Friday briefing
What is at stake in Taiwan’s elections?
Voters in Taiwan will elect a new president and legislature tomorrow, a highly publicized process that could affect the island’s relations with China and the US
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has demanded unification, which the island’s democracy has rejected. Tensions over Taiwan are one of the most divisive issues between Beijing and Washington.
Chris Buckley, a correspondent for The New York Times based in Taipei and reporting on China and Taiwan, discussed the stakes of the election. Here’s what you need to know.
Why are these elections important?
Chris: These elections could have important implications for one of the most difficult and volatile territorial disputes in the world: the future of Taiwan.
The presidential candidates of the two main political parties – the Democratic Progressive Party and the Nationalist Party – both reject the Chinese Communist Party’s framework for unification, called “one country, two systems.” But there are important differences in how they want to tackle Beijing.
Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te has vowed to keep China at bay. China would most likely increase pressure on Taiwan if he wins. Nationalist Party candidate Hou Yu-ih says he will ease tensions with China by expanding cross-border trade and contacts. China would most likely reduce pressure – at least for a while – if he wins, but could also raise expectations of concessions.
What are the possible outcomes and what would they mean in the future?
What you hear most often is that this will probably be a narrow result. Whoever wins, the next president will have to work with a legislature in which it is very likely that no party will have a majority. That means the next president — and for now Lai still seems more likely — will face more obstacles in implementing policy.
I would like to remind readers of this year’s other election that is extremely important for Taiwan: the US presidential election. Of course, the outcome of that vote matters to the entire world. But Taiwan depends on the US as its main backer of security against China. A second Biden term would likely mean more of the same policies. If Donald Trump is the Republican nominee and wins, there will be much more uncertainty about where American policy will go.
For more: The rallies in Taiwan are boisterous and filled with chants of “frozen garlic” – a play on the phrase for “getting elected.”
The US and its allies attacked Houthis in Yemen
The US and a handful of allies including Britain carried out military strikes on more than a dozen targets in Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, US officials said, in an expansion of the Middle East war .
The air and naval strikes came in response to more than two dozen Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since November, and following warnings to the Houthis over the past week from the Biden administration and several international allies of serious ” implications’. ‘If the volleys didn’t stop. The Houthis have defied that ultimatum.
The Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Bahrain were also expected to provide logistical, intelligence and other support, U.S. officials said.
In addition, the Iranian navy said it had seized a ship loaded with crude oil off the coast of Oman.
Answer: It was unclear whether the allied attacks would deter the Houthis from continuing their attacks. The Houthis – whose military capabilities have been honed by more than eight years of fighting a Saudi-led coalition – have greeted the prospect of war with the US with glee. “We are comfortable with a direct confrontation with the Americans,” one leader said.
In The Hague: South Africa said on the first day of a two-day hearing at the International Court of Justice that Israel is acting with “genocidal intent” in Gaza. Israel has categorically denied the accusation of genocide and will present its defense today.
In Gaza: Exhaustive inspections, border crossings and destroyed roads make it harder to get aid to the area, contributing to a growing humanitarian crisis.
Drought affects a quarter of humanity, says the UN
Nearly a quarter of the world’s population, or about 1.84 billion people, lived under drought in 2022 and 2023, with the vast majority in low- and middle-income countries, according to a new UN report.
The many droughts around the world came at a time of record high global temperatures and food price inflation. Last year, the rice price was at its highest point since 2008.
Background: Some of the abnormally dry, hot conditions are made worse by the burning of fossil fuels that cause climate change. The arrival last year of El Niño, a natural, cyclical weather phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-normal temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean, most likely also contributed.
THE LAST NEWS
Around the world
Marlene Engelhorn, an Austrian heiress, has sent invitations to 10,000 Austrian residents, asking for their help in spending 25 million euros, or about $27.4 million, of her inheritance. The money cannot go to groups or people that are “unconstitutional, hostile or inhumane,” and it cannot be invested in for-profit institutions.
“Redistribution must be a process that extends beyond myself,” she said.
SPORTS NEWS
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ARTS AND IDEAS
‘Mean Girls’, then and now
Released nearly two decades ago, “Mean Girls” earned $130 million during its 2004 theatrical run and helped turn its cast into superstars. A musical stage adaptation followed in 2018 and a film musical will be released in cinemas this week. Tina Fey, who wrote the screenplay, spoke to The Times about the film and its legacy. Read the full interview.
Some of the jokes and storylines in the original “Mean Girls” didn’t hold up very well and were adapted for later versions. How do you approach updating your writing?
I wrote in the early 2000s largely based on my experiences as a teenager in the late 80s. It’s no surprise to anyone that jokes have changed. You no longer prick the way you used to prick. Even though your intention was always the same, it’s just not how you do it anymore, and that’s okay. I really believe you can find new ways to make jokes with less accidental shrapnel.
Were there any cultural shifts you saw in updating the script from the 2018 show to now?
In any case, this behavior has gone far beyond just young women. It’s in our politics. It’s in everything. Now people like to snack and be very virtuous about why you’re a problem, but it’s the same behavior. It’s still: “Don’t look at me. Look at them. I’m doing great. I may not have nice hair, but she’s fat.’
Judgement: The musical adaptation retains its endearing charm, writes our critic.