenter called him “a complete stranger” who she has never met or communicated with, and never wants to.

Judge David L. Wasserman treated Applegate’s assertions seriously in his questioning and said he appreciated the decorum of everyone in the courtroom.

“I understand that it’s your belief that in order to save the world, you and the petitioner must be together,” the judge said. “I expect you to obey the order, not what you think is right, not what you think the military commands you.”

He ordered Applegate to stay at least 100 yards (meters) from Carpenter and her sister and sister’s partner who live with her, along with many other restrictions. Applegate was also ordered not to attempt to communicate with her in any way and not to possess any firearms.

Applegate remains under a criminal investigation, but court records do not show that charges have been filed.

Carpenter, 27, starred in the Disney Channel series “Girl Meets World” as a teen before turning to a music career. She had modest success with her first few studio albums before scoring a breakthrough with 2022’s “Emails I Can’t Send.” With her 2024 album “Short n’ Sweet” and its No. 1 hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” she became a multiple Grammy winner and one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

Finland’s parliament on Wednesday voted to lift a decades-old ban on nuclear weapons, approving a major defense policy shift aimed at aligning the country more closely with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) deterrence strategy.

Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said a strong majority backed the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act, calling it a “historic reform” that strengthens Finland’s security and that of the alliance.

“The Parliament approved the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act with a strong 2/3 majority,” Häkkänen said in a post on X. “This historic reform strengthens the security of Finland and of NATO as a whole.

In April 2023, Finland joined NATO in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ending decades of military non-alignment. The move, aimed at securing Finland’s collective defense, roughly doubled NATO’s border with Russia.

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“The overall nuclear weapons policy has been one of the most challenging issues in the Ministry of Defence during this parliamentary term. Years of study, discussions with nuclear-weapon states and other allies, and assessments of how Finland’s security can best be strengthened in NATO,” Häkkänen said.

The measure repeals provisions in Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act that banned the import, production, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives.

If enacted, the legislation would allow nuclear weapons to be transported, supplied or possessed in Finland where the country’s military defense requires it.

FINLAND’S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS UKRAINE ‘IS NOW HOLDING THE CARDS’ AS RUSSIA SIGNALS TALKS

According to Euro News, 125 deputies backed the government proposal, 61 voted against it and 13 abstained.

The bill now moves to the president for final approval.

“I thank all the Members of Parliament who supported our legislative proposal for their strong backing,” Häkkänen said. “Thank you to the defense administration professionals at home and abroad for their high expertise also in this project.”

Despite the bill passing, the proposal has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers, who warned it could escalate tensions, make Finland a potential primary target, and break from regional norms, noting that several neighboring countries have rejected hosting or permitting nuclear weapons.

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The introduction of the proposed law also provoked a strong reaction from Russia last March, according to Reuters.

“This is a statement that leads to an escalation ​of tensions on the European continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“This statement adds to Finland’s vulnerability, a ​vulnerability provoked by the actions of the Finnish authorities. The fact is that by deploying ⁠nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us. And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures.”

Reuters contributed to this report.