Magnus Carlsen pushes away camera after loss
Magnus Carlsen pushes away camera after lossReutersMagnus Carlsen pushed away a camera after losing to Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar, the latest example of the former world champion letting his vexation boil over. Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and 2023, had a frustrating second day at the championships in Doha on Saturday, splitting a point with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before he was beaten by Artemiev. When a photographer followed as Carlsen stormed out of the venue, the Norwegian pushed away the camera. Magnus Carlsen plays against Robson Ray during the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships in Doha on Saturday. Last year, he briefly quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York when governing body FIDE barred him from a round for wearing jeans.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:14 UTC
Giannis triumphant as Spurs win streak ends
Giannis triumphant as Spurs win streak endsAFP, WASHINGTONMilwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo made a triumphant return from an eight-game NBA injury layoff on Saturday, while San Antonio’s win streak was ended at eight games by the Utah Jazz. Antetokounmpo scored 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 25 minutes to lead the Bucks in a 112-103 victory at Chicago, snapping the Bulls’ five-game win streak. Kevin Durant scored 30 points to lead the Houston Rockets over visiting Cleveland 117-100 in a matchup of NBA contenders. Devin Booker scored 20 points and Dillon Brooks added 18 to lead Phoenix to a 123-114 win at New Orleans. Sacramento’s Russell Westbrook and Keon Ellis each scored 21 points to lead the host Kings over Dallas 113-107.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:14 UTC
Steering clear
Napoli claim Supercoppa titleTOOTHLESS: Bologna never looked like finding a way back, and Antonio Conte and his substitutes were waiting to celebrate long before the final whistle SSC Napoli on Monday lifted the Italian Supercoppa with a 2-0 win over Bologna in Riyadh, David Neres netting both goals to earn the league champions a deserved victory over the toothless Coppa Italia winners. Neres opened the scoring with a stunning strike from distance six minutes before halftime and found the net again in the 57th minute when Bologna were caught trying to play out of defense. “We came here as champions of Italy, we wanted this trophy and we showed it with a great performance,” Napoli forward Matteo Politano told Mediaset. “We could have scored a few more goals, but
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:14 UTC
‘Comanche’ claims 5th Hobart race title
‘Comanche’ claims 5th Hobart race titleINJURIES: As of press time last night, 33 yachts had retired and two crew members had suffered broken ribs, while last year’s race saw two sailors die in overnight stormsAP, HOBART, AustraliaMaster Lock Comanche held off a determined challenge from SHK Scallywag 100 and defending champion LawConnect to claim line honors yesterday for the fifth time in Australia’s Sydney to Hobart yacht race. After briefly surrendering the lead earlier yesterday, Comanche regained the lead and extended it after a swift passage up the River Derwent to seal its fifth title in the 80th running of the race, and first since 2022. Master Lock Comanche sails toward the finish line in Hobart, Australia, to take line honors in the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race yesterday. The crew of Master Lock Comanche skippers James Mayo, left, and Matt Allen, right, and crew react after taking line honors during the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race at Constitution Dock, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, yesterday. LawConnect led the fleet out of Sydney Harbour in search of its third straight line honors win.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:14 UTC
Nigeria secure place in knockout round
Nigeria secure place in knockout roundAP, RABATVictor Osimhen scored a rare Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) goal and Nigeria booked their place in the knockout stage with an ultimately nervy 3-2 win over Tunisia on Saturday. Nigeria almost squandered a three-goal lead as Montassar Talbi pulled a goal back in the 74th minute and Ali Abdi converted a penalty in the 87th. Nigeria were cruising after the break when Lookman set up Wilfred Ndidi for the second goal, then Osimhen set up Lookman in the 67th. Tunisia captain Ferjani Sassi headed just wide in stoppage time and the Nigeria players ultimately showed enough experience to see out the win. Nigeria are assured of its place in the last 16 with a maximum six points in Group C, three ahead of Tunisia, while Tanzania and Uganda have a point each.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:14 UTC
Noise complaints spark Vietnam pickleball wars
Noise complaints spark Vietnam pickleball warsAFP, HANOIThe piercing pop-pop of pickleball paddles starts before sunrise and ends after midnight at dozens of newly built courts across Hanoi, as residents relish one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing sports — or rage at the noise it makes. The initial craze saw more people in Vietnam pick up a paddle per capita than anywhere else in Asia, according to one survey. Pickleholic Club, Victory Pickleball and Pro Pickleball Vn are all within a five-minute walk, with dozens more a short drive away. Ho Chi Minh City already ranks among the loudest cities in Asia, according to the UN, with noise pollution levels high enough to damage hearing. Experts say pickleball sounds are louder and higher-pitched than tennis or badminton.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:14 UTC
Have five medical items in ‘go bag’: expert
Have five medical items in ‘go bag’: expertMUST HAVES: Prepare at least one week’s supply of prescription medicine for chronic diseases, bandages, antiseptics, cold medicine and acetaminophen, a pharmacist saidBy Lin Chih-yi / Staff reporterA pharmacist yesterday suggested that people prepare five types of medical items in an earthquake emergency kit, or “go bag,” which they could quickly grab if they need to evacuate immediately. Photo: Taipei TimesAside from basic food, the five types of medical items she recommended for emergency kits are bandages and gauze, antiseptics, cold medicine, painkillers and drugs for chronic diseases. People with diabetes or other chronic diseases must keep their medication within reach at all times in case of an emergency, she added. Post-quake dizziness usually results from inner ear disturbances, rather than a brain disorder, and the symptoms usually resolve on their own, Chou said. It usually relieves the symptoms within a few minutes, but it might take 30 minutes in rare cases, he said, adding that the symptoms usually resolve on their own after a good night’s sleep.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC
President, premier urge lawmakers to pass budget
President, premier urge lawmakers to pass budgetWAGE WRANGLING: Two opposition lawmakers said the legislature would not start the budget review until the Cabinet changes the budget for military and police payBy Yang Mien-chieh and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerPresident William Lai (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday urged opposition lawmakers to promptly review and pass the general budget for the 2026 fiscal year, warning that delays could disrupt the implementation of key programs and policies. The central government’s NT$3.35 trillion budget for next year includes more than NT$300 billion for local government subsidies, he said. “Swift legislative review is essential so that ministries can coordinate effectively with local governments,” he said. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesLai also urged the Legislative Yuan to pass the central government budget quickly to ensure the smooth execution of planned initiatives. KMT Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) said the Legislative Yuan could start a budget review immediately, provided the Executive Yuan prepares the budget for military and police pay in accordance with the law.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC
Gotta wear shades
Taiwan celebrates Christmas, kind of, once again after 25 yearsTaiwan is getting a day off on Christmas for the first time in 25 years. The change comes after opposition parties passed a law earlier this year to add or restore five public holidays, including Constitution Day, which falls on today, Dec. 25. The day marks the 1947 adoption of the constitution of the Republic of China, as the government in Taipei is formally known. Back then the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) governed China from Nanjing. When the KMT, now an opposition party in Taiwan, passed the legislation on holidays, it said that they would help “commemorate the history of national development.” That
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC
Warning issued after two hikers die
Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. Hikers must prepare all equipment necessary for the snowy conditions and assess their own physical condition, as well as the risks of hiking, the Taroko park headquarters said. As high-altitude trails have poor reception, hikers should have a satellite communication device and install the park’s hiking app, Taroko park headquarters said. During winter, hikers should cooperate with gear checks and safety guidance conducted by park staff and volunteers at trailheads, Shei-pa park headquarters said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC
Army soldiers finish grueling 10-day ranger course
Army soldiers finish grueling 10-day ranger courseStaff writer, with CNAA group of army soldiers has completed a grueling ranger field training session in the mountains of Taichung, where they endured rugged terrain, extreme fatigue and limited sleep while carrying heavy packs and equipment, the Military News Agency said yesterday. The group consisted of a dozen trainees when the 10-day, nine-night session began at the Army Special Forces Training Center in the rural Guguan (谷關) area in Taichung, with seven finishing the course, the report said. Soldiers participate in a ranger field training course along the Dajia River in Taichung in an undated photograph. Amid extreme exhaustion and sleep deprivation, trainees were ordered to launch a strike against hypothetical enemy forces, pushing soldiers to their breaking point. The training session, which has been in place for more than 60 years, is modeled after the US Ranger School.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC
Lai says Taiwan must raise cost of war to deter China
Lai says Taiwan must raise cost of war to deter ChinaStaff writer, with CNAPresident William Lai (賴清德) said Taiwan must continue to raise the cost of aggression and strengthen its indigenous defense capabilities to deter China, stressing that peace can only be secured through strength, in an interview with Sanlih E-Television that aired yesterday. President William Lai, left, is pictured in an interview with show host Cheng Hung-yi at the Ministry of National Defense Armaments Bureau’s 209th Arsenal in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of the Presidential OfficeLai said China’s ambition to annex Taiwan has been a long-standing national policy, citing past conflicts such as the 1949 Battle of Guningtou and 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis. Within this context, Lai said Taiwan must take responsibility for its own security by strengthening defense and investing in indigenous capabilities. “Taiwan’s industries are ready,” Lai said, urging opposition parties to support defense spending in the interest of national security.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC
Speaker Han denies he received China support
Speaker Han denies he received China supportPUSHBACK: If the Chinese Communist Party had actually interfered in the elections, why is the ‘person in power’ the current leader and not someone else, Han askedBy Lin Hsin-han and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerLegislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday denied allegations that China had supported his campaigns for office, calling it a “cheap and clumsy” smear campaign and a diversion from the administration’s failings. Then-Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Han Kuo-yu speaks at a campaign rally in Kaohsiung in 2018. It is a convenient way to distract from [the Executive Yuan’s] poor governance,” Han wrote on Facebook in response to the report. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said yesterday that Taiwan could use artificial intelligence to counter disinformation and safeguard elections. Taiwan has many capable companies able to carry out the functions described, without resorting to theatrics or manipulation,” she said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC
Party demands release of records on China visits
Party demands release of records on China visitsBy Lin Che-yuan and Jason Pan / Staff reportersThe Ministry of the Interior should disclose records on elected officials’ and civil servants’ trips to China to allow transparency and accountability, Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) said yesterdayReleasing the records would enable citizens to scrutinize the activities of their representatives during visits to China, to deter collusion and “gray zone” tactics from eroding Taiwan’s democracy, Wang said. Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Hsing-huan speaks in an undated photograph. Photo: Taipei TimesThe ministry should disclose trips to China by elected officials and civil servants, releasing itineraries and records at regular intervals, he said. The Taiwan Statebuilding Party endorses the Cabinet’s efforts to enhance transparency on these trips to protect national security, Wang said. Elected officials serve the public, and legislators especially have the power to review and approve the government’s budget, making strict public oversight essential, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC
MOI faulted for failing to prevent starfish outbreak
MOI faulted for failing to prevent starfish outbreakStaff writer, with CNAThe Control Yuan yesterday faulted the Ministry of the Interior for failing to act promptly after receiving early warnings of a crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak in Dongsha Atoll National Park, urging corrective measures and long-term follow-ups to protect the coral reefs. Academic teams detected an abnormal number of starfish in the park in 2019 and 2023, and reported their findings to the ministry, Control Yuan member Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) said. Official estimates showed that the outbreak has affected about 60 hectares of reef and that there were about 74,000 starfish at its peak. Despite intensive removal efforts, there are still about 30,000 starfish remaining and they continue to threaten coral ecosystems, Tien said. The Control Yuan urged the Executive Yuan to coordinate across agencies to streamline access procedures, bolster frontline capacity and improve monitoring of high-risk areas.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2025 17:12 UTC