A woman who went missing in Tin Sum has been located.

     Liu Man-ki, aged 32, went missing after she left a hostel in Hin Keng Estate on May 13 afternoon. Staff of the hostel made a report to Police on May 15.         

     The woman returned to the hostel at noon today (May 17).

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 17) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches that are open for swimming and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay*).   
   
     Seventeen beaches were rated as good (grade 1), 20 as fair (grade 2) and two as poor (grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:       

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

 
* Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.
 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Kiu Tsui Beach and Middle Bay Beach have been upgraded from grade 2 to grade 1; Castle Peak Beach from grade 3 to grade 2. Trio Beach has been changed from grade 1 to grade 2; Anglers' Beach from grade 2 to grade 3.  
      
     "The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches," an EPD spokesman said.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
      
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.

     The Transport Department today (May 17) announced that two auctions of traditional vehicle registration marks will be held on June 1 (Saturday) and 2 (Sunday), in Meeting Room S421, L4 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, respectively.
 
     "A total of 320 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public sale at each auction. The lists of marks have been posted at the department's website, www.td.gov.hk," a department spokesman said.
 
     Applicants who have paid a deposit of $1,000 to reserve a mark for auction should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price of $1,000). Otherwise, the mark may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.
 
     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:
 
(a) Successful bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:
 
(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.
 
(b) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted.
 
(c) A vehicle registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
 
(d) Special registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special registration mark shall be cancelled.
 
(e) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Vehicle Registration Marks, which can be downloaded from the department's website, www.td.gov.hk.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Regarding an incident of water seepage due to the bursting of a hot water pipe this morning, the spokesperson for Caritas Medical Centre (CMC) made the following announcement today (May 17):
      
     A hot water pipe on the ceiling in the Kowloon West Cluster Eye Centre located on the second floor of Wai Ming Block of CMC was found to have ruptured resulting in water seepage to an extensive area of the Eye Centre this morning. The incident also affected the Day Surgery Centre (DSC) on the first floor. Emergency repair work and cleaning of the Centre and DSC have been completed. The services of the Centre and DSC fully resumed in the afternoon. All the follow-up appointments of affected patients and five cancelled operations will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
      
     The hospital would like to extend its apologies to the affected patients for any inconvenience caused. The hospital will conduct a comprehensive inspection to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. Patients of the Centre may call 3408 7070 during office hours for further enquiries.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (May 17) the composite interest rate at the end of April 2019.*
 
     The composite interest rate, which is a measure of the average cost of funds of banks, increased by 1 basis point to 0.83 per cent at the end of April 2019, from 0.82 per cent at the end of March 2019 (see Chart 1 in the Annex). The increase in composite interest rate reflected increases in the weighted funding cost for both deposits and interbank funds during the month (see Chart 2 in the Annex).
      
     The historical data of the composite interest rate from the end of the fourth quarter of 2003 to the end of April 2019 are available in the Monthly Statistical Bulletin on the HKMA website (www.hkma.gov.hk). The next data release is scheduled for June 19, 2019 and will provide the composite interest rate at the end of May 2019.
     
* The composite interest rate is a weighted average interest rate of all Hong Kong dollar interest bearing liabilities, which include deposits from customers, amounts due to banks, negotiable certificates of deposit and other debt instruments, and Hong Kong dollar non-interest bearing demand deposits on the books of banks.  Data from retail banks, which account for about 90 per cent of the total customers' deposits in the banking sector, are used in the calculation.  It should be noted that the composite interest rate represents only average interest expenses.  There are various other costs involved in the making of a loan, such as operating costs (e.g. staff and rental expenses), credit cost and hedging cost, which are not covered by the composite interest rate.