News

The FIA Formula One World Championship Race Director and Safety Delegate, Charlie Whiting, accompanied by members of the Macau Grand Prix Committee (CGPM), carried out an inspection of the Guia Circuit today (August 6). Mr. Whiting examined the circuit. Infrastructure, which includes the surfacing of the track starting from July, with the completion of some of the works. Mr. Whiting gave his professional safety advice on the guardrail, metal barrier gates and protective mesh preparation. The Committee will now follow up with preparation work to ensure the event runs smoothly.
This year, the committee will once again refine the location and size of the metal barrier gates, and allocate them to areas which will effectively alleviate traffic congestion after the races each day. In addition, to further enhance safety measures, protective mesh will be installed at some areas to ensure the safety of pedestrians and residents in the case of an incident. The Committee requires high safety standards which meet FIA safety regulations, to ensure a safe environment in organizing the Macau Grand Prix.
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A recent study by the University of Macau (UM) and the University of Massachusetts (UMass) in Lowell has found that smart devices such as iPhones and Google Glasses can be exploited by hackers to steal passwords entered on a smartphone or tablet, including bank account passwords. The collaborative research was conducted by two teams, led by UM Rector Wei Zhao and UMass Lowell professor Fu Xinwen. The research teams have created software that maps the shadows from fingertips typing on a tablet or smartphone. The algorithm then coverts those touch points into the actual keys they were touching, allowing the researchers to crack the password. Researchers tested the software with an iPhone 5, a high definition camera worth USD 72, and a Google Glass. They found that the accuracy reaches 83 per cent when a Google Glass is used and the target is placed three metres away, whereas the accuracy reaches 92 per cent when using an iPhone 5 or a Logitech camera. In both cases the hackers do not need to be able to read the screen. Therefore, if a person accesses his bank account on a smart device in this circumstance, his bank account password will very likely be cracked. Experts suggest that users should set up a long and more complex password for their smartphones or tablets against hackers. This study has been widely reported by the international media overseas, including CNN.
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Consumer Council conducted its first 'Supermarket price survey' in August on 4 August for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Areia Preta and Avenida de Venceslau de Morais in N. Sra. de Fátima Parish. The latest 'Supermarket Price Survey' is now available on Consumer Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM's Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. With reference to the local six parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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The University of Macau's (UM) new campus today (4 August) welcomed its 10,000th visitor since its inauguration in November last year. The visitor was warmly greeted by UM University Council Chair Dr Lam Kam Seng and Rector Wei Zhao with flowers and a souvenir. UM expresses gratitude to all visitors from around the world. The number of visitors reaching the 10,000 mark is testimony to UM's established reputation in Macao and the rest of the world. The 10,000th visitor to UM's new campus is Andreas Winardi, an Indonesian member of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia. He was greeted by UM University Council Chair Lam Kam Seng and Rector Wei Zhao upon arrival on UM's new campus and was presented with flowers and a souvenir engraved with "10,000th visitor to UM's new campus". Dr Lam was pleased that the number of visitors reached the 10,000 mark before the beginning of the new academic year on the new campus. Rector Wei Zhao said that the number of visitors reaching the 10,000 mark is testimony to UM's established reputation in Macao and the rest of the world. He expressed hope that the 10,000 students studying at UM in the future can live and learn cheerfully on the new campus. Andreas Winardi was surprised and excited to learn that he was the 10,000th visitor to UM, adding that he could not wait to tour the new campus. The delegation visited UM's Library, University Hall, UM Guest House, etc. In order to let the general public know more about UM's new campus, UM provides guided campus tours led by PR Student Ambassadors on a daily basis. The tours are four sessions per day at 10:00am, 11:30am, 3:00pm, and 4:30pm. Those who are interested in visiting UM's new campus can make an online registration at the following website: http://www.umac.mo/co/visit_us/visit.php. For enquiries, please contact UM Communications Office at 8822 4335/4336 or email to prs.campus_tour@umac.mo
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, money supply continued to grow in June. As total loans increased at a faster pace than total deposits, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio of the banking sector rose from a month earlier. Money supply Currency in circulation and demand deposits grew 0.3% and 1.6% respectively. M1 thus increased 1.4% from one month earlier. Concurrently, quasi-monetary liabilities rose 2.2%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, increased 2.1% to MOP483.6 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 14.4% and 22.0% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 24.0%, up 0.1 percentage point from a month ago but down 0.6 percentage points from a year earlier. The share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 49.4%, up 0.1 percentage point month-to-month but down 4.3 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits Resident deposits increased 2.1% from the preceding month to MOP473.9 billion. Of which, MOP deposits, HKD deposits and other foreign currency deposits grew at respective rates of 2.8%, 2.3% and 1.2%. Non-resident deposits rose 1.4% to MOP211.8 billion. Public sector deposits with the banking sector also increased 0.5% to MOP88.0 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector grew 1.7% from a month earlier to MOP773.7 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in total deposits were 18.4% and 40.4% respectively. Loans Domestic loans to the private sector increased 3.0% from a month ago to MOP308.5 billion. Among which, MOP86.4 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP196.4 billion was denominated in HKD, representing 28.0% and 63.7% of the total respectively. Analysed by economic sector, "non-monetary financial institutions", "exhibition and conference" and "manufacturing industries" increased at respective rates of 30.7%, 25.6% and 17.2% compared with a quarter ago, whereas "information technology", "education" and "agriculture and fisheries" dropped 4.5%, 1.9% and 1.5% respectively. External loans increased 2.5% to MOP324.8 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 1.7% (MOP5.4 billion) and 21.6% (MOP70.0 billion) respectively. Loan-to-deposit ratios The loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector at end-June rose 0.6 percentage points from the previous month to 54.9%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors also grew by 0.8 percentage points to 81.9%.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, sent a letter to the Central People's Government today to express his concern over the earthquake in Ludian County, Yunnan, and indicated that the Macao Special Administrative Region will make its best efforts to provide disaster relief support. The full text of his letter is as follows: "A 6.5-magnitude earthquake occurred in Ludian County, Zhaotong, Yunnan yesterday, causing serious casualties and property damage for local people. It is a heartbreaking disaster that touches the hearts of Macao people. On behalf of the Macao SAR Government and all Macao residents, I solemnly express our mourning for the fatalities and our deepest condolences to their families, along with our thoughts for those injured in this disaster. "It is noted that the situation of the affected areas is critical due to the high magnitude of this shallow earthquake, the high population density, and the low earthquake-resistance of the buildings. The Central People's Government is currently taking the lead in fully mobilising rescue operations. The Macao SAR will make its best efforts to render assistance in emergency rescue and other disaster relief work, with the hope of enabling victims to return home and resume their normal lives as soon as possible."
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The Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair 2014 (GMBPF 2014) come to a successful close today (3rd August). Not only did exhibitors from Guangdong and Macao register booming sales, but residents also enjoyed the shopping spree. The four-day event recorded over 135,000 visitors. Guangdong and Macao enterprises receive satisfactory results in business matching sessions
This year, four co-operation agreements were signed, including a Memorandum of Co-operation of the 2014 Macau-Jiangmen Famous Products Fair, a Co-operation and Agent Agreement on Wanglaoji Products between Macao and Shenzhen enterprises, a letter of intent on co-operation for energy-saving lighting agent and a letter of intent on co-operation for hotel supplies agent. Moreover, a total of 879 business matching sessions were carried out, involving enterprises from Macao, Guangdong Province (including Guangzhou, Foshan, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Yangjiang and Zhanjiang) and Portugal. The products cover branded food and beverage, products for daily use, household appliances, clothing, porcelain and handicraft. Guangdong and Macao pavilions enjoy booming sales, exhibitors gain fruitful results A total of 284 booths were set up this year, a slight increase compared to last year. The exhibition area covered about 6,000 square metres, comprising of two major areas, namely the Guangdong and Macao exhibition and sales areas. Same as the previous years, the number of visitors during the holiday was higher as more residents and tourists seized the chance to buy their favourite products at a discounted rate while exhibitors also launched different promotions to attract customers. A Guangdong exhibitor who sells different kinds of Guangdong sauces and dressings expressed that Macao residents' consumption power is strong. Since the sales performance of last year was good, they participated in the event again this year with over 100 boxes of goods for sale and the sales was good too. He continued, saying that they expected the products would be sold out very soon. Another exhibitor selling Zisha pot noted that it was their first year to participate in the event, which serves as a test of the market reaction in Macao and helps pave the way for entering the Macao market. They further noted that they also expected to look for co-operation opportunities with Macao enterprises. Regarding the Macao exhibition and sales area, food and household products are the best-selling products. Some exhibitors presented on-site cooking and offered free tasting and sales in their booths while some sought to attract more customers by offering a lower discount rate. Many visitors seized this good chance to buy more products. A resident said that he came here every year and thought that more products could be found this year and dried products, such as dried seafood and red dates, were his must-buy items. Mainland visitor Mr. Li and his family stopped by here to buy some Macao's signature products and model toys during their short stay in the city as he believed that the price of the products here would be cheaper and their quality would be better. Higher visitor flow helps Portuguese enterprises enhance reputation
This year, the Guangdong and Macao Enterprises Procurement Meeting and Shenzhen & Macao Economic and Trade Co-operation Seminar 2014 were organised to provide a platform for economic and trade exchanges. Furthermore, to make better use of Macao's role as a trade and ecnomic service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countires, the Portuguese products exhibition and sales area is set up for the first time this year, dedicated to the sales of Portuguese signature products and food, with preferential incentives provided to agengts of Portuguese products. An agent of Portuguese wine participating in the event said that they joined the event every year and have tapped the Mainland market and a small number of their products are now available for sale in some large supermakets on the Mainalnd. He further noted that they hoped to continue ulitising this platform to enhance their reputation and networking with Mainland merchandisers, thereby expanding their Mainland market. An exhibitor who sells Portuguese food said that they would focus on promoting Portuguese food culture, so they prepared some Portuguese style bread and cakes which are rarely seen in the market. The person-in-charge continued, saying that their sales was good this year and they expected to come back next year. Carnival-style activities receive active response from the general public
The GMBPF 2014 recorded high visitors flow and booming sales while residents showed a strong consumption desire. Both the Guangdong and Macao exhibitors registered strong sales and the four-day event recorded over 135,000 visitors. This year's GMBPF included more leisure and entertainment elements, i.e. the DIY workshops on handmade leather goods and egg-rolls making, which were all well-recieved by the general public. In addition, famous TV cooking show hostess Maria Cordero was invited to be the judge of the cooking competition and hosted the Celebrity Kitchen to buy ingredients on the spot and give live cooking demonstration, attracting many visitors to follow her in buying these ingredients and creating a fun-filled atmosphere. Furthermore, a variety of cultural and arts performances were available at the venue to add a joyous ambience. Brands at GMBPF recieve recognition, online platform helps promote brands
Residents may browse the official website of GMBPF www.guangdongmacaofair.com for information of shops and products of the famous brands available at the GMBPF. From 2011 onwards, the Organisers have utilised the Internet as an extended promotion platform after the conclusion of the event. All information about the exhibitors, their products and relevant images are uploaded onto the website for long term promotion purposes. Meanwhile, the list of winners in the lucky draw will be published on Macao Daily and the official website of GMBPF on 5th August. Since its inception in 2009, the GMBPF has adhered to the development strategies of being an event with characteristics, branded image and international exposure. The Organisers aim to actively develop a favourable trade and business platform for Guangdong and Macao enterprises, and constantly enhance the standard and service quality of the event through market-oriented and professional operation model, thereby enhancing branding effects of the event. Next year will mark the 7th GMBPF, which is scheduled to take place from 30th July to 2nd August 2015.
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The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) is closely monitoring the developments of the situation following the gas explosions that occurred in the city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan, China early this morning. From the information gathered through the Macao Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan and the Macao travel industry, until the present moment, there is no indication that any Macao residents have been affected, and the Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) has not received any request for information or assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call the 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000.
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A multiple gas explosions occured in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, early this morning resulting in many casualties. On behalf of the Macao Government and the residents, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today expressed his deep condolences to victims and relatives of the victims, and sent his sincere sympathies to the injured.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 4.1% quarter-to-quarter to MOP657 in the second quarter of 2014, and the average daily wage of local construction workers was MOP825, up by 4.4%. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers was MOP661, up by 3.3% quarter-to-quarter, of which truck drivers (MOP943), plant operators (MOP864) and structural iron erectors (MOP800) had the highest daily wages, up by 9.4%, 0.3% and 6.2% respectively, while that of iron workers decreased by 10.7%. The average daily wage of unskilled workers was MOP387, up by 2.7%. After discounting the effect of inflation, wage index of construction workers (93.5) increased by 3.1% quarter-to-quarter in real terms, with the indices of concreters & drainlayers and concrete formwork carpenters rising by 16.7% and 8.7%, but that of iron workers falling by 12.0%. Meanwhile, wage index of local construction workers (114.9) increased by 4.4% quarter-to-quarter in real terms. As regards construction materials, average price of concrete increased by 7.8% quarter-to-quarter, at MOP663 per cubic metre in the second quarter of 2014; average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars was MOP5,056 per tonne, down by 1.3%. Meanwhile, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings (128.9) in the second quarter of 2014 increased by 1.3% quarter-to-quarter.
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