Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     The Hong Kong Observatory has issued the Very Hot Weather Warning.

     To prevent heat stroke, avoid prolonged activities outdoors.

     If engaged in outdoor work or activities, wear a wide-brimmed hat and light-coloured, loose-fitting clothes. Stay in shaded areas as much as possible.

     Drink plenty of water, and avoid beverages containing caffeine or alcohol.

     If you feel sick, consult a doctor right away.

     Yan Oi Tong Limited has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (August 10), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/ngo/controlofc/flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.

     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration and the Chairman of the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee (CBLPSC), Mr Chan Kwok-ki, together with the Convenor of the Working Group on Patriotic Education (Working Group), Ms Starry Lee, a number of non-official members of the Working Group, official members of the Working Group – the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, and the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, tonight (August 9) joined members of the public at a shopping mall in Kowloon City District to watch national team athletes competing in the diving final competition in the Paris Olympic Games.

     National team athletes, Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani, competed in the Women's 3-meter Springboard Diving Final of the Paris Olympic Games. Mr Chan, together with members of the Working Group and the public, watched the live broadcast of the event in the shopping mall and cheered for the two athletes. Everyone enjoyed the lively atmosphere there. They witnessed Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani winning the gold and bronze medals respectively and bringing glory to the country.

     Mr Chan said that he and the Convenor of the Working Group, Ms Starry Lee, visited Beijing this week to learn about the country’s achievements of taking forward patriotic education, to which they will make reference in the context of Hong Kong. They learnt that patriotic education must be intertwined with people’s daily lives so that the spirit of patriotism can take root in society and people's hearts, with sport precisely being an important area of patriotic education.

     Mr Chan added that the motherland is making every effort to develop itself into a country strong in sports by improving people's health, and showcasing the country’s soft power, through sports. The Chinese athletes who unleash their potential, fight hard and bring glory to the country in the Olympic Games are role models. He stressed that we are all Chinese who love and cherish our motherland and hope the motherland will continue to advance and shine brightly on the global stage; and that such resonance and consensus constitute the spirit of patriotism that we are eager to pursue and promote.

     Established in April this year under the CBLPSC, the Working Group comprises the relevant Directors of Bureaux, Heads of Departments, and representatives of the relevant sectors of society. To take forward patriotic education in an all-round manner, the Working Group focuses efforts on four aspects, namely school education; the local community; history, politics, economy and culture; and media publicity. The Working Group co-ordinates the work of government departments and non-governmental organisations in taking forward national education and dovetailing with the Patriotic Education Law of the People's Republic of China, with a view to enhancing education on the country's history, culture and current affairs on different fronts, thereby promoting patriotism and ensuring its continuity from generation to generation.

  

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has all along been committed to combating the sale of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat. To enhance enforcement efficiency, the FEHD has launched a pilot enforcement operation codenamed "Pearl" in the Eastern and Sha Tin districts since late June. Targeting suspected cases of selling chilled or frozen meat as fresh meat for sale, inspections to licensed Fresh Provision Shops (FPSs) were stepped up, and corresponding follow-up actions were taken against other violations found during the inspections. After conducting in-depth investigations and gathering intelligence, the FEHD raided a licensed FPS in Sha Tin District suspected of selling frozen meat as fresh meat in a blitz operation today (August 9).

     During the operation, FEHD officers raided a licensed FPS at Saddle Ridge Garden Arcade in Ma On Shan, and seized and immediately destroyed around 91 kilograms of suspected frozen pork. The licensee of the FPS concerned is suspected of breaching the licensing condition for the display and sale of frozen meat as fresh meat, and the FEHD is proceeding with the cancellation of the FPS's licence.

     FEHD officers also initiated prosecution against the operator for dirtiness of the premises, while warning letter was issued to the operator for non-compliance with relevant licensing condition by failing to provide delivery notes for inspection.

     The FEHD will strictly enforce the current policies to prevent FPSs whose licences have been cancelled due to violations resuming business at the same location using different identities. During the pilot enforcement operation, the department uncovered a case of suspected false declaration in a licence application using the aforementioned method and has rejected the related application. The department will scrutinise the relevant applications and, if any are found to involve suspected false declarations or other criminal offences, will consider referring them to the relevant law enforcement departments for handling.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "Selling of chilled meat or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat breaches the licensing condition and causes food safety problems. Also, this profiteering practice is unfair to other shops that comply with the requirements."

     The spokesman added, "Anyone selling chilled or frozen meat without permission commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment on conviction. The department will continue to conduct regular inspections at licensed FPSs and market meat stalls, and will actively handle complaints. In detecting any irregularities, the FEHD will carry out immediate investigations and take appropriate enforcement action. In addition, the FEHD also proactively investigates suspected cases from time to time and conducts surprise inspections and enforcement actions as necessary. If there is sufficient evidence, prosecutions will be initiated and follow-up action will be taken on any breach of licensing conditions or tenancy agreements. The licences of those FPSs breaching licensing conditions may be cancelled, while the tenancies of market meat stalls breaching tenancy agreements may be terminated."

     â€‹The spokesman stressed that the FEHD is very concerned and has been committed to combating the sale of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat by taking stringent enforcement actions against the violations. For licence applicants who intend to evade regulations by making false declarations, the FEHD must handle such cases in accordance with the law.

  

     The "Immersive Hong Kong" roving exhibition opened in Guangzhou today (August 9). This is the fourth stop of the exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, following its successful stagings in three Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, namely Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
 
     Organised by the Information Services Department and co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong (GDETO), the Guangzhou exhibition is part of a promotional campaign of the HKSAR Government to showcase the city's new attractions, advantages and opportunities. Themed "Hong Kong – Where the World Looks Ahead", the exhibition invites visitors from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) community to explore the unique potential for tourism, education, business and investment in Hong Kong.

     Through interactive art technology, the "Immersive Hong Kong" exhibition enables visitors to immerse themselves in different virtual scenes representing the city with a creative twist. The five thematic zones, namely "Financial Bridgehead", "I&T Brain Bank", "Blossoming Creativity", "Diversity and Greenery" and "Buzzing Sports Action", feature multiple interactive art projections, light box installations and naked-eye 3D displays, presenting the multifaceted appeal of Hong Kong.
 
     Visitors may also enjoy Hong Kong's vibrant and colourful skyline, illustrated by Hong Kong artist Messy Desk (Jane Lee), at a photo corner in the venue. Promotional videos on Hong Kong and digital panels with information and insights from Mainland companies about their experiences in Hong Kong are also on display, explaining why the city is one of the most desirable places for visiting, living, working and investing.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony today, the Director of Information Services, Mrs Apollonia Liu, said that on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, it is particularly meaningful to hold the exhibition for the first time on the Mainland to introduce to Mainland visitors the latest developments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. With this year also marking the fifth anniversary of the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the GBA, Guangzhou is a perfect venue for the exhibition, as both Hong Kong and Guangzhou are core cities of the GBA.
 
     She said, "Sharing common historic roots and origins, Hong Kong and Guangdong have been working closely in promoting the development of the GBA, which has many opportunities to offer. We hope that through this exhibition, we can demonstrate, in a lively and interactive way, Hong Kong's distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world. We also hope everyone will come to Hong Kong for tourism, study, business or investment, and make use of Hong Kong's international platform to tap into overseas markets and develop their businesses."
 
     Mrs Liu expressed her hope that the exhibition would take visitors on a new immersive journey through various virtual scenes representing Hong Kong, which not only showcase Hong Kong's unique cosmopolitan attractions, advantages and opportunities, but also demonstrate that the city is full of creativity and character. Among the thematic zones, "Buzzing Sports Action" is a newly added element this year. While Hong Kong athletes have achieved remarkable results at the Paris Olympic Games, there will be the 15th National Games next year, with Hong Kong co-hosting the event alongside Guangdong and Macao. The setting up of a thematic zone on sports serves as pre-heat publicity for the upcoming National Games.
      
     The Director of the GDETO, Miss Linda So, stated, "In the five years since the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the GBA, the connectivity and integration between Hong Kong and the other cities of the GBA have covered various policy areas and reached an unprecedented high level. The GDETO will continue to serve as a bridge, promoting exchange and co-operation with the local governments, industry, and citizens in the GBA. We will also, through various activities, tell the Mainland communities good stories of Hong Kong and help them better understand the development opportunities and uniqueness of Hong Kong."

     To encourage more people to visit Hong Kong and attend various mega events in the city, an interactive game, "Snap a cool shot @Immersive Hong Kong", is also featured as part of the exhibition. A total of 50 winners will each receive a free set of an admission ticket and a tasting pass for the "Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival 2024" to be held in Hong Kong in October. The prizes are sponsored by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

     The exhibition is being held at OneLink Walk, a major shopping centre in Guangzhou, until August 18. Admission is free, and visitors will be offered souvenirs during the event. More information on the exhibition is available on the dedicated page on the Brand Hong Kong website (www.brandhk.gov.hk/en/campaign/hkpromotion-gba).