Ready-to-eat raw oyster sample detected with excessive E. coli

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Ready-to-eat raw oyster sample detected with excessive E. coliBrand name: American Pearl
Place of origin: US
Importer: Caves Asia Company Limited
Date of harvesting: September 14, 2026
     
     “The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the most probable number of E. coli in the sample was at a level of 790 per 100 grams. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, if the most probable number of E. coli in live or raw bivalve molluscs intended for direct consumption exceeds the level of 700 per 100g, the sample is considered unsatisfactory,” a spokesman for the CFS said.Issued at HKT 20:00

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CHP investigates probable case of botulism

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Siobhan Haughey grabs HK’s 2nd gold

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law today congratulated swimmer Siobhan Haughey on winning another gold medal for the Hong Kong, China Delegation in the Women’s 200m Freestyle at the 20th Asian Games.

“Siobhan has demonstrated extraordinary strength, successfully defending her title and bringing glory to Hong Kong, making all Hong Kong citizens thrilled,” Miss Law said.

She also congratulated other athletes who won medals in various events today.

Noting that swimmer Ian Ho won a silver medal in Men’s 50m Freestyle, Miss Law said he showed tremendous fighting spirit. 

Triathletes Cade Wright, Oscar Coggins, Bailee Brown and Robin Elg won a bronze medal in the mixed relay, marking the third consecutive medal for the delegation in this event at the Asian Games.

Miss Law noted that this was an encouraging result. 

Additionally, karatekas Wong Cheuk-lee and Howard Hung both won bronze medals in the Women’s Kumite -68kg and the Men’s Individual Kata respectively.

Miss Law commended both of them for delivering outstanding performances and playing to their full potential.

The delegation won six medals today, including one by Wushu athlete Lydia Sham who bagged the first gold in Women’s Changquan.

RCEP working group hailed

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government welcomes the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)’s approval today of the establishment of an Accession Working Group (AWG) to start the accession process for respective applicant economies including Hong Kong.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau said today that the decision is a pivotal step forward in enlarging the membership of RCEP.

He added that Hong Kong will actively co-operate and take part in the AWG’s work, including the relevant accession negotiations with RCEP members, with a view to completing all the required procedures as soon as possible.

Mr Yau thanked in particular the Central People’s Government, including the Ministry of Commerce, for their strong and enduring support for Hong Kong’s early accession.

He also expressed appreciation to RCEP members, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for their support of the AWG’s establishment.

Mr Yau said the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to work closely with the RCEP Support Unit, and maintain close liaison with all stakeholders of RCEP members to foster favourable conditions for Hong Kong’s early accession to RCEP.

The other applicant economies admitted to the AWG are Bangladesh, Chile and Sri Lanka.

Youth teams received by state leader

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The “‘Salute to the National Flag’ Hong Kong & Macau Youth Flag-Raising Teams’ Beijing Visit Delegation”, led by Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, was received today by Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang at the Great Hall of the People.

Mr Chan expressed deep gratitude to Mr Ding for personally guiding the Hong Kong and Macau youths, and even more so to the nation for providing this valuable opportunity for students to take part in the solemn flag‑raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square and experience the historical culture and development achievements of the capital.

The Chief Secretary said this was a rare and profound patriotic education experience. During the solemn flag‑raising ceremony, students felt the dignity of the national flag and anthem up close, deepening their understanding of the symbolic meaning of the flag, as well as the national situation and development.

Through a rich itinerary of visits, the students also gained a genuine appreciation of the challenges and accomplishments of the nation’s journey from history to rejuvenation, further strengthening their national identity, their sense of national pride, affection for and sense of belonging to it.

Mr Chan emphasised that the trip was of great significance for promoting patriotic education in Hong Kong’s primary and secondary schools.

In addition to textbook learning, he explained, bringing students to the sites of national history and culture allows them to experience emotions firsthand and deepen their understanding through real stories, which greatly contributes to patriotic education.

Mr Chan said the delegation’s itinerary organically integrated national flag education, history education, cultural education and national development education, making patriotism more concrete, vivid and powerful in the hearts of students, guiding them to consciously safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and aspiring to become a new generation that loves the country and Hong Kong, and is willing to take responsibility.

FS meets Beijing finance chiefs

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Financial Secretary Paul Chan called on Minister of Finance Lan Fo’an in Beijing this morning to report on the arrangements for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Ministers’ Meeting. 

They also discussed economic and financial developments on the Mainland and in Hong Kong, as well as global economic and trade issues.

Mr Chan’s afternoon engagements involved a meeting with People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng and Minister of the National Financial Regulatory Administration Ding Xiangqun, respectively.

Mr Chan had in-depth exchanges with the officials on issues including the economic and financial market developments in the country as well as the international community.

There were also discussions on further co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong in financial regulation and development.

Mr Chan also gave Mr Pan and Ms Ding a brief introduction to Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address, highlighting the planning direction and objectives for consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre.

Haze Situation Update (21 September 2026)

Source: Government of Singapore

Air Quality Forecast

24-hr PSI Forecast: Moderate – Low Unhealthy

Health Advisory

Healthy persons: If 24-hr PSI is Moderate, normal activities. If 24-hr PSI is Unhealthy, reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. If 1-hr PM2.5 is Normal (Band 1), normal activities. If 1-hr PM2.5 is Elevated (Band 2), reduce strenuous outdoor activity for the next hour.
Elderly, pregnant women & children: If 24-hr PSI is Moderate, normal activities. If 24-hr PSI is Unhealthy, minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. If 1-hr PM2.5 is Normal (Band 1), normal activities. If 1-hr PM2.5 is Elevated (Band 2), avoid strenuous outdoor activity for the next hour.
Persons with chronic lung/heart disease: If 24-hr PSI is Moderate, normal activities. If PSI is Unhealthy, avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. If 1-hr PM2.5 is Normal (Band 1), normal activities. If 1-hr PM2.5 is Elevated (Band 2), avoid strenuous outdoor activity for the next hour.

Refer to the 1-hr PM2.5 for immediate activities, and the 24-hr PSI forecast to plan ahead.

Singapore, 21 September 2026 – Showers fell over many parts of Singapore in the afternoon today. As at 6pm, the 1-hr PM2.5 concentration readings were 20 – 33 µg/m3, in Band 1 (Normal), and the 24-hr PSI was 66 – 81, in the Moderate range.

Update on Hotspot and Haze Situation

2.         Moderate to dense smoke plumes continue to be observed from fires in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra. 

3.         While some showers are forecast over the surrounding region, dry conditions are expected to continue in southeastern Sumatra and southwestern Kalimantan. With the prevailing winds forecast to continue blowing from the southeast, there remains a risk of smoke haze affecting Singapore. The 24-hr PSI for Singapore is forecast to be in the Moderate – Low Unhealthy range.

Activity Guidelines

4.         The health impact of haze is dependent on one’s health status, the PSI level, and the length and intensity of outdoor activity. For immediate outdoor activities, please check the 1-hr PM2.5 concentration readings and personal guide. Use the 24-hr PSI forecast and corresponding health advisories for planning next day outdoor activities.

5.         For updates, visit our haze microsite (www.haze.gov.sg), the NEA website (www.nea.gov.sg), MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg), mobile app (myENV) or follow us on NEA Facebook (www.facebook.com/NEASingapore). For information on the distribution of hotspots detected over the past fortnight in the region, please refer to the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) website at http://asmc.asean.org.

Areas with lighter smoke haze are not indicated as they cannot be clearly discerned from satellite imagery. The full extent of the hotspot and smoke haze situation could not be determined due to extensive cloud cover.

– End –

FEHD releases first batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in September

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

FEHD releases first batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in September  

District

District     The FEHD continues to carry out a series of mosquito prevention and elimination measures, including:        During the follow-up actions and following the discovery of stagnant water or stagnant water containers at three parks, three public housing estates, four private housing estates and three private premises in Central and Western District, Southern District, Sham Shui Po District and Sha Tin District, the FEHD has issued a total of 14 statutory notices to the responsible persons-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such items within a specified timeframe. Meanwhile, the FEHD has initiated a prosecution against a relevant construction site contractor following the discovery of mosquito breeding at a construction site in Central and Western District. 

     Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:      Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission. 

     ​Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The Gravidtrap and Density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#Issued at HKT 18:30

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Speech by SLW at 8th APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting in Nanjing (2) (English only)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, during his presentation on the discussion topic of “Investing in People and Enhancing Vocational Skills Training” at the 8th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting in Nanjing this afternoon (September 21):

Honourable Madam Chair, 尊敬的大會主席, 王曉萍部長 (Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, Ms Wang Xiaoping), fellow ministers and colleagues,

Good morning. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and also the Jiangsu Provincial Government, for organising this meeting and also your warm hospitality, not least the river boat last night, which really brought us back to the past.

Full and high-quality employment is essential for sustainable economic growth. As our economies face ageing populations and rapid technological changes, Hong Kong, China focuses on three pillars, namely employment support, skills training and strong worker protection.

Hong Kong, China’s labour market and talent base

With a population of about 7.5 million and a labour force of 3.8 million, over 96 per cent of our workforce is currently employed. Our workforce is increasingly well educated. In 2025, almost half of our workforce attained a post-secondary education.

In the face of the ageing population, Hong Kong, China is actively attracting global talent who are usually young and energetic through dynamic admission schemes. In the latest global talent ranking, we ranked fourth globally and first in Asia. This strong mix of local and international talent gives us a solid foundation for our future growth.

Employment support

Despite our low unemployment rate, we offer effective employment support, in particular for job seekers who may find it hard to get a job due to their age or lack of work experience. At times of uncertainties of the AI age, we believe the Government has the role to work together with the business sector to create more jobs. In this sense, Hong Kong, China will launch a two-year youth employment and internship programme. Among them, we will work together with the business sector, with the Government paying a third, and the business sector paying two-thirds of their wages for 10 000 young people in the next two years, hoping to create six-month-long jobs for these 10 000 young people. Our purpose is to help those to get a taste of the workplace to prepare them for a long-term job.

For elderly and middle-aged persons, Hong Kong, China provides a re-employment allowance for individuals aged 40 and above who have been unemployed for at least three months when they re-enter the labour market. So far, we have helped 53 000 people to get a job through the programme.

Looking ahead, we will also enhance our employment support by using AI to provide personalised job matching and training recommendations for our workforce.

Skills training

Hong Kong, China, begins to invest in training, to empower our workforce with skills, support and opportunities they need to thrive in a changing economy. Through our Employees Retraining Board, we offer over 800 market-driven training courses across 28 industry areas to more than 160 000 trainees every year. The Board right now is undergoing strategic operations to become Upskill Hong Kong, so that all employees in Hong Kong could master digital skills and adapt to artificial intelligence.

In addition, through our Vocational Training Council, we offer a wide range of practical and short in-service training courses across different sectors to over 100 000 student enrolments every year.

Strong worker protection

In Hong Kong, China, employees enjoy comprehensive labour rights and protection. We establish tripartite platforms on labour matters to encourage open dialogue between employers and employees, enhance mutual understanding and forge consensus. We also encourage employers to be employee-friendly and family-friendly.

With the rapid growth of the digital platform businesses, we are working on the legislation to formalise work injury compensation for digital platform workers engaging in food and goods delivery services.

Our goal is clear. We are determined to build a society where every member of the workforce can share the benefits of economic values.

Closing remarks

Promoting high-quality and full employment calls for a balanced and comprehensive approach. For Hong Kong, China that means creating the conditions for workers and enterprises to adapt, grow and thrive together. Hong Kong, China will continue to work closely with employers, employees, training institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen the resilience and adaptability of our workforce.

Thank you.

Ends/Monday, September 21, 2026
Issued at HKT 13:06
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Yellow fire danger warning

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Yellow fire danger warning

The fire danger situation today (September 19) is yellow and the risk of fire is high. People are urged to prevent fires breaking out and hikers should also be vigilant.