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Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong and World Internet Conference (WIC) Secretary General Ren Xianliang announced today the launch of the WIC Asia-Pacific Summit 2025 in Hong Kong.

Under the theme “Integration of AI & Digital Technologies Shaping the Future – Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace”, the event will be staged at the Convention & Exhibition Centre on April 14 and 15.

For the first time, the WIC has designated Hong Kong to host the Asia-Pacific summit.

The bureau said the summit is expected to attract around 1,000 participants from the Mainland and overseas, including representatives from governments and enterprises, international organisations, leading corporations, experts and scholars.

Through exploring the latest trends in various technology areas, as well as in-depth exchanges of views and experiences, the event aims to enable all parties to seize the development opportunities brought about by digital and intelligent transformation, promoting high-quality development in innovation and technology (I&T), strengthening digital collaboration, and creating new momentum and new advantages for the development of the Asia-Pacific region.

At a press conference today, Prof Sun pointed out that the WIC choosing Hong Kong as the host affirms the city’s pivotal role of bridging China and the world as a dual platform, further strengthening its position as an international I&T centre.

The summit is expected to deepen regional co-operation in the I&T field, support Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T centre, and foster the development of the digital economy across the Asia-Pacific region, he added.

The event is organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and co-organised by the Innovation, Technology & Industry Bureau. In addition to the opening ceremony and the main forum on “The Future of Digital Intelligence”, there will be three sub-forums themed “Large Artificial Intelligence Models”, “Digital Finance” and “Digital Government & Smart Life”, where internationally renowned speakers will share their insights.

A government-enterprise dialogue session, a cybersecurity emergency response advanced training programme, and an information meeting on Practice Cases & Awards for Pioneering Science & Technology will also be held.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau today said it is highly concerned about the errors made by Cityline in printing some of the tickets for the “Coldplay: Music of the Spheres World Tour”, and has requested Cityline to handle the matter swiftly and properly to ensure that ticket holders’ experience would not be affected.

The bureau learnt that Cityline has provided several remedial measures, including adding ticket exchange locations in Hong Kong and the Mainland, extending the ticket exchange time period until the performance starts, and refunding handling fees to affected ticket holders, in order to respond to the requests by those affected.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The latest cost estimate for the Shatin to Central Link project is $87.3 billion, exceeding the original entrustment cost assigned for the MTR Corporation by $16.5 billion.

The Government signed the entrustment agreement with the MTRC for the main works of project for $70.8 billion in 2012.

The Transport & Housing Bureau said the rail operator submitted its latest cost estimate for the project today, citing a number of reasons for the cost increase.

The major reasons include modification works, additional works and claims for associated delays arising from the archaeological findings and preservation works at Sung Wong Toi Station, the additional cost arising from the delay in site handover in Wan Chai, and the works at Exhibition Centre Station for providing flexibility for the topside development.

The Highways Department will ask the railway company to provide detailed information and in collaboration with its monitoring and verification consultant will critically scrutinise the estimate.

The bureau said the Government will apply for additional funding from the Legislative Council in a timely manner upon completion of the examination and confirmation of the latest cost estimate, so the rest of the works can be completed as planned.

With 79% of the overall works for the link completed by the end of October, the Tai Wai to Hung Hom Section and the Hung Hom to Admiralty Section of the link are expected to open in mid-2019 and in 2021, the bureau added.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Matthew Cheung departed for Macau today to visit the city for the first time since becoming Chief Secretary.

Speaking to reporters before his departure, he said he will meet Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui.

He will also sign the Arrangement for Mutual Service of Judicial Documents with Macau Secretary for Administration & Justice Sonia Chan.

He said the pact is to ensure judicial documents are delivered smoothly and reliably between Hong Kong and Macau.

Mr Cheung said he will tour the Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre to learn more about youth entrepreneurship in the city.

The visit will boost ties between the two cities, which is very important, he added.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Source: Cleaner Neighbourhoods With Stepped-Up Efforts In The Year Of Public Hygiene

Singapore, 4 March 2025 – The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), under the National Environment Agency (NEA), has launched a $25 million Weather Science Research Programme (WSRP). The new programme aims to enhance Singapore’s ability to understand and predict our tropical urban weather, including extreme weather arising from climate change. The WSRP, funded under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan, is now open for research proposals from local research institutions.

2          Climate change poses significant challenges for Singapore and the wider Southeast Asian region. Singapore’s Third National Climate Change Study, led by the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) [1] under MSS, projects higher temperatures, more extreme wet and dry periods, and rising mean sea levels by the end of the century. Singapore is located in the deep-tropics where weather prediction is particularly challenging, due to the complexity of dominant local weather processes like thunderstorms and fine-scale interactions with local features such as coasts and the urban landscape. Recent advancements in weather research and technology, such as high-resolution modelling, artificial intelligence and enhanced remote-sensing observational networks, present opportunities to tackle the challenges of tropical local weather prediction.

3            Through the new programme, MSS aims to build weather science capability in the national research ecosystem. CCRS will work with Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutes to improve weather prediction for Singapore and the region by incorporating the latest scientific and technological developments in this area.

4          For example, researchers will use artificial intelligence (AI) to combine data from various sources, potentially enhancing predictions of heavy rainfall and strong winds. The programme will also develop advanced weather prediction systems that consider how local weather is affected by ocean and land conditions, which could improve our ability to forecast phenomena like Sumatra squalls. Scientists will also investigate new ways of incorporating weather observations, such as those from polar-orbiting environmental satellites and ground-based radars, for more accurate and timely weather forecasts.

5          A key initiative under the new programme is to create a detailed historical weather re-analysis over recent decades for Southeast Asia – the first of its kind in the region. This comprehensive dataset will offer valuable insights into past weather patterns and provide a valuable dataset to leverage AI for local weather prediction. WSRP projects are expected to be awarded in the second half of 2025.

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[1] CCRS is a research centre under MSS and part of NEA. It was officially launched in March 2013, with the vision to be a world leading centre in tropical climate and weather research focusing on the Southeast Asia region.

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