MGTO chief elected PATA secretary- cum-treasurer

Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes was elected secretary-cum-treasurer of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) at the group’s annual summit in Gangneung, South Korea, yesterday. According to an MGTO statement, the summit was held in conjunction with the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)/PATA Leaders Debate. Helena de Senna Fernandes was elected by PATA board members to serve as the group’s secretary-cum-treasurer for the next two

May 21, 2018 | BY admin

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Woman loses 2.2 million patacas in online scam: police

A local woman has been cheated out of about US$273,500 (around 2.2 million patacas) in an online scam, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lai Man Vai said on Friday.According to Lai, the victim, whose personal details were not provided, is in her sixties.Lai said the victim reported the case to the police last Thursday, saying that she had met a man, claiming to live in a foreign country, on a social media platform late last year.PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN OUR PRINT EDITION.

May 21, 2018 | BY admin

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Forum questions detention facilities for IIs

Guest speakers and members of the audience at yesterday’s Macau Forum said they wondered whether the police would have enough beds for detained illegal immigrants (IIs) and overstayers following the possible cancellation of the current 60-day maximum detention period for them.They also wondered whether it would still be difficult for police officers to collect convincing evidence for taking criminal action against those involved in fake marriages after the possible implementation of the

May 21, 2018 | BY admin

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Govt to submit judiciary amendment bill to legislature next month

Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said last week that the government aims to submit a bill amending the Judicial Organisation Framework Law to the legislature next month, which proposes that all principal officials charged with a criminal offence will be tried by the Court of Second Instance (TSI).Chan made the remarks while speaking to reporters at Largo do Senado on Friday on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the “Lawyers’ Day” organised by the Macau

May 21, 2018 | BY admin

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Cabbie harasses female passenger: police

A taxi driver who harassed a female passenger last week has been arrested by the Public Security Police (PSP), spokesman Lam Keong said in a regular police press conference on Friday.Lam identified the taxi driver as a local man in his forties surnamed Leong, and the victim is an Indonesian female non-resident worker in her twenties, whose surname was not given.According to Lam, at around 3 a.m. last Tuesday the victim got into Leong’s taxi at Casa Real Hotel in Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo

May 21, 2018 | BY admin

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Upcycling the Oceans: Thailand’s effort to rid sea of plastic waste

Rising sea temperatures, overcrowding, pollution and tons of plastic rubbish are damaging the marine ecosystem to such an extent that authorities have no choice but to shut down their popular islands and dive sites to save the ocean.While the Philippines abruptly closed down its idyllic Boracay island last month for a six-month clean-up, Thailand’s Maya Bay, made famous by “The Beach” film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, will be off limits to tourists starting from next month to allow the

May 18, 2018 | BY admin

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Govt consults public on smart city development

The government yesterday launched a 45-day public consultation on the strategies and major infrastructure projects required to develop Macau into a smart city, aiming to build Macau into a sustainable smart city and world city of leisure and tourism.A press conference about the public consultation was held on the premises of the Government Information Bureau (GCS) at China Plaza. The consultation will end on June 30. Two public sessions will be held during the consultation period.The government

May 18, 2018 | BY admin

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Man smuggles squab meat tied round his legs

The Macau Customs Service said in a statement yesterday that its officers at the Barrier Gate checkpoint caught a local man trying to smuggle squab meat into the city, which was strapped to his legs under his trousers.Squab is a young unfledged pigeon and the flesh of a young pigeon as food.On Monday, customs officers at the checkpoint spotted a man, who was wearing a pair of very loose trousers, walking awkwardly. According to the statement, the officers then stopped him.This undated handout

May 18, 2018 | BY admin

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Axing of Nam Van land leases is ‘lawful’: Rosario

Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosario said yesterday that the government’s announcement this week to annul the land concessions of 16 plots of land in the Nam Van Lake area was “in line with the law”.Rosario made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony marking yesterday’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day at Macau Tower.The government announced the cancellations of the 16 provisional land concessions in the Official

May 18, 2018 | BY admin

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Govt proposes changes to arbitration rules

Executive Council spokesman Leong Heng Teng said yesterday that the government has drafted a bill regulating the city’s arbitration procedures, which aims to encourage residents to choose arbitration as an alternative means of dispute resolution.Addressing a press conference at Government Headquarters, Leong said that the council, the government’s top advisory body, has completed its discussion of the bill, which is to replace the city’s current rules on the arbitration process.The bill

May 18, 2018 | BY admin

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5G launch ‘won’t lag behind neighbours' : CTT chief hopes

Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) Director Derby Lau Wai Meng said yesterday she hoped that the launch of the 5G service in Macau will not lag behind its neighbouring regions.Lau made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony marking yesterday’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day at Macau Tower.When asked by the media about the government’s timetable for the launching of Macau’s 5G service, Lau said that her bureau needed to take

May 18, 2018 | BY admin

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Govt proposes changes to finance leasing rules and its tax benefits

Executive Council spokesman Leong Heng Teng said yesterday that the government has drafted a bill regulating the city’s finance leasing, with the aim of promoting its development.Addressing a press conference at Government Headquarters, Leong said that the council, the government’s top advisory body, has completed its discussion of the bill, which is to replace the existing decree-law on finance leasing which came into force in 1994.The government’s Five-Year Development Plan published in

May 18, 2018 | BY admin

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Puppet show explores humanity, nature, greed with kids

A puppet theatre depicting the relationship between a boy and a tree through the years is set to get the young audience thinking about nature, greed, fairness or unfairness, and acknowledging mistakes.“When all was green” is a 45-minute production by The Key Theatre form Israel that is designed for an audience from age 5 and above. It will have a daily show at 8 p.m. at the Macau Conservatory Auditorium from today until Sunday, as part of the 29th Macau Arts Festival organised by the

May 18, 2018 | BY admin

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Many taxi complaints over past 2 years: tourism chief

Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said yesterday that her office had received a large number of complaints about the city’s taxis from residents and tourists alike over the past two years.Senna Fernandes made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Venetian in Cotai on the sidelines of a seminar of the ongoing three-day Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia) which ends today.Senna Fernandes also said that her office had passed complaints about

May 17, 2018 | BY admin

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