US think tank gives Macau clean bill of ‘fiscal health’

A conservative US think tank has given Macau top marks for its “fiscal health.”In its 2019 Index of Economic Freedom report, the Washington-based Heritage Foundation (HF) has given Macau 100.0 on its index for “fiscal health” – the same ranking as Hong Kong. Taiwan was given 91.6, while mainland China’s amounted to 76.0 and Singapore’s to 80.0. The report, which was released last week, points out that Macau’s overall tax burden equals 25.0 percent of total domestic income, while

January 28, 2019 | BY admin

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Legislature passes national anthem bill

The Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday passed a government-initiated bill amending the existing local law on the use and protection of the national flag, national emblem and national anthem.The amendment bill “localises” the country’s National Anthem Law to be applied in Macau, following its inclusion in Annex 3 of the Macau Basic Law as one of the national laws to be implemented in the special administrative region.The bill’s outline was passed during a plenary session of the

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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Sands brings Portuguese ‘fine-casual dining’ to town

Chiado restaurant at Sands Cotai Central is setting a new benchmark to the local Portuguese cuisine scene with Henrique Sá Pessoa, whose restaurant in Lisbon has recently won two Michelin stars.As executive chef at Chiado, Pessoa said the restaurant would serve contemporary Portuguese cuisine in a fine-casual dining environment.The chef said that there are good Portuguese restaurants in Macau but the dishes they serve are “outdated”, so at Chiado, the classic dishes will be prepared and

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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British duo brings pop-up book come to life in theatre

Is it a book? Is it a paper cut-out? Is it a film? Is it projection mapping?“The Icebook” is all of the above combined, and is part of the 18th Macau City Fringe Festival, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC).Created by British couple Davy and Kristin McGuire, “The Icebook” is the world’s first projection mapped pop-up book, and the story is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s tales “The Snow Queen” and “The Ice Maiden”.Artists Andrew Quinn (left) and Edward

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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1/3 of child sex abuse cases last year happened in education institutions: police

One-third of Macau’s child sex abuse cases last year occurred in education institutions such as private tuition centres, Judiciary Police (PJ) Director Sit Chong Meng said yesterday.Sit made the remarks during a Chinese New Year gathering and luncheon for the media at the PJ headquarters in Zape.During yesterday’s gathering, Sit announced the PJ crime figures for last year.Judiciary Police (PJ) Director Sit Chong Meng addresses yesterday’s Chinese New Year media gathering at the PJ

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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St Paul’s Ruins not damaged by drone crash: govt

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said in a statement yesterday that Wednesday night’s incident in which a drone crashed into the Ruins of St. Paul’s did not damage the UNESCO World Heritage-listed monument. According to the statement, IC officials carried out a detailed inspection of the façade of the church yesterday. “After a rigorous inspection, the Cultural Affairs Bureau confirmed that the Ruins of St Paul’s were not damaged” by the crash, the statement said. The statement

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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15 corpses unclaimed last year: report

The Health Bureau (SSM) recorded 15 unclaimed corpses last year, Radio Macau reported this year. According to the report, 12 of the people passed away at the public Conde de Sao Januario Hospital Centre, while three of the unclaimed corpses were handed to the Health Bureau by the Judiciary Police (PJ). In 2017, the Health Bureau recorded 20 unclaimed corpses.PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN OUR PRINT EDITION.

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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Health Bureau records 81 suicides in 2018

The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement this week that it recorded 81 suicides last year, a year-on-year increase of 12.5 percent.According to the statement, 31 of the suicides occurred in the fourth quarter of last year, comprising 24 local residents and seven non-locals. One of the victims was a 12-year-child, the lowest age of any suicide victim since the bureau began to analyse suicide data in 2005.PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN OUR PRINT EDITION.

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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Police arrest 6 for online purchases with stolen card info

The Judiciary Police (PJ) have busted a gang which bought tokens for online games with stolen credit card information, PJ spokesman Leng Kam Lon said in a special press conference yesterday.Six local men and women, aged between 23 and 28, were arrested on Wednesday, Leng said, adding that a 15-year-old local schoolboy involved in the case was taken in for questioning by the police.According to Leng, one of the six suspects, a 27-year-old man surnamed Lao, was recruited by members of a gang on

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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Lawrence Ho slams ‘overreacting’ analysts

Melco Resorts & Entertainment is already sold out for the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays, as its Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Ho Yau Lung downplayed concerns on the outlook in the world’s largest gaming hub.Analysts are “overreacting” in forecasting that gaming revenue will decline in Macau, Ho said in an interview on Wednesday. He said he expected Macau’s gaming revenue to grow to mid- to high- single digit this year. That’s in contrast to a 1 percent revenue decline for

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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Pansy Ho ‘tightens grip’ over SJM: Reuters

Pansy Ho Chiu King, co-chair of gaming operator MGM China, has struck a strategic alliance that boosts her control of rival casino concessionaire SJM Holdings, global newswire Reuters reported yesterday. As reported by The Macau Post Daily yesterday, Shun Tak Holdings announced in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange late on Wednesday that Ho and four other shareholders of SJM’s holding company STDM have agreed to jointly vote their combined 53 percent stake to “more efficiently”

January 25, 2019 | BY admin

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Drone crashes into St Paul’s Ruins

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said in a statement last night that a drone crashed into the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ruins of St Paul’s.A drone is formally known as an unmanned aerial vehicle.The St Paul’s Ruins monument is officially listed as a cultural heritage site. The façade dating back to 1640 is one of Macau’s most popular tourist attractions.After a preliminary check, IC officials confirmed that the monument did not sustain any “obvious” damage in the incident, the IC

January 24, 2019 | BY admin

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Tertiary education office to be elevated to bureau: govt

Executive Council spokesman Leong Heng Teng announced yesterday that the government will elevate the current Tertiary Education Services Office (GAES) to Tertiary Education Services Bureau (DSES).Addressing a press conference at Government Headquarters, Leong said that the council, the government’s top advisory body, had completed its discussion of a draft by-law on the new bureau’s organisational structure and operation.The Tertiary Education Services Office, which was set up in 1992, has

January 24, 2019 | BY admin

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Police arrest Macau-HK ‘couple’ for bogus marriage

The Public Security Police (PSP) have arrested a local man and a woman from Hong Kong for their allegedly fake marriage, PSP spokesman Cheong Heon Fan said during a regular press conference yesterday.According to Cheong, the man in his fifties surnamed Lai works as a commercial driver. The female suspect in her thirties surnamed Lam told the police that she is unemployed.According to Cheong, the woman had applied for residence status in Macau for her and her two children – aged 4 and 9 –

January 24, 2019 | BY admin

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