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 (December 11) that… read more
Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley today (December 11). The arrangements will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.
A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race
The following road closure and traffic diversions will be implemented from 50 minutes before the start of the first race for day racing, or from 6pm onwards for night racing:
1. Road closure
Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp outside the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed, except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.
2. Traffic diversions
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside the HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Traffic along eastbound Queen’s Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen’s Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road, except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen’s Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen’s Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.
B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting
The following road closure and traffic diversions will be implemented from about 35 minutes before the start of the last race:
1. Road closure
– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside the HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of the HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen’s Road East.
In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of the HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.
2. Traffic diversions
– Eastbound Queen’s Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.
C. Learner drivers prohibition
Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:
– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.
D. Suspension of parking spaces
Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm for day racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm for night racing respectively.
All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.
Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site. read more
In response to media enquiries on hospital development plans and cluster delineation, a spokesman for the Health Bureau gave the following response today (December 10): The Hospital Authority (HA) plans and de… read more
Hong Kong Customs and the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific today (December 10) hosted a three-day International Forum on Combating Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crimes: Criminal Networks, Trade Dynamics and Beyond. The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho; and the Head of the Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific, Mr Toshihiko Osawa, officiated at the kick-off ceremony of the forum.
This is the first time for Hong Kong Customs to host a large-scale international forum focusing on combating money laundering and transnational organised crimes, inviting as many as 250 representatives from law enforcement agencies, the World Customs Organization, Interpol, the Financial Action Task Force, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, anti-money laundering regulators, the fintech sector, and local industries.
In his opening speech at the forum, Mr Lam highlighted that under the principle of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong has a reputable and efficient legal and judicial system based on common law. He emphasised that Hong Kong has enacted many domestic laws, continuously updated to tackle transboundary crimes, ensuring alignment with international standards and Hong Kong’s international legal obligations. He elaborated on Hong Kong’s active role in international co-operation to combat money laundering and transnational organised crimes, including the signing of bilateral Mutual Legal Assistance agreements with 33 jurisdictions. These agreements play a crucial role in enabling the effective prosecution of transboundary crimes and the recovery of assets or proceeds of crimes. He also stressed the importance of knowledge and experience sharing, including capacity building, with international symposiums and conferences like this forum providing excellent platforms for such purposes.
Also speaking at the forum, Mr Tang highlighted that criminals exploit the financial system for money laundering and transnational organised crimes, underscoring the necessity of strengthening international co-operation to combat these issues. He urged that, in addition to actively participating in international organisations to promote intelligence exchange, each country or region should continuously improve their anti-money laundering legal frameworks and regulatory systems to align with international standards. Furthermore, compliance by the private sector plays a key role, with all sectors needing to implement risk-based preventive measures to safeguard the global financial system.
In her speech, Ms Ho pointed out that the forum is themed “Defeating Crimes Today, Securing Economy Tomorrow” with a series of presentations and panel discussions focusing on anti-money laundering, combating dangerous drugs crimes, and illegal wildlife trade. She emphasised that the effectiveness of combating money laundering and transnational organised crimes depends on full co-operation among governments, law enforcement agencies, and private institutions. Therefore, the forum is guided by three action slogans, namely “Enforcement Strategy”, “Public-Private Partnership”, and “Synergized Cooperation”, encouraging in-depth discussions from different perspectives and experience sharing to promote mutual collaboration.
In addition, Hong Kong Customs also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) at the forum, aiming to jointly promote research and development, as well as staff training in areas of virtual assets, blockchain technologies and intellectual property protection, with a view to enhancing the department’s enforcement capabilities in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, and combating online infringement activities.
Looking ahead, Hong Kong Customs plans to organise training courses on anti-money laundering and technology enforcement for Customs members in the Asia-Pacific region in collaboration with the HKU to strengthen the Customs capacity building in the region and build a safe and stable global financial environment.
Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department… read more