Briefs | Paul Schrader joins festival jury

Veteran U.S. screenwriter and director Paul Schrader will be a member of the Macau International Film Festival’s jury. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Schrader will join the panel which includes Chen Kaige (president), Hong Kong filmmaker Mabel Cheung, Indian actress Tillotama Shome and Australian producer Paul Currie. Schrader’s career includes screenwriting credits for several classic Martin Scorsese films, including “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull” and “The Last Temptation of Christ.” The film festival will take place between December 8 and 14.

30 evacuated due to blaze

A blaze at R. de Horta e Costa yesterday led to the evacuation of approximately 30 people. The incident was first reported to the Fire Services Bureau (CB) around 6:30 a.m. The fire occurred in a 3-storey building near the Mercado Municipal Horta da Mitra. The fire alarm was triggered on the second floor of a restaurant.  No injuries were reported and the CB reported that the cause of the fire is still being investigated.

STDM to operate Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal

The Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau, S.A. (STDM) will operate the Macau Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal, according to an executive order published yesterday in the Official Gazette.  Earlier, three companies were invited to submit a tender for the ferry terminal’s operation.  STDM offered the highest monthly remuneration at 1,8 million patacas, against the 350,000 patacas of CSI group and the 500,000 patacas of CCCC Third Company of Macau Limited.  Previously in 2011, the local government had decided not to renew STDM’s contract.

Radio Taxi submits tender for 200 special taxis

Macau Radio Taxi Services Limited (Radio Taxi) submitted a tender for the operation of an additional 200 special taxis over an eight-year period. All of these taxis have to be electrical vehicles. Currently, Radio Taxi is operating 100 special taxis, with the company hiring approximately 170 drivers. About 35 percent of service requests were answered by Radio Taxi, with passengers successfully picked up. The company expressed confidence in winning the tender. The tender session closed at 5 p.m. yesterday. Radio Taxi believes it can break even by operating 200 more taxis.

PSP expands again

The Public Security Police Force (PSP) is expanding its labor force again, following their last expansion on November 1 last year.  This expansion will result in PSP having a total of 6,027 staff members. Among them, the number of police officers on the basic level, including sheriffs and deputy chiefs, will increase by 379 more people to 5,859, representing a 7 percent growth. One more chief of police and one senior level superintendent will be appointed. The deputy superintendent will work with an additional eight people.

200 demand to move into affordable houses in 2018

On Sunday, a group of 200 residents held a demonstration expressing their request to move into affordable houses. These residents are candidates who have been on the waiting list of the affordable house project Edifício do Bairro da Ilha Verde. The group wants to move into the building within the year. Due to Typhoon Hato last year, the government announced that the building would undergo half-year long repairs. This year, the government once again announced a maintenance scheme for the project due to the course of Typhoon Mangkhut.