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 (March 11) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Stanley Main Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island; and Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.
​Hong Kong Customs yesterday (March 9) detected a dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving an incoming passenger at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 1.2 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $1 million.
A female passenger, aged 38, arrived in Hong Kong from Harare, Zimbabwe via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers suspected that the passenger had dangerous drugs concealed inside her body cavity. She was then escorted to the hospital for examination.
Upon examination, the woman was confirmed by a doctor to have foreign objects concealed inside her body cavity. She was arrested immediately. As at 9pm today (March 10), the arrested woman has excreted 85 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 1.2 kilograms in total.
An investigation is ongoing.
Following the resumption of normal travel and exchanges with the Mainland and other parts of the world, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has also been increasing steadily. 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).
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, at the 17th Asian Film Awards today (March 10):
Dr Wong (Chairman of the Asian Film Awards Academy, Dr Wilfred Wong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening! I am most delighted to join you all at the 17th Asian Film Awards (AFA).
Originating from Hong Kong in 2007, the AFA has gone through a journey of 17 years, developing into a prestigious international film event. Today, I'm glad to welcome internationally renowned filmmakers and artists from across Asia, and the coming back of some old friends. I'm also excited to witness 35 films from 24 countries and regions competing for 16 awards. Such fierce competition and enormous diversity is definitely a showcase of the success of AFA.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been actively promoting arts and culture, with a view to enhancing Hong Kong's position as the East‑meets‑West centre for international cultural exchange. Particularly for film industries, the Government will be injecting about HK$1.4 billion into the Film Development Fund, which shows our determination to provide long-term support for our film industries. We also introduced last year the Hong Kong-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme to support film projects co-produced by filmmakers in Hong Kong and Asian countries, with a view to drawing inspiration from broader regional and cultural horizons and fostering Hong Kong films to go global. The response to this Scheme has been overwhelming and we look forward to the co-production of films under the Scheme which are rich in Hong Kong and Asian culture, enhancing in-depth exchange and mutual learning.
Speaking in front of around 1 000 guests from across Asia tonight, I'm astonished again by Hong Kong's charm as Asia's Events Capital. At the beginning of 2024, a wide range of measures were announced to promote mega event economy. The successful holding of AFA is definitely a best sign of Hong Kong's readiness and competitiveness to stage international events. Hopefully, your brief visit to Hong Kong does not only mark a success of your film career, but becomes an unforgettable memory of the Pearl of the Orient.
Tonight, I am happy to see that there are four Hong Kong films being nominated for awards, and I wish your commitment pays off. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to all of you, who have been joining hands with us to bring all those sophisticated projects to life, promoting arts and cultural exchange between Hong Kong and the world. I wish AFA a resounding success, and all guests a rewarding and enjoyable night in Hong Kong. Thank you.
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) Bills Committee on Safeguarding National Security Bill will hold four meetings tomorrow (March 11) in Conference Room 1 of the LegCo Complex:
Separately, the meeting of the Panel on Welfare Services originally scheduled for tomorrow at 2.30pm has been rescheduled.
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 10) investigating a case of severe paediatric influenza B infection and reminded the community to heighten vigilance against influenza. The CHP appealed to members of the public to receive seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) in a timely manner to better protect themselves during the influenza season.
The case involves an 8-year-old boy with good past health. He had developed a fever, cough and runny nose since March 1, and had visited a private doctor that day and on March 4 respectively. He attended the accident and emergency department of North Lantau Hospital on March 6 and 8 due to persistent symptoms, and was admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital on March 8. He developed shortness of breath, chest pain and abdominal pain yesterday (March 9) and was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit of the hospital. His respiratory specimen was positive for influenza B virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was influenza B infection complicated with myocarditis and shock. He is now in critical condition.
Initial enquiries by the CHP revealed that the patient had no travel history during the incubation period. His home contacts are currently asymptomatic. The CHP's investigations are ongoing.
A spokesman for the CHP said, "Influenza can cause serious illnesses in high-risk individuals and even healthy persons. SIV is one of the most effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, as well as reducing influenza-related hospitalisation and death. SIV is recommended for all persons aged 6 months or above except those with known contraindications. Persons at higher risk of getting influenza and its complications, including the elderly and children, should receive SIV early. As it takes about two weeks to develop antibodies, members of the public are advised to receive SIV early for protection against seasonal influenza. Please see details of the vaccination schemes on the CHP's website.
A person who gets influenza and COVID-19 at the same time may be more seriously ill and would have a higher risk of death. It is important to receive both SIV and COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible, in particular for children and elderly persons residing in the community or residential care homes. The public should also maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses, and note the following:
​The public may visit the CHP's influenza page and weekly COVID-19 & Flu Express for more information.