Hong Kong – 2023 District Council Ordinary Election – registration arrangements for voting at Near Boundary Polling Stations begin tomorrow
2023 District Council Ordinary Election – registration arrangements for voting at Near Boundary Polling Stations begin tomorrow
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The 2023 District Council Ordinary Election will be held on December 10. To facilitate the electors living in the Mainland or those who need to travel to and from the Mainland on the polling day to cast their votes, the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) will set up four Near Boundary Polling Stations (NBPSs) at two schools near Sheung Shui MTR Station (namely Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kap Yan Directors’ College). Electors of the 44 District Council geographical constituencies (DCGCs) can register to vote at the NBPSs through the online registration system (www.reo-form.gov.hk/nbps.htm) starting from 9am tomorrow (November 20) until 6pm on December 5. Late registrations will not be processed.
A spokesman for the REO said today (November 19), “The arrangement is only applicable to DCGC electors. District Committees constituency (DCC) electors must cast their votes at the 18 DCC polling stations across the territory. DCC electors in the Mainland should plan their return trips to Hong Kong as early as possible so that they can cast their votes on the polling day.”
When registering, electors are required to provide their names in both Chinese and English, Hong Kong identity card (HKID) number, email address and contact telephone number which can receive SMS in Hong Kong or the Mainland. Electors are also required to choose to vote at a specified timeslot to complete the registration.
After submitting the registration application, the REO will send a notification of registration result to the electors concerned via SMS and email instantly to confirm whether they have successfully registered to vote at NBPSs. Only upon receipt of the notification of registration result confirming their successful registration, electors can cast their votes at the relevant polling stations. In case the phone number or/and email address provided by the electors during registration is/are different from the electors’ particulars maintained by the REO, the REO will also inform them of their successful registration to vote at the NBPSs via the phone number or/and email address kept in the REO’s records to prevent fraudulent registration.
In case registrants have to change their itineraries on the polling day, they can simply cancel the registration and change back to their originally allocated polling stations for casting their votes through the online registration system during the registration period. However, if the registration period has already expired when the change of itinerary is made, the electors concerned may contact the REO at 2891 1001 to make appropriate arrangements.
On the polling day, registered electors are required to bring the original copy of their HKID cards to vote at the allocated NBPSs at the specified timeslot. DCGC electors of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon need to vote at Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School while DCGC electors of the New Territories need to vote at Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kap Yan Directors’ College. Electors may choose to walk for five to six minutes from Sheung Shui MTR Station to the NBPSs. The REO will also arrange shuttle bus to carry electors to and from Sheung Shui MTR Station and the NBPSs. Please refer to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk/dc2023/pdf/Annex1_Shuttle_Eng.pdf) for the location of pick-up and drop off points.
The spokesman said, “To ensure the smooth and orderly implementation of the arrangement, a preregistration system is adopted with a quota limit. The maximum number of the registration quota for the NBPSs is 38 000 which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.”
If a registrant would like to ascertain whether he/she is a registered elector, he/she may log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.vr.gov.hk) or call the election hotline (2891 1001) for checking. For details of the NBPS arrangement, members of the public can visit the dedicated election website (www.elections.gov.hk/dc2023/eng/nbps.html). They can also email to reoenq@reo.gov.hk or call the election hotline (2891 1001) for enquiries. The hotline operates from 8.45am to 6pm from Monday to Friday.
Family Council holds publicity event on “Marital Happiness and Harmony” (with photos)
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– Hosting requirements for FIFA World Cup 2030 approved
– FIFA World Cup 2030 bidding process to start in Q3 2023, with appointment of host(s) expected in Q4 2024
– Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition approved WEBWIRE – Friday, June 23, 2023
The FIFA Council has unanimously appointed the United States as the host of the new and expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup that is due to take place in 2025, at its meeting held by videoconference from the Home of FIFA.
The host selection process took into consideration the infrastructure and service requirements, as well as broader strategic objectives for the tournament.
The decision was reached based on the United States position as a proven leader in staging global events and because it would allow FIFA to maximise synergies with the delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, to the benefit of both tournaments and the development of football in the North American region. As a next step, FIFA will engage with the relevant stakeholders to finalise the dates, venues and match schedule of this new tournament.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be the pinnacle of elite professional mens club football, and with the required infrastructure in place together with a massive local interest, the United States is the ideal host to kick off this new, global tournament, said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. With some of the worlds top clubs already qualified, fans from every continent will be bringing their passion and energy to the United States in two years time for this significant milestone in our mission to make football truly global.
The slot allocation per confederation and the key principles of access were already confirmed by the FIFA Council earlier this year. FIFA World Cup 2030 bidding process
The FIFA Council also approved the Overview of Hosting Requirements for the FIFA World Cup 2030, which was prepared by the FIFA administration to allow all interested member associations to better understand the requirements for hosting the competition, including with regard to the required infrastructure, the legal framework that must be established and the environmental and social objectives that should be pursued. Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition approved
The FIFA Council also approved the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Competition, which kicks off in September 2023. Hosts of FIFA Congress and tournaments
Additionally, the FIFA Council confirmed that the 74th FIFA Congress, due to take place on 17 May 2024, will be hosted in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Council also appointed Indonesia as the host of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023, Colombia as the host of the FIFA U-20 Womens World Cup 2024, the Dominican Republic as the host of the FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup 2024 and Uzbekistan as the host of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024. The time frame for the respective competitions will be confirmed in due course.
The dates of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2023, which is due to take place in the United Arab Emirates, were moved from 16-26 November 2023 to 1525 February 2024.
The Advisory Council on Environment discusses Additional Information prepared for environmental impact assessment report on partial development of Fanling Golf Course site
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Shikoku Electric Power Company, Taiyo Oil Company, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Company, Mazda Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, Nam ikata Term inal Company, and Mitsubishi Corporation Clean Energy have agreed to establish the “Council for utilizing Nam ikata Terminal as a Hub for introducing Fuel Ammonia” (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”). The Council, which Mitsubishi Corporation and Shikoku Electric Power Company serve as joint secretariats, shall study the possibility of turning the Namikata Terminal(1) located in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, into a hub for clean energies. Ehime Prefecture, Imabari City, Saijo City, Niihama City, and Shikokuch uo City will also participate in the Council as observers. The Council’s agenda will include scheduling, legal and regulatory issues, efficient use of the terminal, measures to grow demand for fuel ammonia in the area and other issues, based on the assumption that the existing LPG tanks owned by Mitsubishi Corporation at the terminal will be converted to ammonia tanks and that the terminal will become a hub handling approximately 1 million tonnes of ammonia per year by 2030. Since the Government of japan declared that Japan would realize carbon-neutrality by 2050, there have been growing expectations surrounding the potential of ammonia, which has numerous applications, including as a co- firing fuel at thermal power plants, a source of thermoelectricity in general industry, and a source of hydrogen via ammonia cracking technology at hydrogen stations(2). Our belief is that the Namikata Term inal can play an important role as a supply hub to realize the establishment of an efficient supply chain of ammonia, in promoting the utilization of ammonia in the Shikoku and Chugoku regions. The Namikata Term inal handles approximately 1 million tons of LPG and other petroleum products brought in from Japan and overseas each year. In addition to its four decades of experience as an energy hub, the term inal is equipped with several large-scale low-temperature LPG tanks (45,000 tons/unit) that can be converted to ammonia tanks, docking berths for large vessels and other facilities that can quickly respond to region’s demand for ammonia. The Council shall work to unite public and private interests to reestablish the Namikata Term inal as a clean energy hub, create new clean energy industries in the region and help the sustainable development of the local economy. (1) Some petroleum-related facilities of the terminal are owned by Taiyo Oil Company and the others are owned by Mitsubishi Corporation. The terminal is operated by Namikata Terminal Company. For more information, visit https://newsroom.mazda.com/en/publicity/release/2023/202304/230414a.pdf.
Hong Kong – Family Council holds publicity event on “Marital Happiness and Harmony” (with photos)
The following is issued on behalf of the Family Council:
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), the Family Council, and Radio 2 of Radio Television Hong Kong jointly held a publicity event on “Marital Happiness and Harmony” today (September 24) to promote to the public the importance of sustaining a healthy marriage and building a harmonious family.
With “Marital Happiness and Harmony” as the theme this year, the Family Council launched a new series of family education videos to provide practical information on building a happy marriage and a harmonious family to couples at different stages of marriage. Composed of eight episodes, the “Ingredients of Marriage”, features a variety of dishes to simulate the experiences of couples at different stages and to demonstrate that a good marriage requires the concerted efforts of both husbands and wives. The first episode of the short film was premiered at the event.
In addition, the Family Council held a competition earlier, inviting members of the public to express their feelings to their partners, share their unforgettable experiences and views on maintaining harmonious family relationships through writing a letter. Winners were presented with awards and their letters were recited by artists at the event.
The Deputy Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs (Home Affairs), Mr Nick Au Yeung, pointed out in his speech that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attached great importance to the healthy development of families in Hong Kong and is committed to fostering a pro-family culture and environment. The HYAB will continue to offer support to the Family Council, endeavouring to enhance family harmony with a view to building a harmonious community and nurturing the new generation with proper values, an affection for and sense of belonging to the country.
Delivering a speech at the event, the Chairman of the Family Council, Ms Melissa Kaye Pang, also said that the Council is committed to publicising the culture of loving families through organising various promotional activities. The Council has also been promoting family core values, namely “Love and Care”, “Respect and Responsibility” and “Communication and Harmony”, to society.
Members of the public are welcome to visit the Council’s homepage, Facebook page or Instagram page for details of the event and family education videos on “Marital Happiness and Harmony”.FIFA Council appoints United States as host of new and expanded FIFA Club World Cup
– 32-team tournament to be played in 2025
To ensure additional consultation with all key stakeholders, in relation to the FIFA World Cup 2030, which will mark the centenary of mens footballs showpiece tournament, the FIFA Council agreed to postpone the formal launch of the bidding process. Therefore, the relevant Bidding Regulations will be presented for approval at the next FIFA Council meeting, due to take place in September/October 2023, with the bidding process to be officially launched thereafter. The expected appointment of the host(s) by the FIFA Congress will also move from Q3 2024 to Q4 2024.
With 48 teams participating in the next FIFA World Cup, the tournament will have an unprecedented impact on world football, especially as more nations will have the opportunity to secure their place to shine on the global stage, said President Infantino.Hong Kong – The Advisory Council on Environment discusses Additional Information prepared for environmental impact assessment report on partial development of Fanling Golf Course site
The following is issued on behalf of the Advisory Council on the Environment:
The Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE) held a meeting today (May 3) and discussed the Additional Information prepared for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on Technical Study on Partial Development of Fanling Golf Course Site – Feasibility Study (the Study).
At its meeting held on August 19, 2022, the ACE decided that the EIA report on the Study would neither be endorsed nor rejected after two rounds of voting and detailed discussion, but the project proponent (i.e. the Civil Engineering and Development Department) would be required to provide Additional Information to the Director of Environmental Protection (DEP). On August 24, 2022, the ACE issued its comments on the EIA report to the DEP in accordance with the EIA process stipulated under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance and advised that the project proponent should submit Additional Information on eight key topics for the DEP’s consideration to facilitate his final decision on whether to approve the EIA report.
The project proponent submitted a draft document on the Additional Information to the ACE on April 18, 2023. At today’s meeting, the project proponent reported the content of the draft Additional Information and sought the ACE’s comments on it.
After listening to the report of project proponent, members unanimously considered that six out of the eight key topics of the Additional Information, namely conducting an additional bird survey for seven months and an additional moth survey for two months; providing further details of the bat survey; formulating tree compensation and management plans; submitting detailed analysis on the hydrological impact and the shading impact of the proposed housing blocks to the trees were in general sufficient to establish the conclusion of the EIA report.
As for the other two key topics of the Additional Information, namely a detailed layout plan of the proposed housing development and information on how the grave situated in Sub-Area 1 should be handled, members agreed that the project proponent has not fully addressed the concern of the ACE. The ACE held the view that in case DEP decides to approve the EIA report, he should consider imposing a condition to request the project proponent to amend the detailed housing development layout plan to entail the preservation of the existing around 0.4 hectares of woodland. The ACE noted that the project proponent is in contact with affected descendent and the matter should be discussed and followed up between the two parties. The ACE will provide written comments to the project proponent in due course.Establishment of a “Council for utilizing Namikata Terminal as a Hub for introducing Fuel Ammonia”
(Photo Credit: Namikata Terminal Company)
(2) Technology to extract hydrogen from ammonia.
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