WATCH: Haley supporters predict outcome of Iowa caucuses, reveal who they refuse to support as GOP nominee
Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley offered their predictions on the outcome of Monday’s Iowa caucuses, but some also revealed which candidate they refuse to support should that individual eventually become the GOP nominee. Fox News Digital traveled to Haley’s final rally ahead of Monday and spoke to a number of voters who expressed their admiration for her, as well as optimism that she would “close the gap” with frontrunner former President Donald Trump. “The media will tell us that Trump is going to just blow everything away. I think he probably will win, but I think the margin between him and Nikki will be a lot closer,” one voter named Claudia told Fox. NIKKI HALEY’S CAMPAIGN SPENT THOUSANDS ON LUXURY HOTELS DESPITE CLAIM IT RUNS ‘A TIGHT SHIP’ “Nikki’s a consensus builder. She works on both sides of the aisle. She’s a thinker. I think it’s very important for our president to have international savvy and you can’t beat Nikki in her global knowledge of everything. She’s just solid,” she added. Another voter named Steph told Fox that, although she wasn’t sure who would ultimately come out on top on caucus day, Haley was a “smart person,” who can “bridge the gap” between Democrats and Republicans. “She takes nothing personally. She is fiscally responsible. She wants to get a hold of the border and take care of it. I can’t think of anything that she talks about that I don’t agree with her on,” she said. WATCH: NEW CONSERVATIVE TECH COMPANY INSPIRED BY SWING STATE ELECTION LOSSES AIMS TO FLIP SCRIPT ON DEMOCRATS Steph added: “But most importantly, it’s time to repair our nation. We are in disarray, and she is the one person, I think, who will be able to bring us all back together in a very calm and collective way. She listens. She cares. There’s no drama. It’s wonderful. She’s a wonderful person and a great leader, and she is really and truly who we need now.” Dennis and Stacy, a husband and wife, told Fox that they decided together a few weeks ago to support Haley, calling it a “hard decision” between her and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Stacy predicted people would be “surprised” at Haley’s performance on Monday, and that she could eventually be the nominee if she continued to perform well in subsequent states despite the belief Trump “has it in the bag.” Dennis simply said, “It’s hard to tell until the caucus is over.” WATCH: VETERAN AIR FORCE COMMANDER JOINS RACE FOR CONGRESS, SAYS MOMENT ‘TOO IMPORTANT’ FOR CAREER POLITICIANS “I really want somebody who can bring us back together. The president shouldn’t be somebody that hates half the nation. And right now, it feels like the two top runners in both parties are in that position,” caucus precinct chair Terry told Fox. “[Haley] still has the solid Republican platform. She believes in pro-life and all that, but she’s willing to listen and understand what other people say. And that’s something I think we need in America today,” he added. When asked if they would support Trump should he ultimately be the nominee, most at the rally refused. “I don’t think I could do it. I would write in Nikki before I would vote for Trump,” Claudia said, while Steph flat out said the former president would not be her second choice. “I am not going to think about that until I have to. I don’t have a second choice right now,” she said. WAR VETERAN SETS MAJOR FUNDRAISING RECORD IN BID TO FLIP CRUCIAL SENATE SEAT FROM DEMOCRATS Stacy and Dennis both said they wouldn’t support Trump if he became the nominee, and that his opponents were “better candidates,” but that they also didn’t want President Biden. Although he didn’t mention Trump by name, Terry was the only one who told Fox he would support whoever had the “R” by their name. “I’m a fiscal conservative. I’m tired of the government spending our money and taking our money and going into debt. And that’s the number one reason that I voted Republican in the past. I’m still socially pretty moderate. So, I think the Republican Party still will give us that,” he added. Despite the subzero temperatures and blankets of snow covering the Iowa landscape, most expressed confidence that voters would brave the conditions to cast their votes, although some admitted concern for older Iowans having difficulty getting to their polling place safely. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub
Climate groups urge Speaker Johnson to fight back on Biden’s ‘Green New Deal agenda’
FIRST ON FOX: Right-wing climate and energy groups are urging House GOP leaders to go further in their opposition to President Biden’s green energy policies. “In addition to 2023’s climate science claims falling far short of reality and honesty, President Biden’s Green New Deal climate policy agenda is also in rapid meltdown and countdown to disaster,” a letter sent to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said. The letter was accompanied by a 13-page report arguing that claims made this year about global temperatures rising and events like decreasing monarch butterfly populations were incorrect. HERE ARE THE TOP FIVE MOST DISRUPTIVE CLIMATE PROTESTS OF 2023 “Not a day seems to go by without news of some sort of EV [electric vehicle] disaster or problem. From the supply chain that includes child slave labor in the Congo and Communist China-sourcing of key materials and parts; to low consumer demand because of high prices, inconvenience and poor performance/failure; to auto industry financial losses, job cuts and labor problems; to the utter waste of taxpayer money through Inflation Reduction Act subsidies and programs, EV’s are becoming a casebook study in the failure of government industrial policy,” one of the highlights in the letter read. “Taxpayers are subsidizing this disaster at the rate of $50,000 per EV over a 10-year period. This is a gasoline-equivalent subsidy of $17.33 per gallon. Crowning this disaster is that there is not a single chance that EVs will ever improve the climate or environment.” LEFT-WING CLIMATE GROUP IS QUIETLY PREPARING JUDGES FOR GLOBAL WARMING CASES On offshore wind farming, the letter said, “Not only is offshore wind the most expensive way to generate electricity, as with EVs, there is not a single chance that any amount of offshore wind power will improve the weather, climate or environment.” It comes after the House voted to disapprove of President Biden’s “Buy America” requirements for taxpayer-funded EV charging stations. The resolution is aimed at overturning the president’s Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Electric Vehicle Chargers. Republican lawmakers argued the waiver would benefit Chinese manufacturers who dominate the EV charger supply chain. Its Senate counterpart, led by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., passed in November. STUDY CASTS DOUBT ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES’ CLIMATE, COST BENEFITS: ‘WON’T ACHIEVE THE GOALS INTENDED’ But the letter’s signatories, which include experts from the Heartland Institute, Energy & Environment Legal Institute, American Energy Institute (AEI), Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), the International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC), and Truth in Energy and Climate, suggest Johnson should go further in cracking down on Biden’s agenda. “The false claims used to support the Green New Deal agenda and its ensuing policy failures are jeopardizing our economic and national security, and our liberties and standard of living while failing to produce any demonstrable benefits,” the letter said. “As Congress addresses these vital issues in 2024 and beyond, we hope you will take note of these developments.” Fox News Digital’s Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report
Ohio lawmakers prep to override GOP governor’s veto of ban on trans medical procedures for kids
The majority-Republican Ohio legislature is poised to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender procedures for minors. DeWine disappointed Republicans and conservative activists in the state when he rejected the bill, which bans procedures like hormone replacement therapy and surgeries for minors, and restricts girls’ sports teams by biological sex. CatholicVote, one of the advocacy groups pushing for the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, said the veto was a betrayal of family values by the Republican, Catholic governor. The bill appears likely to become law despite DeWine’s veto. The Ohio state House on Wednesday voted to pass the bill despite the veto on a party-line vote of 65 – 28, clearing the three-fifths majority needed to override the governor. The state Senate is expected to consider the override Jan. 24, but overwhelmingly passed the measure in December by 24 to 8. Only one Republican in the state senate joined with every Democrat to vote against the bill in December. CONSERVATIVES BLAST REPUBLICAN OHIO GOVERNOR AS ‘COWARD’ FOR TRANSGENDER BILL VETO But the fight over the bill could have ramifications that will be long felt — particularly in the governor’s office. “At the end of the day I was surprised, because DeWine has historically been a pro-family Republican. He’s also a Catholic governor,” said Logan Church, national political director for CatholicVote. Riley Gaines, a womens’ sport advocate who gained national prominence after competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, called DeWine “a spineless coward that needs to be removed from office.” DeWine said in his Dec. 29 statement about the veto that he had heard from numerous parents who expressed fear that without transgender medical interventions, their transgender-identifying children would commit suicide. “This bill would impact a very small number of Ohio children. But, for those children who face gender dysphoria and for their families, the consequences of this bill could not be more profound,” DeWine said. He used the language of parental rights to paint a picture of compassion for parents who want what’s best for their children. RILEY GAINES PUTS HEAT ON REPUBLICAN OHIO GOVERNOR TO SIGN BAN ON TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR MINORS “Parents are making decisions about the most precious thing in their life — their child — and none of us should underestimate the gravity and the difficulty of those decisions,” DeWine said. But he added that he “adamantly” agreed with the legislature that permanent sex-change surgery on minors was wrong, and issued a public health emergency order to ensure that no operations of that kind would be performed on those under 18 years old. DeWine’s office did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment for this story. However, Republicans backing the bill were unsatisfied with that move, since it didn’t address other chemical transgender interventions, and also didn’t enshrine a ban on biological males competing in all-female sports. During a contentious floor debate on the override, Democratic minority whip Rep, Jessica Miranda accused Republicans of hypocritically taking away parental rights for their children’s health care, and suggested they were trying to appeal to their conservative base. DETRANSITIONERS SAY THEY FACE VITRIOL FROM TRANS ACTIVISTS THEY PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED A ‘SECOND FAMILY’ “With this vote to override the governor’s veto today, you are literally killing our children. Take that in for a minute. Literally killing our children, all to win your Republican primary races. Disgusting,” Miranda said. Republicans at the state and national level lambasted DeWine’s decision. Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance said he was “extremely disappointed,” “Governor DeWine, in Ohio we don’t want men to compete in women-only sports,” Ohio state Rep. Jena Powell told the chamber on Wednesday. Conservative activist groups who championed the bill praised the override vote, and urged the state Senate to do the same. “Ohio and the entire nation have spoken,” said David Mahan, policy director of the Center for Christian Virtue, which has been at the forefront of the public advocacy of the bill. “Ohio and the entire nation have spoken. It’s not okay to chemically sterilize and mutilate children, and no clinic can transform little girls into little boys with pills and scalpels. Additionally, HB68 will protect women’s and girls’ privacy rights and guarantee them a fair playing field and the opportunity to win athletic scholarships. It’s not okay to chemically sterilize and mutilate children, and no clinic can transform little girls into little boys with pills and scalpels. Additionally, HB68 will protect women’s and girls’ privacy rights and guarantee them a fair playing field and the opportunity to win athletic scholarships,” Mahan said in a statement Wednesday. The bill’s key sponsor, Rep. Gary Click, defended the legislation as a step to protect children in his remarks on the override vote. “I think most people here have good intentions, I believe our governor has good intentions. However, good intentions do not save lives, or protect women. Good policy does,” Click said.
Major wind project was dependent on Biden admin waiving taxpayer safeguard: internal docs
EXCLUSIVE: A Massachusetts wind project, which recently became the first utility-scale offshore wind project to deliver electricity to the grid, wouldn’t have been financially viable if the Biden administration hadn’t intervened, according to internal documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. Federal officials with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) acknowledged in the unearthed communications shared with Fox News Digital that granting a waiver on development fees designed to safeguard taxpayers was “critical” for the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project. BOEM ultimately waived the financial assurance for decommissioning costs fee for the project in June 2021. “The more we dig into the details of the Vineyard Wind project the more concerning it becomes. The Biden administration brags that this is the first utility-scale offshore wind project. But clearly, without BOEM contorting the approval process and waiving requirements meant to protect taxpayers, Vineyard is unlikely to ever have gotten off the ground,” Michael Chamberlain, the director of watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT), which obtained the documents, told Fox News Digital. “Both BOEM and the developer have admitted as much. This situation does not bode well,” Chamberlain continued. “If government has to bend the rules to make these projects feasible, it’s just a matter of time before the ‘clean energy transition’ is dead in the water. The only questions may be how many taxpayer resources are put at risk and how much of the American public’s trust is squandered before it happens.” GIANT OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT AXED IN BLOW TO BIDEN’S GREEN GOALS On June 15, 2021, BOEM Office of Renewable Energy Programs Chief James Bennett sent a letter to Vineyard Wind’s developer, informing the firm that the agency had approved a March 2021 request to waive the fee. Under the action, Vineyard Wind isn’t required to pay the development fee until 15 years after the project enters operations under its 20-year power purchase agreements. Vineyard Wind first submitted the request in December 2017, but the Trump administration rejected it, forcing the developer to resubmit it in March 2021. Federal statute mandates that developers pay the fee prior to construction on their lease, a potentially hefty fee designed to guarantee federal property is returned to its original state after a lessee departs its lease. DC GREENLIGHTS AGGRESSIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE DESPITE CRITICS SOUNDING ALARM ON HIGH CONSUMER COSTS In addition, Meredith Lilley, an energy program specialist at BOEM’s Office of Renewable Energy Programs, acknowledged in an internal email also on June 15, 2021, that waiving the fee by August 2021 was vital to ensure Vineyard Wind could maintain financial viability. The move notably came one month before BOEM approved the project’s construction and operations plan. “Issuing a decision to Vineyard Wind on this request is critical to enabling them to carry on with the Vineyard Wind 1 Project because it is a key determinant of the project’s value, which Vineyard Wind needs to know now in order to secure financing and achieve financial close in early August,” Lilley wrote in the email to other federal officials involved in internal deliberations. And according to Bennett, BOEM waived the fee because the project included risk reduction factors, including insurance policies to cover damages, use of proven wind turbine technology, and the use of power purchase agreements “with guaranteed electricity sales prices that, coupled with the consistent supply of wind energy, ensure a predictable income over the life of the project.” The letter also stated that the “regulatory departure” would reduce Vineyard Wind’s financial assurance burden, enabling the developer to invest freed-up capital in construction and enabling the project to enter operations sooner. In addition, it explained the fee was waived also because it “promotes the production and transmission of energy from a source other than oil and gas.” TOP OFFICIALS WARNED BIDEN ADMIN ABOUT DANGERS WIND ENERGY PROJECTS POSE TO FISHING INDUSTRY, LETTER SHOWS “In 2021, per its regulatory authority, BOEM approved Vineyard Wind 1’s request to defer providing the full amount of its decommissioning financial assurance until year 15 of actual operations under its 20-year Power Purchase Agreement for the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind energy project offshore Massachusetts,” a BOEM spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “BOEM deferred this requirement for Vineyard Wind 1 with the condition that such financial assurance would be provided in full during a time when the project risk is low — that is, during the time when the offshore wind lessee has guaranteed financial support through an assured price for the electricity generated by the project,” the spokesperson added. The revelation comes days after Vineyard Wind’s developers, lawmakers and environmental groups celebrated the project beginning to send electricity to the grid. The milestone was achieved after one wind turbine entered operations at the offshore site which will eventually host 62 turbines. After the turbine began producing electricity on Jan. 2, the Sierra Club said the project “will aid tremendously in reducing dangerous fossil fuel air pollution” and fellow eco group the Conservation Law Foundation added that “New England’s transition away from polluting fossil fuels and towards clean, renewable energy is underway in earnest.” BIDEN ADMIN MAKES STUNNING ADMISSION ON CLIMATE AGENDA IN LEAKED INTERNAL MEMO “They’ve made it very, very clear that they will approve these projects really regardless of anything,” Meghan Lapp, the fisheries liaison for Rhode Island-based fishing company Seafreeze, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “They don’t care about the impacts to fishing communities,” she added. “They don’t care about the impacts to coastal communities. They don’t care about the impacts to marine mammals. Even though there’s a lot of regulation on all of these other things and all of those other spheres, offshore wind gets a pass.” Lapp’s company Seafreeze is spearheading a lawsuit against Vineyard Wind over the project’s impacts on the fishing industry, the environment and coastal communities. Lapp expressed concern that, if the case leads to a court order to remove the project’s turbines, there will be no funds for that removal operation given BOEM’s waiver.
Trump, Haley and DeSantis have plenty on the line as Iowa caucuses kick off the GOP presidential race
In a presidential race that’s been underway for more than a year, the voters finally get a say. Braving frigid below zero temperatures that are punishing the Hawkeye State, Iowans head to more than 1,600 caucus sites on Monday night to cast ballots in the lead off contest of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race. “Tomorrow, Jan. 15, I need each and every one of you to get out. Everybody get out. Just get out and vote,” former President Donald Trump urged his supporters at a rally Sunday in Indianola, Iowa. The former president is the commanding frontrunner in national surveys and the latest polls in Iowa as he runs a third straight time for the White House. WHAT THE FINAL POLL SHOWS BEFORE MONDAY’S IOWA GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES Trump made history last year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments, including charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, have only fueled his support among Republican voters. HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA EXPECTATIONS BUT LOOKS TO ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA He stood at 50% or higher in a slew of polls over the past month in Iowa and grabbed 48% support in the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucusgoers, which was released Saturday night. Former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stood at 20% and 16% in the new survey as they battle for a distant second place. Multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has relentlessly campaigned across Iowa in recent months, stood at 8% in the poll. The closely watched and highly anticipated survey, conducted by longtime pollster Ann Selzer, has a well-earned tradition of accuracy in past GOP presidential caucuses, and is considered the gold standard in Iowa polling by many. DESANTIS BETS BIG ON IOWA – WILL IT PAY OFF? DeSantis and Haley questioned whether Trump would meet lofty expectations. DeSantis’ campaign manager James Uthmeier, in a Sunday appearance on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” argued that “expectations are high for Trump…he’s got to perform. If he gets less than half the vote, more people voting against him than for him. I think that’s, you know, setting up doom down the road.” And Haley, in an interview on the same program, noted that people will be looking to see if Trump “is falling below 50%.” Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns and statewide contests in Iowa, told Fox News “there are two campaigns going on in Iowa right now.” “One is Trump vs. his expectations and the other one is Haley vs. DeSantis to see who gets the right to take on Trump one-on-one,” noted Kochel, who remains neutral in the Republican presidential caucuses. Trump and his campaign are taking aim at the high expectations he faces in Iowa. “No one has ever won the Iowa caucus by more than 12%,” Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita told Fox News Digital on Saturday. “I think the public polls are a little rich.” Trump, speaking with reporters on Sunday, said “there seems to be something about 50%.” “I think they’re doing it so that they can set a high expectation. So if we end up with 49%, which would be about 25 points bigger than anyone else ever got. They can say he had a failure, it was a failure. You know fake news,” he argued. Haley, who launched her presidential campaign nearly a year ago, told supporters at an event Sunday in Ames, Iowa, “I know you’re excited. I’m excited because it’s been 11 months, and it comes down to tomorrow.” Thanks in part to well-regarded debate performances, Haley enjoyed plenty of momentum in the late summer and autumn. In recent weeks, she caught up with DeSantis for second place in national surveys and the polls in Iowa. Haley also surpassed DeSantis and surged to second place, thus narrowing the gap with Trump, in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar, eight days after Iowa’s caucuses. Speaking with Fox News Digital late last week following an energetic campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, Haley touted that “our people are excited. The momentum is real on the ground.” Haley, who has repeatedly in recent weeks tried to frame the GOP nomination race as a two-candidate battle between her and Trump, pointed toward the former president as she told Fox News on Sunday that “it’s you and me now.” IT’S NOT AN ELECTION, SO HOW DO THE IOWA CAUCUSES WORK? DeSantis stressed “we’ve done it the right way” while standing in front of a jam-packed room at the Iowa headquarters of a super PAC supporting his White House bid. The Florida governor has spent much of his time and resources in Iowa and with his presidential campaign arguably on the line in Monday night’s caucuses, DeSantis was urging his supporters to brave the bitter cold to show up and vote. “It’s going to be cold. It’s not going to be pleasant. But if you’re willing to go out there and you’re willing to fight for me, if you’re willing to bring people to the caucus, if you’re willing to brave the elements and be there for the couple of hours you have to be there, if you’re willing to do that, if you’re willing to fight for me on Monday night, then as president I’ll be fighting for you for the next eight years,” DeSantis emphasized. TRUMP TAKES NO CHANCES AS THE IOWA CAUCUSES APPROACH DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected to a second term as Florida governor 14 months ago, was once the clear alternative to Trump in the Republican race. However, after a series of campaign setbacks over the summer and autumn, and after getting hammered by negative ads, DeSantis saw his support in the polls erode. Now, he’s betting that his vaulted
‘Lakshwadeep can never…’: MP warns of ecological fragility amid India-Maldives row
The MP claimed that Lakshadweep is currently focusing on “high-end controlled tourism” to maximize revenue with maintaining island ecosystem as well.
US says it shot down Houthi missile in first attack since strikes on Yemen
US military says no injuries or damage caused by anti-ship cruise missile fired towards USS Laboon. The United States military has shot down a missile fired at one of its vessels by Iran-backed Houthis, officials have said, in the first known attack on US forces by the rebel group since Washington began its latest air strikes on Yemen. A US fighter aircraft shot down the anti-ship cruise missile after it was fired from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen towards the USS Laboon in the Red Sea, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday. “The missile was shot down in vicinity of the coast of Hodeida by US fighter aircraft,” CENTCOM said. “There were no injuries or damage reported.” The attack is the first to be acknowledged by the US since Washington and its allies on Friday began launching air and cruise missile strikes on Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis, which have yet to acknowledge the latest incident, have carried out repeated attacks on cargo ships that the group says are linked to Israel, in a show of support for Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza. At least 26 vessels have been attacked by the Houthis since they seized the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader vessel in November. The attacks have forced some of the world’s largest shipping operators to redirect their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa, severely disrupting global trade. Traffic through the Red Sea, which normally facilitates the movement of $3bn-$9bn worth of cargo each day, has dropped by more than 40 percent since the start of the attacks. Earlier on Sunday, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam accused the US of violating national sovereignty by flying aircraft close to Yemeni airspace and coastal areas, although it is not clear if the two incidents were linked. Adblock test (Why?)
Taiwan’s Tsai and Lai welcome US support as Beijing fumes over election
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect William Lai Ching-te have hailed the support of the United States for the self-ruled island in meetings with an unofficial delegation from Washington amid anger in Beijing at overseas governments’ congratulations of Taiwan on its weekend election. The US delegation – including former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg – arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, a day after Lai, currently the vice president, won an unprecedented third term for the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its objectives, has long criticised Lai as a so-called “separatist”. It cast the election as a choice between “peace and war”. In the event, Lai won 40.1 percent of the vote compared with 33.5 percent for Hou Yu-ih of the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party, his nearest rival. During his meeting with the delegates on Monday at the DPP headquarters, Lai said freedom and democracy were “the most valuable assets for the Taiwanese people, and the sacred mountains to protect Taiwan”. Lai added that they were “core values” shared by both Taiwan and the United States, and “the foundation for the long-term stability in Taiwan-US partnership”. He told the delegation their visit was “meaningful” and a demonstration of the strength of the partnership between Taiwan and the US. “It is of great significance to Taiwan,” he said. Lai will formally take over as president on May 20. Lai and running mate Hsiao Bi-khim wave to the crowd after their election win [Daniel Ceng/EPA] The delegation earlier met President Tsai Ing-wen, who was ineligible to run for re-election having served two terms. “Taiwan’s democracy has set a shining example to the world,” Hadley said in comments released by Tsai’s office. “We are honoured to have the opportunity to meet with you today to reaffirm that the American commitment to Taiwan is rock solid, principled and bipartisan and that the United States stands with its friends,” he added. “Your visit is highly meaningful. It fully demonstrates US support for Taiwan’s democracy and highlights the close and staunch partnership between Taiwan and the US,” Tsai told the delegates. War of words The DPP says the 23.5 million people of Taiwan should decide the island’s future and has said it backs the status quo, in which Taiwan governs itself but refrains from declaring formal independence. Beijing insists that the island is part of its territory. After the election, it said that what it terms “peaceful reunification” was inevitable. It lashed out at countries that sent their congratulations to Taiwan over the smooth-running of the vote. In a statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for congratulating Lai on his victory and added: “The basic fact that … Taiwan is part of China will not change.” Taiwan said that statement was “completely inconsistent with international understanding and the current cross-strait situation. It goes against the expectation of global democratic communities and goes against the will of the people of Taiwan to uphold democratic values. Such cliches are not worth refuting.” The unofficial US delegation at Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs [Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP] Washington follows a policy of what it calls “strategic ambiguity” on the island. While it maintains formal diplomatic ties with Beijing, it is required by law to support Taiwan and is opposed to any attempt to change the status quo by force. The last time a US delegation visited immediately after an election was in 2016, after Tsai was first elected president. At that time, Beijing refused her offer of talks and cut off all high-level communications with the island. In the years since, it has sent fighter jets and navy ships into the skies and waters around the island and encouraged Taiwan’s few remaining formal allies to switch allegiance. After his victory, Lai said he hoped for a return to “healthy and orderly” exchanges with China, and reiterated his desire for talks on the basis of dignity and equality. While Lai won the election, the DPP lost its majority in the legislature, finishing with one seat less than the KMT. With neither holding a majority, the Taiwan People’s Party, a relative newcomer that won eight of the 113 seats, looks set to become increasingly influential in policy-making. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said on the heels of those results that “the Democratic Progressive Party cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island”, according to Xinhua news agency. In response, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry called on China “to respect the election results, face reality and give up its oppression against Taiwan”. In recent months, the US and China have been trying to rebuild ties strained not only by Taiwan but a host of other issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, trade and the appearance last year of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over the US. The American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy, said the US government had asked Hadley and Steinberg “to travel in their private capacity to Taiwan”. Hadley said he was looking forward to meeting Lai and other political leaders. “We look forward to continuity in the relationship between Taiwan and the United States under the new administration, and for common efforts to preserve cross-strait peace and stability.” Taiwan’s government says Beijing has no right to speak for the island’s people or represent them on the world stage. Adblock test (Why?)
Ex-boss of China’s state-run bank Everbright arrested on corruption charges
Tang Shuangning is latest in long line of high-profile figures to be ensnared in Xi Jinping’s anticorruption drive. The former head of China’s state-owned banking giant Everbright Group has been arrested for alleged corruption, prosecutors have said. Tang Shuangning, 69, was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes and embezzlement following the conclusion of an investigation by the anticorruption authority, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate said on Monday. Tang was earlier this month expelled from the ruling Communist Party for alleged violations of party discipline, including bringing unauthorised books into the country and accepting illicit gifts. The former bank chairman is the latest in a long line of high-profile figures within China’s financial sector to be ensnared in President Xi Jinping’s sweeping campaign against corruption. Last month, Sun Guofeng, the former head of the central bank’s monetary policy department, was sentenced to 16 years and six months in prison for taking bribes, leaking state secrets and insider trading. In October, Liu Liange, the former chairman of the Bank of China, was arrested on suspicion of bribery and providing illegal loans. Li Xiaopeng, who took over from Tang at Everbright, was arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes the same month. Xi, widely regarded as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, has made a zero-tolerance attitude toward corruption a signature policy of his precedent-busting tenure in office. While Xi’s supporters have credited the Chinese leader with cleaning up the country’s politics and business, critics say the anticorruption drive is a thinly veiled ploy to purge rivals. Adblock test (Why?)
Davos World Economic Forum meeting 2024: Check full list of leaders set to represent India
Representing India at the meeting are three union ministers, three chief ministers, and over a hundred CEOs.