Visiting tennis greats Andre Agassi and “Swiss Miss” Martina Hingis yesterday praised Taiwanese youth for their enthusiasm for the sport and said that with proper training these local talents have the potential to become great players.

For the 30th straight year, cancer remained the top cause of death in Taiwan in 2011, responsible for 28 percent of all deaths recorded, a Department of Health (DOH) report said yesterday.

The suspected “raincoat robber” has admitted to two cases of armed robbery, while forensic evidence has tied him to another in which a security guard was killed, police sources said yesterday.

Shares of Ta Chong Bank plunged Friday morning after the local media reported that potential buyers of the bank had walked away from a possible acquisition, dealers said.

The gay marriage issue is merely a “distraction” in the United States presidential election campaign and the candidate who can solve the country's economic problems can win the election, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said yesterday in Taipei.

Concerns over the debt crisis in the eurozone dragged the local bourse lower Friday to below 7,100 points at the close, as selling focused on market heavyweights, dealers said.

A human rights report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of State was generally positive about the situation in Taiwan in 2011, but said corruption and violence against women and children remained prevalent problems in the country.

President Ma Ying-jeou was pleased with the United States' recognition of Taiwan's human rights environment and pledged to review areas that the report singled out as needing improvement, Presidential Office spokesman Fan Chiang Tai-chi said Friday.

President Ma Ying-jeou said Friday he hopes the Port of Kaohsiung can work toward becoming Taiwan's first showcase free economic zone to help drive the country's economic growth.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. (ANZ) said Friday that Taiwan's central bank is not expected to change its key interest rates at a quarterly policymaking meeting in June due to the slowing economic fundamentals at home and abroad.