Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 28) that due to big w… read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority (HA) is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rate in public hospitals. Key service statistics are being issued daily for public information. Details are in the appended table.
In addition, the weekly bulletin “Surge in Brief” (appended) will be issued every Thursday to illustrate the past month’s trends of key service statistics in public hospitals. “Surge in Brief” can be accessed in the HA Winter Surge designated webpage (www.ha.org.hk/goto/wintersurge/en). read more
Hongkong Post today (March 28) announced the postal service arrangements for the Ching Ming Festival on April 5. No mail delivery and no mail collection will be provided. All post offices will be closed except for the… read more
In response to media enquiries on a person found disposing of waste glass bottles into refuse collection vehicle as general waste at a residential estate in Kwun Tong, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (March 27) responded as follows:
The EPD attached great importance to the incident and promptly followed up on the matter with the management office of the estate. It was confirmed that the person concerned was an employee of the cleansing service contractor engaged by the management office of the estate, not an employee of the EPD’s glass recycling contractor. In response to this incident, the EPD has urged the management office of the estate to adopt improvement measures promptly, including stepping up the monitoring of the staff of its cleansing service contractor when handling recyclables, such as glass bottles. It is understood that the management office has issued warning to the cleansing service contractor because of this incident.
At the same time, the operator of the Kwun Tong Community Green Station (KTCGS), established by the EPD, which provides glass bottle recycling bins and glass bottle collection services for the estate for free, has followed up with the estate management office and will discuss ways to step up guidance and training provided by the estate for its cleansing workers. KTCGS will maintain contact with all estates and increase the number of recycling bins and strengthen collection services as appropriate to enhance effectiveness of the recycling scheme. read more
In response to media enquiries, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government made the following response today (March 27) to the Six-monthly Report on Hong Kong (July to December 2018) issued by the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
“Since the return to the Motherland, the HKSAR has been exercising ‘Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong’ and a high degree of autonomy in strict accordance with the Basic Law. The ‘one country, two systems’ principle has been fully and successfully implemented.
“Human rights and freedom in Hong Kong, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, the right to vote and the right to stand for election, etc. are fully protected by the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and other legislation. The HKSAR Government attaches great importance to them and is determined to safeguard them.
“At the same time, the HKSAR Government has a duty to implement and uphold the Basic Law and to ensure that all elections will be conducted in accordance with the Basic Law and relevant electoral laws. There is no question of ‘political screening’ as alleged by the report.
“The Basic Law clearly stipulates that the HKSAR is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Any suggestion for ‘Hong Kong’s independence’ is a blatant violation of the Basic Law and a direct affront to the national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the PRC. ‘Hong Kong’s independence’ runs counter to the successful implementation of ‘one country, two systems’ and undermines the HKSAR’s constitutional and legal foundations as enshrined in the Basic Law. Relevant international human rights convention and court cases have clearly pointed out that freedom of speech is not absolute.
“For other issues mentioned in the report, including the prohibition of the operation of the Hong Kong National Party, a visa application case and the co-location arrangement of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, etc. the HKSAR Government emphasises that it has all along been handling Hong Kong affairs strictly in accordance with the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, the Basic Law and the laws of Hong Kong.
“The HKSAR Government reiterates that foreign governments should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR.”
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