HKExpat.net

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department will launch a new phase of its Arts Fun Fair at Kowloon Park this Sunday.   It will have 16 stalls displaying and selling craftworks that feature fabric crafts, floral artworks and ornaments. Park-goers can also participate in art services such as painting and portrait sketching.   The fair will be open from 1pm to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays at the park's loggia until May 26 next year.   Visitors can enjoy the park’s beautiful scenery while appreciating a wide range of handicrafts and artworks.   The Arts Corner at Hong Kong Park is being held from noon to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays until December 31.   The Arts Corner at Victoria Park welcomes applications from today until June 23 for operating stalls in the coming round of the fair.   For enquiries about the fair in Kowloon Park, call 2724 3344. For questions about Hong Kong Park and Victoria Park, call 2521 5041 or 2890 5824 respectively. http:

The value of Hong Kong's total exports decreased to $338.3 billion in April, down 13% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.   The value of imports of goods decreased 11.9% to $374.9 billion for the same period.   A trade deficit of $36.6 billion, or 9.8% of the value of imports, was recorded in April.   Comparing the three-month period ending April with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of exports rose 15.4%, while that of imports increased 10.7%.   The Government noted that the value of merchandise exports declined further from a year earlier in April. Exports to the Mainland, the US and the European Union all shrank and exports to other major Asian markets recorded decreases of varying degrees.   Looking ahead, it added that the weakness in the advanced economies will continue to weigh on Hong Kong's export performance, though the expected faster recovery of the Mainland economy should

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will invite more than 1,000 travel traders, media workers, film stars, key opinion leaders (KOLs) and Hong Kong super fans to visit the city to generate positive word-of-mouth and good comments.   Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung made the remarks today as he replied to legislators' questions about the Government’s strategy to attract visitors to Hong Kong.   Mr Yeung said since the launch of the “Hello Hong Kong” global promotional campaign in February, the HKTB and government departments have rolled out a series of activities to send out welcoming messages to the world, promote Hong Kong and attract visitors worldwide to visit the city.   He explained that the HKTB’s goal is to first target short-haul markets in the promotion because it expects that short-haul markets such as the Mainland and Southeast Asian markets and regional travel will resume faster than long-haul markets.   Apart from inviting the travel trade

Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan will depart for Xiamen this afternoon to attend the third Belt & Road Energy Partnership Forum, the Government announced.   Organised by the National Energy Administration, the forum themed “Stepping towards High-quality Energy Development” aims to study the impact of the global political and economic situation on energy development, the safeguarding of energy security and the co-operation for green energy transformation.   Mr Tse will return to Hong Kong on Thursday. During his absence, Under Secretary for Environment & Ecology Diane Wong will be Acting Secretary. http://dlvr.it/SpWxMc

For the sake of prudence, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department announced that it suspended several online services after it suspected that part of its network system had been hacked.   Apart from explaining that the initial decision to temporarily suspend some online services was due to an abnormality found in the network system today, the department expressed that it is very concerned about the incident.   An initial investigation revealed that no leakage of personal data has been found.    Online services including Registration & Permit Office Appointment Booking, the Online Continuous Professional Development Training Platform for Registered Electrical Workers and the electronic platform for the lift and escalator trade have been suspended.   For prudence's sake, the department made it clear that it will notify people concerned and added that if anyone encounters any suspicious circumstances, they should report it to Police promptly.   It apologised

Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan officiated at the opening ceremony of the overhauled Aberdeen Market today.   The market, under the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), adopts a modern design and layout, including delineation of stalls according to trade types, stall enlargement, passageways widening and an increase in public spaces.   It is also equipped with baby care and breastfeeding rooms and a multipurpose space for holding market promotion events.   New facilities such as a recycling store, barrier-free facilities and a separate storage room for temporary storage of carcasses are available.   The market provides 142 stalls, the majority of which started business from April 26 and have been operating smoothly.   The market's new environment and facilities have been well-received by the public.   Mr Tse said at the opening ceremony that Aberdeen Market’s overhaul is a pioneering project of the Market Modernisation Programme (MMP)