Taiwanese man receives five death sentences

A court in Taiwan has handed down five death sentences to one of the country's most notorious criminals.

Chen Chin-hsin, who was convicted for a number of murders, kidnappings and rapes, gave himself up in November up after a siege in which he held hostage the family of a South African diplomat.

He released them after police said they would re-examine charges against his wife and two relatives.

The abduction and killing of the daughter of a well-known actress last April, of which Chen was found guilty, contributed to an outcry over rising crime in Taiwan and the resignation of the interior minister.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service