Briefs | Firemen busier during first half of 2018

Data from the Fire Services Bureau (CB) for the first half of 2018 shows that the number of incidents reported has increased 3.6 percent from the same period last year, with 23,161 incidents reported compared to 22,339 incidents in the first six months of 2017. A total of 464 fires occurred, up 1 percent year-on-year. The CB dispatched ambulances 2,064 times, an increase from 2,037 times last year. The CB revealed that the main causes of fire were forgetting to turn off the stove before leaving the house, and leaving burning votive papers unattended, which resulted in 221 incidents. In a statement issued yesterday, the CB noted that “citizens should avoid calling ambulances except as a last resort.”

Man arrested after pouring acid on wife

A man accused of pouring boiling oil and acid on his wife has been arrested while he awaits trial. The judge accepted the proposal of the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), given “the seriousness” of the case, according to a statement issued by the MP. The incident, previously reported by the Times, occurred on July 12 and was allegedly triggered by a disagreement between the couple.

Music Festival kicks off with opera ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’

To commemorate the 170th anniversary of the death of composer Gaetano Donizetti, the 32nd Macau International Music Festival (MIMF) will kick off with the opera ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’. This week, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) released part of the program for the event to be held from September to October. The musicians and groups announced by the IC include the Hagen Quartet, jazz pianist Monty Alexander and Austria’s Camerata Salzburg, together with French violinist Renaud Capuçon. The Macao Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra will jointly present the long-buried original version of Anton Bruckner’s magnum opus, Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, composed in 1887. Tickets for this year’s festival performances will be available for sale in August.