â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (June 3) that five sets of special stamps with various themes will be issued from July to December 2025. Each stamp issue has its own ingenious design and distinctive style, making the stamps valuable collectables for philatelists and the public.
      
     Inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016, the "24 solar terms" of the Chinese calendar reflect the change of seasons and meteorological patterns. Following the "24 Solar Terms – Spring" special stamps and "24 Solar Terms – Summer" special stamps issued in 2020 and 2023 respectively, Hongkong Post will issue special stamps themed on "24 Solar Terms – Autumn", featuring six solar terms of autumn, namely "Autumn Commences", "End of Heat", "White Dew", "Autumnal Equinox", "Cold Dew" and "Frost".
      
     The Central Government gifted a pair of giant pandas, Ying Ying and Le Le, to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in 2007. The pair welcomed a pair of cubs, Jia Jia and De De, on August 15, 2024. The twin cubs have since captured the hearts of the public, who have been keenly following their growth. Hongkong Post will issue special stamps themed on "Giant Panda Twin Cubs" to showcase the highlights of Jia Jia and De De's daily lives at different stages and witness their growth journey.
      
     In Hong Kong, there are many distinctive hiking trails, offering hikers a diverse array of green experiences. Among them, the Wilson Trail is a long-distance hiking trail that begins at Stanley and finishes at Nam Chung in the New Territories, stretching approximately 78 kilometres across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Hongkong Post will issue a set of 10 special stamps themed on "Hong Kong Hiking Trails Series No. 3: Wilson Trail" to feature the gorgeous scenery of various sections along the Wilson Trail.
      
     Hong Kong's airport plays an indispensable role in the successful development of Hong Kong into an international aviation hub. The passenger terminal of Kai Tak Airport was completed and commenced service as early as in the 1960s. In view of the growing demand for air traffic, Kai Tak Airport completed its historical mission in 1998 when Hong Kong International Airport relocated from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok. At present, it has developed a three-runway system. Meanwhile, the Government of the HKSAR is pressing ahead with the Airport City development strategy. Hongkong Post will issue a set of special stamps on the theme of "Aviation Development in Hong Kong" to feature the thriving aviation development in the city.
      
     Christmas is a season full of joy, warmth and blessings. As a city embracing both Chinese and Western cultures, Hong Kong showcases a lively festive ambience throughout Christmas. Hongkong Post will issue special stamps on the theme of "Christmas Stamps V", which adopt the night view of Victoria Harbour as the background, showcasing a variety of Christmas elements under the starry sky and highlighting the joy of the festive season.
      
     Customers may place advance orders for the above new stamp products from today on Hongkong Post's online shopping mall "ShopThruPost" (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk). Customers may also visit the Facebook page "郵票．郵趣@Hongkong Post Stamps" (www.facebook.com/HKPStamps) for more details. Customers who place orders by June 23 (Monday) will receive attractive gifts and bonus points. Further information about placing orders can be obtained from the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk) or by calling the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau hotline at 2785 5711.

     Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-raising ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (June 3) will be cancelled.

     If the thunderstorm warning is cancelled and weather conditions permit by then, the flag-raising ceremony may be resumed without further notice.

     A boy who went missing in Wong Tai Sin has been located.

     Cho Tik-laam, Ambrose, aged 17, went missing after he was last seen on Luk Hop Street yesterday (June 1) afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the same day.

     The boy was located on Belcher Bay Promenade, Western District this afternoon (June 2). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 2) urged the public not to consume a kind of durian flavoured ice cream, which was found to contain coliform bacteria and its count exceeding the legal limit. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately if they possess them.

     Details of the product are as follows:

Product Name: Durian Gelato
Brand: Alchemia
Place of Origin: Hong Kong
Net Volume: 70 ml
Best-before Date: April 13, 2026
Manufacturer: Pay & Pay Ice Cream International Company Limited
Distributor: Kai's Gourmet Limited

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample for testing from a food stall at an expo on Lantau under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained 110 coliform bacteria per gram, exceeding the legal limit."

     Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap 132 AC), frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 100 coliform bacteria per gram. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the coliform count exceeded the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.

     "The CFS has informed the distributor concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop selling the affected ice-cream immediately. The CFS has also immediately sent staff to the frozen confection factory concerned to conduct an investigation and took samples for testing. Health education on food safety and hygiene was provided to the person-in-charge and staff. They have also been requested to carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection of the premises. Should there be sufficient evidence, prosecution will be initiated," the spokesman said.

     For the sake of prudence, the CFS has instructed the above-mentioned distributor to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected products, and to initiate a recall. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the distributor (hotline: 3483 0098).

     The spokesman advised members of the public to stop consuming the affected product and seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming the product concerned.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and continue to follow up and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.

     â€‹The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced today (June 2) that it is investigating a sporadic case of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection and reminded members of the public to maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent intestinal infections.
      
     The case involves a 59-year-old man with good past health who attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Tseung Kwan O Hospital on April 28 due to an acute neurological condition, and was transferred to the neurosurgery ward of Kwong Wah Hospital (KWH) for hospitalisation on the same day. He developed bloody diarrhoea on May 9, and this symptom has been resolving since May 12 after treatment. He remains hospitalised for his acute neurological condition and is now in stable condition. His household contact is asymptomatic.
      
     His stool sample tested positive for STEC.
      
     A preliminary investigation by the CHP revealed that the patient had consumed food in the community during the early stage of the incubation period, including patronising restaurants and consuming takeaway food at home. The CHP obtained detailed information from his household member about the food he consumed at home and the cooking process. No high-risk factors were identified. However, the patient could not provide any information on the restaurants he had patronised due to his current health condition. Since the patient was hospitalised during part of the incubation period, CHP staff, for the sake of prudence, visited KWH to investigate and identify the source of the infection.
      
     The other patients who had been hospitalised in the same ward as the patient in question and the medical staff working in the ward were asymptomatic. Arrangements have been made to test stool samples from other patients hospitalised in the same ward and from the healthcare workers responsible for feeding the patient.
      
     The CHP also took environmental samples and samples of the nutritional products consumed by the patient concerned during his stay at KWH. The results showed that all the stool samples from the healthcare workers and patients, and all environmental and nutritional product samples from the ward, were negative for STEC. The CHP has also stepped up surveillance of staff and patients in the ward, and no other cases have been detected. Therefore, the CHP believes that the patient was more likely to have been infected in the community, though the source has not yet been confirmed.
      
     The CHP has recorded one to six cases of STEC infection annually in the past five years (2020 to 2024). The CHP has recorded two cases of STEC infection (including the case announced above) in the first five months of this year. There is no rising trend or abnormal cluster. In general, STEC infections are usually associated with the consumption of contaminated food or water, such as raw or undercooked meat products, contaminated fruits and vegetables, and unpasteurised dairy products. Direct person-to-person transmission through the faecal-oral route can also occur. The public are advised to observe good personal and food hygiene.
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     Members of the public may refer to the CHP's webpage for more information about STEC.