The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (August 10) that in light of possible mass gathering activities in various districts, Oi! will be closed tomorrow (August 11). Sham Shui Po Sports Ground, Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool, Cheung Sha Wan Sports Centre, Pei Ho Street Sports Centre, Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum and Un Chau Street Public Library in Sham Shui Po District, as well as the swimming pool, tennis courts and bowling greens of Victoria Park, the soccer pitches and tennis courts of Quarry Bay Park, Causeway Bay Sports Ground, Java Road Sports Centre, Quarry Bay Sports Centre, the Hong Kong Central Library, Electric Road Public Library, North Point Public Library, Quarry Bay Public Library and the Hong Kong Film Archive on Hong Kong Island will be closed at 1pm. Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre will also be closed at 2pm. Subject to the situation in the vicinity, more cultural and leisure facilities in the same district may also be closed early and at short notice to ensure the safety of venue users. Members of the public who plan to go to those venues in the districts are advised to contact the venues concerned in advance.

     Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta (HKETO Jakarta) is busy promoting the Hong Kong film industry at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2019 (the Festival).
      
     Proving popular at the event is the award-winning Hong Kong film "Still Human", which is featured in the Visions of Asia section of the Festival. Actress Crisel Consunji joined the media session at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila today (August 10) to share her filmmaking experiences. The Director-General of HKETO Jakarta, Mr Law Kin-wai, also spoke at the event on the efforts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) in promoting the local film industry.
      
     To promote Hong Kong's film industry and celebrate the achievements of "Still Human", HKETO Jakarta hosted a reception yesterday evening (August 9) prior to the film screening. Speaking at the reception, Mr Law said that the HKSARG has been a staunch supporter of the local film industry, injecting $1 billion into the Film Development Fund in May this year to help the Hong Kong film industry continue to thrive. "Still Human", for instance, was a winning project under the First Feature Film Initiative funded by the Film Development Fund. "The film is a showcase of the rich cultural and talent exchanges between Hong Kong and the Philippines", Mr Law added.
      
     The Festival, which is being held from August 2 to 13 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, aims to encourage the creation of new cinematic works and cultivate a new breed of filmmakers.

     In response to media enquiries on the phone call between the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Mr Dominic Raab yesterday (August 9), the Chief Executive's Office said the following:

     At the request of the British Consulate-General Hong Kong, Mrs Lam spoke with the new Foreign Secretary of the UK, Mr Raab over the phone yesterday morning (Hong Kong time). During the 20-odd minutes of conversation, Mrs Lam stressed that since Hong Kong's return to the Motherland, "One Country, Two Systems" has been successfully implemented in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and that the rule of law has been the core value of the city.

     Mrs Lam introduced to Mr Raab the background and objectives of the legislative amendment exercise and emphasised that the legislative amendment exercise was put to a complete stop two months ago. She said that while the HKSAR Government respects the diverse views held by members of the public on various issues as well as the freedoms of speech and assembly, it will not let violence and illegal behaviours disrupt public order. She also mentioned to Mr Raab the work being done by the Independent Police Complaints Council in accordance with its statutory functions.

     Mrs Lam pointed out at the end that she and the relevant policy bureaux have been attaching great importance to collaboration between Hong Kong and the UK on areas including trade, economic affairs and culture in the past two years and expressed the hope that bilateral relations can be further strengthened.

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     At around 4pm today (August 10), protestors gathering at Tai Po are blocking the carriageways at the junction of Kwong Fuk Road and Nam Wan Road and are committing the offence of “participating in an unauthorized assembly”.
      
     Police appeal to members of the public to leave immediately. Due to the obstruction of traffic, drivers are advised to stay tuned to the latest traffic arrangement.
      
 
 

     The Director of Home Affairs, Miss Janice Tse, today (August 10) officiated at the opening ceremony for North Point Community Hall in Eastern District. The hall will provide a brand new venue for the public to organise and participate in community activities in the district.

     North Point Community Hall is located at 123 Java Road in North Point and is adjacent to MTR North Point Station, North Point Ferry Pier and a bus terminus. The hall adopts a simple design concept, which draws on the waves of Victoria Harbour in large and small curves and integrates the forms into the interior design. The venue is equipped with a multi-purpose hall with a seating capacity of 450 people, a stage, a conference room and dressing rooms. The venue also has barrier-free access facilities in place for the convenience of people in need.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, Miss Tse said Eastern District is a rapidly growing community with a population of more than 500 000, and residents in the district have a strong demand for community facilities. The opening of North Point Community Hall will enrich the district's cultural, recreational and community services, which can strengthen social cohesion. She also thanked the Eastern District Council (EDC) for its support for the project.

     Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony included the Chairman of the EDC, Mr Wong Kin-pan; the District Officer (Eastern), Mr Simon Chan; the Vice-Chairman of the EDC, Mr Chiu Chi-keung; the Chairman of the District Facilities Management Committee under the EDC, Mr Hung Lin-cham; and the Vice-Chairman of the District Facilities Management Committee under the EDC, Mr Lam Sum-lim.

     North Point Community Hall will commence its services on September 1. Apart from North Point Community Hall, there are five other community halls and a community centre in Eastern District.