1. hobbies and interests
2. games
3. gambling

fri 31.10.2014
gov’t
issues
‘ultimatum’
to yellow
taxi
company
survey: asia finds money
brings happiness
Q&A
Emerging Asian nations are finding
out what developed ones did years
ago: money — and the stuff it buys —
brings happiness
China’s leg of the 'Festival Premiers
Plans d’Angers', a film festival taking
place annually in Angers, France, is
coming to Macau
P2
european cinema in
town tomorrow
P12
1
P20
FRI. 31
Oct 2014
T. 24º/ 29º C
H. 60/ 90%
N.º 2182
Blackberry email service
powered by CTM
MOP 5.00
HKD 7.50
FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho
“ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ”
WORLD BRIEFS
BLOOMBERG
CHINA-INDIA China’s
Defense Ministry
cautioned New Delhi
yesterday over Indian
plans to construct 54
new border posts along
an eastern stretch of
their disputed frontier.
Spokesman Yang
Yujun said China urged
India to do more to
maintain peace and
stability in the area and
“not to do things that
may complicate the
situation.”
SINGAPORE Three gay
men lost their fight to
overturn Singapore’s
ban on sex between
males, as judges at
the nation’s highest
court ruled that the
76-year-old law is
constitutional. Kenneth
Chee and Gary Lim
(pictured), the couple
who challenged the
ban, said they are
“deeply disappointed”
and hope parliament
will consider their
case. The “decision is
a terrible setback for
homosexual people
in Singapore who
want to live their lives
like everyone else,
without government
interference,” New
York-based Human
Rights Watch said.
Macau Foundation hands
over millions to celebrate
MSAR anniversary
P4
Lawmaker
links youth
dissatisfaction
with lack of
future prospects
P3 MDT REPORT
S KOREA A South
Korean military court
sentences six soldiers to
up to 45 years in prison
for bullying and beating
a subordinate who died.
Military prosecutors
said the soldiers bullied
the victim regularly
for about a month,
and struck him in the
chest and forced him to
swallow a chunk of food
that lodged in his throat
before he died in April.
More on backpage
INSIDE
2
MACAU
31.10.2014 fri
澳聞
Gov’t issues ‘ultimatum’ to
yellow taxi company
editorial
Paulo Coutinho
Mahjong, Hong Kong, CY Leung
“Now Hong Kong people are to run Hong Kong; that is
the promise and that is the unshakeable destiny.”
Governor Chris Patten, farewell speech, July 1, 1997
T
O be rich is glorious,” didn’t Deng Xiaoping say, although he meant it.
In 1992 in his famous tour to the South to give a renewed
and resolute impulse to the lagging economic reforms,
as the legend goes, Deng took a firm look at fiery Macau
from the other side of the border in Gongbei, amazed at
the marvels of capitalism on Chinese soil: to be rich is glorious. If not Deng’s words, they turned out to be the Chinese paramount leader’s motto to squash ill-intentioned
leftists re-born in the aftermath of Tiananmen, and to drive China on a path of unseen growth for decades to come.
Historians are still arguing about who actually spelled
out those words, but, for me, the myth is no more: CY Leung said it last week, in other words, “democracy would see
poorer people dominate (the Hong Kong) vote”. (And that
would be catastrophic.) So: to be rich is glorious not only
because of the intrinsic wealth, but because, fundamentally, the rich are entitled to political power. Because they
are richer, as opposed to poorer.
Democracy therefore is a burden. The formula one-person-one-vote – if left alone to serve its ultimate purpose
without any provisions to “protect” the glorious few – is
dangerous to harmony. That is simple demographics, economics 101.
Something’s not right in this line of thought.
In every established democracy the big-money elites are
by definition already dominant in any more-or-less liberal
society. They lobby, they fund and in cases they are able
to “make” winning political leaders. So, sociology 101,
they’ve already got the power: access to power, influence
to power.
The fundamentals of representative democracy are intended exactly at re-balancing the power between the inglorious masses and the glorious few.
And something’s not politically correct in this line of
thought. CY Leung dares to contradict mighty Deng, Communist Deng, who notably said in the nineties, “The minority yields to the majority!”
So, when asked the Occupy Central 101 question by a
30-something executive from Hong Kong – are you yellow,
grey or blue? – I said: As a journalist and an editor, I must
say I’m grey, because in those positions I can’t get emotional and lose objectivity when my mission is laying out
facts by answering the 5w+h key-questions of journalism
101. Now, if I have to state my opinion, that is a different
story and my answer is as bright as the color: Yellow.
This taking-sides situation propelled by Occupy got me
thinking about Macau’s answer, as a whole. I mean, what
would be the city’s true color? I think, grey. Macau is a
political grey – exceptions just confirm the rule. That is
not necessarily bad, it shows a lot of Deng-fashion pragmatism. But this “greyism” contains its dangers.
Example.
Comes the time when a simple, prosaic, old habit like,
say, playing mahjong is in the line of fire. Didn’t see that
coming?
Well, it’s already happening on the mainland as we report on p10: “Beijing has told public officials not to spend
too much time playing the ancient game of mahjong when
they are meant to be engaging in Communist party activities such as brushing up on their ideology or reviewing
party discipline.”
That is what Occupy Central is all about: the little things.
www.macaudailytimes.com.mo
MDT’s Website has logged over
81 million page views
since January 1st, 2012 up to today.
Thank You!
Like us? facebook.com/mdtimes
Catarina Pinto, João Pedro Lau
T
HE Macau government has
issued an “ultimatum” to
Vang Iek Radio Taxi, the company behind the city’s yellow
taxi operations: the company
should start providing only diala-cab services or it will be required to cease its current operations after November 6.
Vang Iek’s license was extended in February for an additional nine months, under specific
conditions. These included an
agreement that the company
would run 40 of their taxis normally, taking passengers within
Macau’s streets, while 60 vehicles could only run a “dial-acab” service.
However, citizens have complained of difficulties in getting
a yellow taxi both on the street
or via call center.
The company’s license expires
on November 6, but they have
failed to reach a consensus with
the government so far. The director of the Transport Bureau
(DSAT), Wong Wan, clarified
the government’s stance on
the issue yesterday. He stated
that Macau’s administration
is demanding that all Yellow
Taxis should operate on a diala-cab basis as of November 6
otherwise they will be asked to
cease operating.
Wong Wan said that Vang Iek
has complained of difficulties in
running an operation only based
on dial-a-cab services, as even
today they are not able to run all
100 taxi licenses due to the lack
of manpower. “The company
said that they cannot survive
[providing only services on-call],
so they’ve asked us to implement
a special fee,” Wong Wan said.
However, a special fee poses
several issues, he explained,
since the amount might depend
on the clients’ desired pick-up
location. He hinted, for instance, that dialing a cab from Coloane would be different than
dialing a cab in Macau, where
the company might have more
vehicles available.
Wong Wan did not disclose the special fee amount that
Vang Iek has proposed. He hinted that the government does
not rule out this option, but said
the matter needs to be further
assessed, and society needs to
provide an opinion too.
DSAT’s head assured that black taxis, which can also operate
on a “dial-a-cab” basis, is ready
to operate some of its vehicles
as a replacement for yellow taxis’ dial-a-cab service.
He recalled that 200 new black taxi licenses have been granted, which could come in handy
to overcome any service disruption if Vang Iek ceases its operation. These new taxis are due
to start operating in March, but
he said it might be possible to
bring it forward to January.
The Secretary for Transport
and Public Works, Lau Si Io,
revealed yesterday that he has
already called on DSAT to work
on a plan B to replace yellow
cabs with other taxis, if the
company can no longer operate
after November 6.
MGM net revenues decline
M
GM China Holdings’ net revenues reached approximately HKD6.2 billion in this
year’s third quarter, representing a two percent decrease compared to last year, when the
company’s net revenues accounted for HKD6.3
billion. The gaming operator revealed in a press
release that its market share remained at approximately 10 percent.
The group said it recorded another solid quarter for their main floor table game business. Table win was up 34 percent year-on-year. However, VIP turnover decreased by 19 percent yearon-year, “consistent with the market trend,”
it said. Slots handle increased by five percent,
whereas slot revenues decreased by seven percent year-on-year due to lower hold. “As of the
quarter end we had half of our tables allocated to
the main floor which drove approximately 75%
of our profit,” the operator said.
Furthermore, it said that the operator’s adjusted EBITDA was up 14 percent year-on-year reaching HKD1.8 billion.
Hotel rooms at MGM Macau reached an occupancy rate of 98.8 percent in the third quarter.
It added that the revenue per available room increased 11 percent to HKD2,254.
MGM China’s CEO Grant Bowie said in a statement that the company is focused in upgrading
product offering and expanding its costumer base.
Those, according to him, “will be the keys to maintain our position in this competitive market while
we are preparing for the opening of MGM Cotai.”
DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF_Paulo Coutinho paulocoutinho@macaudailytimes.com
MANAGING EDITOR_Paulo Barbosa paulo.barbosa@macaudailytimes.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS_Eric Sautedé, Leanda Lee, Severo Portela
CHINA & FOREIGN EDITOR_Vanessa Moore vanessa@macaudailytimes.com
DESIGN EDITOR_João Jorge Magalhães magalhaes@macaudailytimes.com | NEWSROOM AND CONTRIBUTORS_Albano
Martins, António Espadinha Soares, Brook Yang, Catarina Pinto, Cyril Law, Emilie Tran, Grace Yu, Irene Sam, Jacky I.F. Cheong, Jenny
Philips, João Pedro Lau, Joseph Cheung, Juliet Risdon, Keith Ip, Renato Marques (photographer), Richard Whitfield, Robert Carroll
(Hong Kong correspondent), Rodrigo de Matos (cartoonist), Ruan Du Toit Bester, Sandra Norte (designer), Sum Choi, Viviana Seguí
| ASSOCIATE CONTRIBUTORS_JML Property, MacauHR, MdME Lawyers, PokerStars | NEWS AGENCIES_ Associated Press,
Bloomberg, Lusa News Agency, MacauHub, MacauNews, Xinhua | SECRETARY_Yang Dongxiao amy@macaudailytimes.com
controlling shareholder
reports unexpected loss
MGM RESORTS International reported a
third-quarter loss as casino revenue declined in
the U.S. MGM, the largest owner of casinos on
the Las Vegas Strip, said its net loss shrank to
USD20.2 million, or 4 cents a share, from $22.3
million, or 5 cents a year earlier. Excluding onetime items, the loss was 2 cents a share.
A MACAU TIMES PUBLICATIONS LTD PUBLICATION
ADMINISTRATOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Kowie Geldenhuys kowie@macaudailytimes.com
SECRETARY Juliana Cheang juliana@macaudailytimes.com
ADDRESS Av. da Praia Grande, 599, Edif. Comercial Rodrigues, 12 Floor C,
MACAU SAR Telephones: +853 287 160 81/2 Fax: +853 287 160 84
Advertisement advertising@macaudailytimes.com
For subscription and general issues:
general@macaudailytimes.com | Printed at Welfare Printing Ltd
send newsworthy information and press releases to: newsroom@macaudailytimes.com website: www.macaudailytimes.com.mo
ISSN 2305-4271
fri 31.10.2014
MACAU
澳聞
3
Local youth dissatisfaction linked
to lack of future prospects
João Pedro Lau
L
AWXMAKER Si Ka
Lon said that many of
the demands currently
being made by the public for change are connected
to the housing problem in Macau. He also believes that the
increasing number of young
protestors on the streets is motivated by a lack of clear future
prospects.
The lawmaker spoke to the
media on the sidelines of a Macau University of Science and
Technology (MUST) public lecture in which he shared with
students his views on the recent
trend of social movement.
In his observations, many of the
demands residents have actually
voiced revolve around housing.
“From the housing problem
come many other issues. Therefore, the root [of the demands] is
in fact housing,” he said.
Moreover, the lawmaker pointed out that residents are hesitant towards the authorities
because it controls most of the
Si Ka Long
society’s resources, especially
financial resources, given that
it is taxing the casino operators up to 40 percent of their
gaming revenue. Nevertheless,
it failed to properly utilize the
windfall.
“I always said that the government failed to think about the
future and create more possible
‘way-outs’ for society or to invest. It only let the money idle,”
he said.
In terms of the increasing
dissatisfaction experienced by
younger residents, Mr Si said
that the administration should
create a future outlook for young people through regional cooperation or by allowing Macau
to have its own industries.
“Since we only have one dominating industry, [young people] cannot see their future…
The government has already
proposed a lot of ideas such
as transforming Macau into a
world-class tourism and leisure
centre, as well as the platform
and centres for the Lusophone
countries and China. However,
the government still does not
provide a proper blueprint for
these ideas since they were suggested. There were only slogans
coming out in these few years,
but what about the blueprint,”
he said.
The lawmaker reckoned that
the younger generation does
not require the government to
provide a lot of support, but at
least to tell them its blueprint
for the MSAR’s future development, and what pathways they
will be able to choose after they
finish their studies.
Furthermore, Si Ka Lon believes that it is normal for young
people to express their opinions
through personal actions such
I always
said that the
government
failed to think
about the future
and create
more possible
‘way-outs’ for
society
SI KA LON
as marching on the streets instead of requiring lawmakers to
represent them. He also suggested that the authorities should
better engage with the civil organizations in Macau. The organizations, he thinks, should
also become more proactive in
“doing their jobs” instead of solely relying on the financial support from the government.
GAMING ALERT
Melco Crown drop undercuts analysts’ buy calls
by phone or e-mail outside of normal business
hours in Macau yesterday.
Melco may post a 7.1
percent slide in sales and
a drop in net income when
it reports third-quarter
results on Nov. 6, accor-
Belinda Cao
F
OLLOWING the consensus view has proven
to be a losing strategy for
investors in Melco Crown
Entertainment Ltd.
Twenty-one of 23 analysts had a buy rating on the
Chinese casino operator
a year ago. Since then,
the company’s American
depositary receipts have
dropped 23 percent to
USD26.15. That’s 32 percent below the analysts’
average price projection
set 12 months ago.
Analysts
have
been
caught off guard by the
duration of a Chinese
government crackdown
on corruption that has
curbed spending by high
rollers in Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub.
Casino revenue has also
been squeezed as a faltering property market
is pushing the economy
toward the slowest expansion since 1990. Analysts
have cut their 2014 sales
estimates for six Macau
casino operators by an
average of 6 percent, with
Melco’s revenue being re-
Signage for The Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd.’s City Of Dreams is
displayed outside the resort in Macau
duced the most, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
“The length of China’s
anti-corruption campaign
caught me by surprise,”
Bryan Maher, a senior
research analyst at CraigHallum Capital Group
Ltd. said in a phone interview from Minneapolis.
“Melco is very concentrated in Macau compared
with peers which have
operations in other places, so anything that happens in Macau will affect
its performance,” said
Maher, who has had a buy
rating on the stock since
April 2013.
Melco, controlled by
Lawrence Ho and Australian billionaire James Packer, has lost 33 percent
this year in New York trading, compared with a 3.2
percent gain in a Bloomberg index of the most-actively traded Chinese
companies in the U.S.
Maggie Ma, a spokeswoman for the Hong Kongbased company, couldn’t
be reached for comment
2012. Analysts have on
average cut the 2014 sales
figure by 11 percent this
year.
China’s clampdown on
corruption and lavish
spending, started in late
2012 after President Xi
Melco is very concentrated
in Macau compared
with peers which have
operations in other places,
so anything that happens
in Macau will affect its
performance
BRYAN MAHER
ding to the mean estimate of at least six analysts
surveyed by Bloomberg.
That follows a 26 percent
plunge in adjusted earnings per share in the second
quarter amid a slump in
high- stakes gambling
volume, the first decline
since the third quarter of
Jinping took over the
Communist Party, has
hit the big spenders who
contributed more than
60 percent to Macau’s
gambling revenue. These
high rollers now look to
bet outside the city, the
only place in China where
casino gambling is legal,
boosting overseas casinos
from Manila to Las Vegas.
“Mainland China and
Hong Kong account for
almost 90 percent of all
visitors to Macau, making
the casino market extremely sensitive to changes
in China,” Brian C. Miller,
an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said
by e-mail. The austerity
drive “has caused wealthy Chinese gamblers to
reduce/avoid trips to Macau leading to a downturn
in gross gaming revenue
that began in March and
has worsened since. October is expected to be the
worst month yet.”
Nineteen of 27 analysts
covering Melco still have
buy
recommendations,
data compiled by Bloomberg show. Maher at CraigHallum Capital, who has
a price target of $48, says
the company’s stock is poised to rally as it is on track
to open new facilities. Ken
Chen of Bank of China
Ltd., the only analyst to
forecast the Melco selloff
last year, raised his recommendation to hold in
November. Bloomberg
4
MACAU
31.10.2014 fri
澳聞
Macau Foundation hands
over millions to celebrate
MSAR anniversary
Paulo Barbosa
D
URING the third quarter
of the year, Macau Foundation granted subsidies worth
MOP348.2 million to a variety of
educational and social organizations. According to a notice published in the Official Gazette this
week, the largest amount went to
the Macau University of Science
and Technology (MUST), which
received a total of MOP89.7m. Of
that, MOP27.2m was to support
the sports installations of the
university and the rest to be used
on educational activities, and in
MUST’s hospital.
Other major beneficiaries of
Macau Foundation subsidies
in the last quarter include the
Women’s General Association
of Macau, which was granted
MOP20m to fund the first stage of the Fu Luen School building works. The Macau General Union of the Neighborhood
Associations (known as “Kai
Fong”) and the Taipa Residents
Association are also investing in
schools. The first received MOP5.1m (plus MOP11.2m to support the annual plan) and the
second MOP4.8m to build or
renovate schools. In the educational sector, the City University
received MOP8m, and the University of Saint Joseph MOP4m.
A large amount of support was
given to several institutions to organize events celebrating MSAR’s
15th and the PRC’s 65th anniversary, with the Macau Youth Federation receiving MOP4m, the
Chinese Cultural Exchange Association MOP3.2m, and the Macau Federation of Trade Unions
MOP1.7m for that purpose, with
the latter receiving an extra MOP
ad
Macau Foundation headquarters
20.2m for other activities.
An association that is listed
in the Official Gazette only
with the Chinese name 澳門月
刊讀者公益慈善會 (translated
as the Macau Monthly Readers Charitable Association)
cashed in MOP1.3m to produce the album “Brilliant Years,”
also related with the celebrations, and the International
Institute of Macau was granted
MOP1.5m to mark the MSAR’s
anniversary abroad. The Macau Buddhist Center Association
received MOP3.6m as a first installment to support the “Buddhist
blessing ceremony of return of
Macau to the motherland.” Newspaper “Macau Presente” was
granted MOP720,000 to publish
a supplement about the MSAR’s
15th anniversary.
Other recipients of FM sub-
sidies include the Macau International Brand Enterprise
Commercial Association, which
was given MOP4.5m to organize the Macau Shopping Festival
2014, to be held in December.
Caritas Macau received MOP
3.8m to support community
work with the elderly and the
disabled. The Fujian Fellow
General Association was granted MOP3.5m to support its
annual plan. The Holy House
of Mercy was given MOP3.6m
to organize joint activities with
Bambu Sociedade de Artes at
Albergue SCM.
Casa de Portugal received support for its activities totaling
MOP3.6m and the A-Má Goddess Foundation MOP4.5m to
host a tourism festival.
Finally, the students who won
FM scholarships were given a
total of MOP7.3 million to continue their studies.
report questioned funding criteria
IN JUNE 2012 the Audit Commission (CA) released a report
slamming the Macau Foundation
(FM) for not exercising stricter
inspections on subsidized organizations, resulting in over subsidies
and repeated subsidies financed
by public funds. The CA accused
the FM of only conducting casual
reviews of the subsidized bodies’
written accounts, without careful
verification of the data, “that constitute relatively higher risk from a
supervisory point of view.”
Jaime
Carion
retires
after health
problems
T
HE Director of the Land,
Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT), Jaime Carion, is retiring after
working 36 years as a public
servant due to a health problem, he told reporters yesterday.
Mr Carion clarified that it
was not a decision taken on
the spur of the moment, as he
has been facing health issues
for the past two years. Although he accepted the Secretary for Transport and Public
Work’s invitation to continue
as DSSOPT’s head two years
ago, Jaime Carion agreed he
would leave office upon completing 36 years of work.
Reviewing his performance as a public servant, Jaime
Carion assured that he tried
his best, while also trying to
balance different interests within the department.
Reviewing some of the hardest moments while in office, Carion recalled that the
construction industry faced
challenges when the economy was not as vigorous as
it is now.
He recognized that the Ao
Man Long case has affected his department, dubbing it “the shadow of Ao
Man Long.” “Some of our
staff have shown concern
about this matter. But I have
always suggested that as long
as we have a clear conscience, we should have nothing
to fear,” he said.
Jaime Carion has been
working as a civil servant
since the 1980s. DSSOPT’s
current deputy director,
Chan Pou Ha, will be replacing him temporarily as of
tomorrow. CP
fri 31.10.2014
澳聞
New hotel trains employees
to cater mainland guests
João Pedro Lau
T
HE senior management
of JW Marriott Macau
and the Ritz-Carlton
Macau said that the local human resources issue is
currently a challenge for the two
hotels. They are expected to open
first all-suite hotel
in the world
VICE PRESIDENT Rauf Malik
said that one of the highlights of
Ritz-Carlton Macau is that it will
be the first all-suite hotel in the
world. This means that all rooms
will include a living room. The
JW Marriott in Macau will also be
the largest of the Marriott hotels
in the Asia-Pacific region. He
believes that both of his hotels,
which cater for affluent clientele
and MICE (meeting, incentives,
conference, exhibition) market
guests, will yield high returns for
stakeholders.
in the first half of next year. Both
general managers also revealed
that they have provided special
training to cater for the needs of
various types of guests, including
those from mainland China.
Speaking on the sidelines of a
cocktail party, Rauf Malik, vice
president, operations of both JW
Marriott Macau and Ritz-Carlton
Macau, said that the two hotel
projects currently under construction in Cotai are “happening
in the right direction”. He said
that senior management personnel at both hotels are working
hard to attract Macau-based
specialists to work there so that
they can hire as many locals as
possible.
Mr Malik also dismissed the
recent downturn in local gaming
revenue as a short-term issue, as
he did with the protests currently
taking place in Hong Kong. “I
think with China really booming
and Chinese travelers really enjoying Macau, we are not going
to have an issue”, he said.
Meanwhile, Brian Tong, the
Rauf Malik, vice president, operations
of JW Marriott Macau and Ritz-Carlton
Macau
general manager of JW Marriott
Macau, believes that recruitment
has always been a challenge in
Macau. With other new resorts
reaching completion in the upcoming years, he believes that recruitment is always competitive.
As is the case with vice president Malik, Mr Tong said that
they are trying to maximize their
local recruitment. “This is our
key focus because we want the
locals from other properties to
come to us and really learn about
the luxury service standard. As
you know, there are so many
hotels in Macau, but the service
standard is still behind”, he said.
Moreover, the general manager said that they offer special
training and workshops to employees on how to cater to guests
from the mainland. He said that
the training sessions will allow
his associates to understand the
Chinese culture and the cultural
differences to which they have
not been exposed to before.
Meanwhile, the general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Macau,
Juan Samso, revealed that 80
percent of the people already recruited for the upcoming hotel
are locals. He said that they are
looking for employees with passion. “With passion and knowledge and good training, [we can]
develop good leaders for the future”, he said.
MACAU
5
EDP and China
Three Gorges
set up company
in Macau
Portuguese electricity company
EDP (Energias de Portugal)
and its largest shareholder,
China Three Gorges, will be
establishing a company based
in Macau to operate dams in
Africa and Latin America. Each
company will have a 50 percent
interest in the new enterprise,
a source told Lusa news
agency. Located in Macau, the
company will be investigating
business opportunities in
the global market which
relate not only to energy, but
also to the construction and
design of small or mediumsized hydroelectric projects.
The companies signed an
agreement on Monday during
the president of China Three
Gorges’ first visit to Portugal.
The protocol outlines the
need for the development of
business in the hydroelectric
sector, particularly in African
and Latin American countries.
China Three Gorges is a stateowned Chinese power company
that became EDP’s major
shareholder in 2012, having
paid EUR2.7 billion to acquire
21.3 percent of the Portuguese
company’s capital.
ad
BUSINESS
分析
Pooja Thakur and Chong Pooi Koon
B
ERJAYA Corp. is considering selling shares in
a unit in Singapore and
seeking joint ventures in
casinos in North Asia as the Malaysian conglomerate expands outside its home market.
Listing its environment services
division will spur growth in the
business, without depending on
funds from the parent, founder
Vincent Tan said in an interview
in Singapore Wednesday. Berjaya’s interests range from shopping malls to lotteries, and it’s
looking for a partner for a South
Korea gaming project and wants to join a consortium in Japan
should it legalize casinos.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe sees casinos as a way to bolster the economy as backers of a
bill to permit them say gambling
resorts would boost tourism. Casino operators are considering investing billions of dollars in what
could become Asia’s second-largest gaming hub after Macau.
Casinos are “no longer a very lucrative business unless you go to
some countries like Japan,” Tan,
62, said. “Lots of casinos still focus on high rollers but the mass
market is still very big.”
Berjaya has 100 acres of land in
Okinawa prefecture and it can be
used for a gaming resort should
the government decide to open
one there, Tan said.
Kuala Lumpur-based Berjaya
has spun off at least three units
since the start of 2013, including
convenience store operator 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd. and
L
ENOVO Group announced the completion
of its acquisition of Motorola Mobility from
Google Inc. yesterday in a move aimed at making
the Chinese computer maker a global smartphone brand.
The USD2.9 billion purchase adds to a flurry
of acquisitions and initiatives aimed at transforming Beijing-based Lenovo, the world’s biggest maker of personal computers, into a major
player in wireless computing.
Google bought Motorola Mobility in 2012 for
$12.4 billion but appeared to decide quickly the
purchase was a mistake. It sold its set-top operations to Arris Group Inc. for $2.35 billion and
its smartphone assets, along with some 2,000
patents, to Lenovo.
Lenovo chairman Yang Yuanqing said when the
purchase was announced in January that it would help transform Lenovo into a global competitor in smartphones.
Motorola’s smartphone models include the
Moto X, Moto G, Moto E and the DROID series.
The unit’s headquarters are to remain in Chicago. Lenovo is taking on some 3,500 Motorola
engineers, designers and other employees worldwide, including 2,800 in the United States.
Motorola’s sales in Asia, Latin America and
the U.S. would have boosted Lenovo’s global
ranking, Kiranjeet Kaur, a Singapore-based
analyst with IDC, said yesterday.
“If the deal had closed by now, they would have
been in the No. 3 spot,” Kaur said of Lenovo.
Lenovo was surpassed in the quarter by Xiaomi, which surged into third place after more
than tripling shipments to 17.3 million units,
taking 5.3 percent of the world market, International Data Corp. said. Both Lenovo and Xiaomi
have headquarters in Beijing. AP/Bloomberg
BLOOMBERG
Berjaya mulls Singapore
IPO of unit, seeks casino
ventures
Lenovo wraps up
purchase of Motorola
phone unit
Billionaire Vincent Tan, founder of Berjaya Corp
Berjaya Auto Bhd., a distributor
of Mazda Motor Corp. vehicles
and auto parts.
Its environment services division operates sanitary landfills in
Malaysia and China, according to
the company’s website. It was also
granted a 25-year concession to
develop and operate a wastewater
treatment plant in China’s Guangdong province. Tan didn’t give a
timeframe for the planned listing.
Tan, who holds a majority stake
in Welsh soccer club Cardiff City,
said he will invest in a Los Angeles
-based Major League Soccer club,
Channel NewsAsia reported We-
dnesday. The investment will be
announced in the next few days,
the report said.
Berjaya is still keen on getting
Malaysia’s second casino license,
having submitted an application
in the past, Tan said. For decades,
Genting Malaysia Bhd. has run
the country’s only gaming resort,
located on a hilltop near Kuala
Lumpur. The government hasn’t
given any indication it will grant
another permit.
“We are interested in Malaysia,”
Tan said. “We will still try. We
don’t have a habit of giving up, so
we will wait.” Bloomberg
BLOOMBERG
6
31.10.2014 fri
Lenovo Chief Executive Officer Yang Yuanqing
corporate bits
sands brings australia's cullen wines to copa steakhouse
Sands Macao is bringing Australia’s Cullen wines to Copa
Steakhouse Wednesday, Nov 5.
Wine lovers will not want to miss
the chance to enjoy freshlyprepared, distinctive courses
paired with five Cullen wines, including three that have
scored over 91 points by renowned American wine critic
Robert Parker, in a one-night-
only dinner presented by Links
Concepts.
Diners will sample a five-course gourmet menu that includes: Coffin Bay Oyster Kilpatrick paired with Cullen Mangan
Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2010; Duo of Grilled Moreton Bay Bug and Barramundi
Fillet with Lemon Myrtle Beurre
Blanc paired with Cullen Kevin
John Chardonnay 2010; Grilled
Australian Waygu Beef with
Caramelized Red Onion and
Mushroom Risotto paired with
Cullen Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot 2010 and Cullen Mangan 2010; Rosemary Crusted
Rack of Lamb with Bean Ragout paired with Cullen Diana
Madeline 2010; and finally for
dessert, Berries Pavlova with
Passion Fruit Coulis.
Grown on a certified biodynamic, carbon neutral and naturally powered estate, all Cullen
wines are harvested by hand on
fruit and flowered days according to the astrological calendar.
With no additions of yeast, acid
or malolactic, the Cullen wines
are in this sense natural wines
which express the place and
land on which they are grown.
big four coming to the venetian macao for third time
Cantopop stars Big Four will
perform for one night only at
The Venetian Macao’s Venetian Theatre on Friday, Nov. 21
with its WOW An Evening date
with Big Four. Tickets go on
sale today.
The band’s return to The
Venetian Macao is part of a
weekend of superstar entertainment at the integrated resort. Sunday, Nov. 23 will also
see the return of boxing icon
Manny Pacquiao, as he takes
on the undefeated Chris Algieri
at Clash in Cotai II. Tickets are
still available.
Both events give visitors a
chance to experience live entertainment while enjoying the
convenience of The Venetian
Macao’s selection of shopping
and dining choices.
Formed in 2009, Big Four is
made up of friends Dicky Cheung, Andy Hui, William So and
Edmond Leung. The Hong Kong
actor-singers are set to entertain
the Macao audience this November with WOW An Evening date
with Big Four, a concert filled with
their greatest hits, including “Big
Four,” “Powerless to Help,” “The
Pain of Men,” and “Man Should
Not Make Woman Cry.”
fri 31.10.2014
分析
BUSINESS
7
REAL ESTATE MATTERS
Top 20 Questions On Renting A Property In Macau - Part 4
Renting an apartment can be a traumatic experience
(A version of this article was published in January 2012)
PROJECT POKER
Juliet Risdon is a Director of JML Property and a property investor.
Having established the company in 1994, JML Property offers
Investment Property & Homes. It specializes in managing
properties for owners and investors, and providing attractive and
comfortable homes for tenants.
www.JMLProperty.com
info@JMLProperty.com
With sales prices at a record high,
most people arriving in Macau for
the first time are looking to rent
a property rather than make purchase.
Here are the final 5 top questions
we are asked by tenants;
5. Can a landlord charge a fee
for late payment of rent?
Yes.
According to Macau Law, when a
rent is late by more than 8 days,
the landlord is entitled to add a
late payment penalty equivalent
to 50% of the rental amount.
Should a rent remain outstanding
for more than 30 days, the late penalty may be increased up to 100%.
4. Can a landlord increase
rent anytime?
Only if the tenancy agreement
allows them to do so.
Under normal circumstances, the
landlord can only increase the rent
within the terms and conditions of
the tenancy agreement.
If the agreement stipulates the
rent and the term of the tenancy,
but does not specifically state that
Juliet Risdon
the rent can be reviewed during
the term of the agreement, then
the rent cannot be increased.
nd, their location and their history, and see what you can deduce
from that.
3. Will the Landlord pay my
agent?
It is unlikely.
In each transaction, there is
usually an agent representing the
tenant and an agent representing
the landlord.
The agent has the responsibility to
look after their individual client’s
best interests.
You are paying your agent, and the
agent should therefore represent
your best interests.
The owner should pay their own
agent, and in turn their agent
should represent the best interests
of the owner.
1. Does the Landlord maintain a property inside and
out?
It is the responsibility of the landlord to keep the property in a safe
condition, and the responsibility
of the tenant to keep the property
in the condition in which it is handed over.
Many Macau owners will only
provide a turnkey tenancy. In
other words, once the key is handed over, the apartment is the entire responsibility of the tenant.
On the other hand, tenants often
feel that it is the responsibility of
the landlord to fix every issue in
an apartment, even a consumable
issue such as a light bulb.
In reality and in the absence of
any special clauses in the tenancy
agreement, the owner is responsible for ensuring that the property
is SAFE to inhabit, whilst the tenant is responsible for keeping it
in the condition in which it was
handed over.
2. Do I expect the Landlord to
be around for the long-term?
This is a difficult question to
answer.
Few owners will divulge their true
intentions when it comes to property.
You can ask for a brief outline of
the owner such as their backgrou-
BY CHAD BROWN
Strategy tip: Playing live tourneys
When playing in a live tourney that
has a good structure, this would be a
strategy that I would apply: assuming
that there are many amateurs in the
field, I really like to play small ball.
The reason for this is that I will be
able to be in many spots where I just
have way the best of it. So I don't want
to risk losing a lot of chips when I feel
I have small edges. An example of this
would be to flat a raise when you have
ace-king. Many times your opponent
will be dominated and if you reraise
you would be making them fold. Now
the times when they have a big pair,
you might get reraised, or even if they
call you are making the pot bigger and
putting more of your chips at risk vs
flatting the raise, keeping the pot small
and giving yourself a chance to win a
very nice pot if say your opponent has a
weak ace and the ace hits the flop.
These tourneys are not won on Day
1. Patience is what is needed. Another
benefit with this is how your table
image will be for the late levels of the
day. You now have credit to three-bet
when the blinds are big without a big
hand and just take it down.
Here is an interesting hand that happened to me late on Day 1 in a WPT
tourney. Four players limped, I raised
on the buttong with 7◊8◊. The big
blind called, as did all the limpers.
The flop was A◊6◊2◊. I flopped the
flush. The big blind leads out. The
other players fold. I raise it, and the
big blind calls.
The turn paired the two. The big
blind checked, I bet, and the big blind
shows K◊5◊ for the nut flush...and
open folds. I couldn't believe it, but
one reason he did was because of the
credit I earned throughout the day. He
came to the decision I wasn't bluffing.
Thirty minutes had gone by, and he
finally asked me in front of the table
if I would tell him what I had. I said I
wouldn't tell him what I had, but promised him i wasn't bluffing.
He thanked me and said he thought I
flopped a set of sixes. Having your table image as someone who is not bluffing in the late levels is a huge benefit.
This is where I like to make my move
to really build my stack. You will also
know by this time the players who are
willing to make good lay downs and
the players who are stubborn. So you
can pick and choose your spots carefully, and with a little luck you will
have accumulated a lot of chips and
have put yourself in a good position to
get to the final table.
I hope this was helpful to you.
ad
8
ADVERTISEMENT
31.10.2014 fri
廣告
fri 31.10.2014
published in partnership with macauhub.com.mo
MOZAMBIQUE
Gov’t prepares eight new
contracts for coal mining
The drop in
coal prices on
int’l markets
is affecting
development of
the sector
FORUM
9
Banco Económico
replaces Banco
Espírito Santo Angola
B
BLOOMBERG
T
HE government of Mozambique will sign eight new contracts for coal mining within two
years, the Mozambican Minister
of Mining Resources revealed
Wednesday in Maputo.
Minister Esperança Bias said
that six of these projects will become operational “within 18 to
24 months,” while the remaining
two will be authorized “soon,”
one of which is related to an underground mine in Tete province,
the region where all the projects
are located.
The Mining Resources Minister, who was speaking at the 4th
Mozambique Annual Coal Conference, which ended yesterday
中葡論壇
A conveyor belt unloads coal from a river barge
in Maputo, also noted there
were 1,773 mining titles in the
country, of which 124 are in the
coal sector, although only four
of these are currently exploring
coal.
Admitting that the drop in coal
prices on international markets
was affecting development of
the Mozambican coal sector,
Bias said the government was
working towards reducing tariffs for transportation and logistics in the country, with a view to
reducing businesses’ operating
expenses.
Moreover, the minister called
for mining companies to seek
alternatives to export, mainly by
focusing on the domestic market,
announcing a drop in production
tax (royalties), from 3 percent to
1.5 percent on coal that is used in
Mozambique.
“We want to encourage the
emergence of industries and the
availability of coal can develop the
economy,” she said, claiming later
that “this reduction will mean that
there is much more investment
focused on industrialization,” of
the country. MDT/Macauhub
ANCO Espírito Santo
Angola (BESA) has ceased to exist and in has been
replaced by Banco Económico, whose shareholders
include Angolan state oil
company Sonangol and
Portugal’s Nov Banco, the
National Bank of Angola
said.
The changes were made
during an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held Wednesday in
Luanda, in compliance with
the stipulations of the Angolan central bank, which
will thus end its intervention in BESA.
In the statement the National Bank of Angola
(BNA) said, “subscription
of the capital has been confirmed,” as decided by the
central bank itself a week
ago, as part of reorganisation measures and direct
intervention in BESA.
Without revealing the size
of each stake, the BNA said
“under the prior regulatory
approval,” the general mee-
ting decided on the “continuity of shareholder Geni,”
which previously held a
stake of 18.99 percent.
The new shareholder
structure also involved
bank Lektron Capital, state oil company Sonangol
and Portugal’s Novo Banco
taking a stake.
The BNA board of directors also approved the end
of direct intervention in
BESA, from 31 October,
when “when the provisional directors appointed for
that purpose (since 4 August) will cease their duties
and shareholders may once
again take on management
of the bank.” MDT/Macauhub
ad
10
CHINA
31.10.2014 fri
中國
B
EIJING has told public officials not to
spend too much time
playing the ancient
game of mahjong when they are
meant to be engaging in Communist party activities such as
brushing up on their ideology
or reviewing party discipline,
the Financial Times reported.
According to an article by
Patti Waldmeir, the move is
the latest in a series of austerity measures implemented by
President Xi Jinping to tackle
corruption and improve efficiency in government.
According to a Tuesday People’s Daily commentary that
the FT quoted, “the phenomenon of Communist officials
organising retreats to rural
areas to have fun, play mahjong and poker . . . must resolutely stop”.
Mr Xi’s austerity campaign
has led to a crackdown on
everything from symbols of
modern luxury, such as five
star hotels and super-premium liquors, to traditional
cultural forms such as Peking
opera that have also been condemned as extravagant, the
paper states.
Mahjong is widely popular
across Asia and has a following
even in western countries. It
is a popular pastime for elderly Chinese who can be seen
playing the game in public
parks throughout the country.
But the Communist party
seems to be aiming its criticism particularly at government officials who go on outings to rural areas where they
mainly enjoy themselves, rather than work.
The People’s Daily article called for an end to government
staff “spending public money
to visit historical sites in the
name of ‘study’ and then simply going to any old fun place”, where they, presumably,
indulge in the centuries old
game of skill and strategy, the
FT quoted.
Mahjong is the latest in a
long and growing list of pastimes targeted by Beijing’s abs-
temiousness campaign. Earlier this week, Beijing also said
it was banning private clubs in
historical buildings, parks and
other public facilities because
they are getting in the way of
the fight against corruption.
Private clubs have been a
particular target of the battle against corruption because
they have a reputation in China as spots where illicit sex
takes place or shady deals are
struck.
“Private clubs set up in histo-
rical buildings and parks have
damaged public interests,
fanned corruption and triggered strong discontent among
society,” the official Xinhua
news agency reported, citing
a Communist party statement.
High-end restaurants, gyms,
spas and hotels are also banned from opening in historical
buildings or parks, the report
added.
Beijing also recently forbade senior government or state-owned-enterprise officials
from accepting scholarships
to do executive MBAs and ordered those already mid-course to pull out.
Sales of items from elaborate
mooncakes to seasonal hairy
crabs have also been hit hard
by an atmosphere where officials fear being seen as feasting off public money. Some
airlines have abolished first
class and hotels have asked
to be downgraded from five
stars, in an attempt to fit in
with the new atmosphere. VM
Tencent working to make WeChat
remote control for your oven
Lulu Yilun Chen
BLOOMBERG
T
ENCENT Holdings
Ltd. is connecting
ovens, televisions, air
conditioners and other
appliances to its WeChat
and QQ instant-messaging services amid a
push to expand its mobile-application store.
Asia’s second-largest
Internet company is
working with appliance manufacturers and
third-party developers
to allow users to control
home hardware from
their phones and tablets,
Chief Operating Officer
Mark Ren said yesterday
at the Tencent Global
Partner Conference in
Hainan, China. The plan
is to build up its application platforms, which
Ren said have so far attracted 2.4 million thirdparty programs.
Tencent is pushing its
instant-messaging services WeChat and QQ
BLOOMBERG
Beijing’s efficiency drive targets mahjong
Tencent Holdings Ltd. apps are displayed on a mobile phone in Beijing
to become distribution
channels for other moneymaking apps besides mobile games, its
biggest sales generator.
The
Shenzhen-based
company has enlisted 5
million outside developers and employees at
startups to create apps
for its platforms and
attract more of China’s
half billion mobile Internet users, Ren said.
“Tencent’s open platform will start embracing all smart hardware
devices, as we are set-
ting up a hardware open
platform for QQ and
WeChat,” Ren said. “Our
open platform isn’t just
about software, but also
hardware and offline.”
The company has been
selective in the thirdparty
developers
it
allows to access its platform, Ren said. The QQ
version of the product,
QQ Connect, was released yesterday.
The company was also
looking to invest in 100
startups over the next
three years, Lin Songtao,
vice president of Tencent’s social networks
group, said yesterday.
Tencent would take
stakes in the companies
and use its Internet resources to help them
reach target valuations
of USD100 million each,
Lin said.
QQ and WeChat helped
Tencent’s mobile-game
revenue rise 67 percent to
3 billion yuan in the three
months ended June 30,
from a quarter earlier.
The initial success of
making money from
the two apps has helped boost Tencent’s
market value to about
$146 billion, making it
the biggest Asian Internet company by market
value
after
Alibaba
Group Holding Ltd.
QQ, which began as an
instant-messaging service on desktop computers and was adapted for
use on mobile devices,
has about 829 million
monthly active users,
according to its secondquarter earnings report.
WeChat has 438 million.
Revenue from China’s
online gaming market is
projected to expand to 225
billion yuan ($37 billion)
by 2017, from an estimated 115 billion yuan this
year, according to IResearch, a Shanghai-based
Internet consultant.
Tencent has offered a
number of popular games, such as Timi Run
Everyday and Timi Match Everyday, through its
own studio. It also has
introduced third-party
apps including Candy
Crush and is working
with Kakao Corp. and
Nexon Co.
WeChat may be worth
as much as $64 billion
given the potential for
the service to make money, Elinor Leung, an
analyst at CLSA Ltd.,
wrote in a March 10 report. Bloomberg
fri 31.10.2014
亞太版
ASIA-PACIFIC
11
SRI LANKA
Eranga Jayawardena, Koslanda
T
HERE was no hope
of finding survivors
after a mudslide tore
through a tea plantation, a Sri Lankan disaster official said yesterday, amid widely conflicting reports about
how many people had been
buried alive under the mud.
Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera
estimated the number of dead
in Wednesday’s disaster at the
Koslanda tea plantation would be fewer than 100, although
villagers said the figure could
easily exceed 200.
“I have visited the scene and
from what I saw I don’t think
there will be any survivors,”
Amaraweera told The Associated Press yesterday. “But that
number is less than 100.”
Initial reports from Sri
Lanka’s Disaster Management
Center said some 250 people were missing. But Amaraweera has cut that figure
significantly, saying some
people believed to have been
buried were actually at work
or school when the mudslide
struck at 7:30 a.m. in the island nation’s central hills.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited the disaster site yesterday and spoke to residents
who have been kept in schools
and temples.
Heavy monsoon rains caused
the mudslide, which wiped out
A crowd gathers to watch the rescue operation at the site of a mudslide at the Koslanda tea plantation in Badulla district, about
220km east of Colombo
120 tea workers’ homes in Badulla district, about 220 kilometers east of Colombo, said
Lal Sarath Kumara, an official
from the Disaster Management Center.
A 48-year-old truck driver who gave his name only
as Raja said he lost all five
members of his household —
his wife, two sons, daughterin-law and his 6-month-old
grandchild.
“I left for work early morning and got a call asking me
to rush back because there is
an earth slip near my home,”
Raja said yesterday morning,
weeping. “I came back and
there is no trace of my home,
everyone was buried.”
About 500 military personnel and civilians resumed the
rescue operation yesterday
morning after halting for the
night because of rain and slippery conditions. Later scores of desperate civilians led
by a politician defied police
orders and entered the site
and started to dig the earth
themselves.
The search progressed slowly
as the rain continued to fall.
Mud covered many homes,
in some cases leaving only the
roofs visible. Water gushing
down hillsides indicated more
slides were possible.
Scores of children who had
left for school early morning
returned only to see their homes vanished without a trace
along with their parents.
“Everything that I saw yesterday I could not see today — buildings, the temple and shops
had all disappeared. I could
only see mud everywhere,” said
P. Arumugam, who works as a
driver on the plantation.
The plantation was one of
many in the higher altitudes
of Sri Lanka, formerly called
Ceylon, one of the world’s leading producers of tea.
Most of Sri Lanka has experienced heavy rain over the
past few weeks, and the Disaster Management Center had
issued warnings of mudslides
and falling rocks. The monsoon season runs from October through December.
A local government official
said that the area had been
marked
vulnerable
since
2008, and evacuation drills
had been conducted.
However, workers had not
been given alternative homes
to move into, the official said
on condition of anonymity because government rules prohibit him from speaking to the
media. He said the absence of
a proper rain water draining
system on the hill may have
loosened the soil over time.
Vettiyan Yogeswaran said
even though authorities had
asked residents to move
from the area amid mudslide threats, the residents were
offered no proper housing alternatives.
“There are 50-70 families
living in my neighborhood in
the bottom of a mountain. If a
mudslide happens we all will
be buried,” Yogeswaran said.
“We want to leave but we have
not been given a proper alternative.” AP
AUSTRALIA
Rod McGuirk, Canberra
New law targets leakers, not reporters
AP PHOTO
A
contentious new law
that carries a prison
term for anyone who reveals information about
certain secret security
operations was aimed at
Edward
Snowden-like
leakers rather than investigative reporters, Australia’s attorney-general
said yesterday.
George Brandis announced that he was adding a
safeguard for journalists
who might fall afoul of the
tough new counterterrorism law by giving the attorney-general of the day
a power of veto over any
media prosecution.
“It’s a very powerful,
practical safeguard for a
minister, who is a practicing politician, to assume
personal
responsibility
for authorizing the prosecution of a journalist,”
Brandis said.
The most contentious
section of a tranche of
counterterrorism legislation passed Wednesday
AP PHOTO
No hope finding mudslide survivors
Attorney general George Brandis, left, is shown next to Prime Minister Tony Abbott in a cabinet photo
from 2013
by the Senate carries a
potential 10-year prison
sentence for anyone who
discloses
information
that relates to a “special
intelligence operation.”
The attorney general decides which operations
fit that perpetually secret
category.
Journalists and rights
groups have condemned
the law as an attack on
press freedom.
While the opposition
voted for the legislation
in Parliament, opposition
leader Bill Shorten wrote
to Prime Minister Tony
Abbott on Wednesday
outlining his concerns
about the law’s “potential
to impinge up public interest reporting on national
security issues.”
Brandis said that section
was primarily “intended
for a Snowden-type situation,” referring to the
former U.S. National Security Agency contractor
who leaked thousands of
classified documents.
“There is no possibility
that in our liberal democracy a journalist would
ever be prosecuted for
doing their job,” Brandis
said.
Brandis said he had told
the chief federal prosecutor that no prosecution of
a journalist under the law
would be allowed without
the
attorney-general’s
consent. A journalist’s
sources would not have
the same protection.
Australia lifted its terrorist threat level to the
second highest level in
September due to homegrown supporters of the
Islamic State movement.
The government is rapidly expanding the powers
of its security and law
enforcement agencies to
cope with the increased
danger.
The government introduced another contentious
counterterrorism
bill into Parliament on
Thursday that would
mandate that telecommunications companies
store their clients’ phone, email and Internet
records for at least two
years.
Critics argue the legislation it is an unwarranted
breach of privacy. AP
12
ASIA-PACIFIC
31.10.2014 fri
亞太版
SURVEY
Asia finds money brings happiness
E
MERGING Asian nations
are finding out what developed ones did years ago: money
— and the stuff it buys — brings
happiness.
Levels of self-reported wellbeing in fast-growing nations
like Indonesia, China and Malaysia now rival those in the
U.S., Germany and the United Kingdom, rich nations that
have long topped the happiness
charts, according to a Pew Research Center global survey released Friday. It says it shows
how rises in national income
are closely linked to personal
satisfaction.
The pollsters asked people in
43 countries to place themselves on a “ladder of life,” with
the top rung representing the
best possible life and the bottom the worst. Pew carried out
the same survey in 2002 and
2005 in most of those countries, enabling researchers to
look at trends over time.
But the data also suggested
that there is a limit to how
much happiness money can
ad
Rises in
national
income are
closely linked
to personal
satisfaction
AP PHOTO
Chris Brummitt, Singapore
Malaysian Muslim women chat as they shop at a mall in Petaling Jaya outside
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
buy. For example, 56 percent
of Malaysians rated their life
a “seven” or higher on the ladder, significantly more than
the 36 percent in Bangladesh, a
poor country. Yet the public in
Germany, which has far higher
gross domestic product per capita than Malaysia, expressed a
life satisfaction level of 60 percent, just 4 percentage points
more than Malaysia.
While wealth is clearly important to happiness, other research has indicated it is far from
the only factor. Women tend to
be happier than man, for example, and unmarried and mid-
dle-aged people tend to report
lower levels of well-being than
married and younger people,
respectively.
Just as Asians were likely to
have reported rises in personal satisfaction over the last
five years, they were also especially confident about the future. Broad majorities of Bangladeshis, Thais, Indonesians,
Chinese, Filipinos and Indians
are expecting their life in five
years to be higher on the ladder
than it is today.
The survey showed the people
in Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia
were among the least satisfied
among emerging nations, and
also the least optimistic about
the future. The researchers su-
ggested the political and social
turmoil in the region might be
a factor. Spain, which has seen
its economy contract, showed
a decrease in reported levels of
well-being since 2007.
On the key findings, in eight of
the 14 emerging countries surveyed in both 2007 and 2014,
the percentage who say they
stand at seven or higher on the
“ladder of life” increased by
double-digits. Some of the biggest gains occurred in Indonesia, China, Pakistan, Malaysia
and Russia.
The survey also asked respondents whether their household
had each of the following nine
items: a television, refrigerator, washing machine, microwave oven, computer, car,
bicycle, motorcycle and radio.
In findings that were replicated across 37 of the countries,
the more items a person had
on the list, the happier they
tended to be.
The research was based on
47,643 interviews in 43 countries with adults 18 and older. It
was conducted between March
and June this year. AP
fri 31.10.2014
廣告
ADVERTISEMENT
13
13
14
ADVERTISEMENT
31.10.2014 fri
廣告
fri 31.10.2014
分析
WORLD
15
ISRAEL
Calev Ben-David
Arab suspect in Jerusalem
shooting killed by police
gression” is “tantamount to
a declaration of war on the
Palestinian people and their
holy sites,” according to a statement on the official Wafa
news agency.
Violence in Arab areas of
Jerusalem has persisted for
months, and the volatility
threatens to plunge the city
into a whorl of deadly confrontations. Jerusalem lies at
the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with both sides claiming the eastern sector, captured by Israel in the
1967 Mideast war and home to
Muslim, Jewish and Christian
shrines, for their capitals.
Palestinian leaders say the
attacks are being driven by the
AP PHOTO
A
Palestinian man suspected in the shooting of a prominent
Jewish nationalist in
Jerusalem was killed by police
officers during an overnight
arrest raid, Israel police said.
The suspect died in a gunbattle with officers, police said
by text message. He was tracked down in an apartment
minutes away from the scene
of Wednesday’s attack.
Late Wednesday a man on
a motorcycle shot and wounded Yehuda Glick, who heads
a group that advocates Jewish
prayer on the Jerusalem shrine known to Jews as Temple
Mount and to Arabs as Haram
Sharif. The hilltop compound
has seen repeated clashes over
the past few months between
Palestinians and Israeli security officers, and was closed
to all visitors indefinitely after
the assassination attempt, police said.
The suspect, Muatanz Hijazi, had served time in Israeli
jails for security offenses and
was linked with the Islamic
Jihad militant group, police
said. The motorcycle at Hijazi’s home was identified as the
one used in the shooting.
“The assassination attempt
on Yehuda Glick is another grave phase in the ongoing Palestinian incitement
against Jews and the state of
Israel,” Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said in an
e-mailed statement. Ya’alon
accused Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas of “spreading lies and hate against the
right of Jews to their land and
freedom of worship.”
Abbas yesterday blamed Israel “for the dangerous escalation” in Jerusalem, and
his spokesman, Nabil Abu
Rudeina, said the “Israeli ag-
failure of peace efforts, Jewish
settlement of homes in the city’s Arab neighborhoods, and
efforts by some Israeli legislators to allow Jewish prayer
at the hilltop complex, which
was prohibited after Israel
captured it.
The United Nations Security
Council Wednesday held an
emergency session to discuss
the tensions in the city, in response to a Palestinian request.
The UN doesn’t recognize Israel’s annexation of east Jerusalem, captured by the Jewish
state in the 1967 Mideast war
along with the West Bank and
Gaza Strip. Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza
in 2005. Bloomberg
sweden recognizes palestinian state
This photo made on Nov. 10, 2013 shows hardline Jewish activist Yehuda Glick
walking in a street in Jerusalem
SWEDEN’S NEW government
yesterday recognized a Palestinian
state at a time of increased tensions
between Arabs and Jews over Israel’s plans to build about 1,000
housing units in east Jerusalem.
The EU member country joined
only two other Western European
countries — Malta and Cyprus —
that have officially recognized a
Palestinian state.
Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said the Scandinavian country had decided on the move because the criteria of international
law required for such recognition
had been fulfilled.
“There is a territory, a people and
government,” she told reporters in
Stockholm.
Wallstrom said she hopes Sweden’s “excellent cooperation (with
Israel) would continue” nevertheless and that the decision would be
met in Jerusalem “in a constructive way.”
Israel was quick to condemn Sweden’s move, however.
The 28-nation European Union
has said it would recognize a Palestinian state “when appropriate,”
and has urged that negotiations
to achieve a two-state solution be
resumed as soon as possible.
In a symbolic move, British lawmakers earlier this month voted in
favor of recognizing Palestine as
a state.
MEXICO
E. Eduardo Castillo and
Peter Orsi, Mexico City
M
EXICAN President
Enrique Pena Nieto
met with parents of 43
teachers college students for the first time since
they disappeared over a
month ago, when investigators say police detained the students and
handed them over to a
drug gang.
The mothers and fathers of the missing have
grown increasingly frustrated at the pace of the
investigation of the Sept.
26 police attack in the
city of Iguala, which also
left six dead. The case
has shaken the image of
improving security that
the government has sought to project since Pena
Nieto took office in 2012.
After meeting for about
six hours inside the Los
Pinos presidential residence, parents said they
told Pena Nieto they did
not have confidence in
the investigation, and the
government agreed to
measures including the
creation of a commission
to monitor the case.
“We are not going to
trust the words of the
president nor the commitments
that
were
made public ... until they
present the 43 students
to us alive,” Felipe de la
Cruz, one of the parents,
AP PHOTO
Parents of missing students meet with president
Parents of missing students holding pictures of the disappeared,
attend a press conference after a meeting with Mexico’s President
Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City
said at a news conference
late Wednesday.
At one point earlier in
the day, human rights officials had said the
meeting was over but the
family members were refusing to leave until Pena
Nieto signed a document that would satisfy
everyone.
Pena Nieto said in televised remarks that in addition to the commission,
made up of both government officials and parents
to provide daily updates
on the investigation, the
government agreed to
provide greater support
for both rural teachers
colleges and the families
of those who were killed
or wounded in the attack,
and to redouble efforts to
determine the students’
whereabouts.
“There will be a renewed
search plan,” Pena Nieto
said.
The relatives came
to Mexico City from the
Rural Normal School of
Ayotzinapa in Guerrero
state, where the missing
students were enrolled.
Investigators have said
the attack was ordered
by the former mayor of
Iguala over fears that the
students planned to disrupt a speech by his wife.
Police officers are alleged
to have turned the students over to the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel.
Forensic experts have
combed through 11 clandestine graves discovered in the area during the
hunt for the students. The
sites contained 38 bodies,
but there has been no
confirmation that any of
them belong to the missing students. AP
16
INFOTAINMENT
TV canal macau
Friday
13:00
TDM News (Repeated)
13:30
News (RTPi) Delayed Broadcast
14:30
RTPi Live
18:10
Brazil Avenue (Repeated)
19:00
TDM Talk Show (Repeated)
19:30
Soap Opera
20:30
Main News, Financial & Weather Report
21:20
Revenge S1
22:10
Brazil Avenue
23:00
TDM News
23:40
Portuguese Movie
01:00
Main News, Financial & Weather Report (Repeated)
Saturday
11:20
Kung Fu Masters of the Zodiac
11:40
Conch Bay
12:30
Cooking
13:00
TDM News (Repeated)
13:30
News (RTPi) Delayed Broadcast
14:30
Zig Zag
15:45
Soap Opera
19:00
Contest
19:50
Miscellaneous
21:30
Main News, Financial & Weather Report
21:00
Drama
23:00
TDM News
23:30
Variety
00:30
Main News, Financial & Weather Report (Repeated)
31.10.2014 fri
資訊／娛樂
cinema
cineteatro
30 Oct - 05 Nov
1955 Princess Margaret
cancels wedding
KUNG FU JUNGLE_
room 1
2.15, 4.05, 7.55, 9.30 pm
Director: Teddy Chen
Starring: Donnie Yen, Charlie Young, Wang Bao-qiang
Language: English (Chinese)
Duration: 100min
Sunday
11:00
Sunday Mass
12:00
Miscellaneous
13:00
TDM News (Repeated)
13:30
News (RTPi) Delayed Broadcast
14:30
Zig Zag
16:00
Comedy
16:30
Miscellaneous
18:40
Contest
19:40
Comedy
20:30
Main News, Financial & Weather Report
21:00
Non-Daily Portuguese News
21:50
News
22:10
The Tea Trail with Simon Reeve
23:00
TDM News
23:30
Miscellaneous
00:30
Main News, Financial & Weather Report (Repeated)
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO
GOOD, VERY BAD DAY_
room 1
7.45 pm
Director: Miguel Arteta
Starring: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner
Language: English (Chinese)
Duration: 81min
FURY_
room 2
2.00 4.30, 7.00, 9.30 pm
Director: David Ayer
Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman
Language: English (Chinese)
Duration: 134min
offbeat
UK opens National Sperm Bank
amid donor shortage
Britain opened a National Sperm Bank yesterday to help meet
rising demand for donors.
Officials said it is designed to help single women, men with fertility problems and same-sex couples to build families.
The bank was set up to counter a national shortage of sperm
donors at a time when the number of patients seeking sperm
donation is increasing. It is based at the Birmingham Women’s
Hospital 185 kilometers northwest of London.
The National Sperm Bank will be run by the National Gamete
Donation Trust in conjunction with the hospital. It said the sperm
bank will reduce the number of patients “putting themselves at
risk” by using unregulated donation services.
The center is also intended to help men who have had cancer
treatment or suffer a genetic defect and cannot produce sperm.
It will recruit and screen donors and bank the sperm.
One goal is to increase donors from inside Britain to lessen reliance on sperm from other countries. Both Denmark and the United States supply large quantities of sperm to Britain to offset the
shortage.
Dr. Allan Pacey, chairman of the British Fertility Society, told BBC
that economics has sometimes made it easier to import sperm
from other countries than to increase the donor supply.
He said “it kind of just doesn’t feel right” to important so much
from other countries. Pacey said another goal is to increase the
ethnic diversity of sperm donors.
this day in history
OUIJA_
room 3
2.15 4.00, 5.45, 9.30 pm
Director: Stiles White
Starring: Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff
Language: English (Chinese)
Duration: 89min
LET’S BE COPS_
room 2
7.30 pm
Director: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr., Rob Riggle
Language: English (Chinese)
Duration: 104min
macau tower
23 Oct - 05 Nov
FURY_
2.30, 4.30, 7.30, 9.30 pm
Director: David Ayer
Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman
Language: English (Chinese)
Duration: 134min
Princess Margaret has called off her plans to marry divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend.
The news was broadcast on the radio this evening. The
BBC’s John Snagge interrupted normal programming to
read a brief statement from the Princess.
In it she said: “I have been aware that, subject to my
renouncing my rights of succession, it might have been
possible for me to contract a civil marriage.
“But, mindful of the Church’s teaching that Christian
marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the
Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before any others.”
She continued: “I have reached this decision entirely alone, and in doing so I have been strengthened by the unfailing support and devotion of Group Captain Townsend.”
It is understood the Queen and Queen Elizabeth the
Queen Mother had seen the content of the message before it was broadcast.
The Princess was at Clarence House in the Mall when
the statement was issued.
She is expected to spend the rest of the week in London. Tomorrow evening she is due to attend a service at
St Paul’s Cathedral to commemorate the 50th anniversary
of the death of Dr Barnardo.
The Princess first met Battle of Britain fighter pilot Group
Captain Townsend when she was still a teenager and he,
twice her age, was married with two children. He later separated from his wife.
Group Captain Townsend was equerry to the King and
after George VI’s death in February 1952, Comptroller of
the Queen Mother’s household.
A tabloid newspaper reporter covering the Queen’s coronation in June 1953 noticed the Princess flick a piece of
fluff off Group Captain Townsend’s jacket. It was enough
to start rumours of a relationship.
In fact, the Princess and Group Captain Townsend already had plans to marry but the new Queen had asked
them to wait a year.
Under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, the Princess required her elder sister’s permission to marry before the
age of 25. After then, she needed Parliament’s approval.
News of the proposed marriage was leaked in the press.
Shortly after Group Captain Townsend was sent to Brussels for two years as air attaché at the British Embassy.
The Princess turned 25 in August 1955 but Parliament
had already made clear it would not consent to her marriage.
She was left with only two options: renounce all her rights and privileges and become Mrs Peter Townsend or give
up all ideas of the marriage.
Courtesy BBC News
In context
Princess Margaret’s decision was welcomed by the Church
and Commonwealth leaders.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, whom she
told of her decision on 27 October, said: “What a wonderful
person the Holy Spirit is.”
The Princess married the photographer Antony ArmstrongJones (who became the Earl of Snowdon) in 1960 and the
couple had two children.
But in 1978 she became the first royal to divorce since Henry
VIII.
Her name had already been linked to Roddy Llewellyn, 17
years her junior. But the affair ended after a few years and he
married a younger woman.
Throughout her life, Margaret was dogged by ill health. She
continued to smoke although she had to have part of her lung
removed. In later years she had a number of strokes and died
in February 2002.
Group Captain Peter Townsend died at the age of 80 in 1995.
fri 31.10.2014
資訊／娛樂
Taurus
Mar. 21-Apr. 19
April 20-May 20
Self-confidence
may
be
in
unusually short supply today, but
you can still make a real difference.
Fake it 'til you make it or just find
someone close who truly believes
in you.
A moment of enlightenment comes
your way midday — from someone
unexpected. Some serious wisdom
may surprise you, or you may just
spend a quiet moment experiencing
the universe together.
Gemini
Cancer
May 21-Jun. 21
Jun. 22-Jul. 22
It’s not a good day for guesswork.
You’ve got to make sure that you
know what’s what and that you’re
experimenting with new ideas rather
than just projecting what would
happen if you tried new things.
Strike a balance between what you
have to do and what you want to
do — try not to stray too far off into
either zone for too long. If you can
keep the balance sheet even, things
should go well for you.
Leo
Virgo
Jul. 23-Aug. 22
Aug. 23-Sept. 22
This is not a good time to let your
ego drive — if anything, you should
make sure that you’re paying close
attention to what those around you
need. Come back to your own needs
another day.
It’s easier than ever for you to
improve your love life — and to
make it fun! You should be able to
get yourself in the right place at the
right time for a meet-cute or a hot
date with an old flame.
Libra
Scorpio
Sep.23-Oct. 22
Oct. 23 - Nov. 21
Your boss or teacher is making life
difficult this morning — but you
should come out of it feeling pretty
good. Just deal with whatever it is
directly and you are sure to show
them your best.
You should find that your boss
(or primary client, or mate, or
whomever) is in a ridiculously good
mood today. Things are sure to go
your way, so ask for as much as you
can get away with.
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Nov. 22-Dec. 21
Dec. 22-Jan. 19
You need to save some energy
for later in the day — don’t
wear yourself out too quickly!
It’s a good time for setting firm
schedules and trying to get others
to keep you on task.
You’re so energetic that you might
end up working long into the night
— or dancing ‘til everyone else goes
home. Whatever you do, it’s sure to
be fun and memorable. Friends are
jealous!
Aquarius
17
THE BORN LOSER by Chip Sansom
YOUR STARS
Aries
INFOTAINMENT
SUDOKU
Easy
Medium
WEATHER
Feb.19-Mar. 20
You have got to keep your head
down today — unless you want to
be the focus of someone’s scorn. It’s
not your fault at all, but attention
isn’t likely to be positive today or
tomorrow.
An unexpected favor lifts your spirits
and gives you the boost you need
to finish a project or achieve a new
level of success. It’s a sign that you’ve
got friends in high places, so move
forward with confidence.
Hard
Crossword puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com
DOWN: 1- Resistance unit; 2- Moo goo ___ pan; 3- “ER” extras; 4- Fair-hiring abbr.;
5- Alarms; 6- Gastropod mollusk; 7- Exactly; 8- Green land; 9- That, in Tijuana; 10Extent; 11- Skater Boitano; 12- Jack of “The
Great Dictator”; 13- Goes into business; 21Yesterday’s solution
Tibetan priest; 23- 24 hours, for the earth;
24- Community spirit; 25- Baron; 26- Conger
catcher; 27- Armed soldier; 28- Tree-ring
indication; 30- Compel; 31- It’s a thought;
34- Requirement; 36- Sublease; 37- Silk
cotton; 38- Actor Ryan; 43- ___ Kapital;
44- Aggregate of fibers; 47- Firstborn;
49- Muslim temple; 50- Self-respect;
51- Red fluorescent dye; 52- Rotates; 53Phobias; 55- Lubricates; 56- Future doc’s
exam; 59- Fish eggs; 61- Actress Merkel;
62- Frozen Wasser; 63- Hot time in Paris;
64- Actor Beatty
CONDITION
Beijing
10
14
fog/drizzle
Harbin
-4
8
cloudy
Tianjin
12
17
overcast/drizzle
Urumqi
-3
3
cloudy
Xi’an
9
14
drizzle
Lhasa
-2
16
clear
Chengdu
14
18
drizzle/overcast
Chongqing
17
20
overcast
Kunming
10
22
cloudy
Nanjing
16
19
shower
Shanghai
19
22
moderate rain
Wuhan
13
19
moderate rain/drizzle
Hangzhou
18
22
shower
Taipei
22
29
clear
Guangzhou
21
31
clear
Hong Kong
24
28
clear
Moscow
-2
3
overcast
Frankfurt
10
17
cloudy
Paris
12
22
cloudy/clear
London
13
18
cloudy
New York
6
12
overcast/drizzle
WORLD
CROSSWORDS
ACROSS: 1- Meanies; 6- Alloy of iron and carbon; 11- Halloween greeting;
14- Capital of Vietnam; 15- Din; 16- Dr. Dre’s genre; 17- Skinflint; 18- Homerun
king Hank; 19- Tina’s ex; 20- Best of a group; 22- Rice unit; 24- Endless; 28Does penance; 29- Belief in one God; 30- Combat; 32- 50%; 33- Battery
terminal; 35- Sacramento’s ___ Arena; 39- Like Nash’s lama; 40- Before, once;
41- Adolescent; 42- Shrivelled, without moisture; 43- Rot; 45- Nastase of
tennis; 46- Gettysburg general; 48- One-celled organism; 50- Flower parts;
53- A lobe or full type of assault; 54- Circular; 55- Signs; 57- Neighbor of
Leb.; 58- “All My Children” vixen; 60- Female sovereign; 65- Racket; 66- Word
with panel or energy; 67- Join; 68- Nav. officer; 69- Trials; 70- Alleviated;
MAX
CHINA
Easy+
Pisces
Jan. 20-Feb. 18
MIN
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Emergency calls 999
Taxi (Yellow) 28 519 519
Fire department 28 572 222
Taxi (Black) 28 939 939
PJ (Open line) 993
Water Supply – Report 1990 992
PJ (Picket) 28 557 775
Telephone – Report 1000
PSP 28 573 333
Electricity – Report 28 339 922
Customs 28 559 944
Macau Daily Times 28 716 081
S. J. Hospital 28 313 731
Kiang Wu Hospital 28 371 333
Commission Against
Corruption (CCAC) 28326 300
IACM 28 387 333
Tourism 28 333 000
Airport 59 888 88
ad
18
ADVERTISEMENT
31.10.2014 fri
廣告
fri 31.10.2014
體育
F
GOLF
France’s Levy leads
BMW Masters in China
ESPN.GO.COM
RANCE’S Alexander
Levy had five straight
birdies in the middle of
his round and finished
with a 7-under 65 to take the
lead in the BMW Masters yesterday.
Levy began the birdie run on
the par-4 ninth on Lake Malaren’s Masters Course. He
won the Volvo China Open in
Shenzhen in April for his first
European Tour title and took
the rain-shortened Portugal
Masters this month, becoming
the first Frenchman to win two
events in a single season on the
European Tour.
“My golf game is very good as I
was bogey-free in missing only
one fairway and I’m still aggressive on the golf course and I like
to play this golf, so I need to be
thinking this way for the rest of
the week,” Levy said. “I just like
playing in China and, for me,
this golf course is pretty much
the same as in Shenzhen where
there is a lot of water and you
play target golf.”
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts
was a stroke back along with
Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo
and France’s Romain Wattel.
Northern Ireland’s Graeme
McDowell topped the six European Ryder Cup players in the
field with a bogey-free 67 that
contained three straight birdies
from the 11th.
The tournament opens the
four-event Final Series. The
World Golf Championships
Alexander Levy
-HSBC Champions is next week,
also in Shanghai, followed by
the Turkish Airlines Open and
World Tour Championship in
Dubai.
Wattel played his last 15 holes
with a crack in his driver and did
not know the rules allowed him
to replace the damaged club.
“Given the length of this course, and also with the rain
falling, you really need the driver so I was lucky not to have
any real trouble using the club,”
Wattel said.
Wattel indicated he will replace
the driver and use one offered to
him by fellow Frenchman Gregory Bourdy, who was first reserve for the event but did not tee up.
Colsaerts included in his bag
SPORTS
an old 2 iron that he used to
capture the 2011 Volvo China
Open and the 2012 World Match Play Championship in Spain.
The 2012 Ryder Cup player is
back playing after taking a week
off at Hua Hin in Thailand,
where he said he underwent a
“cleansing” ceremony undertaken by local Buddhist monks.
Six players, including Ryder
Cup players Jamie Donaldson,
Thomas Bjorn and recent Alfred Dunhill Links champion
Oliver Wilson, shared sixth place on 4 under.
Justin Rose, one of Europe’s
stars at the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, recovered from a triple-bogey 8 on the fourth hole
of his round, when he found
water twice — first with a 3 iron
and then further up the fairway
with a 5 iron. He finished on level-par 72.
“I can’t remember the last
time I shot an 8 as I am not a
big numbers guy,” Rose said.
“Really,” he added, “I was just
one swing away from shooting
4 under par.”
Italy’s Edoardo Molinari aced
the par-3 13th — his fourth
hole — with a 4 iron from 208
yards. The organizers are offering a BMW i8 sports sedan for
a hole-in-one on the 17th hole,
but Molinari had to settle for a
miniature model along with a
bottle of champagne.
“I now have a small car and
maybe I can win the big one,”
he said. AP
FOOTBALL
L
UIS
Suarez
will
make his Camp Nou
debut in official competition tomorrow.
The Barcelona striker
played in a home friendly to start the season
while serving out a fourmonth biting ban. That
ended in time for Suarez to set up Neymar’s
goal in Barcelona’s loss
at Real Madrid last
weekend.
Suarez set up another
goal for Gerard Pique to
help Barcelona win the
Catalan Super Cup over
Espanyol on Wednesday.
“Suarez is participating
in the correct manner in
most cases,” Barcelona
coach Luis Enrique said.
“He leaves his mark on
the game and shows his
effort.”
On Saturday, Barcelona will host Celta Vigo,
the former club of Luis
Enrique.
Celta is flourishing under Luis Enrique’s successor, Eduardo Berizzo.
AP PHOTO
5 teams jostle at top of tight Spanish league
Joseph Wilson
FC Barcelona's Luis Suarez, from Uruguay, right, and Neymar, from
Brazil
Celta is in sixth place,
four points behind Atletico Madrid, with only
one loss this season.
After being denied a
goal in Barcelona’s 3-1
loss at Madrid, Lionel
Messi will have another
chance to get the one
goal he needs to equal
Telmo Zarra as the league’s all-time scorer
with 251 goals.
Also, Real Madrid will
be looking for an 11th
straight victory on Saturday at Granada. Cristiano Ronaldo leads the
league with 16 goals, almost twice as many as
second-place
Neymar
with nine.
Barcelona and Sevilla
lead Madrid by one point
with Valencia and Atletico Madrid another point
adrift. The last time two
points separated the top
five teams after nine games was 2005-06.
Here are some more
things to know about
this weekend’s games:
Ronaldo will be well
rested for tomorrow’s
visit to Granada.
The Portugal forward
did not travel with the
team to Barcelona for
Wednesday’s 4-1 win at
third-division club Cornella in the Copa del Rey.
Ronaldo has scored in
11 straight appearances
19
and has 21 goals in all
competitions this season, putting him in good
position to repeat as the
Ballon d’Or winner. He
was included in FIFA’s
23-man short list announced this week for the
award that will be given
on Jan. 12.
Granada has gone winless in its last five games,
including four losses.
Sevilla’s 2-1 comeback
win with two late goals
against Villarreal established its best start in
club history.
The team added a 6-1
rout of second-division side Sabadell on
Wednesday to start the
Copa del Rey in winning
fashion.
On Sunday, Sevilla faces a trip to Athletic
Bilbao, which had gone
nine games overall without a win until a 1-0
victory at Almeria last
week.
Valencia has surpassed expectations under
new coach Nuno Espirito Santo with only one
loss so far, but it has
only managed one win
in four away matches.
Next up is a tough match
at Villarreal on Sunday.
“Villarreal likes to
keep possession and go
at you from the start,”
Valencia defender Jose
Gaya said. “If we go out
there asleep ... they will
come for us. We have to
have a good start.”
Atletico will host Cordoba tomorrow with something to prove.
The defending champions are angry that
their players left the
Spanish league’s awards
ceremony this week
empty handed. Instead, players from rival
Real Madrid swept up
most of the individual
player awards, despite
finishing third last season.
Atletico coach Diego
Simeone, who did win
the best coach award for
last season, has joined
his players in criticizing
the gala.
“We choose names
over capacity, and Atletico was the best last
year, at least in the league,” Simeone said. “It’s
a system that makes us
choose what we consume every day, (and) we
consume names.” AP
Wanted in US, Roman Polanski
BUZZ questioned in Poland
Air quality fri
Station31.10.2014
THE
Bizcuits
Leanda Lee
Multitask, man.
We have long been encouraged to multitask.
Parallel activity was supposed to be more productive than activity in series. It certainly works
for production lines, and most mums wouldn’t
survive daily existence without being able to
spread butter on little Tommy’s sandwiches,
keeping an eye on the breakfast omelette and
brewing coffee while warning tiny Tim that the
dog wouldn’t be amenable to having his breakfast snatched and handing a bag of fruit to
hubby with a kiss as he made his way out the
door to work – all the time planning the next 5
telephone calls to school, the electrician, the
piano tuner… and mentally checking off the
shopping list for cousin Emily’s baby-shower
which she promised to cater for at the end of
the week. Somewhere in there she dresses
and readies for work and starts her ‘productive’
day. Really, some of us have brains and bodies
so busy that a Sunday afternoon’s shopping
in Senado Square seems like solitude. It’s a
pathology.
As I write this, I’ve switched to other tasks and
activities: saved the file to that familiar folder 5
levels down the file explorer hierarchy, checked
my emails on 3 email accounts and Facebook
updates, subliminally been made aware of files updating in Dropbox from somewhere in the
next hemisphere, made cups of tea, coffee, fed
the dog, checked accommodation options for
a friend visiting over Christmas and commenced and threw back into the too-hard basket a
review of a student’s exam. And so, I’ve progressed a mere paragraph and a half as I now
reach for another sip of wine. Procrastination
or multitasking? Either a fine line or an excuse.
It wasn’t always like this. It used to be easy to
concentrate. A favourite place of mine to read
and write was on the top floor of a university
library between the stacks of periodicals that
hardly anyone perused, blinkered by the wings
of a one-man desk in the furthest corner away
from the stairs. This was before the days of connectivity and the popularity of coffee shops –
absolutely zero distractions other than selfmusings. This is the stuff of creativity, volumes
written, theory development and ideas that one
might be lucky enough to capture as they flit in
and, if not careful, just as swiftly flit out again
like Tinker Bell’s tease. Creative productivity
cannot be interrupted with an SMS, chat-messages, a sociable colleague smiling across a
desk or over an office partition (if you’re lucky
enough), or normative demands to respond to
emails and phone calls in a ‘timely’ (read immediate) fashion.
We don’t produce more by doing more at
once because the switch between tasks, that
transition, takes time. Moreover, it takes time
to get into the flow, the zone or the groove,
that really produces the best work efficiently.
When we are switching between activities we
never get into that really productive space in
our minds.
Nor do we give people the time of day that we
should when we are constantly responding to
the demands of others out of our reach. In Macau, too often have I been at a counter being
served when a phone-call or another customer
butting in was given preference. This lack of
common courtesy seems such an affront but
perhaps it’s just the habit of switching between
tasks, and expectations of multitasking and its
myth of productivity that lets service workers
get away with it.
Multitasking used to be viewed as a virtue at
work. Some women, in particular, would brag
superiority based upon this (innate) ability often said to be lacking in men. But it’s time to
rethink. There’s a great deal of research (Stanford University, University of Glasgow, University of Hartfordshire, among others) to suggest
that multitasking may not be all it’s cracked
up to be. It might feel good, but, man, multiple
tasks are better enjoyed one task at a time. It’s
time to put those blinkers back on: next stop,
productive creativity.
Q&A
lanski's arrest and Polish prosecutors were expecting that an extradition request would follow.
Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Rafal Trzaskowski
hinted that Poland would not be willing to act on a
U.S. extradition request, if one were made.
Polanski's movements are restricted by an Interpol warrant in effect in 188 countries, but he
travels freely between Switzerland, France and
Poland.
CLAUDE-ÉRIC POIROUX
C
HINA’S leg of the Festival Premiers Plans
d’Angers, a cinema festival
taking place annually in Angers, France, is coming to
Macau for the first time as
festival organizers partner
with the Alliance Française
de Macao to hold the event
here tomorrow. Three films
will be shown at the Handover Gifts Museum: “La Belle Vie” (6:30p.m.), Flowing
(2:00pm) and “Todos queremos lo mejor para ella”
(8:30p.m.). The Times spoke
with Mr Claude-Éric Poiroux, general and artistic director of the festival, to learn
more about the event, ahead
of his arrival in Macau.
Macau Daily Times
(MDT) – Could you explain to us the concept
behind the Festival Premiers Plans d’Angers?
Claude-Eric Poiroux
(CEP) – It is a cinema festival that each year premiers
European films. We invite
about 100 young film directors from all over Europe,
who present their films for
the first time. These include short films, documentaries, animation and feature
films. So there’s a group of
young film directors, aged
between 25 and 30 years
old, who come to Angers to
present their work for the
first time.
MDT – This is also the
first time that the festival’s China leg will
be taking place in Macau. Which films will be
shown this Saturday and
what are their respective
storylines?
CEP – We will be presenting two feature films and one
documentary. This is the first
time we’re coming to Macau,
and two of the film directors
will also be present: the French film director Jean Denizot
and Catalan film director,
Mar Coll. “La Belle Vie,” by
Jean Denizot, takes place in
France, and is set in the countryside. It tells the story of a
father who takes away his
two children, travelling and
hiding them for 10 years, since he has a problem with his
wife. It’s a story about these
years of traveling and hiding,
but at the same time about
education, and how these two
children have been living on
the edge of society.
Mar Coll’s film is about a
young woman living in Barcelona. She has issues when
it comes to relating with her
family, her husband and
at work. The third film is a
French-Chinese documentary, which takes place in
China.
MDT – Why did you
choose Macau this time
and these particular films?
CEP – We have a link with
Ambient
50-70
Moderate
WORLD BRIEFS
European cinema in
town tomorrow
Catarina Pinto
45-65
Moderate
High
Density
50-70
Residental Moderate
Area
SOURCE: DSMG
opinion
Prosecutors in Poland questioned filmmaker
Roman Polanski at the request of U.S. prosecutors
who are seeking his arrest on charges from 1977
of having sex with a minor, a spokeswoman said
Spokeswoman for the prosecutors in Krakow,
Boguslawa Marcinkowska, said the filmmaker remained free but available for further proceedings.
Mateusz Martyniuk, a spokesman for the prosecutor general's office, said the U.S. requested Po-
Roadside
SRI LANKA There is no
hope of finding survivors
after a mudslide tore
through a tea plantation,
a Sri Lankan disaster
official says, amid widely
conflicting reports about
how many people had
been buried alive under
the mud. More on p11
the Alliance Française de
Macao, through its director
Xavier Garnier. We are truly
happy to be introducing the
festival here for the first time.
For us, it’s an opportunity to
come to Macau and present
young European film directors to an audience that lives
far away from Europe. We
believe that cinema is a universal language; the images,
the stories can be understood
and we are also subtitling
the films. It’s wonderful to
discover these films, as they
are more personal, and produced with a higher degree of
freedom, different from those that have been produced
with larger budgets.
We will also be showing
Chinese films in Angers, in
January, because our presence in China after four
years aims exactly at having
an exchange; in cooperating
and recognizing that [through this partnership] we aim
to better understand Chinese
cinema, while on the other
hand, China also learns more
about European cinema.
times square by rodrigo
BURKINA FASO
Protesters surged
passed police lines
yesterday and broke
into Burkina Faso’s
parliament ahead of
a vote to allow the
president to seek
another term next year.
SYRIA Activists say
10 Iraqi Peshmerga
fighters have entered a
northern Syrian border
town, the first from
among a group of 150
Kurdish troops on their
way into the embattled
Kobani. Kobani-based
activist Musrafa Bani
says 10 fighters entered
the town. He says the
rest were set to follow
gradually yesterday
because the border
crossing point has been
targeted by Islamic State
fighters.
AP PHOTO
20
USA State police plan to
monitor the movements
and interactions of a
nurse who vowed to defy
the state’s quarantine for
health care workers who
treat Ebola patients, but
troopers cannot take her
into custody without a
judge’s permission. State
officials were seeking
a court order to detain
Kaci Hickox for the
remainder of the 21-day
incubation period for
Ebola that ends on Nov.
10.
PHILIPPINES-USA A
security pact that allows
thousands of American
troops to join large-scale
combat exercises in the
Philippines is "imperfect"
but Manila is unlikely to
amend it, the country's
top diplomat says.