Spain to honour its 28400 coronavirus victims – Macau Business

With a watchful eye on the latest virus outbreaks, Spain pauses Thursday to honour its 28,400 victims at a state ceremony joined by top EU and World Health Organization figures.

Barely three weeks after coming out of lockdown, Spain has seen a surge in cases and health officials monitoring more than 120 active outbreaks.

The most worrying is in and around the northeastern city of Lerida, where the Catalan regional government has issued a stay-home order affecting 160,000 people.

Authorities there and in several other regions have stepped up precautions, with mask-wearing compulsory in public at all times, even if the safety distance can be respected.

Among those attending will be EU Council head Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament leader David Sassoli and top EU diplomat Josep Borrell.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will also attend out of respect for the great number of people who lost their lives to COVID-19 in Spain and the world, and to stress the UN health bodys support for those fighting the virus, a spokeswoman said.

During the memorial, an orchestra will play Spains national anthem along with Brahms Sacred Song and people affected by the pandemic will also speak.

The government, which has been severely criticised for its management of the crisis, declared a 10-day mourning period for the victims in late May the longest since Spain returned to democracy after the fall of Francos dictatorship in 1975.

Spain suffered a particularly deadly outbreak of the coronavirus which has officially claimed more than 28,400 lives, making it the seventh worst-hit country in the world in terms of death toll.

However, figures provided by the National Statistics Institute (INE) and the Carlos III Health Institute showed that in recent months, the death toll in Spain had been between 43,000 and 44,000 higher than the monthly average.

But the government says such figures include those who died of other causes or had COVID symptoms and never had a PCR test a key requirement for being added to the official count.

With the population back on the streets and the borders with Europe and a dozen other countries now open, Spain has seen the number of new infections rising.

When the epidemic first hit, the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared a state of emergency on March 14, allowing it to impose one of the worlds tightest lockdowns.

But it has ruled out any renewal of the measure, saying the regional health authorities will be able to control outbreaks.

With the peak behind us, the regions have the necessary tools to tackle particular situations. Fresh outbreaks were expected and are occurring in all countries, deputy prime minister Carmen Calvo said on Tuesday.

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Police uncover new tactic used by Macau scam syndicates during raid on Johor call centre – The Star Online

JOHOR BARU: The police have uncovered the latest tactic of the Macau scam syndicates following a raid of premises allegedly being used as a call center on July 7, says state police chief Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

He said that the police raided the landed property at Mount Austin here and found after further investigations that the syndicate uses an application known as Got Further 602400 and added that it comes from an Asian country.

Comm Ayob said the telecommunication configuration system uses Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Interactive Voice Response (IVR).

The victims will be contacted randomly through the system by using IVR (Robo-call) and voice recordings claiming to be from various enforcement agencies.

Victims would then be asked to press a number on their mobile phone before they are connected to an operator at the call centre where they are then told that they have committed an offence, he added.

Comm Ayob said the operator would then tell the victim to download an app where the syndicate is then able to hack into the victim's personal information, including their bank account details.

So far, we have identified about 12 scam cases involving losses amounting to a total of RM599,299 and police believe there are more call centres and victims in the state, he added.

On the raid itself, Comm Ayob said that 12 suspects aged between 20 and 45 were arrested and that they work as operators.

He added that those arrested also posed as enforcement officers from the police, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC), Immigration, the Customs Department, the Inland Revenue Board, court officials and even Pos Malaysia staff.

Two of the suspects played an important role in the syndicate where one of them acted as a supervisor while the other one as a technical communication system expert, he added.

Comm Ayob Khan said this during a press conference held at the state police headquarters here on Monday (July 13).

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Up to half of working population on reduced paid leave – Macau Daily Times

A survey with 936 valid responses shows that half of its respondents are on unpaid leave, semi-paid leave, underemployed, or have had their pay cut.The survey conducted by the General Union of Neighborhood Associations of Macau (UGAMM) also shows that nearly 90% of respondents felt worried about the future of their work or lives.Unpaid or semi-paid leave has become normal under the impact of Covid-19. The survey revealed that one out of five respondents was on one of the abovementioned leave conditions, while more than one-third of respondents were either underemployed or required to accept a pay cut.Considering the complications created by the pandemic, two out of three respondents were worried about their work or lives, while more than a quarter of respondents felt extremely worried. However, only 15% were worried they would actually lose their jobs.The survey organizer, however, did not disclose in which industries the respective worried and unconcerned respondents worked.Respondents expressed the hope that the government would implement stricter control on non-resident worker applications and shrink the quotas for such applications. The scope of the subsidized training program should also be expanded.Finally, the survey organizer recommends that the government promptly institutionalize the citys overall economic strategies and contingencies, so as to diversify the economy and provide confidence to residents. AL

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Hollywood | Kelly Preston, actor and wife of John Travolta, dies at 57 – Macau Daily Times

Kelly Preston and John Travolta attend the premiere of Gotti at the SVA Theatre in New York, in 2018

Kelly Preston, who played dramatic and comic foil to actors ranging from Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire to Arnold Schwarzenegger in Twins, died yesterday [Macau time], husband John Travolta said. She was 57.Travolta said in an Instagram post that his wife of 28 years died after a two-year battle with breast cancer.It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer, Travolta said. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many.The couple had three children together.Shocked by this sad news, Maria Shriver said on Twitter. Kelly was such a bright loving soul, a talented actress, and a loving mom and wife. My heart breaks for her family who have already known such sadness and grief.Preston had a lengthy acting career in movies and television, starring opposite Kevin Costner in the 1999 film For the Love of the Game. In 2003, she starred in What a Girl Wants and as the mom in the live-action adaptation of The Cat in the Hat. The following year she appeared in the music video for Maroon 5s She Will Be Loved.Russell Crowe tweeted that he met Preston first in late 92 I think, adding, In 1995 we auditioned together for Breaking Up, Salma Hayek got that gig. Crowe said he hadnt seen Preston much, but when I did, she was always the same sparkly eyed gem.She occasionally appeared in films with her husband, as they did in the box-office bomb Battlefield Earth in 2000.Preston and Travolta were married at a midnight ceremony in Paris in 1991 while the couple were expecting their first son, Jett.In January 2009, Jett Travolta, 16, died after a seizure at the familys vacation home in the Bahamas. The death touched off a court case after an ambulance driver and his attorney were accused of trying to extort $25 million from the actors in exchange for not releasing sensitive information about their sons death.Travolta testified during a criminal trial that ended in a mistrial and was prepared to testify a second time, but decided to stop pursuing the case and it was dismissed. He cited the severe strain the proceedings and his sons death had caused the family.Both Preston and Travolta returned to acting, with Prestons first role back in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation, The Last Song, which starred Miley Cyrus and her future husband, Liam Hemsworth.They had two other children, daughter Ella Bleu in 2000 and son Benjamin in 2010. Ella wrote on Instagram Sunday: I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you. Anyone who is lucky enough to have known you or to have ever been in your presence will agree that you have a glow and a light that never ceases to shine and that makes anyone around you feel instantly happy.Travolta and Preston met while filming 1988s The Experts.They last starred together in the 2018 film Gotti, with Travolta playing John Gotti and Preston playing the crime bosss wife, Victoria. AP

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UK in U-turn as it makes facemasks mandatory in shops – Macau Business

Facemasks will be compulsory in shops and supermarkets in England from next week, the government said on Tuesday, in a U-turn on previous policy.

The new legislation will come into force in England on July 24, after weeks of wrangling from ministers about their effectiveness.

The Prime Minister has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24, Boris Johnsons office said.

There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus, it said in a statement.

People who fail to cover their face risk a fine of up to 100 ($123, 109 euros) with enforcement to be carried out by the police.

Johnson, who spent several days battling COVID-19 in intensive care, on Monday said the measure was extra insurance against the spread of the virus.

I do think in shops its very important to wear a face covering if youre going to be in a confined space to protect other people, and receive protection, he said.

Johnson has been pictured recently wearing a blue facemask bought for 2 from a high-street bargain store.

But Johnsons senior cabinet colleague, Michael Gove, on Sunday appeared to rule out the compulsory wearing of facemasks, saying ministers trusted peoples good sense.

Facemasks have been mandatory on public transport across the country since June 15, and Scotland has already made the coverings compulsory for shoppers.

UK Environment Secretary George Eustice said Tuesday the government was changing its advice in accordance with developments in scientific thinking.

The evidence, the understanding, has been evolving, he told Sky News television. I dont think its unreasonable to ask the public now to go to that next step.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will outline the new policy in parliament later on Tuesday.

But there are already concerns from the police who have called it nigh on enforceable.

Shopkeepers need to step up to the plate and take some responsibility, said Ken Marsh, of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers.

They can quite easily put signs up on their doors No mask on, no entry, this is private property.

Opposition parties have also accused the government of dithering and asked why the policy is being delayed until July 24.

Ben Bradshaw, from the Labour party, called the governments approach a total shambles.

Britain has been one of the countries worst hit by the virus, with nearly 45,000 deaths from positive coronavirus cases, according to an official government tally.

Broader statistics taking into account suspected cases puts the death toll at more than 50,000.

The government was also warned on Tuesday that a second wave of infections could see 120,000 deaths in hospitals alone in a reasonable worst-case scenario if no action was taken now.

The Academy of Medical Sciences said the government needed to prepare immediately to prevent the state-run National Health Service (NHS) from being overwhelmed from September.

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Hong Kong | Organizers of Tiananmen vigil appear in court – Macau Daily Times

Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of the local newspaper Apple Daily, arrives outside a district court in Hong Kong, yesterday

The organizers of a vigil commemorating Chinas bloody 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square appeared in a Hong Kong court on Monday on charges of inciting others to participate in an unlawful assembly.A total of 13 people were charged over the June 4 vigil, including Lee Cheuk-Yan, who chairs the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic and Democratic Movements of China. The alliance organizes the vigil, which is annual event.Others charged include Jimmy Lai, founder of the Apple Daily newspaper and a pro-democracy advocate, as well as activists and alliance members Richard Tsoi and Albert Ho.Police had ruled that this years vigil could not take place due to restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic, but organizers turned up to sit in the usual vigil venue, Victoria Park. Thousands eventually followed suit.Days later, they were charged for inciting others to participate in the banned protest.Today we are supposedly on trial, but we believe it is the Hong Kong government, the police that should be put on trial and will be put on trial because of the suppression of our right to mourn on June 4, Lee said.This is a complete denial of our rights under the constitutional Basic Law, he said.The group held up posters and banners condemning the government for suppressing the vigil and opposing political prosecution.They also took a moment of silence to mark the death anniversary of Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident who died of liver cancer in 2017 while serving a 11-year jail sentence for subversion of state power.

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Hong Kong | Organizers of Tiananmen vigil appear in court - Macau Daily Times

Germany alarmed at tourists partying in Mallorca – Macau Business

Germanys health minister expressed concern on Monday after hundreds of German tourists were seen partying in Mallorca without masks or keeping a safe distance, fuelling fears of another coronavirus wave.

Local media on the Spanish island voiced outrage after video footage showed mainly German holidaymakers drinking, singing and dancing outside bars and terraces on Friday evening.

One local newspaper dubbed it chaos while the German-language Mallorca Zeitung said it was as if no one had ever heard of the corona pandemic.

At a press conference in Berlin, Health Minister Jens Spahn said he understood that people wanted to cut loose on vacation, but said they risked undoing the progress made to contain the deadly virus by disregarding health measures.

The images weve seen from Mallorca this weekend worry me, Spahn said.

Situations where people do not keep the recommended 1.5 metres apart, drink from the same bottle, hug and seek closeness while partying and consuming alcohol, all this of course increases the risk, he said.

Im not here to ruin the fun but now is not the time for this.

Mallorcas sun-soaked beaches and vibrant nightlife make it one of Germanys most popular holiday destinations.

Thousands of Germans have flown there since EU countries reopened their borders to each other in June.

But concerns that visitors could spark a fresh coronavirus surge on the Balearic Islands prompted the regional government last week to announce hefty fines for those caught organising illegal parties or flouting rules on social distancing and face masks.

Germanys Spahn warned that Mallorca must not turn into a second Ischgl, referring to an Austrian ski resort that became a COVID-19 hotspot and contributed to the spread of the pandemic across Europe.

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US judge delays first federal execution in 17 years – Macau Business

A US judge ordered a delay on Monday of the first federal execution in the United States in 17 years, which is scheduled to be carried out later in the day.

Daniel Lewis Lee, 47, a former white supremacist convicted of murdering a family of three in 1996, is scheduled to be executed at 4:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Monday at Terre Haute prison in the midwestern state of Indiana.

But US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered Lees execution halted to allow for legal challenges to the lethal injection protocols to be used to put him and other federal inmates to death.

The public is not served by short-circuiting legitimate judicial process, Chutkan said.

The Justice Department immediately appealed Chutkans order to a higher court and the Supreme Court may have the final say in the case over the next few hours.

Lee, of Yukon, Oklahoma,would be the first federal inmate to be executed in the United States since 2003. There have been just three federal executions in the country since the death penalty was reinstated in 1988.

Lee was convicted in Arkansas in 1999 of murdering William Mueller, a gun dealer, his wife, Nancy, and her eight-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell.

Earlene Peterson, whose daughter and granddaughter were killed by Lee, has asked President Donald Trump to grant clemency to the condemned man but he has ignored her appeal.

Peterson and relatives of other victims also filed a lawsuit with a US District Court in Indianapolis seeking to delay the execution because of the coronavirus pandemic.

They argued that they would be risking their lives if they travelled to Terre Haute to witness Lees execution.

An appeals court dismissed the suit on Sunday, clearing the way for the execution to go ahead.

Baker Kurrus, the lawyer for the families, said he would take their appeal to the Supreme Court.

The federal government has put this family in the untenable position of choosing between their right to witness Danny Lees execution and their own health and safety, Kurrus said.

The Bureau of Prisons said Sunday that a member of the Terre Haute prison staff had tested positive for COVID-19.

Theres no reason for anybody to be carrying out executions right now because of the pandemic, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.

Dunham accused Trump of political use of the death penalty.

Trump, who faces a tough re-election battle in November, has called for stepped up use of capital punishment, especially for killers of police officers and drug traffickers.

More than 1,000 US religious leaders urged Trump last week to abandon plans to resume federal executions.

Only a handful of US states, mainly in the conservative South, still actively carry out executions. In 2019, 22 people were put to death.

Most crimes are tried under state laws, but federal courts can judge some of the most serious crimes terror attacks, hate crimes and the like as well as those committed on military bases and Indian reservations.

Among the most notable recent federal executions was that of Timothy McVeigh, who was put to death by lethal injection in 2001 for the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma that killed 168 people.

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From Macau to Germany and Scotland, chef Monica Galetti on the worlds most luxurious hotels – The Sun

MASTERCHEF judge Monica Galetti knows a thing or two about high-end service.

But while presenting hit BBC series Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby, even she was taken aback by the facilities on offer in the worlds most exclusive resorts.

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The show sees the Samoan-born chef, who owns fine-dining restaurant Mere in Londons Fitzrovia, and co-host Giles Coren work alongside staff in hotels where Lamborghini dealerships in the lobby are the norm and high-rollers have access to secret in-hotel mansions.

In the three-part series, which starts on Tuesday, the pair roll up their sleeves in the technology-obsessed MGM Cotai in Macau, in Germanys Schloss Elmau, which claims to invigorate the mind, body and soul, and in The Torridon, a former hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands.

Monica says: Macau is the Las Vegas of Asia but leaves Nevada in the dust, every year raking in triple as much in gambling revenue.

It comes as no surprise that bosses were happy to shell out almost 3billion building the MGM Cotai on Chinas south coast.

Designed to look like Chinese jewellery boxes stacked on top of each other, the hotel boasts 1,390 rooms, eight restaurants and a super-secretive casino which the BBC was banned from filming in.

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Any guests who manage to cash in at the tables are tempted to spend their winnings within the hotel, where high-end boutiques are open 24/7 and there is, yes, a Lamborghini dealership in the lobby.

But theres one area of the hotel that only the super-rich can set foot inside.Hidden behind an electronic door is The Mansion, a glass-roofed Moro-ccan-inspired square comprising 27 luxury apartments.

Monica, who got to have a snoop around, says: Its completely separate from the rest of the hotel, which only compounds its air exclusivity. They wont even tell me how much it costs it seems if you need to ask, then you cant afford it.

In the Bavarian Alps, Germanys Schloss Elmau couldnt be more different to the MGM Cotai, as culture and calm are combined in the countryside. Guests are treated to five-star spa treatments and a concert hall that attracts the worlds leading classical music stars who all play for free just so they can stay in the hotel.

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Monica says: This hotel is called a cultural hideaway a retreat for both body and mind.

Its proved itself to be exactly that and so much more.

Never before have we stayed in a hotel where its sole aim is the music its very spiritual.

But the jewel in the crown of this series is Scotlands The Torridon.

Set in the Highlands, where mountains meet the sea to create the most spectacular landscapes, this former hunting lodge seems worlds away from civilisation.

Staff work and live together on site, theres a pub in the grounds and an outdoor playground of wilderness in every direction.

Most impressive of all to Monica is that its rural location has forced the hotels kitchen staff to become almost completely self-sufficient, with 60 per cent of food served to guests coming from their on-site farm.

Monica says: Their remoteness has made them value produce in a way that feels traditional, but also thoroughly modern.

Im just so impressed with everything, from the field to the fork, the welfare of the animals to how the meat is aged correctly.

Thats how farming should be.

Its the only way forward, to be able to keep it sustainable both for the product and for the environment.

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The Torridon is winning the battle to be self-sufficient. Its a lovely feeling serving food you know has come from the landscape around you.

Coming from the high-end, stressful job that I do, its a real escape. Its good for the soul.

Ive discovered this beautiful sanctuary that has warmth and comfort. People are going to have to book in early because itll be almost impossible after this episode airs.

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAILexclusive@the-sun.co.uk

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Local UN institute researchers investigating cybersecurity tools to protect civil society – Macau Business

Local preparations against cybersecurity threats should not be exclusive to governments and the private sector, but should also include the whole of civil society, cybersecurity researchers with the local United Nations University Institute told Macau News Agency (MNA).

Currently, researchers Debora Christine and Mamello Thinyane are preparing a study entitled Data and Sustainable Development and Smart Citizen Cyber Resilience focusing on how civil society individuals, non-governmental organisations and community groups can better prepare to face cybersecurity risks.

The United Nations University Institute in Macau is a research institute that conducts UN policy-relevant research and generates solutions, addressing key issues expressed in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The research conducted by Christine and Thinyane looks to fulfil the UN Sustainable Development Goals for better data usage towards individuals development and wellbeing and better tech inclusion of individuals and population groups.

Just now we are building on a repository of all of these [local cybersecurity] risks and weve identified over 109 types of risks The whole idea of resilience is that we need to be able to anticipate and plan for when the events occur we cant adapt. It includes contingency plans and preparation, Thinyane told MNA.

Local preparations against cybersecurity threats should not be exclusive to governments and the private sector, but should include the whole of civil society, cybersecurity researchers with the local United Nations University Institute told Macau News Agency (MNA).

A former computer sciences professor in South Africa, Thinyane indicated that traditionally people tend to think of cybersecurity in terms of technical risks such as data leakages or data breaches, denial of server, and identity theft, but tended to overlook social issues such as cyberbullying, misinformation or fake news.

For each of these risks, we are developing contingency plans and countermeasures. Individuals can do two things, they can access what is their risk exposure and based on that they can have options. For example with data branches ideally you should be doing two or three data backups, Thinyane added.

So were developing these models to allow individuals to think in a methodical way on how to improve their cybersecurity resilience

The project was conceptualised last year the researchers managing to successfully apply for funding from the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) funding valid for 15 months.

The first key findings of the research are expected to be published in August or September with funding expected to last until March of next year, but with the researchers hoping their work can be maintained after that period and expanded to the other Asia Pacific jurisdictions.

According to the researchers, cybersecurity approaches in countries and regions in the Asia Pacific tends to focus on top-to-bottom models, where most initiatives tend to be expected from government departments and private groups, which have more resources for these kinds of policies.

Last year local authorities enacted the citys first Cybersecurity Law, which establishes that private and public companies and entities operating in crucial sectors including internet, media and communication operators, water and energy supply, banking, financial systems and gaming would be mandated to enforce cybersecurity measures.

Those specific stakeholders are more engaged about cyber risks and they have more resources to allocate to this. For example, Macau companies would have dedicated IT departments and probably even cybersecurity directors. An organisation like Caritas, very mission-driven NGO, might not even have an IT department, Thinyane stated.

You have to establish resilience in the whole of society We know from our work that the weakest link in your cybersecurity strategy is what will compromise the whole system One of the biggest attack services is social engineering. Simple things like you receive an e-mail from your boss to transfer money. It compromises individuals to access networks.

The SAR does have a Macau Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (MOCERT) managed by the Macau New Technologies Incubator Centre which provides computer security incident handling information to local enterprises however, the researchers noted that maybe many locals and organisations are not even aware of its existence.

The top to bottom model also tends to underplay the risks incurred by individuals and other civil society players, which ends up undermining the overall cybersecurity resilience of society.

The first phase of our cyber resilience research was already completed and weve looked at 14 Asia pacific national security strategies excluding Macau which does not have it yet. It has launched the cybersecurity law but no comprehensive cybersecurity measures with detailed stakeholders and their obligations to meet these objectives, Christine told MNA.

Mainland China was included in the research, but Hong Kong, like Macau, was not seen as a cybersecurity strategy that encompassed civil society.

According to the Indonesian researcher, in most of these national cybersecurity strategies, citizens or civil society organisations are not provided with avenues to be involved in these security efforts.

Singapore, Australia and New Zealand were considered as regions where cybersecurity efforts better develop a sense of overall society resilience to cyber threats.

However our focus is not to rank countries but check which ones are more inclusive in their cybersecurity resilience, Christine added.

In any sense, the researchers believe there should be a marriage between top-to-bottom and bottom-up strategies to cybersecurity and hope to be able to present their grassroots community resilience tools soon.

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Local UN institute researchers investigating cybersecurity tools to protect civil society - Macau Business

Trump finally dons mask as global infections gather pace – Macau Business

US President Donald Trump finally yielded to pressure and wore a face mask in public for the first time, as new figures Sunday showed the pace of the global spread of the coronavirus has accelerated.

Since the start of July, nearly 2.5 million new infections have been reported, a record level since the first outbreak of the disease in China last year, according to an AFP tally.

And in just a month and a half the number of cases worldwide has doubled, according to the count based on official figures.

Hours after the World Health Organization urged countries to step up control measures, Trump donned a dark mask bearing the presidential seal as he visited wounded military veterans in a hospital outside Washington Saturday.

Ive never been against masks but I do believe they have a time and a place, he told reporters.

White House experts leading the fight against the virus have recommended wearing face coverings in public to prevent transmission.

Trump in the past repeatedly avoided wearing a mask, even after White House staffers tested positive for the virus and as more aides have taken to wearing them.

He is trailing Democrat Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the November election and surveys show most Americans are unhappy with how he has handled the public health crisis.

But Trump has continued to praise his own response despite a cascade of figures showing the extent of the diseases spread.

The US posted yet another daily record of confirmed cases Saturday, with more than 66,500 new infections, while the death toll rose by almost 800 to nearly 135,000.

In Florida, where nearly one in six of those new infections were recorded, the Walt Disney World theme park partially reopened after four months of shutdown.

Hundreds of people queued to enter the park in Orlando, some sporting Mickey ears but all wearing face masks, with social distancing and other hygiene precautions also in place.

Across the planet, the pandemic has infected nearly 13 million people, killed over 565,000 and triggered massive economic damage in the seven months since it was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

The latest-high profile personality to test positive for COVID-19 was Bollywood superstar and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, whose daughter and husband have also been infected.

India, a country of 1.3 billion people, is the third-worst infected in the world after the United States and Brazil.

Last week, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also tested positive, and again advocated the use of the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called on countries to adopt an aggressive approach to tackling the virus, citing successful efforts in Italy, South Korea and elsewhere.

Across all walks of life, we are all being tested to the limit, he said Friday.

Only aggressive action combined with national unity and global solidarity can turn this pandemic around.

Life in parts of Europe is gradually returning to some semblance of normality, although the continent remains the worst affected with more than 202,000 deaths from 2.8 million cases.

Elections were held in Spain and Poland Sunday after being postponed because of the virus, and strict hygiene measures were in place.

But the tourism industry across Europe has been battered, with many businesses forced to shut up shop because of the impact of punishing lockdowns introduced to stem the transmission of the disease.

Everythings dead, said Jesus Maldonado, owner of the Santos Bar just across from the Mesquite, the mosque-cathedral in the Spanish city of Cordoba.

In neighbouring France, where reopened bars and restaurants are bustling in the summer heat, officials have warned of rising cases as the death toll topped 30,000.

And the mayor of the French Riviera city of Nice complained about a lack of social distancing at a DJ set thronged by partying crowds, vowing that in future masks would be obligatory at such outdoor events.

The national government has also said it plans to introduce systematic testing at airports for visitors from so-called category red countries where COVID-19 is still prevalent.

Across the border in Germany, Berlin is offering financial help for the citys famous nightclubs which have remained shut for four months even though many other restrictions have been eased.

In the Middle East, the resurgence of the disease is being felt in Iran, where supreme leader said the situation was truly tragic and urged all citizens to help stem what has been the regions deadliest outbreak.

Let everyone play their part in the best way to break the chain of transmission in the short term and save the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a video conference with lawmakers.

Australia is also taking action after a fresh surge in cases that saw a lockdown imposed on Melbourne, the countrys second-largest city.

The authorities said they would slash by half the number of people allowed to return from overseas each day.

In Hong Kong, a spike has marked a setback for the city after daily life had largely returned to normal, with restaurants and bars resuming regular business and cultural attractions reopening.

Schools will be closed from Monday after the city recorded exponential growth in locally transmitted infections.

by Daniel WOOLLS / with AFP bureaus

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City can still reach 22 mln visitors this year – Tourism Office Director – Macau Business

The Macau SAR could still reach some 22 million visitors this year despite the pandemic, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes indicated in an interview with newspaper Ponto Final.

However, Fernandes noted that it was first essential to ensure a safe environment for local residents before considering a border re-opening.

If we reopen suddenly, it could reintroduce more cases to the city. Concerning imported cases, we have a good system to try to mitigate the situation, but if there were local or community cases this would be more complicated. At the same time, we have to open borders, step by step, she indicated in the interview.

The MGTO Director also again warned that according to the projections of the World Tourism Organization, at least three years would be required for tourism flows to get back to the same situation before the pandemic due to the impact caused in the airline industry.

In 2019 more than 39.4 million visitors were reported, with 71 per cent hailing from mainland China.

As border restrictions were gradually imposed due to the health crisis, the city reported about 3.2 million visitors between January and May of this year, an 81 per cent year-on-year fall, with the number of visitors from Mainland China has also fallen by 81 per cent to 2.3 million.

The local occupancy rate has also stumbled down from 90 per cent last year, to 30 per cent between January and May of this year.

The most recent predictions by the University of Macaus (UM) Centre for Macau Studies and Department of Economics 2020 Macau Macroeconomic Forecast only estimated a maximum scenario of 12.66 million visitors this year, which could lead to a 60 per cent GDP drop.

The Chief Executive himself said he would, in due course, request the Chinese Central Government to return to issuing individual visas. Of course, this cannot happen overnight, we have to observe the situation every day. I think with the opening of Zhuhai and eventually other cities in the Greater Bay Area, I hope even the whole of Guangdong province, will help the local situation in economic terms a lot, she added.

Macau residents can currently toapplyto 3,000 daily quotas for exemption from the Guangdongs current 14-day quarantine requirement to nine cities in the province, however efforts to open a travel bubble together with Hong Kong have yet to be formally announced, with the neighbouring SAR facing another spike in local cases.

We cannot continue without opening the borders because we are a city of tourism, and in addition to tourism almost all businesses in Macau depend, some more but less, on the movement of people, Fernandes added.

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City can still reach 22 mln visitors this year - Tourism Office Director - Macau Business

Swimming against the tide: The subtle art of resistance in Macau – Hong Kong Free Press

Filmmaker Lei Cheok mei creates deeply personal movie vignettes of her familys life in Macau. She traces her grandfathers forgotten achievements as an engineer, her aunts battle with depression, and the impact of her mothers job as a casino worker on their relationship.

While there is nothing overtly political about her award-winning work, it nevertheless takes a quiet stand in a city where the space for dissent is shrinking rapidly.

Family is a universal concept and a small unit of society. So, if theres a problem in a family its a reflection of something wider, Lei, 28, told HKFP. She wants her films to encourage audiences to think more about life in the gambling hub and to question how the government could better help residents.

Although people in Macau dont like to talk about political topics, theyre still sensitive and emotionalthats why I want to engage them in this softer way, she explained. I want them to see that the government is not perfect.

Even such an oblique challenge to the status quo in Macau is rare. The semi-autonomous city has prospered since it was handed back to China by Portugal in 1999 and critical voices are few.

The economy was transformed after foreign investors snapped up gaming concessions in the early 2000s, developing mega-casinos and luxury hotels. Unemployment is low and the pro-Beijing government gives annual cash handouts to residents.

Chinas President Xi Jinping has lauded the compliant city as a successful example of one country, two systems. Whereas Beijing has unilaterally imposed a national security law on Hong Kong as a response to anti-government protests there, Macau introduced the legislation on its own in 2009. The vast majority of lawmakers in its partially elected parliament are pro-establishment.

There are historical as well as economic reasons for Macaus political conformity. Long before the official handover of the territory to China, pro-Beijing associations were already largely running the city.

Portugal effectively ceded control to them following an anti-colonial uprising in Macau in 1966. More than half the population was born in mainland China, which has also fostered a sense of integration.

However, discontent is rising among younger generations as authorities crack down on even small-scale digressions from Beijings script and seek to prevent unrest spreading from Hong Kong.

The increased repression reflects the Chinese governments growing intolerance for any trace of opposition or criticism in its territories, even though, as in Hong Kong, Macaus mini-constitution protects rights unseen on the mainland, such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Academics in Macau have spoken in recent years of losing their jobs for expressing their political views. Journalists are also under increasing pressure to toe the government line. Fears over the erosion of liberties ramped up last year when local demonstrations against police brutality in Hong Kong were denied permission in a rare move by the police, who cited security concerns.

Resentment was further stoked last month when officials banned Macaus annual vigil to commemorate victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre for the first time in 30 years, citing coronavirus risks.

Two young women who went to the square where the memorial is usually held on the night of the cancelled event were arrested. They were the daughters of one of Macaus few pro-democracy legislators.

Meanwhile, a bus parade in support of Hong Kongs national security law took place a day later without restrictions, sparking anger over the authorities double standards.

These events have aroused a lot of attention in society here, said filmmaker Lei. People are making more noise than usual.

A new Macau-based Facebook page whose name translates as Freedom of the Pen is one example of that pushback. Set up in early June in response to the banning of the Tiananmen vigil, it is a citizen news platform critical of the way Macau is run. It calls on people to unite to defend Macaus freedoms and has more than 3,100 followers.

Lei and a group of filmmakers have also seen a strong community response to a new Facebook campaign they have launched. They are demanding answers from the government about its decision to hand a popular arts cinemaCinematheque Passionto a new management company. The incoming firm has offered to run the government-funded venue at a lower cost. Campaigners say little is known about the company and fear it will water down the previously eclectic programme of international and local films.

Hundreds have signed the groups Facebook petition and more than 1,600 people have liked its Macau Cinematheque Matters Facebook page.

It may not sound like much, but in Macau thats a lot, said Lei. Macau citizens dont usually take an interest in politics, so it was very surprising that this many people cared they even gave their real names.

These new shoots of resistance are tiny compared with the millions who have taken to the streets in Hong Kong to protest disappearing freedoms. But they are an indicator of simmering frustrations in a city where self-expression is increasingly difficult.

As a documentary maker, Lei believes she has a social responsibility to voice her views, despite having first-hand experience of the risks. Last year she was detained near one of the banned demonstrations in support of Hong Kong and was held by police for hours after they found a Hong Kong protest sticker in her bag. She was eventually released without charge.

Like many artists in Macau, she is in a particularly tough position as she relies on government funding for her work,which hasearnedhigh-profile recognition. Her poignant film Melancholy of the Gods, about her aunts depression, won the jury prize at Macaus international film festival in 2018. Her nextmoviewill look at drug addiction in the city.

However, while she expects the challenges to increase, she remains determined to shed light on what she sees as the reality of life in Macau. Im very worried about the situation, but that doesnt mean I wont express and make noise about things that are an injustice, she said.

There may be no way to confront the government or influence their decisions but as long as we do what we think is right we can affect the people around us, including our next generations.

Other Macau residents unhappy with what is happening in the city are finding different ways to share their discontent and subtly push for change.

Macau businessman Craig, who asked to use a pseudonym, does not voice his opinions on social media for fear of repercussions. Instead he opts to have face-to-face informal political discussions with visitors to the caf that he jointly owns.

Craig, in his 30s, is critical of what he sees as the governments attempt to control the population and fears that systems like mobile phone payments and facial recognition CCTV will be used to track citizens. He acknowledges that the majority of Macau residents disagree with him.

Eighty percent of people think the other 20 percent are destroying the Macau atmosphere and phenomenon. They see Hong Kong people throwing petrol bombs and they dont want people like that here, he explained.

Through conversation and debate he hopes to inform the views of Macau residents who might be politically on the fence, or know little about political issues. Its about communicating and encouraging people to think about their lives. Im not a guy who will influence many people, I just do what I can, he said.

When people come into the caf, I might share my opinions a little bit. Sometimes my opinion isnt right. But I think the only way to improve our knowledge is to share our opinions with each other. If we dont, society and people wont progress, he added.

Such discussions also provide a counterpoint to the limited views represented by Macau media, which are largely uncritical of the government.Concerns over press freedom grew earlier this year when China extended its ban on journalists from three US media organisations to Hong Kong and Macau. Some journalists from Hong Kong have also been denied entry to Macau.

A local newspaper reporter, who requested anonymity, told HKFP that quotes from interviewees citing opinions contrary to the official line from Beijing or the Macau authorities are routinely cut from articles by editors at the publication and that such censorship has worsened. Ive stopped fighting back because they dont listen to me. I just avoid doing political stories now, the reporter said.

But although voicing criticism is hard, residents in even the most sensitive positions have found creative ways to express their dissatisfaction with the authorities.

Government worker Michael, who is in his 30s and asked to use a pseudonym, said that he and a trusted group of work colleagues express their political opinions through a kind of coded joke-telling in the office.

We say the opposite of what we really mean, so we will say how great Beijing is, for example, and how we want to go back to the mainland. But we still have to be really careful about who is listening, he explained.

Michael says Macaus crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression is fanning indignation among his peers, who he describes as angry at the governments pro-Beijing style.

I think older generations are OK if the mainland makes Macau another Chinese city, as long as they are rich. But my generation grew up with the internet, were influenced by Hong Kong, Taiwanese and Japanese culture. We know whats going on in the world, he added.

Michael wants a free future for his family and despite the limitations of his position feels strongly about raising awareness of his concerns however he can, before the city he loves becomes somewhere he no longer wants to live. Some of his friends have already opted to move abroad. As China tightens its grip on Hong Kong, he fears repression in Macau will also worsen.

Even though we still have more freedoms than other cities in mainland China we feel like were losing them, he said. Were losing our Macau identity.

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Swimming against the tide: The subtle art of resistance in Macau - Hong Kong Free Press

OPINION-Opening windows – Macau Business

This coming week, one of the few doors open to the outside world will close. Im obviously talking about the direct corridor to the Hong Kong International Airport. It will close for an undefined period, a duration no one ventures to guess. There is no way that fact can be shown in a positive light.

It is often said that whenever we close a door, we should strive to open a window, at least. That is not happening here, and that can only increase the gloom from our current predicament. When one should be looking for new doors to open, as a matter of priority, we close one of the few existing ones without any real explanation of why that is or had to be so.

It isnt easy to understand why direct access to the Hong Kong airport cannot be maintained or even expended according to circumstances and needs. We duly celebrated its opening as a sign of an improving situation; the closing can only be lamented.

The remaining doors are very narrow, be it the Zhuhai crossing, or the odd flight out. Months without a single internal Covid-91 case, we live as a city under siege. Meanwhile, the economy keeps sinking to unbelievable lows.The economic, social, and emotional tolls will be very high.

Nobody doubts this economy is particularly sensitive to disturbances in the region because of political instability, health emergencies, and whatnot. In case of a crisis, such as the current one, the immediate consequences in both social and economic levels are clear; and the full longer-term impact, by nature uncertain, can be massive.

All this is well-know. It is a distinctive feature of the economy and has been so for decades. There are no easy or short-term solutions for that, as time has shown again and again. That is the reality; we have to deal with it. Admittedly, most of the answers do not depend on us alone, if at all, in some cases. But in what does, we should be showing our temper.

We can monitor our few and well-defined entry points appropriately. Opening more and broader doors should be our top priority. Pushing hard with our friends across the border is one way to go. Further, wouldnt it be time to use our airport more intently, as a big window to the region and the world?Airlines with loads of craft stuck on the ground might even fly to the rescue.

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OPINION-Opening windows - Macau Business

Residents increasingly aware of the value of world heritage in the city | – Macau Business

Macau residents are more and more aware of the value of world heritage in daily life, as well as the importance of safeguarding it, defended the president of the Cultural Institute (IC).

Mok Ian Ian was speaking at the opening ceremony of two days of activities that mark the 15th anniversary of Macaus historic center being inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The historic center, with its European-style squares and squares, its Chinese-style temples, its western-style churches and theaters and its mansions with Chinese and Western elements, tells the world the history of Macau, a city which is distinguished by its multicultural origins and characteristics , said the official.

The ICs work seeks, through various activities to raise awareness among the youngest sections of the population, to enhance the sustainable development of this precious and non-reproducible resource and to guarantee the future preservation of Macaus world cultural heritage, which belongs to all humanity, she stressed.

Portuguese folk dances, lion dances and Cantonese opera dominate the celebrations program, which until today (Sunday), also offers games, thematic exhibition, workshops and the sale of cultural and creative products.

The event takes place at Casa do Mandarim and Largo do Lilau, two spaces that are part of the world heritage list and bear witness to the oldest European architectural legacy on Chinese soil today, according to the evaluation of the World Heritage Committee of the historic center of Macau.

Traditional Chinese style building, Casa do Mandarim was built before 1869 and is located right in front of Largo do Lilau, one of the first Portuguese style squares in the city.

The historic center of Macau was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 15, 2005, having been designated as the 31st World Heritage Site in China.

The classification includes several historical buildings constructed by the Portuguese, including the building and Leal Senado square, Holly House of Mercy, the churches of S, So Loureno, Santo Antnio, Santo Agostinho, So Domingos, the Ruins of So Paulo and Company of Jesus square or the fortress of Guia.

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Residents increasingly aware of the value of world heritage in the city | - Macau Business

Over 40000 haven’t collected their consumer cards – Macau News

The Economic Services Bureau (DSE) said in a statement on Thursday that 614,000 residents have collected their first round of consumption subsidy smartcards, which equates to 93 per cent of those registered.

According to a DSE statement earlier this year, 658,000 residents registered for the government-issued consumption promotion cards known in Cantonese as siufai kat.

Consequently, some 40,000 residents have still not picked up their cards.

In the first tranche of the scheme, residents were provided with MOP 3,000 to spend by 31 July, thus the bureau on Thursday urged all those who have yet to collect their cards to pick them up and use them as soon as possible, as any amount remaining on the card after 31 July would return to the public coffers, the statement said.

According to Thursdays statement, registrants must pick up their smartcards on or before next Friday at one of the following locations during office hours: the Economic Service Bureau in Rua do Doutor Pedro Jos Lobo; the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) branch in Avenida de Sidnio Pais, or the Government Service Centres in Areia Preta and Taipa.

According to a statement earlier this year, the government plans to spend MOP 2.2 billion on the first-phase of the consumption subsidy scheme and MOP 3.6 billion on the second phase of the scheme.

The second phase of the scheme will see residents receiving MOP 5,000.

Residents can only spend up to MOP 300 per day during the first-phase of the consumption subsidy scheme, while the second phase will continue to have a daily maximum amount of spending, but it may change after the government assesses the spending patterns during the first phase, the earlier government statement said.

That statement also noted that those who lose their consumption smartcard will not be issued a new one.

The statement also noted that as the second-phase subsidy of MOP 5,000 will be added to the same card, residents should keep their cards safe to ensure that they dont lose it. Residents who lose their card are required to report the loss to the police, the statement said.

The government has not decided whether or not any resident who did not pick up his or her first round smartcard, will be able to collect the card for the second round.

(The Macau Post Daily/Macau News)

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Over 40000 haven't collected their consumer cards - Macau News

F1 teams in prison threat over Hungarian lockdown – Macau Business

Formula One drivers and teams have been warned they risk prison sentences and fines if they ignore strict coronavirus lockdown measures to be imposed at next weekends Hungarian Grand Prix.

An announcement by the Hungarian Government, with special focus on people from Britain and non-EU countries, was sent to the teams at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday, according to Autosport.

The report said that those who break the lockdown measures would face imprisonment or a 15,000 Euros fine.

An official communication, sent to the teams, was quoted saying: Attendees of UK or other non-EU or EEA nationality should not leave the venue, or their accommodation, for any reason other than for travel between the two locations and for their pre-arranged arrival and departure to and from Hungary.

The document, a copy of which has been seen by Autosport, added that attendees of UK or other non-EU or EEA nationality may not use public transport and taxis.

Any meals should be taken at either the venue or the accommodation and any free time should be spent within the boundaries of the accommodation.

Failure to adhere to these additional restrictions will be punishable by the Hungarian authorities and may result in imprisonment and/or fines of up to approximately 15,000 Euros.

Seven Formula One teams are based in Britain and the restrictions are expected to apply to most of the 2,000 people expected to be present at the Hungarian race.

It was made clear also that it was recommended that all F1 personnel who travel to Budapest adhere to the Hungarian restrictions.

The warning comes as F1s governing body the FIA are investigating Ferraris Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes for leaving the Formula One bubble at Spielberg this week to return home to Monaco.

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F1 teams in prison threat over Hungarian lockdown - Macau Business

The quest to find signs of ancient life on Mars – Macau Business

Mars may now be considered a barren, icy desert but did Earths nearest neighbour once harbour life?

It is a question that has preoccupied scientists for centuries and fired up sci-fi imaginings.

Now three space exploration projects are gearing up to launch some of the most ambitious bids yet to find an answer.

Scientists believe that four billion years ago the two planets both had the potential to nurture life but much of Mars intervening history is an enigma.

The new Mars probes from the United States, United Arab Emirates and China will launch this summer.

Their goal is not to find Martian life scientists believe nothing would survive there now but to search for possible traces of past lifeforms.

These vast and costly programmes could prove futile. But astrobiologists say the red planet is still our best hope for finding a record of life on other planets.

Mars is the only planet with concrete chances of finding traces of extraterrestrial life because we know that billions of years ago it was inhabitable, said Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of French space agency CNES in a conference call with journalists this week.

Le Gall is one of the architects of NASAs Mars 2020 exploratory probe, which is scheduled for launch at the end of July when Earth and Mars will be the closest for more than two years.

The more than $2.5 billion project is the latest and most technologically advanced attempt to uncover Mars deep buried secrets.

But it is not alone, as enthusiasm for space exploration has reignited.

Scientific enquiry of the red planet began in earnest in the 17th Century.

In 1609 Italian Galileo Galilei observed Mars with a primitive telescope and in doing so became the first person to use the new technology for astronomical purposes.

Fifty years later Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens used a more advanced telescope of his own design to make the first ever topographical drawing of the planet.

Mars compared to the desolate, empty moon has long seemed promising for potential inhabitability by microorganisms, wrote astrophysicist Francis Rocard in his recent essay Latest News from Mars.

But the 20th century presented setbacks.

In the 1960s, as the race to put a man on the moon was accelerating towards its dazzling Giant Leap, Dian Hitchcock and James Lovelock were putting a dampener on hopes of finding life on Mars.

Their research analysed the planets atmosphere looking for a chemical imbalance, gases reacting with each other, which would hint at life.

If there is no reaction, then there is probably no life there, Lovelock told AFP.

And that was the case Mars has an atmosphere that is completely inactive as far as chemistry is concerned.

Their conclusion was confirmed a decade later, when the Viking landers took atmospheric and soil samples that showed the planet was no longer inhabitable.

This discovery was a real tanker for Mars research, Rocard told AFP.

Mars programmes essentially paused for 20 years.

Then in 2000 scientists made a game-changing discovery: they found that water had once flowed over its surface.

This tantalising finding helped rekindle the latent interest in Mars exploration.

Scientists pored over images of gullies, ravines, scouring the Martian surface for evidence of liquid water.

More than 10 years later, in 2011, they definitively found it.

The follow the water, follow the carbon, follow the light strategy has paid off, Rocard said.

Every mission since the discovery of water has brought more and more evidence to light that Mars is not quite as dead as we thought, Michel Viso, an astrobiologist at CNES, told AFP.

The latest US rover to make the journey aptly named Perseverance is scheduled to touch down in February of next year after a six-month journey from launch time.

The probe is perhaps the most highly-awaited yet. Its landing spot, the Jezero Crater, may have once been a wide, 45-kilometre river delta.

Rich in sedimentary rocks, such as clay and carbonates the same types of rocks that hold fossil traces on Earth Jezero could be a treasure trove.

Or perhaps not.

We know that water once flowed, but the question remains: for how long? asked Rocard. We dont even know how long it took for life to appear on Earth.

If the mission can bring these rocks back to Earth they might yield answers to the questions that have long confounded scientists.

But they will have to wait at least 10 years for the analysis to be available.

Viso said the results will likely be a bundle of clues rather than a clear answer.

Scientists are also considering perhaps an even more profound question.

If life never existed on Mars, then why not?

The answer to this could enrich our understanding of how life developed on our own planet, Jorge Vago, the spokesperson of the European Space Agency said.

Due to shifting plate tectonics below the Earths core, it is exceedingly difficult to find any traces of life here before 3.5 billion years ago.

Mars has no tectonic plates and so there is a chance that four-billion-year-old signs of life that one could never find on Earth may be preserved there, Vago said.

And if the latest Mars programmes fail to find signs of ancient Martian life, there are always further frontiers to explore.

Encelade and Europe, two of Saturns and Jupiters moons, respectively are considered promising contenders.

Although reaching them remains more science fiction than reality.

by Kelly MacNamara/Juliette Collen

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The quest to find signs of ancient life on Mars - Macau Business

Nearly 47,000 residents have participated in tourist itineraries | – Macau Business

Around 47,000 people have participated, to date, in the 15 local tourist routes launched by the Government of Macau to boost the economy, affected by the covid-19, said the director of Tourism Services.

This domestic tourism plan is evaluated at weekly coordination meetings, including the possibility of launching more itineraries, given the high demand, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said.

One possibility is to include more points of the citys cultural heritage, but residents usually seek more indoor and family activities, such as workshops, she noted.

However, plans are always undergoing adjustments due to the covid-19 pandemic. There are many uncertainties that lead us to make several adjustments, she added.

Launched on June 15, the domestic tourism plan Vamos Macau (Macao Go) includes 15 itineraries, six community and nine leisure, with residents receiving 560 patacas if they participate in two excursions, the maximum limit defined by the authorities.

The Government has allocated 280 million patacas through the Macau Foundation, to subsidize residents who participate in the itineraries, which include excursions through old parts of the city, nature tourism, shows and gastronomy.

The objective is to help small businesses, affected by the crisis motivated by the covid-19 and which practically paralyzed the engine of the SARs economy, the gaming and tourism industry, due to border restrictions and the absence of tourists.

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Nearly 47,000 residents have participated in tourist itineraries | - Macau Business

Facebook bans content promoting ‘conversion therapy’ – Macau Business

Facebook on Friday said it is banning content that promotes conversion therapy, which is based on the unfounded notion that gays can change their sexual orientation through psychological or spiritual intervention.

Facebook and its image-centric social network Instagram are updating policies to require removal of content that directly promotes conversion therapy when such posts are flagged by users, according to the California-based internet giant.

The move is an extension of an existing ban on ads that promote the tactic, which medical experts consider ineffective and often harmful.

We dont allow attacks against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity and are updating our policies to ban the promotion of conversion therapy services, a Facebook spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry.

We are always reviewing our policies and will continue to consult with experts and people with personal experiences to inform our approach.

Conversion therapy interventions include electric shock, food deprivation and chemically-induced nausea, the American Medical Association has said in a report.

Empirical evidence demonstrates that sexuality and gender identities in people vary naturally, with the idea of conversion a misconception, the report said.

Such sexual orientation change efforts not only dont work, they may cause significant distress, the AMA said, citing a study showing they caused depression, anxiety, alienation, and other ill effects.

Another study cited by the AMA found that nearly 30 percent of people who underwent conversion therapy reported suicide attempts.

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Facebook bans content promoting 'conversion therapy' - Macau Business