A spokesman for the Transport Department (TD) said today (June 12) that due to emergency road closures in the vicinity of Central, Admiralty and Wan Chai North, some public transport services including franchised bus routes, green minibus routes and tram routes have been suspended, truncated or diverted. The TD reminds the public to pay attention to the road conditions and the latest arrangements for public transport services and allow more time for travel during evening peak commuting hours. Motorists are advised to stay alert to the road conditions and exercise tolerance and patience, and drive carefully to ensure safety.
 
     As at 4.30pm today, the following major roads have been temporarily closed:
 
– Tim Wa Avenue (both bounds)
– Tim Mei Avenue (both bounds)
– Lung Wo Road between Edinburgh Place and Expo Drive (both bounds)
– Harcourt Road (both bounds)
– Yiu Sing Street (both bounds)
– Queensway (both bounds)
– Fenwick Pier Street (Central bound)
– Central – Wan Chai Bypass (East and west bounds) Wan Chai North Exit
 
     As at 4.30pm today, a total of 19 bus routes had been suspended, with 48 bus routes truncated and 11 bus routes diverted. Moreover, 11 green minibus routes have been diverted or truncated. The tram service between Pedder Street and Johnston Road has also been suspended. The MTR service remains normal.
 
     The TD reminds the members of the public that during evening peak commuting hours, the public transport operators will adjust their services appropriately according to the situation.
 
     The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the TD is maintaining close liaison with the Police and public transport operators as well as tunnel and bridge operators to co-ordinate and implement relevant traffic and public transport arrangements as soon as possible while the roads are affected.
 
     Members of the public are advised to be alert to the latest traffic news through television and radio, the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk), or the TD's mobile application "HKeMobility" to obtain the latest special traffic and transport arrangements.

     A man who went missing in Tin Sum was located.

     Yu Hoi-man, aged 44, went missing after he left a hostel in Chun Shek Estate on June 7 morning. Staff of the hostel made a report to Police on June 10.

     The man turned up to Police to cancel the missing person report this morning (June 12).

     The Government is committed to building a healthy society, and health and medical research plays a crucial role by informing health policies with the latest knowledge and developments in the field, the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, said today (June 12) at the Health Research Symposium 2019.
 
     Speaking at the opening ceremony of the symposium, she said, "Genomics and use of big data are inter-related and cover nearly every aspect of medical and health research including communicable and non-communicable diseases. Research on genomics and big data fully supports the Government's stated priority areas in advancing health and medical research in the coming years."
 
     Professor Chan noted that the Food and Health Bureau (FHB)'s Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) provides funding avenues to promote research as an engine for generating new knowledge and underscore the Government's commitment to applying scientific evidence to protect the health of the population.
 
     Organised by the FHB, the symposium, entitled "Genomics and Big Data in Health and Disease", was attended by some 500 medical and healthcare practitioners, academics, researchers and representatives from the community and the Government. 
 
     Two renowned international experts from the United States, Professor Euan Ashley and Dr Nicholas Tatonetti, and three local distinguished leaders in the fields, Professor Leung Suet-yi, Ms Eva Tsui and Dr Anderson Tsang, delivered keynote lectures on genomics and big data in health and exchanged views with the audience at the symposium.
 
     In the morning session of the symposium, Professor Ashley spoke on the concept of precision medicine and highlighted some of the critical contributions made by clinical genomics to its origination and evolution. In the afternoon session, Dr Tatonetti addressed the audience on observational data for biomedical discovery.
 
     In addition, 20 leading local project teams from a variety of health-related disciplines spoke on their experience and outcomes of their projects on health and health services, infectious diseases, advanced medical research and health promotion. Recipients of the Research Fellowship Scheme discussed their experience of training and how they have applied their new skills in the public healthcare setting. 
 
     Meanwhile, 119 projects funded by the HMRF which set a benchmark to foster evidence-based interventions to improve the health of the population were showcased in the poster exhibition. 
 
     At the Health Research Symposium, 10 special awards were presented to the following awardees in recognition of their outstanding contributions to health and medical research, as well as health promotion. They are:   
 
Excellent Research Awards:
——————————
Professor Chien Wai-tong
Professor Richard Choy
Professor Jin Dong-yan
Professor Stephen Tsui
Professor Eliza Wong
Professor Vincent Wong

Excellent Health Promotion Project Awards:
———————————————–
Dr Derek Cheung
Dr Tang Hoi-yin
 
The Most Promising Young Researcher Awards:
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Dr Jasper Chan
Dr Alexander Lau

    

     The large-scale cultural programme "Genesis and Spirit – Enchanting Shandong · An Exhibition on the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Shandong" is currently being held at the Hong Kong Central Library to promote 37 representative ICH items from Shandong. Using photographs, video screenings and traditional handicrafts, together with demonstrations and performances by ICH bearers, the programme allows visitors to understand more about the unique charm of Qilu culture.
      
     An opening ceremony was held today (June 12). Speaking at the ceremony, the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Jack Chan, said that as an important cradle of Chinese civilisation, Shandong is a place of rich and vivacious culture, and that the exhibition not only allows visitors to appreciate Qilu culture, but also encourages attendees to understand in depth the long history and cultural traditions of China.
      
     He added that the Government strives to preserve and promote local ICH, and said there are 10 Hong Kong ICH items inscribed onto the national list of ICH. The $300 million ICH Funding Scheme has been launched and ICH bearers and organisations have been invited to submit applications.
      
     Highlight exhibits include the Weifang kite "Phoenix"; "Harvesting Fruit", which displays the techniques of Dongming foodstuff art; "Jade Seals Featuring the Twelve Beauties of Jinling", with miniature carvings from Jinan; "Exquisite Brush Set with Cloisonné Tube and Wolf’s Hairs", showcasing the techniques of the making the Qi writing brush of Guangrao; "Babies' Bibs with Tiger Design", showing Feixian hand embroidery; "Jimo Lace Tablecloth – Gorgeous Blooms", displaying the traditional handicraft style of Jimo lace; and "Boy with Fish", a Nie clay figurine.
      
     To tie in with the theme of the programme, ICH bearers from Shandong will specially perform and demonstrate various items, including Lü opera, Shandong Qinshu, Wuyin opera, Laixi puppetry, mantis boxing, Liuzi opera, Shandong Kuaishu and Shandong folk songs tomorrow (June 13), as well as on June 14, 22 and 23.
      
     Other officiating guests included the Advisor (Director-General Level) of the Department of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr Man Hongwei; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; the First-Grade Advisor of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Ms Li Guolin; the Deputy Curator of the Shandong Provincial Cultural Center, Ms Zhao Xintian; and the Head of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, Ms Esa Leung.
      
     The programme runs until June 23. It is jointly presented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Home Affairs Bureau, jointly organised by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and curated by the Shandong Provincial Cultural Center and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office.
      
     The Hong Kong Central Library is located at 66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay. For details of the programme, please visit the website www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/ICHO/en_US/web/icho/exhibitions_activities_53.html, or call 2784 5200 for enquiries.
 

     A woman was fined $10,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (June 12) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in November last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Argyle Street in Mong Kok. During the inspection, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in the guesthouse on an hourly basis.
      
     According to the OLA's records, the guesthouse did not possess a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. The woman responsible for managing the premises was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
      
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.
           
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".