Govt releases list of 558 protected trees

The government published yesterday a list of 558 officially protected trees in the Official Gazette (BO). The complete list of “old and valuable” trees was released in the form of an executive order issued by Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On.  According to the Cultural Heritage Protection Law, trees which are at least 100 years old, are particularly valuable species, have a particular or special appearance, or are of historical or cultural significance, are classified as

October 6, 2016 | BY admin

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Urban planner urges govt to draft overall city plan asap

Local urban planner Rhino Lam Iek Chit yesterday urged the government to draft a blueprint for an overall city plan as soon as possible.Lam, a member of the government-appointed Urban Planning Council, made the appeal during a group interview in Luís de Camões Garden.Last week, the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) released the proposed legal conditions for the eastern part of the reclaimed Zone B off Nape. The bureau proposes that government buildings be erected in an area of

October 5, 2016 | BY admin

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Portuguese education minister to visit next week

Portugal’s Education Minister Tiago Brandao Rodrigues will arrive in Macau for a two-day official visit next Wednesday, the Portuguese-language radio channel of government-owned broadcaster TDM reported yesterday. According to Radio Macau, the minister won’t meet up with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa during his stay here since the latter will leave for Guangzhou that day. Costa will attend the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation

October 5, 2016 | BY admin

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Group urges govt to release details of how associations spend subsidies

New Macau Association (NMA) activists urged the government yesterday during a press conference at the grassroots group’s office in Nam Van to release details of local associations’ spending of all the subsidies they receive from the public coffers. Addressing the press conference, NMA President Scott Chiang Meng Hin elaborated on the reasons why his group is urging the government to release the details on a regular basis.Chiang pointed out that his group proposed a so-called “three

October 5, 2016 | BY admin

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Unions oppose ban on off-duty gaming staff entering casinos – insist gambling is a human right

Two small trade unions yesterday voiced their opposition to the government’s proposed ban on gaming workers entering casinos during their leisure time, insisting that gambling is a human right. The two groups, the Macau Democratic Action Association and the Macau Bar Benders Association, yesterday held a press conference about their stance on the proposed ban, at their joint office in Areia Preta.The Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ) said in July it was studying the

October 5, 2016 | BY admin

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Woman steals chips worth HK$92,000 in guestroom

A mainland woman was arrested on Sunday for allegedly stealing chips worth HK$92,000 from a mainland man, a spokesperson for the Judiciary Police (PJ) said during a special briefing yesterday.The spokesperson said the suspect, surnamed Fu, is a 35-year-old businesswoman and overstayer.According to the spokesperson, the suspect met the victim in a Cotai casino resort hotel, where he was staying, at about 1 a.m. on Sunday.Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded theft suspect from the PJ

October 5, 2016 | BY admin

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Li to arrive for 3-day stay on Monday: official

Premier Li Keqing will arrive for a three-day inspection tour of Macau on Monday, Xinhua said in a brief dispatch yesterday.It will be Li’s first official visit to Macau.The national news agency also said that during his stay Li will attend the opening ceremony of the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. Premier Li Keqiang raises his glass during the 67th National Day reception at the Great Hall of

October 4, 2016 | BY admin

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Functions of possible municipal body won’t overlap with IACM: official

Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said yesterday that the functions of a possible non-political municipal organisation will not overlap with those of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM).Chan announced in November last year she expected a new non-political municipal organisation to be set up in 2017.Chan made the remarks on the sidelines of the local panda twins’ 100th-day birthday party yesterday, saying that either the bureau would be abolished once the

October 4, 2016 | BY admin

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Former Radio Macau director dies

Alberto Alecrim, a former director of Radio Macau, passed away yesterday, government-owned broadcaster TDM reported. According to the report, the 84-year-old retired media worker died after a prolonged illness. Alecrim, who later worked for the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) until his retirement, was born in Porto in 1932. He was captured by the Indian army when it invaded the then Portuguese-ruled Goa in 1961. He settled in Macau in 1965 where he took the helm of Radio

October 4, 2016 | BY admin

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Activist slams proposed ban on off-duty gaming staff entering casinos

Local activist Lei Kuok Keong, a former gaming worker, yesterday criticised the government’s proposed ban on gaming workers entering casinos during their leisure time.Lei, who heads the Macau Youth Dynamics group, made the comments during a group interview in Iao Hon.The Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ) said in July it was studying the feasibility of banning gaming employees from entering local casinos during their free time. The bureau said it was also analysing whether such

October 4, 2016 | BY admin

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4 groups incl Pearl Horizon buyers march on Oct 1

Four groups, comprising three small trade unions and the Pearl Horizon Condominium Owners United Association, and a lone protester demonstrated on Saturday – National Day.The Public Security Police (PSP) said in a statement after the protests had finished that about 900 people participated in the marches, of which about 600 were from the Pearl Horizon Condominium Owners United Association.The three trade unions were the People Power union, Macau Bar Benders Association and Macau Democratic

October 4, 2016 | BY admin

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Residents celebrate Kin Kin & Hong Hong’s 100-day birthday

Several dozen residents joined a string of activities held by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) in Coloane’s Seac Pai Van Park to celebrate the 100-day birthday of locally born baby panda twins Kin Kin and Hong Hong yesterday.Kin Kin and Hong Hong, the twins’ names in Cantonese, mean “healthy” when combined as “kin hong” in Chinese.Their Putonghua names are Jian Jian and Kang Kang. They are the first giant pandas born in Macau. Keepers show the twin panda cubs Kin

October 4, 2016 | BY admin

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59 taxi breaches in 1st 2 days of Golden Week: police

In the first two days of the mainland’s National Day Golden Week holiday, the Public Security Police (PSP) and the Transport Bureau (DSAT) recorded 59 cases of cabbies violating the law, according to a PSP statement yesterday.Official figures showed that 37 cabbies were fined for overcharging and 17 for refusing to take passengers. The two kinds of violations amounted to 54 cases, or 88 percent of the total. In addition, the police fined 18 unlicensed taxis, among which 17 involved

October 4, 2016 | BY admin

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Police don’t intend to ‘hide from media’: Wong

Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said yesterday the police didn’t have any intention of “hiding from the media”, when asked whether it was appropriate that the police informed the media two hours after receiving a call that a bomb had been put in a casino-hotel –which turned out to be false alarm.Wong made the comments while speaking to reporters at the Macau Chamber of Commerce in Zape where he attended a reception to celebrate National Day.According to local Chinese-language media

October 1, 2016 | BY admin

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