Death sentence upheld for man convicted of killing neighborsStaff writer, with CNAThe High Court's Kaohsiung branch today upheld the death sentence of a man convicted of fatally stabbing his upstairs neighbors for allegedly making excessive noise. The man, surnamed Wu (吳), was found guilty of two counts of murder and sentenced to death on each count, along with lifelong deprivation of civil rights. Kaohsiung police escort a man surnamed Wu to the Lingya Precinct in 2023 following his arrest. In its decision, the court said Wu acted with direct intent to kill, meeting the Constitutional Court's requirement that the death penalty be reserved for "the most serious crimes." The court also issued supplementary remarks on the controversy surrounding capital punishment, saying that the Constitutional Court has not ruled the death penalty unconstitutional, but has urged judges to exercise caution when imposing it.

Taipei MRT installs memorial plaque for attack victimStaff writer, with CNATaipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) yesterday said it has installed a permanent memorial plaque to honor a man who was killed while trying to stop an attacker at Taipei Main Station last month. The plaque honoring Yu Chia-chang (余家昶) has been installed on a wall along the underground passage leading to Exit M8 at Taipei Main Station, the company said in a news release. A memorial plaque for stabbing attack victim Yu Chia-chang is pictured at MRT Taipei Main Station yesterday. Yu, who lived in Taoyuan, was seriously wounded and later died after trying to stop 27-year-old Chang Wen (張文), who threw smoke grenades inside MRT Taipei Main Station and stabbed bystanders near MRT Zhongshan Station on Dec. 19 last year. The company also reminded the public that the memorial plaque is located along a main passageway, and urged people not to place flowers or other items at the site to keep the area clear and safe.

Presidential impeachment hearings begin at legislatureBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Legislative Yuan is holding public hearings today and tomorrow regarding an impeachment motion raised by opposition parties against President William Lai (賴清德). This morning’s session marked the first impeachment public hearing in constitutional history, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said. Reporters attend an impeachment motion hearing at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei today. The impeachment motion is not about partisan conflict, but about ensuring that constitutional accountability is recorded in history, she said. Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) yesterday said that the Presidential Office respects the opposition’s constitutional right to launch an impeachment motion.

Lawmaker Tsai Yi-yu to run for DPP in Chiayi CountyStaff writer, with CNADemocratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) is set to be nominated by his party as its Chiayi County commissioner candidate after securing a decisive victory in the party's primary. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Yi-yu is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei TimesBoth Tsai and Huang easily beat Wang in the polls, but Tsai won by a much bigger margin of victory. It has organized primaries in races where an incumbent DPP mayor or commissioner is leaving office, such as in Chiayi County. Taiwan is to hold its next local elections to choose city and county chiefs and city and county councilors on Nov. 28.

Yilan Prison escapee arrested in TaipeiBy Chiang Chih-hsiung and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writerAn inmate who went on the run while on medical parole from Yilan Prison was arrested last night in Taipei’s Wenshan District (文山), the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office and police said today. Yilan Prison is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Chiang Chih-hsiung, Taipei TimesHuang began his sentence at Yilan Prison in April last year and was released on medical parole on Oct. 7 due to illness. Huang failed to maintain regular contact and report to the prison as required during his parole, Yilan Prison said. Police said they immediately arrested Huang and reported him to the prison and prosecutors.

Four questioned over Mataian flood evacuationsBy Wang Chin-yi and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerHualien County prosecutors today questioned four people and searched the Guangfu Township (光復) office and home of its mayor over alleged negligence in evacuation duties during last year’s Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) flood that left 19 dead and five missing. The Hualien District Prosecutors’ Office directed the search at 7am, reviewing evacuation lists and disaster alerts to clarify whether the township office failed to fulfill its responsibilities. After the search at about 10am, Guangfu Township Mayor Lin Ching-shui (林清水), secretary Chang Yuan-pao (張源寶) and other township office staff were taken in for further questioning. Preliminary investigations suggest that evacuations were insufficient, and many residents afterward questioned why they did not receive evacuation notices. The Hualien District Prosecutors’ Office said the investigation to determine whether there was any negligence among government authorities is ongoing.

Yunlin forest fire under control, but blazes continueStaff writer, with CNAA forest fire that broke out in Yunlin County's Gukeng Township (古坑) early on Monday has been brought under control, but continued to burn sporadically today as firefighting teams struggled with the area's harsh terrain and lack of water. The Yunlin County Fire Department said the burned area had not expanded beyond an estimated 8 hectares of woodland as of yesterday afternoon, after putting the damage at 5 hectares earlier yesterday morning. A helicopter works to put out a forest fire in Yunlin County yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Yunlin County Fire DepartmentHowever, small blazes were still detected today below a high-altitude wooden skywalk within a restricted area, and open flames were also reported in bamboo groves above the mountainous area's Shoutian Temple. Yesterday, firefighters, volunteer fire brigades and Caoling residents joined forces at the scene, helicopters carried out a total of 13 water drops, helping to eventually bring the fire under control, the department said today.

Day-night temperature gap to continueStaff writer, with CNATaiwan continues to be affected by a cold air mass and radiative cooling effects that would lead to low temperatures after dark and sizable day-night temperature gaps. Temperatures remained chilly early this morning in low-lying areas of northern Taiwan, plunging as low as 4.9°C in Guansi Township (關西) in Hsinchu County and 5.5°C in Zaociao Township (造橋) in Miaoli County. Photo: Taipei TimesThe Central Weather Administration (CWA) later issued a cold weather advisory for tonight and early tomorrow morning, warning that temperatures could fall below 10°C in parts of Taoyuan and Hsinchu and Miaoli counties. "Under daytime sunshine, it will feel 'as warm as spring,'" he wrote in his column for the Weather Application Promotion Foundation. However, due to strong radiative cooling effects, temperatures would remain low after dark and early in the morning, resulting in large day-night temperature differences, he said.

Ministry defends Yilan HSR extension planStaff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday defended its plan to extend the high-speed rail (HSR) network to Yilan County, issuing a statement that said the project has clear benefits and would continue to be advanced in line with legal procedures. Chang criticized the plan on Sunday, saying that Yilan is only 40km to 50km from Taipei by conventional rail and questioning the need to spend about NT$400 billion (US$12.63 billion) on an HSR extension. Hochen has advocated a Taiwan Railway (TR) "direct rail" project to Yilan since the HSR project was first proposed, citing concerns over cost effectiveness and potential negative impacts on existing rail services. The bureau yesterday said both the HSR and TR direct rail options were thoroughly evaluated before the HSR plan was selected and submitted for Cabinet review. A TR direct rail alternative, calculated using the same assumptions, would cost about NT$220 billion, the bureau said.

Taiwan's Lin Yun-ju captured the men's singles crown at WTT Champions Doha, defeating South Korea's Jang Woojin in straight games 11-7, 11-9, 11-9, 13-11 in a 41-minute final on January 12. The victory ends a more-than-two-year singles title drought for the 24-year-old and returns him to the top of big-event podiums. The fourth game stretched into extra points before Lin closed it out 13-11, showing composure in a tense finish that decided the match without a fifth game. The win carries clear tangible rewards: Lin takes home US$40,000 in prize money and 1,000 WTT ranking points. The title is his first men’s singles trophy at a WTT event since November 2023, when he last won at WTT Champions Frankfurt, making this a notable career rebound.

Rodgers misery as Texans spank Steelers to advanceAFP, LOS ANGELESThe Houston Texans on Monday produced a suffocating defensive display to muscle their way past the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 30-6 wild-card victory in the NFL playoffs. A rampant Texans defense sacked Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers four times and scored two touchdowns from turnovers in the fourth quarter to set up a divisional-round tie with the New England Patriots on Sunday. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, right, loses possession of the ball while being tackled by Danielle Hunter of the Houston Texans in their NFL wild-card playoff game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday. Rodgers, who is out of contract, refused to be drawn on whether he had played his final game. It doesn’t happen much, so I’m proud of our guys.”The Steelers took an early lead with a 32-yard Chris Boswell field goal, the only score of an attritional first quarter, but Houston quarterback C.J.

Legislature passes bill aiming to boost the beer industryStaff writer, with CNAThe Legislative Yuan yesterday passed draft amendments to the customs import tariff that would make malt and hops duty-free to lower costs and boost the competitiveness of the domestic beer industry. A person points at cans of beer imported from China at a news conference in Taipei on June 27 last year. Domestic beer brands have long faced pressure from foreign competitors benefiting from lower prices and tariff advantages, they said. The amendments were designed to provide tariff relief on malt and hops to help brewers survive and develop over the long term, they added. However, the measures could enhance the competitiveness of domestically produced beer and boost demand, generating an estimated NT$169.74 million in additional tax revenue, the ministry said.

French museums hike prices for non-European touristsAFP, PARISShould foreign tourists pay more for state-funded galleries than locals, or should art be accessible to all, without discrimination? Photo: AFPAmericans, UK citizens and Chinese nationals, who are some of the museum’s most numerous foreign visitors, will be among those affected, as will tourists from developing countries. The French policy was “symptomatic of the return, as elsewhere in the world, of unabashed nationalism,” Poncet wrote in Le Monde newspaper last month. Some of the funds would go toward a colossal plan to renovate the Louvre, which French President Emmanuel Macron announced last year. Britain has long had a policy of offering universal free access to permanent collections at its national galleries and museums.

Taiwan’s Cheng Tsung-che waived by the RaysStaff writer, with CNACheng Tsung-che, the only Taiwanese position player to appear in a MLB game last year, has been designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays waived Cheng and left-handed pitcher Osvaldo Bido on Monday to make room on their 40-man roster for left-hander Ken Waldichuk and utility infielder Brett Wisely, whom they acquired from the Braves in a trade. Cheng Tsung-che of the Pittsburgh Pirates attempts to throw out T.J. Friedl of the Cincinnati Reds at first base in their MLB game in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 11 last year. If no other team claims him, Cheng could remain in the Rays’ organization or find a spot in the minor leagues with another organization. In 107 Triple-A games last year, Cheng batted .207 with a .307 on-base percentage, recording one home run and 36 RBIs.

Arbeloa replaces Alonso as Real Madrid head coachAFP, MADRIDReal Madrid on Monday said that coach Xabi Alonso has left the Spanish giants by mutual consent, to be replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa. “Real Madrid announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his tenure as first-team coach to an end,” Los Blancos said in a statement. Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso, right, gestures during their La Liga match against Real Betis Balompie at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Jan. 4. Photo: AFPIn a separate statement Real Madrid then announced Arbeloa would take Alonso’s place, without specifying the length of the 42-year-old’s contract. The Spaniard played 238 times for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2016, winning two UEFA Champions League titles and La Liga once, among other silverware.