Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Yim Tin Bridge and the Po Chue Tam Bridge, linking the banks of the Tai O River, will open to the public from 9am tomorrow, following an opening ceremony today attended by Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn, Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak and Director of Civil Engineering & Development Michael Fong.

 

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Linn said that the completion of the Tai O Twin Bridges opens a new chapter for the co-existence of development and conservation in Tai O.

 

She highlighted that the bridges are movable in order to accommodate the Dragon Boat Water Parade, a national intangible cultural heritage event.

 

Ms Linn added: “The project strikes a balance between connectivity in the region and cultural traditions. While enhancing infrastructure, it preserves the unique historical and cultural charm of Tai O. The twin bridges have become a new landmark fostering community connections and injecting new vitality into Tai O.”

 

The Yim Tin Bridge is Hong Kong’s first retractable bridge, mimicking the characteristics of Tai O’s historic hand-pulled ferry, while the Po Chue Tam Bridge adopts a rotational design that harmonises with the nearby Yeung Hau Temple and showcases cultural conservation.

 

The bridges project collected design concepts through public engagement, with the designs chosen ultimately integrating Tai O’s distinctive characteristics in a balance of practical function and local culture.

 

The Yim Tin Bridge and the Po Chue Tam Bridge are the core facilities under the “Improvement Works at Tai O – Phase 2, Stage 2” projects, which aims to comprehensively enhance community facilities in Tai O.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

On May 2, President Lai Ching-te departed for Eswatini for a state visit at the invitation of His Majesty King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini. The delegation arrived successfully at 9:00 am local time. Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) stated that although the trip had been temporarily postponed due to unjustified external interference, this has done nothing to diminish Taiwan’s resolve to engage with the world, and Taiwan will not allow itself to be absent from the international stage because of it. Taiwan and Eswatini are steadfast allies, she emphasized, who have together weathered many ups and downs. She stated that the delegation will advance the three core objectives of shared prosperity in security, prosperity in economy, and prosperity in digital technology , and that Taiwan will move forward side by side with Eswatini on the path of mutual benefits and shared prosperity, enhancing the friendship and well-being of the peoples of both nations.
Spokesperson Kuo noted that in light of the uncertainties and risks posed by certain recent incidents  to the safety of heads of state and to aviation security, the national security team and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a comprehensive assessment to ensure that the trip would be carried out in a manner befitting national dignity and consistent with international norms and aviation safety principles, while ensuring the full success of the nation’s diplomatic mission and the fullest possible safety of the president and all delegation members. In keeping with the tacit understanding reached with the like-minded, friendly parties who assisted with the security and logistics of this visit, certain security-related details will not be disclosed until an appropriate time after the visit concludes. The spokesperson also expressed the sincere gratitude of the government and people of Taiwan to His Majesty the King of Eswatini and his government team for their full support in making the relevant arrangements.
Spokesperson Kuo indicated that engaging with the world and interacting with people across the globe are natural, inalienable rights of the 23 million people of Taiwan. This visit, which commenced after being temporarily postponed due to external interference, demonstrates the determination and will of the Taiwanese people to engage with the world. It is also an assertion of the Republic of China (Taiwan) ‘s fundamental rights as a member of the international community. Our nation adheres to rules-based international norms and is committed to mutual benefits and shared prosperity within the international community. This visit serves as a concrete demonstration of Taiwan’s commitment, alongside all like-minded nations, to upholding the international order.
Spokesperson Kuo stated that upon the delegation’s arrival in the Kingdom of Eswatini, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Eswatini Jeremy H.S. Liang  (梁洪昇) and Eswatini Chief Protocol Officer Khandlela Mdluli  boarded the plane to welcome the president. After alighting from the plane, President Lai was received by Prime Minister Russell Dlamini and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu , who accompanied the president as he received military honors.  The president also extended warm greetings to the staff and families of the embassy and technical mission who had gathered to welcome him.
During his visit, President Lai will hold bilateral talks with King Mswati III, during which they will jointly witness the signing of a customs mutual assistance agreement  between the two nations’ governments, as well as sign a joint communiqué.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Participation in Mainland study tours among special schools has skyrocketed this academic year, with the number of participating institutions rising nearly 70%. Data revealed that 44 special schools joined the programme for the 2025-26 academic year, up from 26 in the previous year.

The tours are a major component of the Citizenship & Social Development curriculum, a core subject for senior secondary students. To accommodate special school students, the Education Bureau offers seven itineraries for schools to consider, with specific arrangements adjustable as needed.

Breaking barriers

Sharon Lau and Gary Shum, Secondary 5 students at the Hong Kong Red Cross John F. Kennedy Centre, joined a one-day excursion to Shenzhen last academic year. Alongside five classmates, they explored the Nanshan Museum and Nantou Ancient City.

For Sharon, the trip was a revelation in the latest development of Shenzhen. “The trip helped me understand how Shenzhen integrates technological advancement with its historical roots.”

She added that the journey brought her studies to life: “As the saying goes, ‘It is better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books.’ Experiencing it firsthand is far more engaging than reading textbooks.”

Her classmate Gary admitted he was initially skeptical. “I thought Shenzhen was just a commercial city of skyscrapers that lacked barrier-free facilities,” he said. “I discovered it is actually quite convenient for wheelchair users and boasts a rich cultural heritage that blends modern creativity with the past.”

Meticulous planning

The school has maintained its momentum this year with a trip to Zhuhai focused on aviation technology. Mak Chi-wai, the subject’s Panel Head, believes the one-day format is ideal for maintaining student focus while addressing physical needs.

“Preparation is very important,” Mr Mak explained. “We hold internal meetings across departments to discuss every student’s physical and emotional requirements. We also work in close co-ordination with the Education Bureau, parents and travel agencies. And we need to draft school-based worksheets tailored to our pupils.”

No boundaries

Despite the logistical hurdles of transporting students with complex needs, the school’s principal Levian Lee remains steadfast in the programme’s value.

“We truly believe that learning has no boundaries,” Miss Lee emphasised. “Every student deserves a meaningful learning experience, which is why we go the extra mile. Through co-ordination with the Education Bureau and the Mainland departments, we ensure a smooth journey that offers firsthand insights into our country’s development.”

“We want our students to realise that the path they can walk is much wider than they imagine,” she added.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its 13th day today, with the reopening of five middle-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 10 low-zone floors of Wang Shing House.

Supported by the Government’s “one social worker per household” service, 457 residents from 119 households returned to their units – exceeding the 438 people individuals initially registered to do so. The Government said the access arrangements were implemented smoothly.

Residents spent an average of two hours and 23 minutes on-site. This ranged ffom a minimum of 10 minutes to a maximum of three hours and 33 minutes. About 77% of the residents completed their visits in under three hours, while 24% stayed for less than two hours and 5% left within an hour.

One hundred and thirty-five individuals, from 73 households, made multiple trips to their units. Breaking this down, 44 households made one additional trip, 15 households made two more, and nine households three more. Three households made four additional trips, and two households made five or more trips.

The integrated enquiry counter at Wang Fuk Court today handled 12 requests for Police assistance and three cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, in addition to one seeking psychological counselling services.

The requests for Police assistance were related to suspected property loss. Lost property was recovered in four cases. Another  four cases were related to severe fire damage.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Fanling Bypass (Eastern Section) will open to the public at 8am tomorrow, following a commissioning ceremony today at which Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn officiated.

The ceremony marked the completion of the first large-scale transport infrastructure project in the Northern Metropolis (NM). The bypass provides a more direct and efficient route for road transport in the city’s North District.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Linn said the commissioning of the bypass is an important milestone in the NM’s development and demonstrates the Government’s commitment to infrastructure-led urban-rural integration in moving it forward.

She added that the project team utilised innovative construction technologies. This included adopting the advanced horizontal bridge rotation method to construct a bridge structure spanning the East Rail Line railway. Moreover, in the construction of a footbridge at Lung Yeuk Tau Interchange, China-made ultra-high strength S960 steel was used in a footbridge project for the first time globally.

Through the NM’s development, the country’s advanced construction technologies and materials will be promoted to the international stage. Ms Linn said NM construction projects can provide a stage for advanced technologies and materials from around the world, including Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

With a total length of about 4km, the bypass is a dual two-lane carriageway comprising at-grade roads, underpasses, and viaducts. Starting at Fanling Highway near Kau Lung Hang in Tai Po, it passes through the On Lok Tsuen Industrial Area and the Lung Yeuk Tau Interchange, extends along the Ng Tung River, and connects to Shek Wu San Tsuen and the Fanling North New Development Area.

Motorists will be able to travel between Fanling Lung Yeuk Tau, Luen Wo Hui and Fanling Highway via the new route without passing through the town centres of Sheung Shui and Fanling. This will save about 10 minutes of travel time during peak hours.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Today (May 1) is the twelfth day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Five middle-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 11 high-zone floors of Wang Kin House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.

A total of 130 households (489 people) registered to return to their units today through the “one social worker per household” service, while 130 households (511 people) actually turned up.

The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 26 minutes, with the shortest time being 17 minutes and the longest three hours and 56 minutes. About 70 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than three hours. About 27 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours. About 6 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.

A total of 83 households (160 people) went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 52 households (113 people) made one additional trip, 24 households (37 people) made two additional trips, 6 households (8 people) made three additional trips, and 1 household (2 people) made five additional trips.

​The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received seven cases requesting police assistance and two cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, as well as 1 case seeking psychological counselling services.

The seven cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and in three cases, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. For the remaining four cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned.
 
The Government spares no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members. The “Government-wide Mobilisation” mechanism has also been activated to bring together greater interdepartmental resources to support residents.

​Under the “Government-wide Mobilisation” mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau has co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form the Government Quick Response Unit to support these access arrangements. These civil servants come from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Environmental Protection Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Lands Department (LandsD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department (WSD). They will form dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide support to residents returning to their units. The civil servants mobilised in the first three days were from the AFCD, those mobilised from the fourth day to the sixth day are from the EMSD and the LCSD, those mobilised from the seventh day to the ninth day are from the LandsD and the WSD, while those mobilised from the tenth day to the twelfth day (including today) are from the Post Office and the ArchSD.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Hong Kong Customs today (May 1) detected a drug trafficking case at Hong Kong International Airport. About 2.3 kilograms of suspected heroin with an estimated market value of about $1.4 million, and 157 duty-not-paid cigarettes were seized.

A 35-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today. During customs clearance, the batch of suspected heroin was seized from him, and the duty-not-paid cigarettes were found inside his baggage. The male was subsequently arrested.

The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, one count of possession of dutiable goods and one count of failing to declare to a member of the Customs and Excise Service the possession of dutiable goods. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (May 2).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach, and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (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 drug trafficking 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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussels ETO) has once again celebrated Hong Kong Cinema on the occasion of the 28th Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy held from April 24 to May 2, 2026 (Udine time).

Organised by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Hong Kong Film Development Council, and co-hosted by Brussels ETO, the Hong Kong Night reception held on April 29 (Udine time) gathered over 200 international film and cultural professionals participating in FEFF.

Addressing guests at the reception, the Deputy Representative of Brussels ETO, Miss Fiona Li extended her warm welcome to the delegates from Hong Kong and congratulated the world famous Hong Kong action choreographer and director Mr Yuen Woo-ping on receiving this year’s Golden Mulberry Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Miss Li highlighted the global appeal of Hong Kong cinema, and reaffirmed the Brussels ETO’s commitment to promoting Hong Kong’s arts, culture, and creative industries across Europe.

Miss Li concluded by inviting guests to visit Hong Kong to relive iconic cinematic moments, especially through its latest movie-themed exhibitions.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its twelfth day today, with the reopening of five middle-zone floors at Wang Tai House and 11 high-zone floors at Wang Kin House. 

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing today inspected the arrangements for residents returning to their units. 

Mr Cheuk met Home Affairs Department staff operating the registration centre and exchanged views with District Services & Community Care Teams volunteers. He encouraged them to maintain their efforts in supporting residents returning to their units. 

Mr Cheuk also visited the joint command centre to learn about the latest situation.

A total of 511 residents from 130 households returned to their units today. The Government described the access arrangements as orderly and smooth.  

Residents spent an average of two hours and 26 minutes on-site, from a minimum of 17 minutes to a maximum of three hours and 56 minutes. Approximately 70% of residents completed their visits in under three hours, while 27% stayed for less than two hours and 6% left within an hour. 

Regarding movement, 160 individuals from 83 households made multiple trips to their units. Most made one to two additional entries, while seven households made three to five extra trips.

The integrated enquiry counter handled seven requests for Police assistance today, involving suspected property loss such as jewellery, cash and gold. Officers were immediately deployed to assist with searches, successfully recovering lost property in three cases. 

No signs of ransacking were found in the remaining four units, and residents were unable to provide specific details regarding the property involved. 

Additionally, two reports were received from residents seeking medical assistance for physical discomfort, while one resident requested psychological counselling services.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Government announced today (May 1) that the first batch of Phase 3 services of the Trade Single Window (TSW) has been launched, smoothly replacing the Road Cargo System (ROCARS) for the submission of advance cargo information (road) by the trade.

     The TSW provides a one-stop electronic platform for trade members to lodge business-to-government trade documents for trade declarations and cargo clearances. The TSW streamlines trade document submissions, helping traders save time and costs. The TSW Phase 3 services are rolling out in three batches starting today. The first batch of services covers the advance cargo information (road) service previously provided by ROCARS.

     User data of the former ROCARS have been automatically migrated to the TSW system. Users are not required to re-register and may log in with their original accounts for a seamless transition to the TSW service.

     A Government spokesman said, “The full implementation of the TSW will help promote the digitalisation of trade processes, enhance customs clearance efficiency, and further strengthen Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international trade centre and logistics hub.”

     To facilitate the smooth transition of the trade to the TSW Phase 3 services, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) has stepped up support measures, including deploying additional staff at land boundary control points to provide on-site assistance to cross-boundary truck drivers, and enhancing hotline services. The C&ED will continue to maintain close liaison with the trade to assist them in adapting to the new system. For enquiries, please contact the Office of the Trade Single Window Operation of the C&ED at 2117 3348 or by email to enquiry@tradesinglewindow.hk.