Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Special traffic and transport arrangements in Chai Wan during Ching Ming Festival (i) Temporary prohibited zone
The section of Cape Collinson Road to the east of Lin Shing Road (i.e. the left-turning movement from Lin Shing Road to Cape Collinson Road leading to the Chinese Permanent Cemetery) will be temporarily designated as a private car and light goods vehicle prohibited zone from 7am to 3pm daily from March 14 to April 26. All private cars and light goods vehicles, except those with permits, will be prohibited from entering the prohibited zone.
(ii) Road closures
In connection with the implementation of road closures at Cape Collinson Road and its vicinity by the Police, except for the exempted vehicles, Lin Shing Road and Cape Collinson Road will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 7am to 5pm on the specified dates.
Road closures arrangements(Ching Ming Festival)B. Public Transport Services
(i) The following special bus services will be operated on the specified dates, and the bus services will be strengthened depending on the passenger demand and traffic conditions.
Routes – between Chai Wan Station Bus Terminus and Chai Wan Cemeteries(Ching Ming Festival) – between Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus and Chai Wan Cemeteries(Ching Ming Festival)(ii) CTB route X9 will operate additional departures from Shek O to Central (Central Ferry Piers) from noon to 2pm on April 5 (Ching Ming Festival).
(iii) CTB routes 8X, 9 and 780 and cross harbour routes 106, 118 and 606, and GMB route 18M will be strengthened subject to passenger demand.
(iv) GMB route 18M service will be temporarily suspended during Phase 2 of road closures. Grave-sweepers are advised to plan their journey early and allow more travelling time. If they would like to go to the cemeteries along Cape Collinson Road in Chai Wan outside the above-mentioned road closure periods, they should use public transport services as far as possible. They can take GMB routes 16A, 16M, 16X or 18M at Chai Wan MTR Station to Cape Collinson Road, or take CTB Route 9 at Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus to Shek O Road near Cape Collinson Road. Grave-sweepers heading to the Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium may also make use of the escalators and pedestrian access route connecting San Ha Street at Chai Wan (near Chai Wan MTR Station Exit A) and the said columbarium.
The TD anticipates that the traffic in the vicinity of Cape Collinson Road, Lin Shing Road and Wan Tsui Road in Chai Wan will be busy. Motorists are advised not to drive to the congested and affected areas and should exercise tolerance and patience in case of traffic congestion and observe the instructions given by the Police.
Members of the public are advised to be alert to the latest traffic news on radio and television. They may also visit the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hkIssued at HKT 16:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Over 900 young musicians from 17 bands, choirs and orchestras under the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present beautiful music at the 2026 Fiesta of Music Office Bands, Choirs and Orchestras concert series in April.
Marking the commencement of the Fiesta, the New Territories Youth Strings, the Island Youth Strings, the Kowloon Youth Strings and the Hong Kong Youth Strings will perform at the concert titled “Fairy Tales”, to be held at 3pm on April 5 (Sunday) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. They will perform excerpts from the familiar animation “Frozen”, arranged by Longfield; Borodin’s masterpiece “Selections from Polovtsian Dances”, arranged by Marani; Saint-Saëns’ fantastical “Danse Macabre”; and “The Magic of Harry Potter”, an arrangement of film soundtracks by Story. This concert is one of the pre-festival programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2026.
The second concert, “Faith and Love”, will be held at 7.30pm on April 11 (Saturday) at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. The Music Office Children’s Choir, the Music Office Youth Choir and the Music Office Junior Symphony Orchestra will present Althouse’s “Cantar!”, which is full of vibrant energy; the deeply moving “Come Live With Me And Be My Love” by Gilpin; Saint-Saëns’ energetic “Marche Héroïque”; and the third, fifth and sixth movements of the traditional “Irish Suite” arranged by Anderson, spreading positive energy through melodious classics.
The Chinese orchestras’ concert “Chinese Music Rendezvous” will be held at 7.30pm on April 18 (Saturday) at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium Arena. The Music Office Children’s Chinese Orchestra, the Kowloon Youth Chinese Orchestra, the Island Youth Chinese Orchestra and the New Territories Youth Chinese Orchestra will perform the Kazakh folk song “Mayila”, arranged by Alfred Wong; Lo Leung-fai’s vibrant “Spring”; Kwok Hang-kei’s melodious “Scenery of Dali”; and the festive and joyful “Festival at Chang’an” by Zhao Jiping and Lu Rirong. This concert is one of the programmes of the Chinese Culture Promotion Series.
The Music Office Youth Brass Band, the Kowloon Youth Symphonic Band and the New Territories Youth Symphonic Band will perform at the concert titled “The Looms of Winds” to be held at 3pm on April 19 (Sunday) at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium Arena. The repertoire includes “Gøta”, which depicts the landscape of the arctic region; the mysterious yet majestic “Terracotta Warriors” by Watson; and mesmerising musical highlights from “Enchanted”, offering a full immersion in the wonders of music to the audience.
The concert, “Melodic Splendour”, featuring the Hong Kong Children’s Symphonic Band, the Music Office Junior Chinese Orchestra and the Music Office Junior Symphonic Band, will be held at 3pm on April 26 (Sunday) at the Tuen Mun Town Hall Auditorium. They will present the magnificent piece “The Symphony of Souls”; the first, third and fourth movements of “Medley of Folk Songs from China’s West – Somewhere Far Away”, arranged by Gu Guanren; and the uplifting “Declaration Overture”.
Tickets for the first concert are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk), and tickets for the other concerts will be available one month before the concert dates. Tickets are priced at $60, $80 and $90. For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries, please call 2796 7523 or 3842 7784 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/activities/traineesevents/musicnconcert/2026-Fiesta.html.
With “Beyond Fantasy” as this year’s theme, the LCSD presents the fourth Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival. Over the years, Hong Kong pop culture has continued to evolve through music, images and text, as well as stage and cross-media creations. Shaped by the interplay of inheritance, circulation, fusion and breakthroughs, it has distilled a style that is uniquely Hong Kong. The Festival will continue to join audiences and local creators in crossing boundaries within everyday rhythms, and create warm, resonant and moving works while inspiring the limitless possibilities of pop culture.
The concert “Chinese Music Rendezvous” is one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.ccpo.gov.hk/en/.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs alerts public to unsafe AHA exfoliating face wash gel
Customs earlier received referrals from a related organisation that a model of suspected unsafe AHA exfoliating face wash gel was being supplied on the market. Customs officers immediately conducted inspections at different districts and successfully test-purchased the product concerned for safety testing. Results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the pH value of the product concerned was 2.5, which falls below the permissible limit of 3.5 for cosmetics containing AHA as specified in the relevant safety and technical standards for cosmetics. The product was suspected to be in contravention of the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (CGSO).
Customs officers subsequently conducted operations and searched the retailer, wholesaler and importer involved in the case. A total of 523 bottles of suspected unsafe AHA exfoliating face wash gel were seized.
An investigation is ongoing. Customs will continue to closely monitor the market situation and step up patrols. If any violations are found, Customs will take appropriate enforcement action.
Customs reminds members of the public to observe the following safety tips when purchasing and using beauty products: Customs is committed to the protection of consumer interests and regularly conducts spot checks and safety tests on consumer goods to ensure that they are reasonably safe for use by consumers.
Customs also reminds traders to comply with the statutory requirements of the CGSO to protect the safety of consumers. Under the CGSO, it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import into Hong Kong consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirements for consumer goods. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the CGSO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 19:02
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CHP investigates first locally acquired measles case this year The case involves a 32-year-old female who developed a fever, sore throat, cough, red eyes and rash on February 28. She sought medical attention from a private doctor on March 4 and was immediately referred to the Accident and Emergency Department of Princess Margaret Hospital, where she was admitted for treatment. Her clinical specimen was tested positive for the measles virus upon nucleic acid testing. The patient is currently receiving treatment under isolation and is in stable condition.
An epidemiological investigation revealed that the patient had not received measles vaccination and had no travel history during the incubation period. She has three household contacts. Five additional individuals who visited her residence during the incubation period are also classified as close contacts. All eight close contacts reported having received measles vaccination and are asymptomatic so far.
During the communicable period, the patient primarily stayed at home, except when seeking medical consultation or staying outside the entrance of a primary school near her residence. The CHP has contacted the private clinic and the primary school concerned to identify any high-risk individuals. Measles vaccinations will be arranged for those who are not immune to measles. Regarding the eight close contacts, the CHP will put them under medical surveillance.
The CHP will continue to investigate and follow up on the case.
“Many regions around the world are currently experiencing measles outbreaks. North America (including the United States, Canada and Mexico) and Southeast Asia (including Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines) have seen persistent measles outbreaks in recent years due to low vaccination coverage rates. Over 1 100 cases have been recorded in the United States in the first two months of this year, approaching half of last year’s total and significantly higher than the same period last year. In Europe, the number of measles cases in the United Kingdom and Italy has increased recently, with 195 and 84 cases respectively since January this year. In Asia, the incidence of measles remains high in the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. Japan has also seen a substantial rise in cases this year, with 71 cases recorded as of February 25, exceeding figures for the same period over the past six years. Singapore and Australia recorded 15 and 57 measles cases respectively this year, up from two and 21 cases during the same period last year. Most overseas cases mainly affected people who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. This shows the importance of maintaining a high vaccination rate and herd immunity within the community,” said the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui.
“The incubation period of measles (i.e. the time from infection to onset of illness) is seven to 21 days. Symptoms include fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes. If travellers returning from places with high incidence or outbreak of measles develop symptoms of measles (e.g. fever and rash), they should seek medical advice immediately and avoid contact with non-immune persons, especially pregnant women and infants under one year old. They should also report their symptoms and prior travel history to healthcare workers so that appropriate infection control measures can be implemented at the healthcare facilities to prevent any potential spread,” Dr Tsui added. For more information on measles, the public may visit the CHP’s measles thematic pageIssued at HKT 19:12
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs and Environmental Protection Department urge public to stop using three types of unsafe whitening cream products Customs and the EPD remind members of the public to observe the following tips when purchasing and using cosmetic products: • Stop using the cosmetic products and seek medical attention immediately if feeling unwell after use; and • Purchase cosmetic products at reputable retail shops. 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.hkIssued at HKT 19:15
The Government announced today that $6.15 million will be granted to the family of Senior Fireman (Posthumous) Ho Wai-ho under the “Financial Assistance Scheme for Family Members of Those Who Sacrifice Their Lives to Save Others”.
The late fireman sacrificed his life on November 26 last year while participating in a search and rescue operation at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun, who chairs the “Committee on Financial Assistance Scheme for Family Members of Those Who Sacrifice Their Lives to Save Others”, paid tribute to Mr Ho, whom he said commanded citizens’ greatest respect, having demonstrated exceptional courage and a high degree of gallantry in striving to save and protect the lives of others.
“We deeply mourn the loss of such an excellent and devoted public servant.”
The grant represents the Government’s recognition of the highest order of gallantry and selflessness shown by firefighter, Mr Sun added.
Set up in 2002, the scheme provides financial aid to family members of those who lose their lives in attempting to save or protect others. The sum approved in each application is worked out based on the age, normal retirement age of the deceased, and prevailing median monthly employment earnings. The minimum and maximum levels are currently set at $6.15 million and $12.3 million, respectively.
MOFA response to remarks made by Polish Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski regarding Taiwan
Date：2026-03-03
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
March 3, 2026
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that Radosław Sikorski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, presented an annual report on foreign policy tasks at the Sejm on February 26. In his remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski said that with a war raging on the other side of its border, it was natural for Poland to focus on its immediate neighborhood. However, he added that it would be wrong to ignore more distant partners. He mentioned strengthening strategic partnerships with the Republic of Korea and Japan and advancing security consultations with Australia and New Zealand. Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski also stated that Poland remained consistently interested in technological cooperation with partners in Taiwan.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung applauds Poland for its continued focus on the Indo-Pacific region and for highlighting its interest in technological collaboration with Taiwanese partners.
Taiwan and Poland share the universal values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. Bilateral relations have continually advanced in recent years with strong support from all sectors. The two countries have cooperated closely in such spheres as economics, trade, legal affairs, education, culture, and biomedicine and have further promoted exchanges in fields including semiconductors, cybersecurity, and pandemic prevention. MOFA looks forward to continued technological collaboration between Taiwan and Poland. When fellow democracies work together on technology and democratic supply chains, it will generate added value for both sides and create shared benefits and prosperity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), in collaboration with Taiwanese nongovernmental organizations, will hold Taiwan Gender Equality Week (TGEW) in New York to coincide with the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) from March 9 to 19. Through TGEW events, Taiwan will showcase to the world its achievements and progress in advancing gender equality, demonstrating Taiwan’s robust institutional capabilities and deep cultural resilience.
The highlight of this year’s TGEW will be Taiwan Women’s Power and Cultural Night, to be held at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York at 18:00 on March 13. In line with this year’s CSW priority theme, “ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls,” a number of distinguished speakers will be invited to share Taiwan’s judicial reforms, policies, and institutional achievements under the framework of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The evening will include a jazz performance by Taiwanese marimbist Su Yu-han and Taiwanese-American drummer Wu Wen-ting. It will be live streamed on MOFA’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
In addition, an exhibition will be held at the event. Featuring orchids as the main visual motif, the exhibition conveys flexibility, diversity, and cultural connectedness, highlighting Taiwan’s significant progress in gender equality, judicial reform, and international cooperation.
To further deepen engagement with the United Nations community, MOFA and the Foundation for Women’s Rights Promotion and Development have partnered with the STUF United Fund—an organization holding special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council—to convene the Taiwan Forum at 13:00 on March 12 at the STUF New York headquarters. The forum will focus on women leaders’ practical experiences in driving institutional innovation, strengthening governance resilience, and advancing inclusive participation.
This year, over 60 representatives from about 40 Taiwanese NGOs and local governments will hold more than 30 parallel events during the NGO CSW Forum. They will share Taiwan’s experiences and achievements in implementing gender equality initiatives with the international community.
A major highlight of this year’s initiative is MOFA’s first-ever film clip promotional campaign in New York during the CSW session. Beginning March 6, advertisements featuring the orchid motif, Taiwan imagery, and the slogan “Her Rights, Our Pride” will appear on top of New York City taxis, at bus stops, on linkNYC kiosks, and on subway station billboards. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness of Taiwan’s commitment to advancing gender equality, contribute to the celebration of women’s empowerment in New York, and put the spotlight on Taiwan.
MOFA will continue to encourage civil society to make Taiwan’s voice heard on the world stage by leveraging Taiwan’s strengths in gender equality. During the TGEW, everyone is welcome to use the hashtags #HerRightsOurPride and #TaiwanEmpoweringWomen and engage with MOFA’s Facebook page and X account so as to jointly raise awareness about Taiwan’s gender equality achievements and call for global sustainable development in areas including gender equality. (E)
MOFA response to French Minister Delegate for Europe Haddad reiterating France’s commitment to upholding freedom of navigation in Taiwan Strait
Date：2026-02-27
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
February 27, 2026
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that on February 25 Benjamin Haddad, Minister Delegate for Europe of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, stated that France was an active and engaged power in the Indo-Pacific and had conducted joint patrols in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea with the navies of the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries to uphold freedom of navigation. He added that France would continue to coordinate with its European partners to make safeguarding collective security and peace in the region a top priority. Minister Delegate Haddad made the remarks in response to questions about cross-strait security raised by Brigitte Devésa, Deputy Chair of the French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group.
In her remarks, Deputy Chair Devésa pointed out that Taiwan had long been subjected to a wide range of threats from China. She added that a major crisis in the Taiwan Strait would have a severe impact on the European economy. Deputy Chair Devésa stressed that with democratic Taiwan under constant pressure from China, Europe should carefully consider a prudent response. She urged the French government and the European Union to assist Taiwan in countering China’s imperialism.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely thanks France for its continued attention to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan and France are like-minded partners that share the universal values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. They play key roles in maintaining a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan will continue to work closely with France and other democratic countries in taking concrete actions to uphold cross-strait peace and stability, defend the rules-based international order, and jointly promote security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the world.