DIPLOMACY
Thailand crisis monitored
The government yesterday said it is closely monitoring the situation in Thailand after the Thai military declared martial law in a bid to quell months of protests and tensions between the Thai government and opposition. “We are keeping close tabs on the situation in Thailand,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anna Kao (高安) said. The ministry and Taiwan’s representative office in Thailand are prepared to take “response measures,” she added. “The representative office immediately launched an emergency response mechanism shortly after the announcement [of martial law] was made,” she said. She said that no Taiwanese have thus far been affected, but urged anyone visiting or residing in Thailand to be alert.
TRAVEL
Visa privileges expanded
Republic of China passport holders can enjoy visa-free entry or landing visas in 140 countries and territories after five more places extended such privileges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The African countries of Togo, Cape Verde and the Union of the Comoros, as well as Papua New Guinea in Oceania have granted landing visas to Taiwanese, the ministry said. The British territory of Anguilla in the Caribbean has also begun allowing Taiwanese to stay for up to six months visa-free, the ministry said. The four countries and one territory are the latest on a now long list of visa-free or landing visa destinations for Taiwanese, including the US, Canada, the Schengen Area of Europe and Japan.
HEALTH
Chiu meets US counterpart
Minister of Health Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達) on Monday met with US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland, where the two talked about health issues in Taiwan. Chiu said after their 20-minute private meeting that he and his US counterpart had touched on Taiwan’s efforts to combat the recent resurgence of rabies and H7N9 avian flu. He also conveyed his appreciation for Sebelius’ long-term support for the nation’s participation in the WHA. Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑緹), director-general of the Health Promotion Administration and a member of the Taiwanese delegation, said she briefed Sebelius on campaigns to address obesity during the meeting. This is the sixth consecutive year in which Taiwan has received an invitation to attend the annual meeting of the top decisionmaking body of the WHO. The WHA began meeting on Monday and is set to run until Saturday in the Swiss city.
DIPLOMACY
New UK envoy appointed
Representative to Canada Liu Chih-kung (劉志攻) has been reassigned as top envoy to the UK, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Office. Liu, a career diplomat, is to replace Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡), who has been appointed representative to the US. It is not known when Liu will take up his new post. He has been serving as the representative to Canada since 2012 and previously worked as deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council and as the representative to the Czech Republic, among other posts. Liu has also served in diplomatic positions in the US, South Africa and Mongolia. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anna Kao (高安) declined to confirm Chinese-language media reports that Bruce Linghu (令狐榮達), director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, will succeed Liu in Ottawa.
DIPLOMACY
Turkey condolences offered
The nation has expressed its condolences to Turkey over the mine explosion in the western Turkish province of Manisa that killed hundreds of miners last week, in what Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan said was one of the country’s worst industrial disasters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would donate US$100,000 to help with Turkey’s relief efforts. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Ko (柯森耀) visited Turkey’s representative office on Monday to offer the condolences, according to a statement issued by the ministry. After the accident on Tuesday last week, the nation’s representative office in Turkey also offered the nation’s sympathy to the Turkish government. The coal-mine explosion killed at least 301 workers and injured scores, foreign media reported, citing local officials. It is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, the reports said.
SOCIETY
Coffee taster wins
Coffee taster Liu Pang-yu (劉邦禹) beat 36 competitors from around the world at this year’s World Cup Tasters Championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday, winning the contest aimed at selecting the world’s best “coffee taster.” Liu, 25, who ranked fourth the previous day, defeated American Amanda Juris to grab the championship by distinguishing the tastes of six out of eight sets of coffee varieties within 3 minutes, 48 seconds. Juris solved five puzzles in 3 minutes, 51 seconds. Speed, skill and accuracy in distinguishing the different specialties of coffees are the criteria used to decide the contest’s champion. The World Cup, held from Thursday last week to Monday, was attended by coffee tasters from 37 countries and areas.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
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