Hongkong Post announced today (September 30) that, as advised by the postal administration of Cayman Islands, mail delivery services to Cayman Islands previously impacted by severe weather have returned to normal.
​The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (September 30) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 6 100 food samples tested were found to be satisfactory except for nine unsatisfactory samples which were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.
A CFS spokesman said about 1 900 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, and about 4 200 samples were taken for chemical and radiation level tests.
The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators; the chemical tests included testing for pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others; and the radiation level tests included testing for radioactive caesium and iodine in samples collected from imported food from different regions.
The samples comprised about 1 900 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 500 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 500 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 1 000 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 800 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 1 400 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).
The nine unsatisfactory samples comprised a crab sample with an excessive metallic contaminant; a prepackaged salad sample found to contain Salmonella; a frozen confection sample detected with coliform bacteria and total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit; three prepackaged frozen confection samples detected with total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit; a prepackaged egg-flavoured noodle sample detected with a preservative exceeding the legal limit; a prepackaged ice-cream sample and a prepackaged wheat starch sample in breach of food labelling regulations.
The CFS has taken follow-up actions on the above-mentioned unsatisfactory samples including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.
The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.
Separately, in response to the Japanese Government's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the CFS will continue enhancing the testing on imported Japanese food, and make reference to the risk assessment results to adjust relevant surveillance work in a timely manner. The CFS will announce every working day on its dedicated webpage (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/daily_japan_nuclear_incidents.html) the radiological test results of the samples of food imported from Japan, with a view to enabling the trade and members of the public to have a better grasp of the latest safety information.
A woman who went missing in Sheung Shui has been located.
Cheung Ching-man, aged 35, went missing after she was last seen at Luen Wo Hui on September 9 morning. Staff of a caring home made a report to Police on the next day (September 10).
The woman was located near Kwai Foo Road, Kwai Chung, this afternoon (September 30). She sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.
Before the National Day holidays, the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department has stepped up enforcement actions against unlicensed guesthouses and conducted an operation at Yau Tsim Mong District from September 24 to 26, inspecting premises which were suspected of operating unlicensed guesthouses, to ensure the safety of the lodgers as well as the general public.
A spokesman for the OLA said, "During the operation, the OLA carried out surprise inspections on seven premises which were suspected of operating an unlicensed guesthouse. The OLA will follow up on these cases and initiate prosecution on cases with sufficient evidence after completion of the investigation."
The spokesman stressed, "Operating unlicensed hotels/guesthouses is a criminal offence and such an offence leads to a criminal record upon conviction. According to the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance, an offender is liable to three years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500,000. A fine of $20,000 for each day can also be imposed during which the offence continues. A six-month closure order may also be issued for an hotel/guesthouse involved in a repeated offence."
Apart from conducting special operations during festive seasons, the OLA also steps up efforts to combat unlicensed guesthouses via online platforms. The OLA has strengthened its intelligence collection by forming a dedicated team to browse webpages, mobile applications, social media, discussion forums, etc, to search for information and intelligence on suspected unlicensed hotels/guesthouses. The OLA's law enforcement officers will initiate follow-up investigations when information on unlicensed hotels/guesthouses advertised via online platforms is found. The OLA also conducts publicity work on Internet search engines outside Hong Kong to enable tourists' access to the information provided by the OLA in the course of planning their trips to Hong Kong.
Tourists and members of the public can make use of the search functions on the OLA's website to check whether the hotel/guesthouse concerned is licensed or not. Any suspected unlicensed hotel/guesthouse should be reported to the OLA by the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Xinghai Concert Hall from Guangdong Province will present "ChoreoMusica Soiree" during the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival. Talented artists from Guangzhou and Hong Kong will deliver a cross-genre performance that blends with music, dance and visual art at the Studio Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in October, offering audiences a rich audio-visual experience and showcasing the diverse cultural charm of the region.
"ChoreoMusica Soiree" is originated from a music and dance production presented by Xinghai Concert Hall, featuring outstanding artists from the Greater Bay Area. It premiered to critical acclaim in Guangzhou last year. The Hong Kong version will be led by renowned cross-disciplinary artist Tsang Man-tung as artistic director, director and choreographer. With his unique aesthetic, Tsang will bring a fresh style to the production.
The performance will include two music pieces from the premiere in Guangzhou, namely Ravel's "Sonata for Violin and Cello, M.73" performed by Peng Ke, the concertmaster of Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra (GSO) and Pan Chang, the Associate Principal Cello of the GSO. The GSO chamber music ensemble, under the baton of the GSO's Assistant Conductor Ding Jiaying, will perform Piazzolla's "The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires" (arranged by Desyatnikov). Four young local dancers, Natalie Mak, Alice Ma, Liu Heung-man and Rex Cheng, will weave their way through music, blending seamless movement with pulsating tunes to present multifaceted artistic concepts.
Unlike traditional chamber music concert, the programme will feature a two-sided auditorium design, with the stage set in the centre of the venue. The audience will be able to appreciate the performances of the musicians and dancers up close. With the integration of special multimedia art and stage lighting to create rich visual effects, the performances will guide the audience to feel the emotional resonance of each note and step.
Xinghai Concert Hall is one of the most influential performance venues in Mainland China, showcasing top-tier performing arts and serving as a hub of multiculturalism. Over the years, it has attracted many of the world's leading performing arts groups and musicians to perform there. Xinghai Concert Hall is also committed to bringing music and arts into people's daily lives. Its two major resident orchestras, the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and the Guangdong National Orchestra, organise a variety of concerts and arts promotion activities throughout the years. Since its founding in 1957, the GSO has developed into one of the Mainland's most artistically exceptional and vibrant orchestral institutions, praised by the Financial Times in the UK as "China's nexus of musical tradition and innovation". It is now under the leadership of Music Director Huang Yi, a renowned conductor.
Tsang Man-tung is a local interdisciplinary artist whose practice incorporates theatre, visual arts, music, and arts education. He employs a minimalist design approach to achieve spiritual balance and harmony, infusing his designs with the aesthetics of Transcend to the Beyond. He has received numerous local and international awards for scenography, including the Award for Best Artist (Theatre) at the 2008 Hong Kong Arts Development Awards and the Silver Prize for Set Design at 2017 World Stage Design with the dance drama "Storm Clouds". He is renowned for his conceptual and minimalist style, as shown in his theatrical mediation productions, such as "Ashtanga" and "Cankramati".
Natalie Mak was nominated for the "Outstanding Performing Female Dancer" award at the Hong Kong Dance Awards in 2017. Alice Ma is a part-time lecturer at the City Contemporary Dance Company Dance Centre and Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Liu Heung-man is a freelance dancer and dance teacher. Rex Cheng is a part-time lecturer at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and a freelance dancer and choreographer.
"ChoreoMusica Soiree" will be held at 8pm on October 25 and 26 (Friday and Saturday), and at 3pm on October 27 (Sunday) at the Studio Theatre of Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets priced at $300 and $440 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Discount schemes are available for the programmes under the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival (including "ChoreoMusica Soiree", "POP KONG", Cantonese Opera Film "The Legend of The White Snake", 2024 Zhuhai-Hong Kong-Macao Choral Concert, "Songs Echo My Voice" and Dance Drama "Wing Chun" Special Edition by Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre), including group booking discount and package booking discount. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2734 2960 or visit www.gbacxlo.gov.hk/en/programmes/choreomusica-soiree. This programme is also part of the celebratory programmes of the 35th anniversary of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
A post-performance talk (in Cantonese and Putonghua) will be held on October 25 (Friday). Members of the audience are welcome to stay behind to join.　
Hong Kong is the host city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival for the first time this year. It organises and co-ordinates over 260 performances and exchange activities to be held across the "9+2" cities of the Greater Bay Area. The festival aims to showcase the vibrant and diverse cultural richness of the region and foster cultural exchange and co-operation among the cities. For detailed information about the festival, please visit www.gbacxlo.gov.hk.
