Randy Schriver, former US deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and a founding partner of Armitage International LC, the consulting firm launched by former US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage, said in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister paper) that Armitage's letters to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and other top government officials asking for a competitive tender for the purchase of P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and mentioning L3 Communications' contracts in South Korea and New Zealand did not amount to an endorsement of its products. According to Schriver, the letters were only intended to stress the point that a competitive tender would assure that Taiwan would get the best price for the product, and express support for Taiwan to ask the US Navy to open up a competitive tender for the contract.
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
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
Pro-democracy activists and women’s rights groups yesterday held outdoor performances to commemorate victims of the White Terror era, when the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) suppressed political dissidents, and called for May 19 to be restored a national holiday. The then-KMT government on May 19, 1949, declared martial law in Taiwan, which lasted until July 15, 1987. More than 40 organizations, headed by the Koo Kwang-ming Foundation and the Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Foundation, yesterday gathered in front of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei to hold cultural and artistic performances and demand that May 19 be designated as a national holiday