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Taiwan on edge after Pope Francis’s death, closely watching Vatican-China relations
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan – Some in Taiwan are watching with growing unease as the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new leader following the death of Pope Francis. The Holy See is the only European state that maintains diplomatic relations with Taipei, but some fear the growing ties between the Vatican and Beijing could change things.
Taiwan is home to fewer than 300,000 Catholics. By contrast, estimates put the number of Catholics in communist China at anywhere between eight and 12 million, with another 390,000 in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong. Despite these figures, the Holy See continues to recognize Taiwan as the sole «China.»
After Pope Francis’ death, Taiwan’s President William Lai quickly said he planned to attend the funeral. A short time later, however, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that former Vice President and devout Catholic Chen Chien-jen will be Taiwan’s envoy.
POPE FRANCIS EMPHASIZED CATHOLICISM GLOBALLY, REACHED BEYOND US, EUROPE INTO IMPOVERISHED NATIONS
This picture taken on August 10, 2018, shows worshippers lining up to receive holy communion during a Catholic mass in the Holy Spirit Church in Yanshui, about an hour’s drive from the southern city of Tainan. With a cross rising from a red pagoda roof and two lion statues guarding the entrance, a Catholic church in southern Taiwan could easily be mistaken for one of the ubiquitous temples dotting the island. There are more than 1,000 churches across the island, but the Holy Spirit Church is particularly unique. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Taipei-based lawyer and political risk analyst Ross Feingold, Taiwan will be disappointed that President Lai will miss this gathering of world leaders. «The precedent exists for Taiwan’s president to attend a pope’s funeral. In 2005, then-President Chen Shui-bian attended John Paul II’s funeral, so,» he claimed, «it’s safe to assume President Lai’s team inquired whether Lai could attend Francis’ funeral, and equally safe to assume the Holy See’s response was a negative one.»
After Pope Francis took office in 2013, the Vatican began to build ties with Beijing. In 2018, it signed a controversial agreement with China on the appointment of bishops. The deal—renewed and extended several times—gives both sides input on bishop selection, an attempt to bridge the divide between China’s state-run Catholic Church and an underground church loyal to Rome. Vatican officials insist the agreement is pastoral, not political. Still, for Taiwan, it is seen as a warning sign.
This picture taken on August 10, 2018, shows a motorcyclist riding past the Holy Spirit Church in Yanshui, about an hour’s drive from the southern city of Tainan. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
China, which cut ties with the Holy See in 1951, demands that all countries end diplomatic relations with Taiwan before establishing relations with Beijing. Taiwan’s official allies now number but 12, and the Holy See is its most symbolically significant diplomatic partner.
But Thomas Tu, a Vatican diplomacy expert at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University, told Fox News Digital that fears of an imminent switch are overblown. «This isn’t just about politics—it’s about the global Catholic mission,» Tu said. «The Vatican has survived empires. It’s patient.» Tu cited the Vatican’s relationship with Vietnam as evidence of pragmatic patience. China and Vietnam do not have formal ties, but the Vatican maintains a high-level religious representative there.
FIRST PHOTOS RELEASED OF POPE FRANCIS IN HIS CASKET; FUNERAL SET FOR SATURDAY
People attend a Christmas mass at the Xishiku Catholic Church in Beijing on December 24, 2023. (Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Image)
Pope Francis believed that engagement with China, however imperfect, is preferable to nothing. Francis was the first pope to fly through Chinese airspace and famously sent greetings to President Xi Jinping in 2014. On his visit to Mongolia in 2023, the pontiff also sent a «warm greeting to the noble Chinese people.»
Each overture to Beijing has drawn criticism from within the Church, particularly from outspoken China critics, such as 93-year-old retired Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, who was arrested in 2022 after China imposed a National Security Law that criminalized almost every form of dissent in that supposedly autonomous special administrative region. Zen’s passport was recently returned to him by authorities so he could attend the pope’s funeral.
Zen and others view any warming of ties with Beijing as kowtowing to an officially atheist regime.
Pope Francis greets the people of China as he concludes Mass in the Hun Theatre on September 3, 2023, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Since 1957, Beijing, via its Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, has kept a tight leash on millions of Chinese Catholics. Pope Francis accepted some compromises with China, but the Vatican wants autonomy in spiritual matters, which may require a miracle to accomplish under China’s one-party dictatorship.
Some observers suggest that Beijing may eventually allow more space for the Vatican, but any formal deal would require the Holy See to sever ties with Taiwan, a non-negotiable prerequisite for China.
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With a new pope being elected in the next month, some in Taiwan are worried about a shift, but few experts believe the next pontiff will make any hasty decisions. «There’s no rush,» said Dr. Chang Ching, a Senior Research Fellow of the ROC Society for Strategic Studies, «The Vatican knows how to wait, and China isn’t willing yet to grant the Chinese Catholic community the same privileges Catholics enjoy in most other nations. This seventy-plus-year rift is just a tiny moment in the long history of the Church and the even longer history of Chinese civilization.»
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Dems block DHS funding after GOP rejects their counter, Thune says Schumer ‘going in circles’
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Senate Democrats blocked a last-minute attempt by Republicans to end the Homeland Security shutdown after the GOP rejected their «unserious» counteroffer.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., forced a vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill after swiftly killing Democrats’ offer earlier Wednesday afternoon. He accused their latest counter as «not even close to being real.»
«They know better,» Thune said. «They’re asking for things that have already been turned down. So it just seems like they’re going in circles.»
The spur-of-the-moment test vote on Wednesday was designed to see whether Republicans could splinter any support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats’ unified front to support their own framework to reopen the agency, which Democrats already rejected on Tuesday.
DHS DEAL IN LIMBO AS DEMOCRATS DEMAND TOUGHER ICE CRACKDOWN DESPITE GOP COMPROMISE
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that it was Democrats’ far-left base that was preventing them from reopening DHS. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
But like the five times prior, the latest attempt was blocked by nearly every Senate Democrat.
Republicans are sticking by their initial offer, which would carve out Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding in exchange for reopening other agencies under the Homeland Security umbrella, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among others.
Republicans were already fuming that Democrats did not take the deal, noting that sidelining immigration enforcement funding was one of their key demands. They also charged that Schumer and his caucus were backing away from previously negotiated positions.
Still, Senate Democrats are pushing for stringent reforms to ICE, including requiring judicial warrants for agents and banning DHS agents from wearing masks. Those provisions were among nine total demands added to the GOP framework. Those asks, in particular, have been firm red lines for Republicans throughout the shutdown.
SENATE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO REOPEN DHS WITH NEW PLAN, WAIT FOR DEMOCRATIC BUY-IN
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats rejected Republicans’ latest deal to reopen DHS and have promised a counteroffer with reforms in return. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Republicans have also consistently argued that if Democrats want reforms, they must be willing to fund immigration enforcement.
Schumer pushed back on the Senate floor shortly after announcing he had sent Republicans the latest offer, calling their accusations «bad faith» that «will only slow things down.»
«In fact, over the weekend, Democrats had constructive conversations in person with our Republican colleagues,» Schumer said. «They — the Republican colleagues — conceded that some of the reforms, verbally, that we have been looking for, they said these make sense.»
«We thought there might be a path forward on some of the ways to reform ICE and to get some of the things everybody knows ought to be in federal legislation,» he continued. «We thought there had been some progress. But then Republicans sent us their offer yesterday, and it contained none of what had been talked about.»
But Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who was part of the White House meeting that produced the DHS framework, accused Democrats of «backing up.»
CORNYN TARGETS LAWMAKERS’ AIRPORT FAST PASS AS TSA LINES GROW DURING DHS SHUTDOWN
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, references a government shutdown sign while questioning Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., during his DHS confirmation hearing in the Dirksen building on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
«If you really want to cut to the chase — take all the [expletive] aside — here’s where we’re at,» Moreno said. «Democrats made an offer. Want to know what the offer is? They don’t want us to deport anybody who entered this country illegally or overstayed their visa unless that person committed a serious crime. That’s what they want. That’s obviously insane, because that’s the base that they deal with.»
Thune also argued that Republicans and the Trump administration have given Democrats much of what they wanted, including replacing former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with newly confirmed Secretary Markwayne Mullin, ramping down immigration operations in Minnesota, and providing several other reforms.
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Some Democrats want additional guardrails on how funding in the GOP framework would be handled — specifically to prevent money from being shifted within the agency and redirected to immigration operations.
Thune said there could be some room for that concession but reiterated that Democrats’ other demands were «unserious.» He also said there was «no point» in Republicans offering another counterproposal.
«This is, honestly, retreading ground that we’ve been treading for weeks,» Thune said.
politics, senate, government shutdown, john thune, chuck schumer, homeland security
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EN VIVO: El régimen de Irán lanzó un ataque con misiles contra Israel: al menos 6 heridos
La guerra en Medio Oriente ha puesto de relieve la alianza recién descubierta entre el sector tecnológico y el ejército estadounidense tras décadas de relaciones tensas, demostrando una sinergia que los inversores ven como una mina de oro potencial.
Las aerolíneas asiáticas aumentan sus rutas a Europa a raíz de la guerra
Las principales aerolíneas asiáticas incrementaron sus rutas hacia Europa en el último mes, buscando consolidarse como alternativa en las conexiones intercontinentales ante la creciente inestabilidad en Medio Oriente, región que hasta el inicio de la guerra en Irán funcionaba como centro de la conexión aérea global.
Aunque las grandes compañías del Golfo Pérsico, como Emirates, Qatar Airways y Etihad Airways, con base en Dubái, Doha y Abu Dhabi respectivamente, continúan operando, han debido modificar sus servicios con cancelaciones y suspensiones frecuentes en respuesta a los ataques iraníes en la región.
Otras aerolíneas asiáticas, que no dependen del tránsito por Oriente Medio, aprovechan la situación para reforzar su posición en el mercado, compensar el aumento del precio del combustible y ganar cuota frente a sus competidores.
Cathay Pacific, con sede en Hong Kong, anunció nuevas suspensiones de vuelos a Dubái, Riad y Tel Aviv, y al mismo tiempo reforzó sus conexiones con Europa mediante la incorporación de viajes adicionales entre Hong Kong y París y Zúrich.
Israel confirmó que un soldado murió en un combate en el sur del Líbano
El sargento Ori Greenberg, de 21 años, que prestaba servicio en el batallón de reconocimiento de la Brigada Golani, cayó en combate en el sur del Líbano, según confirmó el Ejército de Israel el jueves por la mañana.
Atacan un petrolero operado por Turquía en el Mar Negro
Un petrolero operado por una compañía turca fue atacado la madrugada del jueves en el Mar Negro, posiblemente por un vehículo de superficie no tripulado, según informó el ministro de Transportes de Turquía, Abdulkadir Uraloglu.
“Puedo decir que un buque con bandera extranjera, operado por una compañía turca, que había cargado petróleo crudo procedente de Rusia, informó de una explosión en su sala de máquinas pasada la medianoche a nuestro centro de llamadas de emergencia”, declaró el ministro en una entrevista televisiva.
Uraloglu señaló que se cree que la sala de máquinas fue el objetivo específico del ataque y que no fue ejecutado por un dron, sino por un vehículo de superficie no tripulado a nivel del agua.
Al menos dos muertos y tres heridos en Emiratos Árabes Unidos tras la interceptación de un misil
Dos personas murieron y otras tres resultaron heridas en Abu Dhabi el jueves tras la caída de escombros provocada por la interceptación de un misil balístico. La Oficina de Prensa de Abu Dhabi informó que el incidente tuvo lugar en la carretera Sweihan, donde varios vehículos resultaron dañados.
Las identidades de los fallecidos no han sido confirmadas hasta el momento. Las autoridades instaron al público a confiar en fuentes oficiales y a no difundir información no verificada.
El ejército de Estados Unidos informó que atacó a más de 10.000 objetivos militares en Irán desde el inicio de la guerra
En un mensaje en video de tres minutos, el jefe del Comando Central, el almirante Brad Cooper, indicó que los bombardeos dañaron o destruyeron más de dos tercios de las instalaciones iraníes dedicadas a la producción de misiles, drones y armamento naval
El jefe del Comando Central de Estados Unidos (CENTCOM), el almirante Brad Cooper, informó este miércoles que las fuerzas estadounidenses atacaron más de 10.000 objetivos militares en Irán desde el inicio del conflicto el 28 de febrero.
Las bolsas europeas vuelven al terreno negativo ante mensajes contradictorios sobre el fin de la guerra
Los futuros de las principales bolsas europeas retroceden este jueves, mientras el precio del petróleo vuelve a subir en medio de mensajes contradictorios entre Estados Unidos e Irán sobre posibles negociaciones para poner fin al conflicto bélico.
Según datos de mercado recogidos por EFE, a las 7:30 horas (6:30 GMT), los futuros de la Bolsa de Fráncfort caen un 0,96%, los de París un 0,71% y los de Londres un 0,43%. Los futuros del índice Euro Stoxx 50, que agrupa a las 50 firmas más capitalizadas de la zona euro, bajan un 0,84%. En Estados Unidos, los futuros de los principales indicadores también anticipan una jornada en rojo, con descensos del entorno del 0,5%.
En paralelo, el precio del crudo brent para entrega en mayo se incrementa un 2,44% en el mercado de futuros de Londres, hasta los 104,69 dólares por barril, después de que Irán rechazara el plan estadounidense para poner fin a la guerra. De igual manera, el petróleo de Texas (WTI), referencia en EE.UU., sube un 2,24% antes de la apertura oficial del mercado, hasta los 92,52 dólares por barril.
La negativa de Irán a aceptar el plan de alto el fuego propuesto por Estados Unidos impacta nuevamente en los mercados, tras varias jornadas positivas para la renta variable. Los inversores también analizan la propuesta del Parlamento iraní para aprobar una ley que permita cobrar peaje a los buques que transiten por el estrecho de Ormuz, un paso estratégico por el que circula el 20 % del petróleo mundial.
En Asia predominan las pérdidas: el Nikkei de Tokio cede un 0,68%; la Bolsa de Shanghái baja un 1,17%; y el Hang Seng de Hong Kong pierde un 1,99%.
El euro baja a 1,155 dólares. La onza troy de oro cae un 1,95%, hasta 4.433,6 dólares. El bitcóin baja un 1,83% y cotiza en 70.000,31 dólares.
Asciende a seis la cifra de heridos en los ataques de Irán contra Israel
El ejército israelí informó que sus defensas aéreas respondieron el jueves a ataques con misiles lanzados desde Irán, que, según los servicios médicos, dejaron seis personas levemente heridas y causaron algunos daños materiales.
Un portavoz del servicio médico de emergencias Magen David Adom indicó que los paramédicos atendieron a seis personas con heridas leves provocadas por las explosiones, actualizando la cifra anterior de dos heridos.
El jueves por la mañana, un portavoz de la MDA declaró a la radio pública que varias casas en la ciudad central de Kafr Qassem resultaron dañadas. El alcalde, Haitham Taha, afirmó que los daños fueron causados por municiones en racimo.
El estrecho de Ormuz permaneció paralizado durante la tercera semana de la guerra
Según el servicio de inteligencia marítima Windward, a pesar del cierre del estrecho, hay 686 barcos en el Golfo Pérsico. La mayoría de las embarcaciones, cerca de 400, se encuentran en el Golfo de Omán.
Windward afirmó que esta acumulación sugiere que “muchos operadores han optado por mantener su posición fuera del estrecho de Ormuz en lugar de comprometerse de inmediato con un cambio de ruta de larga distancia”.
Entre el 15 y el 22 de marzo, solo se observaron 16 travesías de buques con su Sistema de Identificación Automática (AIS) activado en el estrecho de Ormuz.
Un ataque iraní dejó dos heridos y causó daños en la ciudad israelí Kfar Qasim
La ciudad central de Kfar Qasim resultó dañada por lo que parecen ser submuniciones provenientes de la ojiva de una bomba de racimo, tras el último ataque con misiles balísticos lanzado por Irán, según informó un corresponsal de Times of Israel.
Equipos de rescate se desplazaron rápidamente al lugar. El hospital Magen David Adom informó que atendió a un hombre y una mujer, ambos de 55 años, que resultaron heridos tras una explosión ocurrida luego de que una pequeña bomba impactara contra un edificio en el centro de la ciudad.
Domestic,Politics,North America,Government / Politics
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FIRST ON FOX: Florida’s chief law enforcement officer announced Wednesday he will warn NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that the NFL’s longstanding «Rooney Rule» mandating interviews for minority and ethnically diverse candidates is illegal in the Sunshine State.
The rule, named for late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who chaired the NFL’s Diversity Committee, went into effect in 2003 after Black coaches Tony Dungy and Dennis Green were fired the previous season despite strong win-loss records.
Attorney General James Uthmeier’s state hosts three teams — the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins — and the AG invoked the latter.
INVESTIGATION OF NIKE’S DEI PRACTICES COULD HAVE MAJOR NATIONWIDE IMPACT ON HIRING, SAYS ALAN DERSHOWITZ
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before a game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field At Mile High Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver, Colo. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
«As a Floridian, I wish the Miami Dolphins well with their new head football coach. As Florida’s chief legal officer, however, I write with a word of caution to the NFL on its race-and-sex-based hiring policies,» he wrote in a letter to Goodell obtained by Fox News Digital.
Goodell must, in turn, confirm no later than May 1 that the NFL will no longer enforce the Rooney Rule or any variation of it or face civil rights enforcement actions.
«As applied in Florida, the NFL’s ‘Rooney Rule,’ which governs the hiring of certain team executives and coaches, brazenly violates Florida law. So, too, do the NFL’s related ‘diversity’ initiatives,» the letter adds.
Uthmeier told Fox News Digital the NFL drafts players based on merit and should do the same in the front office.
«NFL teams are not going to hire an offensive lineman based on his race. So, why should hiring for positions off the field be based on illegal DEI quotas?» he said.
«DEI is discriminatory and illegal. The NFL doesn’t get special treatment, and any business operating in Florida is required to comply with Florida law. Good coaches are judged on wins, not the color of their skin.»
WATCHDOG GROUP EXPOSES IDAHO COLLEGES’ ALLEGED SCHEME TO SIDESTEP NEW DEI LAW
Pittsburgh Steelers owners Art Rooney II and Dan Rooney stand with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in Arlington, Texas, in 2011. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Uthmeier noted in his letter that expansions of the Rooney Rule now include women as a categorized qualifying minority and criticized provisions awarding third-round draft picks to teams that develop minority talent into GMs or head coaches as well as requiring the employment of a female or minority coach as an offensive assistant.
Uthmeier argued that Florida law bars employers from making hiring or workplace decisions based on protected characteristics such as race or sex, including any practices that could limit opportunities for certain groups.
«The Rooney Rule and its offshoots require precisely what Florida law forbids. They require teams to limit, segregate, and classify applicants for certain employment and training opportunities because of race and sex. And they do so in a way that tends to deprive applicants of opportunities for employment,» he wrote.
Trevor Lawrence (16) of the Jacksonville Jaguars scores a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
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Uthmeier told Goodell, «The Rooney Rule and its offshoots are illegal in Florida.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the NFL for comment.
nfl, tampa bay buccaneers, florida, jacksonville jaguars, miami dolphins, dei
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