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5 Guangdong-registered yachts to sail into Hong Kong as southbound scheme launches
Five Guangdong-registered yachts will sail into Hong Kong waters on Friday when the Southbound Yacht Travel Scheme launches, the city’s marine chief has said, adding that officers will step up patrols. A ceremony marking the scheme’s maiden voyages will also take place. The launch is a key step in the government’s plan to develop Hong Kong’s yacht economy, as outlined in the city’s first five-year plan and the latest policy address. Under the scheme, mainland Chinese vessels can register through...
Hilary Swank pregnant with 3rd child at 52
Hilary Swank is expecting her third child with husband, entrepreneur Philip Schneider.
North Korea tests submarine-launched cruise missiles, heightening tensions with Seoul
Pyongyang test-fired two types of cruise missile from a submarine, its state news agency said on Thursday, after weeks of friction with Seoul over a landmine explosion along their border. The missiles were fired into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on Wednesday without “any adverse impact on the security of neighbouring countries”, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have been further strained since the landmine blast on...
Bay watch with first approval for 5 mainland yachts
Five yachts from the Greater Bay Area have received approval to enter Hong Kong waters as a new scheme facilitating such cross-border visits takes effect on Friday, according to Director of Marine Wong Sai-fat. The scheme allows yacht masters across the border to sit for accreditation exams up north without needing to travel to Hong Kong and authorises mainland organisations to conduct the assessments. Visiting yacht owners and masters can submit pre-arrival vetting information online, doing away with the need to do so with a visit to a district marine office. Visiting yachts can berth freely at five designated anchorage areas: Stanley, Tai Tam and Repulse bays as well as Three Fathoms Cove in Sai Kung and Tai O. Speaking on an RTHK radio programme on Thursday, Wong stressed that there was currently no need to cap daily yacht visits from the mainland. “Across the five anchorage areas, we can accommodate up to 115 yachts measuring 40 metres in length," he said. "So we believe we have sufficient berthing space for yachts to dock smoothly where they want. That’s why we really don't see any need for a quota for now.” Wong noted that around 300 mainland yacht masters had completed the training and passed accreditation to operate in Hong Kong waters so far. To ensure safety, he said, the department has set up a monitoring system to track the yachts. The system will alert vessels if their automatic identification system malfunctions or if they accidentally enter restricted waters. Wong added that patrols and enforcement action would also be strengthened in the designated anchorages for visiting yachts. Edited by Aaron Tam
Bay watch with first approval for 5 mainland yachts
Five yachts from the Greater Bay Area have received approval to enter Hong Kong waters as a new scheme facilitating such cross-border visits takes effect on Friday, according to Director of Marine Wong Sai-fat. The scheme allows yacht masters across the border to sit for accreditation exams up north without needing to travel to Hong Kong and authorises mainland organisations to conduct the assessments. Visiting yacht owners and masters can submit pre-arrival vetting information online, doing away with the need to do so with a visit to a district marine office. Visiting yachts can berth freely at five designated anchorage areas: Stanley, Tai Tam and Repulse bays as well as Three Fathoms Cove in Sai Kung and Tai O. Speaking on an RTHK radio programme on Thursday, Wong stressed that there was currently no need to cap daily yacht visits from the mainland. “Across the five anchorage areas, we can accommodate up to 115 yachts measuring 40 metres in length," he said. "So we believe we have sufficient berthing space for yachts to dock smoothly where they want. That’s why we really don't see any need for a quota for now.” Wong noted that around 300 mainland yacht masters had completed the training and passed accreditation to operate in Hong Kong waters so far. To ensure safety, he said, the department has set up a monitoring system to track the yachts. The system will alert vessels if their automatic identification system malfunctions or if they accidentally enter restricted waters. Wong added that patrols and enforcement action would also be strengthened in the designated anchorages for visiting yachts. Edited by Aaron Tam
Lacson: Remaining P11-M budget for impeachment trial more than enough
Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Accounts, said Thursday that the upper chamber still has P11 million remaining in the allocated budget for the conduct of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte--an amount that is enough to cover the rest of the proceedings.
White Cane Safety Day: Reimagining daily life beyond sight
October 15 marks White Cane Safety Day, honoring the vital symbol and tool that enables individuals who are blind or visually impaired to navigate the world safely, confidently and independently.
John Lapus' play among 12 finalists of 1st Teatro Panalo
The lineup includes works by established and emerging theater artists, with selections made by a panel of theater practitioners and writers.
Vietnam Set to Sign Free Trade Pact With European Bloc This Week
Hanoi also says that a reciprocal trade deal with the United States is nearing completion and should be signed soon.
How a fuel crisis is threatening Bangladesh’s reform goals: ‘it hit our citizens hard’
Faced with a fuel crisis beyond its control, Bangladesh’s government is spending the equivalent of hundreds of millions of US dollars each month to insulate its people from surging prices. But as growth slows and inflation rises, the new government’s reform plans are being tested before it has had much time to clean up the country’s troubled financial institutions or retool its young, abundant – but underemployed – workforce for the AI era. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman took office on February...