BRIEFS | Int’l Fireworks Display Contest program update

The 26th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest will take place on the Macau Tower waterfront today, as well as on September 13, 20 and 27 and on China National Day (1 October). Due to transportation delays, today’s fireworks display by Croatia’s Mirnovec Pirotehnika has been rescheduled to 10.10 p.m. on September 20. The fireworks show presented by French company SODIP Pyrotechnie has been postponed from 13 September to 10.10 p.m. on 27 September. Due to the above changes, there will only be one fireworks display today and on 13 September, starting at 9 p.m.

Chinese Culture Minister visits Macau

The Chief Executive Chui Sai On received the Chinese Minister of Culture, Cai Wu, at the Government Headquarters on Saturday. The pair discussed issues which were centred upon the development of Macau’s cultural industries. Mr Chui expressed his gratitude towards the Ministry of Culture for its support of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau in organizing the ballet performance “Haojiang Moonlight Night – Finding my Heart’s Shangri-La”.  He also said that the ministry has supported Macau’s cultural industry development since the sovereignty handover around 15 years ago. In return, Mr Cai congratulated Chui Sai On on his re-election and said that the aim of this trip to Macau is to discuss future cultural exchange and collaboration, especially on how to support the diversification of Macau.

Macau loses 1-3 to Hong Kong in Interport football match

Macau has lost 1 – 3 to the visiting Hong Kong under-23 football team in the 70th Hong Kong Macau Interport that took place on Saturday at the Macau Stadium. Hong Kong scored the first goal 17 minutes after the match started. The team from the neighboring SAR scored another two goals before the Macau player Leong Ka Hang was able to deliver a goal from midfield. Leong admitted that luck played a role in his goal. The coach of the Macau team, Leung Sui Wing, commented that the three lost points were largely due to his team’s own mistakes. “Apparently, during the second half [of the game] when it was not that hot, Macau players […] regained their confidence. The opponents are professional players after all. They are stronger than us in terms of power and other aspects,” he said. Despite losing the game, the coach was very satisfied with the fighting spirit the Macau team displayed during the match.

Seven face loan sharking and kidnap charges

Coercive measures have been applied to seven suspects in a loan sharking and kidnapping case, following an investigation carried out by the Public Prosecutions Office (MP). The seven individuals cannot enter any Macau casinos or contact victims and their family members. Seven individuals from mainland China, aged between 24 and 34 years old, approached four gamblers in different casinos and loaned them between HKD50,000 and HKD300,000 with a 15 to 20 percent interest rate for each bet. The victims, accompanied by the seven individuals, gambled to only lose their bets. The individuals withheld between HKD40,000 and HKD160,000 belonging to the victims, also forcing them to stay in a hotel room until they returned the money. The prosecutor recognized there was sufficient evidence of loan sharking and kidnapping crimes, and applied coercive measures that were later accepted by the court. The case was referred back to police authorities for further investigation.

IAS predicts food bank project to continue

The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) president Iong Kong Io revealed that the food bank program currently run by Caritas Macau will likely continue after it expires at the end of this year. “From my prediction and observation, the consumer prices are still high. There is still a need for the temporary food subsidies program to continue,” he said. Mr Iong acknowledged that the program has provided effective support for lower-income families and alleviated the pressure on them. IAS will conduct a review on the program’s operation and decide on any necessary adjustments to the program. “We feel that this program has helped a lot of low-income families. We are going to discuss with Caritas regarding the operation in the previous year,” the president said. “I believe that there is a great chance for the program to continue. However, it is only September now. We need another one to two months to talk with Caritas (…) and make a decision to renew the program,” he said.