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Source: Tonga Government

February 3, 2025

The Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. ‘Aisake Valu Eke, has announced during the press conference held on Thursday, January 30th, 2025 that His Majesty’s Cabinet has approved a new initiative, and that is to allow essential services in all Government Ministries to remain open during the official lunch hour, and to be effective Monday 3rd of February, 2025.

The purpose of this initiative is to make Government services more accessible to the public. This will be advantageous to people from the Hahake and Hihifo villages who travels to Nuku’alofa, and sometimes have to wait until around the lunch hour is over and Government services open. This will allow the public to know that Government essential services will be available all day during the normal working hours.

Some of the essential services to be included in this initiative is the Treasury Services, Ministry of Finance; One Stop Shop and related services, Ministry of Revenue and Customs; Immigration Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs to name a few. Other services will be announced by each Ministry.

The Hon. Ministers will immediately work with all Chief Executive Offices to assess and identify essential services within their respective Ministries to be made available during the lunch hour. The public will be informed of these services and to start next week on Monday 3rd of February 2025.

Source: Tonga Government

The Lulutai Airlines aircraft which exited the taxiway and hit an embankment at Fua’amotu Airport had lost its hydraulic systems after a circuit breaker tripped, the Tonga Civil Aviation Office has found.

On 8 December 2023, a Lulutai Airlines Saab 340B was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Fua’amotu International Airport, Tongatapu, to Lupepau’u Airport, Vava’u.

On descent into Vava’u, the flight crew identified an issue with the aircraft’s main hydraulic system and elected to return to Fua’amotu.

After a safe landing in Fua’amotu, the flight crew planned to stop on the runway in accordance with the abnormal checklist for hydraulic fluid loss.

But with brake pressure remaining, and without a tug readily available, the crew opted to taxi to the terminal.

During the taxi, the aircraft lost wheel braking and direction control due to the depletion of hydraulic pressure, resulting in the aircraft veering off the apron and colliding with a disused refuelling bund, collapsing the right landing gear leg. The three crew and 35 passengers were uninjured.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi emphasizing importance of cross-strait peace and stability at first press conference since reappointment

February 20, 2026On February 19, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi held his first press conference since his reappointment. During the briefing, Minister Motegi highlighted the utmost importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung appreciates and welcomes the remarks.Since its formation last October, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet has repeatedly urged countries to place emphasis on cross-strait issues at such major international events as the 28th ASEAN-Japan Summit, the 20th East Asia Summit, and the Japan-US summit. During both the Japan-China leaders’ meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Japan-China defense ministerial meeting last November, as well as China’s military exercises around Taiwan last December, Japan directly expressed deep concern to China over cross-strait and regional security. These pronouncements demonstrate that ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is integral to the security and prosperity of Japan and the world and in the shared interests of the international community.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) welcomes the continued cooperation among democratic countries to counter the expansion of authoritarianism. MOFA also calls on countries to pay close attention to cross-strait developments and take concrete actions to safeguard security across the Taiwan Strait. Looking ahead, Taiwan will further enhance its self-defense capabilities, build whole-of-society defense resilience, and work closely with friendly countries and allies to ensure the peace, stability, and prosperity of Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Immigration Department announced today that to further facilitate visitors and enhance clearance efficiency, with effect from tomorrow, the eligibility criteria for the self-service immigration clearance (e-Channel) service for frequent visitors will be relaxed, and the enrolment procedure for the e-Channel service will be simplified.

 

Under the new arrangement, frequent visitors, including those holding valid travel documents and multiple visit visas, who have visited Hong Kong via Hong Kong International Airport two or more times in the past 24 months and who meet the relevant criteria, may enrol for the e-Channel service free of charge.

 

This enables them to perform self-service immigration clearance at all control points in Hong Kong using the e-Channel and enjoy a more convenient and efficient travel experience.

 

Moreover, the enrolment procedure for the e-Channel services has been simplified.

 

When registering at designated enrolment offices, eligible visitors holding valid electronic travel documents are only required to present their valid travel document used for entry, have their photo taken and sign a consent form. Fingerprint collection is no longer required.

 

The enrolment procedure for visitors holding non-electronic travel documents remains unchanged.

 

To perform arrival clearance, a newly enrolled visitor should place their travel document on the document reader of the e-Channel.

 

Upon entering the e-Channel, visitors using electronic travel documents should look at the camera for facial recognition, while those using non-electronic travel documents should place their enrolled finger flat on the fingerprint scanner for fingerprint verification.

 

Click here for details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan today convened the first meeting of the Department of Justice’s Expert Committee on Professional Services for Going Global to hear expert views on promoting Hong Kong’s legal and other professional services to support Chinese Mainland enterprises in expanding overseas.

Mr Cheung said that the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan give explicit support to Hong Kong in better integrating into and serving the overall national development. Enhancing industries with a competitive edge is one of the initiatives of the 2026-27 Budget.

On strengthening professional collaboration, it stated that the Hong Kong Professional Services GoGlobal Platform, initiated by the DoJ with the support of the Commerce & Economic Development Bureau (CEDB), aims to facilitate co-ordination among the professional services sectors in supporting Mainland enterprises to go global with Hong Kong as their preferred platform.

Mr Cheung added that the expert committee’s first meeting being held on the day following the delivery of the Budget was most timely.

Noting that the expert committee comprises experts from the legal, financial and accounting sectors from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong as well as outstanding business and corporate representatives, he anticipated that they would offer insightful advice for the work of the GoGlobal Platform.

At the meeting, the expert committee focused on two major areas of work and had an in-depth discussion on ways to enhance the integration of information related to Hong Kong’s professional services to facilitate precise connections between Mainland enterprises and Hong Kong’s professional services; and ways to enhance the understanding of the specific needs of Mainland enterprises expanding overseas as well as to co-ordinate Hong Kong’s professional services to efficiently meet such needs.

Mr Cheung stated that connecting and matching Mainland enterprises with Hong Kong’s professional services is a common goal of the CEDB’s Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global and the GoGlobal Platform.

The GoGlobal Platform will serve as a hub that brings together Hong Kong’s cross-sector professional services as the main force to support enterprises going global. It will promote and support the professional services sectors, empowering them to better respond to the needs for professional services of Mainland enterprises.

As for the GoGlobal Task Force, it will directly engage with Mainland enterprises, serving as the pivotal point of contact for Mainland enterprises using Hong Kong as a launchpad to go global.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Court of Appeal today allowed an appeal by Lai Chee-ying in a fraud case, while the Government said the objective fact remains that he exploited public resources for private use.

On October 25, 2022, the District Court had convicted Lai Chee-ying of two counts of fraud, and Wong Wai-keung, then a director of administration, of one count of fraud. Following a hearing in January 2025, the appellate court set aside their sentences.

In a statement, the Government said it is an indisputable fact that Lai Chee-ying has exploited the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s valuable public resources for over 20 years.

The Government noted the Court of Appeal judgement clearly pointed out that Lai Chee-ying’s private company, Dico Consultants, occupied and used the premises in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, while Apple Daily Printing breached the leasing instrument terms.

The statement added that both the appellate judgment and the trial judge’s reasons for verdict revealed the lease clearly stipulated the premises may only be used for publishing and printing business, and must not be occupied by any third party without approval from the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC).

The Government said that for more than 20 years, Apple Daily Printing had allowed Dico Consultants to occupy and use the premises to handle the private affairs of Lai Chee-ying and his family without the knowledge of HKSTPC.

If further emphasised that while the Court of Appeal considered the breach did not reach the threshold for a criminal fraud conviction in this specific factual context, the objective fact remains that Lai Chee-ying exploited public resources for private use.

The Government also pointed out that the Hong Kong courts have always exercised judicial power independently, with all judgments handed down in an open and transparent manner. It added that the District Court conducted the trial impartially.

While the defendants lodged an appeal in accordance with the law, the Government noted the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal while providing a detailed explanation of its reasons.

Under Hong Kong’s fair and impartial legal system, both the trial court and the Court of Appeal handled the case openly and transparently.

The statement noted that Lai Chee-ying is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following his conviction by the Court of First Instance of the High Court for three national security offences.

It emphasised that while the appeal in the fraud case has been allowed, the ruling does not alter the fact that Lai Chee-ying must serve his 20-year sentence for endangering national security.

The Government also made it clear that the Department of Justice acts strictly in accordance with the Prosecution Code. It added that prosecution was only instituted because there was sufficient admissible evidence to support a reasonable prospect of conviction and the move was in the public interest.

The Department of Justice will study the Court of Appeal’s judgment on the fraud case thoroughly to consider lodging an appeal.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The free medical consultation services currently provided for residents affected by the Wang Fuk Court fire will be extended to August 31, the Health Bureau announced today.

Since December, the bureau has been offering a free family doctor service scheme, free Chinese medicine consultation services and free denture replacement services to the affected residents. 

To render primary healthcare support to the residents continuously, the bureau will extend these schemes and services for six months to August 31. The service mode, meanwhile, will remain unchanged.

Affected residents may call the District Health Centre or Express (DHC) hotlines for enquiries and referrals. As of February 24, the hotlines have received 435 enquiries in total, while the DHCs have handled 224 referrals.

As of February 24, the Hospital Authority (HA) has provided necessary healthcare services to around 2,000 affected residents. Out of the 79 people injured in the incident, 78 have been discharged while the remaining patient is in stable condition.

On mental health support, the 18111 hotline has received more than 29,000 calls, about 770 of which were related to the fire.

While the HA’s 24-hour hotline has received 111 calls related to the fire incident, with 48 of them coming from affected citizens.

The bureau added that it will continue to ensure that the affected residents can receive convenient and effective medical support through DHCs across the city.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region