13 Jul 2023獨媒#7986
SAR Rescue Team Receives Chief Executive’s Commendation Award; John Lee: Tell the Story of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind
由李家超設立的「行政長官表揚榜」周四舉行首屆頒獎禮，年初到土耳其地震災區救災的59人特區救援隊獲頒發表揚獎狀。李家超在致辭時指救援隊獲獎是實至名歸：「救援隊喺今次行動出色表現，正正說好香港公務員故事，說好香港貢獻國家參與全球治理嘅故事 ，說好人類命運共同體嘅故事。」
The inaugural presentation ceremony for the Chief Executive’s Commendation List, established by John Lee, was held on Thursday. The 59-member Hong Kong SAR rescue team that travelled to the earthquake disaster area in Türkiye earlier this year received commendation certificates. In his address, John Lee said the team fully deserved the award: “The rescue team’s outstanding performance in this operation has told the story of Hong Kong civil servants well, the story of Hong Kong’s contribution to the country and participation in global governance well, and the story of a community with a shared future for mankind well.”
11 Jul 2023獨媒#7964
Central Government-supported Hong Kong emergency hospital expands radiology services citywide; to cease operations by early 2026 at latest
醫管局今年初接管位於落馬洲河套區的中央援港應急醫院，設放射診斷服務，惟初期只邀請新界東聯網病人。醫管局今日稱，將擴展服務至全港公立醫院病人。落馬洲河套區近年已被政府規劃作「港深創科園」，未來將作創科發展，醫管局指應急醫院本身的定位和建造始終是應急和臨時性質，故停止運作時間擇定於啟用3年後，即最遲於2026年初停止運作。
The Hospital Authority took over the Central Government-supported emergency hospital in the Lok Ma Chau Loop earlier this year. It provides radiology diagnostic services, but initially invited only patients from the New Territories East Cluster. The Hospital Authority said today that the services would be expanded to patients of public hospitals across Hong Kong. The Lok Ma Chau Loop has in recent years been planned by the government as the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park and will be used for innovation and technology development in the future. The Hospital Authority said the emergency hospital had always been positioned and built for emergency and temporary use, and that it would therefore cease operations three years after opening, by early 2026 at the latest.
11 Jul 2023獨媒#7965
LegCo Invites Consuls from Around the World for Exchange; Japan Absent, FTU Says It “Lacks the Courage”
立法會今日舉行酒會，邀請各駐港總領事及名譽領事出席，但有議員表示未見日本駐港領事到場。一直「追擊」日本排放核廢水的工聯會稱對於「日本唔願意面對我哋提問，唔夠膽嚟我哋交流會」感到遺憾，認為日方「經得起疑問、經得起考驗」，便應到立法會進行解釋。主席梁君彥向傳媒指，已向所有領事發出邀請，「我請晒咁多個人，有啲人唔知有咩事，有事咪唔嚟囉」。
The Legislative Council held a reception today and invited all consuls general and honorary consuls in Hong Kong to attend, but a legislator said the Japanese consul in Hong Kong was not seen at the event. The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, which has repeatedly criticised Japan’s discharge of nuclear wastewater, said it was disappointed that “Japan was unwilling to face our questions and did not have the courage to come to our exchange meeting”. It said that if the Japanese side could “stand up to questions and tests”, it should come to the Legislative Council to explain. LegCo President Andrew Leung told the media that invitations had been sent to all the consuls: “I invited everyone. Some people may not know what the event was about; if they had something on, they simply did not come.”
11 Jul 2023獨媒#7967
Cheuk Wing-hung takes further action against street obstructions, saying he has no qualms about homeless people’s belongings and is not afraid of judicial review
政府打擊各類影響市容行為，行會早前通過增加隨地吐痰、亂拋垃圾和店舖阻街等行為的定額罰款。政府計劃在次階段向執法部門擴權，例如食環署毋須依賴警權，可清走店舖的阻街物；當局又稱為了解決垃圾屋及冷氣滴水問題，人員向住戶或業主發出入屋文件後，對方若不合理遵從即屬犯法，當局亦建議授權食環人員可扔走垃圾屋內的「物品」。雜物霸佔公眾地方的規管對象包括露宿者，政務司副司長卓永興表明，不會因為「家當」屬於露宿者私人物品，因而「唔好逗佢」，他亦指不會因司法覆核而懼怕「阻礙我哋採取行動」。
The government is cracking down on various behaviours that affect the cityscape. The Executive Council earlier approved increased fixed penalties for spitting in public places, littering and shop obstructions. In the next stage, the government plans to expand the powers of enforcement departments. For example, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department would not need to rely on police powers to remove obstructions outside shops. The authorities also said that, to tackle junk flats and dripping air conditioners, officers would issue occupants or owners with documents for entering premises, and failure to comply reasonably would constitute an offence. The government also proposed authorising food and environmental hygiene officers to throw away “items” inside junk flats. Regulation of miscellaneous items occupying public places would cover homeless people. Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Cheuk Wing-hung said explicitly that the government would not refrain from acting because the “belongings” were homeless people’s private property and would not “leave them alone”; he also said it would not fear judicial reviews that might “obstruct us from taking action”.
11 Jul 2023on.cc#7968
District Council direct-election constituency boundaries announced; Wan Chai and Islands each have only two seats
隨着《2023年區議會（修訂）條例》於7月6日獲立法會通過，並已於昨日（10日）刊憲生效，2023年區議會一般選舉區議會地方選區分界亦於同日落實。第7屆區議會地區直選的選區共44個，議席合共88席，當中灣仔及離島2區各僅得1個選區，各佔2個議席。
Following the Legislative Council’s passage of the District Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 on July 6, and its gazetting and commencement yesterday (July 10), the boundaries of the District Council geographical constituencies for the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election were also finalised on the same day. There are 44 constituencies and a total of 88 seats for the Seventh-term District Council district direct elections. Wan Chai and the Islands are the only two districts with one constituency each, and each has two seats.
11 Jul 2023獨媒#7969
National Security Department Takes Nathan Law’s Parents and Elder Brother for Questioning; Police Say They Allegedly Assisted Him in Continuing Acts Endangering National Security
有傳媒引述消息報道指，警方國安處今早到兩個位於東涌的單位，帶走前香港眾志主席羅冠聰的父母及兄長錄取口供問話，並進行搜屋。警方回覆《獨媒》查詢時確認，今晨在大嶼北帶走兩男一女調查，指涉嫌協助在逃人繼續從事危害國家安全行為。
Media reports citing sources said that the Police National Security Department went to two units in Tung Chung this morning, took the parents and elder brother of former Demosisto chairman Nathan Law to give statements and answer questions, and conducted searches of the homes. In response to an enquiry from InMedia, police confirmed that two men and one woman were taken away for investigation in North Lantau this morning, alleging that they had assisted a wanted person in continuing to engage in acts endangering national security.
10 Jul 2023獨媒#7954
Paul Lam Complains to Two Legal Bodies About Dennis Kwok and Kevin Yam, Accusing Them of Professional Misconduct
警方國安處上周一懸紅通緝8名海外港人，指控涉嫌違反《港區國安法》，其中郭榮鏗、任建峰具法律專業背景。律政司司長林定國今日分別向香港大律師公會、香港律師會投訴二人專業失當，斥他們行為損害香港特區司法制度及整體利益，有違作為大律師及律師的基本操守，行為極為不當。
The Police National Security Department offered bounties last Monday for information on eight Hong Kong people overseas, accusing them of allegedly violating the Hong Kong National Security Law. Among them, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Kevin Yam have legal professional backgrounds. Today, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam separately complained to the Hong Kong Bar Association and the Law Society of Hong Kong about the two, criticising their conduct as damaging to the judicial system and overall interests of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, contrary to the basic professional ethics expected of barristers and solicitors, and extremely improper.
10 Jul 2023獨媒#7955
Tse Chin-wan Says Pursuing Environmental Protection Has “No End”, Easily Used as an “Anti-Government Excuse”
《文匯報》連續數日刊登高官訪問，今日其中一篇是有關環境及生態局局長謝展寰，他除了稱部門透過打擊衞生黑點，增加「存在感」，他又首次解釋受環保基金資助的團體，為何要簽署國安法聲明。他稱環保議題很「主觀」、「怎樣追求都沒有盡頭」，容易被炒作，甚至作為「反政府藉口」。
The Wen Wei Po has published interviews with senior officials for several consecutive days. Today’s interview was with Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan. He said that, in addition to increasing the department’s “presence” by tackling hygiene black spots, he was explaining for the first time why organisations receiving Environmental Protection Fund subsidies are required to sign a National Security Law declaration. He said environmental issues are highly “subjective”, and that “there is no end to how far one can pursue” environmental protection, making them easy to hype up and even use as an “anti-government excuse”.
7 Jul 2023光傳媒#7943
China Development Bank Hong Kong Head: Use Chinese Capital to Control Public Utilities
直屬中國國務院的國家開發銀行香港分行行長李曦光日前在《紫荊》雜誌撰文，認為世界各地政府都會控制水、電、煤等供應，而近期電費加價影響市民生活，建議港府謀劃藉公營機構控制公用事業領域，適當時候能充分利用中資力量。翻查資料，中資在中電發電廠和港燈持有一定股權。經濟學者關焯照認為，電力公司將燃料費轉嫁消費者是永遠存在的問題，中資收購後亦難控制電費加價。
The head of the Hong Kong branch of the China Development Bank, which is directly under the State Council of China, Xiguang (EAEG) Li recently wrote in Bauhinia magazine that governments around the world control supplies of water, electricity and coal. Saying that recent electricity tariff increases have affected people’s lives, Xiguang (EAEG) Li suggested that the Hong Kong government plan to use public organisations to control the public utilities sector and make full use of Chinese capital when appropriate. Records show that Chinese capital holds certain stakes in CLP Power’s power stations and Hongkong Electric. Economist Andy Cheuk Chiu Kwan said that electricity companies passing fuel costs on to consumers was a perennial problem, and that electricity tariff increases would remain difficult to control even after acquisitions by Chinese capital.
7 Jul 2023獨媒#7945
[“Improving” District Councils] EU criticises violation of democracy; HKSAR government: District Council elections under British colonial government had an even lower elected component, and the European Community did not criticise it either
立法會昨日三讀通過《2023年區議會（修訂）條例草案》，歐盟發言人昨日發聲明，認為方案違反《基本法》承諾的民主進程、破壞一國兩制。港府昨晚發聲明回應，強烈反對歐盟的失實評論。聲明又提到港英「殖民政府」於上世紀八十年代設立區議會時，選舉成分更低，批評「當時並未見作為歐盟前身的歐洲共同體對英國政府有一言半語的批評。
The Legislative Council passed the District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2023 at third reading yesterday. An EU spokesperson issued a statement yesterday saying that the proposal violated the democratic development promised under the Basic Law and undermined one country, two systems. The HKSAR government issued a statement last night expressing strong opposition to the EU’s inaccurate comments. The statement also said that when the British colonial government established District Councils in the 1980s, the elected component was even lower, and that no criticism of the British government had been made by the European Community, the EU’s predecessor.
Translations are supplied by the source workbook. Consult the original reporting for context.
