No surprises at Jackson Hole

The annual Jackson Hole* 2-day economic symposium, attended by central bankers, policymakers, economists and academics, ended on Sunday. The title this year was “Fostering a Dynamic Global Recovery”.Janet L. Yellen, chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, kicked off the symposium by giving a speech entitled “Financial Stability a Decade after the Onset of the Crisis”.To the disappointment of all, Yellen did not drop any hints on how soon the Fed Fund rate will be

August 31, 2017 | BY admin

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Group wants to turn ex-info bureau into civic centre

The Ban Ying District Welfare and Mutual Help Association yesterday urged the government to convert the former premises of the Government Information Bureau (GCS) into a community service centre.The five-storey building next to Sao Domingos Church in the city centre has been mostly empty for 11 years since the info bureau moved to its current premises in China Plaza.Ban Ying district in Cantonese refers to Rua de S. Domingos and Rua dos Mercadores and their surrounding areas.The association

August 31, 2017 | BY admin

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Galaxy says ‘lessons learnt’ from Typhoon Hato

Gaming operator Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) last night announced in a statement a list of benefits for its staff members during typhoons, saying that the company and its employees had learnt an important lesson after Typhoon Hato slammed into Macau last Wednesday.The statement came a week after Typhoon Hato hit Macau causing severe flooding, cutting off power and water supplies in the city. As the city dealt with the aftermath of Hato, namely severe flooding caused by a storm surge, Galaxy

August 31, 2017 | BY admin

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Police probe 2 more typhoon ‘rumour mongers’

Two local women were taken to the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters yesterday for questioning about their alleged spreading of rumours concerning the aftermath of Typhoon Hato on WeChat, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Yeung Sau Chan said at a press conference.According to Yeung, one of the suspects, surnamed Pun, is 63 years old while the other suspect, surnamed Lei, is 49 years old. Both are unemployed.The police announced on Monday the case of two local senior citizens who allegedly

August 31, 2017 | BY admin

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Govt doesn’t bar non-local reporters: official

The local government has not intentionally banned any reporters from outside Macau from entering the city to report on the aftermath of the Typhoon Hato disaster, Victor Chan Chi Ping, the government’s chief spokesman, said yesterday, adding the government’s position was to welcome all non-local journalists to come to the city for news gathering.Chan made the remarks during a special press conference about the government’s ongoing disaster relief measures for the Hato aftermath. The press

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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Govt raises subsidy for Hato-hit businesses

Economic Services Bureau (DSE) Director Tai Kin Ip said yesterday the government had decided to raise the subsidy for businesses affected by Typhoon Hato from 30,000 patacas to 50,000 patacas after listening to opinions from the Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM) and a number of other commercial associations.Tai made the remarks during a special press conference about the government’s ongoing disaster relief measures in the aftermath of Typhoon Hato.At a special press conference on Thursday, Tai

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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Hato fells, damages 23,500 trees: govt

Typhoon Hato battered the city last Wednesday and caused severe flooding that left piles of rubbish in the streets, shattered countless windows, damaged numerous cars and uprooted and damaged over 20,000 trees.The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) said in a statement yesterday that due to the monster typhoon at least 10,000 trees have been uprooted, about 4,000 have been severely damaged and about 9,500 have sustained moderate damage.According to the statement, initial estimates show

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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‘Songs of Lear’ axed due to CCM typhoon damage

Slated for next month, “Songs of Lear” has been cancelled by the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) as the complex has been temporarily closed due to major damage caused by Typhoon Hato that pummelled the city last Wednesday.Cancellation notices have been put up on the centre’s website, informing the public that due to the damage caused by the killer typhoon, the centre “has to remain temporarily closed until further notice”.The cancellation of the September 10 performance of “Songs of

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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Over 200 buses damaged by Hato flooding: official

With the city’s children returning to school at the end of their summer holidays from the end of this week, the city’s traffic jams look set to worsen since 23 percent of the city’s public buses were damaged by the massive flooding caused by a storm surge which coincided with Typhoon Hato last Wednesday, Chang Cheong Hin, who heads the Transport Management Division of the Transport Bureau (DSAT), said yesterday.Chang made the remarks during a special press conference about the

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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Police say seniors ‘not arrested’ over typhoon rumours

The Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday denied media reports that two senior citizens had been “caught”, “detained” or “arrested” for allegedly spreading rumours about the aftermath of Typhoon Hato on WeChat.According to a PJ statement sent to the Portuguese-language radio channel of government-owned broadcaster TDM, the duo – a 73-year-old local resident and his 68-year-old sister – were merely “contacted” by the police who were gathering information about the alleged spreading

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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Mainland trio cheat woman in jade scam: police

Three mainland men were arrested on Thursday for allegedly cheating a woman in a jade scam in June, a Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson said yesterday.According to the spokesperson, the victim is a 50-year-old mainland woman, while the three suspects are also from the mainland.The first suspect’s surname is Wang while the second suspect is surnamed Luo. The third suspect’s surname is also Wang. The spokesperson said the two Wangs are not related.The spokesperson said the victim met the

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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Group urges govt to review its disaster coordination

Macau Jiangmen Communal Society Vice Chairwoman Lo Choi In yesterday urged the government to review its disaster coordination system.Deadly Typhoon Hato descended on Macau last Wednesday, killing 10 and injuring over 200.Addressing a press conference about how Macau should prepare itself for natural disasters in the future at the group’s headquarters in Zape, Lo pointed out that serious flooding has affected the Inner Harbour area and Patane district for many years, slamming the government

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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BNU offers loans for typhoon victims

Local Portuguese lender BNU announced in a statement yesterday the launch of a loan programme to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individuals affected by Super Typhoon Halo which hammered Macau last week.According to the statement, the bank will support SMEs through several types of loans for different purposes such as operating cash flow, equipment purchase and shop decoration expenses, with a preferential interest rate and up to 30 months grace period for principal

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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Gastroenteritis cases rise ‘significantly’ after Hato: govt

Health Bureau (SSM) Centre for Disease Prevention and Control Director Lam Chong said yesterday that the number of patients seeking treatment for gastroenteritis at Kiang Wu Hospital has risen “significantly” after Typhoon Hato hit Macau last Wednesday, adding that the possible cause for some of the patients to have come down with the disease was that they ate food that had been kept at temperatures higher than recommended.Lam made the remarks during a special press conference about the

August 30, 2017 | BY admin

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