President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday held a welcoming ceremony for Paraguay President Dr. Federico Franco at Liberty Square, and thanked him for his support of the East China Sea Peace Initiative.

All parts of Taiwan are likely to see heavy rainfall as a stationary weather front continues to affect the country, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday.

A total of 13 earthquakes struck Eastern Taiwan and nearby seas between 12:21 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. yesterday, with the largest one registering 5.8 on the Richter scale, according to Central Weather Bureau data.

Taiwan is expected to host a World Medical Association (WMA) conference in 2016 for the first time, Taiwan's top health official said Monday.

A new potting medium made from rice straw has been found to have better water- retention capacity than sphagnum moss, which is usually used for growing moth orchids, a local researcher said yesterday.

The Special Investigation Division (SID) yesterday said the Taipei District Court's rulings on Lin Yi-shih (林益世), the former Cabinet secretary-general, and Lin's family were inappropriate and is appealing the verdict.

A woman apologized Tuesday for spreading a rumor that a Filipino worker in Taipei was allegedly refused service by a cafeteria owner angry with the Philippines over the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman earlier this month.

Mainland China has taken further steps to revive Confucian classics in its education system to enhance senior high school students' knowledge about traditional Chinese culture and literature.

The world table tennis championships pair yesterday called for private-sector support in nurturing local talents as part of boosting the long-term development of the sport in Taiwan.

Smartphone-toting tourists no longer have to wander the streets hoping to stumble upon a Wi-Fi signal. The Tourism Bureau yesterday launched two free networks — iTaiwan and TPE-Free — for foreign tourists in Taiwan to enjoy the Internet.