MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department today announced that the first month of allowing dogs into permitted restaurants has been generally smooth, with the number of participating eateries rising from about 940 to over 980.

Over the past month, the department’s dedicated team inspected catering premises across various districts to offer support and raise compliance awareness among operators and customers through publicity and education. 

With the one-month adaptation period ending today, the department said it will now conduct risk-based inspections and take immediate enforcement action against non-compliance without prior warning.

As of yesterday, officers had conducted about 29,600 inspections of permitted restaurants, issuing 77 verbal warnings, and taking enforcement action against serious breaches.

Enforcement actions included issuing warning letters to three permitted restaurants for persistent non-compliance regarding cooking or heating food on dining tables. Two prosecutions were also instituted for failing to keep dogs securely on leashes.

Additionally, officers proactively inspected non-permitted restaurants, initiating six prosecutions against operators who allowed dogs to enter their premises in breach of the regulation.

The first phase of the measure has a quota of 1,000 restaurants. The department reminded operators to carefully consider their market positioning, customer base and operational conditions before applying, and to ensure sufficient preparation.

A waiting list mechanism is in place to ensure that when individual restaurants withdraw, released quotas are reallocated swiftly and orderly.

Source: Government of Singapore

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE ISSUED ON BEHALF OF AGENCIES IN THE HAZE TASK FORCE

9 August 2026 – As of 9 August 2026, 1.00pm, the 24-hr Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is 81 (Moderate range) in the Central region of Singapore. The 28 public agencies that make up the Government’s Haze Task Force (HTF) are ready to roll out their respective haze action plans should the air quality deteriorate into the Unhealthy range, when the 24-hour PSI exceeds 100. 

2.        Recent dry conditions have resulted in an escalation in the hotspot situation. Hotspots and smoke plumes were observed over parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan. Under prevailing southeasterly winds, smoke haze could be transported towards Singapore, particularly from the hotspots in the southern parts of Sumatra. The dry conditions are expected to continue in the coming week which could increase the risk of haze should the fires persist.

3.        NEA will continue to closely monitor the haze situation and provide further updates if the situation changes. If the 24-hour PSI enters the Unhealthy range, NEA will issue daily haze advisories. The daily haze advisory will include the 24-hour PSI forecast, which can be used by the public to plan their activities and events the next day.

4.        1-hour PM_2.5 concentration as an indicator of current air quality, and 1-hour PM2.5 associated personal guide when planning outdoor or strenuous activities over the next few hours. The 1-hour PM_2.5 concentration level can be volatile and fluctuate throughout the day based on weather conditions, particularly during periods of transboundary haze.

5.        The impact of haze on an individual is dependent on his or her health status, the 24-hour PSI level, and the duration and intensity of outdoor activities. Reducing outdoor activities and physical exertion, and drinking water to stay hydrated can reduce ill effects from haze exposure. Those with pre-existing chronic heart and lung conditions should ensure medication is readily on hand. Vulnerable persons, including the elderly, pregnant women, children, and those with pre-existing chronic heart and lung conditions, who develop symptoms or feel unwell, should seek medical attention promptly. More practical tips for households to reduce exposure to haze can be found here. Current air quality readings and advisories to protect public health, especially vulnerable groups are available on www.haze.gov.sg, www.nea.gov.sg and the myENV app.

Government Haze Task Force

6.        The HTF, which is chaired by NEA, develops and implements action plans to minimise and manage the impact of haze on Singapore. HTF member agencies have robust action plans in place, allowing tiered responses depending on the intensity of the haze, which are based on the air quality readings and forecasts.

7.        The HTF convenes annually, before the start of the dry season in June to update its plans. This year’s HTF has convened twice so far – once in end-January in light of the peatland and vegetation fires in east Johor (due to dry weather), resulting in some plumes from the fires to drift towards Singapore, and once in April. Refer to Annex A for the list of HTF members. For more details of the HTF’s action plans for mitigating the impact of haze, refer to Annex B.

Issued on behalf of agencies in the Haze Task Force

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

To promote the general awareness of Hong Kong and its unique East-meets-West food culture, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, DC, (HKETO, Washington DC), hosted on August 5 and 7 (Washington time) “A Taste of Hong Kong” workshops in which participants prepared and tasted classic Cantonese dim sum dishes and delicacies.

The hands-on, family-friendly event, organised in partnership with chefs from DC Cooking School, attracted government officials, Congressional staff, representatives from business associations, the food and beverages and hospitality industries, other private sector businesses, as well as the diplomatic community.

The Director of the HKETO, Washington DC, Ms Elania Luk, welcomed guests and offered a primer on Hong Kong’s vibrant and diverse dining landscape. “Even though Hong Kong is more than 8 000 miles away and 12 hours ahead of Washington, our cuisine has gladly made that journey to reach the dining tables of our friends here. This is testament to the close people-to-people connection between Hong Kong and the US (United States). There are over 80 000 US citizens living in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is also a key export destination for US agricultural products. For instance, despite having a population of only about 7.5 million, Hong Kong was the seventh-largest overseas market for US beef and beef products by value last year”, said Ms Luk.

“We encourage friends from all over the world, including the US, to come and explore Hong Kong’s globally renowned food scene alongside our East-meets-West culture”, said Ms Luk. “With a unique blend of Cantonese and Western influences, the city’s cuisine is shaped by tradition and ingenuity. Dim sum is the quintessential dining experience.”

Following last year’s The World’s 50 Best Bars award ceremony and this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 awards ceremony, both held in Hong Kong, Ms Luk said the city is firmly established as a culinary capital.

Offering a fusion of cuisines, many Hong Kong restaurants are featured in the prestigious Michelin guide. “The MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2026” recognises 219 eateries in Hong Kong, showcasing the city’s high standards and ingenuity in the catering industry.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Navigating career options amid rapid transformation in the media industry presents a tough choice for communication students weighing options between public relations, advertising and news reporting.

For Sophia Chong, a second-year student in the Department of Journalism & Communication at Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU) facing a choice of major next year, clarity came through a new cross-boundary initiative.

“I genuinely wish I had more opportunities to try different things before making a choice, so I can find a path that suits me best,” Miss Chong said. 

Miss Chong joined 15 other Hong Kong tertiary students in Changsha for a three-week immersive placement at Hunan Satellite TV’s production hub, also known as the “Colourful Box”.

The initiative was rolled out under the Youth Internship Programme at Hunan on Media Industry, jointly organised by the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, Hunan Satellite TV and the Journalism Education Foundation.

The interns were assigned across three variety shows – a cooking competition, a singing contest and an entertainment show – extending their practical exposure with a firsthand taste of production and advertising far beyond traditional news reporting.

Hands-on production

Assigned to a brand-new regional culinary show, Miss Chong had to conduct background research on the evolution of Cantonese dishes, pitch recipes and source renowned chefs and influencers as guest judges.

The work soon extended beyond desk research. She recalled the stand-in rehearsals – where interns simulated show sequences by taking on the roles of chefs, judges or hosts so camera operators and lighting crews could calibrate their setups – as a key highlight.

“It was a thrill like no other,” she said.

Industry praise

On entertainment sets, interns pitched creative game concepts to pump up the studio energy and came up with ideas to promote the guests’ upcoming releases and movies.

Meanwhile, those who were tasked with the singing contest programme faced a high-stakes trial by fire. Stepping into specialised production roles spanning props, lighting and stage positioning, they managed real-time technical execution, including lyric cueing.

For HKSYU student Jenny Hui, the internship was a demanding crash course in large-scale live broadcasting, where artistes’ movements, props and timing required precise co-ordination.

Hunan Satellite TV mentor Deng Junyin praised her eye for detail and adaptability on set.

“From communication to design, to execution and finally going on stage. I think she did a great job,” Mr Deng said.

Elsewhere in the studio, Christella Chan from the Chinese University of Hong Kong served on the teleprompter team, adjusting lyrics to each singer’s breathing rhythm.

She also leveraged her native language skills from the control room, providing real-time Cantonese-to-Putonghua translation for her team as singer Leah Dou chatted on stage with her crew after rehearsals, according to Zhu Zhenni, another mentor from Hunan Satellite TV.

“The interns from Hong Kong were a great help to us,” Miss Zhu said.

Fresh perspectives

The three-week immersion experience sparked Miss Chong’s passion for variety shows and creative production outside the newsroom. Yet, her biggest eye-opener came from the youthful, dynamic energy driving a Chinese Mainland media organisation.

“We were quite surprised that most of the directors are really young. They were actually born in the late 1990s or even 2000s. They try to bring in a lot of new ideas rather than following a traditional frame.”

Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak emphasised that the inaugural internship programme offers Hong Kong’s media talent a front-row seat to Mainland trends, while fostering a broader perspective on the country’s overall development.

“Through this internship programme, students can work alongside professional programme production teams, gaining an in-depth understanding of the media landscape and industry trends on the Chinese Mainland,” Miss Mak said.

She added the initiative aims to cultivate young talent equipped with a better understanding of the country’s development alongside a professional media perspective.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) today (August 6) alerted members of the public to not open or respond to any emails or SMS messages associated with a fraudulent website, which purports to be the website of the SWD (https://swd[.]gov-hk[.]co). Members of the public are also advised not to provide any personal information to the website.

The fraudulent website attempts to lure members of the public to click on unknown hyperlinks embedded for stealing their personal information. The SWD emphasises that the website has no connection with the department and has referred the case to the Police for follow-up.

Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the website concerned should contact the Police. For enquiries, please call the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed “Twilight”, “Contribute” and “Lightshadow”; a joint operation with the Labour Department codenamed “Fastrack”; a joint operation with the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed “Windsand”; and a joint operation with the Hong Kong Police Force and Hong Kong Customs, from July 31 to yesterday (August 6). During the anti-illegal worker operations, ImmD officers raided multiple target locations including restaurants, massage parlours and flats under renovation. Twelve suspected illegal workers were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised 10 men and two women, aged 35 to 62. Among them, a man was holding a recognisance form which prohibits him from taking any employment. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

     An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.” 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee today met with the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn to exchange views on deepening co-operation between Hong Kong and the bloc’s member states.

Mr Lee welcomed Mr Kao’s visit to Hong Kong, noting that the city has maintained close trade and economic ties with ASEAN, which has been Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner since 2010.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is pressing ahead at full steam with the formulation of its First Five-Year Plan. As an international financial, shipping and trade centre, Hong Kong is actively developing into an international innovation and technology centre and an international hub for high-calibre talent.

Hong Kong will continue to deepen exchanges and co-operation with ASEAN member states in areas such as trade, investment, finance, logistics and innovation and technology, to jointly promote regional economic development and achieve mutual benefits.

Mr Lee emphasised that Hong Kong serves as a functional platform for the Belt and Road Initiative. Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong enjoys the unique advantage of strong backing from the motherland while maintaining a close connection to the world. It will proactively serve as a super connector and a super value-adder, leveraging its role in “bringing in and going global” to provide ASEAN enterprises with a high-quality business environment and diversified professional services.

Through the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global, the Hong Kong SAR Government supports Mainland enterprises in expanding into markets including ASEAN, thereby promoting the two-way flow of trade and investment in the region.

Mr Lee added that the Hong Kong SAR Government established an Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last year, which is the fourth Economic and Trade Office established by the Government in an ASEAN member state, to further enhance economic and trade exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and the region.

He concluded that Hong Kong will continue to maintain close exchanges with the ASEAN Secretariat and solicit support from other stakeholders for Hong Kong’s accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau also attended the meeting.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region