A woman who went missing in Ngau Tau Kok has been located.
Chan Ka-tung, aged 25, went missing after she left her residence in Tak Long Estate on July 1 afternoon. Her family made a report to Police on July 6.
The woman turned up at police station to cancel the missing person report last night (July 8). She sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.
​As the Heat Stress at Work Warning is now in effect, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heat stroke when working in hot weather or hot environments.
Employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments face high levels of heat stress and are at a relatively higher risk of heat stroke. Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees at work and, based on the identified risk factors, take necessary preventive and control measures, including rescheduling work periods, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation and heat dissipation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest in a timely manner.
The Heat Stress at Work Warning is formulated by the LD based on the Hong Kong Heat Index. There are three levels of the warning: Amber, Red and Black, which help employers and employees better understand the level of heat stress while working outdoors or indoors without air-conditioning systems.
A spokesman for the LD said that when the department issues the Heat Stress at Work Warning, employers must refer to the criteria and recommendations provided in the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work" to conduct risk assessments, according to the workloads and other relevant heat stress risk factors, for employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor workplaces. Appropriate rest breaks should be arranged every hour, as far as reasonably practicable, based on various levels of the Heat Stress at Work Warning, to reduce employees' risk of heat stroke.
Employees must also follow instructions to rest on time. Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as headache, dizziness, thirst, and nausea, they should rest in a cool and shady place, drink water, and inform employers/supervisors to take appropriate action immediately.
The LD issued the "Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work", detailing the various risk factors that should be considered when conducting heat stress risk assessments and recommending corresponding control measures for identified risk factors for employers' and employees' reference. For the Heat Stress at Work Warning and related guidelines, please refer to the department's thematic webpage: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm.
E&M I&T Day 2024, with the theme of "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application in Electrical and Mechanical (E&M) Industry", is being held today (July 9) and tomorrow (July 10) at the Hong Kong Science Park.
Organised by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), with support from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, the event provides the trade with a platform for interactive exchanges and experience sharing on AI applications.
At today's event, the EMSD announced the launch of the E&M InnoCatalogue on E&M InnoPortal (inno.emsd.gov.hk). The catalogue shares the EMSD's remarkable innovation and technology (I&T) trials with the industry and the public to promote wider application and commercialisation of innovative E&M technologies.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Deputy Director (Trading Services) of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Richard Chan, said that as the Government's innovation facilitator, the EMSD fully supports the Government's policy in promoting I&T development and leverages innovative technologies to enhance services in support of the national initiative of promoting "new quality productive forces" and the "AI Plus" initiative.
E&M I&T Day 2024 brings together about 20 Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas exhibitors to showcase their I&T achievements and solutions in AI applications in the E&M industry. Representatives from government departments, public organisations, E&M and I&T sectors, and tertiary institutions are also sharing their experiences in AI applications in the E&M industry.
For details of the event, please visit inno.emsd.gov.hk/en/others/highlight/index_id_81.html.
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) welcome the announcement of the People's Bank of China (PBoC) today (July 9) to support offshore investors to use onshore bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance and policy banks on the Mainland and held under Northbound Bond Connect as margin collateral for Northbound Swap Connect transactions.
This measure will provide Northbound Swap Connect investors with the additional choice of non-cash collateral, reducing their liquidity cost and improving capital efficiency. It will also help vitalise offshore investors' onshore bond holdings and further enhance the attractiveness of onshore bonds. The measure will also promote synergies between Bond Connect and Swap Connect, thereby further invigorating market participation in the Connect Schemes.
This is a new arrangement for the use of onshore bonds as eligible collateral in the offshore market, following the inclusion of onshore bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance and policy banks on the Mainland in the list of eligible collateral for the HKMA's RMB Liquidity Facility on February 26 this year. It is built on the collaborative efforts with the PBoC to deepen financial co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland and further promote RMB internationalisation in a steady, orderly and sound manner. The HKMA and the SFC will continue to provide guidance to the financial infrastructure institutions (including the HKMA Central Moneymarkets Unit and OTC Clearing Hong Kong Limited) to take forward the preparatory work, including promulgating rules for the provision of collateral by way of security interest or title transfer, and for the transfer of the relevant bonds, with a view to implementing this new measure as soon as practicable. Relevant details will be announced in due course.
An owners' corporation (OC) and two property owners were convicted and fined over $270,000 at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts last month for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
The first case involved several unauthorised structures with a total area of about 98 square metres on the common roof of a composite building on San Fung Avenue, Sheung Shui. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the OC under section 24(1) of the BO.
Failing to comply with the removal order, the OC was prosecuted by the BD and was fined $126,960, of which $104,960 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts on June 11.
The second and the third cases involved the same village house in Sai Keng, Tai Po. The second case involved an unauthorised structure with an area of about 45 square metres on the ground floor of the village house and a fence wall together with a metal gate erected on the adjoining open area, while the third case involved an unauthorised structure with an area of about 40 square metres on the roof of the village house.
As the Lands Department would not issue a certificate of exemption for the UBWs and that were carried out without prior approval and consent from the BD, removal orders were served on the two owners respectively under section 24(1) of the BO.
Failing to comply with the removal orders, the owners were prosecuted by the BD. The owner of the second case was fined $85,470, of which $67,470 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts on June 18. The owner of the third case claimed that the subject order was already complied with during the hearing, and was eventually fined $66,225, of which $56,225 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, upon conviction at the court on the same day.
A spokesman for the BD said today (July 9), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with the removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who have failed to comply with the removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building safety."
Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.