TAIWAN ELECTS FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT

Opposition candidate Tsai Ing-wen has been elected Taiwan's first female president. Ms Tsai's election is a major victory for Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which leads the camp that wants independence from China.

She had a commanding lead in the vote count when Eric Chu of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) admitted defeat.
China sees the island as a breakaway province - which it has threatened to take back by force if necessary. As results showed the KMT candidate trailing with about 30% of the vote, Mr Chu congratulated Tsai Ing-wen and announced he was quitting as KMT head.