Category: MIL-OSI

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Inflation at 1.2% in Nov

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Overall consumer prices rose 1.2% year-on-year in November, the same as in October, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

Netting out the effects of the Government’s one-off relief measures, the underlying inflation rate was 1% in November, the same as that recorded in the previous month.

Compared with the year before, price increases were recorded in November in the following categories: transport; alcoholic drinks and tobacco; miscellaneous services; housing; meals out and takeaway food; miscellaneous goods; and basic food.

Meanwhile, year-on-year decreases were logged for clothing and footwear; durable; and electricity, gas and water.

The Government said consumer price inflation stayed subdued in November. It expects that overall inflation should remain modest in the near term, as cost pressures on the domestic and external fronts are still broadly in check.

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LCSD introduces new measures to strengthen efforts to combat touting activities

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

LCSD introduces new measures to strengthen efforts to combat touting activities 
     The new measures are as follows:
 
(1) Penalties for using computer programmes or automated tools to interfere with SmartPLAY
 
     To ensure the fair use of the SmartPLAY system, the LCSD will combat improper conduct involving the use of computer programmes or other automated tools to make booking transactions or interfere with the normal operation of the system. Specifically, SmartPLAY has incorporated conditions prohibiting the use of computer programmes or other automated tools to make bookings (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk/website/en/about/conditions-of-use-of-smartplay.html 
(2) New measures for booking indoor basketball and volleyball courts
 
     Currently, a hirer who books turf soccer pitch through SmartPLAY is required to provide the SmartPLAY user account information of four other users. The hirer and three of the users named in the booking are required to check-in together and be present during the use of the booked session. This arrangement, aiming to ensure that hirers are genuine users, is generally effective since implementation. It will apply to indoor basketball and volleyball courts, which are popular facilities, starting from January 21, 2026. A hirer is required to provide the information of two other users when booking an indoor basketball or volleyball court. The hirer and one of the users named in the booking are required to check-in together and be present during use of the booked session. Details are available at the LCSD’s thematic webpage “Improvement measures to booking and use of recreation and sports facilities” (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/facilities/facilitiesbooking/procedure/ls_fac_improve.html 
(3) Standby arrangement no longer applicable to indoor basketball and volleyball courts
 
     Under the existing measures applicable to some recreation and sports facilities, if a hirer does not take up the booked facility 10 minutes after the booked session starts, the LCSD may at its discretion permit other users to use the facility free of charge for the same purpose as the original hirer (commonly referred to as the standby arrangement), on condition that there are no other same-type facilities available for booking at the material time. In this connection, the LCSD has observed that certain hirers of indoor basketball and volleyball courts deliberately do not take up the booked sessions on the day of use, and are suspected to have engaged in touting activities by arranging for other users to use the booked courts under the standby arrangement. To combat such abuse of the standby arrangement, and making reference to the current arrangement for turf football pitches, the standby arrangement will no longer be applicable to indoor basketball and volleyball courts with effect from December 30, 2025.
 
     LCSD will closely monitor the effectiveness of the new measures, and continue to enhance SmartPLAY as well as implement further anti-touting measures as necessary.
Issued at HKT 17:00

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Appointments to new term of Steering Committee of the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government announced today (December 22) the appointments to the Steering Committee of the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Fund for 2026-2027. Mr Duncan Chiu was reappointed as the Chairman of the Committee, while 15 non-official members were reappointed and two new non-official members were appointed. The appointments are for a term of two years starting from January 1, 2026. 
      
     The Committee is responsible for vetting eligible applications under the RAISe+ Scheme. Members are drawn from the research, academic, industry and investment sectors. 
 
     The membership of the Committee is as follows:
 
Chairman
————
Mr Duncan Chiu
 
Non-official Members
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Professor Bian Zhaoxiang
Professor Cai Hongbin
Dr Sunny Chai Ngai-chiu
Professor Chan Chi-hou
Professor Francis Chan Ka-leung
Mr Simon Chan Sai-ming
Dr Hu Zhanghong
Ms Vanessa Huang Yifei
Dr Leung Chuen-yan*
Ms Li Qianxin
Mr Daryl Ng Win-kong
Professor Randy Poon Yat-choi
Mr Sunny Tan
Mr Patrick Tsang Shun-fuk
Professor Tu Wenwei
Professor Wong Wing-tak
Professor Zhang Qian*
 
Ex-officio Members
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Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry or his/her representative
Commissioner for Innovation and Technology or his/her representative
 
(* New appointee)

     The Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Mr Ivan Lee, said, “We would like to express our gratitude to the current members of the Committee for their support and contribution in the past two years and extend our sincere appreciation to the outgoing members, Professor Li Zexiang and Professor Teng Jin-guang. We trust that the Committee, under the leadership of Mr Chiu, will continue to provide valuable knowledge and advice to the Committee in the assessment of applications under the RAISe+ Scheme.”
      
     The RAISe+ Scheme was launched in 2023 to unleash the potential of local universities in the “1 to N” transformation and commercialisation of research and development outcomes and facilitate relevant collaboration among the Government, industries, universities and research sectors. It will fund, on a matching basis, research teams from the eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee, which have good potential to become successful start-ups. Funding support from $10 million to $100 million will be provided to each approved project. A total of 49 projects were supported by the Scheme in the first two batches. The third round of applications was closed at the end of October 2025, and assessment of the applications is under way. Details are available on the ITF website (www.itf.gov.hk). For enquiries, please contact the Secretariat of the Scheme (Tel: 3543 5904; email: raiseplus@itc.gov.hk).

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Heritage Museum exhibition showcases new creation by Hong Kong artists inspired by ICH (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Heritage Museum exhibition showcases new creation by Hong Kong artists inspired by ICH  
     The exhibition has been on display at the Hong Kong section of the ninth edition of the Hong Kong-Macao Visual Art Biennale since October 2024. It has since travelled to five cities – Hangzhou, Nanjing, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen – and has received an overwhelming response. The exhibition introduced Hong Kong’s unique cultural landscape to Mainland audiences. Now, it has returned to Hong Kong with supplementary information about the city’s intangible cultural heritage (ICH), delving into the commitment of the artists to preserving, transmitting and innovatively interpreting Hong Kong’s ICH and traditional craft skills.
 
     Lo inherits the painting style of the Lingnan School and incorporates the techniques of Western painting to create five porcelain plate sets. She painted local flowers and birds, natural landscapes, and historic buildings on Jingdezhen’s white porcelain. With tireless experimentation with paints and techniques, she crafts new expressive forms, revealing colours and intricate variations on the porcelain with vivid detail.
 
     The Hong Kong Cheongsam Association, the protection organisation of the national ICH item, has formed a young designer team to create four innovative sets of men’s and women’s cheongsams. Featuring the city’s unique architecture and memories, the team combines traditional ICH craftsmanship and classic tailoring with advanced technologies such as innovative jacquard weaving and 3D printing, promoting this ICH craftsmanship to younger generations.
 
     Adding personal touches to paper product design with the letterpress printing technique, the printing studio ditto ditto created four sets of printed works, postcards and calendars depicting Hong Kong attractions, scenic spots and cuisine.
 
     Designers from Key-Point Productions have drawn inspiration from flexible street stalls and have incorporated numerous visual elements from old Hong Kong into four foldable exhibition installations for displaying the three groups of artworks mentioned above.
 
     For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.heritage.museum/en/web/hm/exhibitions/data/hk_snapshots_city_walks.htmlIssued at HKT 15:38

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Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency sponsored industry to participate in Comic Fiesta 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau sponsored the participation of selected original Hong Kong comic works under the fourth edition of the Hong Kong Comics Support Programme (HKCSP) at the Comic Fiesta 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and set up the Hong Kong Pavilion to facilitate the industry’s expansion into overseas markets and promote exchanges between the Hong Kong and Southeast Asian comic industries.

     Comic Fiesta 2025 took place on December 20 and 21. In addition to showcasing the 16 original Hong Kong comic works under the fourth edition of the HKCSP at the Hong Kong Pavilion, CCIDA sponsored the authors of the 16 comic works to attend the event in person and conduct drawing sessions. The set-up of the Hong Kong Pavilion was also supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. The two-day event attracted an enthusiastic response with around 10 000 visitors recorded, demonstrating Hong Kong’s strong cultural soft power.

     The HKCSP nurtures Hong Kong comic artists and supports local comic companies. Since its launch in 2021, the HKCSP has supported publication of 63 original Hong Kong comic works, some of which won prestigious international awards. Through participating in overseas events such as the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France and Comic Fiesta in Malaysia, and local events such as Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong, comic works developed under the HKCSP have secured nearly 40 licensing agreements for publishing in different languages, showing the vast potential of Hong Kong creative industries. For more information about the HKCSP, please visit www.hkcsp.hk.

        

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Waste-to-energy facility I·PARK1 trial operation proceeds smoothly (with photos/video)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (December 22) announced that the Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase I (I·PARK1) has commenced the first phase of trial operation.
 
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan; the Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), Mr Eddie Cheung; the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; and the Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui, recently visited I·PARK1 to inspect its operations, observing various facility sections, including the unloading and tipping of waste compactor containers, waste treatment processes, waste-to-energy equipment, and flue gas treatment and emission control. They were also briefed by the project team on the progress of the trial operation.
 
Located on an artificial island off Shek Kwu Chau, I·PARK1 adopts advanced waste incineration technology capable of effectively decomposing organic compounds, including dioxins. I·PARK1 consists of three incineration modules, with a designed municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment capacity of 3 000 tonnes per day. At present, the first module, capable of processing 1 000 tonnes of MSW daily, has already commenced trial operation. The remaining two modules will begin phased trial operations at a later stage. The heat recovered from the incineration process is used to generate electricity, not only powering the facility’s daily operation but also exporting 480 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to the public power grid, which is enough to power 100 000 households each year.
 
Following the inspection, Mr Tse said, “The completion and phased commissioning of I·PARK1 marks the launch of a new approach for managing MSW in Hong Kong beyond reliance on landfills. It signifies a crucial step of Hong Kong toward achieving our target of ‘zero waste landfilling’ by 2035. In the meantime, we are advancing at full steam the construction of the Integrated Waste Management Facility Phase 2 (I·PARK2) in Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun, while we remain committed to driving forward various initiatives on waste reduction, recycling, and resource circulation, continuing our progress toward the goal of ‘zero waste landfilling’ and carbon neutrality.”
 
Dr Chui said that the EPD has been closely monitoring the trial operation of I·PARK1 to ensure its operation and emissions comply with the stringent safety and environmental standards. Following I·PARK1’s progressive commencement of operation, the total amount of MSW transported to West New Territories Landfill and North East New Territories Landfill will be reduced accordingly, alleviating the pressure on the two landfills.
 
In 2024, a total of 10 510 tonnes of MSW daily was disposed of in Hong Kong. I.PARK1 and the proposed I.PARK2 can treat 9 000 tonnes of MSW in total per day. If Hong Kong society can keep the momentum of waste reduction and increase the recycling rate, there may not be a need to construct I·PARK3 to achieve “zero waste landfilling”.