COMPUTEX Taipei (台北國際電腦展) organizers provided a sneak peak into the unprecedented technology-enabled features organized for the convenience of visitors during a recent pre-show press meeting.

Shares in Taiwan pulled back Friday from the gains of the previous session as the market encountered stiff technical resistance ahead of 8,400 points, dealers said.

The U.S. dollar rose against the New Taiwan dollar Friday, gaining NT$0.01 to close at NT$30.060 as the local central bank entered the trading floor again to prop up the greenback and help the currency reverse its early gains, dealers said.

Shares in Taiwan closed higher on expanded turnover yesterday as investors had high hopes that the government will revise the capital gains tax on stock investments by exempting retailer investors from the levy, dealers said.

The Executive Yuan rolled out economic sanctions against the Philippines, which Economic Affairs Minister Chang Chia-juch (張家祝) said will not affect Taiwan's economy in the short term, though the nation's imports and exports will take a hit in the long run.

Tourists scheduled to visit the Philippines could suffer huge losses if they canceled their trips based on a high-level travel alert issued by the Taiwan government, local travel agents said Thursday, indicating that the sanctions against the Southeast Asian country might hurt Taiwan's travel sector.

The U.S. dollar rose against the New Taiwan dollar Thursday, gaining NT$0.022 to close at the day's high of NT$30.050 as the greenback recovered from its early losses with the help of the local central bank, dealers said.

The Tourism Bureau announced yesterday that all domestic travel agencies are banned from taking any tour groups to the Philippines after the Executive Yuan recently announced a “red” travel alert against the Philippines, one of eight second-stage sanctions issued against the Philippines over the shooting of a local fisherman in disputed waters.

In another push to elevate its international presence, Kaohsiung is hosting the biennial Asia-Pacific Cities Summit (APCS, 亞太城市高峰會), the second major event since the 2009 International World Games to come to town.

President Ma Ying-jeou praised the potential of the Taiwanese-European economy and encouraged Taiwan to pursue a steady trade relationship with European countries during the Europe Day Dinner held by the European Chamber of Commerce yesterday.