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 (November 17) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach in Sai Kung District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.
Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:
The Marine Department today (November 17) reminded masters, coxswains and persons-in-charge of vessels navigating in Hong Kong waters to proceed at a safe speed and exercise extreme caution because restricted visibility of less than 2 nautical miles has been reported.
Appropriate sound signals shall be made when underway or at anchor. All vessels must comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea.
Also, when radar is used without the benefit of adequate plotting facilities, the information obtained from the equipment is rather limited and should be construed accordingly.
Visibility reports are broadcast by the Vessel Traffic Centre (VTC) on VHF channels 02, 12, 14, 63 and 67.
In the event of an accident, a report shall be made immediately to the VTC at Tel: 2233 7801.
The Community Chest of Hong Kong has been issued with a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (November 17), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.
For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255 or the Charitable Fund-raising Control Team at 2832 4311 during office hours. Information on the flag days of the month is available at the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew/). 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.
Police are investigating a murder case in Tin Sum yesterday (November 16) in which a 42-year-old man died.
At about 6.30pm yesterday, Police received a report that a man struggled with others on Shing Wan Road.
Police officers sped to the scene and found a 42-year-old man lying on the ground. Sustaining head injury, the man was rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 8.52pm on the same day.
Initial investigation revealed that the 42-year-old man and two men used hard objects to damage a vehicle in a garage on Shing Hing Street. Another three men then chased the three men who damaged the vehicle and struggled with the 42-year-old man.
Three men aged 29, 32 and 40 respectively were arrested in suspected connection with the case and are being detained for further enquiries.
Post-mortem examinations on the deceased will be conducted later to ascertain the cause of his death.
Active investigation by the District Crime Squad of Shatin is under way.
Hong Kong Customs today (November 16) seized about 109 kilograms of suspected pangolin scales with an estimated market value of about $420,000 at Hong Kong International Airport.
Customs officers intercepted two 40-year-old female passengers at the airport this afternoon. The two women arrived in Hong Kong from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, via Casablanca, Morocco and Doha, Qatar. They were planning to transit to Macao.
During Customs clearance, the batch of suspected pangolin scales were found concealed inside tin foil bags in four of their check-in suitcases. The two women were then arrested.
The cases were handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for follow-up investigation.
Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting an endangered species without a licence is liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for ten years.
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
