MGM bets on ‘more-affluent’ mainland customers

HONG KONG – MGM Resorts International is counting on a growing number of affluent mainland Chinese customers to drive revenue at its upcoming Cotai property, as it strives to catch up with an industry rebound in the special administrative region.The Las Vegas-based company’s US$3.3 billion resort in Cotai, its second property in Macau that is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter, aims to cater more to the mass-market gambler than the exclusive high-rollers crowd, according to CEO James

August 15, 2017 | BY admin

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Fujian culture-fest to promote B&R Initiative

The Macau Citizens Federation will hold its annual Macau Fujian Cultural Festival to promote Chinese tea culture and, for the first time, the nation’s Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, the federation’s Chairman Sze Lee Ah said yesterday.Addressing a press conference about the festival at the Golden Court restaurant in Iao Hon, Sze said his group wanted to promote the country’s traditional tea culture to tourists and residents.The festival will take place from Friday to Sunday in Iao Hon

August 15, 2017 | BY admin

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Union wants govt to replace health vouchers with SVCs

The government should issue stored value cards (SVCs) to all permanent residents for its Healthcare Subsidy Scheme, instead of giving them new vouchers every year, Macau Federation of Trade Unions Vice President Leong Sun Iok said yesterday.Leong is a candidate in next month’s direct legislative election.Leong also urged the government to adjust the amount given out in the scheme and not to give the vouchers an expiry date.Leong made the remarks yesterday on the sidelines of an event

August 14, 2017 | BY admin

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Martial arts, lion dance well-preserved in Macau

The four-day 2017 Macau Wushu Master Challenge ended yesterday, attracting hundreds of wushu (“martial art”) masters from across the world to join in various wushu competitions, and display Chinese martial arts and traditional lion dance.Indeed, behind all of the hustle and bustle of shopping malls, casinos, hotels, and must-go tourists spots, traditional Chinese martial arts and lion dance are well-preserved in Macau, with many local residents sticking to their tradition of practicing

August 14, 2017 | BY admin

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Depression in Macau more prevalent than in HK, mainland: survey

Over 30,000 residents may be in need of mental health services, according to a survey conducted by the University of Macau (UM), which also showed that depression in Macau is more prevalent than in Hong Kong and the mainland.Citing the findings of the survey, a UM statement released on Friday said depression was most prevalent among women throughout their lives, senior citizens (aged over 65), and middle-aged men. The findings show that key correlates of depression are unemployment, divorce,

August 14, 2017 | BY admin

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Govt reassures public over data security in Alibaba deal

A senior public servant from the Government Headquarters Support Services – a government entity supporting the operation of the Chief Executive Office (GCE) and the five policy secretariats – reassured the public during yesterday’s Macau Forum that Alibaba Group will not have access to the data stored in a cloud computing data centre that is to be set up in the city under the government’s recent cooperation deal signed with the mainland-based e-commerce giant.The weekly open-air debate

August 14, 2017 | BY admin

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Most rogue cabbies are young: group

Macau Taxi Sector Federation Chairman Wong Peng Kei said yesterday that most of Macau’s rogue taxi drivers are youngsters who joined the sector in recent years.Wong made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a forum hosted by think tank Macau Wisdom Convergence Network in a sitting-out area in Fai Chi Kei. The open-air forum was about how local taxi services can be improved.Wong said that while there are some rogue taxi drivers in Macau, such as those refusing to pick up

August 14, 2017 | BY admin

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Local maths Olympiad squad wins gold

Five boys and a girl, all high school graduates, formed the local squad which took part in the “world cup” of maths in Brazil last month and came home with a gold medal – and five received a certificate of honourable mentions.With a history that dates back to 1959, the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the largest, oldest and most prestigious international maths contest for high school pupils.This year, the contest was held in Rio de Janeiro from July 12 to 23 with a total of

August 12, 2017 | BY admin

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Legislature passes landlord-tenant bill

The Legislative Assembly (AL) finally passed a bill jointly initiated by nine lawmakers which aims to tackle disputes between landlords and tenants, slated to come into effect 180 days after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO), during a plenary session last night.However, the legislature rejected an article in the bill which proposed that the chief executive could have placed a cap on rent increases based on certain conditions.The rejected article proposed a coefficient-based “rent

August 11, 2017 | BY admin

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Group urges govt to halt cooperation with Alibaba

The grassroots New Macau Association (NMA) urged the government yesterday to halt its cooperation with Alibaba Group until the details of its “Framework Agreement of Strategic Cooperation on Smart City Development” are available for “public scrutiny”.The government signed the deal with Alibaba last Friday to develop Macau into a smart city, by using Alibaba’s big data processing capabilities to enhance the quality of the city’s public services, according to a government

August 11, 2017 | BY admin

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Man, 66, kills wife, 71 after row over flat sale: police

A 66-year-old local man killed his 71-year-old wife with a cleaver and a pair of scissors on Wednesday after they had a heated argument earlier this week over the possible sale of their flat, the Judiciary Police (PJ) said yesterday, adding that the couple had been quarrelling for years over the percentage of money the man would get from the possible sale of their flat near the Barrier Gate border checkpoint.PJ spokesman Tam Weng Keong revealed details of the case during a special press

August 11, 2017 | BY admin

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4th local dengue case confirmed: govt

he Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday confirmed the fourth locally-infected case of dengue fever this year.An SSM statement identified the victim as a 27-year-old local man living in Rua da Praia do Manduco.The bureau’s Public Health Laboratory confirmed yesterday that the patient has been infected with grade II dengue fever, the statement said.PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN OUR PRINT EDITION.

August 11, 2017 | BY admin

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8 nabbed for Cotai loan sharking: police

Eight mainlanders were caught on Tuesday for alleged loan sharking in casinos in Cotai, a Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson said yesterday.According to the spokesperson, all the suspects, including two females, are members of a criminal gang in Jiangxi province. The suspects are aged from 27 to 45.The spokesperson said when the Public Security Police (PSP) were investigating an alleged illegal inn case in a residential flat in Taipa on Tuesday, they chanced upon the suspects, a number of

August 11, 2017 | BY admin

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Beijing mulls new preferential policies for Macau people

BEIJING – The central government is considering a series of new preferential policies for Hong Kong and Macau residents, an official with the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council said this week.The central government has listed nearly 50 concerns of Hong Kong and Macau residents who live, study and work in the mainland, ranging from social insurance application and education access to job opportunities and tourism services, said the official who asked not to be named.Hong

August 11, 2017 | BY admin

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