Mission to New Arrivals Limited has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (February 16), 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.

     Hong Kong Customs seized a total of 6 kilograms of suspected ketamine with an estimated market value of about $2.87 million at the Hong Kong International Airport and Sheung Wan on February 11.

     Customs officers inspected a parcel arriving in Hong Kong from Germany at the Hong Kong International Airport on February 11 and seized about 3 kilograms of suspected ketamine concealed inside cakes. After follow-up investigation, Customs officers arrested two men, aged 47 and 17, suspected to be in connection with the case in Kwun Tong and Kwai Chung respectively on February 13. Customs officers escorted the 17-year-old man to a residential premises in Kwai Chung where a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia were further seized.

     Also, Customs officers inspected a parcel arriving in Hong Kong from Germany on February 11 in Sheung Wan and seized 3 kilograms of suspected ketamine concealed inside cakes. After follow-up investigation, Customs officers arrested a 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old man suspected to be in connection with the case in Happy Valley on February 13. Customs officers escorted the 19-year-old man to a residential premises nearby where a small amount of suspected cannabis, a batch of drug-inhaling apparatus and drug packaging paraphernalia were further seized.

     Investigations are ongoing. The 47-year-old man and 21-year-old man have been released on bail pending further investigation. The 17-year-old man was charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and the 19-year-old man was charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, one count of possession in a dangerous drug and one count of possession of apparatus fit and intended for the smoking of a dangerous drug. They will appear respectively at Kowloon City Magistrates Courts and Eastern Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (February 16).

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) today (November 15) submitted to the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) the new applications of three non-locally trained doctors for limited registration to serve in public hospitals.
 
     The HA spokesperson said public hospitals have been facing doctor manpower shortages and workload issues in various clinical units. The recruitment of non-locally trained doctors has been supported by the respective Co-ordinating Committees and endorsed by the HA Task Force on Limited Registration Scheme.
 
     The three new applications for limited registration submitted to the MCHK today are in radiology, emergency medicine and family medicine.
 
     The HA spokesperson added, "The recruitment of overseas doctors has been progressing well since last year with the extension of limited registration to a three-year term. So far about 20 non-locally trained doctors have been assessed to be eligible for the recruitment exercise, passing the screening by the respective specialty panels, vetted further by the Task Force and considered suitable for appointment after interviews by user departments. All the applicants have fulfilled related qualification requirements recognised by the constituent Colleges of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and they all have license to practise in their respective countries. The HA will submit limited registration applications for non-locally trained doctors by batches according to their intended date of reporting duty."
 
     As at January 2019, there are 10 non-locally trained doctors working in public hospitals under limited registration in the specialties of anaesthesia, cardiothoracic surgery, emergency medicine, family medicine and internal medicine to help relieve the manpower pressure in the respective units.
 
     The HA will continue the recruitment of non-locally trained doctors under limited registration and closely monitor the overall manpower situation in public hospitals.

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, at a media session after attending the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Security meeting at the LegCo Complex today (February 15):

Reporter: Secretary, since this case, its major content regarding this proposal is mainly concerned about possible extradition to the Mainland. So why is it not possible, or wouldn't it actually be a better agreement to single out the Mainland and not put it in this bill for now? And then for Mainland cases, we handle these through signing a long-term extradition agreement. The second question, what will be the consequences if the LegCo does not back this proposal? 

Secretary for Security: Well, this loophole on this big problem has existed in our statute of Cap 503, the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, for 21 years. The Taiwan murder case indicates that this is a loophole that we must address. If I only deal with a single case now, this loophole will continue to exist. That would mean we will repeat the same problem, the same saga and the same injustice that this – the present situation – has been presenting. I think it is a real fact that a case of similar nature to the Taiwan murder case can happen again. So I think it is important that we address this defect in the law now, rather than repeating making the same mistakes. Can I have your second question?
 
Reporter: The second question is the consequences if the LegCo does not back this (proposal).
 
Secretary for Security: The immediate consequence that is so obvious is the suspect in the Taiwan murder case will be free to move around, live in Hong Kong. His case will just be ended like that. The second thing is, as I have reported to the LegCo, I have in hand at least three murder cases in Hong Kong, in which Hong Kong residents were murdered. Two of the cases involve suspects now hiding in a place which is outside Hong Kong and within the PRC (the People's Republic of China). There is another one which involves a suspect who is now hiding in another country. I also have a case involving a suspect who has done a kidnapping case in another country, and this suspect is a Hong Kong resident. Suspects of this kind will be living in Hong Kong with us every day. So I must address the risk to safety and the law and order problem, that if I allow them to continue to either stay in Hong Kong or do nothing, so as to ensure the justice is done. Thank you very much.      
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     Several red tides have been sighted over the past week, an inter-departmental red tide working group reported today (February 15).
 
     On February 11, one red tide was sighted at Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach.
 
     On February 13, five red tides were spotted at Cyberport, Rambler Channel, Wong Shek Pier, Hoi Ha Wan and Tuen Mun Pier.
 
     On February 14, another red tide was observed at the Tolo Channel.
 
     The red tides at Cyberport and Wong Shek Pier still persist while the other five red tides have dissipated. No associated death of fish has been reported.
 
     A spokesman for the working group said, "The red tide spotted at Cyberport was formed by Gonyaulax polygramma and Noctiluca scintillans. The red tide spotted at Wong Shek Pier was formed by Akashiwo sanguinea. The other five red tides were formed by Noctiluca scintillans. All species are non-toxic and commonly found in Hong Kong waters."
 
     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) urged mariculturists at Yim Tin Tsai, Yim Tin Tsai (East), Yung Shue Au, Lo Fu Wat, Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan, Ma Wan, Tap Mun, Kau Lau Wan and Sham 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.