The Labour Department called for enrolment for a seminar on the Employment Ordinance to be held at 2.30pm on October 23 (Tuesday) at the Auditorium, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, G/F, 72 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories.

     The main provisions of the Employment Ordinance (including wages, leave and termination of contract) and the Employment (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2018 on Provisions on Reinstatement or Re-engagement Order will be introduced. In addition, the seminar will also cover the Minimum Wage Ordinance and points to note on the employment of foreign domestic helpers.

     The seminar will be conducted in Cantonese and admission is free. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and the enrolment deadline is October 15 (Monday). The enrolment form can be downloaded from the department's website (www.labour.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call 2399 2386.

     Hongkong Post announced today (September 20) that, surface mail services (including letters and parcels) to Iran have returned to normal with immediate effect.

     Police yesterday (September 19) held the Regional Traffic Day in Kowloon West to raise public awareness of road safety through stringent enforcement actions.

     A total of 239 officers from Traffic Kowloon West and District Traffic Teams of Kowloon City, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po and Yau Tsim Districts were deployed to take enforcement actions at traffic black spots in Kowloon West.

     The operation resulted in the issue of 1 746 fixed penalty tickets and 134 summonses. Among the fixed penalty tickets and summonses issued, a total of 1 601 fixed penalty tickets were issued for illegal parking and the rest were for other traffic offences.

     Police figures revealed that a total of 2 106 traffic accidents involving casualties occurred in Kowloon West in the first eight months of 2018, of which 548 cases involved pedestrian injuries.

     Police will continue to take regular enforcement actions to ensure road safety.

     Hongkong Post announced today (September 20) the release of a set of special stamps under the theme "Cantonese Opera Repertory", together with associated philatelic products, on October 9 (Tuesday).
 
     Cantonese opera is a representative traditional performing art form in Hong Kong that was officially inscribed onto the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. It has become an important icon of our local culture – one which is worth savouring and passing on. In Cantonese opera the performers present various stories with the "four basic skills" of singing, acting, narrating and martial arts, complemented by distinctive music, costumes, props and stage settings.
 
     The set of special stamps on "Cantonese Opera Repertory", featuring six immensely popular Cantonese opera plays and their classic scenes, includes The Story of Princess Changping ($2), The Moon Pavilion ($2.60), Lord Guan Gong Releasing Lady Diao Chan ($3.40), The Princess in Distress ($3.70), Butterfly Lovers ($4.90) and Lady Zhaojun Departing for the Frontier ($5). The stamps show an important scene from each opera with vivid and distinctive portrayals of the characters in the plays.
 
     Most of the plots are based on folk tales, Chinese history and myths. As the scripts of the plays are often created by talented writers, the lyrics are regarded as literary classics. Apart from being a popular form of entertainment, Cantonese opera is also a precious cultural tradition that we should preserve. For those looking to learn more, the stories behind these six great works are outlined in some detail in an attractive bilingual Prestige Stamp Booklet, accompanied by colourful photos of the key scenes from the performances.
 
     Official First Day Covers at $1.30 each will be put on sale at all post offices from tomorrow (September 21). The special stamps and associated philatelic products will be displayed at the General Post Office, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Tsuen Wan Post Office, Sha Tin Central Post Office and Tuen Mun Central Post Office from the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided covers will be accepted at all philatelic offices from tomorrow to September 28.
 
     Information about this special stamp issue and associated philatelic products is available on the Hongkong Post website at www.hongkongpost.hk and via the Hongkong Post mobile app.

            

     The Transport Department (TD) today (September 20) said that the relevant departments continued to work at full strength to clear road surfaces affected by Typhoon Mangkhut so as to resume the remaining affected public transport services as soon as possible. 

     Up to now, most of the major roads have been cleared to enable passage of traffic, including public transport.  However, more time is needed to clear the fallen trees on some major roads such as Clear Water ­­­­­­­­Bay Road, Tai Mong Tsai Road, Tin Ping Road and Route Twisk in the New Territories; and Wong Nai Chung Gap Road,  Tai Hang Road, Peak Road, Victoria Road, Nam Fung Road and A Kung Ngam Road on Hong Kong Island.

     A spokesman for the TD reminded members of the public that they should pay attention to the traffic situation and the latest public transport service arrangement this morning before starting their journey. Motorists are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and drive carefully.

     As at 5.30am today, the latest public transport situation is as follows:

(I) MTR Services

Rail services         – all rail lines, service normal
Light Rail services – service normal
MTR Bus services  – normal frequency, except routes of some services have to be diverted

(II) Franchised Bus Services

     All franchised bus services will provide service this morning, except that the following routes are still suspended. The public may consider using the alternative arrangements indicated below:
 
Hong Kong Island (4 Routes)

  
New Territories (2 Routes)

 
The service resumption of the above routes will be announced as soon as possible after the road surfaces have been cleared, but some resumed routes will be temporarily diverted subject to the road conditions.

 (III) Ferry Services  

     Except the ferry service between North Point and Hung Hom, all inner harbour and outlying island ferry services resumed normal.

     The spokesman reminded members of the public to stay alert to the latest traffic news and allow more time for travel. For details of the above public transport arrangements, members of the public can visit the TD's website or get the information through the TD's mobile application "HKeMobility".