HK, Shenzhen hold avian flu exercise

Hong Kong and Shenzhen health authorities yesterday held a joint exercise on the response to suspected human cases of avian flu.

The exercise, conducted at Shenzhen Bay Port, aimed to test the response, notification and co-operation mechanism of the two places on handling cross-boundary public health emergencies.

A total of 80 people from different departments of the two places took part in the drill.

Other government departments involved were the Immigration Department, Customs and Excise Department, Police, Fire Services Department and Radio Television Hong Kong.

No indication of terrorist attack, police reiterate

The police so far have not received any intelligence that suggests a possible terrorist attack during the Olympic equestrian events to be held in Hong Kong in August, police director of operations Henrique Koo reiterated yesterday.

The terrorist attack level remains "moderate".

He also said police have not received any application to stage a protest during the events.

Koo's remarks came after Director of Immigration Simon Peh told a press conference Monday that the Immigration Department had intelligence that terrorists would likely sabotage the events in Hong Kong.

Chicken vendors discuss surrender of license

Poultry trade representatives agreed among themselves in a meeting yesterday that traders who surrender their licenses now should demand for a compensation that is 10 times the standard compensation.

Steven Wong Wai-chuen, chairman of the Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers and Retailers Association, said their request is reasonable because it is difficult for poultry workers to switch to another field.

Hong Kong Poultry Wholesalers Association chairman Tsui Ming-tuen suggested calculating compensation based on the average turnover in the past seven to 10 years.

54 arrested in education assistance fraud

The Independent Commission Against Corruption announced yesterday that it had arrested 54 persons in connection with a scam to defraud the government of education subsidies, estimated at about HK$3 million.

Among those arrested were two managers and two instructors of a training institution and its founding company.

Also arrested were 42 persons acting as bogus students and/or indemnifiers for a course, who allegedly made fraudulent applications for loans under the Non-means Tested Loan Scheme (NTL) managed by the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) of the Education Bureau.

Partial traffic resumption on Keung Shan Road

Tai O's only road access will be partially restored today as one of the lanes in the affected section of Keung Shan Road will be reopened this morning for one-lane-two-way traffic, the Islands District Office reported yesterday.

Services of New Lantau Bus routes running on Keung Shan Road will resume at the same time.

Meanwhile, Tai O Road has been fully reopened for public use.

Water supply to Tai O and villages in its vicinity was reported as normal yesterday.

Daily China

(HK Edition 06/20/2008 page1)