Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The 15th National Games Fencing test event held at Kai Tak Arena, Kai Tak Sports Park on May 31 and June 1 has concluded, the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) (NGCO) said.

The test event, which was also the Challenge Cups Fencing Championships, consisted of the men’s and women’s épée, foil and sabre competitions featuring the open and veteran divisions. Over 500 athletes competed in all six event categories.

The test covered a wide array of areas, including event operations and procedures, competition organisation, venue setup, sports and prize presentations, information systems, medical services, volunteer services and broadcast arrangements.

NGCO Head Yeung Tak-keung said that this test event is the first fencing event ever held at Kai Tak Sports Park. Both venue facilities and competition arrangements have achieved the expected results.

Since last November, Hong Kong has completed test events for all eight National Games competition events.

The General Administration of Sport of China recently announced the Games’ schedule and the competition events in Hong Kong will be held from October 31 to November 20. The NGCO is making thorough preparations for the events.

Click here for information on the 15th National Games.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme has opened a new round of funding for non-profit-distributing organisations, with applications being accepted from today until August 31.

Eligible professional bodies, trade and industrial organisations and research institutes may apply.

With a total allocation of $200 million, the scheme offers subsidies to non-profit-making industry-led projects that increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong’s professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the sector’s standards and external competitiveness.

The scheme is open to a wide range of professional services including accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design as well as technical testing and analysis. Applications are welcome from both sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects.

The maximum grant for each approved project is $3 million or 90% of the total eligible project cost, whichever is lower.

As of early May 2025, more than 120 projects had been funded, covering project deliverables in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

The Government has also set aside $50 million to launch the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme under the scheme.

The programme aims to subsidise Hong Kong’s major professional bodies to participate in activities organised by the Government and the Trade Development Council with a view to promoting Hong Kong’s competitive edge and professional services to the Mainland and overseas markets.

The scheme and the programme both accept applications all year round, with submissions processed on a quarterly basis.

A briefing session will be held this month for organisations interested in applying for funding via the scheme. Contact the secretariat on 3655 5418 or by email for enquiries. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 1) that Sheung Shui Swimming Pool in the North District has been temporarily closed for cleaning and superchlorination following the discovery of a small amount of vomit in the pool.

     It will be reopened at 8.30pm today.

     The department appeals to swimmers to be considerate and to keep the swimming pools clean. They are advised not to swim after a full meal and should use the toilet facilities if necessary before swimming.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

A man who went missing in Ngau Tau Kok has been located.

Yan Wai-man, aged 73, went missing after he left his residence on Shing Fung Road on May 27 afternoon. His family made a report to Police on May 28.

The man was located at a bus stop on Lai Chi Kok Road, Cheung Sha Wan this morning (June 1). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

With the launch of the Water Smart Taskforce Programme, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) is on track this year to save a large amount of precious water with the use of smart meter readers and data analytics.

The department knows that water is an integral part of our daily lives given that each Hong Kong resident currently consumes an average of about 130 litres of water per day.

Detecting waste

In order to strengthen the promotion of water conservation, the WSD has commissioned the Centre for Water Technology & Policy at the University of Hong Kong to carry out the programme, from February this year until early next year.

The department is inviting about 1,000 domestic and non-domestic customers of high water consumption in phases to join the programme that enables a taskforce to conduct detailed “water-usage check-ups” for such customers, helping them to understand their water consumption habits.

According to department’s big data analytics, about 1% of domestic customers account for over 15% of the city’s total domestic water consumption.

WSD Senior Engineer (Water Conservation) Peter Fung explained how the programme detects such water wastage.  

“To analyse the causes for high consumption, the taskforce uses a smart water meter reader with high precision and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered technologies to analyse customers’ water usage data. For example, the taskforce can identify whether domestic water usage is mainly for cooking, laundry or showering, and compare these findings with the averages of other households.”

He highlighted that the programme will help customers understand their water usage habits or even identify potential leaks, enabling them to take early and appropriate actions to reduce their water bills. The programme aims to reduce water usage by 500,000 cubic metres this year, which is equivalent to 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Precision diagnostics

Customers participating in the programme will engage in an eight-week water conservation campaign. The taskforce will install smart water meter readers on the existing meters, without requiring any pipe modifications or affecting the water supply. The data will then be transmitted to the University of Hong Kong (HKU) for AI-driven analysis, detecting abnormalities and potential leaks.

HKU’s Centre for Water Technology & Policy Executive Director Fredrick Lee shared more information on how the programme works.

“In the third week of the water conservation campaign, we will make use of AI technologies to analyse the water usage data that we have collected by the smart water meter readers, and should we determine any abnormalities in the water usage pattern, we will make use of an algorithm developed in-house to look into the root causes and problems. We will give midterm reports with personalised water-saving advice to the programme participants and they can then change their water usage behaviour accordingly.”

By the end of the eight-week programme, final reports will be provided to the participants, from that they can understand clearly how their water conservation efforts are taking effect.

Mr Lee emphasised that among the first batch of the programme participants in the domestic sector, more than 80% of them were able to reduce their water consumption.

Corporate participation

A company with three hotels, which consistently experiences high water consumption, has been invited to participate in the programme. The head of the company’s sustainability department believes the programme can help them to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their hotels’ water consumption patterns and distribution.

Property & Hotel Group Sustainability Department General Manager Amie Lai described their experience as a win-win once they put the programme to the test.

“The smart water meter readers continuously monitor the water consumption in the hotels, providing granular data for analysis and visualisation on the cloud platform. The system facilitates improvements and allows our colleagues to implement specific and effective actions promptly.”

She added that the programme empowers their hotels to uncover water-saving opportunities, slash utility costs and enhance sustainable water management, thereby advancing their sustainability goals.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

In support of the annual Cultural & Natural Heritage Day on the second Saturday of June designated by the country, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Office (ICHO) will launch the first Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Month in June.

Addressing the opening ceremony for Hong Kong ICH Month 2025 at the Cultural Centre today, Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing said that starting this year, the Government will designate June as Hong Kong ICH Month, thereby deepening the implementation of Cultural & Natural Heritage Day.

Hong Kong ICH Month also aims to present a vibrant annual mega ICH event through a series of engaging programmes. With the theme “ICH Around Town”, the inaugural Hong Kong ICH Month will fully showcase that despite Hong Kong’s relatively small geographic size, ICH can be found everywhere.

He said the programmes will give the public and tourists a greater insight into ICH, and enable their first-hand experience of the cultural richness of ICH, as well as the pleasure.

Hong Kong ICH Month 2025’s programmes include 80 ICH performances, 60 interactive experiential booths and 20 ICH Highlight Tours, covering over 100 ICH items and bringing together over 50 ICH practitioners, including representative bearers of the national ICH.

Moreover, the ICHO is launching the ICH Carnival at the Cultural Centre Piazza today and tomorrow, kicking off Hong Kong ICH Month 2025.

The carnival offers diverse performances of Hong Kong ICH items, such as the lion dance and Engor parade, Cheung Chau floating colours and dragon dance parade, the Hakka unicorn dance in Hang Hau in Sai Kung, Cantonese opera excerpts, Nanyin, Yip Man Wing Chun, Tai Chi, Pixiu dance, and dragon boat dance.

There are also more than 10 interactive experiential booths at which the public can participate in and learn the techniques of crafting flower boards and wooden furniture, as well as making Chinese brushes and clay sculptures and more. ICH organisations and practitioners will also provide demonstrations on-site. Admission is free.

Click here for details of the carnival.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee met new Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG) and National Security Adviser to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Zhou Ji at Government House today.

They exchanged views on a range of issues, including Hong Kong’s opportunities and challenges, and promoting the city’s long-term prosperity and stability.

Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the central government for its continued support to and care for Hong Kong, driving and supporting its transition from stability to prosperity. He also extended his warm welcome to Mr Zhou on his new appointment.

Mr Zhou has had extensive experience in local governance and policy-making from a macroscopic perspective, having previously held such positions as CPC Hubei Standing Committee Member, CPC Henan Standing Committee Member and CPC Henan Provincial Committee Deputy Secretary, and Henan Party Leadership Group Deputy Secretary and Henan Vice Governor.

Since taking office in July 2023 as CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office Executive Deputy Director and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Executive Deputy Director, Mr Zhou has been participating in taking forward Hong Kong’s work under national development strategies.

He is well acquainted with the national policies on Hong Kong and actively promoted the implementation of the central government’s policies benefitting the city.

Mr Lee expressed confidence in working with Mr Zhou in actively aligning with national development strategies, as well as in implementing fully, faithfully and resolutely the principles of “one country, two systems” and “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” with a high degree of autonomy, maintaining the constitutional order of the Hong Kong SAR as stipulated in the Constitution and the Basic Law, implementing the executive-led structure and implementing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”, with a view to ensuring the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, the steadfast and successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle, and jointly expediting the development of Hong Kong from stability to prosperity.

During the session, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is currently undergoing an economic transformation, and that the Hong Kong SAR Government will uphold fundamental principles while breaking new ground, endeavour to take forward reforms, and continue to lead all sectors of Hong Kong society to embrace changes and strive for innovation, actively exploring new areas of development and growth.

The Chief Executive said he believes that under the leadership of Mr Zhou, the LOCPG will continue to support the Hong Kong SAR Government’s governance in accordance with the law.

Noting that Mr Zhou is well acquainted with Hong Kong affairs, Mr Lee said that this will help Hong Kong better contribute to and benefit from its integration into national development, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt & Road Initiative.

The session was conducted in a cordial and productive atmosphere, with both officials sharing the common goal of expediting Hong Kong’s rise from stability to prosperity.