The Hong Kong Flower Show 2024, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will be held at Victoria Park from March 15 to 24. The Jockey Club Student Drawing Competition, one of the major activities of the flower show, will be held on March 15. This year, a new category for tertiary students has been introduced. Local primary and secondary school students and full-time tertiary students are welcome to take part in the competition. Applications for the competition are free of charge and will remain open until February 1.
 
     The competition will be conducted in five categories: a Junior Section in Primary School (Primary One to Primary Three); a Senior Section in Primary School (Primary Four to Primary Six); a Junior Section in Secondary School (Form One to Form Three); a Senior Section in Secondary School (Form Four to Form Six) and a Tertiary Institution Section. The competition is scheduled from 9am to noon for primary school categories and the Tertiary Institution Section, and from 1.30pm to 4.30pm for secondary school categories on that day accordingly.
 
     The competition will feature students' drawings of floral exhibits or garden displays in the showground with a view to enhancing awareness of conserving plants and the natural environment. Participants may use any form of drawing to illustrate the theme of the drawing competition, "Floral Joy Around Town".
 
     For details of the competition, please call 2724 3815 or visit the flower show webpage www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/hkfs/2024/drawing.html. Primary and secondary school students should enrol through their schools while tertiary students are required to enrol by individual. Participating schools and entrants of the Tertiary Institution Section should complete and submit the online application on or before February 1.
 
     The upcoming flower show features "Floral Joy Around Town" as the main theme and the angelonia as the theme flower. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is supporting the flower show for the 12th consecutive year and has been the major sponsor of the flower show since 2014.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (January 8) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs today (January 7) detected a passenger drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 5.2 kilograms of suspected ecstasy with an estimated market value of about $700,000. A man was arrested.

     A 50 year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Paris, France today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected ecstasy concealed in a false compartment of his check-in baggage. He was subsequently arrested.

     The arrested man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (January 8).

     Following the increasing number of visitors to Hong Kong, Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking 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/).

  

     â€‹Regarding the incident announced on January 3, where samples of pigs from a Sheung Shui pig farm tested positive for African Swine Fever (ASF), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) launched a culling operation on the farm concerned on January 5. The operation was completed today (January 7).
      
     An AFCD spokesman said, "According to the contingency plan on ASF, the AFCD has sent staff to cull and handle a total of 489 pigs on the licensed farm in Kwu Tung, Sheung Shui, since January 5. The operation was completed today. All culled and handled pigs were sent to the West New Territories Landfill for dumping according to established procedures."
      
     The spokesman further said, "The AFCD will arrange thorough cleaning and disinfection of the farm, and has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health of this incident. An investigation and tracing of the source of the virus in collaboration with international experts is underway."
      
     Regarding the seven pig farms within three kilometres of the index farm, transport of any pigs from them is still suspended for the sake of prudence. The AFCD will arrange veterinary inspection of the pig farms in the area and collect further samples from pigs for ASF virus testing as appropriate. If no abnormal health condition is noted on the pigs, and all samples have tested negative for the ASF virus, pigs on these pig farms would be allowed to be transported to slaughterhouses.
      
     The AFCD will continue to keep local pig farms under close surveillance as well as conducting tests if necessary. The AFCD has also reminded all farmers to ensure biosecurity measures have been properly implemented and alert the Department immediately if an abnormal health condition is observed in pigs. Meanwhile, AFCD staff are currently inspecting all local licensed pig farms to ensure biosecurity measures have been properly implemented. Surveillance of activities of wild pigs in the vicinity of the index farm has also been stepped up.

     Moreover, the AFCD has implemented an emergency measure on handling dead pigs on local pig farms according to an international veterinary expert since January 3. All farms are required to collect and submit to the AFCD nasal swab samples from pig carcasses for ASF virus testing. Disposal of carcasses can only be arranged upon confirmation of a negative result. Sampling materials and protective clothing have been distributed to local pig farms. Close communication is kept with pig farmers to update them on the latest situation and means of prevention of ASF via SMS groups.
      
     The spokesman stressed that ASF is not a zoonotic disease and will not infect humans, hence does not present any food safety risk. Pork cooked thoroughly is safe for consumption. Members of the public do not need to be concerned. The incident does not affect the operation of local slaughterhouses nor the overall supply of live pigs.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will depart tomorrow (January 8) for a three-day visit to three Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), namely Guangzhou, Huizhou and Shenzhen.
      
     Mr Chan will meet with government leaders of Guangdong Province and the GBA Mainland cities concerned to discuss issues of mutual concern and strengthen exchanges and co-operation on various fronts. Among other things, he will attend the signing ceremony of a framework agreement on promoting Guangdong-Hong Kong talent co-operation and co-chair with a government leader of Guangdong Province the inaugural meeting of the co-ordination mechanism on Guangdong-Hong Kong talent co-operation. He will also visit a number of companies and organisations, and meet with Hong Kong people and enterprises in the cities concerned.  
      
     The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung; the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun; and the Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, will join the itinerary of Guangzhou tomorrow. They will return to Hong Kong the same day.

     Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong on January 10. During Mr Chan's absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration.