A man who went missing in Tsing Yi has been located.
Hung Ka-wai, aged 38, went missing after he left his residence on Tsing Chin Street on December 30, 2021 morning. His family made a report to Police on January 1.
The man returned to his residence this morning (January 5). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (January 5) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Quảng Nam Province, Bình PhÆ°á»›c Province and Tây Ninh Province in Vietnam, and a notification from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Sorø Municipality in Denmark, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that Hong Kong has currently established a protocol with Vietnam for the import of poultry eggs but not for poultry meat. According to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 17.32 million poultry eggs from Vietnam and about 1 060 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 1.85 million poultry eggs from Denmark in the first nine months of last year.
"The CFS has contacted the Vietnamese and Danish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
The Government announced today (January 5) that Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa, Director of Home Affairs, will take up the post of Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection on January 17, 2022. She will succeed Ms Maisie Cheng Mei-sze, who has proceeded on pre-retirement leave after 34 years of service.
The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, said, "Miss Tse is a seasoned Administrative Officer with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that she will continue to serve the community with professionalism in her new capacity."
On the retirement of Ms Cheng, who has proceeded on pre-retirement leave, Mr Nip said, "Ms Cheng has rendered 34 years of loyal and dedicated service to the community of Hong Kong. During her tenure as Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection, she made significant contributions to various policy areas, including the expansion and enhancement of the community recycling network, promotion of green transport and conservation of natural ecological resources. She also played a pivotal role in formulating long-term strategies on various policy areas, endeavouring to improve the environment of Hong Kong. I wish her a fulfilling and happy retirement."
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Brief biographical notes of the two officers are set out below:
Ms Maisie Cheng Mei-sze
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Ms Cheng joined the Administrative Service in September 1987 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in April 2020. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Survey Office, the former Transport Branch, the former Civil Service Branch, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former University and Polytechnic Grants Committee Secretariat, the former Financial Services Branch, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, the Executive Council Secretariat, the former Economic Development and Labour Bureau, the former Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority and the Transport and Housing Bureau. She was Director of Government Logistics from January 2013 to September 2015, Director of Marine from September 2015 to May 2019 and Permanent Secretary for the Environment/Director of Environmental Protection from May 2019 to September 2021.
Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa
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Miss Tse joined the Government in June 1987. She served in the Executive Officer and Labour Officer Grades before joining the Administrative Service in June 1988, rising to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2018. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Constitutional Affairs Branch, the former Civil Service Branch, the former New Airport Projects Co-ordination Office, the former Economic Services Branch, the former Health and Welfare Branch, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels, the former Finance Bureau, the former Economic Development and Labour Bureau and the Transport and Housing Bureau. She was Head (eHealth Record) of the Food and Health Bureau from September 2009 to December 2011 and Deputy Secretary for Food and Health (Health) from January 2012 to April 2016, and has been serving as Director of Home Affairs since April 2016.
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 is 95.4 (down 0.1 against yesterday's index).
​The Education Bureau (EDB) held the 8th Basic Law cum the 25th Anniversary of Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Territory-wide Inter-school Competition Kick-off cum Books Giving Ceremony today (January 5) and issued a circular memorandum to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, encouraging more participation of schools and students as well as promoting national education in schools.
A spokesman for the EDB said, "The EDB has always attached great importance to the promotion of Basic Law education through diversified and ongoing measures, such as curriculum enrichment, teacher training, teaching resources and student activities. To celebrate the major milestone of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, this year's competition questions surround the historical developments and achievements since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the constitutional relationship between our country and the HKSAR and the development of Hong Kong since its handover to the motherland with a view to enhancing students' sense of belonging to our country and their sense of national identity."
Addressing the ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, said he was thankful for the continuous support from Joint Publishing (Hong Kong) and expressed gratitude to Bauhinia Magazine for joining as a supporting organisation and donating a reader titled "National Laws Applicable to HKSAR: A Student Guide" to all primary and secondary schools offering local curriculum in Hong Kong for their reference.
Moreover, Mr Yeung received on behalf of schools the reader donated by Bauhinia Magazine and distributed the reader to the representatives of school councils and school heads' associations. Mr Yeung said that the reader can be used as reading material for the preparation of the competition this year. School principals are also encouraged to make good use of the reader to promote national education in schools.
The reader covers areas such as the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law, enabling students to deepen their understanding of the inseparable relationship between the country and the HKSAR, and to develop a sense of social responsibility and national identity and an affection for Hong Kong as well as to widen their international perspectives.
The territory-wide inter-school Basic Law competition consists of primary and secondary sections. Schools are encouraged to submit their entry form from January 10 to 21 via the website of Hong Kong Education City (www.edcity.hk/basiclaw/reg). The heats will be carried out in the form of an online competition from February 14 to 21. To encourage more participation of schools, the heats will include the Most Active Participation Award and the District Outstanding School Award. The Final will be conducted in June with awards including First, Second and Third prizes and two Honourable Mentions for each section. Positions will be determined by scores in the Final. The Best Live Cheering Award will also be awarded to the school whose cheering team performs the best in the Final. For details of the competition, please visit the National Education One-stop Portal (www.edb.gov.hk/en/neosp).
Other participants at the ceremony included the Permanent Secretary for Education, Ms Michelle Li; Member of the Board of Bauhinia Culture Group Mr Wu Baoan; the Managing Director of Joint Publishing (Hong Kong), Ms Janice Yip; and representatives of school councils and principals' associations.
Apart from the competition, there will be side programmes, such as school-based programmes co-ordinated by Basic Law Student Ambassadors. Details will be announced under "What's New" on the National Education One-stop Portal in due course.
