The spread of the novel coronavirus does not appear to be impacted by seasonality, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, warning against false beliefs that summer is safer.

Season does not seem to be affecting the transmission of this virus, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters in a virtual briefing.

She pointed out that some of the hardest-hit countries are currently in the midst of different season.

While it is summer in the United States, which with nearly 148,000 deaths and close to 4.3 million cases is the hardest-hit country, the second most affected country Brazil, which counts more than 87,000 deaths, is in winter.

And yet, she said, there seems to be this fixed idea about this virus being seasonal, and that COVID-19 will come in waves.

This is because people are mistakenly viewing the pandemic through a flu lense, because that is the way the flu behaves.

What we all need to get our heads around is this is a new virus and even though it is a respiratory virus and even though respiratory viruses in the past did tend to do these different seasonal waves, this one is behaving differently, Harris said.

Instead of expecting the virus to behave like other viruses that are more familiar, she said people should look at what is actually known about how to stop transmission of COVID-19.

What works, she said, is physical distancing, hand washing, wearing a mask where appropriate, always covering up sneezes and coughs, staying home when experiencing symptoms, the isolation of cases and quarantining of contacts.

But at the moment, we arent doing that, because people seem to have it fixed in their heads that there is this seasonal thing and there seems to be this persistent belief that summer is not a problem, Harris said.

Summer is a problem. This virus likes all weathers, but what it particularly likes is jumping from one person to another when we come in close contact, Harris said.

Lets not give it that opportunity.

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No indication new coronavirus is seasonal: WHO - Macau Business

In a small Romanian village, Alois Nemecek is not ready to give up grinding grain yet, but he might be one of the last to run a watermill.

The young ones left for work in the Czech Republic, and some people have already started buying their bread, says the resident of the village of Garnic.

The tiny community, inhabited by a Czech minority, is located in Banat, a region along the Danube river in western Romania that is home to some 250 watermills, about 150 of which are still functional, according to the NGO Acasa in Banat (At home in Banat).

In Garnic, about 15 families owned each of the 10 watermills, and took turns using them.

As in many other parts of Romania, emigration has decimated the population of a village founded nearly 200 years ago by settlers from Bohemia, and only around 230 inhabitants remain, surrounded by forests and fields.

At least four million Romanians are estimated to be living abroad, with many having left the EUs poorest member of almost 20 million people in search of better jobs.

Nemecek counts the days hell still be able to carry grain bags between the mill and his home, where his wife bakes bread for them to eat and occasionally trade.

I cant work like before, says the 65-year-old, a man of imposing stature with smiles to spare.

A few hundred metres (yards) downstream, Iosif Kapic, 57, continues to grind corn for his calves and pigs at another mill once or twice a week.

Im the last one; everyone else left, he said.

Pointing to the oak structure that straddles a stream and is surrounded by vegetation, he adds: This mill is 150 years old. I just replaced the tiles, but the wood and grindstone are the original ones.

Owing to a lack of use however, several Garnic mills have already become soulless buildings, with blocked water channels and crippled wheels.

Striving to keep the ancestral occupation alive, Acasa in Banat has launched a project to renovate them in hope of attracting tourists.

In mid-July, around 60 volunteers cleaned up the Camenita river that runs through Garnic, replaced tiles, reinforced foundations and treated the wood with flax oil from four mills.

Our goal is to keep the mills alive, the organisations vice-president, Nicoleta Trifan, tells AFP.

Her group hopes the project will be beneficial for the villagers who will be able to earn a little more money, for example by selling organic flour to tourists.

This is a fantastic heritage, we hope that other communities will follow our example to showcase it Tourists are now more than ever in search of authentic experiences, she adds.

The presence of holidaymakers could indeed encourage Vencl Srameks family to bake bread again, as they did until a few years ago, the 72-year-old says.

Nothing compares to the taste of homemade pita, the villager recalls wistfully.

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Romanian watermills face renovation or ruin - Macau Business

About 110,000 residents went to top up their consumption subsidy smartcard on Monday, the first day of the procedure, according to a statement from Economic Services Bureau (DSE), as the governments second phase subsidy scheme giving each resident MOP 5,000 to spend locally begins on Saturday.

In the first phase of the scheme, the government gave each resident MOP 3,000 to spend from 1 May to 31 July with a maximum daily spending set at MOP 300. The scheme is part of the governments effort to boost local consumption and stabilise the job market amid the ongoing adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Macaos economy.

The MOP 3,000 in the first phase will not be carried forward into the second phase. If a resident does not spend it all by Friday, the money will revert to the public coffers, and then residents can top their cards up on Saturday.

For those who have spent all their MOP 3,000, they can top their cards up now, but can only start spending the cash on Saturday.

To receive the MOP 5,000, residents just need to place their cards over a Macau Pass reader installed at 190 service points which can be found on public administration premises, community association venues and bank branches. To top-up, residents do not need to present their ID cards.

Holders will have to spend the MOP 5,000 from Saturday to 31 December, and the same as the first phase, they can only spend up to MOP 300 per day during the second phase.

A resident who topped up his card at an Areia Preta service point told the Macau Post Daily on Monday that the process of topping-up merely took one second, adding that it was very convenient.

No need to rush to top-up

Pong Kai Fu, who heads DSEs Research Department, told reporters during a media briefing at the Government Services Centre in Areia Preta on Monday that nearly 10,000 smartcards had been topped by 9:45 am on Monday, adding that every top-up point was running smoothly.

Pong also said that a few residents whose cards still had some money on them couldnt top up their cards. He advised residents to check the balance online, or check at the reader at any top-up point.

Pong called on residents not to rush to top-up their cards as they could do it any time in the months up to December.

People can wait until their card balance is zero and then go to top it up at the service points on Saturday, Pong said.

Ho Cheng Wa, who heads the Municipal Affairs Bureaus (IAM) Department of Integrated Services and Quality Supervision, told reporters on the same occasion on Monday that officials allowed more than 100 people that were queuing outside the Government Services Centre in Areia Preta to top-up their smart cards from 8:10 am on Monday, to wait inside the building.

The centres opening hours are from 9 am to 6 pm. It is closed on weekends and public holidays.

(The Macau Post Daily/Macau News)PHOTO The Macau Post Daily/Nicole Iun

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110000 residents top up their consumption smartcards on 1st day - Macau News

Several of the witnesses heard yesterday in the ongoing corruption case involving the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) supported the prosecutions claims that some of the applicants for Macau residency were people who had never worked for the companies listed on their applications.The high-profile case involves some 26 defendants accused of corruption crimes, the forging documents and making false declarations on applications for residency.In the Court of First Instance session yesterday, testimony was offered by people who used to work in several companies owned by defendant Ng Kuok Sao, who is accused of heading the unlawful scheme to unlawfully obtain residency permits.Among the witnesses were several workers from different departments at the One Kin Construction Company, which is considered to be the headquarters from which the scheme operated. Others worked for smaller companies that were used to hire applicants attempting to obtain the Macau residency through qualified technical or higher management staff programs.All testimonies offered to the court consistently noted that they did not know and had not met the applicants, nor had they heard of the job positions listed in the IPIM applications.The highlight of the session was the testimony of a former staff member at the One Kin Company, Alin Cheang, who worked in the company for just over one year.The name of this individual had been raised on several previous occasions. Documents and messages to Ngs wife, Wu Sok Wah, as well as to another assistant, showed her involvement in processing the cases of at least three of the applicants.In her testimony, Cheang first said that she had not handled any of the cases related to residency. However, she was stopped by Judge Leong Fong Meng who accused her of lying to the court.Leong urged the witness to change her statement and tell the truth, otherwise a criminal case would be filed against her for lying to the court.

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Workers say they knew nothing of colleagues used to file IPIM applications - Macau Daily Times

Hong Kong reported on Monday a record number of 145 new coronavirus infections, 142 of which are local cases.

Of the local cases, 83 are linked to previously confirmed cases while officials are unable to trace the source of infection of 59 patients.

There are 13 more confirmed cases at an elderly care home in Tuen Mun, taking the total number of residents and staff infected there to 24.

A caretaker who works at a care home for the severely disabled in Tuen Mun has come down with COVID-19. A nurse who works at an elderly care home in Fanling has also been confirmed with the infection.

Several more workers at the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse have tested positive for the virus in preliminary tests.

Meanwhile, the Hospital Authority said two nurses who work at Prince of Wales Hospital and Shatin Hospital respectively tested positive for the virus after their family members were confirmed with the infection.

The authority said the number of patients in a critical condition has risen to 39. More than 100 newly confirmed patients are waiting to be admitted to hospitals.

More than 60 people have tested positive for the virus in preliminary tests pending confirmation.

(RTHK/Macau News)

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Another record surge of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong - Macau News

Sports and leisure facilities, playgrounds, restaurants, cafes, and garden areas; these are just some of the proposed plans that will go ahead, as announced by the government during this years Policy Address.Some of the projects, which were announced at the Legislative Assembly (AL) by the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Andr Cheong on April 24, have already started development and will be concluded before the year ends.One of the most ambitious projects is located at Macaus seafront. This project promises to reshape the whole coastal area from the Science Center to Barra.Works on the project started on May 15 and the first phase is expected to last 208 days, that is, until December 9. The government also announced that it will be investing some 60 million patacas in this project and aims to create some 200 jobs.According to the Policy Address, a similar project will also begin in due course at Hac Sa Beach in Coloane after the governments retrieval of several land plots in that area.In a statement, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said that the ongoing construction works in the first phase of the coastal project between the Science Center and the Statue of Goddess Kun Iam in NAPE came in response to the community calling for more recreational and leisure areas to be built along coastal areas.IAM will build, in a phased manner, a green corridor on the south bank of Macau, connecting the Science Center to Goddess Kun Iam and Barra, providing a diversified coastal leisure space and building a healthy city for the people of Macau, the statement says.In this first phase, the project spans an area of 15,000 square meters from the Science Center to the Statue of Goddess Kun Iam and will include, among other infrastructure, a childrens playground, a walking/jogging track, esplanade, and multisport fields, physical exercise equipment, a gate-ball field, and a skating rink.Preparations to build a cycling path linking this area to Barra will begin in the first phase, and will subsequently be built in the second phase.The IAM also noted that the works under development are being done according to the government policy of work instead of subsidies, started by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, whose goal is to create more jobs and business opportunities for people and private companies instead of promoting government subsidies.Several other projects moving forward are included in the same package but are of much smaller scale. They include the reconstruction of the Sai Van Lake pedestrian area that started early this month and is expected to finish by the end of November, and the renovation of Chunambeiro Park which began in early June and should reach completion before the end of September.As for the large-scale leisure complex that will be created at Hac Sa Beach, the plan states that the whole area, including the existing facilities for picnic, playgrounds and the swimming pool, will be upgraded giving way to new sports and recreational spaces, as well as significant improvements made to the camping site and horticulture area.The many projects under Cheongs purview aim to meet the call for more quality spaces in Macau to fulfill the demands of Macau as a World Center of Tourism and Leisure, the Secretary said at the AL during the Policy Address discussion.At the time, Cheong also mentioned that those projects include some of the idle land retrieved in the past few years by the government to put them to good use for the population.As another example, the Secretary mentioned four land plots reclaimed by the government at Doca do Lam Mau where the government now proposes to build sports fields, physical exercise areas, and playgrounds on an area of around 3,700 square meters.

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Govt to finish leisure land projects this year - Macau Daily Times

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has hit back at Britains move to quarantine all travellers returning home from Spain, saying parts of the country are safer than the UK.

The Spanish leader defended the Balearic and Canary islands, Andalucia and the Valencia region favourite summer holiday destinations for Britons saying they had a cumulative incidence of the virus that is lower than that currently in the United Kingdom.

That is to say, in epidemiological terms, it might even be safer at these destinations than in the United Kingdom, Sanchez told the private channel Telecinco in an interview late Monday.

The spread of the infection in Spain was uneven, he said, with two-thirds of new cases registered in just two regions Aragon and Catalonia,where the regional authorities have urged residents of metropolitan Barcelona and another city to stay at home.

Madrid was in talks with London to try to convince them to reconsider the measure, which in our opinion is unbalanced, he said.

British tourists are the largest national group of visitors to Spain, with 18 million of them visiting the country last year.

The quarantine decision is a major blow to Spains tourist industry, which accounts for 12 percent of gross domestic product and 13 percent of employment.

We will continue working with the British authorities, Sanchez said, adding that in a significant part of the country, the epidemic is well under control.

Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya had on Sunday tried to allay fears after some countries reimposed travel restrictions on Spain.

Spain is a safe country, she told reporters. Like other European countries, Spain has new outbreaks. Its not unusual.

Madrid is making great efforts to control these outbreaks, she said after nearly 1,000 new cases were reported on Thursday and Friday.

The number of COVID-19 cases has tripled in two weeks, and the authorities are monitoring more than 360 outbreaks.

Passengers from Spain arriving in the UK must now spend a fortnight in isolation, with Norway imposing similar conditions.

On Friday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex strongly recommended that people avoid going to northeastern Spain, the worst-hit area.

Spain has been badly hit by the pandemic, which has so far claimed more than 28,400 lives and infected more than 272,400 people, declaring a lockdown and state of emergency in mid-March which only lifted on June 21.

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'Parts of Spain safer than UK', PM Sanchez says - Macau Business

Tehran on Monday warned Iranians against holding wedding and funeral gatherings as the countrys novel coronavirus outbreak showed no signs of abating, claiming another 212 lives.

Despite repeated calls to not hold weddings and mourning ceremonies, reports from across the country still indicate they are taking place, said health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.

The presence of people at these overcrowded events increases the risk of mass infection, she added, in remarks aired on state television.

While there is no nationwide ban on weddings and funerals, the venues in which they are staged have been ordered shut and authorities have repeatedly urged people to keep such gatherings small.

The Islamic republic has been battling to contain the Middle Easts deadliest novel coronavirus outbreak since announcing its first cases on February 19.

Lari said another 212 people had died of the COVID-19 illness in the past 24 hours, bringing the countrys overall death toll since February to 15,912.

She added that 2,434 new infections during the same period took the total caseload to 293,606.

Government spokesman Ali Rabiei has also tested positive for the novel coronavirus, state news agency IRNA reported on Monday.

Rabiei had been resting at home since late last week after showing some symptoms but has since been hospitalised, IRNA added.

He is the latest high-profile Iranian official to contract the novel coronavirus. Several have died but most have recovered.

Virus-related deaths and infections in Iran have risen to record highs since hitting months-long lows in May.

That has prompted authorities to make masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces and reimpose restrictions in some areas.

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Virus-hit Iran warns against weddings and funerals - Macau Business

The Council of Europe said Sunday it is alarmed that Polands right-wing government is moving to withdraw from a landmark international treaty combating violence against women.

Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro said on the weekend that on Monday he will begin preparing the formal process to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, the worlds first binding instrument to prevent and combat violence against women, from marital rape to female genital mutilation.

A previous centrist Polish government signed the treaty in 2012 and it was ratified in 2015, when Ziobro called it an invention, a feminist creation aimed at justifying gay ideology.

The treaty was spearheaded by the Council of Europe, the continents oldest human rights organisation, and its Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric condemned the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) governments plan to withdraw.

Leaving the Istanbul Convention would be highly regrettable and a major step backwards in the protection of women against violence in Europe, she said in a statement on Sunday.

If there are any misconceptions or misunderstandings about the convention, we are ready to clarify them in a constructive dialogue.

Around two thousand people marched in the Polish capital Warsaw on Friday to protest the governments withdrawal plan, some shouting stop violence against women.

There was also outrage from several members of the European Parliament, with Iratxe Garcia Perez, the Spanish leader of the Socialist group, calling the decision disgraceful.

I stand with Polish citizens taking (to) the streets to demand respect for womens rights, he tweeted.

The leader of the EU parliaments Renew Europe group, former Romanian prime minister Dacian Ciolos, tweeted: Using the fight against the Istanbul Convention as an instrument to display its conservatism is a new pitiful and pathetic move by some within the PiS government.

Fellow MEP and former Belgian premier Guy Verhofstadt said the decision was scandalous, adding that violence is not a traditional value.

The Council of Europe emphasised that the Istanbul Conventions sole objective is to combat violence against women and domestic violence.

The treaty does not explicitly mention gay marriage.

But that has not stopped the backlash to it in Hungary and Slovakia, where the parliament rejected the treaty insisting without proof that it is at odds with the countrys constitutional definition of marriage as a heterosexual union.

The Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, which is separate from the European Union, has no binding powers but brings together 47 member states to make recommendations on rights and democracy.

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'Alarm' at Poland's plan to leave treaty protecting women - Macau Business

Jordan will reopen its airports to commercial flights next month after a near five-month shutdown imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, an official said Sunday.

The move comes as the country is trying to revive its economy which has been badly hit since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Civil aviation commission chief Haitham Misto told state television that flights from 22 low risk countries will be allowed from August 5.

The countries listed by the health ministry include Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Thailand, he said.

Travellers from those countries will not need to isolate for 14 days when they reach Jordan but must be tested for the virus before arriving, Misto said, adding that the list would be updated every two weeks.

Transport Minister Khaled Saif however that those travellers must show proof of having spent two weeks in one of the countries on the list before arriving in Jordan.

Anyone providing false information will be fined 10,000 dinars ($14,000), he said.

The desert kingdom, which has recorded 1,154 cases of the virus including 11 deaths, imposed a tough curfew enforced with drones to curb the spread of COVID-19, before easing policies in early June.

Airports were closed in mid-March and international flights suspended.

The curbs hit cash-trapped Jordan hard. Its economy relies heavily on international aid, tourism revenues and expatriate remittances.

Before the coronavirus struck, Jordan hosted five million visitors a year and tourism accounts for 14 percent of the countrys GDP, employing about 100,000 people.

Tourism earned Jordan around $5.3 billion last year.

Around a quarter of a million people a year used to visit Jordan for medical treatmentbefore the pandemic broke out, bringing in some $1.5 billion.

The country was already in a precarious situation even before the new coronavirus, with unemployment at 19.3 percent in the first quarter of this year.

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Jordan to reopen to 'low risk' countries in August - Macau Business

Its easy to forget now but there was a time early on in the pandemic when the price of gold was in freefall.It was a curious thing, what with the virus sparking a collapse in the global economy, and it would prove in time to be one of the great head-fakes in the recent history of financial markets. For the pandemic of 2020 would soon show itself to be the driving force behind one of the most ferocious rallies the gold market has ever seen. At the close of trading in New York on Friday, bullion had spiraled to $1,902.02 an ounce, some 30% higher than the low it hit in March and just 1% off a record high set back in 2011.The virus has unleashed a torrent of forces that are conspiring to fuel relentless demand for the perceived safety from turmoil that gold provides. Theres the fear of further government-ordered lockdowns; and politicians decision to push through unprecedented stimulus packages; and central bankers decision to print money faster than they ever have before to finance that spending; and the plunge in inflation-adjusted bond yields into negative territory in the U.S.; and the dollars sudden decline against the euro and yen; and rising U.S.-China tensions.All these things, when taken together, have even triggered concern in some financial circles that stagflation a rare combination of sluggish growth and rising inflation that erodes the value of fixed-income investments could take hold across parts of the developed world.In the U.S., where the virus is still raging and the economic recovery is stalling, this debate is growing louder. Investor expectations for annual inflation over the next decade, as measured by a bond-market metric known as breakevens, have moved higher the past four months after plunging in March. On Friday, they hit 1.5%. And while that remains below pre-pandemic levels and below the Federal Reserves own 2% target, it is almost a full percentage point higher than the 0.59% yield that benchmark 10-year Treasury bonds pay.The main driver behind golds latest rally has been real rates that continue to plummet and dont show signs of easing anytime soon, Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at Oanda Corp., said by phone. Gold is also drawing investors concerned that stagflation will win out and will likely warrant even further accommodation from the Fed.U.S. bond markets have been a driving force behind the rush to gold, which is serving as an attractive hedge as yields on Treasuries that strip out the effects of inflation fall below zero. Investors are looking for safe havens that wont lose value.The mania for gold right now has trickled down to Main Street. Retail investors have helped put ETF holdings backed by gold on track for an 18th straight weekly gain, the longest streak since 2006. Meanwhile, gold posted its seventh weekly gain on Friday, and analysts dont expect the increases to end anytime soon.When interest rates are zero or near zero, then gold is an attractive medium to have because you dont have to worry about not getting interest on your gold, Mark Mobius, co-founder at Mobius Capital Partners, said in a Bloomberg TV interview. I would be buying now and continue to buy.Analysts have been predicting huge upside for gold for several months. In April, Bank of America Corp. raised its 18-month gold-price target to $3,000 an ounce.The global pandemic is providing a sustained boost to gold, Francisco Blanch, BofAs head of commodities and derivatives research, said Friday, citing impacts including falling real rates, growing inequality and declining productivity. Moreover, as Chinas GDP quickly converges to U.S. levels helped by the widening gap in Covid-19 cases, a tectonic geopolitical shift could unfold, further supporting the case for our $3,000 target over the next 18 months.Bank of Americas bold prediction was made after gold prices initially dropped in March as investors sought cash to cover losses on riskier assets. Prices quickly recovered after a surprise cut to the Feds benchmark rate and signs that the economic toll of the coronavirus would lead to massive stimulus efforts from global governments and central banks.This isnt the first time gold has gotten help from central bank stimulus programs. From December 2008 to June 2011, the Fed bought $2.3 trillion of debt and held borrowing costs near zero percent in a bid to shore up growth, helping send bullion to a record $1,921.17 in September 2011.The crisis a decade ago was all about banks, said Afshin Nabavi, head of trading at Swiss refiner and dealer MKS PAMP Group, who nows sees gold pointing towards $2,000.This time, to be honest, I do not see the end of the tunnel, he said, at least until U.S. elections in November. Steven Frank, Vivien Lou Chen & Elena Mazneva, Bloomberg

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The message behind golds rally: the world economy is in trouble - Macau Daily Times

A Tunisian man has pieced together bits of a local secret linked to ancient emperors: how to make a prized purple dye using the guts of a sea snail.

At the beginning, I didnt know where to start, said Mohamed Ghassen Nouira, who heads a consulting firm.

I would crush the whole shell and try to understand how this small marine animal released such a precious colour.

Now, after years of trial and error and after getting used to the foul stench he uses a hammer and small stone mortar to carefully break open the spiny murex shells.

What happens next is part of a secret guarded so closely that it disappeared hundreds of years ago.

A symbol of power and prestige, the celebrated purple colour was traditionally used for royal and imperial robes.

Production of the dye was among the main sources of wealth for the ancient Phoenicians, and then for the Carthaginian and Roman empires, said Ali Drine, who heads the research division of Tunisias National Heritage Institute.

The industry was under the control of the emperors because it brought a lot of money to the imperial coffers, he said.

In August 2007 on a Tunisian beach, Nouira found a shell releasing a purplish red colour, reminding him of something hed learnt in history class at school.

He bought more shells from local fishermen and set out experimenting in an old outside kitchen at his fathers house that he still uses as a workshop.

Experts in dyeing, archaeology and history, as well as chemistry, helped and encouraged me, but nobody knew the technique, Nouira said.

No historical documents clearly detail the production methods for the purple pigment, Drine said.

Maybe because the artisans did not want to divulge the secrets of their know-how, or they were afraid to because the production of purple was directly associated with the emperors, who tolerated no rivalry, he said.

The only clues for unearthing the techniques lie in archaeological sites and artefacts in the Mediterranean, particularly in Tyre in southern Lebanon, and Meninx, on the coast of Tunisias Djerba island.

Phoenicians from Tyre set down the foundations of what would become the Carthaginian empire on the Tunisian coasts.

Also known as Tyrian purple, the pigment is still highly valued today and is produced by just a handful of people around the world.

They include a German painter and a Japanese enthusiast, each with their own secret techniques.

Among the buyers are collectors, artists and researchers.

The dye can cost $2,800 per gramme from some European traders, and prices can reach up to $4,000, Nouira said.

He said he had produced a total of several dozen grammes of the pure purple dye, which he sells internationally for more modest prices.

Nouira said that when he sought help from other dye-makers, one told him bluntly, its not a cooking recipe to be passed around.'

That made me even more determined. It drove me to read more and redouble my efforts.

In a wooden box where he keeps his stock, ranging from indigo blue to violet, Nouira carefully guards a dye sample from 2009 a dear memento of my first success.

I improved my methods until I found the right technique and mastered it from 2013-2014, he said.

To obtain one gramme of pure purple dye, Nouira said he had to shell 100 kilogrammes of murex, a task that takes him two weekends.

He washes the marine snails and sorts them by species and size, then carefully breaks the upper part of the shells to extract the gland that, after oxidisation, produces the purple colour.

Nouira said his greatest wish was to see his work exhibited in Tunisian museums.

Purple has great tourist potential, he added, expressing a desire to one day also conduct workshops.

But he lamented what he said was the authorities lack of interest in the craft.

In the meantime, he too is keeping his trade secrets close, and said he hoped to pass them on to his children.

Im very satisfied, and Im also proud to have revived something related to our Carthaginian ancestors.

by Kaouther Larbi

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Passion for purple revives ancient dye in Tunisia - Macau Business

In the first half of 2020, the number of visitor arrivals decreased by 83.9 per cent year-on-year to 3,268,900, according to the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

Same-day visitors (1,723,218) and overnight visitors (1,545,682) declined by 84.0 per cent and 83.7 per cent respectively.

Visitors from mainland China (2,339,589), Hong Kong (652,522) and Taiwan (81,628) all recorded decreases of more than 80 per cent.

According to DSEC, Macao received 22,556 visitors in June, a decline of more than 90 per cent year-on-year.

In terms of the source of visitors, the number of mainland Chinese visitors fell by 99.0 per cent year-on-year to 21,067 (93.4 per cent of total), with 11,235 coming from the nine Pearl River Delta cities in the Greater Bay Area.

Macao received 1,142 visitors from Hong Kong and 326 from Taiwan.

Visitor arrivals by land totalled 22,443 in June, and 77.3 per cent of them arrived through the Border Gate (17,344). Besides, there were just 113 visitor arrivals by air.

Since February, the Macao government took drastic measures to cut the influx of visitors from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries in order to contain the spread of COVID-19.

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Visitors fall 84% in the first half of the year - Macau News

Macau Facts

Chinese Name: (o mn)Population: 696,100Area: 32.9 square kilometers (12.7 square miles)Location: in the south of ChinaArea Code: 853Zip Code: 999078GDP (2019): USD 53.86 billion

Chinas Las-Vegas Best Place to Experience Blend Culture of Chinese & Portuguese

Macau, located on the southeast coast of China, is a special administrative region of the country. Being Asia's well-known gambling Mecca, it is a place to find the traditional Chinese culture while enjoying the exotic Portuguese buildings. Most visitors who have been there conclude that it is a location suited to both tourism and living as it is a beautiful city with clean streets, gardens and picturesque hilly landscapes. Sunshine, clear air, green lands and all sorts of delicious food all contribute to its attractions.

If you visit Macau without experiencing gaming entertainment, you cant say that you have actually been to this place which is known as Chinas Las-Vegas. The casinos in Macau are located in some hotels on the Peninsula and Taipa with luxurious equipment, strict security and modern management.

Macao also holds various activities and festivals every year. From the middle of September to the beginning of October, Macao holds wonderful international fireworks competitions. The Grand Prix Macau in November every year calls for the most exciting racing event in Macao. Macao Food Festival is close to this event. Festivals such as Niangmas Birthday (Nianga refers to Sea Goddess in south China) show local culture and customs.

History

The name of Macau is derived from the word Magao (A-Ma Temple), which was the shrine dedicated to Mazu, a sacred sea goddess respected by the local people. It was said that in the middle of the 16th century when the Portuguese first set foot there, one of the officers asked a fisherman the name of the land. The man misunderstanding the officer's meaning, answered 'Magao' - the name of A-Ma Temple in front them. The word became the Portuguese name for the land for nearly 400 years as the Portuguese ruled here prior to its official return to the People's Republic of China on December 20, 1999.

Macao is divided into Macao Peninsula, Taipa Island and Coloane Island. You can find old buildings that are either in European baroque or traditional Chinese style on the Macau Peninsular. Senado Square, the splendid main square with surrounding simple, elegant Portuguese and baroque-style buildings is the busiest downtown Macao.

A northerly walk leads visitors to the featured attractions of Ruins of St. Paul's, a former screen wall of St. Paul's Church and the Monte Fort, one of the best-preserved forts in Macau. The Museum of Macau, to the right of the ruins, tells all stories on the city's past. Situated at the base of Penha Peninsula in the southwest part of Macau is A-Ma Temple, built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), which is dedicated to the sacred goddess A-Ma. During the festival seasons, thousands of devout prayers come to visit the temple.In the southern part of the Peninsular, the New Reclaimed Area and the Outer Harbor Area, compared with the more traditional central and western areas, is the newly-developed region where the modern aspect of Macao can be found. There are many luxurious hotels housing various gambling casinos and these venues are packed with people from all over the world when the night comes. Numerous museums in these two areas present the essence of the culture and history of Macau including Wine Museum, Grand Prix Museum, Museum of Art.Taipa Island in the middle of Macao highlights the University of Macau, the world-famous food street Rua do Cunha and luxe Venetian Resort Hotel. If you want to experience the rustic charm of country life in Macao, you should visit southward to Coloane Island which features a quiet environment and fascinating see view while St. Francis's Cathedral in Baroque architectural style is the must-see scenic spot.

Macauis the paradise for gourmands with a wide range of delicious cuisines from all over the world including unparalleled Macao-style Portuguese cuisine, traditional Cantonese cuisine, exotic food from Italy, France, Brazil, India, Japan, and Korea... Everyone can find his own favorite!

Moreover, the well-known Macau dim sum delicacies should never be missed. The Pastis de Nata (a Portuguese-style egg tart) that originated on the outlying island of Coloane is the featured snacks and Margaret's Caf & Nata offer the best. All kinds of dim sum ranging from almond cake, chicken cakes, cashew cookies, sesame crackers, egg and cheese rolls are served in the many Portuguese caf and they are good choices for gifts of families or friends.

Entertainment

The two outlying islands of Taipa and Coloane, connected to the Macau Peninsular by two bridges feature tranquil natural and beach sceneries and are good choice for a short break away from the bustling Peninsular. The Jockey Club's horse racing attracts numerous gamblers from the nearby areas and Hac Sa Bay and Bamboo Bay are two breathtaking natural scenic areas with the best seaside bathing places.Known as 'Oriental Las Vegas', the gambling industry in Macau is booming and has already become an important feature ofthe local economy. Surprisingly, visitors do not find the kind of razzmatazz in casinos as elsewhere; by contrast you can feel the expectations of gamblers from their polite manners and the peaceful atmosphere.

- Last modified on Jul. 16, 2020 -

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Macau Travel Guide: Facts, City Map, Tips, Entertainment

Jordans judiciary on Saturday ordered a two-year closure of the teachers union as part of an investigation into alleged graft and arrested 13 members, state media reported.

The move came three days after the Teachers Association organised a demonstration attended by hundreds of protesters demanding the government honour a 2019 agreement for a rise in wages.

The government and the union, which represents 100,000 teachers, had reached the deal after a month-long strike over salaries.

The teachers had been demanding a 50-percent salary hike and had obtained raises ranging from 35 to 75 percent.

But in April, the cash-strapped government said it would freeze public sector raises this year, citing economic woes caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The teachers union responded by calling for a demonstration on Wednesday, during which union leader Nasir al-Nawasra urged authorities to respect their promises.

On Saturday, Amman prosecutor-general Hassan Abdallat ordered a two-year closure of the headquarters of the Teachers Association, its branches and offices nation-wide, official Petra news agency said.

He also summoned members of the unions council for questioning on criminal and corruption charges, Petra said.

Petra did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged crimes, but quoted Abdallat as saying they included financial violations.

Abdallat later told Petra that security forces arrested the 13 members of the unions council and that they had been referred to him for questioning.

They were questioned in the presence of their lawyers and were ordered kept in detention for a week as part of the investigation, he added.

The prosecutor also issued a gag order on investigations into the case, the agency said.

Earlier this month Jordans King Abdullah II said his country had successfully brought the coronavirus under control and that it was time to focus on restarting the economy.

Jordan, which has so far recorded 1,154 cases of the virus including 11 deaths, imposed a tough curfew enforced by drones to stem the spread of the pandemic, before easing policies in early June.

Jordan is highly dependent on foreign aid and has struggled to curb its public debt which stands at more than $40 billion, while unemployment in the first quarter of 2020 hit 19.3 percent.

The vital tourism sector, which brought in $5 billion last year, was battered by the pandemic and lockdown restrictions.

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Jordan orders two-year closure of teachers' union - Macau Business

M

acau casino operators are expected to post a loss of over $1 billion collectively in their earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the quarter ended June 30, according to a Bloomberg survey of analyst estimates.

Each of the six operators will likely have negative quarterly EBITDA when they start reporting earnings in the coming weeks, according to the survey of eight brokerages. SJM Holdings Ltd. and MGM China Holdings Ltd. are expected to lead the tally of year-on-year declines.

Macaus casino industry saw gaming revenues plunge by more than 90% for three straight months starting April as the pandemic-causing novel coronavirus forced countries to shut borders.Recovery prospects brightened for the worlds largest gambling hub after neighboring Chinese province Guangdong lifted quarantine requirements for travelers returning from Macau this month.

China restarting the individual visas, called IVS, is the next awaited step. The initial enthusiasm around border easing is a sign of some pent up demand, but without IVS restart, V-shape recovery is not expected, Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Vitaly Umansky said in a July 20 note.

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Macau casinos expected to lose over $1B in Q2 earnings - Yogonet International

By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporter

Starting next month, StarLux Airlines Co () is to increase its number of flights to Macau and Penang, Malaysia, to meet rising air cargo demand and help its pilots build up flight hours, the airline said yesterday.

From Aug. 1, Starlux is to offer four round-trip flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Macau International Airport every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, compared with three per week now, it said in a statement.

It would also operate three round-trip flights per week from Taoyuan to Penang International Airport every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from two at present, it said.

Photo courtesy of StarLux Airlines

Although air travel is unlikely to rebound quickly in the third quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing, Starlux decided to expand its operations on expectations that the air cargo business would remain rosy, spokesman Nieh Kuo-wei () told the Taipei Times by telephone.

The start-up airline, which was struck by the pandemic after beginning operations on Jan. 23, has been concentrating on cargo services between Taiwan and Macau and Penang to mitigate the effects of a faltering passenger business amid travel restrictions.

Frankly speaking, we would operate the flights even without any passenger, as the cargo revenue would be enough to cover variable costs, Nieh said.

However, StarLux has yet to resume its operations to Da Nang, as Vietnam has not eased its restrictions on air travel and cargo demand is low, he said.

Starlux also wants its pilots to accumulate more flight hours, which would give it an advantage when applying to the Civil Aeronautics Administration to launch new flights, Nieh said.

In related news, EVA Airways Corp () yesterday said it is likely to increase its flights in the third quarter, as many countries ease border controls.

We adjust our flight schedules on a rolling basis depending on the pandemic, official measures and consumer demand, it said.

In the short term, domestic air travel would continue to outperform international travel, as a mandatory 14-day quarantine for returning citizens has dampened desire to travel abroad, it said.

As EVA lends its planes to Uni Air (), which has been increasing its flights to outlying islands due to high demand, it also benefits from the domestic travel boost, it said.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

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StarLux to boost flights to Macau and Penang -

Macau Pass S.A. indicated to Macau News Agency (MNA) today (Friday) that although a fee will be collected for the use of their payment terminals in the second phase of the local government consumer e-card scheme, it will still partially refund SMEs.

Yesterday, the Macau government announced the second e-card consumer voucher round expected to inject MOP3.6billion (US$450.8 million) in the local economy will start on August 1 and finish on December 31.

As with the first round between May and July, the cards can be used in businesses equipped with Macau Pass payment terminals, however, while in the first round no fees were collected from businesses, this time the company responsible for the local MPay mobile payment system and Macau Pass payment cards will charge a 0.5 per cent transaction fee.

The Director of Macau Pass S.A., Joe Liu, indicated that the company does not receive any commission from the payments or for installing the terminals, having committed with authorities to fully absorb the costs.

The company noted that the rebate offered in the first phase of the consumer card scheme amounted to sone MOP11.5 million, while Macau Pass has incurred MOP30 million in operating costs.

Macau Pass is also affected by the epidemic, but we still hope we can work with the society to fight the epidemic and boost the economy. Therefore, we have decided to charge 0.5 per cent of the merchant service charge handling fee at the second phase as part of the operating cost, a company spokesperson told MNA.

The company added that it will charge in accordance with the current procedure, and then refund SMEs a service charge other than 0.5 per cent.

Yesterday, Macau Economic Bureau (DSE) Director Tai Kin Ip had indicated that the average surcharge taken by Macau Pass ranges from 0.7 per cent to 1.2 per cent per transaction, but that the company had pledged to charge a maximum of 0.5 per cent.

However, he still underlined that the actual amount depended on the agreement made between the company and the businesses.

The second round will have a higher MOP5,000 provided to each resident but will maintain the MOP300 limit used in the first round which handed MOP3,000 to each resident from May to July and covered some MOP2.2 billion with other requirements and locations for the use of the cards also maintained.

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Macau Pass to still refund SMEs involved in consumer card scheme - Macau Business

The metropolises of Macau and Hong Kong are two Chinese special administrative regions along the coast of China. Macau is also known as the Las Vegas of Asia due to a series of casinos and glamorous malls on the strip of Cotai, which serves as the junction between the Islands of Taipa and Coloane. The two cities are on opposite sides of the Pearl River Delta. The two cities can be visited via helicopters, ferries, or by driving the longest sea bridge in the world that joins these two cities. Taking a ferry ride from Hong Kong to Macau is very relaxing and does not take much of your money or time.

When there was no bridge present to connect the two cities, taking a ferry ride was the best option to travel. The ferry from Hong Kong to Macau takes about 1 hour. Turbo Jet and Cotai Water Jet are two of the many services that provide ferry rides from Hong Kong to Macau several times during a day. All the ferries depart from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal. The basic traveling cost starts from 171 dollars and goes way up according to the traveling class and services.

There are 4 ferry terminals for traveling from Hong Kong to Macau; each one of these terminals provides the most hassle-free transport to people.

This is the most chosen terminal for traveling due to its frequent ferry departures. The Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal is located close to the IFC Towers, Shun Tak Centre, Hong Kong Island. There is a ferry available at this terminal every 15 minutes.

Favored for its good location, the China Ferry Terminal is located in Tsim Sha Tsui. It is located a kilometer away from the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry and can be reached by walk or by taking a cab to 33 Canton Road.

Traveling from Hong Kong to Macau has become easy for international tourists as well. The Sky Pier Terminal located next to the airport allows the visitors to board the ferry directly after they arrive at the Hong Kong International Airport.

Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal is not for those people who are living in the central part of the city and people living near the New Territories can take advantage of this terminal. However, the departure schedule of the ferries must be considered since only 10 ferries depart from this terminal in a day.

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Book your ticket online

Book your ticket online

Macau has two terminals that host the arrival of ferries from Hong Kong. Both of these terminals are best for arrivals as they have bus and taxi services ready to take you wherever you want at reasonable prices.

The Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal also referred to as the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal is the main terminal in the North of Macau closer to downtown Macau. The terminal is in the vicinity of San Ma Lo architectural sites and about 23 casinos. Bus services are available for 2.5 HKD from San Ma Lo to the ferry terminal.

Taipa Terminal is situated in the South of Macau near the strip of Cotai. This terminal is close to some of the largest casinos like the City of Dreams and Venetian. It is also very close to Macau International Airport. To reach this terminal you need to get on the Cotai Jet from any of the terminals in Hong Kong.

To help you plan out your visit to Hong Kong, we listed places to visit and other amazing activities to do in Hong Kong. We also listed some of the best Hong Kong travel and tour packages, as well as excellent flight deals and accommodation.

Searching for the best Hong Kong hotels, resorts, and affordable flights in the nearby Cities? Check out our list of affordable hotels and resorts via Agoda,or you may also see availableAirbnbproperties in the city.

Want more updates about new tourist attractions in Hong Kong? Follow #TeamOutofTown,onFacebook, andTwitter,Instagram, andPinterestfor more travel ideas.

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How to Travel from Hong Kong to Macau by Ferry - Out of Town Travel News

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Casinos in the worlds biggest gambling hub Macau are staring at heavy losses for the second quarter, with not much hope for a near-term recovery as a resurgence in coronavirus cases muddies the outlook for when China will reinstate travel visas.

FILE PHOTO: A man wears a mask as he walks in front of the closed Grand Lisboa casino, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Macau, China February 5, 2020. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo

Visitors from greater China make up for over 90% of Macaus tourists, but given travel has dried up amid the health crisis, Morgan Stanley warns casinos in the special administrative region could rack up losses of $1 billion over April to June.

The Las Vegas Sands (LVS.N) unit, Sands China (1928.HK), said it flipped into the red with a $549 million loss, setting the stage for a dire quarter for Macau casinos that have been operating with almost no income and no visitors since February.

Even after easing curbs for some travellers, Macau saw only 2,000 visitors per day in July, a tiny fraction of the 108,000 daily average in 2019, as the individual travel scheme through which visitors from the mainland gain entry remains suspended.

Without the individual visitation scheme being resurrected, theres not much hope for the casinos to come back, said Rob Goldstein, president of Las Vegas Sands, which operates properties including the Venetian and Parisian in Macau.

Sands Chinas revenue was almost wiped out in the second quarter. Other operators, Melco Resorts (MLCO.O), Wynn Macau (1128.HK), Galaxy Entertainment (0027.HK), MGM China (2282.HK) and SJM Holdings (0880.HK), will report in the coming weeks.

A Reuters calculation shows Macau casino operators came into 2020 with a cumulative cash position of just over $12 billion, providing a solid buffer to survive the coming months.

But anything longer could spell trouble as they continue to bleed millions of dollars in daily operating costs.

Macau has not had a new local coronavirus case for over 100 days, while Hong Kong and some parts of the mainland have seen a sharp spike in infections. Ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau remain halted, further hurting the casino business.

Four casino operators have issued or said they plan to issue new debt, worth a total $4.2 billion, in the past two months, highlighting the challenges they face even as they cut costs and streamline operations.

Operational expenses in the second quarter dipped 5% from the prior three months, noted Praveen Choudhary, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, Hong Kong. This could help the industrys earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization break even in the third quarter, he added.

Macaus gambling industry is crucial for the Chinese-ruled territory where the sector employs about three quarters of its 600,000 population, either directly or indirectly.

The government has mandated casinos to safeguard employment for local staff, prompting operators to find ways other than job cuts to reduce costs such as offering staff unpaid leave.

There is nothing else we can do at this point, a senior casino executive said. We thought it (restrictions) would be done by April, then May, then June, then July. Now this year we say is not going to be a good year, he added on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media.

Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Himani Sarkar

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'Not much hope': Macau casinos see deepening losses as virus slams China travel - Reuters