Govt to accept social housing applications from Q4

Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosario said yesterday that the government will launch a new round of applications for social rental housing flats in the fourth quarter of this year.Rosario attended a plenum in the legislature’s hemicycle which discussed a debate motion by lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I.The legislature passed Lei’s debate motion last month, which questioned whether the government should immediately recommence the acceptance of applications for

June 21, 2017 | BY admin

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Pedestrian Guia Hill tunnel near Bobo’s enclosure: govt

Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) President Jose Fonseca Tavares said yesterday that a planned tunnel for foot traffic under Guia Hill will be located near the enclosure of ageing Asian black bear Bobo in Flora Garden.Tavares insisted that the government’s plan to transfer Bobo (which means “darling” in Cantonese) to Seac Pai Van Park in Coloane would allow him to enjoy his old age.Tavares made the remarks while speaking to reporters after attending a closed-door meeting of the

June 20, 2017 | BY admin

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Scholar tries 3rd time to get into legislature

Macau Civic Power (ECM) Chairwoman Agnes Lam Iok Fong submitted 500 registered voters’ signatures endorsing her group’s candidacy in the upcoming elections to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Committee (CAEAL) yesterday.The direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on Sunday, September 17.Lam’s list is called Civic Watch.Speaking to reporters at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo, Lam, the assistant dean of the University of Macau’s (UM) Faculty

June 20, 2017 | BY admin

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Chui conveys condolences to Portugal’s president

Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On yesterday expressed his deep sadness and condolences over the many lives lost to wildfires in central Portugal.In a letter to Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Chui said: “I am shocked by the many lives claimed by the devastating fires that hit the Pedrogao Grande region of Portugal.”He also expressed his solidarity with all those affected by the disaster and those battling the wildfires.“I believe that under your leadership, Mr. President,

June 20, 2017 | BY admin

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Portuguese group sets up account for wildfire victims

Local Portuguese community association “Casa de Portugal em Macau” announced yesterday that it has set up a donation account at BNU for the victims of wildfires in and around the central Portuguese town of Petrogao Grande which has killed at least 62 people and injured over five dozen others.The association announced the solidarity action in a message sent to the local media.The message expressed the group’s solidarity with the residents of Pedrogao Grande and conveyed its members’

June 20, 2017 | BY admin

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Govt vows to announce major roadworks beforehand

Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) President Jose Fonseca Tavares said yesterday that from now on the government would always announce details of a major roadwork project at a press conference, before it can get off the ground.Tavares spoke to reporters after attending a closed-door meeting of the legislature’s Follow-up Committee for Public Administration Affairs.The committee yesterday asked officials, including Tavares, to brief its members on how the government intends to improve

June 20, 2017 | BY admin

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NMA gets election clearance without telling public: activist

New Macau Association (NMA) Vice-President Sulu Sou Ka Hou said yesterday that his group’s application for setting up a candidacy nominating committee has already been approved by the government, adding the grassroots activists had decided to announce the details only after everything was settled.The deadline for handing candidacy nomination signatures to the Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Committee (CAEAL) is late this afternoon. The direct and indirect legislative elections will

June 20, 2017 | BY admin

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7 locals hit by luxury bag scam: police

The Judiciary Police (PJ) said yesterday that a woman cheated seven locals out of about 400,000 patacas in a luxury bag scam.According to a PJ spokesperson, the suspect, a local resident surnamed Tam, is a 27-year-old clerk.The spokesperson said the victims asked the police for help early last month because they did not receive the luxury bags they had bought from Tam, or the money they should have received from Tam for the bags that she had “purchased” from some of the victims.PLEASE READ

June 20, 2017 | BY admin

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IPM to raise ratio of mainland freshmen

Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM) President Lei Heong Iok said yesterday that his institute would increase the ratio of freshmen from the mainland to up to 20 percent of each intake, starting from the academic year 2018/19.Lei spoke to reporters on the sidelines of the institute’s commencement ceremony on its campus in Zape.The government said early this year that the Ministry of Education in Beijing has allowed that the city’s public tertiary education institutions up to 20 percent of

June 20, 2017 | BY admin

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Group to carry out study on ‘Macau Spirit’

Local think tank Macau Development Strategy Research Centre said yesterday that it would carry out a study on local residents’ perceptions of “Macau Spirit” – a concept that has been mentioned, according to the think tank, by a number of state leaders.The think tank yesterday organised a forum with the topic of “The Implementation of the One Country, Two Systems Principle, Promoting Macau Spirit”, at Macau Tower. The think tank has organised the annual forum since 2002 about how to

June 19, 2017 | BY admin

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Worker dies in Grand Lisboa Palace accident

A male construction worker from the mainland died yesterday after falling from a height of eight to 10 metres on the construction site of Grand Lisboa Palace in Cotai, the Fire Services Bureau (CB) said in a statement yesterday.In a statement yesterday, the Judiciary Police (PJ) identified the victim as a 47-year-old non-resident worker surnamed Tang. The police said Tang was rushed to the public Conde de Sao Januario Hospital Centre where he was pronounced dead after emergency

June 19, 2017 | BY admin

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Forum divided over govt plan for Chinese lessons in Putonghua

Macau Forum guests speakers and audience members yesterday had starkly different opinions about conducting Chinese lessons in Putonghua in local schools.The forum is a weekly public debate programme run by government-owned broadcaster TDM, which is held every Sunday in Areia Preta Park.Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) officials discussed Putonghua education for schoolchildren on a TDM current affairs radio phone-in programme on June 7.Guest speakers and audience members attend TDM’s

June 19, 2017 | BY admin

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Legislature passes sex crime bill

The Legislative Assembly (AL) has passed a government-initiated amendment bill on sex crimes listed in the Macau Penal Code, which is slated to take effect 60 days after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO).The bill was passed during a plenary session on Friday.The new piece of legislation includes a separate category for sexual harassment with the offence now being listed as a semi-public crime.Legislative Assembly (AL) President Ho Iat Seng (right) presides over Friday’s plenary

June 19, 2017 | BY admin

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CAEAL & CCAC join WeChat to promote elections

The Legislative Assembly Election Affairs Committee (CAEAL) and the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) will launch their official WeChat subscription accounts today to provide residents with information about the upcoming elections, according to a statement by the committee yesterday.The direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 17.The statement said the committee and the commission created their accounts to promote clean elections and encourage residents to vote.

June 19, 2017 | BY admin

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