Author Archives: hksar gov

     Hong Kong Customs today (August 7) alerted members of the public to the potential hazards posed by a type of toy drawing board. They are advised not to let children play with this toy to ensure their safety. Test results indicated that the magnetic component parts of the toy drawing board could pose a potential risk of intestinal blockage to children.

     Customs officers earlier conducted a test-buy operation and purchased the toy from a retailer for safety testing by the Government Laboratory. The results revealed that the magnetic strength of the toy’s small magnetic component parts exceeded the upper limit as specified in related toy safety standards and the parts would pose a potential risk of intestinal blockage if swallowed by children.

     Customs officers today seized a total of 175 sets of the toy drawing board from the retailer and the wholesaler concerned. Investigation is ongoing. 

     Under the Toys and Children’s Products Safety Ordinance, it is an offence to manufacture, import or supply unsafe toys or children’s products. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.

     â€‹Members of the public may report information relating to suspected unsafe toys or children’s products via the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or the dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     Fairview Park in Yuen Long discharged substandard domestic wastewater into the Shan Pui River. Its property management company responsible for managing the sewage treatment facility, Fairview Park Property Management Limited, was fined $10,000 at Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today (August 7) for contravening the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO).
      
     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) conducted a blitz inspection at the sewage treatment facility at Fairview Park in Yuen Long in February and found that some brownish and turbid wastewater was being discharged from the facility into the Shan Pui River via a nearby watercourse, which caused water pollution. A wastewater sample taken by EPD staff showed that multiple parameters exceeded the permitted levels specified in the WPCO licence. The level of E. coli, in particular, was 67 times greater than the permitted level. The EPD initiated prosecution against the licensee, Fairview Park Property Management Limited, in accordance with the WPCO after evidence gathering. Timely remedial measures were taken by the property management company, including work to inspect, repair and replace the damaged parts and to resume the normal operation of its sewage treatment facility.
      
     An EPD spokesman explained that substandard domestic wastewater carries a large amount of viruses, bacteria and pathogens. Direct discharge of wastewater into a nearby watercourse will pollute the water and pose threats to public health and environmental hygiene.
      
     The spokesman reminded all WPCO licensees that they should ensure proper operation of their wastewater treatment facilities and strictly adhere to the discharge standards of all pollutants as stipulated in the licence. Otherwise, it constitutes an offence. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months’ imprisonment. read more

     “A Tale of Two Circles”, the finale performance of the Community Oral History Theatre Project – Central and Western District, will be staged at the Theatre of Sheung Wan Civic Centre on September 8 (Saturday) at 7.30pm and on September 9 (Sunday) at 3pm. More than 20 elderly participants of the project will take part in the full-length show (in Cantonese) to re-enact their own precious stories from the Central and Western districts.
 
     The Central and Western districts are two important locations on Hong Kong Island, combining the best of East and West. Old Central, characterised by its European influence, was the centre of politics and economic affairs, while old Western district, primarily settled by Chinese people, was a trade port for food products.
 
     The story follows the elderly project participants’ recollections of the two districts. Some of them worked diligently in Central to earn a living; some strived to support their children’s schooling, hoping they would become professionals in Central; and some were trained to become craftsmen and set up small businesses in the Western district.
 
     The Community Oral History Theatre Project – Central and Western District has been co-organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), Chung Ying Theatre Company and the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council since 2017. Through organising a series of workshops, the project gathered the personal experiences and valuable recollections of the elderly from Central and Western District to come up with a drama script, and provides an opportunity for the elderly to perform their stories onstage.
 
     An outreach performance featuring excerpts of “A Tale of Two Circles” held recently at JC Cube in Tai Kwun was well received by the audience. The upcoming full-length finale with enriched programme contents will provide more delightful and enjoyable performances. To make the performances more meaningful, child actors were recruited earlier in the district. They have been rehearsing intensively since then and will be performing together with the elderly onstage so that the spirit of the elderly can be passed on to the young generation.

     Since its launch in 2009, the Community Oral History Theatre Project has been implemented in several districts, namely Sham Shui Po, Kwun Tong, Islands (Tai O), Eastern and Sha Tin districts, and has been well received by the elderly participants and audiences. The project encourages the elderly to participate in arts and cultural activities, and provides them with an opportunity to recount and perform their stories onstage. In addition, it allows the younger generation to understand the previous generations through the performances and encourages them to reflect on their own lives.
 
     Tickets for “A Tale of Two Circles” priced at $60 will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from tomorrow (August 8). For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2591 1300 (LCSD) or 8106 8336 (Chung Ying Theatre Company), or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/ab/en/OH_central_western_finale.php.

    

     Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, at the press briefing of NISI (HK) Limited today (August 7):
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. I’m very honoured to attend NISI’s press conference today.
 
     What NISI has achieved is a major transformation of the minimally invasive surgery platform, and it has brought tremendous benefit to thousands, if not millions, of patients in the world. NISI has done a tremendous amount of R&D in Hong Kong and some of it was funded by the ITF (Innovation and Technology Fund), over $40 million worth. But we understand it’s a lot more than that. They collaborated with local universities, such as the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In addition, they have collaborated with the University of Cambridge in England to bring artificial intelligence into the so-called medical robotic platform.
 
      The HKSAR Government is highly committed to promoting innovation and technologies. We will build two platforms, one in healthcare technology, the other in artificial intelligence and robotics. These two platforms will be built in our Hong Kong Science Park. Our goal is to attract the best of the best universities and also scientific research institutions to come to Hong Kong, and to form medical and artificial intelligence clusters which would synergise and also work with our local talents to make Hong Kong the international hub for innovation and technology in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. I believe with our strength in research talents, our academics and also our internationalisation experience, Hong Kong will become a major player in the fields of innovation and technology, and particularly in the minimally invasive robotic surgery.
 
     Thank you very much.

  

     The Home Affairs Department will open 18 temporary night heat shelters tonight (August 7) for people in need of the service.
      
     The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.

     For further information, please call the department’s enquiries hotline before midnight on 2835 1473.
      
     The 18 night heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Districts:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex,
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern/Wan Chai –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
Waiting Lobby, 3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
Multi-purpose Room, 1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices,
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate,
Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
Hall, G/F, 45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building,
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,
38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai
      
     The temporary night heat shelters will resume their functions as either community centres or community halls in the daytime for hire by the local community and cannot continue to be open as heat shelters. People may choose to take refuge from the heat during the daytime in the common areas in any of the 21 designated community centres or community halls. Their opening hours are from 9am to 10pm. For addresses of the community centres or community halls, please browse the following webpage: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.
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