A man was sentenced to community service of 160 hours today (September 14) at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts after being convicted of operating a money service without a valid licence.
 
     Customs officers in November last year conducted an investigation against a man who was suspected of operating a remittance business without a licence via a social media platform. After an in-depth investigation, Customs officers discovered that the man used the personal particulars of his mother to create a bank account to operate the remittance business.
 
     Under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, a person who wishes to operate a remittance or money changing service needs to first obtain a licence from the Customs and Excise Department. The maximum penalty for such operators without a valid licence upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for six months.
 
     Customs reminds consumers to procure services from licensed money service operators. A register of licensees is accessible from the website of Customs' Money Service Operators Licensing System at eservices.customs.gov.hk/MSOS/wsrh/001s1?request_locale=en.
 
     Members of the public may report any suspected unlicensed money service operation to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (September 14) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Province of Guadalajara of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 80 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 32 000 poultry eggs from Spain in the first six months of this year.

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

     The latest dates of posting for surface mail (letters, cards, packets and parcels) intended for delivery before Christmas Day are shown below. While the dates are provisional, they are worked out based on the requirements of overseas postal administrations and for reference information only. These dates and services are subject to availability of shipping services and the pandemic situation, and may be altered at short notice. The public are advised to post earlier than the dates shown. Members of the public may visit the Hongkong Post web page at www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/index.html on the service availability for overseas destinations before posting.

     The United States tour of a Hong Kong all-star jazz ensemble, featuring guitarist Eugene Pao, pianist Ted Lo, bassist Sylvain Gagnon and drummer Anthony Fernandes, opened to a full-house audience in New York City in the evening on September 13 (New York time) at the iconic Jazz at Lincoln Center.
 
     The jazz tour was organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (HKETONY) to promote cultural exchange between Hong Kong and the United States. It is also part of the celebration programmes of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
 
     The Director of HKETONY, Ms Candy Nip, said she was proud to present this stellar lineup to the United States audience, showcasing Hong Kong's diverse music talent. She commended the four musicians for being among the finest and most distinguished in Hong Kong who have made their names locally and internationally.
 
     "They are the walking testimony that Hong Kong is not only a vibrant business and financial centre, but also a cosmopolitan city with a rich arts and cultural scene and a welcoming embrace for global talents.
 
     "This is a night of celebration through the brilliant rendering of these exquisite jazz tunes. We celebrate music. We celebrate friendship," Ms Nip said.
 
     The quartet was joined by multiple Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker on the opening night, performing a medley of jazz standards, their own compositions and other enchanting pieces. 
 
     They will continue their jazz tour in Chicago; Washington, DC; and New Orleans from September 14 to 17.

              

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is participating in the Urbanism and Architecture Exhibitions for Excellence titled "M3: Beyond Territories – Made. Make. Making" organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA). The roving exhibition showcases Hong Kong architects' achievements in urbanism and sustainable development over the past quarter of a century, and celebrates the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The exhibition has been held in Hangzhou, and will also be held in Beijing, New York and Hong Kong. 

     The HA's exhibit, "Housing for Millions", visualises existing public housing estates as a splendid collection according to their years of completion and flat numbers. Visitors walking around the timeline are invited to browse through the vibrant and eventful timeline of public housing development in Hong Kong, encompassing "History", "Design Transformation", "Quality Living" and "Innovations and Technologies". The exhibit not only celebrates the past achievements of the HA, but also explores better housing design for tomorrow.

     An HA spokesman said that the HA has been established for almost 50 years. Driven all along by the core values of Caring, Customer-focused, Creative and Committed, the HA is devoted to providing affordable quality housing for families in need. The HA thanks the HKIA for organising the exhibition and for inviting the HA to participate, which provides the HA with the opportunity to introduce the design concept of public housing estates to Mainland and overseas cities.

     The "M3: Beyond Territories – Made. Make. Making" roving exhibition will be held in Hong Kong from December 9 to January 4 next year. For exhibition details, please visit www.facebook.com/M3beyond.