Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SWD urges public not to take children/family members to care centres or services unitsIssued at HKT 5:30
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HK’s drinking water testing programme conducted in strict compliance with international standards
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HK’s drinking water testing programme conducted in strict compliance with international standards
The spokesman said that, as understood, the media organisation had mainly collected samples of impurities from aerators of water taps (commonly known as strainers), and then placed the samples into water for laboratory testing. Aerators are a kind of filter accessory commonly installed at household water taps and shower heads to help block impurities. The presence of impurities in the samples is simply a result of the function of the strainer, and is not abnormal. In the past, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) had received similar inquiries, and staff members were deployed immediately to conduct onsite inspection, arrange flushing of consumers’ water meter, remind consumers to cleanse the strainers, and check if there were any irregularities in water quality. If there was a suspected water quality issue, the WSD would collect drinking water samples for testing and notify consumers about the results. In fact, only a few of such cases required water sample testing in the past three years, and testing results showed that the water samples complied with Hong Kong Drinking Water Standards (HKDWS).
The spokesman stressed that water quality testing must be conducted in accordance with international standards, including making reference to ISO5667 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for sampling and referencing Chinese National Standard GB/T 5750 and American Public Health Association’s (APHA) in testing methods and procedures. The samples tested must be drinking water samples, not those collected from strainers as arranged by the relevant media organisation. In other words, the type of samples, methods and procedures will affect the validity and representativeness of the tests.
The spokesman said that, as mentioned in the report, impurities collected from the strainers include resin, plastic, and silicone. It may relate to materials peeling off from pipes or fittings of the inside service of the building. These substances are not soluble in water. If such substances are found, the inside service should be cleansed as soon as possible. Generally, regular and proper cleansing and maintenance of the inside service of the building can effectively prevent excessive sediments accumulation and reduce impurities in strainers. Drinking water supplied by the WSD undergoes strict treatment and meets HKDWS. However, materials may peel off from public or inside service pipes of buildings due to aging or water pressure, necessitating the installation of strainers at pipes. Property owners, registered agents, and management offices must carry out regular and proper maintenance of building’s inside service, including cleansing sump and rooftop tanks to avoid sediments or rust accumulation, and regularly operating valves, cleansing filters, and flushing concealed water pipes to maintain good drinking water quality at the consumers’ taps.
To ensure the quality of drinking water in Hong Kong, the WSD runs a routine drinking water testing programme, randomly collecting water samples from over 28,000 publicly accessible consumers’ taps (such as those in shopping centres, community facilities, sports venues, and government offices) for testing every year. The sampling rate is based on international standards and the water quality parameters are drawn up in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines. Moreover, the WSD randomly select about 670 residential and non-residential water accounts each year to collect drinking water samples at their water taps and test for six metals (antimony, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and nickel) to ensure compliance with HKDWS. Relevant test results are regularly published on the WSD’s website.
The spokesman added that the WSD had requested more detailed information for follow-up with the consumer when enquiries were received from the media organisation. Such information is still awaited. The WSD will deploy staff to investigate and assist with flushing the inside service if the media organisation provides more information (including sampling locations). Water samples will also be taken for testing as needed to ensure water safety. For enquiries regarding drinking water quality, the public may call the WSD’s 24-hour hotline: 2824 5000.
Issued at HKT 0:14
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300 drawn to Mainland legal course
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Mainland Civil & Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2025 organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy concluded today, attracting about 300 participants from the local legal sector.
The two-day course is the first course held by the academy specifically for local barristers, solicitors, in-house counsel and dispute resolution practitioners.
It aims to deepen the local industry’s understanding of the Mainland’s civil and commercial laws and practical operations, and promote exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland’s legal and dispute resolution sectors.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said that Hong Kong and the Mainland have become more closely connected since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, with economic and trade activities becoming increasingly frequent. While many Mainland enterprises leverage Hong Kong as an internationalised platform to go global, overseas enterprises also invest in the Mainland through Hong Kong.
The academy specially organised this course to enable the local legal industry to gain in-depth understanding of the practice of civil and commercial law on the Mainland so that they can meet the actual needs arising from growing cross-boundary business, while improving their own competitiveness and expanding the room for their career development, Mr Lam added.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan pointed out that Hong Kong’s leading position in international arbitration continues to be reinforced and enhanced.
Mr Cheung highlighted the Department of Justice’s commitment to promoting the city’s leading position in arbitration in the Greater Bay Area and the international community, and providing legal services of higher quality and competitiveness to the Mainland and around the world, so as to further establish Hong Kong’s position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific region.
The course covers various key areas of the Mainland civil and commercial legal practice. Through lectures and seminars, the course further enhances the understanding and knowledge of Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution sectors on the practice and operation of the Mainland civil and commercial legal system, while providing a platform for exchange and co-operation between the Hong Kong and Mainland legal sectors.
Speakers of the course comprise Mainland judges, academics, legal professionals, corporate representatives, arbitration practitioners and members of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee.
Transport conference concludes
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Around 60 participants of the International Conference on Roads & Railways 2025, which concluded on June 13, visited today the works sites of the Central Kowloon Route (CKR) and the MTR Corporation Tung Chung Line Extension, respectively.
During the visit arranged by the conference’s organisers, the participants witnessed the achievements of Hong Kong’s transport infrastructure.
Co-organised by the Highways Department and the Institution of Highways & Transportation, the two-day conference attracted over 800 participants, bringing together global experts, scholars and industry leaders to share experiences and insights, and jointly lead Hong Kong’s transport infrastructure development to write a new chapter.
Ministry of Transport Research Institute of Highway Vice-President Wang Shuiyin, in his opening remarks and speech on the second day of the conference, inspired the participants to think about how to put smart and green road construction into practice.
In-depth discussions were then held on “Smart & Green Transport Infrastructure – Planning, Design & Construction” and “Green Solutions for Smart Transport Infrastructure”.
Students of relevant engineering subjects were invited to participate in the conference, which enabled them to understand the future development of transport infrastructure, as well as the breakthroughs in innovative technologies of the engineering sector.
In addition, arrangements will be made for young members from professional bodies and organisations to visit the CKR works site on June 21. They will have a closer look on how complex underground works were carried out in the urban areas with lots of buildings, dense population and high traffic flow under the project.
Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2025 of Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy concludes (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Mainland Civil and Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2025 of Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy concludes
The course covers various key areas of the Mainland civil and commercial legal practice. Through lectures and seminars, the course further enhances the understanding and knowledge of Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution sectors on the practice and operation of the Mainland civil and commercial legal system, while providing a platform for exchange and co-operation between the Hong Kong and Mainland legal sectors. Speakers of the course comprise Mainland judges, academics, legal professionals, corporate representatives, arbitration practitioners and members of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee.
The Academy will continue to capitalise on Hong Kong’s bilingual common law system and international status and provide platforms for capacity building, knowledge and experience sharing to Hong Kong, the Mainland as well as other jurisdictions, especially the legal talent in regions along the Belt and Road Initiative, to promote the exchange of international legal talent and reinforce Hong Kong’s status as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia???Pacific region, in order to develop Hong Kong into a capacity-building centre.
Issued at HKT 20:38
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International Conference on Roads and Railways 2025 successfully concludes On-site visits to Central Kowloon Route and MTRCL Tung Chung Line Extension works projects
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The International Conference on Roads and Railways 2025 co-organised by the Highways Department (HyD) and the Hong Kong Institution of Highways and Transportation already came to a successful conclusion yesterday (June 13). The two-day conference attracted over 800 participants, successfully bringing together global experts, scholars and industry leaders to share experiences and insights, and jointly lead Hong Kong’s transport infrastructure development to write a new chapter.
In his opening remarks and speech on the second day of the conference, Vice President of the Research Institute of Highway of the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Wang Shuiyin, inspired the participants to think about how to put smart and green road construction into practice. The conference then focused on Smart and Green Transport Infrastructure – Planning, Design and Construction and Green Solutions for Smart Transport Infrastructure, with in-depth discussions on the topics of innovative designs, construction and material technologies, smart monitoring technologies, strategies to cope with extreme weather, etc., which provided multi-faceted solutions for the promotion of smart and green transport infrastructure. Students studying relevant engineering subjects were invited to participate in the conference. This enabled them to understand the future development of transport infrastructure, as well as the breakthroughs in innovative technologies of the engineering sector. Deputy Director of Highways, Mr Richard Ng, said in his closing remarks that the conference inspired Hong Kong to create sustainable solutions through policy innovation and technological innovation in order to respond to various challenges in the implementation of transport infrastructures, while deepening international co-operation. He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the guests, speakers, supporting organisations and all participants for their participation which had made the conference a success.
The project team of the HyD introduced to the delegation their self-invented and multi-international award-winning Smart Site Management Hub, which effectively monitors the works progress of the entire project under different works contracts in a unified manner by integrating various data of innovative technologies, thereby enhancing site safety and construction quality. The delegation then visited the Kai Tak Interchange, Kai Tak Depressed Road and entrance of Yau Ma Tei Tunnel, as well as the works site at Kansu Street in Yau Ma Tei to understand how the project team had overcome the challenges encountered during construction, including tunnel excavation, re-provisioning of Gascoigne Road Flyover, etc in the dense urban areas. The project team also shared the people-oriented engineering philosophy of the project in striving to conserve the nearby heritages and iconic landmarks when implementing works, as well as first re-provisioning the public facilities affected, taking full account of cultural conservation and community needs. The delegation was specially arranged to visit the Former Yau Ma Tei Police Station to gain a deep understanding of the history of the century-old building and conservation engineering technology.
Dental services symposium held
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Department of Health (DH) today organised a symposium where renowned dental academics from the Mainland and overseas, as well as local dental professionals, explored the way forward and measures to promote oral health.
Held at the Hong Kong Palace Museum auditorium, the symposium also celebrated the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the DH’s dental services.
Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau, along with DH senior officials, officiated at the symposium’s opening ceremony.
Addressing the event, Prof Lo said, “Oral health is vital to overall health. At the end of last year, the Government released the final report of the Working Group on Oral Health & Dental Care, shifting the focus of Hong Kong’s oral health and dental care system from treatment-oriented to an approach targeting prevention, early identification and timely intervention.”
Prof Lo highlighted that the Primary Dental Co-care Pilot Scheme for Adolescents, launched by the Government in March this year, is an initiative of “widely promoting among citizens”, encouraging adolescents to prevent dental diseases, while the Community Dental Support Programme launched last month is an initiative focusing on enhancing dental services for the underprivileged.
The Government looks forward to collaborating with the dental professionals, training institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and members of the public to usher in a new era of dental services in Hong Kong, and continue to enhance various initiatives to promote oral health for all, he added.
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala delivered a video message for the symposium.
Keynote speakers included WHO Collaborating Centre for Translation of Oral Health Science Director Prof Hiroshi Ogawa, Peking University School of Stomatology Department of Preventive Dentistry Chairman Prof Zheng Shuguo, and University College London Special Care Dentistry Consultant Dr Navdeep Kumar.
They shared their insights on the WHO Global Strategy & Action Plan on Oral Health (2023-2030), the Mainland’s policy and efforts to promote global oral health, and the challenges and innovations in providing dental care to adult patients with special needs.
In addition, 16 NGOs and partners who have been actively participating in government-subsidised dental programmes, such as the Outreach Dental Care Programme for the Elderly and Healthy Teeth Collaboration, shared their achievements in serving the elderly and people with special needs.
Road test for Ting Kau Bridge set
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Transport Department announced today that a smart motorway operational test will be conducted at the road section of Ting Kau Bridge southbound, or Tsing Yi bound, at noon on June 21 for about 15 minutes.
During the test, the fast lane of Ting Kau Bridge southbound will be temporarily closed, while the hard shoulder will be open for traffic for the first time. The speed limit will also be reduced to 50 km per hour accordingly at the above road section.
The department reminds motorists to pay heed to the lane control signals and speed limits on site when passing through the road section during the test time, and follow safe driving instructions.
Launched on December 29 last year, the Smart Motorway Pilot Scheme at Ting Kau Bridge southbound has been operating smoothly.
With the application of artificial intelligence technologies, the newly installed Automatic Incident Detection System effectively assists operation staff at the Tsing Ma Control Area in detecting and handling traffic incidents more expeditiously.
As of the end of May this year, the system has effectively detected 16 traffic incidents that occurred at the road section within a short time, most of which were minor traffic accidents.
Of these 16 incidents, 11 were detected within 10 seconds and immediate alerts were issued to operation staff for follow-up. The detection time has now been significantly reduced by nearly 90%, raising the efficiency and capability to respond to incidents.
The June 21 test aims to further evaluate the pilot scheme’s effectiveness and to assess motorists’ compliance with the control signals and their proper use of the hard shoulder.
The department added that various operational data will also be collected during the test, as reference for optimising the pilot scheme and formulating the strategy for implementing smart motorways in future.
Missing woman in Tuen Mun located
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Missing woman in Tuen Mun located
A woman who went missing in Tuen Mun has been located.Issued at HKT 17:43
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Record-breaking of over 4 000 blood donors commended at Annual Donor Award Ceremony (with photos)
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) today (June 14) held its Annual Donor Award Ceremony to commend outstanding regular blood donors. The BTS also announced that a total of 4 081 donors gave blood 25 times or in its multiples in 2024/25, which breaks the BTS record for three consecutive years. This highlights the growing awareness and embrace of blood donation culture in Hong Kong. The BTS expressed its sincerest gratitude to all the enthusiastic blood donors.Prudential Hong Kong Limited
Sino Group
Nan Fung Group
Link Asset Management Services Limited
Sun Hung Kai Properties LimitedTsz Shan Monastery
Rotary International District 3450
Scout Association of Hong Kong
Evangelical Free Church of China – Yan Fook ChurchWhampoa Garden Management Limited
Lung Mun Oasis
Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Hong Kong Baptist University
The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyShatin College
West Island School
Po Leung Kuk Wu Chung College
Discovery College
Buddhist Hung Sean Chau Memorial College
F.D.B.W.A. Szeto Ho Secondary School
Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School
King’s College
PHC Wing Kwong College
Lai Chack Middle School