Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Red tides sighted
On March 28, staff of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) spotted the first red tide at Silverstrand Beach, Sai Kung. Another red tide was spotted at Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Sai Kung, on April 2 by staff of the LCSD. The red tide at Silverstrand Beach has dissipated, while the red tide at Clear Water Bay Second Beach persists. No associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.
A spokesman for the working group said, “The red tide at Silverstrand Beach was formed by Noctiluca scintillans, while the red tide at Clear Water Bay Second Beach was formed by Scrippsiella acuminata. Both algal species are common in Hong Kong waters and non-toxic.”
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) urged mariculturists at the fish culture zones of Ma Nam Wat, Kau Sai, Kai Lung Wan, Tai Tau Chau, Leung Shuen Wan, Tiu Cham Wan, Tung Lung Chau and Po Toi O to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.
Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD’s proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public.
Issued at HKT 15:00
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Music Office bands, choirs and orchestras invite applications for membership
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department is recruiting new members for its 18 bands and orchestras as well as two choirs. Training for 2025-26 will be held from this September to May 2026. The deadline for applications is May 6.
The 20 ensembles are respectively the Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra, the Island Youth Chinese Orchestra, the Kowloon Youth Chinese Orchestra, the New Territories Youth Chinese Orchestra, the Music Office Junior Chinese Orchestra, the Music Office Children’s Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Music Office Junior Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Youth Strings, the Island Youth Strings, the Kowloon Youth Strings, the New Territories Youth Strings, the Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band, the Music Office Youth Brass Band, the Kowloon Youth Symphonic Band, the New Territories Youth Symphonic Band, the Music Office Junior Symphonic Band, the Hong Kong Children’s Symphonic Band, the Music Office Youth Choir and the Music Office Children’s Choir.
Young musicians aged 25 or below who have attained the required music qualifications can now apply to enrol in different levels of ensemble and choir training. Apart from weekly rehearsals, members can also broaden their horizons by participating in various cultural activities and concerts, or attending exchange sessions with young musicians from the Mainland and overseas.
Training is free, but members are required to bring their own instruments (except for bulky instruments) and pay for their uniforms and music scores.
Interested persons can visit the Music Office website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/training/bandchoirandorchestratraining.html) for more details and application submission. Course pamphlets and application forms are also available at all Music Office’s music centres. Qualified applicants will receive an audition notification by May 31. Applicants will be notified of their application results by August 15.
For enquiries, please call the Music Office’s music centres at 2802 0657 (Wan Chai), 2796 2893 (Kwun Tong), 2399 2200 (Mong Kok), 2158 6462 (Sha Tin) and 2417 6429 (Tsuen Wan).
HKSAR Government donates relief supplies to Myanmar and approves grants to provide relief (with photos/video)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​In view of the recent strong earthquake that occurred in Sagaing Region of Myanmar, which resulted in serious casualties and infrastructure damage, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been working in close communication with the Consulate General of Myanmar in Hong Kong, and has co-ordinated and collected a batch of emergency relief supplies in response to the urgent needs of the disaster-stricken areas. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, attended a donation ceremony at Hong Kong International Airport today (April 3) to hand over the relief supplies to the Consul-General of Myanmar in Hong Kong, and immediately arranged for their delivery to the disaster-stricken areas to meet the immediate needs of the people affected.
Over 20 tonnes of relief supplies, including key items such as food, drinking water, medical kits and temporary accommodation materials were collected swiftly and in accordance with the specific needs of the disaster-stricken areas through the co-operation and co-ordination of different government departments. A portion of the relief supplies were donated by the local community.
Mr Chan remarked that the HKSAR Government fully supports disaster relief for the earthquake in Myanmar, and the supplies carry the HKSAR’s support and blessings to the disaster-stricken areas. He expressed his sincere hope that the relief efforts will tide local people over this period of difficulties so that they can resume a normal life as soon as possible. Mr Chan added that the HKSAR Government will continue to monitor the latest situation in Myanmar closely and provide further support as needed.
Also attending the ceremony were the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau; and the Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Ho Kai-ming.
The HKSAR Government has activated the Disaster Relief Fund mechanism previously and has liaised closely with various relief organisations. It has given in-principle approval for grants totalling about $30 million to seven organisations. All seven organisations have extensive experience in implementing disaster relief projects. A list of the organisations with the grants approved is in the Annex.
The HKSAR Government will continue its close contact with the organisations concerned to ensure early confirmation of the detailed relief programmes to provide necessary and appropriate assistance to people affected, help the disaster-stricken areas overcome difficulties and resume a normal life as soon as possible.
Text of the Chairman’s Remarks on the Occasion of Rajya Sabha Day, 2025
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 11:37AM by PIB Delhi
Hon’ble Members, I extend my most profound salutations on this auspicious occasion of Rajya Sabha Day.
The Council of States, our esteemed Rajya Sabha, stands dignified as the House of Elders—the distinguished upper chamber of our parliamentary democracy.
As the quintessential edifice of India’s federal architecture, this venerable institution ensures comprehensive representation, equilibrium in governance, and the cultivation of contemplative sagacity.
Rajya Sabha endures as a distinguished forum where provincial perspectives and specialized expertise converge to enrich our national trajectory.
As the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi astutely remarked during the 250th Session, while the Rajya Sabha may be designated as the Second House, it remains unequivocally paramount in its significance.
The Parliament stands as our polaris—our unwavering North Star—illuminating the path forward during the nation’s most formidable challenges, serving as a beacon of guidance through turbulent times.
This commemorative occasion beckons us to consecrate ourselves anew to preserving the illustrious traditions that ought to characterize this magnificent institution which, unlike the Lok Sabha, maintains its perennial continuity.
The gravitas of this institution and the erudition of its distinguished members remain of transcendent importance.
I implore the Hon’ble members to exemplify consummate conduct through excellence, unwavering devotion, steadfast commitment, profound scholarship, and discourse that stimulates intellectual contemplation and enlightenment.
This exemplary standard must manifest with immediacy for the citizenry at large, as the Rajya Sabha must serve as the paradigmatic archetype for legislative bodies throughout our republic on the planet.
On this momentous occasion, I exhort all Members to reaffirm their solemn covenant to constructive deliberation, erudite discourse, and collaborative statecraft.
Let us remain resolute in safeguarding the sanctity of this august assembly and fortifying the democratic foundations of our great nation Bharat.
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JK/RC/SM
(Release ID: 2118142) Visitor Counter : 68
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare in association with Department of Legal Affairsorganizesa Training session on LIMBS portal
Source: Government of India
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare in association with Department of Legal Affairsorganizesa Training session on LIMBS portal
The training session represents a step towards capacity building of officials and to sensitize them for effective monitoring and timely action for safeguarding interest of Government in legal matters
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 11:16AM by PIB Delhi
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare in association with Department of Legal Affairs organized a hands-on training session on Legal Information Management & Briefing System (LIMBS) on 02nd April 2025 under the chairmanship of Secretary (Pension). The training was attended by senior officials in the Department.
Secretary (Pension) underlined the importance of LIMBS as a knowledge management tool for identifying high priority court cases and effective monitoring of all the court cases of the Department. He urged officers handling legal matters for regular updation of the details of the cases on the portal.
The training was imparted by the trainers of the LIMBS Team of Department of Legal Affairs explaining all the aspects of the software including updation of cases and users in the Department. A presentation was given on LIMBS and the various functions and utilities were explained by the LIMBS team.It was an interactive session where the queries of the officers were patiently dealt by the Team and hand holding was provided.Suggestions were also given to the team by the Department for further improvement of the software.
The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare is handling a large number of pension related court cases at in Central Administrative Tribunals, High Courts and Hon’ble Supreme Court. In order to have file timely replies, appoint nodal officers, appoint advocates, prepare/ file affidavits, an effective monitoring tool is essential. DoPPW has vide O.M dated 15.07.2024 already apprised all the Ministries/Departments to refer cases to DoPPW at 1st appellate stage in cases of judgments against extant Government policy to improve presenting of Policies/Rules before Appellate courts. The training session held on 2nd April 2025 represents a step towards capacity building of the officers of the DoPPW and to sensitize them for effective monitoring and timely action for safeguarding interest of Government in legal matters.
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NKR/PSM
(Release ID: 2118131) Visitor Counter : 16
Special traffic and transport arrangements for triathlon event in Central and Wan Chai districts from this Friday to Sunday
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Special traffic and transport arrangements for triathlon event in Central and Wan Chai districts from this Friday to Sunday
1. Road closures
2. Public transport arrangements
To tie in with the road closure arrangements in the vicinity of Central Harbourfront, the departures of cross-harbour bus route nos. H1S and H2 heading to Central will be temporarily diverted to operate via Connaught Road Central in the following time periods until the closed road is reopened to traffic:
During the road closure in Central Harbourfront, the bus stop on Man Yiu Street near Two International Finance Centre will be temporarily suspended.
Members of the public are advised to make use of public transport services as far as possible to avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. During the event, the TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation. The Police may adjust the traffic arrangements subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas. Members of the public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or the “HKeMobility” mobile application.
For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD website (www.td.gov.hkIssued at HKT 12:45
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eHealth App introduces new function for viewing radiology reports
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
eHealth App introduces new function for viewing radiology reports
Users can generally view the radiology reports through the “Investigations” function of the App 14 days after the reports are released, and the App’s information centre will also issue relevant notifications. The HHB advises citizens to first enquire whether the HCPs can deposit examination records into their personal eHealth accounts when selecting private HCPs for radiological examinations, to enable the building of a comprehensive electronic health record (eHR).
Currently, all public HCPs and over 115 private HCPs with more than 550 service locations in total, including private hospitals, medical group practices and radiological examination centres, are technically ready. If citizens have given “sharing consent” to relevant private HCPs, their radiology reports can then be deposited in their eHealth accounts for access by the citizens and other authorised healthcare professionals. As at the end of February this year, a total of 40 private HCPs (involving nearly 100 service locations) have deposited radiology reports into the eHealth accounts of over 3.1 million citizens upon obtaining their authorisations.
A spokesman for the HHB said, “Under the eHealth+ five-year development plan, we are committed to building a personal lifelong eHR profile and a comprehensive personal medical record for every citizen, while creating a one-stop comprehensive health portal through the eHealth App to help citizens manage their health records, access health information, monitor personal health and establish a healthier lifestyle. With the further enhancement of the App’s function, radiology reports of citizens from both public and private HCPs, as well as those from various government-subsidised healthcare programmes (such as the Project on Enhancing Radiological Investigation Services through Collaboration with the Private Sector), are consolidated for citizens’ access at any time, eliminating the inconvenience of storing paper reports and saving costs on redundant tests. This also facilitates authorised HCPs in conducting analysis and comparison, thereby providing a seamless and personalised care journey for citizens.”
Since the launch of the eHealth App in 2021, the Government has progressively expanded the health records available for citizens’ viewing. Currently, eHealth users can access nine types of eHRs, namely, personal identification and demographic data, allergies and adverse drug reactions, encounters and appointments, immunisation records, medication records, laboratory and radiology reports, healthcare referrals, observation and lifestyle records, as well as medical certificates. In the future, the Government will gradually make more health records available for citizen’s viewing, including radiology images, Chinese medicine prescription records as well as dental check-ups records and dental conditions.
The Government will continue to take a multipronged approach to encourage and facilitate the deposit of citizens’ eHRs into eHealth by private HCPs, thereby assisting citizens in accessing, managing and using their own eHRs during the healthcare process. Through the eHealth website (www.ehealth.gov.hk/en/index.html
The Government announced the rollout of the eHealth+ five-year plan in the 2023 Policy Address, with a view to transforming eHealth into a comprehensive healthcare information infrastructure that integrates multiple functions of healthcare data sharing, service delivery and care journey management. eHealth+ aims to bring about a more seamless and personalised care journey for every citizen and facilitate care co-ordination and cross-sector collaboration, as well as health management and health surveillance, thus enabling citizens to enjoy higher-quality healthcare services while effectively supporting various healthcare policies.
For more information, citizens may visit the eHealth thematic website (app.ehealth.gov.hk/index.html?lang=enIssued at HKT 11:30
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Extended Designated Application Period for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles announced
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Extended Designated Application Period for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles announced
The eligibility, procedures and balloting of applications of the Scheme will remain unchanged. Applicants may refer to the Scheme’s website (www.hzmbqfs.gov.hk/en/Issued at HKT 11:00
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Korean restaurant brand Samsic establishes foothold in Hong Kong (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Korean restaurant brand Samsic establishes foothold in Hong Kong
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Mr Arnold Lau said, “Korean food and pop culture are popular in Hong Kong and there is a strong Korean community in the city. Together with its worldwide reputation as a culinary capital in Asia, Hong Kong is an ideal place for Samsic to expand in the region. I wish it every success and beyond.”
He added, “Further to the visit by our Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau, to Seoul and a delegation of Korean food and beverage companies visiting Hong Kong to explore business opportunities last month, we are delighted to see the positive outcome from our investment promotion efforts.”
The Executive Director of BMJ Samsik HK Limited, Mr Chan Hyung Hwang, said, “Hong Kong has a sophisticated customer base with high purchasing power. Its status as a global trading hub and friendly business environment also appeals to us to set up our presence in the city.”
Mr Chan added, “We target to establish a strong presence in Hong Kong and plan to open more than 10 Samsic Korean Soup Restaurants in key areas throughout Hong Kong, including Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai. Hong Kong is an international city with a dynamic culture. We aim to take the lead in promoting traditional Korean cuisine globally via the city.”
Located on Shelley Street in Central, the new restaurant offers a variety of authentic Korean dishes, including pork bone soup, blood sausage soup rice, stone pot rice, braised pork bone and hangover soup. Its dishes originate from a region in Korea called Byeongcheon-myeon, which is famous for the traditional Korean dish called black pudding soup, a favourite among many Koreans.
For a copy of the photos, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720324814422Issued at HKT 10:00
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HARBOUR AND SEA TRAINING PHASE OF INTERNATIONAL CREW OF IOS SAGAR
Source: Government of India
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 2:55PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Navy’s maiden initiative of Indian Ocean Ship Sagar (IOS Sagar) concluded its harbour and sea training phase at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, and the ship with her crew, has left for Karwar.
44 International trainees of 09 friendly foreign countries underwent a specially curated training capsule ranging from basic seamanship activities to state-of-the-art simulator training. Truly signifying the motto of ‘One Ocean One Mission’, the international crew was trained together on various facets of Communication skills, Firefighting and Damage Control drills, Visit Board Search & Seize (VBSS) procedures and finer aspects of Bridgemanship. Simulator based practical trainings were imparted to equip the crew with dynamic challenges of maritime domain. The training interactions also facilitated a forum for exchange of best training practices and procedures. Over the past decades, Indian Navy’s maritime training institutions have trained over 20,000 officers and sailors from over 50 FFC ranging from ab initio training to trade specific professional courses enhancing maritime expertise and capability.
In addition, the international crew was also exposed to sea training along with the Indian Navy crew of INS Sunayna by the Indian Naval Work Up team. The sea training was aimed at acclimatising the international crew with Indian Navy’s systems and procedures enabling them to operate as a well-knit and cohesive unit during the forthcoming deployment.
IOS Sagar is a unique example of fostering deeper maritime understanding and promoting regional stability and cooperation. Indian Navy’s collaboration with the regional Navies reaffirm commitment to safeguarding collective maritime interests and capacity building with partner nations across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
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VM/SPS 75/25
(Release ID: 2118199) Visitor Counter : 50