Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Special traffic and transport arrangements for Kai Tak Sports Park concert from April 24 to 27
| Type(3) Cross-boundary coach services
The KTSP Limited will arrange cross-boundary coach services during the dispersal period on the event dates to facilitate travellers’ return to the Mainland via the LMC/HG Port. Passengers should purchase tickets prior to the concert (on-site ticket sales not available during dispersal) and board their coach at the PUDOA on the G/F, Kai Tak Stadium, via the escalator outside Gate H, 2/F. They should refer to the operators’ website (Eternal East Bus: www.myeebus.com/eebusfansIssued at HKT 12:00 NNNN Hong Kong ICT Awards 2025 opens for enrolmentSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region The Hong Kong ICT Awards (HKICTA) 2025 opens for enrolment today (April 22). Entries of locally developed information and communications technology (ICT) products and solutions are invited to compete for the Grand Awards in the eight award categories and the top accolade of the competition – the Award of the Year. Enrolment is free of charge and the deadline is July 14, 2025. The HKICTA 2025 is organised by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) with each award category to be led by a local industry association or professional body. The award categories and respective leading organisers are listed below:
Established in 2006, the HKICTA is an annual signature event of the local ICT industry which aims to recognise and promote outstanding ICT inventions and applications, thereby encouraging the pursuit of innovation and excellence among Hong Kong’s ICT professionals and enterprises to develop innovative applications meeting business and social needs, use innovation and technology (I&T) to bring benefits to the community, and foster Hong Kong’s I&T and smart city development. Through concerted efforts of the ICT sector, academia and the Government, the HKICTA has always been highly regarded by the information technology industry, and the winners may also be nominated to compete in other regional and international competitions on behalf of Hong Kong and be sponsored to participate in overseas I&T exhibitions. The award acts as an encouragement and recognition to the winners, and enables their access to both Mainland and overseas markets. Chinese Culture Festival 2025 to hold free Chinese opera talks and exhibitionSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region To promote the culture and artistic features of Chinese opera among members of the public, the Chinese Opera Festival (COF), as a core part of the Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2025, will organise a number of free talks, masterclasses and an exhibition from May to August to introduce various theatrical genres, performance styles, repertoire appreciation and more from various perspectives. Veteran Cantonese opera performing artist Yuen Siu-fai will host four talks to discuss the classic plays from the “Three Kingdoms” story that will be staged in this year’s COF from the perspectives of character portrayal, the art of adaptation, strategic plots in the storylines and genre variations. This year’s COF features three Kunqu opera performances. Three talks will be given by seasoned Kunqu art researcher Cheung Lai-chun, who will guide audiences through the culture and stories behind the plays as well as their exquisite stage interpretations. This year’s COF features regional operatic genres that are rarely seen by Hong Kong audiences – Yuediao opera of Henan and Qinqiang opera of Shaanxi, along with selected Chinese operas based on the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”. Scholar of Chinese opera Lum Man-yee will deliver two talks, covering the evolution of “Three Kingdom” operas and the characteristics of female performers playing “xusheng” (bearded male) role in Yuediao and Qinqiang traditions respectively. Main cast members of the Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center (Kun Opera Troupe) will host masterclasses and a demonstration talk delving into the techniques of sheng (male) and dan (female) role performances as well as the art of music and singing of Kunqu opera respectively. A “Three Kingdoms in Chinese Opera” Exhibition will be held at Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Yuen Long Theatre from May to August. The exhibition will illuminate the make-up, costumes and stage artistry of key characters in Chinese opera “Three Kingdoms” repertoires, showcasing the arts across opera genres. Admission is free. PM’s Departure Statement on the eve of his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaSource: Government of India Posted On: 22 APR 2025 8:30AM by PIB Delhi Today, I embark on a two-day State visit to the Kingdom of Saudi at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman. India deeply values its long and historic ties with Saudi Arabia that have acquired strategic depth and momentum in recent years. Together, we have developed a mutually beneficial and substantive partnership including in the domains of defence, trade, investment, energy and people to people ties. We have shared interest and commitment to promote regional peace, prosperity, security and stability. This will be my third visit to Saudi Arabia over the past decade and a first one to the historic city of Jeddah. I look forward to participating in the 2nd Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council and build upon the highly successful State visit of my brother His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India in 2023. I am also eager to connect with the vibrant Indian community in Saudi Arabia that continues to serve as the living bridge between our nations and making immense contribution to strengthening the cultural and human ties. ***
MJPS (Release ID: 2123341) Visitor Counter : 21 Private car drivers urged to choose suitable Child Restraining Device under mandatory requirements (with photo)Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region The Transport Department (TD) today (April 22) reminded parents, guardians or private car drivers to choose and use a suitable Child Restraining Device (CRD), such as a child safety seat, that is appropriate for children’s body size and complies with relevant standards to reduce the risks of being killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents, thereby enhancing protection for children and passenger safety. Starting from November 1, 2025, unless child passengers aged below 8 reach a body height of 1.35 metres, they must use a CRD in private cars, regardless of whether they are sitting in the front or rear seats. Passengers aged 8 or above, or those with a body height of at least 1.35m, must either use a CRD or wear an adult seat belt. Otherwise, the driver must not drive the car on any road. A spokesman for the TD said, “When choosing a CRD, parents, guardians or private car drivers carrying a child passenger should accord top priority to the height and/or weight range for which the product is suitable. They should also look for any markings indicating compliance with national or international standards recognised. For enquiries, they should consult the manufacturer or retailer on the product standards to meet legal requirements.” Of note, after a collision such as a traffic accident, CRDs may show no visible signs of damage on the surface, but their internal structure may have been damaged, reducing their protective effectiveness, and they should not be used again. In addition, when purchasing second-hand CRDs, it is difficult to guarantee that the product has not been hit. For those used by relatives or friends, one should ascertain whether they have been dropped or bumped. Apart from conventional types of child safety seats, there are various types of portable CRDs, such as seat belt adjusters, wearable safety restraint vests and foldable boosters, available in the market for selection. Yet, as portable CRDs do not have protective pads and seat backs on both sides, their protection capabilities in side-impact collisions are in general not as good as those of child safety seats. The TD has launched a designated page on CRDs (www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/crd) coupled with infographics on the Agent T Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AgentT.hk) to set out details of the legal requirements and standards concerned. The TD will continue to work with the Police, the Road Safety Council and the Consumer Council to step up relevant publicity and public education. Members of the public may call the TD’s hotline (2804 2600) for details. “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Cézanne and Renoir Looking at the World – Masterpieces from the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay” exhibition at HKMoA extended to May 14 (with photos)Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Cézanne and Renoir Looking at the World – Masterpieces from the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay” exhibition at HKMoA extended to May 14 NNNN Bureau of Indian Standards announces 500 internships for students from MoU partner institutionsSource: Government of India Bureau of Indian Standards announces 500 internships for students from MoU partner institutions
Posted On: 22 APR 2025 12:51PM by PIB Delhi The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body under the Government of India, announced internship opportunities for 500 students from its partner institutions in the field of standardisation. The announcement was made at the Annual Convention of BIS Standardisation Chairs and Nodal Faculty of MoU Partner Institutions, held recently. The internships will be offered to students enrolled in 4-year degree courses, 5-year integrated degree courses, postgraduate degrees, and diploma programmes. The 8-week internship will include pre-standardisation work in two key industries, QCO (Quality Control Order) compliance surveys in collaboration with BIS offices, and site visits to large-scale units, MSMEs and laboratories. Students will undertake detailed studies on manufacturing and testing processes, raw materials, in-process controls, and other aspects of product quality and conformity assessment. Key achievements of the BIS-Academia interface include:
Director General, BIS, Shri Pramod Kumar Tiwari in his inaugural address, said, that this partnership is a shared national mission to embed a culture of quality and standardisation across academia. Deputy Director General (Standardisation), BIS, Shri Rajeev Sharma encouraged institutions to foster action-oriented collaborations and contribute actively to the country’s quality ecosystem. The convention hosted technical sessions on curriculum integration, standards formulation, student engagement through Standards Clubs, and other promotional activities. In an open house discussion, partner institutions shared best practices and innovative models for academic collaboration. The event concluded with a collective resolve to strengthen the culture of standardisation across Indian academia, empowering students and faculty to meaningfully engage with national and global quality systems. Representatives from 58 partner institutes participated in the convention. Five institutions— IIT Roorkee, SSEC Chennai, NIT Jalandhar, SVCE Chennai, and PSNACET Dindigul—were felicitated for their exceptional performance in BIS-related activities as per the MoU. *** Abhishekh Dayal/ Nihi Sharma/ Ishita Biswas (Release ID: 2123394) Visitor Counter : 68 President Lai expresses condolences on passing of Pope FrancisSource: Republic of China Taiwan On April 21, following the Holy See’s announcement of the passing of Pope Francis, Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) stated that upon hearing the news, President Lai Ching-te expressed deepest sympathies and extended sincere condolences to the Holy See on behalf of Taiwan’s people and government. At the same time, President Lai directed Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) to convey condolences to the Holy See’s Apostolic Nunciature in Taiwan. The Republic of China (Taiwan) Embassy to the Holy See also conveyed a message from President Lai expressing the nation’s grief and sympathies. Décès du Pape FrançoisSource: Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Caledonie Le gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie a appris avec une grande tristesse le décès de Sa Sainteté le pape François, né Jorge Mario Bergoglio, survenu ce lundi de Pâques à l’âge de 88 ans. Le gouvernement adresse ses sincères condoléances à la communauté catholique de Nouvelle-Calédonie, profondément attachée à la figure du Saint-Père, ainsi qu’à l’ensemble des fidèles éprouvés par cette perte. Data Users Conference: Strengthening the Bridge Between Data Producers and UsersSource: Government of India Posted On: 21 APR 2025 9:07PM by PIB Delhi The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), organized the Data Users Conference on 21st April 2025, in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Mumbai.
The conference aimed to foster constructive dialogue between data producers and data users, facilitating knowledge exchange on methodologies, insights from the latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey, Methodology changes in PLFS and key initiatives in macro-economic statistics including GDP and Consumer Price Indices. The event witnessed active participation from more than 250 attendees comprising policymakers, academicians, researchers, economists, industry representatives, and international organizations.
The conference was chaired by Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI, who emphasized the Ministry’s core vision of ‘Data for Development’. He highlighted MoSPI’s efforts toward enhancing data credibility, timeliness, accessibility, and relevance through technological interventions for timely release of key indicators like PLFS monthly estimates, quarterly unincorporated sector surveys, and a focus on comprehensive metadata standardization. He underlined the Ministry’s commitment to integrate administrative and survey data to fill existing gaps in the statistical ecosystem. Dr. Garg mentioned that MoSPI has actively working with research institutes to promote collaborative research.
In his address, Dr. Nilkanth Mishra, Member, EAC-PM and Chairman, UIDAI, underscored the pressing need for more granular and timely data, especially in light of India’s fast-evolving digital and informal economy. Drawing from personal experiences, he highlighted the critical gaps in economic data and appreciated MoSPI’s ongoing efforts to modernize the data access for both private and public stakeholders. Ms. Geeta Singh Rathore, Director General (NSS), elaborated on recent advancements in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), particularly the expansion of estimates of the Labour statistics to rural areas and the introduction of monthly releases of PLFS for enhanced policy responsiveness. Prof. Basanta Kumar Pradhan, Director, IGIDR, welcomed the delegates and acknowledged MoSPI’s role in promoting an ecosystem of data-driven research and policy-making. He emphasized the importance of understanding data generation processes, recognizing limitations, and integrating user feedback to refine methodologies. These key note addresses set the stage for technical sessions. The conference features four technical sessions. The forenoon technical sessions covered:
In the afternoon session Shri N.K. Santoshi, DG (Central Statistics), MoSPI, in his opening remarks highlighted the initiatives taken by the MoSPI for updating the base years of key macro-economic indicators viz GDP and CPI. The afternoon technical sessions covered:
Post-panel discussions, the floor was opened for discussions, providing participants to directly engage with the speakers and panelists. The conference reaffirmed the collective commitment of MoSPI, IGIDR, and data users to uphold and advance the quality, integrity, and usability of official statistics in India. It concluded with a call to further deepen cooperation, embrace technological advancements, and ensure data remains at the heart of evidence-based policymaking. The Data User Conference concluded with the key take away of need for standardization between the statistical products. For more details on the survey reports and upcoming statistical releases, please visit the official MoSPI website: www.mospi.gov.in. **** Samrat (Release ID: 2123310) Visitor Counter : 33 |