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A 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Taiwan on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring at least 86 others.

The tremor hit central Nantou county at 10:03 am, with the epicenter 8 km deep, said the China Earthquake Networks Center.

A 72-year-old woman was crushed to death by a collapsed wall, and 86 people in Taichung, Nantou and Changhua were injured, China News Service reported, quoting Taiwan's fire and rescue authority.

Key players in the publishing industry from both sides of the Taiwan Straits gathered in Taipei on Wednesday for the launch of the 8th Cross-Straits Book Fair. 

The fair will focus on the book trade and boosting industry collaboration. 

"The book fair has been an important platform for publishing firms on both sides of the Straits," said Kuomintang vice-chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu, at the event's opening ceremony. 

A Romney administration may consider providing more advanced weapons to Taiwan to maintain strong US military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region, a senior foreign policy adviser to the Republican presidential candidate said on Tuesday. 

"When President Obama refused to sell F-16C/D (jet fighters) to Taiwan, Governor Romney was very clear to state that he disagrees with that decision," Richard Williamson said at a foreign policy panel hosted by the International Republican Institute on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention. 

TaipeiCitysigned with the International University Sports Federation (FISU) on March 24 to host the 2017 Summer Universiade.

The contract was signed by Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin and FISU President Claude-Louis Gallien.

At the signing ceremony, Hau said that in the coming five year, Taipeiwill play all-out to guarantee a successful Universiade.

On Nov. 29, 2011, Taipeiwas chosen by FISU to host the 29th Summer Universiade. On the same day, Kazakhstan's Almaty was selected to host the 28th Winter Unversiade.

After living for 20 years in Zhangzhou, in East China's Fujian province, Taiwan businessman Harrison Yang has found his schedule become even tight since he became a mediator who helps resolve legal disputes. 

Yang, founder and general manager of Long Grace Industry, a sportswear maker in Zhangzhou's Xiangcheng district, was hired three years ago by the district court as a special mediator. Besides managing his company, he mediates disputes involving any Taiwan businesses who, like him, has investments in the local community. 

Zoologists in Taiwan have artificially inseminated a panda presented by the mainland on March 17, a move that they believe has the highest chance of reproductive success for the sex-shy animal.

Panda experts from Taiwan and mainland collected sperm from Tuan Tuan, a male panda, and used it to artificially inseminate his female companion, Yuan Yuan, after zoologists found the female panda was sexually active on March 16 evening.

Premier Wen Jiabao said on March 14 that he hoped deep-rooted common cultural bond would help resolve the merely decades-long political grouches across the Taiwan Strait.

"It's my sincere hope that the two sides will work together to promote people-to-people and cultural contacts," Wen told a press conference after the conclusion of the annual parliamentary session.

Taiwan might open its doors to individual tourists from another seven to 10 Chinese cities, a Taiwan’s mainland affairs bureau said on March 7.

The program, which kicked off last June, allows up to 500 people from Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen to visit Taiwan per day without having to travel as part of a tour group.

Previous reports have said the mainland cities of Tianjin, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqingand Jinan could be added to the list.

The Chinese mainland vows to strengthen public support for the relations across the Taiwan Strait, according to a report distributed to the media on Mar 5’s morning.

Top Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin has stressed continued efforts for the peaceful development of the relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks at a Taiwan-affairs conference held on Feb 29 and Mar 1.

Jia said he appreciated that over the past years cross-Strait relations had progressed in a stable way.

Taiwan's statistical authorities on Feb 22 lowered its forecast for the island's 2012 economic growth rate amid worries that the slow recovery of global economy may take its toll on the island's exports.

The island's gross domestic product growth rate in 2012 was modified to 3.85 percent, down slightly from the 3.91-percent figure that authorities predicted in January, statistical authorities said in a press release.

Local tech businesses will face increasing pressure from multinationals amid a global decline in trade, the press release said.

The number of mainland individual tourists who visited Taiwan in January reached 10,246, indicating that more visitors are being attracted.

During the month, the number of arriving Chinese mainland individual tourists reached 331 per day on average, while the total number reached 140,432.

The surge in Chinese mainland tourist numbers is attributed to easing and simplification of individual traveler application procedures.

In 2011 alone, the number of Chinese mainland tourists grew by 9.41 percent to reach 1.78 million.