Taiwan and Germany will work together on a five-week research project, starting March 31, to study gas hydrates on the seabed off southern Taiwan, with a view to developing a potentially rich energy resource, the German Institute Taipei said yesterday.

The International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) will accept applications from substitute service draftees who wish to be stationed with diplomatic services abroad.

President Ma Ying-jeou and first lady Christine Chow had front-row seats at St. Peter's Square, where a crowd of dignitaries and other well-wishers watched the investiture of Pope Francis on Tuesday.

Taiwan will continue its close relationship with the Holy See under the leadership of Pope Francis, a Taiwanese foreign affairs official said Tuesday, adding that the longstanding bilateral diplomatic ties remain strong.

A Malaysian man of ethnic Chinese descent will be deported today after more than two decades of illegal residence in Taiwan, according to the National Immigration Agency (NIA) yesterday.

President Ma Ying-jeou and first lady Chow Mei-ching (周美青) will attend Pope Francis' inaugural Mass at the Vatican on March 19, Vice Foreign Minister Vanessa Shih (史亞平) announced yesterday.

Two fugitive workers from Vietnam were detained by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) when they attempted to use friends' ID certificates to separately visit the same female detainee in Taipei.

A group of cyclists from Norway said in Taipei yesterday they are gearing up for the upcoming Tour de Taiwan, which will be their first competitive race in Asia.

It has been two years since the tragic March 11 quake struck Japan, but since then Taiwan has raised over NT$7 billion and donated many tons of goods and materials to Japan.

The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei held a seminar on the management of emergencies in Taipei Wednesday, during which experts from both sides shared experiences and information on disaster response and preparedness, the office said.