People
Midland Realty and subsidiaries face commission manipulation allegations
- 2023-11-17
- Society
- By: Xiya RUI、Hanzhi YANGEdited by: Ming Min AW YONG、Noah Tsang
- 2023-11-17
The Competition Commission filed a lawsuit yesterday accusing Midland Realty. Holdings and its two subsidiaries over alleged sales commission fixing. The Competition Commission alleges that Midland Holdings and its subsidiaries instructed agents to charge a minimum net commission rate of 2 percent for first-hand residential properties, starting from December 2022. Some members of the public have given their support to further address unethical practices in the real estate industry. "I am very grateful to the Competition Commission for strictly supervising this matter," said Hurry Lee, 42 years old, a buyer who bought a home at Midland Realty in February. "The price-fixing in the real estate industry is deeply concerning," Lee said, "It means that homebuyers like me may have been paying inflated prices due to collusion. I paid nearly HK$200,000 in agency fees, but that could potentially be lower if there is fair competition." According to the data from The Land Registry, since the alleged commission manipulation artificially increased the rate to 2% in December 2022, the number of sale and purchase agreements of building units for that month hit its lowest point of the year at 3,565. Furthermore, last month witnessed a decline of 33.9% compared to October last year. "I also wish for lower agency fees, because it would make it easier for us to attract potential buyers when selling properties," said Galong Wong, a staff member at Midland Real Estate Agency. "Our salary is composed of a base salary and commissions earned for each transaction completed. While the entire real estate industry has collectively increased the commission rates to 2%, allowing the company to earn more money, our individual commission for selling a property has not seen a corresponding increase," Wong said. According to the investigation by the Hong Kong's Competition Commission, Midland had conspired with Centaline …
Copenhagen Airport said Storm Babet causes Flight chaos
- 2023-10-31
- Society
- By: Tsz Yau CHANEdited by: Rajnandini PANDEY
- 2023-10-31
On Friday, storm Babet caused 142 flight delays or cancellations at Copenhagen Airport. Denmark’s state forecaster issued a category 3 warning on storm surges in the southern area of Denmark and lifted the warning the next morning. According to the Danish Meteorological Institution, DMI, on the night of the violent storm surge, several regions across the nation recorded the highest water levels in 100 years, with sea levels rising to two meters above normal in some places. There was no significant damage to airport facilities, and minor damages were repaired swiftly. All affected passengers were compensated with hotel stays and rebooking of flights in the following days. At midnight, more than 200 passengers were stranded at the airport waiting for hotel accommodations and flight rearrangements. Ellia Osborna and her friend Faye Ainsworth, both 22-year-old physiotherapists, visited Copenhagen for three days and were about to return to Manchester, England, when storm Babet hit. Their flight was delayed for over two hours and was eventually cancelled. They were compensated with a hotel stay for two nights and a rebooking of a flight transferring at Amsterdam two days later. “We are supposed to be working tomorrow for a football match, but now we’ll have someone to cover for us, which causes us to lose about 50 GBP (HK$475) each,” said Osborna. “The waiting process was tiring but it could have been worse,” she added. Ainsworth said that the airport ground staff was not very helpful throughout the process. “The staff just gave us a piece of paper and told us to complete all the rebooking process on the app, without much explanation,” said Ainsworth. “I think the staff is not really prepared for such situations,” she added. Another traveller, Hussein Shaheen, 63, was travelling to Belgrade, Serbia, to visit his friend but was …
Typhoon Koinu leaves thousands stranded at Hong Kong airport
- 2023-10-12
- Society
- By: Hanzhi YANG、Xiya RUIEdited by: Tsz Yin HO
- 2023-10-12
Thousands were left stranded at the Hong Kong airport on Sunday after the suspension of the airport train and buses and a shortage of taxis during typhoon Koinu. The Hong Kong Observatory issued typhoon signal 9, the second highest signal, at 11.50 pm on October 8 as typhoon Koinu approached the coast of Guangdong. According to the Observatory, most places in Hong Kong had more than 100 millimetres of rain and reaching 200 millimetres in some districts such as Hong Kong Island East. Speaking on RTHK, the Hong Kong's Airport Authority stated that 90 flights were cancelled throughout the day and another 130 were delayed. But some 60 flights that landed that evening brought in hundreds of passengers. Most public transport services stopped soon after signal 9 was issued, including the Citybus’s Cityflyer route and MTR’s Airport Express, which give access to the airport and urban areas. The waiting time for taxis exceeded three hours, leading to frustration among incoming passengers complaining about the insufficient supply of taxis in the city. “We have been waiting for over two hours, but we haven't even reached the halfway point of the queue,” said Moses Chan, 37, a Singaporean visitor waiting in line, adding that he and his wife were shocked by the overwhelming crowds. “Due to the typhoon, the supply of taxis in Hong Kong is actually very low, with only dozens of taxis arriving at the airport per hour,” said Kelly Tang, a staff member of the airport who was responsible for managing order. Airport staff also expressed their apologies for the situation, and free water along with around-the-clock catering services was distributed to those stranded at the airport. “The waiting time is really long, with no end in sight,” Chan, the Singaporean traveller added. Chan and his wife chose to …
Tai Hang Fire Dragon dances for the first time in four years
- 2023-10-05
- Society
- By: Lisheng CHENG、Ji Youn LeeEdited by: Yu Yin WONG
- 2023-10-05
The Tai Hang Fire Dragon danced for the first time in four years during the Mid-Autumn Festival. This year’s performance from Sept. 27 to Sept. 30, is part of the government's efforts to revive Hong Kong’s entertainment and tourism sectors after a long stretch of pandemic lockdowns. As festive season kicks off, people from across the world are back in the city, some specifically for the fire dragon. Alex Grion, 16, is a tourist from France. “I enjoy the strong traditional Chinese culture atmosphere here,” he told The Young Reporter. The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance has a rich 180-year history. It originated from a folk story about a buddhist monk who was told to create a burning dragon out of incense to ward off pestilence. Nowadays, residents of the area create a dragon out of incense sticks and burn it during the three day Mid-Autumn festival celebration to wish for good luck. The ritual has been recognised as a national heritage by the mainland and Hong Kong in 2011 and 2017 respectively, John Lau, a 50-year-old Tai Hang resident, was so excited and kept cheering. “I have participated in this activity since I was a child. The dragon is a symbol of peace and happiness for us,” said John. The 67 metre dragon is traditionally carried by 300 of Tai Hang’s current and past residents, and stretches about the length of two blocks. Michelle Cheung, 60, runs a souvenir booth for the dragon dance. HIs products range from T-shirts to commemorative dolls holding incense sticks. The shop owner is glad to see the dragon’s comeback. “After so many years of the epidemic, seeing so many people come to participate this year is actually a reflection of Hong Kong's renewed vitality. Because everyone had to stay at home and not …
Local street dancer Bobby wins chance to represent Hong Kong in international competition
- 2023-09-19
- Society
- By: Sze Kei WONGEdited by: Ka Ki FUNG、Ming Min AW YONG
- 2023-09-19
A local street dancer beat out 15 other hopefuls on Sunday afternoon, winning the chance to represent Hong Kong for the first time in an international dance competition in Germany. Lam Yuet Wing, 32, who performs as Bobby, won a majority of audience votes at the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. He will compete against 29 international dance groups in Frankfurt in November. The audience selected the winner using different colored fans to show their vote. The outdoor competition was open to the public with a free after party for both dancers and registered audience members. Lam started dancing in 2006 and is known for the dance style “popping”—a category of street dance that involves rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles, giving the dancer a pop feeling to match the beat. "My first competition was held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. I didn't even make it into the audition,” he said. “The second time I attempted battle in the venue was today, and I got the award." “Since I just injured my leg, now I will heal my wounds and equip myself to go to Germany for exchange," Lam said. He also added, ”No matter if I lose or win, I will experience more abroad and bring more knowledge to Hong Kong”. “The event was fun and we saw a lot of exciting battles today,”said Chu Yung Chuen, 25, an audience member who also is a dancer. “The atmosphere of the event was very good. Many people gathered here, and I enjoyed it very much,” said Tsui Tsz Hung, 24, an audience member.
Hong Kong to revive nightlife? 70% say yes to night bazaars
- 2023-09-13
- Society
- By: Junzhe JIANG、Juncong SHUAIEdited by: Zimo ZHONG
- 2023-09-13
A new survey released yesterday by the Hong Kong Department Stores and Commercial Staff General Union has found that 69.5% of the respondents supported establishing night markets in Hong Kong. Of the 1,862 people polled between Aug. 24 and Sep. 1, 77% said food was the great attraction in night markets, followed by retail goods at around 62%. Shows and live performances ranked third. The study comes ahead of the launch of the “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign which aims to invigorate the local night economy after the pandemic. 73.6% of the respondents also said that the location and transportation accessibility at night markets matter and another 63.4% were concerned about hygiene. “I think this campaign is a wise move to revive the economy and tourism. Nightlife in Hong Kong has gradually faded away,” said Leung Wai-bing, 68, a retired vendor in Kwun Tong. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and finance chief Chan Mo-po have been telling the public that Hong Kong needs to revitalise its night time economy since last month and will launch the “Night Vibe Hong Kong” campaign on Thursday at West Kowloon. Chung Pok-man, general officer of Hong Kong Department Stores and Commercial Staff General Union, said at the press conference on Tuesday that the preference of mainland tourists, which make up the largest proportion of visitors, has shifted from shopping to cultural tourism. The union recommended establishing long-term night markets which can gradually transform to tourist attractions and provide venues for young people to start new businesses. The report also proposed to organise short-term thematic bazaars near popular activities such as sports events, festivals, and concerts. Night markets can be set up in different districts to boost the flow of people, since many tourist areas attract few visitors after 8 p.m., according to the union. …
Black rainstorm leaves Hong Kong a flooding mess
- 2023-09-08
- Society
- By: Elif Lale AYHAN、Ka Man WongEdited by: Ming Min AW YONG
- 2023-09-08
The Hong Kong Observatory issued the black rainstorm warning last night at 11:05 pm and it remained in effect for a record-breaking time of more than 12 hours. All rainstorm warnings were cancelled at 4:45 pm today. The rain bands of Typhoon Haikui brought more than 145.5 millimetres of rain in one hour, the highest hourly rainfall since 1884. The downpour caused flooding in many districts. The worst affected areas included Kowloon Tong and Wong Tai Sin. Much of the lower floors of Wong Tai Sin’s Temple Mall, was under water. Rainwater poured into some MTR stations, forcing trains to skip certain stops because of flooded platforms. At around 6 a.m. today, the government announced that all schools would suspend classes for the day. Employers were told to implement typhoon 8 work arrangements. Kubi Liu, a local 20-year-old student at Hong Kong Shue Yan University, stayed at home in Lee Uk Village in Fanling, New Territories. “I have seen heavy rain like this before. It’s common in Hong Kong, but rain which causes great damage at such short notice, like last night, is rare. Although the heavy rain brought me joy, the follow-up action and clean-up will take some time and money,” Liu said. A bus stop was flooded in her neighbourhood. She thought drainage management in the city could be better to avoid severe flooding. According to Liu, vehicles at Mei Lam, a low-lying area in Sha Tin, were submerged. At some villages in Fanling, minibuses came to a halt because of the flood. By 11:41 pm, a total of 144 people were treated in public hospitals for flood related injuries, according to the Hospital Authority. Chief Executive John Lee said that authorities would “review the way announcements were made” to the general public during extreme weather. “In dealing …
The "bun" is back!
- 2023-06-06
- Society
- By: Nola YipEdited by: Wisha LIMBU
- 2023-06-06
The 2023 Cheung Chau Bun Festival resumed last Friday after three years of COVID-19 restrictions. As one of the highlights of the yearly Jiao Festival, thousands of tourists visited the island to watch 12 competitors who entered the final of the Bun Scrambling Competition compete for the champion and a special prize called “Full Pockets of Lucky Buns”.
The Lamma 500 International Dragon Boat Festival returns after three years
- 2023-05-04
- Society
- By: Jemima BadajosEdited by: Mollie Hib、Wisha LIMBU
- 2023-05-04
Best known for its 500m international standard course, the annual event had to be postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Climate change takes a toll on construction workers in Hong Kong
- 2023-05-01
- Society
- By: Tsz Yau CHAN、Yau To LUMEdited by: Tsz In Warren LEUNG
- 2023-05-01
Wong Ngai, 49, a construction worker in Hong Kong has been on the job for six years and has already got used to the physical demands and challenges of his work. But when he was assigned to install street lights next to the airport, he realised his working conditions might get even tougher. Wong had to work in a two-metre wide space three metres underground. The lack of ventilation or fans made the air thick and stifling while the sun was beating down on him relentlessly. “Every time I go into an underground site, I immediately feel dizzy as the heat surrounds me,” said Wong.“I felt like an omelette frying under the sun.” Lai Chun-Lok, 33, a surveyor who has worked in the construction industry for 13 years, said heat strokes are common on construction sites. “It could get up to 40 to 50 degrees Celcisus on the rooftop. The iron is so hot that it will burn your skin if you touch it,” Lai said. The hot and humid weather in Hong Kong has been worsening over the past decade due to climate change. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the total number of hot days has increased five times over the past two decades, reaching 55 days in 2022, and it is expected that this summer will get even hotter. Outdoor workers bear the brunt of climate change. The number of heat stress related work injuries has increased by 75% since 2020, according to the Labour Department’s data. According to the document from the Human Resource Committee of the Legislative Council, the Hong Kong government plans to launch a new heat index guideline, the HKHI, in order to protect people who have to work outdoors in the summer. The heat index calculates temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet radiation from …