â€‹A 45-year-old female person in custody was found unconscious in Lo Wu Correctional Institution today (July 23).
      
     The person in custody suffered from asthma. She required continuous medical care and follow-up at the institution hospital. At 12.29pm today, a correctional officer found her unconscious in her bed in the institution hospital. The officer immediately called for reinforcement to provide first-aid treatment to her, and an ambulance was called at once to send her to a public hospital for further rescue.
      
     The case has been reported to the Police.
      
     The person in custody was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of taking employment after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration in June 2024.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Members and Tai Po District Council (DC) members conducted a visit to Lam Tsuen River and Kwong Fuk Bridge in Tai Po today (July 23) to follow up on issues raised in the meeting held at LegCo between the two parties in late May, including the concern and suggestions of the DC members on improving the ancillary facilities of Lam Tsuen River and the latest progress of the works project of building a vehicular bridge near Kwong Fuk Bridge (the vehicular bridge works project).

     LegCo Members first visited Lam Tsuen River and received a briefing by representatives of Tai Po DC and relevant government departments (including the Drainage Services Department, the Environmental Protection Department, the Highways Department, and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department) on the old and new facilities of Lam Tsuen River as well as various suggestions of improvements put forward by DC members. These suggestions include resurfacing and widening pedestrian walkways on both sides of the riverbank, adding covered benches with special thematic features, as well as providing new recreational and leisure facilities, such as fitness trails and water sports centre.

     LegCo Members then visited Kwong Fuk Bridge along Lam Tsuen River. They were briefed by representatives of the Highways Department and the Transport Department on the progress of the vehicular bridge works project. Members noted that Tai Po DC members supported in expediting the project with a view to mitigating traffic congestion in the vicinity of Tai Po Hui. During the visit, Members exchanged views with Tai Po DC members and representatives of government departments on the project design and time frame.

     Members who participated in the visit were Mr Chan Hak-kan, Mr Steven Ho, Ms Yung Hoi-yan, Mr Chan Chun-ying, Mr Dominic Lee, Mr Dennis Leung and Mr Lai Tung-kwok.

        

     Following the passage of the Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024 by the Legislative Council this July, the Department of Health (DH) today (July 23) formally commenced the recruitment of non-locally trained dentists and published the latest information on its website (www.dh.gov.hk/english/main/main_ds/main_co.html).

     In addition to disseminating information on its website for access from around the world, the DH will also collaborate with offices outside Hong Kong to conduct recruitment promotion in various regions. Dentists who are interested to practise in Hong Kong and granted a conditional offer after the interview may submit a limited registration or special registration application to the Dental Council of Hong Kong (DCHK), and upon approval directly practise at the DH.

     â€‹A spokesperson for the DH said that, with the phased implementation of the amended provisions starting from 2025, qualified non-locally trained dentists will be allowed to practise in Hong Kong, which can increase local dental manpower and better support public and subsidised dental services. The DH will work closely with the DCHK, striving to admit the first batch of non-locally trained dentists to Hong Kong through the mechanism to serve the public in the first quarter of 2025.

     Two teams of students representing Hong Kong achieved remarkable results at the 8th European Physics Olympiad (EuPhO 2024) and the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2024).
      
     The EuPhO 2024, hosted by Georgia, was held from July 15 to 19. A total of 256 students from 54 countries and regions competed for medals. The Hong Kong team won four gold medals and one silver medal. The five awardees are as follows:
 
Gold medal: Haydn Cheng (Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School)
                    Edison Fu (Queen's College)
                    Qiao Lok-hei (St. Paul's Co-educational College) 
                    Yeung Yeung (St. Mark's School)
Silver medal: Hui Pok-shing (Queen Elizabeth School)
 
     The IMO 2024, hosted by the United Kingdom, was held from July 11 to 22, with the participation of 609 students from 108 countries and regions. The Hong Kong team won five silver medals and one bronze medal. The six awardees are as follows:
 
Silver medal: Chase Sebastian (St. Joan of Arc Secondary School)
                      Kwan Yung-ho (Diocesan Boys' School)
                      Lai Wai-lok (St. Paul's Co-educational College)
                      Ng Hok-lai (St. Paul's Co-educational College)
                      Jerry Xu (Victoria Shanghai Academy)
Bronze medal: Liu Lincoln (Sha Tin College)

     The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, congratulated the Hong Kong teams today (July 23) on their outstanding performances. "The students representing Hong Kong in the competitions have excellent potential in physics and mathematics. They have actively participated in the advanced training and achieved impressive results. The Education Bureau (EDB) and different stakeholders will continue to promote STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools, and encourage the setting up of school-based talent pools to identify and nurture more STEAM talent and help them unleash their potential," Dr Choi said.

     The EDB has been attaching great importance to the grooming of gifted students and will strengthen collaboration with the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) to offer more diversified and high-quality off-school gifted education services and, in particular, arrange for gifted students with potential in STEAM to participate in systematic training and competitions of a reasonable scale to nurture future innovation and technology talent for Hong Kong.

     Members of the Hong Kong teams of the EuPhO 2024 and the IMO 2024 achieved excellent results in local selection contests. They subsequently received specific training under the enhancement programmes arranged by the HKAGE. The outstanding students in the programmes were then selected as contestants to represent Hong Kong to participate in the above competitions. The Hong Kong teams were fully funded by the EDB to join these competitions.

    

     Police today (July 23) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Cheung Sha Wan.
 
     Xia Qilin, aged 59, went missing after she left a hospital on Wing Hong Street, Cheung Sha Wan yesterday (July 22) morning. Staff of the caring home that she resided made a report to Police on the same day.
 
     She is about 1.6 metres tall and of medium build. She has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short black hair. She was last seen wearing a black and white striped dress and red shoes.
 
     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542, or email to rmpu-kw@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.