In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on August 14 to noon today (August 15), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 131 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 76 565 samples of food imported from Japan (including 49 169 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 17 748 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

　　The Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Great Music 2024 will continue to bring spectacular performances to Hong Kong in this October and November, featuring five world-class musicians. The programme enables audiences to feel the city's arts and cultural buzz through music, showcasing the unique charm of Hong Kong as a cultural hub.
 
　　Programme details are as follows:
 
Duo Recital by Gautier Capuçon (Cello) and Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Piano)
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Date and time: October 3 (Thursday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $280 to $680
 
　　Cellist Gautier Capucon and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet coming from France will present a duo recital with a programme of music composed by Schumann, Brahms, Debussy and Shostakovich for piano and cello to share their mastery of techniques and rapport.
 
Elīna Garan�a Gala Concert
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Date and time: October 29 (Tuesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280
       
　　Mezzo-soprano ElÄ«na GaranÄ�a will make her Hong Kong debut in October, accompanied by conductor Karel Mark Chichon and the Macao Orchestra, to perform opera excerpts from Tchaikovsky's "The Maid of Orleans", Massenet's "Thaïs", Bizet's "Carmen", and more.
 
Piano Recital by Krystian Zimerman
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Date and time: November 11 and 12 (Monday and Tuesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280
       
　　After a hiatus of 12 years, Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman is coming back to Hong Kong in November for two recitals. He is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest pianists, and has worked with the most distinguished musicians and orchestras, as well as giving recitals in the world's leading concert halls. The programmes of the two concerts are partly different, including works by Chopin and Szymanowski and more.
 
Piano Recital by Evgeny Kissin
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Date and time: November 16 (Saturday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280
       
　　Evgeny Kissin, born in Russia and one of the finest pianists of the age, will give a recital with a programme of formidable complexity, including sonatas by Beethoven and Prokofiev as well as music pieces by Brahms and Chopin, to conclude this year's Great Music on a high note.
 
　　Tickets for the above programmes will be available from August 21 (Wednesday) onwards at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1682.html. The above-mentioned programmes are the celebratory programmes of the 35th anniversary of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, while the "Elīna Garan�a Gala Concert" and the "Piano Recital by Krystian Zimerman" are also programmes of this year's Asia+ Festival.

          

     The Government Property Agency (GPA) is inviting quotations for Shop No. 301 on the Ground Floor, Passenger Clearance Building, 33 Shun Fai Road, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, Lantau, Hong Kong, for a three-year tenancy subject to the provisions for renewal for a further term of two years.

     The premises should only be used for general retail and/or services purposes excluding storage, sale or display of:

(1) dutiable goods as defined under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), unless the premises has been issued with a warehouse licence under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109);

(2) duty-paid goods as defined under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109); and

(3) goods, merchandise or commodities that are from time to time prohibited from import into Hong Kong under the laws of Hong Kong.

     The decision of the landlord as to what constitutes goods, merchandise or commodities under (3) above shall be final, conclusive and binding on the tenant. All references in the Form of Tenancy Agreement to the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) shall include any regulations made thereunder and any amending legislation.

     The quotation notice was uploaded today (August 15) to the GPA Property Portal: www.gpaproperty.gov.hk/en/index.html. The quotation document is available for collection at the Government Property Agency, 9/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, during the period from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, except public holidays. The document can also be downloaded from the GPA Property Portal.

     Interested bidders who wish to conduct a site inspection of the premises should make a prior appointment with the GPA by calling 3842 6915/3842 6917 on or before August 22.

     Bidders must submit their quotations by placing them in the Government Property Agency Quotation Box placed at the Ground Floor Lobby, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, before noon on September 4. Late quotations will not be accepted.

     The Government Property Agency (GPA) is inviting two separate quotations for (i) Shop No. 1 and (ii) Shop No. 2, both on the Ground Floor, Passenger Terminal Building (Public Transport Interchange), Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, New Territories, Hong Kong, each for a three-year tenancy subject to the provisions for renewal for a further term of two years.

     Both premises should only be used for general retail and/or services purposes, excluding fast food shop, restaurant, godown, residential use, office use; and excluding sale of any goods or commodities that are subject to export control under the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, any regulations made thereunder and any amending legislations.

     The quotation notices were uploaded today (August 15) to the GPA Property Portal: www.gpaproperty.gov.hk/en/index.html. Quotation documents are available for collection at the Government Property Agency, 9/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, during the period from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, except public holidays. The documents can also be downloaded from the GPA Property Portal.

     Interested bidders who wish to conduct a site inspection of the premises should make a prior appointment with the GPA by calling 3842 6915 / 3842 6917 on or before August 22.

     Bidders must submit their quotations by placing them in the Government Property Agency Quotation Box placed at the Ground Floor Lobby, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, before noon on September 4. Late quotations will not be accepted.

     Hong Kong Customs on August 1 seized about 15 000 suspected counterfeit goods, with an estimated market value of about $1.1 million, at the Inbound Cargo Examination Building of the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point. 

     Through risk assessment, Customs on that day inspected a truck declared as carrying cross border e-commerce goods and household goods arriving in Hong Kong from Dongguan, Guangdong. After the inspection, Customs officers found the batch of suspected counterfeit goods, including mobile phone cases, mobile phones, cables and clothes.

     An initial investigation revealed that the batch of suspected counterfeit goods would be transshipped to overseas regions.

     The investigation is ongoing.

     Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary counterfeit goods activities with stringent enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who imports or exports any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).