Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department… read more
​The Government announced today (June 20) that the Chief Executive has appointed Mr Roden Tong Man-lung and reappointed Mr Victor Dawes, SC, and Mr Carlson Tong as members of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027.
Meanwhile, Ms Melissa Kaye Pang, a serving member of the Commission, will retire from the Commission on June 30, 2025.
“We wish to express our gratitude to Ms Melissa Kaye Pang for her invaluable advice rendered to the Commission during her term of office and for her contributions to upholding Hong Kong’s judicial independence,” a Government spokesman said.
The functions of the Commission are to advise or make recommendations to the Chief Executive regarding the filling of vacancies in judicial offices, representations from a judicial officer concerning conditions of service referred to it by the Chief Executive, and any matter affecting judicial officers which may be prescribed or which the Chief Executive may refer to it.
The membership list with effect from July 1, 2025, is as follows:
Ex-officio Chairman
———–
Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal
Members
———–
Secretary for Justice (ex-officio member)
Mr Justice Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor
Madam Justice Carlye Chu Fun-ling
Mr Victor Dawes, SC
Mr Roden Tong Man-lung
Mr Carlson Tong
Mr Philip Chen Nan-lok
Professor Nancy Ip Yuk-yu read more
In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is conducting comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
From noon on June 19 to noon today (June 20), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 233 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website (www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 145 285 samples of food imported from Japan (including 95 422 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 33 142 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, arrived in Bordeaux on June 19 (France time) to continue his visit to France.
Mr Yau first held a business roundtable with representatives of La French Tech Bordeaux, a start-up network, and Bordeaux-based technology start-ups to update them on Hong Kong’s latest start-up ecosystem and business-friendly environment for start-ups and entrepreneurs to thrive.
Mr Yau highlighted that Hong Kong’s start-up community has seen remarkable growth and diversification in recent years. In 2024, the number of start-ups in the city reached a record high of approximately 4 700, up about 10 per cent from the previous year. The founder base is notably diverse, with around 28 per cent of start-up founders coming from outside Hong Kong. The encouraging result is a testament to Hong Kong’s attractiveness to innovators, assisted by several key advantages such as a low and simple tax system, world-class financial services and the accessibility to both Mainland and international business opportunities.
He said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is firmly committed to positioning Hong Kong as a leading innovation and technology hub where start-ups play a pivotal role. He encouraged Bordeaux’s start-up community to expand their operations into Hong Kong, leveraging the city’s strategic position as a gateway to the vast markets on the Mainland and in Asia.
Mr Yau also paid a courtesy call on the Mayor of Bordeaux, Mr Pierre Hurmic, to brief him on Hong Kong’s latest initiatives to drive economic development, such as the reduction of liquor duty, and exchange views on forging closer bilateral relations in various areas such as start-ups, and wine and liquor industries.
In the evening, Mr Yau attended the Bordeaux Wine Festival, the leading wine event in France, to learn about the latest developments of Bordeaux wine and liquor.
Mr Yau will continue his visit to Bordeaux.
Outreach Music Interest Courses (OMICs) organised by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) are now open for applications. Members of the public are welcome to apply for an array of courses, ranging from Chinese and Western musical instrument foundation classes to music workshops. The courses will be held from September to February next year.
Introductory courses available include classical vocal singing, classical guitar, ukulele, little harp, keyboard and musicianship. Instrumental enrichment courses include erhu, zheng, yangqin, dizi, violin, cello, flute, clarinet and saxophone. There are also ensemble training for Chinese and Western music, music theory (Grades 1 and 2) and aural training. The course fees range from $320 to $1,350.
Other Chinese and Western musical instrument foundation classes will cover erhu, liuqin, pipa, zhongruan, zheng, yangqin, dizi, xiao, violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet and percussion (glockenspiel and practice pad). The course fee is $1,440 each.
In a new course of OMICs, “Introduction to ‘Pure Data’ Music Programming”, participants will learn to use “Pure Data”, a free graphical programming software, for sound design and music creation. The course welcomes adults that have passed Grade 5 or above in music theory. Participants should bring their own laptop computer and other necessary equipment to class. The fee of this course is $760.
In addition, the “Keyboard Playing (Numbered Musical Notation)” course, which covers numbered musical notation reading, melody-playing techniques and simple chord applications, welcomes adults who have completed the “Introduction to Keyboard Playing (Foundation I)” course organised by the Music Office, or those who have acquired basic skills in playing the keyboard with both hands. The course fee is $650.
All OMICs are conducted in Cantonese. The courses will be held at different venues across the territory, namely Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Tuen Mun Town Hall, North District Town Hall, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre, Tai Po Civic Centre, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Yuen Long Theatre, Ko Shan Theatre, Hong Kong Central Library and the Music Office’s music centres in Wan Chai, Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan. Participants of the online course “ABCs of Musicianship” are required to prepare their own electronic device equipped with a wireless or broadband data connection, a webcam and the software Zoom in advance.
Online applications are now available on the Music Office website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/musicoffice). Course prospectuses and application forms are also available at various performance venues of the LCSD and all music centres of the Music Office. The deadline for applications is July 18. Oversubscribed courses will be processed by ballot. For courses not fully taken up after the first round of application, places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis from August 13 onwards.
For enquiries, please call 3842 7773, 2598 0801 or 2598 8335 or email to outreachmusic@lcsd.gov.hk. read more