Friday Briefing

What’s at stake in Taiwan’s election

Voters in Taiwan will elect a brand new president and legislature tomorrow, a much-watched course of that would have an effect on the island’s relations with China and the U.S.

China claims Taiwan as a part of its territory and has demanded unification, which the island democracy has rejected. The tensions over Taiwan are one of the divisive points between Beijing and Washington.

Chris Buckley, a correspondent for The New York Occasions who is predicated in Taipei and stories on China and Taiwan, mentioned the stakes of the election. Right here’s what it is advisable know.

Why is that this election vital?

Chris: This election may have vital penalties for one of many world’s most troublesome and risky territorial disputes — the way forward for Taiwan.

The presidential candidates from the 2 foremost political events — the Democratic Progressive Celebration and the Nationalist Celebration — each reject the Chinese language Communist Celebration’s framework for unification, referred to as “one nation, two methods.” However there are vital variations in how they suggest to take care of Beijing.

Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Celebration’s candidate, has promised to maintain China at arm’s size. China would most certainly step up strain on Taiwan if he wins. Hou Yu-ih, the Nationalist Celebration candidate, says he’ll scale back tensions with China by increasing cross-strait commerce and contacts. China would most certainly scale back strain — for some time at the very least — if he wins, however may additionally elevate expectations of concessions.

What are the doable outcomes, and what would they imply going ahead?

The factor you hear most is that that is more likely to be a slender consequence. Whoever wins, the subsequent president should work with a legislature the place it’s very doubtless that no celebration could have a majority. That implies that the subsequent president — and for now, Lai nonetheless appears extra doubtless — goes to face extra obstacles in implementing insurance policies.

I’d remind readers concerning the different election this 12 months that issues immensely for Taiwan: the U.S. presidential election. In fact, the result of that vote issues for the entire world. However Taiwan is dependent upon the U.S. as its foremost safety backer towards China. A second Biden time period would in all probability imply extra of the identical insurance policies. If Donald Trump is the Republican nominee and wins, then there’ll be rather more uncertainty about the place U.S. coverage will go.

For extra: Taiwan’s rallies are boisterous and crammed with chants of “frozen garlic” — a play on the phrase for “get elected.”

U.S. and its allies attacked Houthis in Yemen

The U.S. and a handful of its allies, together with Britain, carried out navy strikes towards greater than a dozen targets in Yemen managed by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, U.S. officers stated, in an enlargement of the battle within the Center East.

The air and naval strikes got here in response to greater than two dozen Houthi drone and missile assaults towards industrial transport within the Crimson Sea since November, and after warnings to the Houthis prior to now week from the Biden administration and several other worldwide allies of great “penalties” if the salvos didn’t cease. The Houthis have defied that ultimatum.

The Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Bahrain have been additionally anticipated to offer logistics, intelligence and different assist, U.S. officers stated.

Individually, Iran’s Navy stated it had seized a vessel loaded with crude oil off the coast of Oman.

Response: It was unclear whether or not the allied strikes would deter the Houthis from persevering with their assaults. The Houthis — whose navy capabilities have been honed by greater than eight years of combating towards a Saudi-led coalition — have greeted the prospect of battle with the U.S. with delight. “We’re comfy with a direct confrontation with the Individuals,” one chief stated.

In The Hague: South Africa, on the primary day of a two-day listening to on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice, made its case that Israel is appearing with “genocidal intent” in Gaza. Israel has categorically denied the accusation of genocide and can current its protection right this moment.

In Gaza: Exhaustive inspections, border crossings and ruined roads are making it more durable to get support to the territory, contributing to a rising humanitarian disaster.

Drought touches 1 / 4 of humanity, the U.N. says

Almost 1 / 4 of the world’s inhabitants, or round 1.84 billion individuals, was residing below drought in 2022 and 2023, the overwhelming majority in low- and middle-income nations, based on a brand new U.N. report.

The various droughts all over the world got here at a time of record-high international temperatures and food-price inflation. Final 12 months, the value of rice was at its highest level since 2008.

Background: Among the abnormally dry, scorching situations are made worse by the burning of fossil fuels that trigger local weather change. The arrival final 12 months of El Niño, a pure, cyclical climate phenomenon characterised by warmer-than-normal temperatures in elements of the Pacific Ocean, has additionally very doubtless contributed.

THE LATEST NEWS

Across the World

Marlene Engelhorn, an Austrian heiress, has despatched invites to 10,000 residents of Austria, asking for his or her assist spending 25 million euros, or about $27.4 million, of her inheritance. The cash can’t go to teams or people who find themselves “unconstitutional, hostile or inhumane,” and it might’t be invested in for-profit establishments.

“Redistribution have to be a course of that extends past me,” she stated.

SPORTS NEWS

Naomi Osaka: The tennis star, who gave delivery to her first baby in July, spoke with The Athletic about the way it impressed her to come back again to the game.

Africa Cup of Nations: Your information to the video games, the celebs and the tales.

ESPN: The sports activities broadcaster used faux names to safe greater than 30 Emmys for on-air expertise ineligible to obtain them.

Leveling off: Has Formulation 1’s recognition plateaued within the U.S.?

ARTS AND IDEAS

‘Imply Ladies,’ then and now

“Imply Ladies,” launched nearly 20 years in the past, earned $130 million throughout its 2004 theatrical run and helped make superstars of its solid. A musical stage adaptation adopted in 2018, and this week, a film musical arrives in theaters. Tina Fey, who wrote the screenplay, spoke to The Occasions concerning the film and its legacy. Learn the complete interview.

Some jokes and story traces within the authentic “Imply Ladies” haven’t held up so nicely, they usually have been altered for later variations. How do you method updating your writing?

I used to be writing within the early 2000s very a lot based mostly on my expertise as a teen within the late ’80s. It’s come to nobody’s shock that jokes have modified. You don’t poke in the way in which that you simply used to poke. Even when your intention was at all times the identical, it’s simply not the way you do it anymore, which is okay. I very a lot consider that yow will discover new methods to do jokes with much less unintentional shrapnel sideways.

Had been there any cultural shifts that you simply noticed in updating the script from the 2018 stage present to now?

If something, these behaviors have jumped method past simply younger ladies. It’s in our politics. It’s in every little thing. Folks now prefer to candy-coat and be very virtuous mentioning why you’re an issue, however it’s the identical conduct. It’s nonetheless: “Don’t take a look at me. Take a look at them. I’m doing nice. I won’t have good hair, however she’s fats.”

Overview: The musical adaptation retains its ingratiating charms, our critic writes.

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