Gov’t surveillance | Obama signs bill remaking NSA phone records program 

Congress approved sweeping changes Tuesday (yesterday, Macau time) to surveillance laws enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, eliminating the National Security Agency’s disputed bulk phone-records collection program affecting millions

USA | Terror suspect shot dead lunged at police officer, FBI agent 

Police said they have video showing a man who was under 24-hour surveillance by terrorism investigators lunging with a knife at a Boston police officer and an FBI agent before

Greece | Tsipras heads to Brussels to defend deal proposal 

Greece’s prime minister was heading to high-level meetings in Brussels yesterday to try to persuade the country’s creditors to accept a proposal that might unlock much-delayed bailout loans and save the

This Day in History | 1989 Massacre in Tiananmen Square

Tanks rumbled through the capital’s streets late on 3 June as the army moved into the square from several directions, randomly firing on unarmed protesters. The injured were rushed to hospital

Offbeat | UK theme park shut after roller coaster crash injures 4

The owners of Britain’s Alton Towers said yesterday that they don’t know when the amusement park will reopen after four people were seriously injured in a crash between two roller

Real Madrid hires Rafa Benitez as coach

Real Madrid brought Rafa Benitez home as its new coach yesterday, giving him a three-year contract as the replacement for the fired Carlo Ancelotti. Benitez, who began his coaching career

Portugal into Under-20 World Cup playoffs

Portugal swept imperiously into the knockout rounds of the Under-20 World Cup with a 4-0 win over Qatar on yesterday, while Mexico revived its campaign after a woeful opening match

Blatter’s resignation stuns football world

The end for Sepp Blatter came suddenly, just days after he had seemingly solidified his hold on FIFA. The 79-year-old leader of the world’s most popular sport defied global animosity

The latest

SOUTH Africa’s sports minister has denied that a USD10 million payment was a bribe to secure the 2010 World Cup. Fikile Mbalula told reporters in Johannesburg that the government wanted

Sport Views | FIFA reformers must now set their sights on Russia, Qatar

“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death,” Bill Shankly famously said. “I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” The quote, from Liverpool’s

Thursday, June 4, 2015 – edition no. 2327

* ‘The EU needs structural reform’ * MGM favors casino smoking lounges * Coke’s iconic bottle recreated * Over 400 still missing from capsized Yangtze cruise   DOWNLOAD

The Buzz | Slaves who died in 1794 Cape Town shipwreck to be remembered

Amid rain and wind, South African and American researchers held a memorial service for slaves who died when the Portuguese ship that was carrying them into bondage sank while sailing

World briefs

MALAYSIA Two Malaysian boys whose father was a passenger on the jetliner that vanished last year secured an out-of-court settlement in the first legal case against Malaysia Airlines and the

South Africa park where lion killed American stays open

The South African wildlife park where a lion killed an American woman has remained open and is “operating as usual,” an official said yesterday. The park was open to tourists and

Gaming table cap should be revised, economist says

A local economist has said that, in light of the gaming revenue drop, the government should be flexible and allow operators to have more gaming tables than those permitted if

Heritage | Exhibition on Shanghai Portuguese refugees

The exhibition will be inaugurated on June 9 and will feature a selection of over 100 items showcasing the historical background of the Macanese diaspora from around the world, including

Medical societies speak out against court’s conviction of doctors

Medical practitioner associations have voiced their opposition regarding the convictions of two doctors in a medical malpractice case. The medical lawsuit – in which an attending doctor and assistant at the

Gov’t signs protocol with national tourism organization

China’s National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the MSAR government signed a protocol yesterday to set up a joint working committee aiming to accelerate the progress of Macau as it develops

Woman commits suicide in Immigration detention facility

A Vietnamese woman allegedly committed suicide in a detention room at the Immigration Building in Taipa yesterday morning. The 31 year-old woman, surnamed Mai, had been placed at the detention center

Briefs | Talks on sexual education for students with special needs

The Health Bureau (SSM) is holding free hearing screening and testing at the public health centers of Areia Preta and Nossa Senhora do Carmo-Largo, targeting in particular babies not born

Nepalese cyclists’ decade-long world tour stops in Macau

After cycling over 114 countries and regions around the globe, Lok Bandhu Karki and Janardan Khanal made their way to Macau last week. On a mission to “promote the message

Airport passengers increase to 480,000 in May

Over the past month, the airport has maintained its overall passenger traffic growth while the Taiwan market registered a 6 percent increase, and Southeast and Northeast Asia recorded continuous growth.

India’s central bank cuts key interest rate to boost growth

India’s central bank cut a key interest rate by a quarter percentage point yesterday, the third such reduction this year in support of government efforts to boost growth. The latest rate

Corporate Bits | Summer special edition cocktails at Bellini Lounge

Some of the summer specials include the Berry Red Summer made with Gin, Drambuie, Raspberries and Grapefruit Juice, while the Blue Hawaii features Rum, Blue Curacao, Coconut Cream and Pineapple

Iconic impressionist image by Manet up for sale at Sotheby’s

One of the defining images of French impressionism is up for sale, as Sotheby’s auctions Edouard Manet’s “Le Bar aux Folies-Bergere.” The auction house says the painting will be offered at

Mozambique | Event assesses potential of business tourism

An event dedicated to business tourism was set to bring together operators and the public yesterday in the Mozambican capital to assess “the qualities and capabilities” of the sector in

President of Angola to make official China visit

The President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, was invited to pay an official visit to China, which should happen “very soon”, the Chinese ambassador to Angola announced Monday in

Hong Kong | Student group shatters before election-plan vote

At the height of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests, 24-year-old Alex Chow told a 100,000-strong crowd the demonstrations’ student leaders would fight until China dropped plans to curb democracy in the

Hundreds missing after Yangtze cruise ship capsizes

Divers yesterday pulled three people alive from inside a capsized cruise ship and searched for other survivors, state media said, giving some small hope to an apparently massive tragedy with

Afghanistan | Militant attack kills 9 Afghans working for Czech charity

Militants attacked a remote guesthouse and killed nine Afghans working for a Czech charity yesterday, as a new report by Brown University warned that almost 100,000 people have been killed

Migrant crisis | US official calls for Myanmar citizenship for Rohingya 

A senior U.S. official said Monday that resettlement in a third country is not the answer to the swelling tide of boat people in Southeast Asia and called for Myanmar

South Korea | Gov’t reports first 2 deaths from MERS virus

South Korea yesterday confirmed the country’s first two deaths from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome as it fights to contain the spread of a virus that has killed hundreds of people in the

Japan | Solar Impulse waits out weather before takeoff for Hawaii

Ultimately when it comes to adventure, however advanced the technology, the weather holds the trump card. A solar-powered plane attempting to circle the globe without a drop of fuel was sitting

Canada | Judge awards billions to Quebec smokers

A judge has awarded more than $15 billion Canadian (USD12 billion) to Quebec smokers in a case that pitted them against three giant tobacco companies. The case is believed to

Greece | Athens submits draft bailout plan, creditors say not enough

Greece has submitted a proposal for an agreement with its bailout creditors, the prime minister said yesterday, as the country seeks a deal that will unlock desperately needed rescue money. Alexis Tspiras

MACAU DAILY TIMES