MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, today (October 2) extended her congratulations to sailing athletes Kiu Ethan Lachlan, Polson Louis Oliver, Chloe Kong and Mccarley Wong on winning two gold medals for the Hong Kong, China Delegation in Boys’ Skiff – 29er and Girls’ Skiff – 29er respectively at the 20th Asian Games.

Miss Law also extended her congratulations to squash athletes Chan Sin-yuk, Ho Tze-lok, Lee Ka-yi and Tse Yee-lam, Toby for winning a silver medal in Women’s Team; sailing athlete Nicholas Bezy Halliday for winning a silver medal in Men’s Dinghy ILCA7; track cycling athlete Lee Sze-wing for winning a bronze medal in Women’s Omnium; and tennis athletes Eudice Chong and Wong Hong-yi for winning a bronze medal in Women’s Doubles.

Miss Law said, “Hong Kong, China athletes had a great day in sailing event today. Kiu Ethan Lachlan, Polson Louis Oliver, Chloe Kong and Mccarley Wong were in excellent form, winning two gold medals respectively in the Boys’ Skiff – 29er and Girls’ Skiff – 29er. This marks Hong Kong, China’s first-ever gold medals in sailing event. Nicholas Bezy Halliday also performed admirably, winning a silver medal. At this year’s Asian Games, Hong Kong, China sailing athletes have won a total of two gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal, marking a new milestone in the history of Hong Kong sailing sports.”

“Also, Chan Sin-yuk, Ho Tze-lok, Lee Ka-yi and Tse Yee-lam, Toby battled their opponents to win silver medals for two consecutive times; Lee Sze-wing gave her all on the cycling track, winning a bronze medal in the individual event after winning a silver medal at the Women’s Madison yesterday (October 1); Eudice Chong and Wong Hong-yi performed to their best, winning a medal in the Women’s Doubles. As this year’s Asian Games almost comes to an end, it is believed that Hong Kong citizens will continue to focus on the athletes’ performances in the remaining events and encourage them to shine on the Asian Games stage!”

The Hong Kong, China Delegation has so far won forty-six medals, namely seven gold, seventeen silver and twenty-two bronze, at the Asian Games. The newly added six medals are as follows:

Gold medals
—————
Sailing: Boys’ Skiff – 29er
Kiu Ethan Lachlan, Polson Louis Oliver 

Sailing: Girls’ Skiff – 29er
Chloe Kong, Mccarley Wong

Silver medals
—————
Squash: Women’s Team
Chan Sin-yuk, Ho Tze-lok, Lee Ka-yi, Tse Yee-lam, Toby

Sailing: Men’s Dinghy ILCA7
Nicholas Bezy Halliday

Bronze medals
—————
Track cycling: Women’s Omnium
Lee Sze-wing

Tennis: Women’s Doubles
Eudice Chong, Wong Hong-yi

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 2) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Rural Municipality of Rockwood of Manitoba Province in Canada, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong. 

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, no poultry meat and eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Canada in the first six months of this year. 

“The CFS has contacted the Canadian authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said. 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law congratulated Hong Kong, China athletes on winning two gold, two silver and two bronze medals in sailing, squash, track cycling and tennis at the 20th Asian Games today.

Athletes had a great day in sailing events. Kiu Ethan Lachlan, Polson Louis Oliver, Chloe Kong and Mccarley Wong won two gold medals in the Boys’ Skiff – 29er and the Girls’ Skiff – 29er respectively, while Nicholas Bezy Halliday secured a silver medal in the Men’s Dinghy ILCA7.

Miss Law noted that the four gold medallists displayed excellent form, marking Hong Kong, China’s first-ever gold medals in sailing. She also applauded Nicholas Bezy Halliday’s admirable performance, adding that the sailing team’s final haul of two gold, two silver, and one bronze set a historic new milestone for the sport.

Meanwhile, squash athletes Chan Sin-yuk, Ho Tze-lok, Lee Ka-yi and Tse Yee-lam, Toby bagged a silver medal in the Women’s Team event. Track cyclist Lee Sze-wing claimed a bronze medal in the Women’s Omnium, while tennis players Eudice Chong and Wong Hong-yi captured a bronze medal in the Women’s Doubles.

Miss Law commended the squash team for battling their opponents to secure silver for the second consecutive time.

The sports chief also praised Lee Sze-wing for giving her all on the cycling track and winning a bronze in the individual event after her earlier silver in the Women’s Madison.

In addition, Miss Law lauded Eudice Chong and Wong Hong-yi for performing at their best and winning a bronze in the Women’s Doubles.

As this year’s Asian Games is almost coming to an end, Miss Law urged the public to continue supporting the athletes in the remaining events.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Education Bureau held the learning outcomes sharing session of the “Salute to the National Flag” Beijing Visit Delegation at Kowloon Technical School today, promoting the outcomes of the activity among more young people and various sectors of the society.

About 250 student representatives of the delegation from tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools shared their learning experiences during the five-day visit to Beijing.

Speaking at the session, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki described the delegation as a high-level “walking classroom”, which enabled students to feel for themselves the national dignity represented by the national flag and the national anthem through the solemn flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square.

He said that this deepened their understanding of the symbolic meaning of the national flag, and strengthened their sense of national identity and patriotism.

Mr Chan said that students experienced at first hand our country’s journey from arduous struggle to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation from the country’s millennia-old cultural heritage to the development achievements of the new era.

He added that the delegation was received in person by Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang, and by the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Xia Baolong at the Great Hall of the People.

“Mr Ding conveyed the cordial remarks and exhortations of President Xi and the Central Government to the young people from Hong Kong and Macao, enabling students to feel the care and expectations of the Central Authorities for Hong Kong and Macao young people, and to understand more deeply the important meaning carried by the national flag,” Mr Chan said.

He emphasised that patriotic education has all along been a top priority of the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address also list the promotion of patriotic education as a key task.

He noted that today’s learning outcomes sharing session aims to pass on more widely and further what the students learned in Beijing, so that more young people may gain a deeper understanding of the important meaning of the national flag and feel more deeply our country’s care and concern for young people.

He said the Government will continue to join hands with various sectors of the society and, through rich and diverse means, enable young people to build a firm sense of national identity, national confidence and a sense of responsibility through first-hand experience.

Today’s sharing session began with a flag-raising ceremony. A joint team formed by flag-raising teams of the Association of Hong Kong Flag-guards and the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association, drawing on the experience of exchanges and interaction in Beijing with the People’s Liberation Army Ceremonial Escort Battalion, conducted a solemn flag-raising ceremony. Booths were also set up at the session for members of the delegation to introduce their learning experience in Beijing.

Around 1,200 flag-raising team representatives, teachers, students and youth group representatives from Hong Kong and Macao joined the delegation’s thematic activity in Beijing from September 18 to 22.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government today settled with the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) over delays and cost overruns on the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL)mand the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) projects.

Under the agreement, the MTRCL will pay the Government HK$2.25 billion for the programme delay of the XRL project.

For the SCL project, both parties agreed not to pursue claims against each other for the delay, with the MTRCL shouldering approximately HK$2.8 billion in additional project management cost for the whole project, alongside expenses from the quality incident of the Hung Hom Station Extension.

Entrusted to the MTRCL by the Government, both projects underwent extensive negotiations before reaching today’s settlement. 

The Transport & Logistics Bureau said that the settlement arrangement holds the MTRCL accountable for delays of both projects, adding that authorities followed up in a serious, rigorous and professional manner with the MTRCL to safeguard the legitimate interests of the Government and the public.

Following independent legal and engineering advice, the Government and the MTRCL have thoroughly reviewed the experiences and integrated enhanced mechanisms into ongoing railway projects.

Construction of the XRL began in 2010 and was slated to open in August 2015. Following delays and cost overruns, the Government and the MTRCL signed a definitive 2015 agreement pushing the completion target to the third quarter of 2018 and inflating the estimated Cost to Complete (CTC) by HK$19.42 billion, bringing it from HK$65 billion to HK$84.42 billion.

Construction of the SCL commenced in 2012, and although initially slated for completion between 2018 and 2020, the Tuen Ma Line and Cross-harbour Extension fully opened in June 2021 and May 2022, respectively, with estimated CTC rising from HK$79.82 billion to HK$90.73 billion.

Source: Government of Singapore

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government announced today that the Minimum Allowable Wage for foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong will be increased by 2.35%, from $5,100 to $5,220 per month.

The new minimum wage level will apply to all FDH contracts signed on or after tomorrow. FDH contracts signed today or earlier at the existing rate will still be processed by the Immigration Department, provided that the applications reach the department no later than October 30.

The Government explained that in reviewing the minimum wage, it had, in accordance with an established mechanism, considered factors including Hong Kong’s general economic performance and labour market conditions over the past year, the city’s near-term economic outlook, employer affordability and the basic living needs of FDHs.

The Government also consulted employers and FDHs throughout the review process.

It stated that it decided to adjust the minimum wage level after carefully assessing and balancing the views of all parties, taking into account that this year’s socio-economic factors are more favourable than those of last year’s review.

The Government also reviewed the food allowance in lieu of free food, and decided that the level should remain unchanged, at no less than $1,236 per month.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs seized about 360 000 suspected illicit cigarettes on September 30, with an estimated market value of about $1.88 million and a duty potential of about $1.18 million, at the Man Kam To Control Point.

Customs officers on that day intercepted an incoming truck declared as carrying vegetables at the said control point. After inspection, the batch of suspected illicit cigarettes was found mix-loaded with vegetables inside 63 foam boxes on the truck. 

A 62-year-old local male driver was arrested and the truck involved in the case was also detained. 

An investigation is ongoing, and the arrested person has been released on bail.

Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement action against cross-boundary smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

Customs stresses that smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Moreover, under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes 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 illicit cigarette activities 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).