Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Yellow fire danger warning

     The fire danger situation today (January 26) is yellow and the risk of fire is high. People are urged to prevent fires breaking out and hikers should also be vigilant.

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (January 26). They are, on Hong Kong Island, Saint Barnabas' Society and Home; in Kowloon, Rehabilitation Alliance Hong Kong; and in the New Territories, Yan Oi Tong Limited, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.

     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people distinguish between the three flag-selling activities.

     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on January 26 is as follows:
 

 
     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 Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels), joined hands with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) to support the Hong Kong comics industry's participation in the 46th Angoulême International Comics Festival, France, from January 24 to 27.

     The Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) and Comix Home Base presented the exhibition "OUAT (Once Upon a Time) Hong Kong Comics Touring Exhibition", featuring the classics and new works of full-length drama comics,  by more than 30 Hong Kong comics artists.

     Five Hong Kong artists, namely Samson Chu, Dolly Lee, Mak Siu-fung, Lee Kin-leung and Yanai met with readers and industry professionals from all over the world in the Festival.  Their live drawing demonstrations gave visitors a glimpse of the creation processes and their specific skills.  They also gave autograph sessions and talks.  Two other industry professionals, the founder of the comics social media and publisher zbfghk, Karman Leung, and comics editor Henry Pang also attended the Festival.

     To expand the reach of Hong Kong comics, for the first time the HKAC also had a booth at the Festival's International Rights and Licensing Market to present Hong Kong comic books in French and in English to potential overseas publishers and professionals.

     Speaking at the opening reception for the OUAT! Hong Kong Comics Touring Exhibition today (January 25, Angoulême time), Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Mr Sam Hui, said the Hong Kong Special Adminstrative Region (HKSAR) Government supports the development of comics and animation, which has always been an important element of Hong Kong's popular culture. 
      
     He noted in the age of the internet, there are new challeges and opportunities for the comics and animation industry to reach the new generations. He welcomed the translation of more Hong Kong comics into French to widen their reach.

     Mr Hui also underlined that Hong Kong maintains the protection of intellectual property rights to the highest international standards, keeping our copyright regime under regular review in pace with the rapid development of the digital economy to ensure that Hong Kong remains a place where creativity and talent can flourish.  

     Ms Connie Lam, Executive Director of the HKAC, then introduced the Hong Kong comics industry and the activities of the Comix Home Base. This was followed by exchanges between the Hong Kong artists and professionals and the audience.

     Founded in 1974, the Angoulême International Comics Festival is Europe's best-known comics festival. Hong Kong artists first made a major impact at the festival in 2011, when the "Kaleidoscope" exhibition on the history of Hong Kong comics since the 1960s and the participation of a group of comic artists and publishers put Hong Kong comics in the spotlight.  This year was the sixth time HKAC represented Hong Kong comic artists and professionals at the Festival.

     CreateHK is the dedicated agent of the HKSAR Government to drive the development of the creative economy.  The Comix Home Base was therefore established to provide an exchange platform for new talent in comics and animations.

     After its first leg in France, OUAT! Hong Kong Comics Touring Exhibition will be held at Comix Home Base in Hong Kong in August 2019.

    

     Police will implement special traffic arrangements to facilitate a public order event to be held on Hong Kong Island this Sunday (January 27).

Road closure
————

Phase I (from 3pm on January 26 to 3pm the following day)

ï¹£ The general pick-up/drop-off and loading/unloading area on Lung Wo Road north of Star Ferry Multi-Storey Car Park.

Phase II (from 3am to 10.30am on January 27)

– Yiu Sing Street; and
– Eastbound Lung Wo Road between Yiu Sing Street and Edinburgh Place.

Phase III (from 3am to 12 noon on January 27)

– Part of the fast lane of Man Po Street;
– Part of the slow lane of southbound Man Yiu Street;
– Yiu Sing Street;
– Lung Wo Road, except the slow lane of westbound Lung Wo Road between Tim Wa Avenue and Edinburgh Place;
– Road A2;
– Eastbound Road P2 between Road D11 and Expo Drive;
– Part of the fast lane of westbound Road P2;
– Northbound Road D11;
– Legislative Council Road, except for vehicles heading to Legislative Complex; and
– The slow lane of eastbound Lung Wui Road.

Traffic diversions
——————

     In connection with the above road closures, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:

– Traffic along southbound Man Yiu Street or eastbound Man Cheung Street cannot enter eastbound Lung Wo Road; and traffic along southbound Man Yiu Street or eastbound Man Po Street cannot enter eastbound Yiu Sing Street. Affected vehicles will be diverted via southbound Man Yiu Street, eastbound Connaught Place, southbound Connaught Place, eastbound Connaught Road Central, eastbound Harcourt Road, northbound Tim Mei Avenue and eastbound Lung Wui Road; and

– Traffic along northbound Edinburgh Place east of Hong Kong City Hall, northbound Legislative Council Road or westbound Road P2 cannot enter westbound Lung Wo Road; and traffic along eastbound Lung Wui Road or westbound Fenwick Pier Street cannot enter northbound Road D11. Affected vehicles will be diverted via eastbound Connaught Road Central or southbound Fenwick Pier Street, eastbound Harcourt Road, eastbound Gloucester Road, northbound Fenwick Street, westbound Fenwick Pier Street, Fenwick Pier Street flyover, westbound Harcourt Road, westbound Connaught Road Central and northbound Man Yiu Street.

Suspension of parking spaces
—————————-
     
     All motorcycle parking spaces at the general pick-up/drop-off and loading/unloading area on Lung Wo Road north of Star Ferry Multi-Storey Car Park will be suspended.

     Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts mentioned above will be towed away without prior warning.

     Actual implementation of the traffic arrangements will be made depending on traffic and crowd conditions in the area. Motorists are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.

     The Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Hermes Tang, officiated at a reception today (January 25) in celebrating the 2019 International Customs Day (ICD).

     This year, the World Customs Organization (WCO) devotes ICD to the theme of "SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport", which aims at facilitating the cross-boundary movement of goods, people and transportation through advanced technology and modernised customs management.

     Officiating at the reception, Ms Cheng said that Hong Kong Customs has an important role to play in the creation of smart boundaries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. She recognises Hong Kong Customs' dedicated efforts in moving towards smart boundary management by establishing an innovative clearance regime and building up a close partnership with other Customs administrations and the business sector.

     Ms Cheng added that the Trade Single Window and the Hong Kong Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Programme offer the benefits of advanced technology and business knowledge that help saving time and cost for traders. Through setting up of a prioritised clearance facility at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Point, companies accredited under the AEO Programme can further enjoy seamless priority clearance within the Greater Bay Area.

     In his remarks, Mr Tang highlighted the twin roles of Hong Kong Customs as both the "trade facilitator" and "community guardian" in the highly-connected world. Using the acronym "SMART", he shared with the reception's participants the philosophy of frontiers transformation: "Secure", "Measurable", "Automated", "Risk management-based" and "Technology-driven", by which Hong Kong Customs uses to meet the public expectations.

     Mr Tang added that Hong Kong Customs would proactively promote the development of SMART boundaries in the Greater Bay Area by leveraging on technology and innovation and explore facilitation measures with the Mainland and Macao Customs. Marking the 110th anniversary of the department's establishment, Hong Kong Customs will remain committed to its motto of "Serve the Community with Commitment and Excellence".

     Hong Kong Customs has celebrated the ICD since Hong Kong became a member of the WCO in 1987. At the reception, Ms Cheng presented WCO Certificates of Merit to officers of Hong Kong Customs in recognition of their efforts contributing to facilitating trade, travel and transport.

     About 370 guests, including Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, HKSAR Government officials, Consuls General, foreign Customs attaches and representatives from Customs administrations of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as private sector stakeholders, attended the reception.