Sat, Aug 16, 2014 page4

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  TOURISM

  Bureau targets daily rentals

  The Tourism Bureau launched a program yesterday to crack down on the daily rental of residential property, a common low-cost option for travelers in Taiwan, in a bid to improve local travel quality. The bureau is encouraging members of the public to submit pictures and addresses of “day rental suites” they find by offering tipsters a chance to stay in star-rated hotels. Although they are inexpensive, day rentals have a reputation for substandard security and criminal activity, the bureau said. The bureau said it is moving to improve the situation by streamlining the licensing system for hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. To break what it called a myth that good guesthouses are expensive, the bureau is promoting a Web site at taiwanstay.net.tw, which includes options that cost NT$2,000 per night.

  AGRICULTURE

  Storms lay waste to crops

  The series of torrential rainstorms in southern Taiwan that began on Thursday last week generated agricultural and farming losses totaling NT$41.7 million (US$1.39 million) as of 4pm yesterday, according to statistics released by the Council of Agriculture. Greater Kaohsiung bore the brunt, with NT$30.5 million, the council said. Produce ranging from melon and papaya to bitter melon suffered losses amounting to more than NT$10 million each, the council said, adding that watermelon was the most severely damaged produce, suffering a loss of NT$3.85 million, with 143 hectares of grove devastated. Non-headed cabbages also suffered a loss of up to NT$2.38 million. The damage to fisheries largely involved milkfish and mullet in Greater Kaohsiung and totaled NT$22.56 million, the council said. About 9,000 chickens and 250 ducks were lost or drowned, causing NT$440,000 in losses, it said.

  SOCIETY

  Dean appeals extradition

  British national Zain Dean on Thursday appealed a court ruling on his extradition to Taiwan. In the appeal filed by his lawyer, Dean challenged the nation’s legal status, argued that his trial in Taiwan had been unfair and said that serving time in a Taiwanese prison would put his life in danger. The appeal is to be heard in a higher court in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Dean had fled to before being detained last fall. No date has been set. Dean, who was head of a British company’s office in Taiwan, was sentenced to four years in prison in July 2012 for killing a newspaper delivery man while driving under the influence of alcohol. On June 11, Sheriff Kenneth Maciver of the Edinburgh Sheriff Court ruled that Dean should be extradited to Taiwan to serve his sentence. Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice Kenny MacAskill approved Dean’s extradition on Aug. 1.

  DIPLOMACY

  Belize signs trafficking pact

  The nation signed an agreement yesterday with Central American ally Belize on cross-border cooperation to combat human trafficking. The latest pact was signed in Taipei by Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁) and Belizean Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse on behalf of their respective governments. Chen said that Taiwan has been listed as a “Tier 1” country in the US’ Trafficking in Persons Report for five years in a row, due to its good performance in the prevention and control of human trafficking. Taiwan is very happy to share its experience with and learn from other countries, Chen said. The agreement is the ninth of its kind that Taiwan has inked, the Ministry of the Interior said.
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