Taiwan’s Hsu signs for HawksTHREE-YEAR DEAL: The Hawks said that Hsu Jo-hsi’s addition to the team was a ‘very good Christmas gift’ and they are sure they can help him realize his potentialStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese pitcher Hsu Jo-hsi has joined the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) champions, on a three-year contract. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks chief baseball officer Kenji Johjima, left, presents Hsu Jo-hsi with a cap at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Hsu declared international free agency in late October and was pursued by several teams in both the NPB and Major League Baseball. At yesterday’s news conference, Hsu said that during a visit to the Hawks’ facilities, he was deeply impressed by the organization’s comprehensive resources. Hawks chief baseball officer Kenji Johjima said that Hsu would be given ample time to adjust to his new environment during his first season and would not be rushed into heavy usage.

Australia lead England by 46 after 20 wickets fallAFP, MELBOURNEAn astounding 20 wickets fell on a frantic first day of the fourth Ashes Test yesterday, with Australia all out for 152 before storming back to dismiss England for 110 and leave the clash on a knife-edge. England’s Gus Atkinson, left, attempts a ramp shot past Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia yesterday. Australia were 4-0 at the close with Boland on 4, 46 ahead, with Head yet to face a ball. Zak Crawley was taken in the slips by Steve Smith off Starc four balls later, then Joe Root edged Neser to Carey to put England into free fall. Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja began to stabilize the innings before Tongue struck again to bowl the Australia captain for 9 and leave England in charge.

Spurs extend their domination of ThunderAFP, NEW YORKReigning champions Oklahoma City have the NBA’s best record, but they cannot beat San Antonio, with superstar Victor Wembanyama coming off the bench on Thursday to help lift the Spurs to an emphatic 117-102 victory. “It feels great getting another victory.”Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, top, dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their NBA game in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Thursday. Photo: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesAfter roaring to a 24-1 start, the Thunder have dropped four of their past six games — three of those losses coming to the Spurs. Amen Thompson of the Houston Rockets, top, dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers in their NBA game in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday. The Spurs improved to 23-7, second in the Western Conference behind the Thunder at 26-5.

The bad aspects of the climate situation in 2025Reducing pollutants might be generating bigger storms and central bank policies might be harming long-term investments in renewablesBy David Fickling / Bloomberg OpinionIt might have seemed that every piece of bad news for the global climate and energy transition this year had some sort of connection to US President Donald Trump. With fewer of them about, more sunlight reaches the ground to warm the planet and storms can become more violent. The International Energy Agency in September downgraded its estimate for potential 2030 green hydrogen capacity by about one-quarter to 37 million tonnes. ‧ Indian Coal Is Back: After years in the doldrums, India’s coal power sector looked to be in much more rude health. Do not celebrate too soon: The Indian government is planning to increase its coal generation fleet by nearly 50 percent by 2035.

The positive climate news that you might have missedBy David Fickling / Bloomberg OpinionSo much climate news comes out in any given week that it can be hard to keep up with it all. Much is gloomy, but there are positive developments all the time — so many, in fact, that it is easy to miss some of the things that have been happening. In fact, it is a testament to the monumental achievement so far and an example the rest of the world should now emulate. We argued that the slowdown was temporary, with performance this year likely to far outstrip predictions of 3.2 million sales. David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering climate change and energy.

The WHO v Taiwan’s lifesaversBy Noa WynnEarthquakes do not care about borders. The whole point of having international health institutions is that disease and disaster are universal problems that require universal solutions. Chinese rescue teams crossed the border, along with teams from India, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. Taiwan’s team, with everything needed to pull survivors from rubble and decades of earthquake response experience, got sent home because letting them in would have irritated Beijing. The distance excuse was nonsense, given that Nepal accepted rescue teams from countries much farther away, but the real reason was obvious enough.

Moreover, the court characterized assistant fees as essentially a subsidy for legislators to be “flexibly allocated” at their discretion, so it did not constitute corruption. Therefore, I concluded, they ruled that the only offense committed was causing a public official to make false entries in public documents. Exasperated, my neighbor asked that if the money is for legislators anyway, why not just be open about it all? After the High Court’s ruling, which reinterpreted the purpose of assistant fees, the public realized what game was being played. The very same assistant budget system that was originally designed to safeguard public funds has now been redefined by the interpretation of a few individual judges.

EDITORIAL: Look out for family to stop tragedyAs the nation reels from the knife attack in Taipei last week, the way society moves on from the incident could have lasting consequences for public safety and social cohesion. After the tragedy, parent-child specialist WuChuan-yu (吳娟瑜) urged families to provide emotional support and help children and relatives establish a sense of self-worth and a place in the family. Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) called for stronger social safety nets, saying the attack highlighted the anxiety present in Taiwanese society. They cannot explain why a 27-year-old man meticulously planned a violent attack for more than a year, stockpiling knives, smoke grenades and other materials. Public safety is inseparable from social care, and attention must extend beyond the moment of crisis.

Taiwan-India cooperation for climate stabilityBy Sutandra SinghaClimate change is a multiplier of conflict, and governance gaps are a multiplier of climate risk. These efforts illustrate how effective institutions reduce climate impacts and preserve social stability. Deepening India-Taiwan cooperation offers a chance to jointly advance institutional solutions for peace and climate stability. Cooperation on peace and climate is a pathway that could be insulated from political sensitivities through diplomatic channels. By explicitly linking climate governance with social stability, India and Taiwan could demonstrate how democratic partnerships contribute to peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

Penghu fireworks festival to feature ‘Dragon Ball Z’By Liu Yu-ching and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Penghu County Government today announced the schedule for next summer’s international fireworks festival, revealing a collaboration with the classic Japanese anime franchise Dragon Ball Z. The festival is to kick off with two trial shows on April 20 and 27, each featuring a 10-minute fireworks display, followed by the official opening on May 4. A poster for next year's Penghu International Fireworks Festival featuring Dragon Ball Z is pictured in an image released today. The opening and closing events on May 4 and Aug. 25 would feature 12-minute fireworks displays accompanied by 10-minute drone light shows, while other dates would offer a 10-minute fireworks and 10-minute drone performance. The partnership with Dragon Ball Z marks a first for Penghu’s fireworks festival.

Tigerair launches Tainan-Okinawa flightStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese airline Tigerair Taiwan yesterday launched its new Tainan-Okinawa route, which is to make round trips every Thursday and Sunday. Attending the launch ceremony, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) welcomed travelers arriving in the city and presented them with a souvenir. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che, center, poses with officials at the launch of Tigerair Taiwan's new Tainan-Okinawa route yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Tainan City GovernmentWith the launch of the Tainan-Kumamoto route on Tuesday, operating flights every Tuesday and Friday, Tainan City Government said the routes between Tainan and southwestern Japan would boost bilateral travel, trade and cultural exchanges. The airline's Kaohsiung-Kumamoto route was launched on Tuesday and is scheduled to fly every Tuesday and Friday, Tigerair Taiwan said.

Lai impeachment vote set for May 19By Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAOpposition lawmakers today finalized plans for impeachment proceedings against President William Lai (賴清德), including appearances by the president before the legislature next month and in May before a vote on May 19. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers voted in the majority to pass the two separate motions. Opposition lawmakers on Friday last week announce plans to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Lai outside the legislature in Taipei. As Lai has violated constitutional order, the legislature must hold him responsible through impeachment procedures, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said. The impeachment motion is “purely political infighting,” as the opposition knows it does not control the necessary two-thirds of the legislature needed to pass the impeachment case, she said.

Cho to countersign pension bill, seek constitutional judgementBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAThe Executive Yuan is to countersign bills passed earlier this month reversing cuts to civil servants’ pensions, after which it would immediately file a petition for a constitutional judgement, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. The legislature on Dec. 12 passed amendments suspending cuts to civil servants’ pensions, reversing a fiscal reform that aimed to reduce the government deficit. With the Constitutional Court resuming operations, the Executive Yuan would immediately seek a constitutional interpretation, Cho said. Cho said that he hopes a final ruling could be reached through constitutional procedures and that constitutional dignity would be upheld. The power to refuse to countersign is a constitutional authority vested in the premier, he said.

Taipei MRT, bus station to hold security drills at 1pmBy Hollie Younger / Staff writer, with CNAThe Taipei Metro is to hold security drills at Taipei City Hall MRT Station and Taipei City Hall Bus Station starting at 1pm today, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC) said. Passengers alight at Taipei City Hall MRT Station in an undated photograph. First, drills involving Molotov cocktails are to be held at 1pm on the platform of Taipei City Hall MRT Station, it said. Next, responders would simulate an indiscriminate attack in front of the ticket counter at Taipei City Hall Bus Station, it said. Finally, an emergency response drill for mass casualties is to be conducted on the sidewalk outside Exit 2 of Taipei City Hall MRT Station, it said.

Cabinet advances bill scrutinizing officials’ travel to ChinaBy Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNAThe Executive Yuan today approved amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) that would require legislators to obtain prior approval before traveling to China. Photo: BloombergThe amendments would also mandate elected public officials to publicly disclose all contacts with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chinese government, military, administrative or other politically affiliated agencies during their trips. The changes aim to counter the CCP’s intensified “united front” efforts and infiltration targeting Taiwan, thereby safeguarding national security and stability, the Cabinet said. Existing regulations on public servants' travel to China are insufficient, especially for those involved in national security or who have access to classified information, it said. Information about contacts between elected public officials and China also lacks transparency, limiting public oversight, it added.