Writing spring couplets good for health: academics
Writing spring couplets good for health: academicsCALLIGRAPHY: Aside from training the brain, eyes and hands, writing auspicious messages on bright, red paper can lift the mind and the soulBy Yang Mien-chieh and Sam Garcia / Staff reporter, with staff writerWriting spring couplets is good for one’s health, as it trains hand-eye coordination, concentration and cognitive ability, and can even help ease anxiety and loneliness, Taiwanese academics said. People write spring couplets at an event hosted by the Bank of Taiwan in Taipei on Feb. 2. Writing spring couplets during the Lunar New Year can bring even greater benefits, Huang said. Spring couplets are full of positive messages and good wishes, and can be paired with zodiac-themed illustrations, he said. Freely writing and drawing on festive, red paper can lift one’s spirits, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2026 17:13 UTC
Sinner cruises past Machac in Qatar
Sinner cruises past Machac in QatarAFP, DOHAJannik Sinner on Monday cruised to victory over Tomas Machac in the opening round of the Qatar Open in his first match since his unsuccessful Australian Open title defense. It was a convincing return to action for Sinner after his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park last month. Italy’s Jannik Sinner returns to Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in their Qatar Open men’s singles match in Doha on Monday. A break in the fifth game still proved enough for the four-time Grand Slam champion, although he needed five match points to close it out. Alcaraz, who also has not played since Melbourne, where he won the Australian Open title, was due to take to the court yesterday against France’s Arthur Rinderknech.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2026 17:11 UTC
Anisimova handed walkover in Dubai
Anisimova handed walkover in DubaiAFP, PARISAmanda Anisimova on Monday was handed a walkover into the last 16 of the Dubai Open after her opponent Barbora Krejcikova was forced to withdraw from the WTA 1000 event. The American second seed enters the round-of-16 against Janice Tjen without swinging a racket as two-time Grand Slam winner Krejcikova pulled out due to an issue with her left thigh. Britain’s Emma Raducanu returns to Antonia Ruzic of Croatia in their Dubai Open women’s singles match in the United Arab Emirates on Monday. Emma Raducanu, who beat Fernandez in that New York final, tasted defeat in Dubai as she went out in the first round 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to world No. Rising star Iva Jovic booked her spot in the second round with a topsy-turvy 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 victory over Kamilla Rakhimova.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2026 17:11 UTC
Nissanka leaves Australia on brink of exit
Nissanka leaves Australia on brink of exitAFP, KANDY, Sri LankaSri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka on Monday scored the first century of the Men’s T20 World Cup to put his side into the Super Eights and leave Australia on the brink of elimination. A victory by Zimbabwe over Ireland in Group B, or against Sri Lanka tomorrow, would eliminate the 2021 champions. Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka takes a catch to dismiss Australia’s Glenn Maxwell in their Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup match in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on Monday. After Mendis’ dismissal, Nissanka and Pavan Rathnayake put on 76 off 34 balls to see Sri Lanka to victory. “We had put in a lot of hard work, but we didn’t have much momentum leading up to the World Cup.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2026 17:11 UTC
England survive Italy scare to reach Super Eights
England survive Italy scare to reach Super EightsAFP, KOLKATA, IndiaEngland on Monday survived a scare to qualify for the Super Eights at the T20 World Cup as Italy’s swashbuckling chase of 203 fell agonizingly short in a pulsating match in Kolkata, India. Will Jacks scored the fastest T20 World Cup half-century for England as they made 202-7, their highest total of the tournament so far, and eventually won by 24 runs. England’s Will Jacks, right, plays a shot against Italy in their Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, on Monday. “We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on and we’ll try our best.”The win guaranteed England’s passage to the Super Eights. Italy got off to a terrible start in reply as Jofra Archer took two wickets in the first over.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2026 17:11 UTC
Own-goal ends Macclesfield’s fairy-tale Cup run
Own-goal ends Macclesfield’s fairy-tale Cup runAP, MACCLESFIELD, EnglandBrentford are to face West Ham United in the fifth round of the FA Cup after dispatching Macclesfield 1-0 on Monday, an own-goal ending the fairy-tale run of the sixth-tier giantkillers. The big defender dived to cut out a cross from Aaron Hickey, but instead diverted the ball past his own goalkeeper. It was a cruel denouement for Macclesfield, which held the Premier League club throughout an even first half before tiring in the second 45 minutes. “I couldn’t be any prouder,” Macclesfield head coach John Rooney told TNT Sports. “Credit to Macclesfield,” Brentford captain Nathan Collins said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 17, 2026 17:11 UTC
Ukraine civilian deaths surged in 2025
AOAV monitors civilian casualty figures based on English-language reports of incidents of explosive violence globally. Although the measure is consistent, it undercounts the true numbers of civilians killed and wounded, partly because media accounts in one language are inevitably incomplete. Civilian casualties were 14,024 in Gaza last year, 40 percent lower than the previous year. The AOAV said that 45,358 civilian casualties were recorded worldwide last year, down from 61,353 the year before. The country responsible for the most killed and wounded by explosive violence was Israel, marginally ahead of Russia.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
Kim unveils homes for families of troops killed supporting Russia
Kim unveils homes for families of troops killed supporting RussiaAFP, SEOULNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un touted a newly built street of homes for families of soldiers killed supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine, state media reported yesterday, with photographs showing him accompanied by his daughter. North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to fight for Russia, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies, and Seoul has estimated that about 2,000 have been killed. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second right, and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, center, attend the opening ceremony of Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang on Sunday. Yesterday’s report did not mention Russia, but Kim last week pledged to “unconditionally support” all of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policies and decisions. One photo shows Kim Jong-un speaking with what appeared to be the family members of a fallen soldier on a sofa, his daughter standing behind them.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
Nepal House election campaign starts
Two weeks of campaigns would see a host of new, younger candidates promise to offer change, challenging veteran politicians who say they provide stability and security. A key election clash would see rapper-turned-mayor Balendra Shah, 35, face Oli in a head-to-head battle in the former prime minister’s constituency. “This election is being conducted in a special condition,” former chief justice Karki said, as she oversaw polling preparations last week. The vote is being held unusually early in the year, due to an accelerated election schedule brought on by the September unrest. Extra security forces have been drafted to ensure calm, with about 300,000 officers and temporary election police deployed.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
Taiwan’s Giant Group confirms death of founder King Liu
Taiwan’s Giant Group confirms death of founder King LiuAFP, TAIPEIKing Liu (劉金標), founder of Taiwanese bicycle maker Giant Group (巨大集團) and a self-described "missionary" for cycling culture, died yesterday at the age of 92, the company said. Giant Group founder King Liu poses for a photograph in Taichung on Feb 23, 2016. Photo: Sam Yeh, AFPLiu "passed away peacefully" early yesterday, Giant Group said in a statement, describing him as a "lifelong advocate" for pedal power. Liu told AFP in 2016 he got into cycling seriously at the age of 73 after years out of the saddle. "There will be one day when I can’t pedal my bike anymore," King Liu told AFP in 2016.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
Aussie granddad kidnapped by mistake: police
Aussie granddad kidnapped by mistake: policeIDENTITY CRISIS: Calling for Chris Baghsarian’s release, a police officer said he was ‘a million percent’ confident the kidnappers got the wrong personAFP, SYDNEYAustralian police yesterday appealed for the urgent return of an 85-year-old man kidnapped in what they said was a case of mistaken identity. Police received reports early Friday that octogenarian Chris Baghsarian had been taken from his home by three intruders in Sydney’s North Ryde suburb. “I’m a million percent confident they have the wrong person,” he said. They were intending to take somebody, but have taken the wrong person,” he added. In what he admitted was a “very strange appeal” he urged the kidnappers to release their geriatric prisoner as soon as possible.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
Interpol high-tech war rooms fighting cybercriminals
Interpol high-tech war rooms fighting cybercriminalsAFP, SINGAPOREFrom perfectly spelled phishing e-mails to fake videos of government officials, artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the game for Interpol’s cat-and-mouse fight against cybercrime at its high-tech war rooms in Singapore. “I consider the weaponization of AI by cybercriminals ... as the biggest threat we’re seeing,” Interpol’s Singapore-based director of cybercrime Neal Jetton said. The facility is part of the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation, not far from the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Another anti-cybercrime operation across Africa, called “Operation Serengeti 2.0” coordinated from Singapore, saw authorities arrest 1,209 cybercriminals who targeted nearly 88,000 victims. Jetton said Interpol supported the crackdown on the online scam centers in Southeast Asia through intelligence-sharing and resource development.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
Health experts offer tips to avoid addiction relapses
People make a toast at a Lunar New Year’s Eve reunion dinner at a restaurant in Taipei in an undated photograph. Photo: CNAStaying sober and drug-free during the holiday is the key principle for safeguarding health, it said. The three dos are: maintaining a home free of alcohol and drugs; offering positive encouragement; and monitoring sleep and emotional changes, she said. Addiction is a chronic brain disease that requires long-term treatment and support, not something that can be overcome by willpower alone, she said. Addiction treatment, medication and emergency services remain available throughout the Lunar New Year holiday, she said, adding that people in need should not hesitate to seek help.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
Preparing for Ramadan
Barcelona’s unfinished Sagrada Familia basilica hits new heights despite delaysGLORY FACADE: Residents are fighting the church’s plan to build a large flight of steps and a square that would entail destroying up to two blocks of homes Barcelona’s eternally unfinished Basilica de la Sagrada Familia has grown to become the world’s tallest church, but a conflict with residents threatens to delay the finish date for the monument designed more than 140 years ago. Swathed in scaffolding on a platform 54m above the ground, an enormous stone slab is being prepared to complete the cross of the central Jesus Christ tower. A huge yellow crane is to bring it up to the summit, which will stand at 172.5m and has snatched the record as the world’s tallest church from Germany’s Ulm Minster. The basilica’s peak will deliberately fall short of the
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC
Freeway Bureau warns of heavy holiday traffic
Traffic volume on national highways reached 50.6 million vehicle-kilometers as of 3pm yesterday, Lunar New Year’s Eve, the bureau said in a statement. It forecast total traffic volume for yesterday would reach 92 million vehicle-kilometers, which it said was within the expected range. Vehicles travel along the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. Photo courtesy of the Central Weather AdministrationKey congestion hot spots include the National Sun Yat-sen Freeway (National Freeway No. 1) section between Yangmei (楊梅) and Hsinchu City, the Changhua City and Puyan (埔鹽) interchanges, and the Yuanshan (圓山) and Dahua (大華) interchanges; the Formosa Freeway (National Freeway No.
Source:Taipei Times
February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC