Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced the results of the residential mortgage survey for March 2025.
The number of mortgage applications in March increased month-on-month by 29.3 per cent to 8 456.
Mortgage loans approved in March decreased by 5.3 per cent compared with February to HK$24.7 billion. Among these, mortgage loans financing primary market transactions decreased by 16.8 per cent to HK$10.1 billion and those financing secondary market transactions increased by 6.2 per cent to HK$11.6 billion. Mortgage loans for refinancing decreased by 0.9 per cent to HK$3 billion.
Mortgage loans drawn down during March decreased by 9.6 per cent compared with February to HK$15.9 billion.
The ratio of new mortgage loans priced with reference to HIBOR decreased from 94 per cent in February to 90.4 per cent in March. The ratio of new mortgage loans priced with reference to best lending rates increased from 2.4 per cent in February to 3.2 per cent in March.
The outstanding value of mortgage loans increased month-on-month by 0.1 per cent to HK$1,877.7 billion at end-March.
The mortgage delinquency ratio stood at a low level of 0.13 per cent and the rescheduled loan ratio was unchanged at nearly 0 per cent.
Union Minister of State for Education and Development of the North Eastern Region, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, inaugurated a two-day National Workshop on Multi-Disciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU) under Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) today at ICAR, New Delhi. Secretary, Department of Higher education, GoI, Dr. Vineet Joshi; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, Shri Sunil Kumar Barnwal;Chairman, AICTE, Prof. T G Sitharam; Chair Person, NETF, Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe; Former Chairman, UGC, Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar; and other dignitaries and Vice chancellors of the Universities were present at the event. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Shri Armstrong Pame, presented the Vote of Thanks.
Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, while addressing the event, highlighted the importance of NEP 2020, which empowers the youth, modernizes institutions, and blends India’s ancient wisdom with modern innovation. Through focused efforts on research, innovation, and international collaboration, NEP 2020 aims to equip India’s students with the skills and knowledge needed to meet global challenges, he added.
He noted that with the participation of over 64 Vice Chancellors from over 64 different universities, along with State officials represented by State Project Directors of Higher Education, the national workshop will provide essential guidance on how best to implement various elements of the NEP in collaboration with central and state government funding. Dr. Majumdar also said that for 35 universities, the Ministry is providing Rs. 100 crore each for implementing 44 mandatory activities under the Multidisciplinary Education and Research University (MERU) components. He urged everyone to move forward with commitment and collaboration to realize the dream of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, where every university becomes a hub of innovation, inclusion, and global excellence.
Dr. Vineet Joshi, in his speech, emphasised the importance of NEP 2020 in preparing students for the 21st century. He also highlighted the significance of research in higher educational institutes and urged the participants to learn and adopt best practices from other institutions, replicating them in their specific context. This collaborative approach, he noted, will ensure the rapid improvement of the country. He also emphasised the need for teaching-learning material in the mother tongue to achieve better outcomes.
During this two-day seminar twelve important sessions will be held on UGC Regulations for NEP Implementation (Status and Challenges); Clustering and Collaboration for Multidisciplinary Education; Holistic Education through Integration of Skilling and Industry Connect (NHEQF, NCrF); Employability through apprenticeship & internship and Future of Work and Courses in Emerging Areas; Digital Initiatives (SWAYAM, SWAYAM-Plus, SATHEE, APAAR, AI); Equity and Access to Higher Education; Indian Knowledge System; e-Governance (SAMARTH); Research, Innovation & Internationalization; Promoting Indian Languages in Higher Education; Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Program – Capacity Building of Faculty of Higher Education; and Providing Quality Education: Accreditation and Ranking (NAAC, NIRF, IQAC). Eminent academicians and officials will share their insight in these sessions.
PM-USHA, or Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Indian Ministry of Education to improve the quality of higher education in state-run institutions. It aims to enhance accessibility, equity, and excellence in higher education while ensuring efficiency, transparency, accountability, and responsiveness.
The All-India Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and Rural Labourers (CPI-RL) (Base: 1986-87=100) decreased by 3 points & 2 points, for the month of March 2025, falling to 1306 and 1319 points, respectively.
The year-on-year inflation rates based on CPI-AL and CPI-RL for March 2025 were recorded at 3.73% and 3.86%, respectively, compared to 7.15% and 7.08% in March 2024. The corresponding figures for February 2025 stood at 4.05% for CPI-AL and 4.10% for CPI-RL.
All India Consumer Price Index (General and Group-wise):
Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu was honoured to present Certificates of Appointment to the newly appointed OCAC Honorary Consultants, including Senior Advisers, Council Members, Advisers, and Associate Advisers of the Overseas Community Affairs Council, R.O.C. (Taiwan).
Guided by the core principles of unity, harmony, and generational continuity, the government aims to integrate the strength of global overseas Taiwanese communities to form #TeamTaiwan in response to growing international political and economic challenges.
We look forward to working hand in hand with all OCAC Honorary Consultants in Sydney to further strengthen the solidarity of the Taiwanese community, deepen Taiwan–Australia ties and contribute to Taiwan’s vision of becoming “A Country Where the Economic Sun Never Sets” .
The Young Astronaut Training Camp 2025 will be open for nominations from local secondary schools from tomorrow until May 31, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department announced today.
Selected participants will undergo astronaut training on the Mainland, in a nine-day cost-free training camp to be held from July 25 to August 2, where they will learn about space science, astronomy and China’s aerospace achievements.
With a trip to Beijing, Jiuquan and Xi’an, the itinerary includes visiting key astronomy and aerospace facilities such as Beijing Aerospace City, the Xinglong Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatories and the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. In addition, participants will have the chance to meet astronauts and aerospace experts.
Thirty places are available for the training camp. Candidates should be local full-time students studying at Secondary 2 through 6 in the 2024-25 academic year. They must be aged 12 or above and be nominated by their school. Each school can nominate two students at most.
There will be three rounds in the selection process – a quiz, a pre-camp training and an interview. The department noted that candidates who are graded outstanding will be selected to join the camp.
A briefing will be conducted on May 6 at 5pm in the Space Museum.
The Police Force’s National Security Department has charged a 22-year-old man with one count of knowingly publishing material with seditious intent, in contravention of Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.
The man is accused of repeatedly publishing posts with seditious intent on online platforms, including content provoking hatred, contempt or disaffection against the fundamental system of the state established by the Constitution, and inciting others to break the law.
The man was arrested in Kowloon on Monday. The case was due to be mentioned at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts this afternoon.
The Health Bureau’s Primary Healthcare Commission announced the suspected hacking of the outsourced network system of the Kwai Tsing District Health Centre (Kwai Tsing DHC) on April 27, resulting in a possible leakage of members’ data.
Such data include members’ names, membership numbers, dates of birth, residential districts, and the first four digits of the Hong Kong Identity Card of some members who have enrolled in a vaccination programme. The operator is currently assessing the possible number of members affected and the data involved.
The commission stressed that it is highly concerned about the incident, and has instructed the Kwai Tsing Safe Community & Healthy City Association, the operator of the Kwai Tsing DHC, to seriously follow up and submit a report within three working days.
According to the operator, the system involved is managed independently by its outsourced service provider, and is mainly used to assist with administrative work such as service booking or members sign-in at the Kwai Tsing DHC.
The Primary Healthcare Commission noted that in addition to reporting the incident to Police as well as the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, the operator has also notified the Digital Policy Office.
As required by the commission, the operator has immediately suspended the operation of the Kwai Tsing DHC’s network system and all external connections to its computer servers to prevent further intrusion attempts by hackers. An independent cybersecurity expert has also been hired to conduct an investigation and review.
Due to the system suspension, the appointments on blood taking and seasonal influenza vaccination of relevant Kwai Tsing DHC members will be rescheduled. The operator has started to notify those members via phone calls and text messages, and will also inform all its members of the hacking incident.
Furthermore, for the sake of prudence, as the Kwai Tsing DHC is a registered healthcare provider on eHealth, the operator’s eHealth registration has been suspended in order to protect the data privacy and system security of eHealth. During the suspension period, the Kwai Tsing DHC is unable to gain access to any electronic health record in eHealth.
The Kwai Tsing DHC’s connection with eHealth will only resume once security risks are fully eliminated.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Clusters of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales cases in Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals ???Two male and three female patients (aged 50 to 90) of an Orthopaedics & Traumatology ward in RTSKH have been confirmed as carriers of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae upon testing since April 17. One patient passed away due to her own underlying disease. The remaining four patients are being treated in isolation and in stable condition.
The hospital will continue the contact tracing investigation of close contacts of the patients in accordance with the prevailing guidelines. A series of enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted: The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation of the patients. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up. Issued at HKT 17:35
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar on her victory in the elections. He emphasized the historically close and familial ties between India and Trinidad and Tobago.
In a post on X, he wrote:
“Heartiest congratulations @MPKamla on your victory in the elections. We cherish our historically close and familial ties with Trinidad and Tobago. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our partnership for shared prosperity and well-being of our people.”
Heartiest congratulations @MPKamla on your victory in the elections. We cherish our historically close and familial ties with Trinidad and Tobago. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our partnership for shared prosperity and well-being of our people.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Two men and two women were each sentenced to four to six months’ imprisonment and fined $500 at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts yesterday (April 28) and today (April 29) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare to Customs officers, as well as for importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).
Customs officers intercepted two incoming male passengers and two incoming female passengers, aged between 28 and 37, at Hong Kong International Airport on February 28 and March 3. About 138 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and about 7 400 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $588,000 and a duty potential of about $456,000 in total, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
Under the DCO, tobacco products 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 $1 million and imprisonment for two years.
Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong 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.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).