Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Schools, environmental groups and non-governmental organisations are invited to apply for this year’s “Give the Flowers a New Home!” Jockey Club Flower Re-planting Scheme of the Hong Kong Flower Show by February 27. The application form can be downloaded from the flower show webpage at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/hkfs/2026/flower.html.

     Every year after the flower show, showground flowers suitable for replanting are sent to Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) parks for replanting. To encourage replanting in the community and raise environmental awareness among the public, the flower replanting scheme has been running since 2014. Upon successful application, organisations and schools may receive potted plants by either on-site collection from the showground or free delivery by the organiser. The type and number of plants will be assigned by the organiser. For details, please visit the above-mentioned webpage.

     Organised by the LCSD, this year’s flower show will be held from March 20 to 29 at Victoria Park, featuring the stock as its theme flower, under the theme “A Fragrant Journey through Hong Kong”. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is supporting the flower show for the 14th consecutive year and has been its major sponsor since 2014.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Transport Department (TD) today (January 22) said that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented to facilitate the holding of concerts at Kai Tak Stadium on the evenings of January 24 to 26. As traffic in the vicinity of the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) is expected to be heavy, concertgoers should opt for public transport and avoid driving or taking private cars (including cross-boundary private cars).

     The TD has co-ordinated with local and cross-boundary public transport operators to strengthen their services during dispersal. The MTR will enhance the intervals between trains on the Tuen Ma Line. The last MTR train to Lo Wu Station interchanging at Tai Wai Station on the East Rail Line will depart from Sung Wong Toi Station at 10.59pm and Kai Tak Station at 11.01pm. Franchised bus companies will provide 11 special bus routes at the Sung Wong Toi Road Pick-up/Drop-off Area (PUDOA) to the Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) Public Transport Interchange (route No. SP12), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and Airport (route No. A25S), and major districts across the territory.

     Concertgoers who plan to return to the Mainland on the same day may also take the KTSP’s cross-boundary coach during dispersal. Passengers should purchase tickets from the operators’ online platforms in advance. On-site ticket sales will not be available during dispersal.

     The Kai Tak Stadium Taxi PUDOA will be open. The Sung Wong Toi Road PUDOA will be open for taxi drop-off only during admission (3.30pm to 7pm) and suspended for taxi pick-up/drop-off during dispersal. The expected waiting time will be longer amid the outflux of spectators, and passengers’ patience is appreciated.

     Spectators are advised to heed real-time information via the on-site broadcast and the “Easy Leave” platform (easyleave.police.gov.hk) as well as the latest traffic news through the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk), the “HKeMobility” mobile application and radio and television broadcasts.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Police Force has alerted the public to fraudulent SMS messages purporting to be from its “eTraffic Ticket Platform”.

The messages contain hyperlinks that lead to fake websites posing as the official platform’s “Verify/Pay Ticket” page, and are clearly an attempt to deceive citizens into providing their credit card details and personal information.

The force clarified that the fraudulent URLs included in the SMS messages, namely https://etraffictickot.top/hk/ and https://etrafticket.one/hk, are not official platforms. Members of the public are urged not to click on the hyperlinks.

The genuine web address of the Police Force’s “eTraffic Ticket Platform” is https://www.etrafficticket.gov.hk.

The force emphasised that SMS messages about electronic Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) are only ever issued under the sender name “#HKPF-eTT”, and that FPNs, whether issued via SMS messages or email, will never contain any hyperlinks.

Anyone who has submitted personal information via the fraudulent websites should report the matter to the force by calling 18222.

Call 181 181 for enquiries about the platform.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Overall consumer prices rose 1.4% year on year in December, a bigger increase than the corresponding 1.2% recorded in the previous month, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

Netting out the effects of the Government’s one-off relief measures, the underlying inflation rate was 1.2% in December, also larger than that seen in November.

Compared with December 2024 before, price increases were recorded in the following categories: transport; miscellaneous services; alcoholic drinks and tobacco; housing; miscellaneous goods; meals out and takeaway food; and basic food.

Meanwhile, year-on-year decreases were logged for durable goods; clothing and footwear; and electricity, gas and water.

The Government said consumer price inflation stayed modest in December, with the underlying Composite CPI for 2025 increasing by 1.1% annually.

It added that it expects overall inflation to stay modest in the near term, as domestic costs and external price pressures remain mild.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Lands Department today posted land resumption notices in accordance with the Lands Resumption Ordinance to resume land at Kau Pui Lung Road/Chi Kiang Street in Kowloon City for an urban renewal project. Affected interests will be reverted to the Government on April 23.

The project site, with an area of 16,473 sq m, will be redeveloped for residential use with retail/commercial facilities, ancillary parking and loading/unloading facilities. The project will also provide a public open space of at least 400 sq m, a public vehicle park, as well as government, institution or community facilities.

A total of 466 property interests will be resumed by the Government. Apart from statutory compensation, eligible owners of domestic properties will also be offered an ex-gratia home purchase allowance or a supplementary allowance. Eligible domestic tenants will be offered rehousing or an ex-gratia allowance.

If statutory claims made by the affected owners and tenants under the Lands Resumption Ordinance cannot be settled by agreement, the owners and tenants may apply to the Lands Tribunal for adjudication. Professional fees reasonably incurred by the claimants in making such claims may be reimbursed by the Government.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

On the afternoon of January 21, President Lai Ching-te met with a transatlantic delegation from the German Marshall Fund (GMF). In remarks, President Lai expressed thanks to partners in the United States and Europe for their long-time support of Taiwan, which highlights the joint commitment to facing global challenges. The president pointed out that Taiwan is continuing to increase its defense spending and enhance its self-defense capabilities, and that it is building the T-Dome advanced air defense system and adopting AI and high tech to bolster its defense industry. He also expressed hope for continuing to deepen Taiwan-US and Taiwan-Europe cooperation in such areas as security, trade and the economy, and technology to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
First, I would like to extend a warm welcome to GMF President Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer as she leads this transatlantic delegation to Taiwan. Our guests today are good friends who have long followed Taiwan-related issues. I thank you all for visiting. Your presence demonstrates support for Taiwan among our partners in the US and Europe and highlights our joint commitment to facing global challenges. I also want to thank the GMF for its long-term efforts in facilitating transatlantic cooperation, for its staunch backing of democratic values, and for continuing to deepen understanding of Taiwan’s security situation and international participation throughout the US and Europe. Just this month, the GMF released a major report detailing the massive price China would pay – economically, militarily, socially, and internationally – if it were to start a war with Taiwan. The report also emphasized that the international community must show its ability and determination to counter China’s military actions.
I believe that democracies must unite and work together, harnessing their collective wisdom and strength, to resist the expansion of authoritarianism and jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy. For this reason, Taiwan will continue to enhance its self-defense capabilities and step up cooperation with democratic partners as it seeks to maintain regional peace and stability.
Taiwan’s defense spending will surpass 3 percent of GDP this year, and that figure will reach 5 percent by 2030. We have also proposed a US$40 billion special defense budget which will be put toward building the T-Dome advanced air defense system and adopting AI and high tech to bolster Taiwan’s defense industry.
At the end of last year, US President Donald Trump’s administration announced the sale to Taiwan of a US$11.1 billion military package. And its latest National Security Strategy notes that the US is taking as its goal preserving military overmatch to deter conflict across the Taiwan Strait. The European Union’s European External Action Service also released a statement after China’s military exercises around Taiwan at the end of last year, reiterating the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait for regional and global security and prosperity. I am sincerely grateful for all of these actions.
I would also like to point out that in addition to military cooperation, tariff negotiations between Taiwan and the US have concluded. We look forward to continuing to utilize the Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue and other mechanisms to deepen Taiwan-US cooperation in such fields as supply chains, digital trade, and science and technology. In addition, Taiwan’s investments in Europe over the past four years have already surpassed our total investments over the previous four decades. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to expand collaboration with European countries in such industries as semiconductors, AI, and information and communications technology, while also boosting cooperation on supply chain resilience. I hope that our guests will continue to support Taiwan in deepening connections with European nations.
Lastly, I want to thank you all once again for visiting Taiwan. I hope that, going forward, we can join hands in advancing democracy, peace, and prosperity around the world. I wish you a successful and rewarding visit.
President de Hoop Scheffer then delivered remarks, saying that they have an exceptional delegation comprising American, French, German, and British members – all steadfast allies of Taiwan. She stated that this year in particular, their focus is on security, defense, and tech innovation, because these are the areas in which the US, European allies, and Taiwan need to boost their cooperation and partnership.
President de Hoop Scheffer stated that they are here for two main purposes: the first is that many of the delegation members, being in Taiwan for the first time, want to better understand the dynamics that are shaping and reshaping Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region; and the second is to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on and with Taiwan, which is in the GMF’s DNA and mission. 
President de Hoop Scheffer also indicated that they pay much attention to all of the issues just mentioned by President Lai in his remarks, saying that they think of those issues in terms of intersections, including intersections across sectors – because one cannot dissociate national security from economic security and even tech innovation. And Taiwan, she emphasized, crystallizes many of these intersections.
President de Hoop Scheffer elaborated, saying that it is also the intersections across geographies. The Euro-Atlantic theater cannot be dissociated from the Indo-Pacific theater, she said, and so what they have been doing with their Indo-Pacific transatlantic programs is also thinking of the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine for this part of the world. Finally, she noted, it is the intersections between domestic politics and foreign policy, explaining that this is being carried out in the connection among societal resilience, defense, and security. She added that the connection between societal resilience and defense is something that many European countries have been experiencing within the context of the war in Ukraine, because at the end of the day, deterrence will rely on societal resilience.
President de Hoop Scheffer then concluded with three short remarks. The first, she said, is that the security of the Indo-Pacific and the stability of the Taiwan Strait are absolutely central to transatlantic security and global security, adding that it is about economic resilience, global supply chains, and deterrence. She said that what we have seen over recent years is an increasing commitment from the US and European allies. The second is that there is a deep understanding that this is not just a regional issue; it is a global issue, and it is a question also of credibility of our alliance and alliances as a whole. And the third, she said, is how to strengthen our partnership on key issues – economic security, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and tech-defense innovation. In closing, she said they very much look forward to strengthening the partnership with Taiwan.
The delegation also included former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Denis Mercier, former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe General James Everard, University of Texas at Austin Senior Fellow for National Security Law Marik A. String, GMF Senior Vice President for Global Power Shifts Daniel Kliman, and Managing Director of the GMF Indo-Pacific Program Bonnie Glaser.
 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department announced today that schools, environmental groups and non-governmental organisations are invited to apply for this year’s “Give the Flowers a New Home!” Jockey Club Flower Re-planting Scheme, part of the Hong Kong Flower Show, by February 27.

Each year, flowers suitable for replanting are identified at the end of the showground exhibition and sent to the department’s parks for replanting.

Since it began in 2014, the scheme has encouraged replanting in the community and raised environmental awareness among the public.

Organisations and schools who successfully apply may receive potted plants by either collecting them at the showground site or by free delivery from the organiser.

Themed “A Fragrant Journey through Hong Kong”, this year’s flower show will be held from March 20 to 29 at Victoria Park, featuring the stock as its theme flower.