Hailed as one of the greatest jazz bassists, Ron Carter will collaborate with pianist Donald Vega, guitarist Russell Malone and key local jazz figure Ted Lo, who is a former member of the Ron Carter Quartet, for a performance in December.
 
     The concert by Ron Carter Trio will be staged at 7.30pm on December 1 (Saturday) at the Auditorium of Tsuen Wan Town Hall as one of the programmes in this year's "Jazz Up" series. Audiences can expect sparks to fly at this long-awaited reunion between Carter and Lo.
 
     Ron Carter, now 81, is living jazz history. His musical prowess and achievements have long been recognised and his playing style is considered textbook material – a smooth bassline and a lively but steady bass pizzicato. He is peerless at emphasising chord tones in different intervals, while things like double stops are a "walk in the park".
 
     Carter is among the most original, prolific, and influential jazz bassists, and was verified as the most recorded jazz bassist in history by Guinness World Records in 2015. From 1963 to 1968, Carter was a member of the classic and acclaimed Miles Davis Quintet. He continues to tour worldwide, playing to sold-out crowds across Europe, Asia, and South America.
 
     Carter was named Outstanding Bassist of the Decade by the Detroit News, Jazz Bassist of the Year by Downbeat magazine and Most Valued Player by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States. He has earned two Grammy awards, one in 1987 for Best Instrumental Composition for "Call Sheet Blues" from the film "Round Midnight" and another in 1994 for Best Jazz Instrumental Group. In 2014, Carter was made a Commander of Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture.
 
     The concert by Ron Carter Trio is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $180, $250, $350 and $420 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_627.html.

     Following is the speech delivered by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Lo Wai-chung, at the Force Remembrance Day today (November 2):

     Colleagues and guests, we are here today to honour all members of the Hong Kong Police Force, both regular and auxiliary, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the community of Hong Kong. This solemn ceremony is also a fitting tribute to the dedication to duty and fortitude of all members of staff who have served in the Force over the past 174 years.

     Since the founding of the Hong Kong Police Force in 1844, members of the Force have been facing different dangers in the course of our duties. Without fear, we have always put the people of Hong Kong first in our determination to ensure the safety and stability of this city. We are deeply grieved by the death of Senior Police Constable Lum Hoi-wan of Traffic Kowloon West in the course of duty in March this year. This tragedy once again reflects police work is filled with dangers and uncertainties. We are gathered here in remembrance today in order to mourn our comrades who have paid the ultimate price to safeguard Hong Kong.

     In this ceremony, we are also joined by members of the Hong Kong Police Old Comrades Association, the Royal Hong Kong Police Association and former Force members. Like the many who came before them, they represent the finest traditions of service to the community for which the Force is both famed and justifiably proud – traditions, which continue today and are passed on from generation to generation and that make the Hong Kong Police Force one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the world.

     To all of you present here today, may I ask you to remain standing, and following the "Last Post", join me in observing a two-minute silence in memory of all those who have fallen in the line of duty.

        

     The Government published in the Gazette today (November 2) the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 7) Ordinance 2018 to implement the initiative announced in the Chief Executive's 2017 Policy Address of providing enhanced tax deduction for the expenditures incurred by enterprises on research and development (R&D) activities in Hong Kong.

     A government spokesman said, "To encourage more enterprises to conduct R&D locally so as to promote technological innovation and economic development as well as to groom local R&D talent, the Amendment Ordinance will provide enhanced tax deduction. This also addresses the calls from the business community. We aim to encourage more R&D investment from private enterprises, thereby gradually reversing the ratio of public sector expenditure versus private sector expenditure on R&D from government-led to private-led, which is more sustainable."

     The Ordinance stipulates that R&D expenditures are now classified into either "Type A expenditures" which qualify for 100 per cent deduction or "Type B expenditures" which qualify for enhanced tax deduction. The enhanced tax deduction for "Type B expenditures" is a two-tier deduction regime. The deduction is 300 per cent for the first $2 million of the aggregate amount of payments made to "designated local research institutions" for "qualifying R&D activities", and expenditures incurred by the enterprises for in-house qualifying R&D, and 200 per cent for the remaining amount. There is no cap on the amount of enhanced tax deduction. The arrangement is applicable to R&D expenditures incurred by enterprises on April 1, 2018, and thereafter.

     In addition, the Ordinance also empowers the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology to designate any university or college located in Hong Kong, or any other institute, association, organisation or corporation that undertakes "qualifying R&D activities" in Hong Kong, as a "designated local research institution" for tax deduction purposes. R&D service providers which provide R&D services in Hong Kong and are competent to provide such services may apply to the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) for designation. The detailed conditions and application procedures for designation will be available on the ITC webpage shortly.

     The Home Affairs Bureau today (November 2) announced the re-appointment of Mr Vincent Chow Wing-shing as Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development (ACAD). The new appointments and re-appointments are made for a two-year term from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2020.

     The membership of the ACAD in its new term is as follows:

Chairman
——– 
Mr Vincent Chow Wing-shing

Members
——-
Mr Arnold Chan Kwan-yeung *
Ms Susanna Chiu Lai-kuen 
Professor Gilbert Fong Chee-fun 
Dr Ho Siu-kee
Miss Cecilia Ho Chung-chee *
Mr Chris Ip Ngo-tung *
Ms Catherine Kwai Yuk-nin 
Mr Ronald Kwok Wing-chung 
Mr Lau Hang-on *
Mr Danny Lee Chin-fai *
Ms Candice Leung Wai-yee 
Mrs Margaret Leung Ko May-yee *
Professor Lui Yu-hon
Professor Christopher Pak Tak-wan  
Ms Helen So Hiu-ming *
Miss Agnes Tang In-kwan
Ms Lina Yan Hau-yee 
Dr Royce Yuen Man-chun

Ex-officio Members
——————
Representative from the Home Affairs Bureau
Representative from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Representative from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council

(* new appointees)

     The ACAD advises the Secretary for Home Affairs on matters relating to local arts development, including issues in relation to the use of the Arts and Sport Development Fund (Arts Portion) and the operation of the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme, funding policies and strategies, issues in relation to the strategies for supporting the development of visual arts, the promotion of cultural exchange and assessment of applications received under the Arts Development Fund, and the strengthening of cultural software.

     The Employment (Amendment) (No. 3) Ordinance 2018, which was passed by the Legislative Council (LegCo) on October 25, was gazetted today (November 2).

     "The Amendment Ordinance seeks to increase the statutory paternity leave under the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) from three days to five days. Male employees with children born on or after the commencement of the Amendment Ordinance are entitled to five days' paternity leave for each confinement of his spouse or partner if they fulfil other requirements as stipulated in the law," a spokesman for the Labour Department said.

     The Amendment Ordinance will come into operation on a day to be appointed by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare by notice published in the Gazette. The Government is arranging the gazettal of the Commencement Notice (CN) and the tabling of the CN at the LegCo. If the CN is supported by the LegCo, the Amendment Ordinance will come into effect by Lunar New Year at the earliest.