Paraguay’s president-elect, Santiago Pena, landed in Taipei on Tuesday for a visit meant to reinforce relations between Taiwan and one of its few remaining diplomatic allies. Pena, who takes office next month, is to meet with top political leaders including President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai, who is also the governing Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate in the January presidential election. Pena promised during his campaign to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Paraguay is one of only 13 countries that recognize Taiwan as a country and do not have diplomatic relations with China. Beijing, which considers self-governed Taiwan a breakaway province, prohibits its diplomatic partners from having formal ties with Taipei. Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies are generally smaller countries in Central America, the Caribbean and South Pacific, along with Eswatini in southern Africa and Vatican City. China has intensified its campaign to win over Taiwan’s diplomatic allies since independence-leaning Tsai took office in 2016, in part by offering infrastructure investments to developing countries. It recently managed to sway Honduras, which broke ties with Taipei and opened an embassy in Beijing. “I want to spend the next five years bringing us together,” Pena said after arriving at Taipei's airport. “We are close, but I think that in these moments, we need to be closer, we need to be together.” Pena is traveling with members of his incoming government, including the future ministers of foreign affairs and finance. Members of his team earlier told Paraguayan media that he is looking to expand trade and investment between Paraguay and Taiwan. Pena is to join festivities on Wednesday marking the 66th anniversary of Taiwan-Paraguay ties. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

Embraced by beauty influencers and celebs on the red carpet, the mermaid eyes look has been one of the biggest make-up trends of the summer on TikTok, and it’s still going strong as we head towards autumn. “Mermaid eyes aim to resemble a multi-dimensional, ethereal sparkle and the scales on a mermaid’s tail,” says Sarah Amelia Fogg, celebrity make-up artist and founder of Brows by Sarah. “Whether you’re one of the many fans of The Little Mermaid, or just love a glittery eye, the mermaid eyes look is perfect for adding a special touch to your make-up this autumn/winter and party season.” Whether you prefer a subtle champagne sheen, an aquatic shimmer or a rosy glow, it’s easy to tailor your mermaid glam colour palette. “Anyone can complete the look as it is so quick and easy, but it also creates such a powerful, bright pop for the eyes,” says Fogg. Here, she offers a step-by-step guide on how to create the mermaid eyes look at home… 1. Prep and prime Preparation is key to ensuring a long-lasting mermaid eyes look. “An effective primer all over the face including the eyelids will give the eye shadow something to stick to,” says Fogg. “I also always like to apply a thin layer of my concealer to the lids after the primer and before the eye shadow, to create an even colour that will help the glitter sit evenly.” 2. Base colour Next, choose which colour glitter you want to use to adorn your eyes. “The most common choice is the white/clear glitter look, but many prefer an added pop of colour like Hailey Bieber did with the pink tint, or Halle Bailey did with the blue,” says Fogg. “When you’ve chosen your colour, apply a base layer of matte eyeshadow of the same colour to your eyelid. This will add depth to the eye look and will help the colour to pop behind the glitter, which will create a more vivid, intense design.” 3. Shimmer shadow To create the mermaid tail effect, top your base colour with a pearlescent pressed powder or liquid eyeshadow. “If you’re aiming for a look like Hailey Bieber’s, then I would recommend a pressed glitter eye shadow, as this provides a more subtle layer of glitter that pops when it catches the light,” says Fogg. “If you’d prefer a more intense shimmer, then I would definitely recommend a liquid glitter as this will stay prominent on the eyes.” Or double up for maximum impact: “Some people even choose to have a layer of liquid glitter and then a layer of shadow on top to ensure that the glow stays put all day.” 4. Create a delicate flick “This step is optional, as I know that some people prefer to add an eyeliner flick while some don’t,” says Fogg. “If you’re choosing to create a flick, I would recommend sticking to a delicate, thin shape as you want to maintain the feminine, gentle aesthetic of the mermaid eyes trend. “Once this is complete, spray your eyes with a powerful setting spray to keep the glitter in place.” Finish with a single coat of mascara: “Apply a thin layer to the lashes to keep them delicate and lifted – you want to aim to open up the eyes without making the lashes the star of the show.” 5. Fluffy brows “Fluffy brows are perfect for this look as they are strong and defining but won’t take emphasis away from the star of the show – the mermaid eyes,” says Fogg. Instead of a pigmented powder or brow pencil, she recommends: “A strong clear brow gel such as Brows by Sarah Fluff It Up, £39, as this is what will hold the hairs in place and will help to keep your full brows last all day.” Lottie London Love Aura Palette, £5.95 Kiko Create Your Balance Gaze Defining Eyeshadow Palette 02 Boost Me, £24.99 Makeup by Mario Master Metals Palette, £55, Sephora

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The Tennesse car crash involving four vehicles in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s motorcade has revealed that his campaign has misused government vehicles by using cars owned by the state of Florida in his presidential run, a report claims. The crash that took place on Tuesday as the campaign team was travelling to fundraisers in three cities in the state shows how the campaign is using state resources, but it remains almost impossible to discover who’s funding it after a new law passed by the Florida legislature to shield Mr DeSantis’s travel records from the public, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The research director for nonprofit government watchdog Integrity Florida, Ben Wilcox, told the paper: “The legislature has enabled him to hide his travel records so we don’t know and have no way to hold him accountable if he is using state resources in his campaign or if that is even the case”. Orlando Democratic state representative Anna Eskamani told the paper that “It’s absurd that he’s using public resources and public infrastructure to campaign. He’s using state resources to boost himself politically”. The crash took place as the campaign was heading to a fundraiser when an accident further ahead caused traffic to slow down. A Tennessee Highway Patrol officer heading the motorcade stopped short, and the cars behind the officer rear-ended each other, according to Chattanooga Police. “If the accident hadn’t been reported, we wouldn’t have known otherwise about the use of state vehicles,” Ms Eskamani added. “It makes you wonder how often state vehicles and public employees are being used at out-of-state campaign events.” One DeSantis staffer was treated on the scene of the crash for minor injuries. There were no further injuries, police said. Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agents were also involved in the accident. Police said all the vehicles in the crash were government-owned. FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger told the paper: “We’ve never answered questions about our protective operations assets (number of agents used, vehicles etc.)” The federal campaign finance report filed on 15 July covering the three months leading up to 30 June doesn’t include any payments to FDLE for travel or security. The report states that $76,256 were spent on private security. The DeSantis campaign has recently been in the news for spending large amounts without much to show for it, and recently laying off 38 people – a third of the campaign staff. Travel and staffing appear to be large expenses for the campaign as Mr DeSantis has been reported to be travelling with a larger group of staffers compared to other candidates. The campaign had raised $20m as of 30 June and they had spent $8.2m – more than a million on payroll and almost as much on travel – $896,000. Mr DeSantis is reported to prefer to fly in private jets provided by a number of top donors, the Sentinel notes. Since the start of his gubernatorial re-election campaign last year, there have been questions about whose private jets he’s using and if they’re reported as in-kind contributions or gifts. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a sitting governor run for [president],” Mr Wilcox told the paper. The director of public access for the Florida Center for Government Accountability, Michael Barfield, told the paper that “at the end of the day, taxpayers don’t know what their money is being spent on”. He added that the group is considering its next legal steps. “We’re questioning the validity of the exemption,” Mr Barfield said. “We don’t think it meets a public purpose, so we will brainstorm about potential legal action.” Ms Eskamani said the legislature could repeal the public records exemption, but that “It would take a political will that doesn’t exist, even for something as nonpartisan as access to travel records”. The Independent has reached out to the DeSantis campaign for comment. Read More A new challenger has emerged to Trump – and his extreme anti-woke message is working DeSantis cornered on his Bud Light boycott after threatening legal action over stock drop Judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit against Disney’s efforts to neutralize governing district takeover Judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit against Disney’s efforts to neutralize governing district takeover DeSantis questioned about his Bud Light boycott after complaining about stock drop Trump calls additional charges in Jack Smith’s superseding indictment ‘harassment’

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 12, 2023--

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Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet has left Hibernian for Millwall after the two clubs agreed “a significant seven-figure fee”, the cinch Scottish Premiership outfit have announced. The deal for the 26-year-old, whose exact price tag remains undisclosed, includes both add-ons and a sell-on arrangement. A statement on Hibs’ official website read: “We can confirm that Kevin Nisbet has joined English Championship side Millwall for a significant seven-figure fee. “The full terms of the 26-year-old’s departure will remain undisclosed, however, it does include sizeable add-ons and a sell-on fee.” Millwall had a bid, understood to be in the region of £2million, accepted for Nisbet in January, but the player ultimately opted to stay in Scotland. Hibs’ chief executive Ben Kensell said: “After deciding to stay in January, Kevin informed us that he wanted to leave the football club this summer, which we understood. “Following those discussions, we had to ensure we got the best possible deal for him. We’re happy with the fee we received, and we wish him all the best for the future with Millwall.” Nisbet, who joined Hibs from Dunfermline in July 2020, scored 12 goals in 19 league appearances last season after recovering from a knee injury which sidelined him for 10 months. Manager Lee Johnson said: “We’re disappointed to lose Nizzy after he did so well for us on his return but understand that he wanted to go on a new adventure down south. “Although he will be missed, this presents a new opportunity for someone else to step into that role. We thank him for his contribution and wish him all the best in England.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live