Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

To echo World Mental Health Day 2025, the Department of Health (DH) today (October 10) is appealing to the public to pay attention to their own mental well-being and that of their close ones, adopt positive emotional management practices, build a caring and supportive community, and encourage those in need to seek professional help at an early stage. The Government launched the “18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline” in 2023, providing 24-hour one-stop support for individuals experiencing emotional distress. Since its launch up to the end of last month, more than 200 000 calls have been received. The Government’s one-stop thematic website “Shall We Talk” (shallwetalk.hk) also consolidates various mental health hotlines and support services for easy access by people in need.

The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) designates October 10 every year as World Mental Health Day to raise global awareness of mental health and to mobilise societal support. This year’s theme is “Access to Mental Health Services in Catastrophes and Emergencies”. 

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to public mental health. In the event of catastrophes and emergencies, the Hong Kong Red Cross stands ready to provide immediate mental health support services. On the other hand, the Government has long been providing mental health services to the public through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach, with an aim to enhance the public’s mental well-being.

On the promotion and prevention front, the DH and the Advisory Committee on Mental Health jointly implemented the “Shall We Talk” mental health promotion and public education initiative through a one-stop thematic website (shallwetalk.hk), social media pages, television and radio programmes, as well as roving outreach programmes in tertiary institutions and the community to promote mental health messages. To facilitate early identification and provide timely interventions and treatment, the Government has launched the Healthy Mind Pilot Project at three District Health Centres (DHC)/Expresses (DHCE) to provide free mental-health assessments and follow-up services. The Government will extend the project in 2026 to cover six more DHCs (i.e. a total of nine DHCs), with follow-up services to be provided by practitioners with an academic background and training in fields such as psychology or counselling. Additionally, to support the mental well-being of ethnic minorities (EMs), the Government announced in the 2025 Policy Address that it would extend the pilot project to provide emotional support and counselling services for EMs for two years. 

To cater for the needs of different groups, the Government has also formulated different targeted strategies:

Students
———–

The Government will regularise the implementation of the Three-tier Emergency Mechanism in secondary schools and extend it on a trial basis to Primary Four to Six students to strengthen support for students in need. Moreover, the DH also promotes mental health at schools through the Whole School Health Programme, with guidelines and checklists provided to participating schools. Health reports will be compiled for each participating school to recommend targeted school-based measures to promote physical activity, healthy eating, mental health and social well-being to improve the physical and psychological health of students. The DH conducts annual health assessments for all primary and secondary day-school students, including psychosocial evaluations via clinical assessments or questionnaires. Students found to have psychosocial or behavioural problems will receive an immediate risk assessment and support, as well as referrals to clinical psychologists of the Student Health Service or other organisations for further assessment and treatment.

Elderly people
——————-

The DH works with relevant departments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to deliver health talks, workshops, and training for elderly people, their carers, and volunteers to promote mental well-being among the elderly and address their common mental issues, such as depression, anxiety and dementia, while raising public awareness through various media on elderly mental health, including the prevention of elderly suicide. The Elderly Health Centres under the DH also provide health assessments for members using internationally recognised health tools adapted for local elderly, aiming to detect and prevent depression and suicidal risks early among the elderly.

Working population
————————-

The DH collaborates with the Labour Department and Occupational Safety and Health Council to execute the Mental Health Workplace Charter to encourage employers to provide mental health-friendly workplaces and commend schools and organisations that can arrange a specific number of staff members to receive mental health training, such as mental health first aid.

The Government encourages individuals in need to seek early professional help or call the Mental Health Support Hotline to obtain immediate assistance. Of the over 200 000 calls received, 509 calls were referred to the Social Welfare Department’s Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness and designated hotline for carer support, the Hospital Authority’s mental health hotlines, or NGOs for follow up.

The Government will continue to adopt a multipronged strategy to foster close collaboration among government departments and NGOs, fully utilising community resources, experience, and networks to develop a multidisciplinary tiered framework. The “Stepped Care Model for Mental Health” is expected to be finalised by the end of this year to better address mental health challenges, and build a caring and harmonious society.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau today (October 10) hosted a briefing session for the 9th First Feature Film Initiative (FFFI), providing an overview of the scheme. The briefing included sharing by filmmakers who are former FFFI participants on their experiences with the Initiative and in film production. The briefing also had a networking session to facilitate interaction and exchanges between aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals.

     Speaking at the briefing session, the Assistant Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries and the Secretary-General of the Hong Kong Film Development Council, Mr Gary Mak, remarked that FFFI was launched in 2013 aiming to nurture emerging talent in the local film industry. Over the past eight editions, the number of winning entries amounted to 30, with 18 already screened. These selected new directors and films have garnered numerous nominations and awards in various film events, with some achieving notable box office success. Mr Mak added that many of these new directors, building on the success of their first film, have since embarked on their subsequent work and some are even already working on their third film, showing a highly encouraging development.

     The briefing session attracted about 170 attendees, including past FFFI winners now working in the film industry who offered valuable advice with reference to the difficulties and challenges they faced during the competition process and on experiences in communication between actors and directors. Attendees also took part in a networking session to exchange ideas with practitioners from the film industry.

     Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Film Development Council (HKFDC) and CCIDA, FFFI is funded by the Film Development Fund to support winning new directors and their production teams to make their first feature films. In the past three years, HKFDC and CCIDA have sponsored 13 FFFI directors to attend 46 overseas film festivals and screening events, enhancing the exposure of these new directors and assisting them in building international connections and interacting with filmmakers outside Hong Kong. In addition, CCIDA has nominated or subsidised FFFI participants to attend local and overseas workshops and training programmes to broaden the development and exposure opportunities for filmmakers of the new generations.

     Applications for the 9th First Feature Film Initiative are open. The deadline for applications is December 15. The competition is divided into the Higher Education Institution Group and the Professional Group. Production teams wishing to join the film industry are encouraged to participate. For details of the application guidelines, please visit the HKFDC’s website (www.fdc.gov.hk/en/fffi), the FFFI Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HKFFFI) or Instagram page (www.instagram.com/ccida_fffi).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (October 10) investigating a case of methanol poisoning and appealed to members of the public not to purchase and consume alcohol from doubtful sources.

     The CHP received notification from the Hospital Authority (HA) today of a case involving an 86-year-old male who was a chronic drinker and presented with visual loss in mid-September. He sought medical attention and was hospitalised for management. He is currently in stable condition. Clinical and laboratory examination revealed elevated serum methanol level, and abnormal serum and urine formic acid (a metabolite of methanol) levels. The clinical diagnosis was methanol poisoning.

The Hong Kong Poison Control Centre of the HA having evaluated the patient’s clinical and laboratory results and believed that the patient might have ingested or been exposed to methanol. Consumption of alcohol containing methanol could not be excluded. The CHP has immediately conducted a home visit today with the HA and Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to look for possible sources of methanol exposure. The investigation is ongoing.

The CHP has reminded the HA to heighten vigilance to poisoning symptoms in patients seeking treatment recently in public hospitals. No other cases of methanol poisoning have been found so far.

According to CHP’s records, only one case of methanol poisoning was notified to the CHP in the past five years. The case occurred in 2024 and involved a 47-year-old ship crew member who presented with visual loss after consuming a self-prepared mixture of wine and hand rub.

The DH reminded the public that methanol is a toxic alcohol which is not intended for ingestion. Consumption of methanol can lead to damage to the central nervous system, blindness, or even death.
    
Members of the public are reminded not to purchase and consume alcohol from doubtful sources and to attend hospital for medical attention immediately if they suspect methanol poisoning.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government said today it will waive, for one year, fees for hawker licences, food business licences and restricted food permits.

 

The policy is applicable to either first issue or renewals of licences and permits that become effective for a year from November 1, 2025.

 

Announcing the move, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department highlighted that the measure was announced in last month’s Policy Address as a means of supporting small and medium enterprises and alleviating pressure on their business operations.

 

Starting from today, applicants, licensees and permittees can approach the department’s licence-issuing offices or visit its “Online Licence Services” website to proceed with new issue or renewals of licences and permits that come into effect during the concession period.

 

For those who have prepaid fees for licences or permits that are due to come into effect during the period, the department will contact them in writing and arrange for refunds to be paid.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Director-General of Investment Promotion of Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), Ms Alpha Lau, is conducting a visit to Dongguan, Guangdong Province, from October 9 to 11. During the visit, she is promoting Hong Kong’s new business opportunities and how enterprises can leverage the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global (GoGlobal Task Force)’s one-stop platform to expand their overseas business to go global via Hong Kong to local government authorities, the Office of the Financial Committee of the Dongguan Municipal Committee of the CPC, the Dongguan Songshan Lake High-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Songshan Lake High-Tech Zone), the Dongguan Binhaiwan New District (Binhaiwan New District) and business communities.

Ms Lau yesterday (October 9) morning held a meeting with the Deputy Secretary of the CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee and the Mayor of the Dongguan Municipal People’s Government, Mr Lv Chengxi, and member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of the Dongguan Municipal People’s Government Mr Liu Guangbin. Ms Lau stated that Hong Kong enjoys unique advantages in being connected to both the Mainland and the world under the “one country, two systems” principle, with the aim of attracting more enterprises to establish a presence in Hong Kong, strengthening its headquarters economy. This is particularly well-suited for Dongguan, a major hub with world-class advanced manufacturing industrial clusters. The 2025 Policy Address announced that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will integrate multiple offices to form a one-stop platform and establish the GoGlobal Task Force to develop diversified solutions for enterprises looking to go global. She expressed the hope of better serving enterprises in the Greater Bay Area, including those in Dongguan, in realising their overseas strategies.

Ms Lau attended the Dongguan-Hong Kong Synergies: Empowered by Capital Investment exchange meeting yesterday afternoon. This event was guided by InvestHK, and the Office of the Financial Committee of the Dongguan Municipal Committee of the CPC, hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR (GDETO) and Nancheng Sub-district Office Dongguan, and organised by Listed Companies Association of Dongguan. Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of the Dongguan Municipal People’s Government Mr Zeng Jianpeng delivered the opening speech followed by Ms Lau, who delivered the welcome speech to the enterprises and media representatives. The Director of the GDETO, Miss Linda So, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Regional Director for Southern China, Mr Peter Wong, attended the exchange meeting.

Mr Zeng said, “Dongguan City is actively encouraging enterprises to expand through the capital market, aiming to establish a Dongguan capital market cluster with a focus on innovation and technology and advanced manufacturing. As one of the world’s most influential financial centres, Hong Kong is a preferred destination for Dongguan enterprises seeking overseas listings. Dongguan will continue to improve its policies to support initial public offerings and foster rapid growth through the capital market. This event will provide a platform for exchange and support more high-quality Dongguan enterprises in connecting with the Hong Kong capital market and achieving high-quality development.”

Ms Lau expressed great anticipation for leveraging the complementary advantages between Dongguan and Hong Kong as well as facilitating enterprises in seizing Hong Kong’s opportunities for expansion and upgrading. She said, “Dongguan and Hong Kong are in close proximity and share a common heritage. Both are key hubs in the Greater Bay Area, and can complement each other in the development of new quality productive forces. Dongguan is a major modern manufacturing hub in the Greater Bay Area, while Hong Kong boasts an international business environment, a sound legal system, a free economy, and a well-developed financial system. As of 2024, 2 620 Mainland enterprises have established operations in Hong Kong, and over 1 400 listed in Hong Kong, including 304 from Guangdong. In fact, with its business advantages as a ‘three centres and a hub’, Hong Kong has always been the preferred platform for Mainland enterprises to go global. The GoGlobal Task Force as outlined in the Policy Address will integrate Hong Kong’s overseas offices, including the InvestHK and the HKTDC, as well as Hong Kong offices on the Mainland, to set up a one-stop platform, the GoGlobal Task Force, to proactively attract Mainland enterprises seeking to expand their overseas business to go global via Hong Kong.” She also took the opportunity to meet with local media to further explain Hong Kong’s business advantages and promote the GoGlobal Task Force platform.

The Head of China Markets of InvestHK, Ms Ying Yu, delivered a keynote speech on Hong Kong’s business advantages and services. The Vice President, Global Issuer Services of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, Mr Sam Luk, shared the latest developments of Hong Kong’s capital market. The conference also covered thematic sharing sessions, where professional services institutions were invited to discuss how Mainland enterprises can make full use of Hong Kong’s financing advantages to better realise their going-global strategies. The exchange meeting attracted more than 100 representatives from local enterprises, institutions, and the media.

Ms Lau today (October 10) conducted visits and meeting discussions with the Songshan Lake High-Tech Zone Administration Committee and key enterprises in the zone. This was the first return visit to the Committee and the zone campus led by Ms Lau since InvestHK signed a memorandum of co-operation with the Committee in August this year. The visit aims to continuously empower enterprises in the zone and help them develop solutions for global expansion. Ms Lau said, “Our team focuses on the specific needs for enterprises to go global, such as cross-border fund management and overseas networks expansion matters. A professional team will provide support services to help Songshan Lake High-Tech Zone enterprises plan their optimal global expansion strategies. The GoGlobal Task Force platform will also be provided by the Global Expansion Team based at the GDETO, serving as a one-stop contact point for the zone’s enterprises, conducting visits tailored to understand their needs.” At the meeting, Ms Lau also presented the development opportunities of the Northern Metropolis to the Committee. Vice Mayor of the Dongguan Municipal People’s Government and the Secretary of the Party Working Committee of the Songshan Lake High-Tech Zone, Mr Chen Qingsong, greeted the InvestHK delegation.

The same day, she visited the Songshan Lake Huawei Town, the OPPO Smart Manufacturing Centre and the Binhaiwan New District, introducing the HKSAR Government’s GoGlobal Task Force to companies and encouraging them to explore Hong Kong’s thriving innovation and technology ecosystem and leverage new opportunities in the city to build overseas financing centres, research and development centres, and global management centres.

Ms Lau and the InvestHK delegation will continue their visit to Dongguan tomorrow (October 11) to discuss with a leading semiconductor materials company on how to leverage the advantages of the Hong Kong platform to upgrade their overseas strategies and realise their global expansion plans.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     To enhance the capability and experience of government departments and public organisations in identifying and responding to cyberattacks, as well as improving their overall cybersecurity resilience, the Government launched this year’s Hong Kong Cybersecurity Attack and Defence Drill today (October 10). The drill is also conducted at an opportune time to better prepare for cybersecurity readiness for the upcoming 15th National Games and the Legislative Council General Election, which will be held in November and December this year respectively.
 
     The drill is spearheaded by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) in collaboration with the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force, the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited, Cyberport and the Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology and is joined by various government departments and public organisations.
 
     Addressing the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, stated that “security is the bedrock of development, while stability is a prerequisite for prosperity”, underscoring the importance of a secure cyber environment in promoting Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology centre. He highlighted that Hong Kong’s Cybersecurity Attack and Defence Drill employs practical combat scenarios on Internet-facing information systems with a view to conducting a thorough and in-depth evaluation of the defence capability of participating government departments and public organisations, thereby fully bolstering Hong Kong’s cybersecurity protection and resilience.
 
     During the drill, cybersecurity professionals are invited to act as attackers (the Red Teams) and perform simulated cyberattacks in a strictly controlled environment on participating organisations’ designated information systems, which are in operation, to identify potential security risks and vulnerabilities. The defenders (the Blue Teams) deploy their technical skills and strategies to detect and fend off these attacks while managing daily operations, thereby strengthening their incident response capabilities and enhancing their experience.
 
     Following the success of the first Hong Kong Cybersecurity Attack and Defence Drill organised by the DPO last year, the overall scale of the drill this year has been further upgraded to enhance its overall effectiveness. Thirty-four Blue Teams from 25 government departments and nine public organisations are participating with their designated information systems in the drill. Meanwhile, the 15 Red Teams comprise experienced Hong Kong and Mainland cybersecurity practitioners, higher education institutions, and three leading attacking teams recommended by the Cyberspace Administration of Guangdong Province, fully reflecting the collaboration and exchange in cybersecurity between Guangdong and Hong Kong. The DPO has also invited 15 cybersecurity firms from the Mainland with extensive drill experience to provide technical support and advice, joining forces to strengthen Hong Kong’s cybersecurity defence capability. Representatives from more than 60 organisations are also attending as observers to learn more about the drill process, serving as a reference for future drills.
 
     The drill spanned three days for a total of 60 hours, and will end at 11pm on October 12.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (October 10) announced that the department collected nine liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) samples from auto-LPG filling stations and LPG terminals on a random basis in September 2025 for laboratory tests. The results show that the LPG quality of all these samples complied with auto-LPG specifications.

The detailed test results are available on the EMSD’s website (https://www.emsd.gov.hk/en/gas_safety/lpg_vehicle_scheme/publications/general/results_of_lpg_sample_analysis/index.html). Enquiries can also be made to the EMSD’s hotline on 2333 3762.

In addition, the EMSD has been vetting independent third-party test reports submitted by LPG supply companies for each shipment to ensure that the quality of imported LPG complies with the specified requirements.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Government launched today (October 10) an open tender for the disposal of Lot No. 953 in Demarcation District No. 89 at Sandy Ridge, North District (Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster site), under a two-envelope approach. The tender invitation will close on December 31, 2025 (Wednesday).

The Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster site is situated in the Northern Metropolis and is adjacent to Lo Wu. The site, with an area of approximately 116 365 square metres and being rezoned to “Other Specified Uses” annotated “Innovation and Technology (I&T)”, is designated for the development of a data facility cluster and related industries purposes, aligning with the vision of developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre. The maximum gross floor area (GFA) that may be attained is 250 000 square metres, and no less than 70 per cent of the GFA must be dedicated to high-tier data centre use.

The launch of this tender for the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster site aims to provide advanced computing power facilities, foster the growth of data and artificial intelligence-related industries, strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a regional digital infrastructure hub, and advance the development of a digital economy and smart city initiatives.

A spokesperson for the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau said, “Through this tender, we hope to attract capable investors to develop Sandy Ridge into an advanced data facility cluster for a data centre and related industries to drive forward I&T development in Hong Kong. The Government has included specific provisions in the tender documents to ensure that the site will be primarily used for a data facility cluster, and will adopt a two-envelope approach in the tender assessment to enable a comprehensive evaluation of both non-premium and premium proposals with a view to selecting the proposal that best unleashes the site’s potential.”

Under the two-envelope tender arrangement, a weighting of 70 per cent will be allocated to the assessment of the non-premium proposal, and 30 per cent to the premium proposal. The tender must comply with the requirements on both non-premium and premium aspects specified in the tender documents. The detailed assessment criteria are set out in the tender documents.

The successful tenderer will be required to enter into a service deed with the Government, which will incorporate the commitments made in its tender to facilitate the Government’s monitoring of its implementation.

Land sale documents for the lot including the Explanatory Statement, the Information Statement, the Form of Tender, the Tender Notice, the Conditions of Sale and the sale plans have been made available for public downloading from the Lands Department’s website (www.landsd.gov.hk). Hard copies of the sale plan may also be purchased at the Survey and Mapping Office, Lands Department, 6th Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong, from today until the close of the tender. Details of the tender have been gazetted today.