Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

To mark National Security Education Day, the Department of Justice (DoJ) today held the National Security Legal Forum on the theme of the White Paper titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems”.

The forum invited renowned legal experts, academics and representatives from different sectors to discuss Hong Kong’s endeavours in safeguarding national security as well as the experience and insights gained in the process.

The goal is to deepen the awareness and correct understanding of all sectors of the community on the city’s role in safeguarding national security, actively fulfil the practical requirements of the white paper and to achieve high-quality development of the “one country, two systems” policy under the auspices of high-standard security.

      

Delivering his opening remarks, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said that the white paper not only reviews Hong Kong’s endeavours in safeguarding national security and the experiences and insights gained in the process, but also sets out six fundamental principles in building high-standard security in order to support the high-quality development of Hong Kong.

Mr Lam said that Hong Kong does not pursue “absolute security” or “generalised security” in safeguarding national security, but rather “relative security,” which is also the definition of national security in the country’s national security laws. 

He noted that the white paper states that Hong Kong should follow a holistic approach to development and security, and achieve a dynamic balance between the two; safeguard security with greater openness; respect and ensure human rights; safeguard security under the rule of law, especially with the judicial authorities exercising adjudicative power independently and free from any interference in trying cases pertaining to national security in accordance with the law.

      

Mr Lam stated that national security, like air and sunshine, is something without which one cannot survive, yet too often, mistakenly, is taken for granted. 

To arouse the awareness and vigilance of people in this respect and provide them with a proper and sufficient understanding of the fundamental principles that Hong Kong follows in safeguarding national security, he urged various sectors of the community to study the white paper carefully.

      

This year’s forum invited the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies Vice President and Professor of the Tsinghua University School of Law Prof Wang Zhenmin to deliver a keynote speech to share his insights on the main content and principles of the white paper.

Two panel discussions followed, beginning with the first titled “Clearing up confusion and misunderstandings – Hong Kong’s endeavours in safeguarding national security”. 

Speakers from the legal sector reviewed the development of Hong Kong’s laws for safeguarding national security, discussed relevant judicial cases, and conducted a comparative study and analysis of the relevant national security cases and laws in other countries, demonstrating Hong Kong’s consistent adherence to the rule of law and respect for and protection of human rights in implementing national security laws.

      

The second panel discussion – featuring a member of the Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, an esteemed leader of the local business sector, and a Rule of Law Education (ROLE) ambassador under the DoJ’s ROLE Stars Train-the-Leaders Programme – explored how Hong Kong can achieve a dynamic balance between development and security, and how promoting national security education can build social consensus to safeguard the steady and long-term implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle with high-standard security.

      

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan, in his closing remarks said that the white paper has significant guiding value to Hong Kong. He pointed out that the white paper reminded people once again that Hong Kong has the constitutional responsibility of effectively safeguarding national security, and that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and all sectors of the community should proactively implement the practical requirements of the white paper.

He noted that speakers of the two panel discussions conducted in-depth discussions from various perspectives on issues such as the development of Hong Kong’s laws for safeguarding national security, and how to achieve a dynamic balance between development and safeguarding national security. 

The discussions provided an excellent starting point for the participants to understand the essential requirements of the white paper, Mr Cheung added.

Citing the white paper, Mr Cheung said that safeguarding national security is a responsibility shared by all members of society. Everyone is a stakeholder and beneficiary, and no one can be a mere spectator. He expressed hope that the forum today would further enhance public awareness of safeguarding national security and enrich public understanding of the importance of the white paper, and encouraged the community to cherish today’s safe and stable environment.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Security Bureau (SB) and its disciplined services and auxiliary services held a flag-raising ceremony, a national security knowledge challenge and other activities to mark the National Security Education Day today.

The SB and its disciplined services jointly held a flag-raising ceremony at the Police College this morning.

Officiating at the ceremony, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki said the theme of this year’s National Security Education Day, “Proactively Align with the 15th Five-Year Plan Follow a Holistic Approach to Development and Security”, aimed to remind Hong Kong to better integrate into and serve the overall national development, and to contribute Hong Kong’s strengths and commitment to the journey of the country’s modernisation.

He noted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will spare no effort to strengthen its capability in law enforcement and co-ordination, deepen national security education, and adhere to the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”, so as to prevent and neutralise security risks.

Mr Chan then officiated at the Safeguarding National Security Cup awards presentation ceremony to commend the contestants of the SB, disciplined services and auxiliary services for holding sports competitions, which showcased their flexibility and team spirit to inject impetus into the promotion of safeguarding national security.

In the afternoon, the Department of Justice, the SB, the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation jointly organised the finals and award presentation ceremony of the Territory-wide Inter-school National Security Knowledge Challenge 2025/26.

The challenge attracted a record number of more than 132,000 students from 651 primary and secondary schools. The content of the “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems” white paper was also incorporated into the challenge, keeping national security education abreast of the times.

In a video speech, Mr Chan thanked the principals and teachers for their support to help students gain more national security knowledge through the competitions. He noted that teachers and students of the winning school teams were invited to join a study tour to the Mainland to know the country’s latest developments and experience stability and social advancement under the safeguard of national security.

He also encouraged students, teachers and all sectors of society to proactively shoulder the duty of safeguarding national security and be the guardians of national security with a sense of responsibility and vision.

Also officiating at the ceremony, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam supplemented that since the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, order in the community has been restored, and steady economic development has been ensured. To maintain the current hard-earned situation, citizens have to safeguard national security of their own accord.

The highlights of the finals and the award presentation ceremony will be broadcast at 10.30 tonight and 7.30pm on April 19 on HOY Infotainment.

Apart from the above-mentioned activities, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung also attended the National Security Education Day Opening Ceremony & Seminar held by the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region at the Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Mr Tang’s other related engagement was the book launch ceremony of a national security children’s picture book, organised by the Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community Organisations.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Lands Department announced today that it registered 13 lease modifications and two land exchanges in the Land Registry during the quarter ending March 2026, adding that three were technical changes involving no premium.

Of the land transactions, one is located on Hong Kong Island, 10 are in Kowloon and four are in the New Territories.

Another 10 lots were granted by private treaty during the period.

One was granted for the development of the university in Ho Man Tin; one was granted for an electricity substation in Tung Chung; one was granted to the Urban Renewal Authority for residential development in Kowloon City, one was granted to the MTR Corporation for residential development in Tuen Mun; while the other six were granted to the Housing Authority for public housing developments. 

The land transactions realised a total land premium of about $2.1072 billion.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Cinema Day 2026 will take place on April 25, during which all movie tickets at commercial cinemas across Hong Kong will be priced at $30.

The initiative is sponsored by the Cultural & Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau through the Film Development Fund (FDF). Tickets will go on sale starting at noon on April 22 at cinema box offices, websites and mobile apps.

Attending a press conference for the event today, Commissioner for Cultural & Creative Industries Drew Lai encouraged the public to visit cinemas and support the local film industry.

Miss Lai stated that the Government remains committed to fostering the development of the local film sector. She highlighted that the FDF has supported various initiatives, such as Cinema Day, to promote Hong Kong films and reach a wider audience.

She added that Cinema Day aims to cultivate a cinema-going culture among the public, supporting the long-term growth of the industry while simultaneously boosting consumption in local neighbourhoods.

Over the past three years, Cinema Day has recorded a total of more than 600,000 admissions and over $44 million in box office revenue. The initiative has been widely welcomed by both the public and the film industry.

Source: Government of Samoa

His Excellency Dr. Gábor Tamás Nagy presented his Letter of Credence to the Head of State of the Independent State of Samoa, Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II, at a Credentials Ceremony held this morning at the Official Residence of the Head of State at Vailele. The presentation formally accredited His Excellency as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to Samoa, with residence in Wellington, New Zealand.

Samoa and Hungary have enjoyed cordial relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties on 7 September 2011. Despite the geographical distance between us, we continue to engage through our shared membership in the United Nations, the OACP-EU and other international fora on matters of mutual interest, including peace and security, respect for sovereignty, human rights, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Ambassador Nagy reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to the diplomatic partnership between our two countries in various areas, be it bilateral as well as multilateral formats based on the solid foundation that has already been established by his predecessors.

Afioga Tuimaleali‘ifano Va‘aletoa Sualauvi II welcomed the Ambassador and acknowledged the positive development of relations between Samoa and Hungary. The Head of State conveyed his congratulations to the Government of Hungary on the establishment of an Honorary Consulate in Samoa and extended his best wishes to Afioga Saumalaulu Stefan Szegedi on his appointment as the first Honorary Consul of Hungary to Samoa. He expressed confidence that this new representation will further strengthen cooperation and people-to-people ties between the two countries. The Head of State also stated that Ambassador Nagy’s tenure would further strengthen existing friendship and cooperation between Samoa and Hungary.

H.E. Dr. Gábor Tamás Nagy has a distinguished career in public service, academia, and politics. He most recently served as Deputy Head of Mission and Consul at the Permanent Mission of Hungary to Vilnius, Lithuania (2022–2024). Over his extensive career, he has held prominent roles including as Mayor of Budapest’s 1st District (Buda Castle Municipality), Member of the Hungarian Parliament and its Foreign Affairs Committee, and Member of the Budapest City Council. Prior to his political career, he worked as a lecturer at Eötvös Loránd University and as a researcher at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Nagy holds degrees in Law and Sociology from Eötvös Loránd University and is fluent in English and German.

END

February 24, 2026

Source: Government of Samoa

His Excellency Patryk Michal Blaszczak presented his Letters of Credence to the Head of State of the Independent State of Samoa, Afioga Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II, at a Credentials Ceremony held this morning at the Official Residence of the Head of State at Vailele. The presentation formally accredited His Excellency as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to Samoa, with residence in Wellington, New Zealand.

Samoa and Poland have enjoyed cordial relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties on 8 March 2012. The two countries continue to engage closely through their shared membership in the United Nations, the OACPS–EU framework, and other international fora on matters of mutual interest, including international peace and security, the promotion of democracy and fundamental human rights, and climate change. Ambassador Błaszczak reaffirmed Poland’s commitment to strengthening the diplomatic partnership between Samoa and Poland, both bilaterally and multilaterally, building on the solid foundation established by his predecessors.

Afioga Tuimaleali‘ifano Va‘aletoa Sualauvi II welcomed the Ambassador and acknowledged the positive development of relations between Samoa and Poland. The Head of State conveyed his congratulations to the Government of Poland on the establishment of an Honorary Consul in Samoa and extended his best wishes to Mr. Anthony Pereira on his appointment as the first Honorary Consul of Poland to Samoa. He expressed confidence that this new representation will further strengthen cooperation and people-to-people ties, and that Ambassador Blaszczak’s tenure will continue to enhance friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

His Excellency Patryk Michał Błaszczak is currently the Ambassador of Poland to New Zealand (since 2025) with concurrent accreditation to Samoa and other Pacific countries. He has held senior diplomatic including Deputy Head of Mission in Copenhagen, Acting Director of the European Policy Department at Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Head of the Political Section at the Polish Embassy in Paris. Ambassador Błaszczak holds a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Warsaw, is fluent in English and French, and is a recipient of the Bronze Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

END

The post PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS OF THE AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND TO THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA appeared first on Government of Samoa.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Transport Department (TD) today (April 15) announced that the auction of vehicle registration marks will be held on May 2 (Saturday) at Meeting Room S221, L2, Old Wing, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.

“A total of 100 personalised vehicle registration marks (PVRMs) will be put up for public auction in the morning session, and 220 traditional vehicle registration marks (TVRMs) will be put up for auction in the afternoon session. The list of marks has been uploaded to the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/index.html,” a department spokesman said.

For the auction of TVRMs, only registration marks starting with “HK” or “XX” and special vehicle registration marks are put up for physical auction. Applicants should attend the auction and take note of the opening price as announced by the auctioneer before participating in the bidding of the mark.

The reserve price of each PVRM is $5,000. Applicants who have paid a deposit of $5,000 should also attend the physical auction and participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price). Otherwise, the PVRM concerned may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.

People who wish to participate in the bidding at the physical auction should take note of the following points:

(1) Bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:

(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. Any bidder who wishes to bid for both TVRMs and PVRMs on the same day, should bring along at least two crossed cheques for payment of auction prices (for an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed). Successful bidders may also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS), but are reminded to note the maximum transfer amount on the same day of the payment card. Payment by post-dated cheque, cash, credit card or other methods will not be accepted.

(2) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through the EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Vehicle Registration Mark or the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the Memorandum will not be permitted.

(3) A registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.

(4) The display of a vehicle registration mark on a motor vehicle should be in compliance with the requirements stipulated in Schedule 4 to the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations.

(5) Any change to the arrangement of letters, numerals and blank spaces of a PVRM, i.e. single and two rows as auctioned, will not be allowed.

(6) Special vehicle registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special vehicle registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special vehicle registration mark shall be cancelled.

(7) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the vehicle registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the registration mark will be cancelled and arranged for reallocation by the Commissioner for Transport in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.

“Upon completion of the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM, the purchaser will be issued a receipt and a Certificate of Allocation of Personalised Registration Mark. The Certificate of Allocation will serve to prove the holdership of the PVRM. Potential buyers of vehicles bearing a PVRM should check the Certificate of Allocation with the sellers and pay attention to the details therein. For transfer of vehicle ownership, this certificate together with other required documents should be sent to the TD for processing,” the spokesman added.
    
For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of TVRMs (www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/tvrm_auction/index.html) and Guidance Notes – Auction of PVRMs (www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/pvrm_auction/index.html).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present two classical music lecture series from May to July, hosted by seasoned music practitioner Jimmy Shiu. Through appreciating the “24 Caprices” for solo violin by early Romantic period musician and Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, alongside a selection of Romantic piano concertos, the lectures will explore the pursuit of virtuosity among musicians and the musical ingenuity embedded in these works. 

     The first series, “Paganini 24 Caprices”, comprises four lectures. In addition to an overview of Paganini’s life and musical style, the series will delve into his virtuosic masterpiece, “24 Caprices” – a work revered as a cornerstone of the violin repertoire and regarded as a precursor to 19th-century Romanticism. Each lecture will examine the technical demands of individual caprices, with violinist Wang Liang to present live demonstrations of the complete set. Excerpts will be performed at varied tempos and with different interpretive approaches, offering audiences deeper insights into the musical imagination contained in the entire work. ———————————————————————
Lecture 1
Date: May 20 (Wednesday)
Compositions: “24 Caprices”: Nos. 1 – 6Date: May 27 (Wednesday)
Compositions: “24 Caprices”: Nos. 7 – 12Date: June 3 (Wednesday)
Compositions: “24 Caprices”: Nos. 13 – 18Date: June 10 (Wednesday)
Compositions: “24 Caprices”: Nos. 19 – 24—————————————————————————-
Lecture 1: Introduction and the Early Romantics 
Date: June 17 (Wednesday) 
Compositions: Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat, ‘Emperor'” and Mendelssohn’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor” Date: June 24 (Wednesday) 
Compositions: Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor” and Liszt’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat”Date: July 8 (Wednesday)
Compositions: Schumann’s “Piano Concerto in A minor” and Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A minor”Date: July 15 (Wednesday)
Compositions: Brahms’ “Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor” and “Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat”Date: July 22 (Wednesday)
Compositions: Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor” and Saint-Saens’ “Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor”Date: July 29 (Wednesday)
Compositions: Rachmaninov’s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor” and “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”