In an interview with news.gov.hk, Prof Xue Quan said the most satisfying application of their work was in the wake of the Sichuan earthquake in 2008, enabling the rescue of thousands of lives.

As terrestrial communication systems were essentially wiped out in the disaster, officials turned to the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. The City University team’s advanced antenna model was applied to a mobile tracking receiver device.
The first rescue troops of 1,000 soldiers each carried one of these small, square devices deep into the quake-stricken areas to search for victims, and many lives were saved within the first 72 hours.

The advanced antenna enabled data transfer among the devices, and rescue teams could report the actual situation in the areas they searched and receive further commands from headquarters, Prof Xue explained.

Another member of the science team, Prof Luk Kwai-man, described the main challenge in studying antennas.

Everyone prefers smaller antennas, and today’s antennas are wireless, and as tiny as a pill, he said. However, the smaller size decreases the device’s bandwidth, making it less powerful in transferring data in wireless communication.

Global outreach
He is excited about receiving the award, for many reasons.

“This is a very important award in our country, and this is recognition not only for us but also for City University as a whole, because our research in antenna designs has made outstanding contribution to the advancement of antenna technology to China and also to the world,” Prof Luk said.

“I hope through this award we can establish more connections or collaborations with various institutions, universities or industries in China, and hopefully we can produce more useful output in the near future.”

Dr Wong Hang, the youngest of the four, was a student of the other three team members, and joined the science team upon his graduation. Local students are not particularly interested in learning science these days, he says. Receiving the technological invention award might encourage Hong Kong students to participate more in local science studies.

“This is a very good example to show to the local students that the research output in Hong Kong can have a very good contribution, particularly in some very big projects with the China Government,” Dr Wong said.

Future challenges
Apart from enhancing communication, the science team is looking forward to applying its antenna inventions in other ways. Team member Prof Chan Chi-hou says they are now studying ways to use antennas in vehicle collision-avoidance systems, and as a wave guide inside a human body to direct treatment of different kinds of cancers.

These challenges are difficult and large-scale, but the team is committed.

“I believe that endurance and perseverance are the two important motives for us, since we had to work together and we had to work hard in order to achieve something that we wanted to achieve. Team work is very important for us,” Prof Chan said.

source from: newsgovhk

More than 200 photos have been received, showing the cherished memories of people’s times at City Hall.

Hong Kong’s first purpose-built cultural complex, City Hall has been the backdrop to people’s photos for 50 years.

Singer Barbara Fei shared a photo showing her first solo concert at the building in the 1960s, while pianist Nancy Loo showed photos from prize presentations she attended there.

Lo Kwan-pang got married at City Hall marriage registry, Hong Kong’s first, in 1973.

“I remember I first dated my wife at City Hall. We went to see a drama together.”

Among the photos collected in the campaign, some are family photos. A group photo showing seven brothers and sisters captured Eddie Wu’s childhood in 1968.

“With the eldest on the right and the youngest on the left, the photo showed my family of seven boys and girls. I was standing at the middle of the seven.”

The photos have been uploaded to the building’s anniversary webpage and Facebook page. They will be exhibited in the building from March 3 to April 9.

source from: newsgovhk

The target of the protest is an unassuming men’s bathroom in a public park in Guangzhou, where a group of female activists in their 20s gathered outside this weekend with colorful placards to protest unequal wait times outside men’s and women’s public bathrooms. As crowds of onlookers began to form, the women began marching inside the men’s bathroom to make their point — much to the dismay of the men still inside.

The protest’s instigator is a young woman, alias Li Maizi, who got frustrated by the interminable wait to use the toilets while attending a conference in Guangzhou. She and her supporters are calling for the government to provide more public toilet stalls for women. She says the protest took about a week (in Chinese) to organize and that her next stop on her journey to promote the cause is Beijing.

In an argument that later circulated on popular Twitter-like microblogging site Sina Weibo, a sympathetic student from the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies told the state-run Guangzhou Daily newspaper (in Chinese) that mainland China should learn from Hong Kong and Taiwan — both of which have passed so-called “potty parity” laws, mandating that greater areas be designated for female toilets.

In Hong Kong, the ratio of male to female public toilet space currently stands at 1:1.5 (in Chinese) . Likewise since 1987, at least 21 states and municipalities in the U.S. have passed similar laws. “[While waiting for the women's bathroom], typically there’s no line outside the men’s restroom,” Li was quoted as saying by local media (in Chinese). “Sometimes I’ve thought, is it OK for women to just ‘occupy’ them briefly?”

On average, men take 30 seconds to use the bathroom, according to a Time magazinereport about potty parity. Women take 90 seconds.

In response to the protest, a member of the Guangzhou political consultative committee told local media that the city has already launched a plan to increase the level of toilet parity from a ratio of 1:1 to 1:1.5. In recent years, China’s launched similar efforts to improve and expand public restrooms, including a $40 million commitment to upgrade most of Beijing’s 3,700 public restrooms in time for the Olympics.

Be as that may, the women’s protest is finding plenty of traction online. The phrase “Girls take over men’s bathroom” topped the list of trending topics on Chinese search engine Baidu on Tuesday. One Chinese artist in Shandong Province was so inspired by the movement that he posted a cartoon he created that depicts a Chinese woman standing atop a porcelain toilet — a red revolutionary flag in hand and a smile on her face.

Meanwhile Sina Weibo has been ablaze with comments on the “Occupy the men’s bathroom” movement, some of them delighted, others more chagrined. “People are occupying Wall Street,” quipped one Weibo user writing under the handle Teacher KY. “You’re occupying toilets. What a loss of face.”

source from: wsj

Doctored movie posters mocking Chief Executive hopeful Henry Tang are making the rounds on the Internet, poking fun at how the candidate illegally added an underground expansion to his luxury home. In one poster — one of many anonymously uploaded in recent days — Mr. Tang beams out from a Harry Potter movie take-off, below the caption: “Kowloon Basement and the Chamber of Secrets.” Another shows his wife’s face super-imposed over that of an actor in “Resident Evil,” with the poster retitled to read: “Basement Evil: Apocalypse.”

Mr. Tang, son of a wealthy Shanghai industrialist and with close links to ex-Chinese president Jiang Zemin, was once thought to be the favored contender by Beijing, but public outrage is unraveling his candidacy.

Not that Hong Kongers have a vote in this election. Hong Kong’s future Chief Executive will be chosen next month by the city’s 1,200-member Election Committee — composed largely of business and political elites, many of them strong Beijing backers. Though universal suffrage is supposed to be realized in Hong Kong by 2017, what that will actually look like remains unclear.

The resulting sense of helplessness among Hong Kongers explains the latest spate of satire, says Professor Joseph Cheng of the City University of Hong Kong. “It’s been amply demonstrated that Beijing controls the whole election, and it’s disappointing for Hong Kong people that the candidates don’t engage in serious policy debate.”

“So the feeling is that the latest is pretty good drama — let’s at least enjoy it. At least they can try and poke fun at the candidates.”

Local newspapers say that Tang’s 2,400 sq-feet basement, built without government approval, contains a wine cellar, small theater and a Japanese-style bath. Mr. Tang, a serious wine collector and best known for cutting the wine tax to zero in the city during his time as the city’s financial secretary, admitted knowing about its construction Friday while his tearful wife, Lisa Kuo, stood beside him.

News of the basement’s existence has fueled particular outrage in a city where tiny apartments are the norm and land is tightly controlled. Recent additions of new posters uploaded to a Facebook page attracted over 1,100 likes in a matter of hours. Before the extent of the luxurious construction was revealed, Mr. Tang had described the basement as a “hole in the ground to store things in.”

Still, Mr. Tang is no stranger to less-than-flattering caricatures. A poster of him with devil horns in the style of the famous “Hope” poster used by President Barack Obama appeared around town last year after he and other members of the present Donald Tsang administration were accused of resisting political reform. Mr. Tsang, his former boss, was likewise the target of barbed posters after he sparked controversy three years ago by playing down the legacy of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

Mr. Tang’s professed regret has done little to help his candidacy, which took a bruising in October when he admitted to an extramarital affair. The city’s prominent English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post, has called for Mr. Tang to drop out of the race, while a University of Hong Kong opinion poll taken last week shows that a majority of Hong Kongers feel the same way.

All nominations for chief executive candidates must be presented by February 29. With Mr. Tang’s fortunes sinking, Beijing faces a tough call: continue to back the selection of a highly unpopular candidate, or scramble in the coming week to propose a new name.

source from: wsj

Financial Secretary John Tsang announced the Government will also allocate $900 million under the Lotteries Fund to improve the physical setting and facilities of as many as 250 district elderly community centres, neighbourhood elderly centres and social centres for the elderly.

Mr Tsang said the Government’s total expenditure on welfare for 2012-13 will exceed $48 billion, out of which $44 billion is recurrent expenditure, a 9% rise on recurrent expenditure in 2011-12.

source form: newsgov

Every year, activities are organised worldwide to raise public awareness of wetlands’ value and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands.

The theme for this year is Wetlands & Tourism and is linked to the theme for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties, CoP 11, entitled Wetlands, Tourism & Recreation, which will take place in July in Bucharest.

New attraction the Wetland Cinema opened, showing the 3D film Wetland Time Travellers.

source form: newsgov

“When I first saw the contraption, I felt it was very strange and complex,” Tat said. “When I tried to play, I couldn’t fill the bag with enough air, and my fingers were not flexible, so I was always off-key.”

The young man knew nothing about music and had never seen anyone play Scottish bagpipes before. But at the institution, inmates are told which skills they will learn.
The Cape Collinson Correctional Institution Marching Band was established in 1958. It currently has about 40 members – pipers, drummers and brass players. Vacancies arise as band members finish serving their prison term.

From Monday through Saturday, inmates have classes on academic subjects such as Chinese, English and mathematics for half the day. The focus shifts to practical learning in the other half. For band members, this is time for music lessons and foot drill training.

Correctional Services Department Assistant Officer Tse King-fai, the band’s conductor, said after six to seven months of training, band members are generally able to join outside performances, including the department’s passing-out parades, musical rallies, and other charity programmes. They participate in dozens of such events annually.

Scaling new heights
Most band members start with no background in music whatsoever. Besides acquiring instrument-specific training, they must also learn basic music theory to read simplified scores.

“The staff taught us ‘1’ is the note ‘doh’, on the musical scale, ‘2’ is ‘rei’, and so on. By singing ‘doh-rei-mi’, we learn a new song by reciting the melody,” said Tat.

Sometimes, band members can become quite focused on the task at hand, carrying their rote lessons outside the classroom.

“My cellmate once told me that I was singing the melodies while I was asleep,” Tat said.

His focus paid off: After a year of training, he can now play more than a hundred songs on the bagpipes.

Fellow band member, saxophonist Chun, a pseudonym, was amazed at his own achievement within eight months.

“Here I can concentrate on learning music, with no distractions. The staff teach us patiently, and encourage me to overcome difficulties.”

Shared experience
A band master with a degree in music is responsible for re-arranging the music scores and conducting the band. Four Assistant Officers who help lead the band, including conductor Tse King-fai and piper Cheung Kai-bong, have had no formal music training.

“I also started from zero. The difficulties the band members encounter were the difficulties I have overcome,” Mr Tse said. He learned to play from his predecessor, then passed the lessons on to his young charges.

“When I got started, I spent my spare time at home reciting the songs’ melodies over and over again.”

Mr Tse joined the CCCI in 2000, and helped manage the marching band. He later taught bagpipe-playing to Mr Cheung, who joined the band in 2003.

Valued apprenticeship
Mr Cheung said he did not know how to teach the band members at the beginning as he knew nothing about music and was responsible only for their discipline.

Then he learned how to play the bagpipes and studied the teaching method.

“By demonstrating the techniques to them, they will listen to you and treat you as a master,” he said.

Through this apprenticeship, Mr Cheung taught Tat not only musical techniques, but also how to rebuild his family relationships.

Mr Cheung learned Tat’s family seldom visited him, so he asked the young man to write letters to his family.

“He wrote a few letters, but didn’t receive any reply. I encouraged him to keep writing, until he did. After he sent more than 10 letters, his family finally came to visit him. And he discovered my advice was useful.”

Tat’s most impressive performance to date was a musical rally for the community at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai. More than 1,000 people attended, including his family members.

“They came to visit me after they saw me perform, and said it was wonderful. They were grateful that I had acquired useful skills here,” he said.

Uplifting lessons
Saxophonist Chun admitted he had never taken learning anything seriously, and his mother always worried about him. She was finally able to relax after watching him perform.

Over eight months of musical training, Chun lost his careless attitude and grasped the opportunity to develop a skill. Of the 80 songs he can play, his favourite is My Way. He hopes to continue saxophone lessons after his release from the institution.

During a recent training session, Mr Cheung played a bagpipe solo as an introduction to the popular inspirational song You Raise Me Up, with the chorus:
You raise me up so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be.

“I want to let them know I really support them, and I hope they get the meaning of the song’s lyrics,” he said.

“The happiest thing is guiding them to find direction in life and seeing them rebuild relationships with their families.”

source form: newsgov

A green and a yellow label ,with the wording “Cross Boundary Hire Car” in Chinese and English, and a serial number, should be displayed on the windscreen and the rear of the vehicle.

Passengers who intend to use a cross-boundary hire-car service between the Mainland and Hong Kong should use authorised cars bearing the labels.

source form: newsgov

Delivering his 2012-13 Budget today, Financial Secretary John Tsang said the amount of recurrent funding allocated to the Hospital Authority will increase by nearly 40% to $40 billion in 2012-13.

The authority will extend the coverage of its community-based case management programme for patients with severe mental illness to four more districts.

For medical manpower, the Government will allocate $200 million to increase the number of first-year first-degree places in medicine by 100, nursing by 40 and allied health professions by 146.

Queen Mary and Kwong Wah Hospitals will be redeveloped in the coming year to provide better health services.

The Government will also inject $10 billion into the Samaritan Fund to provide full or partial subsidies to patients for self-financed drugs and medical items.

source form: newsgov

They aim to enrich their understanding of the protection of intellectual property rights in both Hong Kong and Guangdong by visiting intellectual property rights enforcement authorities, the industry and young people in the province.

The youths, aged 15 to 18, will visit the Guangdong Copyright Bureau, the Guangzhou Copyright Bureau, the Guangdong Sub-Administration of General Administration of Customs, Guangzhou Customs and intellectual property rights institutions.

They will also have talks with teachers and students from an intellectual property experimental secondary school to gain a comprehensive understanding of intellectual property rights protection on the Mainland.

They will share their experiences with other members of their youth uniformed groups, friends and families after returning to Hong Kong.

source form: newsgovhk