The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) gave talks at universities in Italy and Belgium respectively this month, continuing to reach out to students in Europe as part of the Government's efforts to attract overseas talents to Hong Kong.
      
     The Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Miss Fiona Chau, gave a presentation to students at the University for Foreigners of Siena, Italy, on May 13 (Siena time). The University for Foreigners of Siena is a public university that specialises in the teaching of Italian as well as many other languages, including Chinese.
      
     Miss Chau also gave a presentation as a guest speaker to students at a workshop of the Asian Business Topics course of Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Mechelen, Belgium, on May 24 (Mechelen time). The university offers more than 35 bachelor degree programmes, as well as 20 exchange programmes in English for students from partner universities.

     Miss Chau briefed students in both places about the abundant postgraduate study and career opportunities in Hong Kong, as well as the city's fundamental strengths as an international business and financial hub under the successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle, which provides a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong as enshrined in the Basic Law. Miss Chau added that Hong Kong's superb connectivity with and rich experience in the vast Mainland market make it an ideal location for foreign companies and can help them to connect and excel in Asia. She also highlighted Hong Kong's role in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, which would give it a further boost and provide more career opportunities for overseas talents.

    

     Hong Kong Red Cross has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (May 25), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said. 

     For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678. Information on flag days is available at the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew) and the GovHK portal (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing contact information of the flag-selling organisations and information on the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_recentlyap). For enquiries about the detailed flag-selling arrangements, please contact the individual flag-selling organisations.

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities covered by the Public Subscription Permit issued by the SWD have also been uploaded to the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising).

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

     The "Mediate First" Pledge Event 2019 organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ) opened today (May 24) with a forum comprising various thematic seminars featuring renowned international and local speakers sharing the latest developments and trends in mediation.  The seminars were followed by a reception at which the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, and other guests launched the dedicated social media platforms for promoting, among others, mediation initiatives of the DoJ.   
      
     The theme "Mediate First": Unlocking Potential is specifically chosen, not only to highlight the wide spectrum of disputes that are suitable for mediation.  Participants will learn that mediators can also be deal makers and that they can come from very diverse backgrounds.
      
     Speaking at the opening of the forum today, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, noted that the DoJ is committed to promoting the development locally, regionally and internationally.  This year, in response to the globally heighted awareness of the use of mediation, the programme has been extended to a full-day event catering for both local and international audiences.
      
     The speakers at the panel discussions exchanged views on topics including the benefits of mediation in sports disputes in light of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and the role of mediators in the deal making process.  The afternoon session started off with a short drama explaining what mediation is and its processes in a lively way.  There was also a sharing of views in the use of mediation to resolve sector-specific disputes in Hong Kong.
      
     The seminars were followed by a reception witnessing the launch of dedicated social media platforms for promoting, among others, mediation initiatives of the DoJ and a signing ceremony of the "Mediate First" Pledge by new pledgees.  
      
     Looking ahead, Ms Cheng said at the reception that the DoJ will continue to promote the mediation services of Hong Kong to the countries and regions along the Belt and Road and the cities in the Greater Bay Area.
      
     The DoJ introduced the "Mediate First" Star Logo Award Scheme in 2017 to encourage pledgees to take active steps to promote or support the use of mediation.  34 pledgees who have met any of the prescribed eligible criteria were awarded the Star Logo at the Star Logo Award presentation ceremony of the reception this evening.  
      
     More than 800 representatives of private enterprises, public bodies, business associations, professional bodies as well as professionals in the legal and mediation sectors joined the reception.
      
     The "Mediate First" Pledge is a non-legally binding commitment by pledgees to use mediation first to resolve disputes before resorting to other means of dispute resolution, such as court litigation.  Since the launch of the "Mediate First" Pledge in 2012, there are over 600 pledgees who have committed to first explore the use of mediation to resolve disputes.   
      
     More information on mediation is available on the designated Facebook page (www.facebook.com/dojhk.idar/), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/mediatefirst/), and Weibo (www.weibo.com/7075497363/).

      

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the 25th anniversary celebration of Genting Cruise Lines – Greater Bay, Greater China, Greater Opportunities today (May 24):
 
Tan Sri Lim (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genting Hong Kong, Mr Lim Kok Thay), YK (Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Dr Pang Yiu-kai), ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. I am delighted to be aboard World Dream once again. As this is the first time I share a public occasion with the new chairman of Hong Kong Tourism Board, may I extend a very warm welcome to Dr Y K Pang and thank him for taking on this important task to promote Hong Kong's tourism.
 
     As some of you may know, I was here some 18 months ago for World Dream's christening ceremony. I'm pleased to be back, and for several exciting reasons. Unfortunately, taking a leisurely cruise aboard World Dream is not among one of those exciting reasons because I just could not afford that. Not yet, anyway. It's not the money, it's the time. Tonight, we formally celebrate the 25th anniversary of Genting Hong Kong. The company pioneered the cruise business throughout the region, beginning in 1993 with Star Cruises. As Genting grew, so, too, did the Hong Kong Government's plans to build a modern cruise terminal. That was realised in the middle of 2013, with the opening of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, which today welcomes a world of vessels, including World Dream.
 
     Indeed, ship calls to Hong Kong are buoyant. They've increased from less than 100 in 2009 to 210 in 2018, while passenger throughput has gone from 187 500 to 875 000 over the same period. These are heady times for Hong Kong's cruise business, and Genting's remarkable progress has been a central reason behind our cruise tourism development.
 
     Last month, Genting launched a new "One Day Greater Bay Cruise", taking passengers between Hong Kong and Nansha aboard World Dream. The new offering fits swimmingly with the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Released in February this year, the plan calls for the progressive development of international cruise terminals in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, three of the Greater Bay Area's 11 cities. It also calls for an increase in international liner routes as well as suggesting other streamlining measures for cruise ships and passengers in order to promote cruise travelling in the region.
 
     Genting, of course, has long championed cruise destinations throughout the Greater Bay Area and surrounding region. And I'm confident the new venture will help boost regional cruise culture, while buoying cruise co-operation throughout the Greater Bay Area.
 
     My Government is working closely with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the trade to fast-track our cruise business. In the current financial year, we're providing HK$20 million in additional funding to the Tourism Board to expand our cruise tourism. New measures include a "rail-cruise" promotion to tap into the huge market potential created by the opening of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge last year.
 
     To seize these opportunities ahead, Genting Hong Kong has visionary plans, and we're here to unveil one of them. In 2021, Genting Hong Kong will debut its first Global Class ship. At more than 200,000 tonnes and over 340 metres long, this luxury liner is expected to accommodate some 5 000 passengers in 2 500 cabins. This evening, we get to launch one of them – a show cabin designed to give us a taste of tomorrow's Genting luxury. I look forward to seeing the cabin, but I am looking even more forward to welcoming this liner to Hong Kong in the future.
 
     I am very grateful for our unsinkable partnership with Genting Hong Kong over more than a quarter of a century now. Let's join hand and make continuing progress together on the welcoming seas of the Greater Bay Area. Thank you very much.

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital made the following announcement today (May 24):

     Four patients (aged 57 to 93) in a female medical ward have been confirmed to be asymptomatic carriers of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) since May 19. One of the patients has been transferred to another hospital and is being treated under isolation with stable condition. Two patients have been discharged. The remaining one passed away due to underlying illness today.

     The Hospital Infection Control Team has followed up with the departments concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection. The following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted in the ward:
 

1. Enhanced patient and environmental screening procedures;
2. Application of stringent contact precautions and enhanced hand hygiene of staff and patients; and
3. Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the ward.

     In addition, regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of patients confirmed to have CPE in a male medical ward, the hospital has stepped up the extent of active surveillance and contact investigation in accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines. Two more male patients (aged 53 and 86) have been confirmed to be asymptomatic carriers of CPE. They were discharged before the hospital stepped up the infection control measures. One of the patients was confirmed upon re-admission and he is now under isolation with stable condition, while the other patient was confirmed via contact tracing outside the hospital.

     Infection control measures have been enhanced according to the established guidelines in the wards. All other patients in the wards concerned are under close surveillance.

     The hospital will continue to closely monitor the situation of the wards. The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.