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     Outreach Music Interest Courses (OMICs) organised by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) are now open for applications. Members of the public are welcome to apply for an array of courses, ranging from Chinese and Western musical instrument foundation classes to music workshops. The courses will be held from March to August next year.

     Introductory courses available include hulusi, ocarina, kalimba, keyboard and musicianship. Instrumental enrichment courses include dizi, pipa, yangqin, zheng, erhu, flute, clarinet, violin and cello. There are also ensemble training for Chinese and Western music, music theory (Grades 1 and 2) and aural training. The course fees range from $290 to $1,200.
 
     Other Chinese and Western musical instrument foundation classes will cover dizi, xiao, zhongruan, liuqin, pipa, yangqin, zheng, erhu, trumpet, flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, viola, cello, and percussion (glockenspiel and practice pad). The course fee is $1,280 each.

     A new course, “Workshop on Arranging Music for Chamber Ensembles”, welcomes adults with a Grade 5 or above knowledge of music theory. The course will introduce the characteristics of different Western musical instruments and orchestration techniques for arranging musical works for chamber groups. Participants should bring their own laptop computer to class and pre-install the free music notation software MuseScore 4. The fee of this course is $680.

     In addition, the “Keyboard Playing (Numbered Musical Notation)” course welcomes adults who have completed the “Introduction to Keyboard Playing (Foundation I)” course organised by the Music Office, or those who have acquired basic skills in playing the keyboard with both hands. Numbered musical notation reading skills, melody-playing techniques and simple chord applications will be covered in the course. The course fee is $580.

     All OMICs are conducted in Cantonese. The courses will be held at different venues across the territory, namely Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Sha Tin Town Hall, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Tuen Mun Town Hall, North District Town Hall, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Yuen Long Theatre, Ko Shan Theatre, Hong Kong Central Library and the Music Office’s music centres in Wan Chai, Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan. Participants of the online course “ABCs of Musicianship” are required to prepare their own electronic device equipped with a wireless or broadband data connection, a webcam and the software Zoom in advance.

     Online applications are now available on the Music Office website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/musicoffice). Course prospectuses and application forms are also available at various performance venues of the LCSD and all music centres of the Music Office. The deadline for applications is January 15. Oversubscribed courses will be processed by ballot. For courses not fully taken up after the first round of application, places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis from February 18 onwards.
 
     For enquiries, please call 3842 7773, 2598 0801 or 2598 8335 or email to outreachmusic@lcsd.gov.hk. read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, December 20, 2024 is 107.5 (same as yesterday’s index). read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     â€‹The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) held the second bilateral meeting in Hong Kong today (December 20), further solidifying co-operation and connectivity between the financial services sectors of the two jurisdictions.
      
     Following the first bilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi in May 2023, the HKMA and the CBUAE have continued engaging in in-depth discussions covering several major areas, including cross-border debt capital market connectivity, financial infrastructure development, and investment outlook and opportunities in both the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Mainland China.
      
     In this connection, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed today by the Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, and the Governor of the CBUAE, H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama, to strengthen and formalise the co-operation arrangements. Under the MOU, the two authorities have agreed to establish connectivity of the debt capital markets and the related financial market infrastructures between Hong Kong and the UAE with a view to facilitating cross-border debt securities issuance and investment activities.
      
     Mr Yue said, “We are delighted to welcome the CBUAE delegation to Hong Kong. Today’s discussions strengthened the financial collaboration between the two central banks in several important areas. The MOU, in particular, will further enhance mutual co-operation and the exchange of expertise between the HKMA and the CBUAE in debt capital markets, and reinforce Hong Kong’s strategic role as a gateway to both the Renminbi and international debt markets. There is significant potential for the financial sectors of both sides to explore new business opportunities. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the CBUAE to strengthen investment and financial market connectivity between the Middle East and Asia.”
      
     H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama said, “I am glad to see encouraging progress made today between the two central banks in agreeing on the way forward on debt capital market development and collaboration. We aim at unlocking the potential of the two debt capital markets to allow seamless and cost-effective cross-border debt securities issuance, trading, investment, settlement as well as collateral management. This initiative will help the UAE become the gateway for issuers and investors in the MENA region to have efficient access to the China and Asian debt markets, whilst also, allowing Chinese and Asian issuers and investors to gain direct access to the MENA debt market through the UAE.”

    

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department released the first report under the Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study today (December 20). This report examined the levels of sulphites in food and the associated dietary exposure. The findings showed that the Hong Kong population’s dietary exposure to sulphites was well below the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) allocated for sulphites, indicating a low health concern.

     The Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study aims to estimate the latest dietary exposure of the Hong Kong population and various population subgroups to some chemical substances of potential food safety concern, and in turn assess the associated health risks. The Study commenced in February 2023. A total of over 2 200 samples of over 180 food items were collected and prepared to the status in which the food could be normally consumed. The prepared samples were then pooled to form over 370 composite samples for laboratory analysis of various groups of chemical substances covering food additives, metallic contaminants, mycotoxins, persistent organic pollutants, pesticide residues and process contaminants, etc.

     In this report, sulphites (including sulphur dioxide) refer to a group of multifunctional food additives, particularly as preservatives and antioxidants, which have a long history of use in food production.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, “Acute toxicity of sulphites is low. However, chronic excessive exposure to sulphites was found to cause local irritation of the stomach and induce adverse effects on the central nervous system in experimental animals. Exposure to sulphites may lead to bronchoconstriction and other adverse reactions in certain population subgroups with allergic conditions.”

     The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives allocated a group ADI of 0 to 0.7 milligram/kilogram body weight (bw) to sulphites.

     Out of a total of 185 food items tested for sulphites, only 17 (about 9 per cent) were found to contain sulphites. Dried fruits were detected with the highest mean concentration of sulphites (240 mg/kg), followed by button mushrooms, red and white wine, and preserved vegetables, with a mean concentration of 20 to 30 mg/kg. The remaining food items with detectable levels of sulphites were found with a mean concentration of 10 mg/kg or below.

     According to the findings, the estimated dietary exposure was 0.010 to 0.037 mg/kg bw/day and 0.021 to 0.055 mg/kg bw/day for average and high consumers of the adult population respectively, which accounted for 1.5 to 5.3 per cent and 3.0 to 7.9 per cent of the ADI allocated for sulphites. For the younger population (aged 6 to 17), the estimated dietary exposure was 0.012 to 0.051 mg/kg bw/day and 0.028 to 0.078 mg/kg bw/day for average and high consumers respectively, which accounted for 1.8 to 7.3 per cent and 3.9 to 11 per cent of the ADI.

     The spokesman reminded members of the public to maintain a balanced diet to avoid excessive exposure to sulphites from a small range of food. When purchasing prepackaged food products, consumers can refer to the food labels to know whether the products contain sulphites. In particular, susceptible individuals who are sensitive to sulphites should avoid foods that contain sulphites by paying close attention to the food labels.

     The Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study commenced in February 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The reports of other groups of chemical substances will be released in phases and uploaded to the CFS webpage at www.cfs.gov.hk. read more

     A red tide was sighted over the past week, the Inter-departmental Red Tide Working Group reported today (December 20).

     On December 18, staff of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) spotted a red tide in the south-western waters of Hong Kong, including Ma Wan, Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan and Cheung Sha Wan fish culture zones. The red tide still persists, and no associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.

     A spokesman for the working group said, “The red tide was formed by Phaeocystis globosa, which is commonly found in Hong Kong waters. According to literature overseas, the algal species can produce foam that may affect fish.”

     The AFCD urged mariculturists at Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan, Ma Wan and Cheung Sha Wan fish culture zones to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.

     Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD’s proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public. read more