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By the time that many museums are closing, the Macau Wine Museum is keeping its doors open for events such as cocktails, dinners and wine tasting, offering participants a genuine trip through the world of wine. Events taking place at the Wine Museum, organized by the Macau Government Tourist Office, the entity overseeing the museum, or by private initiatives, follow a special tradition. During these occasions, wine takes the center stage. Different kinds of wines are presented for tasting, mainly Portuguese, and, depending on the occasion, the host will take the opportunity to introduce the wines and the museum. “The Wine Museum is a one-of-its-kind place, which has a lot to do with Macau’s multiculturalism”, points out Wine Museum curator, José Braga Gonçalves. In a city with more than 400 years of cultural exchanges, Portuguese wines are the main focus of the Wine Museum, opened in 1995. Wines from the “Country of Grapes”, the Chinese name for Portugal, can be found in any of Macau’s restaurant menus, and are present in official banquets, consumed with Macanese, Portuguese or Cantonese food. A special moment of these nights at the Wine Museum is when wine tasting events take place, an occasion whereby the curator shares some of his knowledge and more of his great passion with the participants. “During the wine tasting, sometimes people ask me really funny questions, like for example, if I became drunk or if I drink a lot of wine”, recounts Braga Gonçalves, who has grown up in a land where wine was produced. Wine tasting is, in fact, part of the Wine Museum’s visiting ritual. At the end of the museum tour, each visitor is invited to choose a wine for tasting, then take a seat and relax.
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The “International Conference on Contemporary Issues in Air & Space Law”, organized by the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM), Administration of Airports Ltd. (ADA) and Institute of Air and Space Law (IASL) of McGill University, Canada, and co-organized by the Faculty of Law of University of Macau and the Institute of Macao Civil Aviation, is being held from 19 to 21 April 2007 at Wynn Macau. The main objectives of holding this Conference are to promote air transport especially air and space law, Macao’s tourism and its MICE image, announced by the organizers. About 100 participants took part in the event. The opening ceremony of the Conference is held in the morning of 19 April 2007, which is presided by the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr. Lau Si Io. Other guests include Director-General of the Department of International Organization and Legal Affairs, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Macao SAR, People’s Republic of China, Mr. Ma Ya Ou, Vice Director-General of Economic Affairs Department of Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao SAR, Mr. Xu Jian Ping, government and industry representatives, among others. The three-day Conference will discuss contemporary issues in Asian air and space; European laws, policies and practices and their impact on air transport; airline, manufacturer and air traffic liability and insurance issues in aviation; finance of aerospace equipment and infrastructure and registration of security interests; government regulation, bilaterals and the liberalization of air transport; emerging issues for airports and air traffic control, aviation safety and security, current issues in space law and policy. The speakers are scholars, government officials and industry experts possessing rich knowledge in aviation who come from McGill University, General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, General Civil Aviation Authority of United Arabs Emirates, International Civil Aviation Organization, Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, Studio Legale Guerreri, Boeing, Philippine Airlines, AACM, ADA and Health Authority of Macau International Airport. Apart from local participation, overseas participants come from 19 countries or areas including Australia, Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arabs Emirates, United States of America and Venezuela. They represent aeronautical authorities, airlines, airports, air services providers, manufacturers, insurance companies, academic institutions, international organizations and academic institutions. McGill University was established in 1824 and is situated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is a distinguished academic institution in the world. The IASL is reputed for its excellence in teaching and research in aviation and has close cooperative relationships with the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association. A city tour will be arranged to allow the overseas participants to experience the mixed cultures of Macao and visit Macao’s World Heritage sites. Sponsors for the event are CAM-Macau International Airport Company Limited, Aeroportos de Portugal SA, Macao Foundation, Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau S.A.R.L., NAV Portugal, E.P.E., Macau Government Tourist Office, CNAC (Macau) Aviation Limited, Air Macau Company Limited, King Power Duty Free (Macau) Company Limited, MCS-Macau Catering Services Company Limited, Focus Facilities Management Limited, Restaurante do Aeroporto Internacional de Macau, Limitada and Menzies Macau Airport Services. The Conference is preceded by the Workshop on Introduction to Air and Space Law which was held from 16 to 18 April at the University of Macau. The workshop was taught by the law professors of IASL and the University of Macau covering air and space law topics on an introductory basis to provide beginners with the fundamental knowledge for attending the Conference.
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The Government is to build about 3,000 public housing flats on Taipa, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, announced today. The site will be on a piece of land near the approach of the Friendship Bridge, which covers a gross land area of some 150,000 square feet. The construction, to be put out to tender later this year, would provide up to 3,000 flats, provided that the apartments are designed with two bedrooms and one living room. Meanwhile, a working group chaired by Mr Lau would submit an initial report to the Chief Executive next week, reviewing all sites suitable for public housing and number of flats to be built, Mr Lau said. Mr Lau was in Taipa and Coloane this afternoon to visit old districts and public facilities on the two islands, where he also met residents and listened to their opinion on urban planning for the neighborhood. He said the Government had plans to turn the old districts of Taipa into pedestrian-only zones and improve the transport network on the two islands.
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Macau Government Tourist Office and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) will present “Thinking Venues: Service and Market Success,” a specialist workshop for hotels and major venues working in the international meetings market on May 10 and 11. Executives and sales and marketing professionals from hotels and congress venues in Macau as well as other parts of Asia will attend the intensive seminar and workshop program to be held at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Center. The program aims to give participants a chance to further develop themselves, as well as their respective venues, into market leaders. The workshop is open for trade participants only. A distinguished group of speakers, including Kuala Lumpur Convention and Exhibition Center CEO Peter Brokenshire, Console Communications – Kuala Lumpur Director Yap Shook Fung, Asia Pacific Financial Services Association (Singapore) Convention Bureau Chairman Sani Kudus, Gary Grimmer and Company in Melbourne CEO Gary Grimmer, Asia Pacific - International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Regional Manager, Jane Vong Holmes and Marriott Intl Asia Pacific global sales– Melbourne former VP Bernadette Dennis, will focus on a broad range of competitive issues like how to find new sources of business, strategic approaches to ensuring success, strengthening sales and bidding processes and building new and powerful partnerships.
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On 23 March 2007, Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau(SMG) signed with the Macau University of Science and Technology an Cooperation Agreement in the area of Atmospheric Remote Sensing in which covers different technical areas from computing, installation of high precision optics components, metal-mechanics and electronic enginnering been holding conferences or workshops are part of it. After contacts with MUST, it will taken place at the headquarters of SMG on days 17 to 19 April 2007 a “Atmospheric Remote Sensing and Lidar Workshop” with about 10 specialists from the Asia/Pacific region. The objective of the workshop is to broaden the cooperation between Meteorological Institutions and Universities and using these meetings to show the importance in cooperating with the universities in the development of interdisciplinary of the technical and scientific knowledge in MSAR besides of a more effective implementation of LIDAR network and have its Central Station located in Macao. Keynote speakers are invited in these area to share the latest results of Lidar Networking, Airborne Atmospheric Elements Measurement, Atmospheric Modeling, and Air Quality Monitoring. An openning session of the workshop will take placed at 10 a.m. on day 18 April 2007 in the Headquarters of the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau located at Taipa Grande.
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Macao police officials held talks with their Shanghai counterparts in Macao this morning to promote co-operation in the fight against drugs trafficking, cross boundary organised crime, and offences connected to the economy and gaming. The Fifth Shanghai Public Security Bureau and Macao Police Working Meeting was led by the Commissioner-General of the Unitary Police Service, Mr Jose Proenca Branco, and the Deputy Director of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, Mr Zhu Ying. The two sides discussed measures to enhance exchanges in preventing and investigating organised crimes related to gambling, drugs trafficking, and economic crimes. The meeting mechanism between Macao and Shanghai police authorities was initiated in 2003 and the two cities take turns in hosting the meeting every year to enhance ties and the exchange of intelligence. Macao's representatives who attended the meeting today included the Director of the Judiciary Police, Mr Wong Sio Chak, and Acting Commissioner of the Public Security Police, Mr Lei Siu Peng.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Tourist Price Index (TPI) for the first quarter of 2007 was 126.68, up by 3.63% over the previous quarter. All the section indices moved upwards. Attributable to price increases of jewellery and watches, the index of Miscellaneous goods rose most significantly by 5.78%. On account of the higher price of air ticket, the index of Transport and communications went up by 3.71%. The indices of Restaurant service and Accommodation increased by 3.66% and 2.90% respectively, due to upward prices of restaurant food and hotel rooms during the Chinese New Year. Compared with the first quarter of 2006, TPI rose by 9.91% in this quarter, with notable increases in the indices of Miscellaneous goods (+18.98%), Accommodation (+14.03%), and Clothing & footwear (+7.84%). The average TPI for the last 4 quarters ended in the 1st quarter of 2007 increased by 9.93% over the previous period. TPI is an indicator that reflects the price changes of goods and services purchased by visitors, which is compiled based on the consumption pattern of visitors derived from the Visitor Expenditure Survey. TPI covers 8 sections of goods and services, namely Food, alcoholic drinks & tobacco; Clothing & footwear; Accommodation; Restaurant service; Transport & communications; Medicine & personal goods; Entertainment & culture; and Miscellaneous goods. The base year of TPI is from July 1999 to June 2000.
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The two-day Fourth China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference, under the theme of “Direct Cooperation in the Fight Against Transnational Crimes”, closed in Macao today. Delegates from 13 countries and regions agreed that concerted efforts of different jurisdictions were crucial in the fight against transnational and transregional crimes. Macao’s Public Prosecutor-General, Mr Ho Chio Meng, said in his closing remarks that during the conference some delegates had pointed out the differences in the legal systems of different countries, information deficiencies and complicated procedures were among the major obstacles to judicial co-operation. He said that only by a serious implementation of international conventions and an effective integration of internal legislations and international conventions could reduce the difficulties in direct judicial co-operation and unite efforts from different jurisdictions in the fight against transnational crimes. He urged prosecution institutions to promote the optimisation of internal law and order and bring it into conformity with the provisions of international conventions.
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Macao will send a working group to Singapore this month to learn from the nation’s extensive experience in this field, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today. Mr Ho, who is in Singapore for an official visit, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong. Macao and Singapore were willing to bolster bilateral co-operation based on the existing foundation, and the island republic is pleased to share its extensive experience in the public housing area, Mr Ho said when he met the press in the afternoon. A working group, headed by the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, would study and establish Macao’s public housing policies, said Mr Ho. He said he hoped that the team could lay out a plan in the near future that would suit Macao’s situation. He said Macao would study the practices of Singapore and Hong Kong, and he hoped that the public could learn from their experience through the mass media, especially its advantages and the responsibilities to be shared by the community. In the morning, Mr Ho and his delegation visited the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He said that Macao would like to promote co-operation with the school and send send civil servants to it at a suitable time. Afterwards, he attended a briefing on Singapore’s integrated resorts projects. Asked by the reporters about the impact of Singapore’s entry into the gaming industry, Mr Ho said he believed that there would not be vicious competition between the two and healthy competition would help promote Macao’s competitiveness. Mr Ho also paid a courtesy call on the Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Ho and his delegation arrived in Singapore last night on the last stop of his seven-day official visit to three countries in Southeast Asia. Mr Ho is scheduled to return to Macao tomorrow.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, today paid courtesy calls on the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Bin Syed Jaafar Albar. Speaking to the press in the afternoon in concluding his three-day visit to Malaysia, Mr Ho said he was pleased with the results of the visit, as both sides have agreed to increase exchanges in tourism, culture and education. He said the Middle East and India were targets of Macao's tourism sector in the future, and Macao could work with Malaysia to develop these markets, in which the latter had extensive networks and experience. Mr Ho also disclosed that the authorities of Melaka have agreed to provide venues for Macao to promote its tourism industry and culture. He also noted that many Malaysian corporations had expressed interests in entering the markets in Macao. Earlier in the morning, Mr Ho attended a trade promotion activity entitled ''Malaysia-Macao Economic Co-operation Seminar'', where the Macau Government Tourist Office signed a memorandum of co-operation with the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. The Macao Chamber of Commerce also signed a memorandum with the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) at the same event. Later, Mr Ho attended a banquet hosted by China's Ambassador to Malaysia, Mr Cheng Yonghua, before leaving for Singapore.
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