Salt and alcohol linked to strokes at holiday gatherings
Salt and alcohol linked to strokes at holiday gatheringsBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNADoctors on Thursday warned that the combination of sodium, alcohol and fluctuations of sympathetic nerves from social interaction could cause a cerebral hemorrhage and urged people to drink rationally during Lunar New Year gatherings. However, a reaction in blood pressure to high-sodium soups or sauces can be instantaneous, and typically reaches an apex in a matter of hours, Chiang said. People think that consuming alcohol can reduce blood pressure, but in fact, the body has a two-stage reaction, he said. Blood pressure is more likely to increase under these conditions, in addition to consuming high-sodium meals and sleeping less, Chiang said. Many people who experience accidents do not know they have hypertension or have a hemangioma, and the first time they are made aware of such conditions is during company events or social gatherings, Chiang said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 17:12 UTC
Doping chiefs vow to probe ‘penis injection’ claims
Doping chiefs vow to probe ‘penis injection’ claimsAFP, MILAN, ItalyAnti-doping chiefs at the Winter Olympics on Thursday said that they they would investigate bizarre claims that Olympic ski jumpers are injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises to get a competitive advantage. The claims, first reported in the German media, are based on the theory that adjustments to ski jumpers’ body suits, especially around the groin, can create the effect of a sail that can add meters to a jump. Two Norwegians were given three-month suspensions last year after the team was found to have adjusted the seams of their suits around the crotch area at the World Ski Championships. Norway’s Marius Lindvik competes in the ski jumping men’s World Cup large hill event in Willingen, Germany, on Saturday last week. Such injections are not medically indicated and are associated with risks,” he added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 17:12 UTC
Taiwan unveils World Baseball Classic roster
Taiwan unveils World Baseball Classic rosterStaff writer, with CNATeam Taiwan has announced its 30-man roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic (WBC), which includes two Taiwanese-American players set to suit up for the first time. The roster, unveiled yesterday and captained by 2024 WBC Premier Most Valuable Player Chen Chieh-hsien, consists of 16 pitchers, three catchers and 11 position players, including four outfielders. Stuart Fairchild of the Atlanta Braves doubles against the Washington Nationals in their MLB game in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 14 last year. Photo: APBoth players were born to Taiwanese mothers and would be making their international debuts for Taiwan. Also on the roster are two fireballers playing in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball — Gu Lin Ruei-yang and Hsu Jo-hsi, the best local pitchers in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League in 2024 and last year respectively.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 17:12 UTC
Lookman scores on debut as Atletico rout Betis 5-0
Lookman scores on debut as Atletico rout Betis 5-0AP, MADRIDAdemola Lookman on Thursday scored on his Atletico Madrid debut in a 5-0 rout of Real Betis Balompie that sent Diego Simeone’s team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. Atletico Madrid’s Ademola Lookman, left, scores against Real Betis Balompie in their Copa del Rey quarter-final in Seville, Spain, on Thursday. “He came to help us and hopefully we can help him so he can continue to improve,” Atletico head coach Diego Simeone said of Lookman. “We have to enjoy these new player and hope that they help us like they did tonight.”Mexico midfielder Obed Vargas also made his Atletico debut after being signed from the Seattle Sounders. Atletico and Betis are to meet again tomorrow in La Liga, with Atletico the hosts.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 17:12 UTC
Cold front to hit Taiwan today: CWA
Cold front to hit Taiwan today: CWAStaff writer, with CNAA cold front is expected to affect Taiwan from today, bringing a chance of snowfall in northern mountainous areas above 1,000 meters over the weekend, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) said the cold air mass will lower temperatures nationwide, with daytime highs forecast at 16-17°C in northern Taiwan and Yilan County in the northeast, 20-23°C in central and eastern areas, and around 27°C in the south. Photo: Taipei TimesMeanwhile, rainfall is expected in coastal areas of Keelung, Yilan and in mountainous areas of Greater Taipei today, with localized heavy showers in some parts. The cold front is expected to ease slightly from Monday, with daytime highs rising to 16-17°C in northern Taiwan, and 20-22°C in central and southern areas, the forecaster said. Temperatures are forecast to rise further on Tuesday as the cold air continues to weaken, Cheng said, while noting that another cold air system could arrive in Taiwan the following day, though its intensity remains uncertain and will require further observation.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 17:11 UTC
TSMC to hold first board meeting in Japan, sources says
TSMC to hold first board meeting in Japan, sources saysStaff writer, with CNATaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has scheduled a board meeting in Kumamoto, Japan, on Monday, marking the first time the world's largest contract chipmaker would hold such a meeting in the country, a source close to the event said yesterday. National Development Council Minister Yeh Chun-hsien (葉俊顯), who represents the government as an institutional board director of TSMC, would travel to Kumamoto to attend the meeting, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. The board meeting was planned by the company after TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) yesterday met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the source said. TSMC's updated plans would bring its total investment in the second fab to US$17 billion, up from US$12.2 billion, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 17:05 UTC
Food safety procedures a necessary expense
Food safety procedures a necessary expenseBy Chang Shang-yang 張商陽Beginning on July 1, large-scale food and beverage operators would be brought under a new framework requiring them to use only washed and graded eggs. Recent public debate has largely focused on rising costs, but food safety has never been a cost-free choice. When incidents occur, the cost is borne by both consumers and the public health system — and the resulting costs far exceed the expense of consistently implementing basic food safety procedures from the start. The cost of using washed and graded eggs is not an added burden — it is work that should have been completed as an integral part of food safety from the start. What is lacking is not a proper method for handling eggs, but a professional attitude that treats food safety measures as a necessary cost.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC
Estonia town stuck between two worlds
Estonia town stuck between two worldsAFP, NARVA, EstoniaTwo medieval fortresses face each other across the Narva River separating Estonia from Russia on Europe’s eastern edge. The Narva Castle, right, the Ivangorod Fortress, left, and the “Friendship Bridge” in Narva, Estonia, are pictured on Jan. 15. The changes, combined with high unemployment, soaring energy bills, a collapse in ties with Russia and fear of conflict, have heightened tensions in the border town. “It’s compounded by the constant talk of war, war, war, war, war. Vladimir Aret, a 32-year-old hotel manager and member of the town council, said many in Narva felt caught between two worlds.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC
Israel shifting argument on death toll to civilian-to-militant ratio
Israel shifting argument on death toll to civilian-to-militant ratioBy Ben Reiff / The GuardianIsrael’s official and unofficial spokespeople are in damage control mode after a senior military official last week admitted that Israel accepts the death toll published by Gaza’s health ministry, which currently stands at more than 70,000. Adding credibility to their denials were prominent media outlets around the world that often described Gaza’s health ministry as “Hamas-run,” thereby encouraging readers and viewers to treat the death toll with suspicion. In truth, the reliability of the official death toll should never have been in doubt. As such, several external investigations of the published data found that it stood up to scrutiny. Indeed, various scientific studies conducted throughout the war have estimated that the true death toll from Israel’s onslaught might have gone well beyond 100,000.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC
Understanding Taiwan from India
India recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a country, not the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. My interest in this part of the world increased, especially after I visited Taiwan for the first time last year. My understanding of Taiwan continued to evolve. I had to dig deeper, as my research topic — comparing the democratic resilience of India and Taiwan in the context of the geopolitical situation — demanded. I was cleared to enter Taiwan from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport by Taiwan’s customs authorities.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC
Architect aims to rebuild quake-hit Turkey church
Architect aims to rebuild quake-hit Turkey churchAP, ANTAKYA, TurkeyArchitect Buse Ceren Gul is on a mission: Restore a 166-year-old Greek Orthodox church that was long a beacon of her hometown’s multicultural past. After years of planning, campaigning and fundraising, Gul’s team recently uncovered St. Paul’s Church from the rubble that reached up to 5m. The ruins of St. Paul’s Church in Antakya, Turkey, on Wednesday. Architect Buse Ceren Gul speaks to the Associated Press in Antakya, Turkey, on Wednesday. The street is home to the Greek Orthodox St. Paul’s Church, which belongs to an Arabic-speaking community.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC
EDITORIAL: Sex education needs to evolve
EDITORIAL: Sex education needs to evolveThe Taiwan Association for Sexuality Education, the Chinese Association for the Development of Affective Education and the Action Alliance on Basic Education on Monday advocated for the implementation of more comprehensive sex education programs, saying that more emphasis must be placed on interpersonal relationships and emotional awareness. Instruction still leans heavily toward anatomy, reproduction and contraception — important subjects, but insufficient to prevent young people falling victim to sexual exploitation. Reports of child sexual abuse material linked to Taiwanese IP addresses more than doubled from 33,621 in 2019 to 72,902 in 2022. In 2024, roughly 70 percent of youth sexual exploitation cases involved online platforms. Amendments to the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act (兒童及少年性剝削防制條例) in 2024, which raised penalties for paying to view sexual content involving minors, marked progress.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC
How Japan’s first female PM won over disillusioned young voters
How Japan’s first female PM won over disillusioned young votersA clearer message on fiscal spending and national security and sharp social media skills have propelled Takaichi’s riseBy Erica Yokoyama and Akemi Terukina / BloombergThree months into her tenure as Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi is connecting with younger voters in a way her predecessors failed. She plays KPop Demon Hunters’ Golden on the drums with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and takes selfies with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “I’m fully behind her.”Takaichi’s smarter use of social media may be contributing to her popularity. Her pledge to “work, work, work, work and work” during her post-victory speech and a recent 3am meeting she called to study up on policies have been criticized, but have also projected an image of meritocracy over schmoozing with the old guard. “Some young voters see Takaichi as Abe’s successor and back her for that reason,” Hata said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC
Japan to restart largest nuclear plant in world
Japan to restart largest nuclear plant in worldAFP, TOKYOJapan would switch the world’s largest nuclear power plant back on next week, after a glitch with an alarm forced the suspension of its first restart since the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster. Takeyuki Inagaki, the head of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant run by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), yesterday said that they planned to start up the reactor on Monday. Takeyuki Inagaki, the head of Tokyo Electric Power Co’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, speaks during a news conference in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, yesterday. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the world’s biggest nuclear power plant by potential capacity, although just one reactor of seven would restart. The facility had been offline since Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after a colossal earthquake and tsunami sent three reactors at the Fukushima atomic plant into meltdown in 2011.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC
Li Zhenxiu case a loyalty breach
Li Zhenxiu case a loyalty breachBy Mark Chen 陳唐山Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀), who was born in China and moved to Taiwan after marrying a Taiwanese citizen, is one of the party’s new legislators-at-large. I explained my legal obligation to assume public office in Taiwan. This highlights the paradox for people with such status holding public office in Taiwan. Moreover, the Constitutional Court has repeatedly clarified the duty of loyalty required of civil servants. This was deemed to serve the legitimate purpose of maintaining loyalty between the state and its civil servants.
Source:Taipei Times
February 06, 2026 16:41 UTC