The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, will depart for San Francisco, the United States, tomorrow (September 10) to attend the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) and its affiliate event, the Cities4Climate conference, both co-organised by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. He will also meet with leaders of participating cities to exchange views on environmental issues and call at various local agencies and facilities to understand more about their work on various fronts including environmental protection and innovation.

     Mr Wong will speak at the Cities4Climate conference on September 12 (San Francisco time) on Hong Kong's work in combating climate change. The two-day GCAS will start on September 13 and aims at bringing together global political and business leaders as well as different stakeholders to showcase their decarbonisation actions and discuss ways to tackle the climate crisis. Mr Wong will attend various sessions of the GCAS and deliver a speech on September 14 (San Francisco time) on Hong Kong's efforts in mitigating climate change.

     Mr Wong will conclude his visit in the late hours of September 14 (San Francisco time) and return to Hong Kong in the morning of September 16.

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 said today (September 9) that because of an oil spill, the red flag has been hoisted at Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach in Tsuen Wan District. The beach has been closed until further notice. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.

The following is issued on behalf of the Liquor Licensing Board:

     The Liquor Licensing Board will meet on Tuesday (September 11) to consider nine applications for new issue, renewal or amendment of liquor licences.

     The applications are (not in order of discussion):
 
Hong Kong:
————–
Old China Hand in Kennedy Town
UOGASHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT in Sheung Wan
BIG SUR and OOLAA in Central
Amoy Pub and The Stone Nullah in Wan Chai
Focus Bar in Shau Kei Wan
 
Kowloon:
———–
RUBATO in Tai Kok Tsui
 
Hong Kong Waters:
———————–
Xin Guang
 
     The meeting will be held at 9.45am in the conference room, Room 102, 1/F, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai. Members of the public are welcome to attend, except during the private session on confidential items.

     A team of eight Hong Kong students achieved outstanding results in the 3rd International Olympiad of Metropolises (IOM). The Hong Kong team won three gold medals and five silver medals, as well as a gold award in the team competition.

     The IOM is a competition covering four disciplines: physics, mathematics, chemistry and informatics. The competition was held in Moscow, Russia, from September 2 to 7, with around 260 students from 33 cities of 26 countries participating in the event.

     In the physics competition, Gaurav Arya (King George V School) and Chau Chun-wang (St Margaret's Co-educational English Secondary and Primary School) each won a gold medal. Cheng Yan-yau (Discovery College) and Alvin Tse (Yew Chung International School – Secondary) won a gold medal and a silver medal respectively in the mathematics competition. In the chemistry competition, Wong Chi-fung and Prudence Mok (both from La Salle College) each won a silver medal. Last but not least, Wai Ka-hei (Pui Ching Middle School) and Choi Chun-ming (Sing Yin Secondary School) each attained a silver medal in the informatics competition.

     The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, congratulated the Hong Kong team today (September 9) on their excellent achievements in the competition.

     "Amid the 21st century's rapid development in technology, the Education Bureau (EDB) has been striving to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education to unlock and nurture the youth's talent in science and technology. 

     "The impressive achievements of the Hong Kong team in the competition demonstrated the great potential of Hong Kong students in the relevant fields," he said.

     He added that the EDB will continue to support STEM-related learning activities, and strengthen the nurturing of talented students so that their potential could be developed.

     The members of the Hong Kong team were fully funded by the EDB to join the competition. The success of the Hong Kong team this year once again demonstrated the fruitful collaboration among different parties, including the EDB and the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) as well as the tertiary institutions and professional bodies concerned, in nurturing talented students in Hong Kong.

     To nurture more talents, the EDB is proposing to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council an injection of $800 million into the Gifted Education Fund to support the enhancement of services of the HKAGE and to provide quality advanced learning programmes for gifted students by different gifted education service providers, so as to further enhance the development of gifted education in Hong Kong.

  

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting today (September 9).

     The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

     Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.

     The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.

     Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.