Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs detects drug trafficking case involving passengers at airport (with photo)
Two male passengers aged 52 and 24 arrived in Hong Kong from Penang, Malaysia, yesterday. Customs officers intercepted the two men and found the batch of suspected cocaine in one of their carry-on baggage. The duo was subsequently arrested.
An investigation is ongoing.
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 20:59
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Xia Baolong meets CE in Beijing
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
CPC Central Committee Hong Kong & Macao Work Office Director and State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong met Chief Executive John Lee, who was in the capital for the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), in Beijing today.
Mr Xia said the Chief Executive has been leading the governance team of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in resolutely implementing the guiding principles of important speeches by President Xi Jinping on Hong Kong and Macau affairs and the central government’s strategic decisions.
He noted that under Mr Lee’s leadership, the team has shouldered its responsibilities courageously and striven for excellence with dedication in resolutely safeguarding national security and steadfastly promoting high-quality development, making remarkable achievements in various policy areas of the Hong Kong SAR.
When hearing the Chief Executive’s report on the work of the Hong Kong SAR last December, President Xi stressed that Hong Kong should proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan.
As the fourth session of the 14th NPC will soon examine the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Mr Xia said he believed that the Hong Kong SAR Government and different sectors of the Hong Kong community will certainly seize the opportunities, with a focus on the overall national development and taking full account of Hong Kong’s actual circumstances, in formulating the city’s first five-year plan, upholding and improving the executive-led system, continuously enhancing the efficacy of governance in accordance with the law, and giving full play to Hong Kong’s unique advantages and important role of maintaining close connections with both the Mainland and the world.
Mr Xia said he is confident that the Hong Kong SAR Government and the community will consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, accelerate the city’s development into an international innovation and technology centre, and develop it into an international hub for high-calibre talent, achieving better development by integrating into and serving the overall national development.
The Chief Executive thanked Mr Xia for his guidance and care for the Hong Kong SAR, and his support and recognition to the work of the Hong Kong SAR Government.
He noted that this year marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and is a crucial year for further deepening reforms comprehensively.
Mr Lee highlighted that since assuming office, the current-term Hong Kong SAR Government has been actively consolidating and implementing Hong Kong’s positioning in the development of the “eight centres” as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan.
Upholding fundamental principles while being innovative, the Hong Kong SAR Government has striven to explore new areas of economic growth, consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, and develop the city into an international hub for high-calibre talent.
It is accelerating Hong Kong’s development into an international innovation and technology centre, and promoting the development of the Northern Metropolis and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone.
Mr Lee added that the Hong Kong SAR will seize the opportunities in the National 15th Five-Year Plan to gallop on its course of development with full momentum and fully leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world under the “one country, two systems” principle.
The Chief Executive will lead the Hong Kong SAR Government to expedite the formulation of Hong Kong’s five-year plan to ensure comprehensive alignment with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Hong Kong will proactively integrate into and serve the overall national development, contribute to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt & Road Initiative, and tell the good stories of the country and Hong Kong, thereby achieving greater development for the city, making greater contributions to the building of a great country in all respects and advancing toward national rejuvenation.
The meeting was also attended by the the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office of the Central Committee of the CPC and the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Xu Qifang; Deputy Directors Zhou Ji and Nong Rong; and the Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR Dong Jingwei.
CE, education chiefs meet in Beijing
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
On day two of his visit to Beijing, Chief Executive John Lee met the heads of higher education institutions in the capital and exchanged views with Hong Kong youths studying there.
In the afternoon, Mr Lee met CPC Tsinghua University Committee Secretary Prof Qiu Yong to discuss issues of mutual concern.
The Chief Executive noted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) and has reserved about 90 hectares of land for developing the NM University Town.
He welcomed Tsinghua University to bring its advanced disciplines and academic programmes to the NM University Town to achieve collaborative development.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to actively foster closer co-operation between higher education institutions in Hong Kong and the Mainland.
Mr Lee also said he looks forward to seeing Tsinghua University and higher education institutions in Hong Kong deepen their collaboration under the Beijing-Hong Kong Universities Alliance, further enabling the two places’ higher education institutions to complement each other’s strengths in talent cultivation and scientific research.
Afterwards, the Chief Executive attended a seminar for Hong Kong students studying in Beijing organised by the Hong Kong Alumni Association of Beijing Universities, where he exchanged views with the students to better understand their learnings and daily life.
Addressing the event, he encouraged the young people from Hong Kong to make the best use of their study opportunities in Beijing to gain an in-depth understanding of the country’s history and latest developments.
Mr Lee also urged them to leverage their strengths and tell the good stories of Hong Kong, to contribute their youthful power to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation.
In the evening, he attended a dinner with the heads of a number of higher education institutions in Beijing which are included in the aggregate list of eligible universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme.
During the dinner, they exchanged views on issues such as the National 15th Five-Year Plan, the NM University Town and innovation and technology development.
Noting that the Hong Kong SAR Government has set up the Task Force on Study in Hong Kong to take forward the promotion of the “Study in Hong Kong” brand to attract top-notch students globally, Mr Lee said he looks forward to seeing more Mainland students and exchange students coming to pursue studies in Hong Kong.
Kowloon Park Sports Centre to reopen tomorrow
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 4) that Kowloon Park Sports Centre in Yau Tsim Mong District, closed earlier due to power failure, will be reopened at 7am tomorrow (March 5).
CE continues visit to Beijing
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, continued his visit to Beijing today (March 4), meeting with the heads of higher education institutions in Beijing and exchanging views with Hong Kong youths studying there.
In the afternoon, Mr Lee met with the Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee, Professor Qiu Yong, to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) and has reserved about 90 hectares of land for developing the NM University Town. He welcomed Tsinghua University, a top-tier university in the country, to bring its advanced disciplines and academic programmes to the NM University Town to achieve collaborative development. The HKSAR Government will continue to actively foster closer co-operation between higher education institutions in Hong Kong and the Mainland. Mr Lee said that he looks forward to seeing Tsinghua University and higher education institutions in Hong Kong deepen their collaboration under the Beijing-Hong Kong Universities Alliance, further enabling the two places’ higher education institutions to complement each other’s strengths in talent cultivation and scientific research.
Afterwards, Mr Lee attended a seminar for Hong Kong students studying in Beijing organised by the Hong Kong Alumni Association of Beijing Universities, where he exchanged views with the students to better understand their learnings and daily life. Addressing the event, Mr Lee encouraged the young people from Hong Kong to make the best use of their study opportunities in Beijing to gain an in-depth understanding of the country’s history and latest developments. Mr Lee also encouraged them to leverage their strengths and tell the good stories of Hong Kong, to contribute their youthful power to build a great country and achieve national rejuvenation.
In the evening, Mr Lee attended a dinner with the heads of a number of higher education institutions in Beijing which are included in the aggregate list of eligible universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme. During the dinner, they exchanged views on such issues as the National 15th Five-Year Plan, the NM University Town and innovation and technology development. Noting that the HKSAR Government has set up the Task Force on Study in Hong Kong to take forward the promotion of the “Study in Hong Kong” brand to attract top-notch students globally, Mr Lee said he looks forward to seeing more Mainland students and exchange students coming to pursue studies in Hong Kong.
Mr Lee will attend the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress tomorrow (March 5).
FEHD releases sixth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in February
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
FEHD releases sixth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in February
| District Among the sixth batch of Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering 11 survey areas in February, all were 0 per cent, indicating that the distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes was not extensive.
The FEHD has so far released six batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in February 2026, covering 62 survey areas. Among these 62 survey areas, 61 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged in the individual gravidtrap index as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month, i.e. January 2026, representing that the areas’ mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Only one area recorded a slight increase, but the index was lower than 10 per cent. Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission. Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#Issued at HKT 17:00 NNNN Provisional Statistics of Retail Sales for January 2026Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released the latest figures on retail sales today (March 4). The value of total retail sales in January 2026, provisionally estimated at $37.3 billion, increased by 5.5% compared with the same month in 2025. The revised estimate of the value of total retail sales in December 2025 increased by 6.6% compared with a year earlier. Rating (Exemption) Order 2026 to be gazettedSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Rating (Exemption) Order 2026 to be gazetted NNNN Banking industry introduces further measures to assist affected individuals of Tai Po fireSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Banking industry introduces further measures to assist affected individuals of Tai Po fire The HKMA and HKAB would like to take this opportunity to remind the public to stay vigilant at all times to prevent fraudsters from taking advantage of the situation. Whenever receiving calls that claim to be from banks, the public should authenticate the identity of the caller and never disclose personal and bank account information, passwords, or other sensitive information to suspicious individuals.Issued at HKT 16:00 NNNN Hong Kong’s inaugural Action Plan on Weight Management launched to build healthy and vibrant citySource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Hong Kong’s inaugural Action Plan on Weight Management launched to build healthy and vibrant city NNNN |