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- China's Zheng pulls out of season-opening United Cup
- Minorities fear targeted attacks in post-revolution Bangladesh
- Tatum's 43-point triple-double propels Celtics over Bulls
- Tunisia women herb harvesters struggle with drought and heat
- Trump threatens to take back control of Panama Canal
- India's architecture fans guard Mumbai's Art Deco past
- Secretive game developer codes hit 'Balatro' in Canadian prairie province
- Large earthquake hits battered Vanuatu
- Beaten Fury says Usyk got 'Christmas gift' from judges
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- Usyk beats Fury in heavyweight championship rematch
- Stellantis backtracks on plan to lay off 1,100 at US Jeep plant
- Atletico snatch late win at Barca to top La Liga
- Australian teen Konstas ready for Indian pace challenge
- Strong quake strikes off battered Vanuatu
- Tiger Woods and son Charlie share halfway lead in family event
- Bath stay out in front in Premiership as Bristol secure record win
- Mahomes shines as NFL-best Chiefs beat Texans to reach 14-1
- Suspect in deadly Christmas market attack railed against Islam, Germany
- MLB legend Henderson, career stolen base leader, dead at 65
- Albania announces shutdown of TikTok for at least a year
- Laboured Napoli take top spot in Serie A
- Schick hits four as Leverkusen close gap to Bayern on sombre weekend
- Calls for more safety measures after Croatia school stabbings
- Jesus double lifts Christmas spirits for five-star Arsenal
- Frankfurt miss chance to close on Bayern as attack victims remembered
- NBA fines Celtics coach Mazzulla and Nets center Claxton
- Banned Russian skater Valieva stars at Moscow ice gala
- Leading try scorer Maqala takes Bayonne past Vannes in Top 14
- Struggling Southampton appoint Juric as new manager
- Villa heap pain on slumping Man City as Forest soar
- Suspect in deadly Christmas market attack railed against Islam and Germany
- At least 32 die in bus accident in southeastern Brazil
- Freed activist Paul Watson vows to 'end whaling worldwide'
- Chinese ship linked to severed Baltic Sea cables sets sail
- Sorrow and fury in German town after Christmas market attack
- Guardiola vows Man City will regain confidence 'sooner or later' after another defeat
- Ukraine drone hits Russian high-rise 1,000km from frontline
- Villa beat Man City to deepen Guardiola's pain
- 'Perfect start' for ski great Vonn on World Cup return
- Germany mourns five killed, hundreds wounded in Christmas market attack
- Odermatt soars to Val Gardena downhill win
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- France's most powerful nuclear reactor finally comes on stream
- Ski great Vonn finishes 14th on World Cup return
- Scholz visits site of deadly Christmas market attack
- Heavyweight foes Usyk, Fury set for titanic rematch
- Drone attack hits Russian city 1,000km from Ukraine frontier
- Former England winger Eastham dies aged 88
Taiwan VP to attend Honduras inauguration with diplomatic ties in balance
Taiwan said Wednesday its deputy leader will go to the inauguration of Honduran president-elect Xiomara Castro as the island faces the potential loss of yet another diplomatic ally in Latin America.
Castro said during campaigning that she would "immediately open diplomatic and commercial relations with mainland China" if she won.
Last month, neighbouring Nicaragua switched its allegiance to Beijing, leaving Honduras as one of just 14 countries that still diplomatically recognise Taiwan rather than China.
China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory, to be retaken one day, by force if necessary, and has stepped up efforts to isolate it on the world stage.
Taiwanese Vice President William Lai will lead a 26-member delegation to attend the January 27 inauguration, President Tsai Ing-wen's office said.
Tsai had said she hoped official relations with Honduras would "continue to deepen" when congratulating Castro on her election victory in the November poll.
Lai is scheduled to hold a meeting with Castro "to exchange views on issues of mutual concern" during the six-day visit, according to deputy foreign minister Alexander Yui.
"We have quite good communication and interactions with president-elect Castro herself and her team," Yui told reporters.
"They understand that ... the various cooperation projects Taiwan has been promoting in Honduras have really benefitted the people," he said.
Yui said in an interview with Honduran media last year that many promises from Beijing were unfulfilled and left some countries in serious "debt traps."
- 'Only a matter of time' -
Latin America has been a key diplomatic battleground for China and Taiwan since the two split in 1949 after a civil war.
Beijing has spent decades successfully encouraging Taiwan's diplomatic allies to switch sides, a campaign it ramped up after Tsai's 2016 election.
Since then, China has poached eight of the island's allies, including four in Latin America -- Panama, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
Chinese vice foreign minister Le Yucheng on Tuesday said it was "only a matter of time" before Taiwan's diplomatic allies "fall to zero," adding that Nicaragua's move away from the island reflected "a general trend."
Taipei recently accused Beijing of trying to lure allies away by offering Covid-19 vaccines.
Before November's election, Taiwan warned Honduras against "flashy and false" promises by China, after Castro, of the main opposition Liberty and Refoundation Party, said she planned to switch sides.
The leftist politician, wife of ousted former president Manuel Zelaya, won by a comfortable margin over her right-wing opponent, Nasry Asfura.
Taiwanese media said Lai was planning to transit in the United States en route to Honduras, a move likely to irritate China, which has previously protested US stopovers by President Tsai.
N.Esteves--PC