Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs detects two smuggling cases of live turtles of scheduled endangered species
Through risk assessment, Customs on the abovementioned days examined one inbound consignment declared as containing statues and decorative ornaments, and two inbound consignments declared as containing mugs and other steins. After inspection, Customs officers found a batch of live turtles of a scheduled endangered species wrapped in plastic and concealed in socks inside the consignments.
Customs officers subsequently conducted controlled delivery operations and arrested two recipients of the consignments including a 33-year-old local male and a 65-year-old local male. The arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation. The investigation is ongoing.Issued at HKT 15:52
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Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes (with photo)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes (with photo)
Customs officers intercepted a 27-year-old incoming Mainland male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (August 2) and seized 28 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of $126,000 and a duty potential of about $92,500, from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 15:25
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CCIDA sponsors industry to participate in 23rd China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CCIDA sponsors industry to participate in 23rd China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference
The Hong Kong Pavilion at the ChinaJoy Expo was sponsored by CCIDA for the second consecutive year. This year’s participating works cover a wide range of genres including action, adventure, simulation, strategy and role-playing, fully demonstrating the creative strengths of Hong Kong’s game industry. The pavilion also featured activities such as trials of original Hong Kong games, on-site networking with game developers, and IP business-matching sessions, enhancing interactions and exchanges between the industry and visitors. The participation in the ChinaJoy Expo not only promoted the exceptional creativity and capabilities of Hong Kong’s digital entertainment industry to the Chinese Mainland market, but also deepened exchanges and co-operation in the digital entertainment sector between the two places, and helped the industry expand its commercial and trade networks. Following the Expo, GameDEVA also organised a delegation to visit leading game enterprises in Shanghai, fostering meaningful exchanges between the industries of the two places.
In recent years, Hong Kong’s digital entertainment industry has achieved breakthrough growth, with the overall market size reaching about HK$20 billion. Currently, there are more than 200 game-related companies in Hong Kong, and about 50 locally developed games are officially launched each year. With the continued support of CCIDA, Hong Kong’s game industry has been accelerating its integration into the Chinese Mainland and global markets, demonstrating its profound strengths and development potential.
Jointly guided by the National Press and Publication Administration, as well as the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, and organised by the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association, the ChinaJoy Expo is the largest digital interactive entertainment event on the Chinese Mainland. For more information about the ChinaJoy Expo and the Hong Kong Pavilion, please visit en.chinajoy.netIssued at HKT 15:25
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Planned system enhancement for the Faster Payment System on August 9
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Planned system enhancement for the Faster Payment System on August 9
The Faster Payment System (FPS) service will be unavailable from 1am to 11am on August 9 (Sunday) due to a planned system enhancement, being carried out by the Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited, the operator of the FPS.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has requested banks and stored value facility (SVF) operators to provide advance and timely notifications to their customers. Members of the public may contact individual banks or SVF operators for more details regarding the availability of the related FPS services that may be affected by the system enhancement. If necessary, members of the public may make advance arrangements for their payment activities.
Issued at HKT 15:15
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Temporary closure of park east of Fan Kam Road
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Temporary closure of park east of Fan Kam Road
| Facilities Upon completion of the event, the LCSD will inspect the facilities and carry out the necessary maintenance. The reopening date of the facilities will be separately announced. For enquiries, please contact venue staff at 2295 3118. Issued at HKT 11:30 NNNN Eighth batch of Arts Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities open for applications todaySource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Eighth batch of Arts Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities open for applications today NNNN Labour Department highly concerned about fatal work accident that happened in Kowloon City todaySource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Labour Department highly concerned about fatal work accident that happened in Kowloon City today NNNN CS officiates at EMSTF 30th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony (with photos)Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4 The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (August 3) officiated at the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund (EMSTF). Held at the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) Headquarters Building, the ceremony was themed “Intelligent E&M Co-creating Tomorrow”, symbolising the EMSTF’s continuous efforts in driving innovation and technology development and enhancing service quality to forge a better future. Addressing the ceremony, Mr Chan said that over the past three decades since its establishment, the EMSTF has developed from being primarily responsible for maintaining electrical and mechanical (E&M) equipment into the “guardian of E&M facilities” and “innovation facilitator” for various government departments. It has always played a pioneering role in actively promoting the digital and smart transformation of public services. He encouraged the EMSTF to continue embracing innovation and striving for excellence, assisting government departments in accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies so that members of the public can enjoy higher-quality and more convenient services, while injecting sustained momentum into Hong Kong’s high-quality development. The Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services and General Manager of the EMSTF, Mr Poon Kwok-ying, said in his speech that the EMSTF will enhance service quality and efficiency through smart E&M technologies, lead industry transformation with I&T, and work closely with various client departments to implement various innovative ideas, achieving higher-quality public services. Afterwards, accompanied by Mr Poon, the guests toured the exhibition to learn about the solutions developed by the EMSD’s engineering teams to address daily operational challenges. These solutions include the application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, robotics, and the Internet of Things to strengthen governance, enhance productivity and work safety. Also attending the ceremony were the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; the Deputy Director-General of the Social Development Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Ye Shuiqiu; and the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Ricky Lau. Nearly 330 000 people participated in Sport For All Day 2026Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4 The Sport For All Day (SFAD) 2026 was held successfully yesterday (August 2). Nearly 330 000 people participated in the free leisure programmes organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), and enjoyed the free use of leisure facilities. This year, the LCSD has specially choreographed a new fitness exercise to the SFAD theme song, a video of which is available at the dedicated website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/sfad/2026/index.html). 330k join Sport For All DaySource: Hong Kong Information Services Nearly 330,000 people participated in recreation and sports programmes and used leisure facilities for free during Sport For All Day 2026, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department announced today. The department noted that it was the first time it opened leisure facilities for free public use across two consecutive days on August 1 and 2. Themed “Asian Games in Motion, City in Action” this year, the event logged a usage rate of over 95% for the main arenas of sports centres, while public swimming pools saw more than 100,000 visits. More than 26,000 people took part in free leisure programmes held at designated sports centres across 18 districts. These included activities inspired by Asian Games events such as wushu, handball, football, rowing, equestrian sports and skateboarding. Sports demonstrations, fitness corners, and activities tailored for people of different ages and those with disabilities were also well received. |