TOURISM
Nation ranked on halal index
Taiwan is the seventh-best destination for Muslim travelers outside the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states, according to an annual report released this week by Mastercard and CrescentRating. With a score of 52.4, Taiwan was behind Singapore (67.3), Thailand (61.8), the UK (60), South Africa (53.6), Hong Kong (53.2) and Japan (52.8), the Global Muslim Travel Index 2017 showed. It was ahead of France (52.1), Spain (48.8) and the US (48.6). The index covers 130 destinations worldwide, measuring them by 11 criteria, including whether they are family-friendly, safe in general and particularly for Muslim travelers, have a large number of Muslim visitor arrivals, offer enough dining options, provide adequate halal assurances and access to prayer spaces.
SOCIETY
Dog owner charged
The owner of a dog that allegedly caused a traffic accident on Friday that resulted in the death of a scooter rider could be charged with negligent manslaughter, a prosecutor said. The rider, surnamed Chuang (莊), was riding his scooter in Changhua County’s Hemei Township (和美) when he hit a dog that was allegedly roaming loose on the streets, the police said. Both the dog and the rider died in the collision and police handed the dog owner, surnamed Yang (楊), over to prosecutors. According to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), pet owners are responsible for protecting and restraining their pets and bear a legal responsibility if they run into roads and disrupt traffic, Changhua District Prosecutors’ Office deputy chief prosecutor Lin Han-chiang (林漢強) said.
SOCIETY
Sand sculptors accused
Two foreign sand sculptors visiting Taiwan for an annual exhibition in New Taipei City have been banned from leaving the nation after allegedly sexually assaulting a Taiwanese woman, prosecutors said yesterday. Prosecutors questioned the two men after viewing closed-circuit TV camera footage from the venues where the incident allegedly took place, the Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office said. The woman told police she met the two at a reception held by the organizers of the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival in a hotel in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮) on Thursday. The woman said that she drank a lot of alcohol at the event and that after she became very intoxicated, the men took her to a nearby hotel and sexually assaulted her. She reported the alleged incident after she woke up naked and in pain, she told investigators.
EDUCATION
‘Makerthon’ event begins
A regional round of the first “Intelligent Living Makerthon” for vocational college students began yesterday, with National Taipei University of Technology hosting 43 teams comprising 122 contestants. The Ministry of Education is running the nationwide competition as part of its promotion of a “Maker Movement.” The ministry said there would be eight categories at the games, including food, clothing, living, transportation, education and entertainment. Participants at the northern venue were asked to solve problems about dormitory life. The contestants took part in a discussion and are scheduled to give their presentations today. Twenty-five teams will progress to the final on Aug. 14 and 15. The winners will receive a prize of NT$200,000.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
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