A No. 3 alarm fire broke out at 27-29 Ng Fong Street in Wong Tai Sin at 10.15pm last night (June 5). Firemen are now using three jets and mobilising four breathing apparatus teams to fight the blaze.

     No casualties have been reported so far.

     A fire broke out at 27-29 Ng Fong Street in Wong Tai Sin at 10.15pm today (June 5). The fire was upgraded to No. 3 alarm at 11.45pm.

     Firemen are now using one jet and mobilising two breathing apparatus teams to fight the blaze.

     The Chief Executive's Council of Advisers on Innovation and Strategic Development held its second meeting today (June 5) to deliberate on how Hong Kong could enhance collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), pursuant to the signing of a Free Trade Agreement and a related Investment Agreement in November last year, which are expected to come into force in January 2019.  Members were of the view that new opportunities for collaboration could be found in each of the five areas of connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative, namely policy co-ordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bond. 

     Members reviewed the existing trade relationship between Hong Kong and the ASEAN countries and were briefed on Hong Kong's edges in various sectors.  In particular, members focused on the investment opportunities arising from the huge infrastructure needs in the ASEAN countries and discussed the strategies to fully leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages under "One Country, Two Systems" to participate in these projects.  With the high level of professional expertise in Hong Kong and our position as international financial, transportation and trade centres, members agreed that Hong Kong may act as a platform for ASEAN companies accessing the Mainland market and a valuable partner for Mainland companies "going global".  
 
     Members provided constructive advice to the Government on the strategies to deepen Hong Kong’s relations with the ASEAN countries.  They also urged the Government to enhance its efforts in assisting the private sector to tap into the vast ASEAN market.     
 
     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, said, "Southeast Asia plays an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative.  At present, ASEAN is Hong Kong's second largest trading partner in merchandise trade and the third largest in services trade.    It is important for Hong Kong to capitalize on the existing relationship with ASEAN and take another step forward.  Hong Kong will open a new Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok, the third one in ASEAN after Singapore and Jakarta." 
 
     The Council is a high-level body to advise the Chief Executive on Hong Kong's future development and strategies for driving innovation. It will give advice on Hong Kong's strategic positioning in the global and regional contexts and directions of economic development with an aim of enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness and growth potential, provide guidance on evidence-based research and studies on related issues with a view to enhancing policy formulation to meet changing development needs, and advise on stakeholder engagement and public participation in the policy formulation and consensus building process.

     A talented young oboe player from Hong Kong, Matthew Chin, has taken part in the 15th Rome Chamber Music Festival with the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels). He performed a piece by Sergei Prokofiev to full houses of 200 people on both June 3 and 4 (Rome time), and the performance on June 3 was part of the opening concert of the Festival.

     Chin was one of 21 young artists chosen to study and perform with Festival artists in the beautiful Palazzo Barberini, a landmark of baroque architecture and home to the national fine arts gallery, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, in Rome from June 3 to 7.

     Founded in 2003, the Festival presents a diverse programme of masterworks performed by prominent artists and aspiring music talents over its five-day period.

     This was the fifth time that a young Hong Kong musician had been selected for the Festival's Young Artist Programme.

     HKETO, Brussels regularly supports and promotes Hong Kong's creative industries and enables Hong Kong talents to perform in Europe. For Hong Kong musical talents, so far this year HKETO, Brussels has supported performances by two vocalists and a pianist in Dublin and Paris; a performance by a marimba soloist in The Hague; a performance by the music ensemble Artemisia in Brussels; performances by Ensemble Ad Excellentiam, composed of a pianist, a vocalist and a cellist, in Barcelona and Madrid; and a performance by the ensemble MR Quartet, composed of a cellist, two violinists and a violist, in Lisbon. On Hong Kong cinema, HKETO, Brussels has so far this year supported showcases of the excellence of Hong Kong films at five renowned European film festivals, namely the Dublin International Film Festival in Ireland; the CinemAsia Film Festival in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; the Brussels International Fantasy, Fantastic, Thriller and Science Fiction Film Festival in Belgium; the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy; and the Dragon Film Festival in Florence and Prato, Italy. HKETO, Brussels also supported the Hong Kong Pavilion, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Publishing Federation and the Hong Kong Printers Association, of the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2018 held in Italy in March 2018.

  

     The ventilation and refrigeration system of the fresh market Maritime Market at Cheung Fat Plaza in Tsing Yi generated excessive noise at night which affected nearby residents. The property owner, Link Properties Limited, failed to implement noise abatement measures in accordance with the noise abatement notice (NAN) and was fined $30,000 at Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (June 5) for contravening the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO).

     A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said that the department received five complaints in January and February last year about the noise nuisance generated from Maritime Market. The investigation conducted by the EPD enforcement officers confirmed that the noise generated by the market's ventilation and refrigeration system at night exceeded the statutory limit and an NAN was issued to the owner, Link Properties Limited, requesting improvement. EPD staff made a follow-up noise assessment in October last year and found that the noise generated from its system at night still exceeded the statutory limit, which violated the requirements of the NAN. The department then initiated prosecution under the NCO. Link Properties Limited later installed noise abatement equipment for the ventilation and refrigeration system of Maritime Market and the noise problem has been rectified.

     The spokesman reminded all property owners to install noise abatement equipment for the ventilation and refrigeration system at their premises and ensure its normal operation. A property owner who receives an NAN issued by the EPD has to implement noise abatement measures before the deadline. Otherwise, it will constitute an offence.

     According to the NCO, anyone failing to comply with any requirement of an NAN commits an offence. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000. A maximum fine of $200,000 may be imposed on second or subsequent conviction.