Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The value of total retail sales in November 2025, provisionally estimated at $33.7 billion, was up 6.5% compared with the same month in 2024, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate for the month was 4.4% higher year-on-year.

Online sales accounted for 11.2% of the total retail sales figure for the month. Provisionally estimated at $3.8 billion, the value of online retail sales rose 28.4% compared with a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the value of sales of electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified increased by 38.6% year-on-year.

There were also increases in the value of sales in the following categories: jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (+3.6%); other consumer goods not elsewhere classified (+5.5%); wearing apparel (+3%); commodities in department stores (+3.8%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+2%); medicines and cosmetics (+9.2%); and optical shops (+7.3%).

On the other hand, the value of sales of commodities in supermarkets decreased 2.1%. Also down were sales of motor vehicles and parts (-3.1%); fuels (-11.1%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-4.3%); furniture and fixtures (-6.1%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (-10.6%); and Chinese drugs and herbs (-1.8%).

The Government said retail sales sustained a recovery momentum in November 2025 and sales of many broad retail outlet types increased.

Looking ahead, the Government added that the gradual improvement in local consumption sentiment amid sustained economic growth, coupled with the vibrant growth in inbound visitors, will continue to benefit retail businesses.

Source: Government of Singapore

Singapore, 2 January 2026 – The prevailing Northeast Monsoon conditions are expected to continue in the first fortnight of January 2026, with winds blowing mainly from the northwest or northeast.

2          Thundery showers are expected over parts of the island in the afternoon on most days. The showers may extend into the evening on a few of these days. The total rainfall for the first fortnight of January 2026 is forecast to be below average over most parts of the island.

3          The daily maximum temperatures are likely to range between 32 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius on most days and slightly exceed 34 degrees Celsius on a few days.

4          For updates of the daily weather forecast, please visit the MSS website (www.weather.gov.sg), NEA website ( www.nea.gov.sg), or download the myENV app.

REVIEW OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (16 – 31 DECEMBER 2025)

5          Northeast Monsoon conditions prevailed over Singapore and the surrounding region in the second fortnight of December 2025. During the period, the low-level winds blew mainly from the northwest or northeast.

6          Thundery showers fell over parts of the island on most afternoons, extending into the evening on a few days. On 26 December 2025, heavy thundery showers affected the southern, western and central parts of Singapore in the afternoon. The daily total rainfall of 98.4mm recorded at Pasir Laba that day was the highest rainfall recorded for the second fortnight of December 2025.

7          The daily maximum temperatures in the second fortnight of December 2025 were between 32 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius on most days. The highest daily maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius was recorded at Jurong Island on 24 December 2025.

8          Singapore recorded well below average rainfall in the second fortnight of December 2025. Sembawang registered rainfall of about 80 per cent below average.

CLIMATE STATION STATISTICS

Long-term Statistics for January   (Climatological reference period: 1991-2020)
Average daily maximum temperature:	30.6	°C
Average daily minimum temperature:	24.3	°C
Average monthly temperature:	26.8	°C
Average rainfall:	221.6	mm
Average number of rain days:	13
Historical Extremes for January   (Rainfall since 1869 and temperature since 1929)
Highest monthly mean daily maximum temperature:	31.8	°C (2016, 2018)
Lowest monthly mean daily minimum temperature:	21.6	°C (1933)
Highest monthly rainfall ever recorded:	818.6	mm (2006)
Lowest monthly rainfall ever recorded:	15.4	mm (1932)

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METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE SINGAPORE

2 Jan 2026

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Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government announced today that Director of Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Guangdong Linda So will take up the post of Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office Director on Monday.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said Miss So is a seasoned Administrative Officer with proven leadership and management skills.

“I have every confidence that she will continue to serve the community with professionalism in her new capacity.”

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Communications Authority today announced the start of a one-month public consultation on the renewal of a domestic pay television programme service (pay TV) licence.

Now TV’s pay TV licence is due to expire on September 25, 2027 and it has submitted its licence renewal application to the authority.

The authority said it will take into account the licensee’s performance and renewal proposal, views of the industry and public, as well as the latest market developments, and make recommendations on the renewal application to the Chief Executive in Council in September.

Members of the public may share their views through various means including by email to paytv-pc@ofca.gov.hk, or participate in the televised online public hearing to be held on January 17.

Source: Government of the Republic of Korea

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly condemned the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for a deliberate and unfounded report on Lai Chee-ying’s health condition in an attempt to fabricate facts to mislead the public by intentionally portraying him as a victim to cover up his offences and conviction by the court.

In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said the court’s verdict was entirely free from any political considerations, noting that reasons for the verdict, including the court’s analysis of the relevant legal principles and evidence, are fully open for public inspection.

The court’s verdict is well-founded and reasoned, fully demonstrating that its decision was made strictly in accordance with the law and evidence and free from any interference, the statement said.

The court clarified that Lai Chee-ying’s only intent, whether pre or post National Security Law, was to seek the downfall of the Communist Party of China, even though the ultimate cost was the sacrifice of the interests of the citizens of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong.

Additionally, the court found that Lai Chee-ying was the mastermind of the conspiracies charged in all three counts, and his actions showed his intent to pursue these conspiracies, which constituted a threat to the national security in the PRC and the city, the statement added.

The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed and lawbreakers be held accountable, noting that Article 5 of the security law and section 2 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance clearly state that the principle of the rule of law shall be adhered to in preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for offences endangering national security.

Any suggestion that certain individuals or organisations should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts is no different from advocating a privilege to break the law, and is totally contrary to the spirit of the rule of law, it added.

The statement dismissed the claims regarding Lai Chee-ying’s health condition as reported by BBC, noting that the Hong Kong SAR Government has repeatedly insisted that the Correctional Services Department (CSD) handled the custodial arrangements for him in the same manner as other persons-in-custody.

It said that Lai Chee-ying has received adequate and comprehensive medical attention. All correctional facilities, equipped with hospitals or sick bays, maintain 24/7 staffing by medical officers seconded from the Department of Health and correctional staff with professional nursing qualifications.

The Hospital Authority and the Department of Health’s medical specialists visit correctional institutions regularly to give persons-in-custody specialist consultation and treatment, including dental treatment. Those with dental health issues are referred to dental specialists, and in serious cases are transferred immediately to a public hospital for treatment, the statement added.

The statement noted that during the public court hearing in August 2025, the senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying informed the court that he had consistently received appropriate treatment and care in prison.

The statement said that daily medical check-ups were arranged for Lai Chee-ying, and he raised no complaints about the care he received. Consequently, the court commended the CSD for its medical arrangements.

On December 15, 2025, when the court handed down its verdict, the senior counsel representing him stated in response to questions from the media that everyone in the court could clearly see his health condition, the statement added.

The CSD provided dental treatment for Lai Chee-ying in 2021 and 2022 based on his needs. Since then, Lai Chee-ying has had no dental health problems and has made no further requests for dental treatment, the statement noted.

Separately in 2025, Lai Chee-ying notified the CSD of problems with his fingernails. However, he fully recovered after treatment with ointment prescribed by the institution’s medical officer, with no loss of fingernails as alleged in the media reports, the statement added.

In August 2025, before the public hearing, the CSD arranged for him to wear a cardiac monitoring device and prescribed heart medication for heart palpitations, to be used as needed. The statement emphasised that since then, Lai Chee-ying has made no further complaints to the department about his heart palpitations.

The statement stressed that the allegations made by Lai Chee-ying’s daughter and relevant media reports, including those by BBC, are completely baseless.

The Hong Kong SAR Government pointed out that individuals with ulterior motives, including Lai Chee-ying’s family members and certain media, have ignored the facts and continue to spread lies and engage in despicable acts.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Process Review Panel (PRP) for the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) today (December 31) published its annual report covering the work of the PRP in 2024-25.

     The PRP Chairman, Ms Miranda Kwok, said, “In 2024-25, the PRP reviewed 60 completed or closed cases under various areas of the work of the SFC. The PRP concluded that the SFC has carried out the work in accordance with its internal procedures. It also made a number of observations and recommendations to the SFC, which will be conducive to the SFC’s continuous enhancement of procedures and guidelines.

     “We are thankful to the SFC for its co-operation and support in facilitating the work of the PRP, and are pleased to note the positive response of the SFC to the PRP’s recommendations”, she added.

     The annual report has been uploaded onto the website of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (www.fstb.gov.hk/fsb/en/business/prp/afsreport.html).

     The PRP welcomes views of the public and market participants on the PRP’s work. They may express their views by sending an email to the PRP (prp@fstb.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 31) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 6 200 food samples tested (including food items purchased online) were found to be satisfactory except for three unsatisfactory samples that were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.

A CFS spokesman said that about 1 800 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, and about 4 400 samples were taken for chemical and radiation level tests.

The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators; the chemical tests included testing for pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others; and the radiation-level tests included testing for radioactive caesium and iodine in samples collected from imported food from different regions.

The samples comprised about 1 700 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 400 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 700 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 900 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 900 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 1 600 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).

The three unsatisfactory samples comprised a prepackaged pistachio paste sample suspected to be contaminated with aflatoxin; a bighead carp sample found with malachite green; and a cut fruits sample found with Salmonella.

The CFS has taken follow-up actions on the above-mentioned unsatisfactory samples, including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items, and tracing the sources of the food items in question.

The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.

Separately, in response to the Japanese Government’s discharge of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the CFS will continue enhancing the testing on imported Japanese food, and make reference to the risk assessment results to adjust relevant surveillance work in a timely manner. The CFS will announce every working day on its dedicated webpage (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/daily_japan_nuclear_incidents.html) the radiological test results of the samples of food imported from Japan, with a view to enabling the trade and members of the public to have a better grasp of the latest safety information.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs detected a suspected smuggling case involving an ocean-going vessel on December 23. A batch of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $7 million was seized.

Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Enforcement operations were thus formulated, with a suspicious container scheduled to depart from Hong Kong to Malaysia via an ocean-going vessel being selected for inspection.

Customs inspected the abovementioned container that was declared as carrying metals, server boards, printed circuit boards, hard drives, wires, etc, on December 23. Upon examination, Customs officers found a batch of suspected smuggled goods, including integrated circuits, resistors and heat sinks, in the container.

An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.

Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities on all fronts. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to resolutely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to disrupt relevant crimes.

Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling 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 Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Donald Ng, today (December 31) expressed profound sadness at the passing of a Workman II, Ms Li Haiying, and offered his deepest condolences to her family.

Ms Li was carrying out street cleansing duties this afternoon in the vicinity of Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei. While transporting refuse to the junction of Waterloo Road and Ferry Street, she was knocked down by a goods vehicle. She was sent to hospital and later certified dead, aged 57. Investigation by the Police is under way.

Ms Li was under the Yau Tsim District Environmental Hygiene Office and was mainly responsible for street cleansing work.

Mr Ng said, “Having joined the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) for over nine years, Ms Li served the public with dedication and perseverance. I am deeply grieved at the loss of such a devoted colleague. On behalf of all our colleagues, I offer the deepest condolences to her family.”

The FEHD will maintain close contact with Ms Li’s family and provide all appropriate support and assistance to help them through this difficult time.