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.

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 (September 9) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay First Beach in Sai Kung District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     In her 2017 Policy Address, the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, said education is the key to nurturing talent and immediately set about boosting government expenditure on education.
 
     A slew of priority measures has been rolled out for the sector including a non-means-tested subsidy for self-financing undergraduate students, regularising the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors and increasing its number of subsidised places to help alleviate the financial burden of young people interested in learning and training in specific professions.
 
     News.gov.hk spoke to some students who are beneficiaries of these subsidies to find out how the additional funding has helped support their professional ambitions.
 
     The story appears on news.gov.hk today (September 9) in text and video format.