Cancer claims Macau's first Chinese Catholic bishop
Macau's first Chinese Catholic bishop, Domingos Lam Ka-tseung, died of stomach cancer on Monday, aged 81. Lam, who retired in 2003, was instrumental in transforming the Portuguese-dominated church into a diocese catering for the needs of a predominately Chinese population. He also played a key role in improving Catholic education in the city and the diocese's relations with the mainland authorities. Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng, who succeeds Lam, said: 'We will remember with respect how Bishop Lam led the diocese in caring for underprivileged people, and his great contribution to religious, social and cultural affairs in Macau.' A funeral Mass will be held in Macau Cathedral on Friday afternoon.
Journalist's sacking condemned
The Hong Kong Journalists Association has condemned South China Media for firing a journalist who worked on a story about the June 4 crackdown that it said was seditious. Daisy Chu Tin-wan, 26, was sacked on June 29 by men's magazine Esquire. Her 16-page feature on the crackdown was censored at the last minute and eventually pulled. The association said the decision exposed the spread of self-censorship in the city.
More families claim dole
Some 289,911 families were on government welfare under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme at the end of June, with 485,183 recipients. This compares with 283,918 families at the same time last year.
