Briefs | Region ranks fifth in Asia-Pac broadband access

Macau has ranked fifth for access to fixed broadband services in 2015 in the new report of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).  According to the study, titled “State of ICT in Asia and the Pacific 2016: Uncovering the Widening Broadband Divide,” 29.1 percent of the region’s residents subscribed to such services last year. The study highlighted that the gap between developed and developing countries in fixed broadband access is widening, thus targeted policy interventions should be taken in order for the trend to change.  ESCAP’s latest report has shown that nearly 75 percent of such subscriptions in Asia and the Pacific are driven by East and North-East Asia. Topping the list were South Korea (40.2), Hong Kong (31.9), New Zealand (31.5) and Japan (30.5) and Macau.

Man halts bus after it skips stop

A man stepped in front of a bus on Sunday night in order to stop it after the driver attempted to skip the bus stop at Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida, according to a report by Jornal Va Kio. The driver said the bus was already full with passengers, which led him to skip the stop. The man and the driver then argued for about 15 minutes until the police arrived to handle the situation. One driving lane was temporarily jammed. The man eventually got on the bus that he had stopped.

Dog tests considered unfair

The Vice-President of the Society for the Protection of Animals Macau (ANIMA), Chan Hon Keong, has deemed the latest Civic and Cultural Affairs Bureau (IACM) test for dogs to be unfair. The lack of fairness stems from the fact that upon collecting the test results, the IACM makes the decision of whether dogs should wear a muzzle or not, according to a report by Jornal Cheng Pou.  Tests such as whether a dog makes  eye contact have been included in the set of criteria.  Chan claims that it is unnecessary for average family pets to meet such high standards. Chan also highlighted that dogs who do not show aggression might become aggressive if they are forced to wear the muzzle.