Shares in Taiwan closed little changed Tuesday as investors pocketed the gains they had built up earlier in the session amid fears over a possible pullback ahead of 8,400 points, dealers said.

Taiwan's central bank will likely leave interest rates unchanged at its next quarterly policymaking meeting in June despite weak global demand for Taiwan-made goods, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. (ANZ) said Monday.

In addition to the support shown by the main opposition party for President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) also asked DPP party members to withdraw their signatures from the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) petition aiming to impeach Ma.

The share prices for two of Taiwan's leading blue chip companies are approaching the symbolically significant NT$1,000 mark, with both closing at well above NT$950 at the conclusion of yesterday's session.

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) announced yesterday that an amendment to the Copyright Act will be proposed to allow Internet service providers to block foreign websites that infringe on copyrights.

President Ma Ying-jeou has said that his administration has been working toward signing free trade deals with the United States and the European Union, a development that sock manufacturers in Changhua County are eager to see.

I-Mei Foods (義美食品) has allegedly used expired ingredients in its food making process — a criminal act that will be investigated by local health departments, Food and Drug Administration Director-General Kang Jaw-jou (康照洲) said yesterday.

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.