Hong Kong holds its first large-scale inter-departmental counter-terrorism exercise on March 25, 2019. [Photo/IC] HONG KONG -- Hong Kong held its first large-scale inter-departmental counter-terrorism exercise on Monday at a park on the Hong Kong Island. The exercise, codenamed Powersky, was organized by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU) and participated by about 270 members from six disciplined services, namely the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department, the Customs and Excise Department, the Correctional Services Department, the Fire Services Department and the Government Flying Service. During different scenarios included in the exercise, members of Hong Kong Police Special Duties Unit could be seen landing on a roof by fast-roping from a helicopter and raiding terrorists hiding in the house. After a terrorist released toxic chemical gas, explosive disposal vehicle rushed to the scene to deal with chemical leakage while decontamination showering system was set up for the affected persons. The exercise, simulating an operation against a terrorist cell plotting an attack in Hong Kong with homemade explosives, aimed to enhance the coordination among various departments on counter-terrorism intelligence and response, and to heighten counter-terrorism awareness of the public, Senior Superintendent of Police Winna Leung of ICTU told media at a briefing before the exercise. ICTU was established in April, 2018 by the HKSAR government's Security Bureau to provide an inter-departmental counter-terrorism platform on top of the existing counter-terrorism framework to enhance Hong Kong's overall counter-terrorism deployment. In Hong Kong, the threat of terrorist attacks is currently assessed to be moderate on a three-level scale, meaning that there is a possibility of attack though there is no specific intelligence suggesting that Hong Kong is a likely target, according to the HKSAR government's Under Secretary for Security Sonny Au. Au said at the briefing that considering the complex and ever-changing global anti-terrorism situation, Hong Kong, as a metropolis, must be well-prepared against terrorist attacks. ICTU aims at enhancing the coordination among departments, and achieving synergy in various aspects such as counter-terrorism intelligence, emergency response and training, he said. silicone wristbands size chartcustom awareness wristbandsbest place to buy silicone wristbandsrelationship braceletssilicone wristband supplier malaysia
A pharmacist takes drugs at a hospital in Beijing. [Photo/VCG] BEIJING - China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved 18 new cancer medicines in 2018, up 157 percent on 2017, said an NMPA official Tuesday. Cancer medicines accounted for 37.5 percent of the total new medicines approved in 2018, a notable increase over previous years, said Wang Ping, chief of the division of medicine registration under the NMPA, at a press conference. It takes 12 months on average for a new anti-cancer medicine to be approved by the NMPA, down from 24 months before 2018, Wang said. Last year the Chinese government adopted a series of measures to speed up the approval of imported and domestically-developed cancer medicines. According to Wang, the government exempted imported medicines from quarantine at border ports so they could reach hospitals and pharmacies as quickly as possible. The approving procedure for imported medicines to enter the Chinese market as well as that for domestic pharmaceutical firms to conduct clinical tests were also simplified. The NMPA and National Health Commission (NHC) listed 48 types of imported medicines that were much needed in China, including those for rare and deadly diseases. The review period of imported medicines for rare diseases is three months, while for the rest it is six months. The country has tried to develop a favorable policy environment for innovation in medicines so that the latest medical research findings could benefit Chinese patients as soon as possible, Wang said. This year the NMPA will work with the NHC to develop the second list of much needed imported medicines that are qualified for fast-track review, he said. The NMPA will also try to speed up the review procedure for imported and domestic cancer medicines and tighten up monitoring of adverse reactions, he added.
