Category: MIL-OSI

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SJ meets prosecutor-general

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, on the last day of his visit to Beijing today, called on the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) and visited the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to explore development opportunities for Hong Kong’s legal services.

In the morning, Mr Lam met SPP Prosecutor-General Ying Yong. They exchanged views on arranging training and exchanges on foreign-related legal issues and the common law system for Mainland prosecutors, as well as co-organising capacity-building programmes. Mr Lam also thanked the SPP for supporting Hong Kong in hosting the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference last year.

Mr Lam then met AIIB President Zou Jiayi to learn about the progress of the AIIB’s office establishment in Hong Kong, explore opportunities for collaboration between the AIIB and Hong Kong’s legal sector, and for further choosing Hong Kong’s legal services.

Having concluded his visit to Beijing, the legal chief returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.

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CS concludes Korea visit

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

On the last day of a visit to South Korea, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, leading a delegation of the Working Group on Planning & Construction of the University Town, met a local official and toured the Incheon Global Campus.

The working groups falls under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis.

In the morning, the delegation met Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of Global City of Incheon Metropolitan City Shin Jae-kyung, to learn about the city’s vision and plans for the development a university town.

The delegates also learned about the city’s multipronged strategies to nurture top-tier talent and develop key sectors such as biotechnology, smart city infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

Mr Chan remarked that Incheon’s vibrant higher education sector, integrating advanced technology and talent cultivation, puts it among the leading cities in Asia. 

He added that the city has attracted numerous international institutions to set up overseas branch campuses there.

Mr Chan said Incheon has also closely linked its university town with surrounding business districts and innovation clusters, creating a robust industry-academia-research ecosystem that will provide a point of refence for the planning and construction of Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT).

Afterwards, the delegation visited the Incheon Global Campus (IGC), a university town that incorporates various overseas institutions under an extended campus model, where students can be awarded the same degree certificates as those conferred by the main campuses of their respective international institutions.

The delegation visited the institutions on the campus and met Chief Executive Officer of the Incheon Global Campus Foundation Byun Ju-young.

They exchanged views on attracting overseas universities, fostering industry-academia-research collaboration, planning and developing shared campus facilities and nurturing talent in a multicultural context.

Mr Chan commented that the IGC’s operating model is innovative and inspiring, adding that the city’s success in bringing together various overseas universities and promoting deep collaboration between academia and industry offers many valuable lessons for Hong Kong.

The NMUT’s development can draw on these lessons to meet the needs of the times and contribute more to the development of higher education in Asia and the world, he added.

Mr Chan also highlighted that there is great potential for collaboration between Hong Kong’s universities and their counterparts at the IGC in areas such as student exchanges and collaborative research, and that he looked forward to seeing strengthened co-operation between the two places.

Mr Chan, Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin and other members of the delegation returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.

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Geopark retains global status

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark (Hong Kong Geopark) was confirmed to have passed revalidation and was awarded a certificate, allowing it to retain its global status for a further four-year period, the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department said today.

​The official confirmation was made at the 224th session of the Executive Board of UNESCO, which concluded yesterday.

The department welcomed the result, stating that conservation, education, green tourism and sustainable development are the primary objectives of Hong Kong Geopark.

It will continue to promote science popularisation, green tourism and the sustainable development of the communities within the Geopark, while protecting Hong Kong’s natural and cultural heritage.

Hong Kong Geopark was designated as a National Geopark of China in 2009 and joined the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) in 2011. After the formalisation of the Geopark Programme by UNESCO in 2015, it was renamed Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark.

According to the guidelines, all UNESCO Global Geoparks must undergo a revalidation process every four years.

Hong Kong Geopark underwent an on-site assessment by evaluators in May last year. The evaluators reviewed the achievements of Hong Kong Geopark over the past four years and held detailed discussions with various stakeholders and partner organisations of the Geopark.

In September last year, the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council recommended that Hong Kong Geopark pass the revalidation with a “green card” while the GGN presented the Best Practice Award to Hong Kong Geopark in recognition of its contributions to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the Geopark’s communities.

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Govt respects Freddy Boey’s decision

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Education Bureau has stated that it is aware of today’s announcement by City University (CityU) regarding Prof Freddy Boey’s resignation as the university’s president, and respects his wishes. 

Prof Boey tendered his resignation to the CityU Council citing personal reasons. The university said it will initiate a global search for its next president.

The bureau said the Government respects Prof Boey’s personal wishes and decision, and thanked him for his contributions to the university during his tenure.

Highlighting that the recruitment of a president falls under CityU’s own authority, the Government said it has full confidence in the council in selecting the most suitable candidate based on the university’s long-term interests and development needs.

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Immigration Department repatriates 30 Vietnamese illegal immigrants to Vietnam

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Immigration Department repatriates 30 Vietnamese illegal immigrants to Vietnam  
     The ImmD has been committed to promptly removing unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong to maintain effective immigration control and safeguard the public interest. Under the updated removal policy effective from December 7, 2022, the ImmD may generally proceed with the removal of a claimant whose judicial review case has been dismissed by the Court of First Instance of the High Court, thereby enhancing the efficiency of and efforts in removing unsubstantiated claimants.
 
     The ImmD will continue to explore different feasible solutions to expedite the repatriation of unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants, and will actively co-ordinate with relevant authorities to optimise repatriation routes and the operation process. The ImmD will actively maintain close liaison with governments of major source countries of non-refoulement claimants, airline companies and other government departments to repatriate unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong as soon as practicable through all appropriate measures.
Issued at HKT 16:35

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Awards Presentation Ceremony cum Premiere of 13th Animation Support Program sponsored by CCIDA takes place

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association, the Awards Presentation Ceremony cum Premiere of the 13th Animation Support Program (ASP) was held today (April 24) to recognise outstanding local animation companies under the program.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, said the Government is dedicated to promoting the development of the creative industries, and that he is pleased to see an increasing number of local original animations attaining professional standards. CCIDA will continue to support local animations for tapping into the Chinese Mainland and international markets, and to foster the sustainable development of the industry, he added.

Mr Lau noted that the animation short “Another World”, from the 6th ASP, had later received a subsidy under CCIDA’s Film Development Fund to develop into an animation feature film. It was selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (Non-competitive Section) in France in 2025 and premiered in the “Midnight Specials” section, successfully expanding into overseas markets, driving public interest in animated features and encouraging market investment, he remarked.

A total of 28 local start-up animation companies were selected for this edition of the program, covering themes such as adventure, virtual worlds, friendship and campus life in their creations. Each company can receive a maximum subsidy of $600,000, along with supporting measures such as technical and business development training, as well as professional guidance from veterans in the industry, with a view to further enhancing the quality of the selected start-ups’ work. The animations concerned were showcased at the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) held last month and will be rolled out on various platforms gradually, allowing the creations to reach a larger audience and also helping companies to explore more business collaboration opportunities.

Since the inception of the ASP, CCIDA has subsidised over 300 original animations, many of which won various awards in local and international animation competitions, showcasing the creativity and capability of local original animations. For more information about the program, please visit www.animation-ssp.com.

     

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SJ calls on Supreme People’s Procuratorate in Beijing

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

SJ calls on Supreme People’s Procuratorate in Beijing       
     In the morning, Mr Lam called on the SPP, where he met with the Prosecutor-General of the SPP, Mr Ying Yong. Mr Lam first expressed his gratitude to the SPP for supporting Hong Kong in hosting the 15th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference last year. Both sides also exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, including arranging training and exchanges on foreign-related legal issues and the common law system for Mainland prosecutors, as well as co-organising capacity-building programmes.
      
     Mr Lam and officials in his entourage then visited the AIIB and met with the President of the AIIB, Ms Zou Jiayi, to learn about the progress of the AIIB’s office establishment in Hong Kong and to explore opportunities for exchanges and collaboration between the AIIB and Hong Kong’s legal sector, and for further choosing Hong Kong’s legal services.
      
     Accompanying Mr Lam on the visit were the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Maggie Yang, the Law Officer (International Law), Dr James Ding, and government counsel.
      
     Mr Lam concluded his visit to Beijing and returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
Issued at HKT 17:55

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CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to conclude visit to Korea

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to conclude visit to Korea (with video) 
     In the morning, the delegation met with the Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of Global City of Incheon Metropolitan City, Mr Shin Jae-kyung, to learn about the city’s vision and planning for developing a university town, as well as its multipronged strategies to nurture top-tier talent and support the development of key sectors such as biotechnology, smart cities and advanced manufacturing.
 
     Mr Chan said that the higher education sector of Incheon is vibrant, integrating advanced technology and talent cultivation, placing it among the leading cities in Asia. The city has successfully attracted numerous international institutions to set up overseas branch campuses there, and has closely linked the university town with the surrounding business districts and innovation clusters, thereby creating a robust industry-academia-research ecosystem, which provides important references for the planning and construction of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT).
 
     Afterwards, the delegation visited the Incheon Global Campus (IGC), a university town comprised of various overseas institutions operating under an “extended campus” model, where students can be awarded the same degree certificates as those conferred by the main campuses of their respective international institutions. The delegation toured the institutions on the campus and met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Incheon Global Campus Foundation, Mr Byun Ju-young, to exchange views on attracting overseas universities, fostering industry-academia-research collaboration, planning and developing shared campus facilities and nurturing talent in a multicultural context.
 
     Mr Chan said that the operating model of the IGC is innovative and highly inspiring. The successful example of the city in bringing together various overseas universities and promoting deep collaboration between academia and industry offers many valuable lessons for Hong Kong. By making references to these experiences, the development of the NMUT can better meet the needs of the times and contribute more to the development of higher education in Asia and the world. He also said that there is a great potential for collaboration between Hong Kong’s universities and their counterparts at the IGC in areas such as student exchanges and collaborative research, and that he looked forward to seeing strengthened co-operation between the two places.
 
     Mr Chan, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and other members of the delegation concluded their visit to Korea and returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.
Issued at HKT 18:30

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DH requests two licensed Chinese herbal medicine wholesalers to recall Semen Arecae exceeding limits for aflatoxins

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

DH requests two licensed Chinese herbal medicine wholesalers to recall Semen Arecae exceeding limits for aflatoxins (with photo) 
     Hotlines for public enquiry concerning the recall have been set up by China Red (tel: 2857 6600) and Skyline (tel: 6222 7696).
 
     The DH will continue to investigate the case and closely monitor the recall. 
     According to the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549), Semen Arecae, the ripe seed of Areca catechu L, is a Schedule 2 Chm. Semen Arecae is used to kill worms, eliminate accumulation, promote “qi” circulation, promote urination and interrupt malaria.
 
     Aflatoxins are a family of heat-resistant compounds produced by the moulds Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus and related species. Hot and humid conditions and poor storage can contribute to a higher occurrence of moulds and consequently high levels of aflatoxins in contaminated Chm. The DH advises the industry to have strict control on the temperature and humidity of the storage facilities for Chm that is susceptible to mould infestation and members of the public to properly store Chm at a dry and cool place. 
     Members of the public may visit the following website of the Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office of the DH for more information on the adverse health effects of aflatoxins and proper storage of Chm:
     www.cmro.gov.hk/files/en/useful_information/public_health/pamphlet/Herbal_Medicines_and_Aflatoxin_Eng.pdfIssued at HKT 18:30

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“Smart Parent Net” Recommendation: (Video) Continuously adjust parenting strategies to align with adolescent development.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 3

(Video) Adjusting Parenting Strategies to Accompany Adolescent’s Healthy Development

Adolescents’ behaviour and personality change as they enter adolescence. The video explains how parents should adjust their parenting strategies, so as to educate their children while maintaining a good parent-child relationship, and accompany their children for healthy development. 

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