G. Alfelt
Theor. Probability and Math. Statist. 99 (2020), 5-17.
Abstract, references and article information

Ştefan O. Tohǎneanu and Yu Xie
Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 148 (2020), 2411-2419.
Abstract, references and article information

A total of 27 Hong Kong residents who left Morocco on a chartered flight arranged by the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco arrived in Guangzhou today.

Among them, 26 people subsequently took the coaches arranged by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to return to Hong Kong through the Shenzhen Bay Port and have arrived at AsiaWorld-Expo.

One Hong Kong resident chose to stay in Guangzhou for a 14-day isolation period for medical surveillance in accordance with the relevant requirements.

The Security Bureau said Police have the duty to take lawful measures for apprehending people when sufficient grounds exist.

The bureau issued the statement in response to media inquiries regarding a number of people arrested by Police today in connection with organising and participating in unauthorised assemblies.

It emphasised that under the Police Force Ordinance, Police have the duty to take lawful measures for apprehending all persons whom it is lawful to apprehend and for whose apprehension sufficient grounds exist.

The bureau noted that the relevant arrests were made based on evidence from investigations and strictly according to the laws in force.

It pointed out that in Hong Kong, everyone is equal before the law and that no one is above it nor can break it without facing consequences.

The bureau explained that if there is evidence that anyone violates the law, regardless of their status or background, they must face justice. No one has any special privileges.

Police will handle the case in a fair, just and impartial manner in accordance with the law, it added.

The confidence level of Hong Kong’s exporters has fallen to its lowest-ever level in the face of a triple challenge – the COVID-19 outbreak, softening global demand and lingering trade tension between the United States and Mainland...

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted business activity and supply chains across the globe, with numerous trade fairs and events around the world being postponed or cancelled, depriving many enterprises of business and marketing...

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today chaired the fourth meeting of the Anti-epidemic Fund Steering Committee, during which the funding commitment for 33 measures under the second-round of the fund was approved.

The Legislative Council Finance Committee last Saturday approved a funding application of $137.5 billion, including an injection of $120.5 billion to the Anti-epidemic Fund to roll out the second round of measures to provide further assistance or relief to the public and enterprises hard hit by the current epidemic or affected by anti-epidemic measures.

Mr Cheung said: "The pandemic has caused an unprecedented impact on Hong Kong's economy and various sectors have been hard hit.

“The Government will take resolute and unprecedented measures to expeditiously relieve the imminent needs of the businesses and members of the public.

"To provide assistance and relief to relevant enterprises and members of the public as soon as possible, I have asked the bureaus and departments to implement the measures at full steam to address the pressing needs of the community promptly and achieve the effect of safeguarding jobs and supporting enterprises."

Separately, the Education Bureau said the Finance Committee’s approval of the funding application for the second round of the fund and other relief measures included a one-off interest-free deferral of loan repayment for two years to self-financing post-secondary institutions under the Start-up Loan Scheme, non-profit-making international schools and student loan repayers.

All borrowers of the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes, Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students, Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students, Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students and Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme will be offered an interest-free deferral of loan repayment from April 1 this year to March 31, 2022, including their loan instalments and interests.

The annual administrative fee of $180 charged on the non-means-tested loan repayers during the suspension period will be waived. The risk-adjusted-factor rate for setting the interest rate will also be maintained at zero.

Additionally, support for the construction sector will be enhanced.

The Development Bureau today said a one-off subsidy of $7,500 will be offered to each eligible construction worker.

More than 530,000 workers will benefit from the subsidy, including workers of construction sites as well as those registered under the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Buildings Department, the Water Supplies Department and the Fire Services Department.

At the same time, a one-off subsidy will be provided to 30,000 construction-related enterprises, generally small-scaled, which cannot benefit from the first round of the Anti-epidemic Fund.

Each eligible contractor, specialist contractor, works contractor and supplier can receive a one-off subsidy of $20,000, while minor works contractors, registered contractors of electrical, gas, lift, escalator and fire service installation along with suppliers of construction-related machinery and equipment rental can receive $10,000 each.

About 600 consultant firms offering engineering, architectural and related professional services will receive a subsidy of $50,000 each to support professionals in the sector.

The Government will also provide a direct subsidy of $3 million to each non-profit-making organisation running the 10 projects under the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme, PMQ and the Energizing Kowloon East - Fly the Flyover Operation.

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Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today chaired the Anti-epidemic Fund Steering Committee's fifth meeting to examine the implementation progress of the host of measures launched under the fund.

The committee noted the details of over 20 second-round relief measures have been announced since the Legislative Council Finance Committee approved the $120.5 billion injection to the fund on April 18.

Other measures will be launched as soon as possible to provide timely relief to the affected sectors and individuals. 

The committee also noted that the fund has paid out over $13 billion, and many businesses and members of the public have gradually received subsidies.

Mr Cheung said the measures aim to preserve employment and assist the self-employed, provide additional relief to those sectors hard hit by the pandemic and pave the way for the post-pandemic economic recovery. 

“We will continue to process applications and disburse subsidies as soon as possible to help businesses and members of the public tackle the challenges caused by the pandemic and to support enterprises, safeguard jobs and relieve people’s burden," he stressed. 

For the Retail Sector Subsidy Scheme which provides a one-off subsidy of $80,000 to eligible retailers, about 93,000 applications were received.

The committee was pleased to note that the scheme has been disbursing subsidies progressively and over $2.7 billion in subsidies have been approved so far, involving about 33,000 applications.