Tag Archives: China

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 toda… read more

     Hongkong Post announced today (October 8) that, as advised by the postal administration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to flooding, mail delivery services to Bosnia and Herzegovina are subject to delay. read more

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has invited the world-renowned Spanish flamenco diva, Sara Baras, to visit Hong Kong and bring her company’s latest production “Vuela” for its Asian premiere in December, marking Baras’s first return to the city since 2015. The performance will, no doubt, deliver an unforgettable celebration of flamenco dance and music.
      
     “Vuela” is a production created for celebrating the 25th anniversary of Baras’s own dance company, Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras. She took the occasion to pay tribute to the Spanish guitar virtuoso and composer Paco de Lucía (1947 to 2014), who left a revolutionary influence on flamenco music with his work. “Vuela” (which means “fly” in English) was conceived from the respect, passion and love both artists shared. Since its premiere early this year in Spain, “Vuela” has toured Europe to critical acclaim.
      
     The choreographic journey of “Vuela” is composed of 15 unique pieces within four acts, where each of them revolves around a specific word, thus creating flamenco language in motion with a strong narrative: “madera” (wood) which reminds oneself of the strength of roots, the warmth of being; “mar” (sea) which invites oneself to navigate in passion and be like water; “muerte” (death) is a way to explore human emotions from the deepest depths; “volar” (to fly) is the only way to escape without running, simply letting oneself be carried away by celebration and joy, an opportunity that only music, dance, and feelings can offer oneself.
      
     Celebrated for her lightning-fast footwork, intricate movements of choreography and captivating stage presence, Baras is the foremost exponent of flamenco dance and one of the most prestigious and recognised Spanish representatives in the performing arts international scene. She was hailed by the online music magazine “Bachtrack” as “a superstar who transcends genres”. Baras established Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras in 1998, and has since choreographed 17 productions. Over the years, she has won multiple awards and has been featured in an array of films.
      
     “Vuela” by Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras will be held at 7.45pm on December 6 and 7 (Friday and Saturday) at the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets priced at $260, $360, $460, $560 and $660 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/programs_1791.html.
      
     A number of extension activities will be organised for this programme. A flamenco guitar recital will be held at 2.15pm on December 7 (Saturday) at the Lecture Hall of Sheung Wan Civic Centre. Keko Baldomero, music director and guitarist of the company, accompanied by May Fernández (vocal) and Rafael Moreno (percussion), will offer audiences a captivating journey of flamenco music. Tickets priced at $250 are now available at URBTIX. For details, please refer to the above-mentioned website.
           
     The programme will also feature two flamenco dance workshops (conducted in Spanish with English interpretation) at the Podium Workshop of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for beginners and advanced dancers respectively, where participants will experience a taste of the passion and rhythm of flamenco dance guided by a company dancer. The workshop for beginners (suitable for those aged 16 or above with some dance experience) will be held at 11am on December 7 (Saturday), while the one for advanced dancers (suitable for those aged 16 or above with flamenco dance training) will be held at 11am on December 8 (Sunday). Tickets priced at $200 are now available at URBTIX. For details, please refer to the above-mentioned website.
      
     Discount schemes are available for the programme, including a group booking discount as well as package discounts for performance and guitar recital or dance workshops. An early-bird discount will be offered from now until November 7 (Thursday) for purchasing the tickets through any of the discount schemes. For enquiries about concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit the above-mentioned website. This programme is one of the celebratory programmes of the 35th anniversary of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
     

        

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (October 8) announced that the department tested 114 water samples collected from cooling towers in 63 buildings in its routine inspections in September 2024. Five samples were detected to have a total legionella count at or above the upper threshold, which is 1 000 colony-forming units per millilitre. The latest statistics are set out in Annex 1.

     The cooling towers in which the samples were collected are located at 25 South Wall Road, Kowloon City; Hoi Pa Building, 6 Hoi Pa Street, Tsuen Wan; 290-292 Sha Tsui Road, Tsuen Wan; Ming Sau Building, 91A Chun Yeung Street, Eastern; and Prosperous Commercial Building, 54-58 Jardine’s Bazaar, Wan Chai. The EMSD has issued nuisance notices under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance to the owners of the cooling towers requiring that appropriate disinfection work be done. Disinfection of the cooling towers in these cases has already been completed by the owners. Details of the cases can be found in Annex 2.

     The EMSD publishes the latest statistics of the above information on a half-monthly basis on its website (www.emsd.gov.hk/en/other_regulatory_services/cooling_towers/water_sampling/index.html).

     The EMSD reminds the owners of fresh water cooling towers that they have the responsibility to design, operate and maintain cooling towers properly. They should arrange regular inspections, timely maintenance and periodic testing of the water quality in their cooling towers in accordance with the Code of Practice for Fresh Water Cooling Towers issued by the department to prevent the proliferation of legionella. read more

     The Department of Justice announced today (October 8) that following an open recruitment exercise, Dr Yang Ling will take up the appointment as the Director of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Office. Dr Yang will take up the appointment on November 1. The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, welcomed the appointment.

     Commenting on Dr Yang’s appointment, Mr Lam said, “Dr Yang is a recognised scholar in international legal and dispute resolution with extensive management experience, including from her time at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. I am confident that she will be able to lead the office to take forward the policy initiatives of developing Hong Kong as a capacity-building centre for legal talent in domestic, foreign and international law.”

     The Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Office has been set up to serve as the co-ordinating body to take forward the establishment of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy set out in the 2023 Policy Address. The Office will also serve as the secretariat for the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Expert Committee, which has been established and formed by three advisory boards comprising eminent legal experts and scholars from renowned international, Mainland and local legal organisations, and universities as members. Members of the Expert Committee are appointed in their personal capacity, and the list of membership is set out in the Appendix.

     Capitalising on Hong Kong’s bilingual common law system and international status, the Academy will regularly organise practical training courses, seminars, international exchange programmes and more to promote exchanges among talent in regions along the Belt and Road. It will also provide training for talent in the practice of foreign-related legal affairs for the country, and nurture legal talent conversant with international law, common law, civil law and the country’s legal system. This initiative will be conducive in consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific region.

     A brief biographical note of Dr Yang is set out below:

     Dr Yang was admitted to the Chinese Bar in 2004 and currently holds the position of the Deputy Secretary-General and Head of China Relations of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC). She obtained an LL.M. in International Law in 2006 and a PhD in 2009 from Wuhan University. Prior to joining the HKIAC in 2018, she was an Associate Professor at the East China University of Political Science and Law where she taught international arbitration for more than eight years. In addition, she was a visiting scholar at the University of Aix-en-Provence Marseille III in 2008 and at Boston University School of Law in 2017. Dr Yang has published widely on issues of international dispute resolution and arbitration in China, and currently serves as Executive Editor-in-Chief for the Shanghai International Arbitration Review. She has also been appointed as an arbitrator. read more