Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
To ensure the smooth conduct of the 94th INTERPOL General Assembly scheduled to be held in Hong Kong in late November this year, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), in collaboration with various government departments and relevant organisations, successfully carried out a comprehensive inter-departmental exercise last night (August 18), at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Victoria Harbour and the West Kowloon area.
The exercise covered a wide range of measures and arrangements, including simulating crowd flow management for approximately 1 000 delegates within the venue and their movement between the main and side event venues, command and coordination of sea and land transport, wireless network stress test, and contingency deployment plans for unexpected situations. These efforts aimed to ensure that every segment of the General Assembly would proceed efficiently and smoothly, while showcasing Hong Kong’s capability and determination in hosting major international events.
The exercise also simulated a scenario in which terrorists rammed a vehicle into the venue and opened fire during the General Assembly, resulting in mass casualties. Concurrently, an evacuation was carried out at a neighbouring educational institution due to a separate incident. Various departments and organisations swiftly activated their emergency response mechanisms. The exercise comprehensively tested the coordination capabilities of relevant stakeholders across various key operational areas, including immediate tactical intervention, emergency response, triage and emergency medical treatment of casualties, handling of suspicious objects, and management of affected persons. By refining contingency protocols, the exercise further strengthened inter-departmental counter-terrorism readiness and incident response capabilities.
The exercise mobilised over 2 600 personnel from various government departments and relevant organisations, including the HKPF, the Fire Services Department, the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited, and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming, observed the exercise on site, and commended the professional performance and coordination of all participating units.
As an international metropolis, Hong Kong must maintain a high state of vigilance amidst the complex and volatile global terrorism landscape. Through this comprehensive exercise, various departments further refined collaboration and contingency protocols, making every effort to ensure meticulous preparations for the upcoming major international events.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DPO holds Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge 2026 Send-off Ceremony for Hong Kong delegation The competition has received an enthusiastic response this year, attracting over 70 individual and team entries, almost doubling that of the previous edition. Following the first judging, 12 teams from various enterprises and institutions in Hong Kong have advanced to the Final Judging. These finalists will depart for Shanghai on August 24 to compete alongside finalist teams from Shanghai, vying for a place among the top four finalists and the Grand Award of the competition. Selected entries may be nominated to compete at the Asia Pacific Information and Communications Technology Alliance Awards 2026.
The teams representing Hong Kong in the Final Judging are as follows:
Category During their visit to Shanghai, apart from participating in the Final Judging, the Hong Kong delegation will showcase their innovative solutions to the Mainland technology industry at the competition’s exhibition in Huangpu. They will also participate in roadshows and business matching events to further explore business opportunities and unlock the value of data elements. In addition, the delegation will visit several local leading I&T organisations to deepen their understanding of Shanghai’s latest advancements in cutting-edge fields, including AI, embodied AI and new energy vehicles, thereby fostering deeper collaboration between Hong Kong and Shanghai in the development of the digital economy.
The Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge 2026 commenced in Hong Kong in April this year with the Final Judging set to take place in Shanghai this month. Themed “Co-creating a Data Industry Platform for the Two Cities”, the competition aims to encourage participants from Hong Kong and Shanghai to integrate open data sets from both cities to develop more innovative applications and promote the synergistic development of a smart city and digital economy in both cities. Details of the competition are available on the thematic website (hkshadata.org/enIssued at HKT 17:40
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Police today (August 19) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Tuen Mun.
Sze Po-chi, aged 81, went missing after she was last seen at a roundabout in Fu Tai Estate last night (August 18). Her family then made a report to Police.
She is about 1.5 metres tall, 65 kilograms in weight and of fat build. She has a round face with yellow complexion and short white hair. She was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, black trousers with white polka dots, grey slippers, carrying a black crossbody bag and holding a walking stick.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3128 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong students triumph at 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (with photo)
Gold medal:Ivan Mak (La Salle College) The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (August 19) congratulated the team on their excellent performance. “It is very encouraging to see the remarkable achievements of the Hong Kong team in the IOI to produce Hong Kong’s best performance to date, which is a result of the students’ persistent work. The students have demonstrated their problem-solving and programming skills, and innovative thinking,” she said.
“The Education Bureau (EDB) continues to vigorously promote digital education and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools. The Blueprint for Digital Education Development in Primary and Secondary Schools has been released to holistically cultivate students’ digital literacy, innovative thinking, and capability to adapt to future society. I wish to extend my gratitude to the school sector for partnering with the EDB in promoting digital education and STEAM education in Hong Kong continuously. Schools not only promote innovation and technology as well as digital education through classroom teaching, but also provide diversified learning opportunities for students outside the classroom including competitions in order to develop a solid foundation in mathematics, science and technology among students and nurture their creativity, enabling them to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems, enrich their learning experience and broaden their horizons.”Issued at HKT 15:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Online auction of vehicle registration marks to be held from September 3 to 7 (2) Bidders are required to provide a digital signature to confirm the submission and amount of the bid by using “iAM Smart+” or a valid digital certificate at the time of the first bid of each online bidding session (including setting automatic bids before the auction begins) to comply with the requirements of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance.
(3) If a bid is made in respect of a VRM within the last 10 minutes before the end of the auction, the auction end time for that particular VRM will be automatically extended by another 10 minutes, up to a maximum of 24 hours. (5) A VRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. Relevant information on the Certificate of Incorporation must be provided by the successful bidder in the Purchaser Information of the Memorandum of Sale if the VRM purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
(6) Successful bidders will receive a notification email around seven working days after payment has been confirmed and can download the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction. The purchaser must apply for the VRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser within 12 months from the date of issue of the Memorandum of Sale. If the purchaser fails to do so within the 12-month period, in accordance with the statutory provision, the allocation of the VRM will be cancelled and a new allocation will be arranged by the TD without prior notice to the purchaser.
The TD has informed all applicants who have reserved Ordinary VRMs for this round of auction of the E-Auction arrangements in detail by post. Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website or watch the tutorial videos for more information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hkIssued at HKT 15:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 18) detected a case involving a local company that conducted a cash transaction of a watch containing precious metals and stones valued at over HK$120,000 while not being a Category B registrant under the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Regulatory Regime. The investigation is ongoing.
According to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615), unless exempted, any person who is seeking to carry on a business of dealing in precious metals and stones and engage in any transaction(s) (whether making or receiving a payment) with a total value at or above HK$120,000 in Hong Kong is required to register with Hong Kong Customs.
In particular, no person other than a Category B registrant may carry out a cash transaction with a total value at or above HK$120,000 in the course of business of dealing in precious metals and stones. Any dealer who is not a Category B registrant, who claims to be a Category B registrant, claims to be authorised to carry out, or carries out any cash transaction(s) with a total value at or above HK$120,000, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment for six months.
Customs reminds dealers in precious metals and stones that they must obtain the relevant registration before they can carry out any cash or non-cash transaction(s) with a total value at or above HK$120,000.
Members of the public may report any suspected transactions involving precious metals and stones with a total value at or above HK$120,000 conducted without the required registration to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
A team of four students won two gold medals, one silver medal and an honourable mention, ranking sixth at the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) – the city’s best-ever performance at the competition.
Adam Xu from Wah Yan College, Kowloon, and Ivan Mak from La Salle College both won gold medals, Lo Ting-wai from Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School won silver, and Berton Choy from La Salle College received an honourable mention.
Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin congratulated the Hong Kong team on their excellent performance.
Ms Choi noted that the bureau continues to vigorously promote digital education and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools.
She added that the Blueprint for Digital Education Development in Primary and Secondary Schools has been released to holistically cultivate students’ digital literacy, innovative thinking and ability to adapt to future society.
She also extended her gratitude to the school sector for continuously partnering with the Education Bureau to promote digital education and STEAM education in Hong Kong.
“Schools not only promote innovation and technology as well as digital education through classroom teaching, but also provide diversified learning opportunities for students outside the classroom including competitions in order to develop a solid foundation in mathematics, science and technology among students and nurture their creativity, enabling them to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems, enrich their learning experience and broaden their horizons,” Ms Choi said.
The IOI is the most recognised worldwide computer science competition aimed at secondary students aged 20 or below.
Representatives from 92 countries and regions from all over the world participated in this year’s IOI, which was held in Uzbekistan.
In preparation for the 94th INTERPOL General Assembly, scheduled for late November in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), in collaboration with other government departments and relevant organisations, conducted a comprehensive inter-departmental exercise covering the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Victoria Harbour and the West Kowloon area.
The exercise held last night covered a wide range of measures and arrangements such as simulating crowd-flow management for approximately 1,000 delegates, their movement between event venues, command and coordination of land and sea transport, a wireless network stress test and contingency plans for unexpected situations.
The exercise also simulated a scenario where terrorists rammed a vehicle into the venue and opened fire during the General Assembly, resulting in mass casualties. Concurrently, a neighbouring educational institution was evacuated due to a separate incident. Participating departments and organisations swiftly activated their emergency response mechanisms.
The exercise thoroughly tested the coordination capabilities of relevant stakeholders across various key operational areas including immediate tactical intervention, emergency response, triage and casualty care, handling of suspicious objects and management of affected persons.
The operation mobilised over 2,600 personnel from multiple government departments and entities, including the HKPF, the Fire Services Department, the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.
Commissioner of Police Chow Yat-ming observed the exercise on site and commended all participating units for their professional performance and coordination.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2026, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), will present the dance drama “Harmony in Eternal Melody” by the Hubei Opera and Dance Drama Theater in September. The production is inspired by the time-honoured “bianzhong (bronze chime bells) culture”. Through the characters’ spiritual quest for universal harmony, it highlights the core Chinese cultural ethos of “Rituals bring order to the universe, and music creates universal harmony”. This is one of the programmes of the “Chinese Performing Arts Hong Kong Season” Series.
The production seamlessly weaves refined dance narratives with contemporary stage arts to recreate the mystical and sublime ancient Chu-style aesthetics, taking the audience across two millennia to experience the profound heritage of the Jing-Chu culture and Chinese civilisation. This critically acclaimed production was selected as a funded project of the National Arts Fund 2025 under the large-scale stage play and work creation category, and won the 18th Wenhua Award for Music. Chu-style dance blending vigour and grace
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Opening ceremony of JPC Summer Camp 2026 held today Addressing the ceremony, Mr Tang said that the JPC has nurtured generations of young leaders for Hong Kong over the past 50-odd years, instilling in them a sense of social responsibility and proper values. He expressed gratitude to schools, parents, the JPC Central Advisory Board, honorary presidents from various districts and all partners for their support for the JPC.
Mr Tang encouraged participants to master three key roles as JPC members through the summer camp activities, namely, “anti-scam experts” – to acquire anti-scam knowledge and heighten their awareness of technology crimes through card games; “anti-drug ambassadors” – to say “no” to drugs and safeguard themselves and people around them; and “national security pioneers” – to deepen their understanding of national security and promote the message that safeguarding national security is everyone’s responsibility.
He said that this year marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and that the country’s development creates boundless opportunities for young people. Citing the example of Dr Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong’s first payload expert participating in the Shenzhou-23 manned spaceflight mission, Mr Tang encouraged JPC members to seize opportunities, pursue their dreams with courage, and contribute to the country and Hong Kong in different capacities in the future.
The annual JPC Summer Camp lasts four days and three nights. More than 200 members are taking part this year. Under the theme “Exploring a New Chapter”, the camp features diversified activities and training, including competitions incorporated with policing knowledge and investigative elements, as well as adventure-based exercises, with an aim of supporting young participants to achieve breakthroughs and grow, drawing their attention to anti-drug and anti-crime messages, and providing them with positive education to strengthen their teamwork and leadership skills. Issued at HKT 18:35