Alcaraz, Sabalenka win Melbourne openersAFP, MELBOURNETop-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka yesterday launched their Australian Open title bids with straight-sets wins, but there was no fairytale for 45-year-old Venus Williams. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his Australian Open men’s singles first-round match against Australia’s Adam Walton in Melbourne yesterday. Photo: AFPAlcaraz, who is desperate to win the Australian Open to complete the career Grand Slam of all four majors, plays Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann next. Sabalenka began her bid for a third Australian Open title in four years with a patchy start before coming good in the second set. The seven-time major champion was the oldest woman to play in the history of the Australian Open.

Lin Chun-yi bags first title of this yearGOLD MEDAL GLORY: Lin defeated Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-10, 21-18 in a speedy 38 minutes, recording his second consecutive victory against the IndonesianStaff writer, with CNATaiwanese badminton player Lin Chun-yi yesterday won the men’s singles final of the India Open, surging past world No. 4 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in straight games to win his first title since 2024. Lin most recently beat Christie at the China Masters in Shenzhen in September last year. Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi celebrates on the podium after winning the men’s singles competition at the India Open 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Arena in New Delhi yesterday. At last year’s China Master’s, Lin missed out on his first Super 750 title with a 21-11, 21-15 loss to China’s Weng Hongyang in the final.

Cold can threaten hearingBy Chiu Chih-jou / Staff ReporterCold weather not only increases the risk of cardiovascular incidents but also the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), also known as sudden deafness or ear stroke, a doctor warned. Wu said the person at first thought it was caused by a common cold or water in the ear after a bath, but the condition persisted, so they sought treatment and were diagnosed with severe SSNHL. Their hearing has improved with treatment and with hearing aids. Recovery rates follow a “rule of thirds” — one-third of patients recover completely, one-third recover partially and one-third see almost no improvement, Wu said, adding that as it involves inner ear damage, so if no recovery occurs, hearing loss might be permanent. It is common for patients to have sudden hearing loss, tinnitus, a feeling of ear fullness or pressure or even vertigo following a sharp decline in temperature during the night or early morning, he said.

Two US ships transit through Taiwan StraitBy Fang Wei-li / Staff reporterThe US’ Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer the USS John Finn and Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears on Friday and Saturday sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said. “USS John Finn and Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Mary Sears conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit Jan. 16 to 17 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law. “The transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US’ commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle. The international community’s navigational rights and freedoms in the Taiwan Strait should not be limited. Photo: Screen grab from USS Finn’s Facebook pageThis is the fourth time during US President Donald Trump’s second term that a US warship has sailed through the Taiwan Strait.

Parents express concern over students’ safetyBy Yang Hsin-hui and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writerA Taipei third-grader brandished a pair of scissors in class, a parent said, adding that the incident has raised concerns about campus safety and the handling of students with behavioral issues. Parents of other students rejected that claim, saying other students are afraid of the outburst-prone classmate. The Taipei City Department of Education said the school has established standard operating procedures for emergency incidents and strengthened classroom safety management. Given that elementary-Aschool students have limited offensive and defensive capabilities, schools should take the lead in risk management, he said. Possible measures include adjusting seating arrangements, providing close supervision and placing high-risk students where homeroom teachers can easily monitor them, he said.

The Jamestown Foundation think tank in a report published in September last year said that oil rigs could serve as relay stations for drone communications, and that China’s oil rigs around the Pratas Islands are boosting its “kill chain,” as well as its command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (C5ISRT) capabilities. Photo courtesy of Chen Ching-nengChina has 12 oil rigs around Pratas Islands, owned by the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), including seven rig structures, three floating production storage and offloading vessels, and two semi-submersible oil platforms, it said. These state-owned structures have dual-use potential and “may be more valuable for constraining Taiwan’s space than for their nominal commercial purpose of extracting oil,” the report said. On the surface, they are tools for developing resources, but they could also be used to gather intelligence and deploy the military, Yang said. Establishing offshore platforms inside Taiwan’s EEZ without permission infringes on UN law, but Taiwan cannot dispute this, as it is not a UN member, she added.

Lai outlines draft animal protectionsKINDNESS TO CRITTERS: The draft amendments aims to curtail free-roaming feral animals, interdict illegal breeding operations and treat strays humanelyBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporter, with CNAThe government will continue to promote amendments to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) as well as encourage “adopt, don’t shop” and “zero pet abandonment” policies, President William Lai (賴清德) said at a pet gathering yesterday. President William Lai, left, reacts on stage at the Dogs and Cats Carnival in Taipei yesterday. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesThe Department of Animal Welfare, which was established under the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) two years ago, is dedicated to collaboration with civic groups on animal welfare promotion. In the draft amendments, Lai outlined the prioritization of managing free-roaming animals, clampdowns on illegal breeding, and humane capture of stray cats and dogs and their sterilization before being released for adoption. Other measures promoted in the bill include strengthening animal registration, conducting regular performance evaluations of animal shelters, banning feeding animals around natural reserves and stiffer penalties for those charged with abusing animals, he added.

RT-Mart employee sentenced for 2022 assault of intern at Kaohsiung storeASSAULT OF A MINOR The former security employee received a prison sentence of more than 13 years for assaulting and blackmailing the victim while at workBy Huang Chia-lin and Jason Pan / Staff reportersA Kaohsiung RT-Mart security employee was sentenced to more than 13 years imprisonment for sexual assault, while the court required the parent company to financially compensate the victim. The Kaohsiung District Court convicted the RT-Mart employee, surnamed Chang (張), of sexual assault of a minor for actions at his workplace in January 2022. The court mandated reparations of NT$3 million (US$95,021) which Chang was unable to pay, lacking the finances or assets. The court ruled in the victim’s favor, saying that RT-Mart was negligent in its duty. PX Mart said in a release that they would comply with the court’s decision and pay out financial compensation to the victim.

It is not surprising, as the issue of Chinese collaborators in Taiwan is not something new and has been a long-standing problem, Hung said. However, this incident has shown the public that Chinese infiltration is no longer limited to political figures or grassroots organizations, but has deeply penetrated into the information production chain, Hung said. This type of infiltration is highly covert and is the most difficult part of cognitive warfare to defend against, he said. CTi News said one of its reporters, Lin Chen-you (林宸佑), has been detained, but that it was not aware of the case details. Prosecutors said that Lin paid military officers bribes ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars in exchange for providing information to Chinese people.

These forecasts noticeably improved last year, with errors in 24-hour forecasts for typhoon paths 12 percent lower than in 2024, it said. Introducing smart programs and AI models has significantly reduced errors in typhoon forecasts, the CWA said. The CWA frequently used AI models last year as forecasters became more familiar with them, improving typhoon forecast accuracy, Huang said. With success in more accurately predicting typhoon paths, the CWA would next turn to applying AI models to model wind and rain levels, Huang said. The agency’s traditional physical models have reached resolution of 1 to 3km, while large AI models only have a resolution of 25 to 28km, he said.

TPP announces its policy agenda for local electionsStaff writer, with CNAThe Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday unveiled its policy platform for the local elections. The TPP’s 80-page policy white paper is more substantive and practical than typical reports submitted by central ministries to the legislature, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said. The party’s platform has on four core goals: stabilizing society, supporting families, safeguarding health and safety, and bolstering industries, he said. Meanwhile, Huang said a joint agenda with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been largely drafted and is awaiting ratification. The KMT still needs to carry out internal candidate nomination procedures, which the TPP respects, he said.

Carrick’s United defeat Manchester CityAFP, LONDONMichael Carrick on Saturday made a flying start to life as Manchester United boss against Manchester City, but English Premier League leaders Arsenal missed a chance to pull nine points clear. Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick, right, and Matheus Cunha celebrate after winning their English Premier League match against Manchester City at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Saturday. Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez heads the ball ahead of Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo during their English Premier League match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Saturday. A frustrated Arteta, chasing a first Premier League title for the Gunners since 2004, felt that his side should have been awarded a penalty, believing Ola Aina had handled the ball. Sunderland beat Crystal Palace 2-1 while Leeds United scored late on to beat Fulham 1-0, remaining eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Taiwan eases work, residency restrictions for foreign professionalsNew measures aimed at making Taiwan more attractive to foreign professionals came into effect this month, the National Development Council said yesterday. Among the changes, international students at Taiwanese universities would be able to work in Taiwan without a work permit in the two years after they graduate, explainer materials provided by the council said. In addition, foreign nationals who graduated from one of the world’s top 200 universities within the past five years can also apply for a two-year open work permit. Previously, those graduates would have needed to apply for a work permit using point-based criteria or have a Taiwanese company

Former KMT chair candidate who told legislator not to speak Hoklo slammedBy Fang Wei-li and Jason Pan / Staff reportersA demand by Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) speak Mandarin during a public hearing at the Legislative Yuan has been condemned by linguists and pan-green camp politicians. Chang then interrupted him, saying: “Please speak Guoyu [國語, Mandarin].”Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung is pictured at a hearing at the Legislative Yuan on Thursday. If you cannot understand what I said, you can use a translator,” Wang told Chang in Hoklo. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Yi-chuan attends a hearing at the Legislative Yuan on Thursday. Chang was discriminating against Hoklo speakers and does not know that under the law, it is now one of Taiwan’s national languages, some people said.

Proceed with caution regarding the ‘no parole’ change to Criminal Code: NHRCBy Jason Pan / Staff reporter, with CNATaiwan should proceed with caution regarding a proposal to deny the possibility of parole for people who commit major crimes and are sentenced to life imprisonment, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a paper released on Friday. The entrance of the National Human Rights Commission at the Control Yuan in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. “Permanently excluding any possibility of individualized review through legislation might exceed the limits permitted by the Constitution and international human rights standards, and therefore requires careful consideration,” it said. Taiwan has already incorporated into law a number of international human rights covenants, which have been frequently cited and applied by the nation’s courts, the commission said. “It is important to protect public safety while ensuring the criminal justice system does not contravene the core values of protecting human rights,” the commission said.