Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Bun Scrambling Final to be held on Cheung Chau this Sunday
Trophies will be awarded to the champion, first runner-up and second runner-up in the men’s division and the champion in the women’s division who get the highest scores. The Full Pockets of Lucky Buns award will continue to be presented to the participant who gathers the most buns.
An opening ceremony for the Bun Scrambling Final will be held at 11.30pm on Sunday. By tradition, the final competition will start at midnight. An invitation relay will be held immediately after the individual competition. In anticipation of a high volume of spectators, the organisers, together with the Islands District Office, the Police, the Transport Department (TD) and government departments concerned, will implement the following measures.
Four spectator zones will be set up on the competition night at the soccer pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground, which can accommodate about 1 650 people. Distribution of free admission tickets will start at 10pm. Members of the public can line up at Pak She First Lane, next to the Cheung Chau Fire Station, and along Ping Chong Road for the tickets. Each person will be given one ticket on a first-come, first-served basis while tickets last. Spectators with tickets should follow the instructions of the Police and the organisers for entry into Zone 1 to Zone 4 starting from 10.30pm.
Public notices will be put up at Central Pier No. 5 on the arrangements of the event. Similar notices and enquiry counters will also be set up at Cheung Chau Ferry Pier and the entrance of Pak Tai Temple Playground, where relevant staff will address public enquiries.
The organisers will pay close attention to the weather conditions that evening. For public safety, the Bun Scrambling Final may be cancelled under inclement weather (e.g. thunderstorms). As stipulated in the prospectus, the awards would then be determined based on the selection contest results. Since the Bun Scrambling Final is traditionally held in a specified period during the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, the competition would not be rescheduled.
The Police will conduct crowd-control measures. Members of the public should follow the instructions of the Police and the organisers, and be patient in crowded places.
The TD will closely monitor passenger demand for public transport services, and will closely liaise with ferry and bus companies in making appropriate arrangements.
To facilitate members of the public to leave Cheung Chau after the event, the ferry company will operate a special service from Cheung Chau to Central at 1.15am on May 25.
The bus companies will operate special bus route No. 104R from Central Pier No. 5 to Mong Kok from about 1.10am to 2.30am on May 25.
In addition, overnight bus routes including Citybus route Nos. N8X (to Siu Sai Wan) and N90 (to South Horizons), Cross-Harbour Tunnel route Nos. N182 (to Kwong Yuen), N619 (to Shun Lee), and Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) route Nos. N373 (to Fanling), and N368 (to Yuen Long West) will be diverted via Central Pier No. 5 from their first departures on May 25. The diversion arrangements will last on that day until about 2am (for route No. N8X), about 2.15am (for route No. N90) and about 2.50am (for the remaining routes aforementioned).
Citybus overnight bus route Nos. N930 (departure at 1.35am to Tsuen Wan Discovery Park), N952 (departure at 1.25am to Tuen Mun Chi Lok Fa Yuen), N962 (departures at 1.15am and 1.45am to Tuen Mun Lung Mun Oasis) and KMB overnight bus route No. N960 (departure at 1.25am to Tuen Mun Kin Sang Estate) will also be diverted via Central Pier No. 5.
A temporary bus stop of the routes concerned will be designated outside Central Pier No. 5 for passengers’ convenience.
For emergency rescues, St John Hospital will arrange manpower to respond to possible needs. The Government Flying Service will send its search and rescue team to provide assistance if necessary.
Issued at HKT 11:00
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Primary Healthcare Commission organises World Family Doctor Day event and commendation ceremony
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
In support of the World Family Doctor Day, the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission) under the Health Bureau (HHB) and the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians (HKCFP) jointly organised the World Family Doctor Day Carnival 2026 event for two consecutive days (May 16 and 17) at the Central Atrium, Olympian City 2, Kowloon, with an aim to promote the concept of “Family Doctor for All” and services under the Primary Healthcare Co-care Network to members of the public. The PHC Commission also held a commendation ceremony today to acknowledge the contributions of 30 family doctors who have actively participated in the Co-care Network to advance primary healthcare development.
Officiating at the commendation ceremony today, the Acting Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, said, “This year’s World Family Doctor Day is themed ‘Compassionate Care in a Digital World’. Leveraging the opportunities brought by the rapid advancement of technology, we hope family doctors, members of the public and community stakeholders can jointly make good use of digital technology and AI, driving technology to serve as a key force in strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and building a healthy life together.”
Dr Fan also remarked that the Government has launched the Co-care Network. Citizens can use the District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses (collectively referred to as DHCs) across all 18 districts in Hong Kong as the service entry point, and pair with a family doctor of their own choice. Determined by citizens’ personal health conditions and risks, they can receive a series of preventive services, as well as screening and management services for high-risk diseases. Under the Co-care Network, family doctors, alongside cross-disciplinary primary healthcare service providers, will deliver continuous and comprehensive healthcare services to the citizens at different stages of their life.
At the commendation ceremony, Dr Fan presented certificates of appreciation to family doctors who have actively participated in the services under the Co-care Network, in recognition of their efforts and valuable contributions in assisting citizens to prevent and manage chronic diseases, advancing primary healthcare development in Hong Kong, and promoting community health.
This year’s World Family Doctor Day event in Hong Kong was moved to the community and held in the form of a carnival. Through participating in relaxed and interesting activities, members of the public could further understand the role of family doctors, the latest developments in primary healthcare in Hong Kong, and the services provided under the Co-care Network and by the DHCs. Activities of the carnival also included free health check services (such as body composition analysis) and health talks on chronic diseases (including diabetes, hypertension and hepatitis B). Interactive projection installations were also featured at the venue, allowing citizens to experience first-hand the application of digital technology in physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
The Commissioner for Primary Healthcare of the HHB, Dr Pang Fei-chau; Vice-President of the HKCFP Dr Lau Ho-lim; Assistant Director of Health Dr Jackie Leung; and the Chief Manager (Primary and Community Services) of the Hospital Authority, Dr Maria Leung, also attended the carnival event and commendation ceremony today.
The DHCs across all 18 districts in Hong Kong will continue to organise a series of community activities focusing on family doctors this month, aiming to encourage more citizens to enrol as DHC members, pair with family doctors to establish a long-term doctor-patient relationship with mutual trust, and participate in services under the Co-care Network, with a view to achieving the goals of prevention-oriented and “early identification and early treatment”.
Applications for allowing dogs to enter permitted food premises to commence tomorrow
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will start accepting applications from restaurants tomorrow (May 18) for allowing dogs to enter their premises. It is expected that the permitted food premises could welcome their customers with dogs within July. The application process is simple. Restaurants interested in applying for the dog-admission permission may submit their applications, starting from 10am tomorrow, electronically through the FEHD’s dedicated webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html). The application period will be ended on June 8.
A quota of not more than 1 000 restaurants is set for the first phase of application. If more than 1 000 applications are received, allocation will be made by balloting. For safety considerations, applications from hotpot restaurants and barbecue restaurants (including teppanyaki and Korean barbecue) will not be accepted, and only applications from restaurants with an area larger than 20 square metres will be considered. Apart from the above restrictions, all restaurants with a full licence may apply for the dog-admission permission.
The first batch of permission is expected to be granted in mid-June. To allow sufficient time for operational preparation by the trade, the FEHD will specify a date in July from which dogs will be allowed to enter permitted food premises. The exact date will be announced in due course. No person shall bring any dog onto any food premises prior to that date (except for guide dogs and working dogs).
To assist the catering trade in understanding the application requirements in advance, and get prepared for the upcoming implementation of the new measures, the FEHD held three briefing sessions for the trade from May 11 to 13. Representatives of the FEHD have set out relevant application procedures, eligibility criteria, licensing conditions and matters that require restaurant operators’ attention. In addition, representatives of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Institute of Shopping Centre Management, and the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers, were invited to share with trade members knowledge on interacting with animals, experience in managing pet-friendly malls and matters requiring attention in relation to insurance.
More than 360 members from the catering sector attended the three briefing sessions, and over 4 600 viewers watched the live broadcasts via the FEHD’s Facebook page. The briefings received an enthusiastic response. Representatives of the FEHD also answered questions from attendees at the question-and-answer sessions. The department will hold the fourth briefing session for the trade on May 28. Restaurant operators who are unable to attend in person and other interested parties may watch the live broadcast via the FEHD’s Facebook page from 2.30pm to 5pm on the day of the briefing session, which will later be uploaded to the FEHD’s dedicated webpage.
Information on allowing dogs to enter permitted restaurants, including licence conditions and frequently asked questions has been uploaded to the FEHD’s dedicated webpage. The FEHD will also release a set of Guidelines of Good Practice and Behaviour later, for reference by restaurant operators and members of the public. The FEHD has set up two dedicated hotlines (2867 5912 and 2867 2836), through which enquiries about the applications can be made from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
DH urges public to adopt healthy lifestyle, measure blood pressure and undergo screening regularly in support of World Hypertension Day
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DH urges public to adopt healthy lifestyle, measure blood pressure and undergo screening regularly in support of World Hypertension Day—————————
Adults are considered to have hypertension if their systolic blood pressure is persistently higher than or equal to 140 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and/or their diastolic blood pressure is persistently higher than or equal to 90 mmHg. According to the Hong Kong Reference Framework for Hypertension Care for Adults in Primary Care Settings
How to prevent hypertension
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Adopting a healthy lifestyle is essential for preventing and controlling hypertension. Reducing salt intake is widely recognised as one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. According to the DH’s PHS 2020-22, as many as 83.9 per cent of persons aged 15 to 84 had daily salt intake above the World Health Organization-recommended daily limit of less than 5 grams of salt. Furthermore, the public are reminded to avoid drinking alcohol and smoking, and to stay away from secondhand smoke as far as possible.Issued at HKT 11:00
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From Africa to Asia: InvestHK wraps up strategic visit to South Africa and Rwanda riding on Global South momentum
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
From Africa to Asia: InvestHK wraps up strategic visit to South Africa and Rwanda riding on Global South momentum
During her visit to Johannesburg (May 10 to13) (Johannesburg time), Ms Lee engaged with a diverse range of leading enterprises and industry bodies. Discussions focused on how Hong Kong’s robust business environment can empower African enterprises to effectively manage and scale their expanding Asian operations.
Ms Lee also met with local chambers of commerce and government investment agencies to explore new avenues for collaboration. She highlighted that Africa is one of the InvestHK’s key markets, as many African enterprises are now looking to diversify their funding sources and simplify cross-border transactions through Hong Kong’s deep capital markets and unique connectivity with Chinese Mainland.
Ms Lee said, “Africa has emerged as a vital engine of growth within the Global South. Our journey of thousands of miles to Africa begins with a meaningful step. For African corporates looking for a trusted and strategic partner to expand into the Chinese Mainland and the Asia-Pacific region, the interest, relationships, and momentum are building up. Hong Kong has vast potential to play a unique role linking capital, talent, and innovation between Africa and our part of the world, while InvestHK will continue to be a driver of this interconnectivity, facilitating two-way investment through strategic market insights, extensive global access, targeted promotion, and policy facilitation. “
The Minister Counsellor in charge of Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, Ms Liu Yu, said, “The synergy between South Africa and Hong Kong in the economic and trade fields is both complementary and strategically significant. Under the framework of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong’s status as a global offshore Renminbi hub and an international asset management centre provides a professional one-stop platform for enterprises to go global. We encourage South African and Chinese Mainland enterprises in South Africa to leverage Hong Kong’s unique professional advantages to optimise their supply chain layouts and achieve high-quality, mutually beneficial development.”
The President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), Mr Mtho Xulu, said, “We want to see the relationship beyond our borders, where we take companies from South Africa into Hong Kong, using the city as a platform to scale into the bigger markets. Whether it’s for innovation, manufacturing, or industrialisation, we want to look at how we can collaborate further and bring the two places closer together. This ecosystem is exactly what our members need to unlock high-value opportunities on the Chinese Mainland and across Asia.”
The visit culminated in Kigali, Rwanda, where Ms Lee represented InvestHK at the Africa CEO Forum, engaging in high-level discussions with C-suite executives from the continent’s leading multinationals on May 14 and 15 (Kigali time).
Continuing the momentum of two-way economic ties, InvestHK will host an Africa Day Reception in Hong Kong on May 26, assembling local African business communities to explore new avenues for cross-border collaboration.
Issued at HKT 17:05
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CCIDA and Hong Kong Film Development Council lead industry delegation to 79th Cannes Film Festival in France to showcase Hong Kong Cinema
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC) led the industry to participate in the 79th Cannes Film Festival in France, which is being held from May 12 to 23. Members of the delegation included Assistant Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries and Secretary-General of the FDC, Mr Gary Mak; the Chairman of the FDC, Dr Wilfred Wong; new-generation actors, emerging Hong Kong film producers as well as representatives of the winning teams of a funding scheme under the Film Development Fund. The lineup introduced Hong Kong cinema’s rising talent and innovative strength to the international film community.
CCIDA and the FDC collaborated with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to set up the Hong Kong Pavilion themed “Hong Kong Cinema @ Cannes 2026” at the festival’s film market, and supported Hong Kong filmmakers in exploring overseas film markets and expanding their global networks through a series of activities. One of the highlights, the “Hong Kong Night” reception, was held on May 16 (Cannes time), attracting around 600 industry representatives and filmmakers from around the world, who engaged with the Hong Kong delegates (including new-generation actors Carlos Chan and Natalie Hsu) to foster market development and creative collaboration. CCIDA and the FDC also organised seminars on artificial intelligence and Asian film financing collaboration with a focus on the creative technology applications and diverse development of film production in Asia, aiming to drive cultural exchange and foster new technology and cross-border collaborations between the East and the West.
To assist Hong Kong’s film industry to identify potential partners for international collaborations, CCIDA held a Hong Kong project pitching session during the festival for the filmmakers to introduce their original projects to overseas industry players, and arranged business matching sessions with filmmakers from Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Korea, and Spain. Attending Hong Kong delegates included five producers (Wong Hoi; Charlie Fung; Oliver Chan; Lung Kwok-yiu; and Terence Choi) who were nominated by CCIDA to participate in the festival’s official programme (namely, “Producers Network”), and three representatives of the winning projects (director Tsang Tsui-shan of “Kowloon Grand Hotel”; producer Cho King-man of “Spirited Away”; and scriptwriter Li Ling-long of “Bus Lightyear”) of the Content Development Scheme for Streaming Platforms by the FDC.
In addition, Mr Mak and Dr Wong met with representatives of various international film institutions, festival organisers, and overseas distributors, including the French National Centre of Cinema, the Series Mania of France, the British Film Institute, as well as representatives of international film festivals of Busan, Locarno, Toronto and Venice, to strengthen ties between Hong Kong and overseas film industries.
CCIDA will continue to work closely with the industry to proactively expand into overseas markets and bring more outstanding Hong Kong films and creative talent to the international stage.
HKSAR Government activates alert response level of Ebola preparedness and response plan
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HKSAR Government activates alert response level of Ebola preparedness and response plan (with photo) Members of the public wishing to learn more about the Ebola disease and related travel health advice may visit the CHP website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/34199.htmlIssued at HKT 18:56
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SWD commends over 200 foster families for lighting up children’s hearts with love
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SWD commends over 200 foster families for lighting up children’s hearts with love
Mr To further remarked that every foster family itself is a touching storybook – some parents who initially intended to provide short-term emergency care have been serving for over 30 years, rendering protection and shelter to needy children; and there are also parents who strived to provide foster children with a happy childhood despite their own busy schedules, protecting children’s well-being with love. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all foster parents for their selfless love that transcends blood ties. Such years-long dedication not only injects warmth and positive energy into children’s lives, it also lights up their hearts, empowering them to soar with love.
Mr To also extended sincere thanks to the 11 NGOs operating foster care service for their unwavering support in sustaining the service toward its fruitful 45th anniversary.
With a view to strengthening support for foster care service and encouraging more dedicated individuals to become foster parents, the SWD has implemented a series of enhancement measures in recent years, including the substantial increase of the incentive payment for foster parents starting from April 2024; allocating additional resources to enhance training for foster parents and to provide extra support for foster children with special needs since 2025. Currently, there are about 1 120 foster families in Hong Kong. Members of the public who are interested in joining foster care service are welcome to contact the SWD’s Central Foster Care Unit at 2573 2282.
Issued at HKT 12:25
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Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu Meets with President and Delegation of the Distinguished Citizens Society International of NSW
Source: Republic of China Taiwan
President Charles Lin of the Distinguished Citizens Society International of NSW, Australia, together with his team, paid a courtesy call on Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu. Director May Chiang, Thomas Lee, and Fu-Ku Hsiao also attended the meeting.
President Lin and his team briefed the delegation on the planning and progress of four major events this year, including a premium singles social event, the 30th Anniversary Celebration & 3rd Biennial Convention of the Distinguished Citizens Society International of Australia, City2Surf TW Runners, and the 8th Double Tenth National Day Basketball Championship.
DG Wu expressed appreciation for the association’s active engagement in the community and wished all upcoming events great success with strong participation and support.
President Lai addresses Taiwan Global Health Forum Series via video as World Health Assembly convenes
Source: Republic of China Taiwan
President Lai addresses Taiwan Global Health Forum Series via video as World Health Assembly convenes
On the afternoon of May 18, President Lai Ching-te addressed the Taiwan Global Health Forum Series via video. The event was organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s World Health Assembly (WHA) action team and held concurrently with the 79th WHA. In his remarks, President Lai explained that the goal of the event is to share the country’s vision for the Healthy Taiwan initiative and open dialogue on three key issues: digital health and AI governance, cancer policy and innovation, and the global effort to eliminate hepatitis C. The president also indicated that Taiwan has been an active part of global health for many years and is committed to sharing its experiences as a responsible and reliable partner. President Lai emphasized that by joining the World Health Organization (WHO), Taiwan could do even more to support the world.
A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows:
Welcome to this forum series hosted by Taiwan during the World Health Assembly. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, thank you for attending. With your expertise, I’m confident we can work together to make even greater contributions to health.
Our world is seeing many profound changes. Technology is developing fast, populations are aging, and new infectious diseases continue to emerge. Therefore, we bear greater responsibilities than ever before.
As Taiwan’s first president with a medical background, I’m eager to join forces to build a Healthy Taiwan.
At this event, we will share our vision and engage in dialogue on three key issues: digital health and AI governance, cancer policy and innovation, and the global effort to eliminate hepatitis C.
To start, digital health and AI are reshaping the future of healthcare. Taiwan is building a solid framework to promote responsible AI governance. This will help ensure that medical AI is safe, effective, and trustworthy.
At the same time, Taiwan’s booming digital health industry will keep driving innovation. With tools like medical AI and robotics, and even the medical metaverse, we can enhance precision health and quality of care in every way.
Another critical area is cancer – one of the most serious health challenges of our time. To better prevent and treat cancer, Taiwan is promoting early screening, precision medicine, and better access to innovative treatments. We also launched a fund for new cancer drugs, and are updating our National Health Insurance. Our goal is to make sure that every patient receives timely, affordable, high-quality care.
Taiwan is also a leader in the global effort to eliminate hepatitis C. While the WHO set a target for 2030, Taiwan eliminated hepatitis C five years early. This success was no accident. It was built on sound governance and our National Health Insurance. Because of this, we were able to combine screening, treatment, and prevention into one plan.
However, this milestone is not the finish line. To maintain our progress, and close the remaining gaps, global cooperation is vital. We want to share what Taiwan has learned, and learn from our partners around the world. Together, we can work toward a future where hepatitis C is gone for good.
Successful health policy depends on collaboration. With the health challenges we face today, no country can act alone. We need to build stronger ties among the government, academia, industry, and the public. Only then can we boost innovation, promote equity, and build more resilient health systems.
For many years, Taiwan has been an active part of global health. As a responsible and reliable partner, we are committed to sharing our experiences and working closely with the international community. By joining the WHO, Taiwan could better ensure the right to health for all our people, and do even more to support the rest of the world.
To close, I want to thank the organizers, speakers, and participants for your hard work. Let’s continue building a healthier, more sustainable, and more resilient world together. Thank you.