The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) caseload in December 2019 showed a drop of 181 cases, representing a decrease of 0.1 per cent compared with that of November, according to the latest CSSA caseloa… read more
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 is 105.9 (up 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more
The Hong Kong Space Museum is staging a new special exhibition “2020 Astronomical Events” from today (January 22) at the foyer to feature six spectacular astronomical events happening this year. The exhibition explains the details and phenomena of the events, while serving as a practical guide to help visitors pick the best dates, times, locations and tools to observe them.
The six events featured in the exhibition include “grouping of the four planets with the moon” in late March, the “serial phenomena of Jupiter’s moons” on June 11 to 12, and the “partial solar eclipse” on June 21. Visitors will also be able to gather information on the “Perseid meteor shower” in mid-August, the “Geminid meteor shower” in mid-December and the “Jupiter-Saturn conjunction” on December 21.
Admission to the exhibition is free. It will run until September 21 in two phases; the first three events will be presented during the first phase from January to June, while the remaining three will be introduced in the second phase from June to September.
The exhibition is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and organised by the Hong Kong Space Museum. For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.space.museum or call 2721 0226 for enquiries.
The Hong Kong Space Museum is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. read more
Hong Kong’s annual “Jazz Marathon” will be held on April 25 (Saturday) at the Arena of the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, featuring acclaimed local and international jazz musicians.
The all-day jazz music event will bring together renowned jazz players of many nationalities to jam and perform various jazz styles. Artists from France, India, Italy, Japan, the Mainland, Russia and the United States will collaborate with local musicians to create a borderless jazz soundscape. The event is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and details of the concerts are as follows:
Day Marathon Concert (2.30pm – 6pm)
Session One
Performers: Atlantis Trio – pianist Roberto Olzer (Italy), sitar player Deobrat Mishra (India) and tabla player Prashant Mishra (India)
Special guest: flute and Chinese flute player Zhang Zhi-yong (Hong Kong)
Session Two
Performers: Marc Berthoumieux Band featuring Giovanni Mirabassi – accordion player Marc Berthoumieux (France), pianist Giovanni Mirabassi (Italy), bass guitarist Laurent Vernerey (France) and drummer Stephane Huchard (France)
Session Three
Performers: Kazumi Watanabe All-Star Band (Japan) – guitarist Kazumi Watanabe, bass guitarist Tetsuo Sakurai, saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda and percussionist Tomohiro Yahiro
Night Marathon Concert (7.15pm – 10.45pm)
Session One
Performers: saxophonist Igor Butman (Russia) and pianist A Bu (Mainland)
Special Guest: bassist Justin Siu (Hong Kong)
Session Two
Performers: Grace Kelly Band (United States) – saxophonist and vocalist Grace Kelly, pianist and keyboardist Devon Yesberger, bass guitarist Julia Adamy and drummer Ross Pederson
Special guest: guitarist Alan Kwan (Hong Kong)
Session Three
Performers: Ozmosys (United States) – drummer Omar Hakim, keyboardist Rachel Z, electric bass guitarist Linley Marthe and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel
Tickets are priced at $160, $260, $360 and $480 for the Jazz Marathon Day Concert and $180, $280, $380 and $520 for the Jazz Marathon Night Concert.
Workshops (to be conducted in English) will be held on April 24 (Friday). Tickets are priced at $100 for all four sessions. Details are as follows:
Session One (2pm) Committee Room, Queen Elizabeth Stadium
Topic: Rare Instruments in Jazz
Speakers: Deobrat Mishra (sitar), Prashant Mishra (tabla), Marc Berthoumieux (accordion), Zhang Zhi-yong (flute/Chinese flute)
Session Two (3.15pm) Committee Room, Queen Elizabeth Stadium
Topic: Saxophone Meeting
Speakers: Igor Butman, Grace Kelly
Session Three (4.30pm) Committee Room, Queen Elizabeth Stadium
Topic: Meeting with the Supergroups
Speakers: Kazumi Watanabe All-Star Band, Ozmosys
Session Four (6pm) Arena, Queen Elizabeth Stadium
Topic: Piano Meeting
Speakers: Roberto Olzer, Giovanni Mirabassi, A Bu
All tickets are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). An early bird discount of 30 per cent for any standard Marathon Pass is available on tickets purchased no later than March 13 (Friday). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme and workshop enquiries and other concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_944.html. read more
A Pakistani illegal worker was jailed by Shatin Magistrates’ Courts yesterday (January 21).
During an anti-illegal worker joint operation conducted by the Immigration Department (ImmD), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on January 19, enforcement officers arrested a male Pakistani illegal worker, aged 21, who was found working as a hawker in Central.
The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts yesterday with establishing business after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration or while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.
The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment should be applied in such cases.
The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments. read more