Brazil’s Stefani, Matos win mixed doubles title
Brazil’s Stefani, Matos win mixed doubles titleAP, MELBOURNEBrazilian duo Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos yesterday beat India’s Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 to win the Australian Open mixed doubles title in Mirza’s last match at a Grand Slam tournament before she retires. Mirza, who has won six Grand Slam doubles championships — three in mixed, including the 2009 Australian Open — is to retire next month after a tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Brazil’s Luisa Stefani, left, and Rafael Matos hold the trophy after winning the Australian Open mixed doubles final in Melbourne yesterday. Stefani and Matos are undefeated as a pairing, having won all seven matches together at the United Cup and at Melbourne Park. Now here we are, winning our first Grand Slam together in Australia in this beautiful court ... it’s a dream come true.”
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2023 22:15 UTC
Ukraine support to be Japan’s priority at the G7: diplomat
Ukraine support to be Japan’s priority at the G7: diplomatReuters and AFP, TOKYO and WASHINGTONJapan, this year’s chair of the G7, expects Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to dominate talks among the world’s major advanced economies, Japanese Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs Masato Kanda said. “Sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine will be a top priority at G7 financial leaders’ meetings under Japan’s chair,” said Kanda, who is to oversee G7 deputy-level talks on economic policy this year. Among other issues at the top of the G7 agenda would be global debt problems, he said. A Leopard 2 battle tank throws fog grenades during a drill in Ostenholz, Germany, on Oct. 17 last year. “We shoot and shoot and shoot, but after five minutes another wave of 20 enemies is coming at us.”
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2023 04:16 UTC
Tsai taps new national security head
Tsai taps new national security head‘THE MAN FOR THE JOB’: A report said Cheng Wen-tsan would be the deputy of Chen Chien-jen, who was earlier confirmed to be Tsai Ing-wen’s nominee for premierStaff writerPresident Tsai Ing-wen yesterday (蔡英文) appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) as new National Security Bureau director-general and Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) as Presidential Office secretary-general, ahead of a Cabinet reshuffle. The report came a day after the government confirmed that former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) was nominated by Tsai Ing-wen to be the new premier. Deputy Foreign Minister Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) delivers a speech in the European Values Taiwan-Czechia-Ukraine Forum hosted by the Prague-headquartered think tank EVC, in Taipei on Oct. 28 ,2022. The current Cabinet is to resign on Monday, while the new members are to take office on Tuesday, it said. “Chen Chien-jen is the man for the job, and we all have great expectations for him to lead us into the elections.”Additional reporting by CNA and Jason Pan
Source:Taipei Times
January 27, 2023 04:16 UTC
Holiday hot spot
Man apologizes for hotel no-showHOT-SPRING RETREAT: A hotel in Japan incurred a loss of about US$1,846 after a Taiwanese man failed to show up for his reservation due to a misunderstood message A Taiwanese man who failed to show up for a hotel reservation in Japan has apologized and offered compensation, the hotel said yesterday. The man, surnamed Lee (李), reserved a room at the Yufuin Tsubaki hot-spring hotel in Oita for the Lunar New Year holiday, but failed to show up on Friday. Lee yesterday called the hotel to apologize and offered to compensate the losses caused by his failure to show up, a hotel employee surnamed Yashiro said. Lee’s wife also called on Sunday to apologize, she said. Lee had booked a two-night stay with upscale seafood and beef meals, the hotel said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 26, 2023 18:01 UTC
Theater announces spring rebrand
Theater announces spring rebrandARTISTIC FLAIR: National Taichung Theater aims to revamp its upcoming season with plays, musicals and dances by Taiwanese and international performersStaff writer, with CNANational Taichung Theater (NTT), which opened in 2016, is rebranding its spring season this year in a bid to encourage audiences to explore new and unknown territory in the performing arts, the venue said. The National Taichung Theater is pictured on May 16, 2021. Over the past six spring seasons from 2017 to last year, the Taichung theater programmed the Taiwan International Festival of Arts and co-presented some productions with the National Theater and Concert Hall in Taipei, the statement said. Rodrigues is also scheduled to stage his Dans la mesure de l’impossible, a play based on first-hand stories of humanitarian aid workers, at the National Theater in Taipei. For this theater production, Lepage uses a Japanese ancestral puppetry technique called Bunraku, the theater said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 26, 2023 16:04 UTC
Too early to weigh in on Chen Chien-jen, Ko says
Too early to weigh in on Chen Chien-jen, Ko saysTOUGH YEAR AHEAD: As premier, Chen would have to immediately deal with a tax rebate, global economic issues and high tensions with China, a legislator saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporter, with CNAIt is uncertain whether Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) would perform well as premier, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday, as politicians weighed in after the Presidential Office confirmed that the former vice president would succeed Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌). The report came after Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Thursday last week announced that he and his Cabinet had submitted their resignation to Tsai. Photo: CNANoting that Chen’s nomination must be approved by the legislature, Ko said that Chen has a good relationship with people and is polite. Regarding whether Chen would do a better job than Su as premier, Ko said that whether Chen can do the job well is yet to be seen, and it is too early to evaluate him. He also said that he hopes Chen could appoint his Cabinet heads according to their expertise and based on the principle of meritocracy.
Source:Taipei Times
January 26, 2023 06:08 UTC
War with China not an option, Tsai tells pope
War with China not an option, Tsai tells pope‘PATIENCE’: Continued dialogue with Beijing is the guiding principle to his efforts to safeguard the church’s followers in China, Pope Francis saidBloomberg and APPresident Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told Pope Francis that war with China was “not an option,” reaffirming her desire to avoid a conflict that could drag in the US. In the letter, which was released on Monday, Tsai expressed her support for the Vatican’s positions on Russia’s war against Ukraine and restated her stance on maintaining stability across the Taiwan Strait. Pope Francis holds a child during the weekly general audience at the Vatican yesterday. Photo: Vatican Media / Reuters“Preserving regional security has become a key consensus shared by national leaders,” Tsai wrote. The pope sidestepped a question about how the Vatican’s relationship with Taiwan affects the dialogue.
Source:Taipei Times
January 26, 2023 05:44 UTC
US funding Taiwan military training
US funding Taiwan military trainingJOINT OPERATIONS: Participating in the IMET program, which offers professional training and education to military personnel, would boost Taiwan’s defense capabilitiesBy Lu Yi-hsuan / Staff reporterThe US government is appropriating funding to help Taiwan participate in its International Military Education & Training (IMET) program to enhance interoperability and capabilities for joint operations of the Taiwanse and US militaries. The funding for Taiwan’s participation in the program is mentioned in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023, a US$1.7 trillion spending bill funding the US federal government for the fiscal year 2023. It covers funding for military support for Ukraine, defense spending and regions affected by natural disasters. While the act does not reveal details on how Taiwan would participate in the IMET program, diplomatic observers said that it might refer to the military training partnership between Taiwanese armed forces and the US National Guard. Taiwan’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency was reported to have a liaison officer in Washington as part of the Taiwan Military Advisory Group in the US to coordinate related affairs.
Source:Taipei Times
January 25, 2023 09:08 UTC
Empoli surprise 10-man Inter at the San Siro
Empoli surprise 10-man Inter at the San SiroReutersA second-half goal by midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi on Monday earned Empoli a surprise 1-0 win over 10-man Inter in Serie A, ending Simone Inzaghi side’s seven-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. Empoli, whose previous victory against the Nerazzurri was in April 2006, moved up to ninth place on 25 points from 19 games. Inter remained third on 37 points, one point behind second-placed AC Milan, who were to travel to SS Lazio yesterday. “Winning at the San Siro is a dream and my players managed to make it come true.”Empoli’s Tommaso Baldanzi celebrates after scoring against Inter in their Serie A match at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, on Monday. Empoli forward Nicolo Cambiaghi was close to causing an early surprise at the San Siro when he received a lofted pass on the edge of Inter’s penalty area and struck from close range, but was denied by goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Source:Taipei Times
January 25, 2023 04:17 UTC
Chilling out
Man apologizes for hotel no-showHOT-SPRING RETREAT: A hotel in Japan incurred a loss of about US$1,846 after a Taiwanese man failed to show up for his reservation due to a misunderstood message A Taiwanese man who failed to show up for a hotel reservation in Japan has apologized and offered compensation, the hotel said yesterday. The man, surnamed Lee (李), reserved a room at the Yufuin Tsubaki hot-spring hotel in Oita for the Lunar New Year holiday, but failed to show up on Friday. Lee yesterday called the hotel to apologize and offered to compensate the losses caused by his failure to show up, a hotel employee surnamed Yashiro said. Lee’s wife also called on Sunday to apologize, she said. Lee had booked a two-night stay with upscale seafood and beef meals, the hotel said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 24, 2023 22:03 UTC
Napoli see off local rivals Salernitana to go 12 points clear at top of Serie A
Napoli see off local rivals Salernitana to go 12 points clear at top of Serie AAFP, MILAN, ItalySSC Napoli on Saturday further extended their grip on the Serie A title race by beating local rivals US Salernitana 1919 2-0 to temporarily move 12 points ahead of the chasing pack. Goals from Giovanni di Lorenzo and Victor Osimhen immediately either side of halftime made sure that Napoli would be at least nine points clear at the halfway point of the season after a straight-forward win in soaking Salerno. SSC Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, top, controls the ball against US Salernitana 1919 in their Serie A match in Salerno, Italy, on Saturday. Inter are a further point behind their city rivals and would move provisionally into second place if they beat Empoli today. “We know we have a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we need to work with that in mind,” Spalletti said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 23, 2023 00:55 UTC
Probe seeks to review rules on water leisure activities
Probe seeks to review rules on water leisure activitiesBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNAControl Yuan members Fan Sun-lu (笵巽綠) and Su Li-chiung (蘇麗瓊) on Tuesday said that they are petitioning to investigate if strict regulations on activities near water are infringing on the public’s right to recreational activities. Photo: Cheng Ming-hsiang, Taipei TimesRegulations in Taiwan seem to stand in the way of popularizing recreational water activities, they said. Competent authorities and local city governments have differing regulations on open water activities, making it difficult for practitioners to follow the law, Fan and Su said. The pair said they would determine whether the Taipei City Government’s decision observes the principle of proportionality and whether its standards are appropriate. Definition of open water areas and what locations fit these criteria should be inventoried and local regulations reviewed to encourage the public to take part in aquatic activities, they said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 22, 2023 04:01 UTC
Expert provides safety tips on travel essentials
Travelers crowd the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday, the second day of the 10-day Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei TimesAcetaminophen (Panadol, Tylenol and other brands) is commonly used to treat fever and pain, he said. Antihistamines are often used to relieve a runny nose, sneezing, or skin allergies, especially in the winter, when many symptoms of allergies worsen, he said. In other news, the Central Epidemic Command Center yesterday reported 20,773 new local COVID-19 cases, 305 imported cases and 33 deaths from the disease. The total number of cases rose 3.1 percent from the same day a week earlier, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
January 22, 2023 04:01 UTC
Indian wrestlers call off their protest
Indian wrestlers call off their protestAFP, NEW DELHIIndia’s top wrestlers called off a protest after the head of the sport’s national federation reportedly agreed to step aside until claims of sexual harassment against him are investigated. Dozens of male and female wrestlers, including Olympic and Commonwealth medalists, had announced a boycott of all competitions until Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was removed. Wrestlers protest against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in New Delhi, India, on Friday. Photo: APWrestler Bajrang Punia announced the decision to call off the protest on Friday after talks with Indian Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur. India’s #MeToo movement gathered momentum in 2018 after a Bollywood actress accused a senior actor of sexual harassment.
Source:Taipei Times
January 21, 2023 20:27 UTC
AcBel Polytech to buy ABB power conversion unit
AcBel Polytech to buy ABB power conversion unitBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterPower management solutions provider AcBel Polytech Inc (康舒科技) announced on Friday that it would acquire a 100 percent stake in ABB Ltd’s power conversion division for US$505 million in cash. The Taiwanese firm said the Swiss engineering group’s power conversion division is a leading provider of power products, systems and services. Kinpo Group chairman Rock Hsu, left, and AcBel Polytech Inc chairman Jerry Hsu pose for a photograph in Taipei in an undated photograph. “By integrating ABB power conversion’s cutting-edge technologies and development expertise in system solutions, AcBel will accelerate its progress of expanding into an integrated solutions provider,” the filing said. The Tamsui District (淡水), New Taipei City-based AcBel offers power solutions for a wide range of applications including PCs, smart home appliances, smartphones, servers, networking equipment, sustainable energy devices and electric vehicle-related products.
Source:Taipei Times
January 21, 2023 17:07 UTC