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Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cannabis buds at airport       
     A 57-year-old Japanese male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, that day. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected cannabis buds inside his check-in baggage and 98 alternative smoking products in his trousers pocket. The man was subsequently arrested.
      
     The arrested man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and one count of importing alternative smoking products. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (July 6).
      
     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 to 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.
      
     Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
      
     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 18:26

Well-Being·Start-Up expands sevenfold over two years with programme entering new phase and becoming regularised to add more shop quotas and reopen applications to support young people in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams       
Breaking traditional boundaries to expand opportunities seven-foldIssued at HKT 16:26

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DH announces latest situation regarding Legionnaires’ disease cases      The CHP is conducting epidemiological investigations to identify the potential sources of infection and high-risk exposure. An initial investigation revealed that the seven community-acquired cases are sporadic cases. No epidemiological linkages have been established between these cases and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong.
     
     As of July 4, 89 LD cases had been recorded this year. In 2025 and 2024, there were 167 and 135 LD cases respectively.

     Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpool spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or ships.        The public may visit the CHP’s LD pageIssued at HKT 16:30

Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy organises GBA Foreign-Related Adjudication Talent Training Course in Guangzhou 
     Addressing the opening ceremony, Mr Lam expressed his gratitude for the guidance of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) and the support of the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province. Mr Lam said that this training course is specifically designed for judges from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and neighbouring provinces, following the collaboration between the Academy and the SPC and the Shanghai High People’s Court. It aims to further deepen judicial exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland, aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan in relation to strengthening co-ordination in regional development and reinforcing and enhancing the role of the GBA as an engine for high-quality development, thereby contributing to the construction of a collaborative mechanism for nurturing foreign-related legal talent in the GBA.

     Over 100 senior judges specialising in handling foreign-related and bankruptcy adjudication, from 68 courts across 32 cities in Guangdong Province and neighbouring provinces, including Guangxi, Hainan, and Hunan, participated in the three-day training course. Through thematic lectures and interactive dialogues, the training course focuses on Hong Kong’s common law system and the practical application of guarantee law in foreign-related hearings. It has also invited judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court in Hong Kong and senior legal professionals to deliver lectures, so as to enhance participants’ capability in handling cross-border cases.
 
     The Academy will capitalise on Hong Kong’s bilingual common law system and international status and provide a platform for capacity building, knowledge, and experience sharing for legal professionals in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and other jurisdictions, in particular those along the Belt and Road. It will also 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 and develop Hong Kong as a capacity-building hub, further contributing to the construction of the country’s foreign-related rule of law.
Issued at HKT 14:42

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Secondary One places allocation results to be released tomorrow 
SSPA allocation results
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     A total of 48 545 students participated in the SSPA System for this allocation cycle. Based on the total number of students allocated DP and the first three choices through CA, the overall satisfaction rate is 95 per cent. According to the number of students allocated DP and the first choice through CA, the satisfaction rate is 84 per cent.
 
     The respective satisfaction rates for DP and CA this year are:
 
* Among the students allocated DP, 68 per cent were allocated the first choice; and
 
* For students allocated through CA (including Part A for Unrestricted School Choices and Part B for Restricted School Choices), 91 per cent were allocated the first three choices and 74 per cent were allocated the first choice.
 
     The EDB hopes that parents and students will maintain a positive attitude towards the allocation results. The learning effectiveness of students does not hinge merely on the schools to which they are allocated but rather on whether they have a proactive mindset in learning. It is important for parents to continue to support and encourage their children, avoiding placing a burden on them due to personal expectations.
 
Announcement of allocation results
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     All current Primary Six students participating in this year’s SSPA System should return to their primary school tomorrow to collect the Allocation Slip and Admission Slip. Parents can obtain the allocation results by the following means:
      Please refer to the series of related videos and the Parent’s Guide on the bureau’s homepage (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/secondary-spa/general-info/sspa_eplatform_parents_guide.html 
Completion of registration procedure
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     All students must register at their allocated secondary schools this Thursday or Friday (July 9 or 10). In case neither the students nor their parents or guardians are able to return to the school to collect the Allocation Slip and Admission Slip in person, the parents or guardians should authorise a representative in writing in advance to collect the documents and complete the registration procedure on their behalf.
 
     Should any parent or guardian have genuine difficulties in collecting the Admission Slip and registering with the allocated school personally or through an authorised representative, he or she should inform the secondary schools concerned or the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB before the registration deadline to make appropriate registration arrangements. Failure to do so will be taken as giving up the place allocated.
 
Arrangements under inclement weather
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     In case of inclement weather or other special circumstances on the day for the announcement of the allocation results or on the days for registration, all schools and parents should pay attention to announcements on radio or television for special arrangements for the announcement of the allocation results or registration.
 
Enquiries
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     For enquiries about the allocation results, students and parents may call the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB on 2832 7740 and 2832 7700 during office hours.
Issued at HKT 14:30

Music Office’s Instrumental Music Training Scheme invites applications from beginners 
     The scheme provides training in over 20 Chinese and Western musical instruments including erhu, pipa, suona, sheng, zhongruan, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, French horn, trombone, euphonium, violin, viola, cello, double bass and others, with supplementary training in musicianship and theory for children and youths to develop their interest and potential in music.
 
     One-hour group lessons are conducted weekly in Cantonese at the Music Office’s five music centres in Wan Chai, Kwun Tong, Mong Kok, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan. An annual tuition fee of $2,430 for the first year and $2,970 for the second year are payable in four instalments. A fee remission scheme is available for trainees in need of financial assistance.
 
     Interested persons can visit the Music Office website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/mo/training/instrumentalmusictrainingscheme.html 
     For enquiries, please call the Music Office’s music centres at 2802 0657 (Wan Chai), 2796 2893 (Kwun Tong), 2399 2200 (Mong Kok), 2158 6462 (Sha Tin) and 2417 6429 (Tsuen Wan).
Issued at HKT 12:30

PCPD and DPO jointly launch Safeguarding Personal Data AI Sandbox      
     The first phase of the Sandbox programme will be six months in duration, which aims to provide a collaborative platform for schools to explore and adopt AI solutions. During the first phase of the pilot, 15 school applicants will be selected to benefit from complimentary access to the PCPD’s regulatory guidance on personal data privacy protection, the DPO’s guidance on the Hong Kong Generative Artificial Intelligence Technical and Application Guideline, as well as technical advice from Hong Kong Cyberport and the Hong Kong Productivity Council in implementing AI solutions, with a view to fostering school innovation while facilitating its compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and promoting the responsible adoption of AI technologies.

     The programme is now open for applications from publicly funded primary and secondary schools until October 30, 2026. A briefing session on details of the programme will be held on August 28, 2026. Interested schools may visit www.pcpd.org.hk/english/artificial_intelligence/index.htmlIssued at HKT 11:00