METRO RAMPAGE: Man died trying to stop Taipei stabbing suspectHORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning.

Low NHI floor helped 300,000: HPABy Hou Chia-yu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe lowering of the eligibility age floor for National Health Insurance (NHI)-funded preventive examinations for adults has benefited 300,000 young adults this year, allowing them to seek care earlier to manage chronic disease, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said on Thursday last week. As of last month, the agency had recorded 300,000 people aged 30 to 39 who have conducted their first-ever preventive examination, it said. The government hopes to discover symptoms and thus intervene sooner to reduce the risk of disease, the agency said. Regular checkups can help people identify symptoms of chronic illnesses early, even when the body appears healthy, Shen said. More than 7,000 hospitals and clinics nationwide offer such examinations, and people can search for information and schedule appointments online, Shen said.

Woman ordered to pay damages for phone scamStaff writer, with CNAA woman has been ordered by the Chiayi District Court to pay NT$13.97 million (US$443,774) in civil damages for selling her mobile phone number to scammers who used it to defraud the man who filed suit. Photo: APChuang’s true identity and age are unknown, and it is unclear how the two met, whether Liao knew he was a scammer or why she sold the phone number, which she did for NT$300. In July, she was sentenced to 50 days detention, which could be converted to a fine at a rate of NT$1,000 per day. Huang later filed a civil lawsuit seeking damages. The information released by the Chiayi court did not mention further details about Chuang or whether the fraud ring has been dismantled.

Labor ministry adjusts overtime policyBETTER BALANCE: The biggest obstacle preventing staff from taking parental leave is the administrative procedures involved, while overtime rules risk overworking othersBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporter, with CNAThe Ministry of Labor yesterday said that it has decided not to relax regulations governing workers’ overtime hours when it implements flexible parental leave next month, adding that it would instead focus on helping businesses better manage their workforce by ensuring that employers reasonably allocate overtime hours, clarify leave arrangements and establish a talent pool. As part of the policy’s supporting measures, the ministry had initially planned to allow employers to assign workers who have reached the maximum allowable overtime hours to substitute for employees taking emergency parental leave. Meanwhile, the regulations already give employers adequate flexibility to allocate overtime hours,” Huang said. Most only know that employees cannot work more than 12 hours per day and overtime hours cannot exceed 46 hours,” she said. “Employers know that, under the new policy, workers can request parental leave five days in advance so that substitutes can be arranged.

Yuan climbs past seven per dollar as China’s central bank caves in to bullsBloombergThe yuan climbed past the psychological milestone of 7 yuan per US dollar for the first time since September last year, on bets China’s central bank would allow gradual currency appreciation to boost market confidence. The offshore yuan yesterday gained as much as 0.2 percent to 6.9964 yuan per US dollar. The central bank on Wednesday promised to ensure adequate money supply to support financing, economic growth and inflation targets. “A sustained yuan gain will be helpful in increasing the appeal of China’s capital markets to foreign investors.”In onshore trading, the Chinese currency yesterday gained 0.1 percent to 7.0067 yuan per US dollar. Despite its rally versus the US dollar, many analysts say the yuan is still too cheap on a trade-weighted basis and considering China’s entrenched deflation.

From Tibet to Canada: a life standing up against Chinese oppressionTibetan activist Youngdoung Tenzin was sanctioned by Beijing last year for his activism in Europe and CanadaBy Julien Oeuillet / Contributing reporterYoungdoung Tenzin is living history of modern Tibet. The Chinese government on Dec. 22 last year sanctioned him along with 19 other Canadians who were associated with the Canada Tibet Committee and the Uighur Rights Advocacy Project. But already at that age I could understand the repression Tibetans were facing in Tibet,” Tenzin tells the Taipei Times. Tibetan activist Youngdoung Tenzin, posing here in traditional Tibetan clothing, was last year sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party. If I wanted to study in Tibet, I would have had to go to a Chinese school and learn Chinese and teach everything in Chinese.

Foxtron eyeing overseas markets with Bria EVsBy Wen-Yee Lee and Eduardo Baptista / Reuters, TAIPEIFoxtron Vehicle Technologies Co (鴻華先進), a joint venture between Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and Yulon Motor Co (裕隆汽車), yesterday launched an electric vehicle (EV) model called Bria. Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co’s Bria electric vehicle models are displayed at a launch event yesterday. Foxtron hopes to deliver the cars to consumers as early as before the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February next year, it said. Under the deal, Foxtron acquires 100 percent of Luxgen, including its five sales subsidiaries, sales outlets and employees, Foxtron said in a statement. The company operates a contract design and manufacturing services business model, under which it makes EVs for major car brands.

Defeat prolonged the Mozambican pursuit of an AFCON victory — they have drawn four matches and lost 12 since their 1986 debut. Ivory Coast’s Vakoun Bayo, left, and Mozambique’s Mexer compete for the ball during their Africa Cup of Nations Group F match in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Wednesday. Captain Mahrez scored in each half as 2019 champions Algeria eased to a 3-0 win over 10-man Sudan. “The most important thing was to start with a win,” Mahrez said. Substitute Maza, of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, finished from Baghdad Bounedjah’s knockdown with five minutes left to score Algeria’s 100th AFCON goal and make it 3-0.

Professional darts takes toll on top competitorsThe Guardian“It’s a lonely place,” Stephen Bunting said, as he sat quietly in Alexandra Palace on Saturday last week, the tears welling in his eyes. Stephen Bunting of England walks on stage ahead of his match against India’s Nitin Kumar at the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London on Saturday last week. However, at its most extreme, darts can act as an accelerator and a multiplier, putting normal guys under deeply abnormal pressures. So what is the secret to a happy life in darts? Unlike most players on the tour, he maintains a full-time job as a firefighter in Scotland, fitting darts around the rest of his life.

Photo: Tyler CottenieAN ACTION-PACKED AFTERNOONOur first day was even longer, as our package started with an additional tour outside the aquarium. The tour ended at the Underwater Tunnel, where we selected our sleeping spots and laid out our blankets. Photo: Tyler CottenieTo sign up for the overnight experience, visit www.aquarium.com.tw/booking_b.asp, choose your sleeping location, and then select from the dates available. All other months and sleeping locations do not include any of these additional tours. The basic cost for the overnight and aquarium tour package is NT$2,680 per adult, NT$1,340 for children under 6 and free for children under 3.

Housing market to consolidate next year: brokerLENDING WOES: Mortgage rates have climbed to their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, making borrowing difficult for first-time buyers, Evertrust saidBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan’s housing market is set to consolidate next year, with transaction volumes expected to hold near this year’s levels as tight mortgage conditions continue to weigh on demand, Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋) said on Wednesday, citing a quarterly survey. Photo: CNA“The worst from policy tightening is likely over and conditions are unlikely to deteriorate, barring major economic or policy shocks,” Yeh said. Speculative buyers have mostly exited the market, leaving transactions increasingly driven by owner-occupiers, he said, as long as Taiwan’s economy remains broadly stable. Yeh flagged four major uncertainties shaping the outlook: the health of a global artificial intelligence boom, Washington’s trade policy under US President Donald Trump, domestic housing policy directions, cross-strait relations and the pace of new housing supply. Mortgage rates have climbed to about 2.3 percent, the highest since the 2008–2009 global financial crisis, eroding affordability for first-time buyers, Yeh said.

AFCON change seen by some as caving in to FIFAAFP, RABATThe Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to change the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from a biennial competition to a tournament held every four years has been met with a mixed reaction on the continent with some seeing it as simply caving in to pressure from European clubs and FIFA. CAF president Patrice Motsepe made the landmark announcement following a meeting with FIFA executives in Rabat on the eve of this year’s Cup of Nations in Morocco. Ivory Coast supporters cheer for their team ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations Group F match against Mozambique at Marrakesh Stadium in Morocco on Wednesday. To that end, the creation of a new African Nations League — modeled on the UEFA Nations League — is seen as a way of boosting coffers instead. “I think it will make the competition more attractive,” said Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez, currently appearing at his sixth AFCON.

Ko bribery case verdict scheduled for next MarchStaff writer, with CNAA verdict in the trial of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) over allegations that he accepted bribes in the Core Pacific City development project and misused political donations would be handed down in late March, a Taipei judge said on Wednesday. Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je emerges from the Taipei District Court on the last day of his corruption trial on Wednesday. In the Core Pacific City development project case, Ko is accused of receiving bribes from Core Pacific Group chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) in exchange for granting a massive, illegal increase in the project’s floor-area ratio (FAR). Ko allowed his supporters to pressure the judiciary, including by surrounding the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and issuing online threats, they said. Meanwhile, Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇), another suspect, expressed hope that the trial would clear her name.

Five indicted in tobacco smuggling ringBy Tsai Ching-hua / Staff reporterKaohsiung prosecutors on Tuesday last week indicted five suspects following a major bust of a criminal ring in August that allegedly smuggled contraband cigarettes and heated tobacco products via fishing vessels. The bust — one of Kaohsiung’s largest — uncovered an estimated NT$100 million (US$3.18 million) of illegal tobacco products hidden in the cargo of fishing boats, the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office said. Contraband cigarettes and heated tobacco products are pictured on a fishing boat in Kaohsiung in August. The task force tracked the three fishing boats — Jin Ji Li No. The five were indicted for contravening the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act (菸酒管理法).

New Terminal 3 concourse tipped to ease congestionStaff writer, with CNAThe north concourse of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 officially began operations yesterday and is expected to ease congestion during early-morning transfer and departure peak hours, the airport operator said. About 40 flights are to use the north concourse every day, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC, 桃園國際機場) said. The north concourse features a bright, modern design with silver-gray and orange accents. The north concourse extends from Gate D10 in Terminal 2 and connects to gates D11 through D18. As the main Terminal 3 complex is to be completed and opened in 2027, passengers using the concourse need to clear immigration and security at Terminal 2.