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.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (August 7) that the official foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong amounted to US$431.9 billion as at the end of July 2018 (end-June 2018: US$431.9 billion) (Annex).
 
     Including unsettled foreign exchange contracts, the foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong at the end of July 2018 amounted to US$424.3 billion (end-June 2018: US$424.3 billion).
 
     The total foreign currency reserve assets of US$431.9 billion represent over seven times the currency in circulation or about 47 per cent of Hong Kong dollar M3.
 
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     At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of August 2018, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 7) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Tuaran District of Sabah State in Malaysia, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from the district with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong imported about 100 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and 190million poultry eggs from Malaysia in the first six months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Malaysian authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said. 

     The self-service library station located at Island East Sports Centre Sitting-out Area will suspend services from 8pm on August 13 to 3am on the following day to facilitate periodic inspection and testing of electrical installations at the venue, a Leisure and Cultural Services Department spokesman announced today (August 7).
 
     During the service suspension period, readers are welcome to use the book drop service of other public libraries to return library materials. They may also renew library materials by telephoning 2698 0002 or 2827 2833 or via www.hkpl.gov.hk.