TOP STORIES
Brisbane Celebrates International Women’s Day with a Sea of Pink
- 2024-03-10
- People
- The Young Reporter
- By: KURNIAWAN Trista VaniaEdited by: Lisheng CHENG、Yau To LUM
- 2024-03-10
Australia celebrated International Women’s Day today with around 23,000 people wearing pink for a five-kilometre run in Brisbane to support breast cancer research. It’s the largest event for the cause ever held. The run began in South Brisbane and ended in City Botanical Gardens with participants walking, jogging, or running along the way. People could also join virtually across the state, bringing the total number of participants to 26,000. Tickets were sold out within a month. The Mater Foundation has been holding the event for over 33 years to raise funds for breast cancer research. They partnered with Queensland X-ray this year and raised over nearly 1.8 million Australian dollars (HK$9.3 million). The money will go toward providing women with high-quality X-ray imaging services. Kaylah Pearse, one of the event organisers, said she is delighted to see the event grow every year. “Last year was a smaller show compared to this year. It’s great because fundraisers need more support to carry out more research and provide help for women with breast cancer,” she said. Connie Glover, one of the participants, said that her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago and she has joined the event for four years now. “I was inspired by my mom. I think it’s important to support more people with similar experiences,” said Glover. She also added that the funds can help provide women with headscarves after chemotherapy and mastectomy bras after breast removal surgery. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare stated that breast cancer is the most common cancer among females in Australia in 2023. One in seven women in Australia is at risk of breast cancer during their lifetime. In 2022, the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that breast cancer is the seventh-highest cause of death overall and the second …
HK Red Cross uses technology to raise awareness on climate change
- 2024-03-03
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Shuyi、WANG JingEdited by: Yuqi CHU
- 2024-03-03
The second Red Cross City Challenge kicked off on March 2 in Kowloon District. The event embraced virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to better present the influence of climate change. Different from the previous event theme "Humanity City Challenge", which focused on the community services, this year’s theme is "Rebuilding Lives, Rebuilding Homes". Participants need to race against time in the streets and alleys in Kowloon to find 60 designated checkpoints and complete various missions. "Hong Kong Red Cross hopes that this event will encourage people to get involved in community activities to help the disadvantaged groups affected by climate change and disasters," said Ma Chak-wah, chairman of the organizing committee of the Red Cross City Challenge. The event is of a pro bono nature. After deducting administrative expenses, the funds raised from the event will be used to support various humanitarian services of the HKRC. Ma said that the event will include the use of AR technology to present participants in real-life scenes of homes stricken by extreme weather to create an experience of the huge impact of climate change in real life. This year, Hong Kong Red Cross co-branded with Snoopy™ and handed out gift bags filled with goodies of the cartoon dog. More than 2,500 people registered for the event, and about 70% of whom were young, Ma added. "I came to this event because Snoopy™ caught my eye," said Leung Sin-yee, a 17-year-old local student. "Hong Kong has also been frequently affected by extreme weather recently, and the theme of this event happens to be related to disasters. I want to learn from this event to better protect myself and help others," Liao said. Ma said that the Red Cross hopes to encourage more and more young people to understand and participate in disaster relief …
Hong Kong Budget Unveils HK$ 1.09 billion to Boost Tourism, Reinventing the City's Brand Image
- 2024-02-29
- The Young Reporter
- By: Ben Rong LiEdited by: Kin Hou POON
- 2024-02-29
Financial Secretary Mr. Paul Chan released the budget proposal today. Photo source: Sing Tao Daily. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said he would allocate an additional HK$1.09 billion to support the tourism industry, including monthly fireworks displays and drone performances on Victoria Harbour, revitalising the nightly harbour light show and promoting immersive and in-depth experiences such as "Citywalk." The plan aims to effectively use the city's waterfront resources and enhance local tourism activities to attract visitors and improve Hong Kong's economy while reshaping its brand image. The Tourism Board also intends to introduce dining, retail and entertainment facilities in suitable locations along the Victoria Harbour waterfront to provide convenience and enhance the visitor experience, Chan said. “We want to promote Hong Kong as a hospitable, people-focused city,” Chan said in the budget address. The government is also launching initiatives such as the Sai Kung Hoi Art Festival to "soft sell" Hong Kong. However, Tang Wing Tung, 20, a university student and hiking enthusiast, said, "As a hiking enthusiast, these projects already have some level of promotion within Hong Kong itself. I believe the government's so-called 'soft sell' approach will have little impact," she said. The budget highlights initiatives to promote arts, culture, and creative industries to boost tourism, including an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange and introducing a blueprint for developing arts, culture, fashion and creative industries. Funding injections of around HK$1.4 billion and HK$2.9 billion will support film, arts and design projects, including the annual Hong Kong Fashion Design Week. Local vocational college VTC held a fashion show in West Kowloon in October 2023, though Christian Dior postponed its highly anticipated March fashion show on Feb 26. The government has also launched the Signature Performing Arts Programme Scheme to establish long-running, representative local performing arts programs. They aim …
Budget 2024: Film Development Fund receives highest government investment since 2007
- 2024-02-28
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Ludan、Lisheng CHENGEdited by: Lisheng CHENG
- 2024-02-28
The government will inject $1.4 billion into the Film Development Fund in 2024, the highest investment record in 17 years, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced in the most recent budget speech on Wednesday. The Hong Kong Film Development Council has approved a total of $1billion in 2023, of which $134 million has been allocated for the Film Production Financing Scheme, accounting for 12.4% of the total investment. “We feel excited about the investment in film. In the past, government investment had helped many new directors and talents who lacked funding to fulfill opportunities to present their works,” a spokesman of Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association said. During the 2023 Christmas period, Hong Kong cinema box office receipts were only $19.6 million, more than a 40% drop from last year and is the lowest in 20 years. “The box office increase in 2022 may be related to the delay of the release of foreign films due to the epidemic,” Rose Lu, 27, a film critic said. “The Hong Kong film market is small, the government should spend more money in promoting Hong Kong movies overseas and mainland rather than importing many overseas films,” said Lu. Hong Kong Legislative Council amended the Film Censorship Ordinance on October 27, 2021, which requires self-censorship and monitoring of film making, and re-examination of some subjects involving political factors, large scale and niche films. “It is hard for many directors in Hong Kong to do some sensitive topics, because it may not pass the film audit. This makes the Hong Kong film market less glamorous,” said Lu. People expect this money will promote diversity in Hong Kong movies and provide financial support for the film industry. “The government should support more shooting studios and try to have a new agreement about the renting cost …
Budget 2024: Government to expand cross-boundary data flow and services
- 2024-02-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: CAO Jiawen、WANG RuoshuiEdited by: KONG Tsz Yuen
- 2024-02-28
Hong Kong will expand cross-boundary data flow to help Hong Kong and mainland residents in the Greater Bay Area access public services without needing to cross the border. This month, the government announced it launched self-service kiosks in Shenzhen and Guangzhou where Hong Kong citizens can apply for more than 50 government services in Hong Kong. The kiosks aim to streamline government services, promote investment in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and boost satisfaction for businesses operating cross-boundary, according to a Press Release from the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Agency. Echo Lee, 21, from Guangzhou and studying in Hong Kong, said this policy is convenient but he is concerned about the leakage of personal information. Ethan Deng, 19, from Shenzhen and studying in Hong Kong, said he hadn't paid much attention to this policy before and thinks it will be more convenient to apply for documents, especially identity documents. Zong Can, 25, a cross-border worker from Shenzhen, said this policy will help bring the two places closer together, especially for residents like her who live close to Hong Kong. Denny Deng, 26, a Hong Kong resident who works in insurance, said this policy should be helpful to the exchange of enterprises between the two places as well as the development of business, which is conducive to the flow of capital between the two places. "In the future, I hope that we can use cross-border processing to solve more livelihood issues, such as driving licenses, tax, healthcare interoperability. Because Hong Kong is a place where privacy is very important, how to get the authorization of the person to communicate between the two places or successful cases will make the whole community have confidence," said Chau Man-kong, Executive Director of the School of Applied Policy Studies and Educational Futures …
Budget 2024: Stamp duty scrapped to stimulate sluggish property market
- 2024-02-28
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: XIA Fan、ZHAO RuntongEdited by: Junzhe JIANG、Ji Youn Lee
- 2024-02-28
All “spicy measures” for housing will be cancelled, said Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in his latest budget speech on Wednesday, referring to stamp duties paid on property purchases. Known as “laat ziu” in Cantonese, spicy measures meant locals buying a second property, non-local residents and companies had to pay up to 7.5% of the original property prices, which was cut from 15% in October 2023. Additionally, people who wished to resell their property in two years had to pay up to 7.5% of the resale price. “These stamp duties are unnecessary for the current economic and market situation,” said Chan. Leung Ka-ki, 37, a salesman at Festival Walk, is happy to see the stamp duties gone as it helps him save money to buy a property as soon as he can. “People didn’t buy properties because they had to pay the stamp duty previously,” said Kelvin Leung, senior property consultant of Midland Realty, “The cancelled cooling measures will greatly attract investors from home and around the world to buy properties in Hong Kong.” Property sales increased slightly after the government halved the stamp duty in October, though sales have not yet reached the high earlier in 2023. Chong Tai-leung, executive director of Lau Chor Tak Institute of Global Economics and Finance, also predicts an increase in property sales. “The immediate impact of the cancellation will be the increased volume of property transactions,” Chong said. However, buyers will still compare the return of depositing the same amount in the bank, Chong said. Chong said the effectiveness in boosting the property market in the long term may not be that effective, as the main force driving the market down is the interest rate, which the government cannot control. Andre Wong, 45, who owns an apartment in Kowloon Tong, said he would …
Budget 2024 Key Takeaways: Careful balance of revenue and deficit to continue
- 2024-02-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: AU YEUNG Jim、AO Wei Ying VinciEdited by: Juncong SHUAI
- 2024-02-28
Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivered the 2024-2025 Budget speech on Wednesday, announcing policies to strive for high-quality development while sustaining a solid economy. Top the list is the cancellations of property cooling measures, with Special Stamp Duty, Buyers’ Stamp Duty and New Residential Stamp Duty scrapped with immediate effect. For the coming fiscal year, the total government expenditure will increase by about 6.7% to HK$776.9 billion, while the total government revenue is estimated to be HK$633 billion. Chan expects that there will be a deficit of HK$48.1 billion for the year, and fiscal reserves will decrease to HK$685.1 billion. Here are the key takeaways of this year’s budget plan.
Budget 2024: Monthly fireworks may have limited effect on tourism but cause air pollution
- 2024-02-28
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: BO Chuxuan、LIU YutongEdited by: Yuqi CHU
- 2024-02-28
Fireworks will be set off every month over Victoria Harbour in the coming year along with drone displays to attract visitors, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced in today’s budget speech. Chan said last year's fireworks displayed along the waterfront in Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai and West Kowloon were all well received. "We will make full use of these valuable resources to provide a more engaging and diverse experience for the public and visitors,” he said. "Regular events are important to tourism," said Professor Chong Tai-leung, 55, executive director of Chinese University’s Lau Chor Tak Institute of Global Economics and Finance. "Monthly fireworks displays are a great way to attract foreign visitors from far and wide." “There are obviously more people visiting Hong Kong, especially on the second day of the Lunar New Year when people gather at Victoria Harbor to admire the fireworks,” said Peter Lo, 62, an electrical engineer, “it almost felt like the traffic flow before the pandemic.” But Lo does not believe that Hong Kong's tourism industry will bring sustained appeal. "There are only a few interesting attractions in Hong Kong, the fireworks won’t attract tourists for a second time." "If it happens every month, I can choose a time that suits me better and avoid the severe rush during the New Year," said Cao Kailuo, 21, a mainland college student who plans to visit Hong Kong during his vacation. Sara Leung, chair of the Hong Kong Tourism Industry Employees General Union, told RTHK that she is not optimistic about fireworks and drone shows because many nearby areas are hosting similar events and visitors will lose the novelty. "In fact, the government doesn't need to spend a lot of money on fireworks displays, they usually get sponsors to host them," Chong said. "For example, last year's …
Budget 2024: Government to increase Care Service Vouchers and Digital Support for Elderly
- 2024-02-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: MAO Anqi、LAI Uen LingEdited by: James Ezekiel Kalaw MODESTO
- 2024-02-28
The government will increase the number of vouchers to help elderly people afford in-home care and elderly care centres as well as provide funding for the elderly to learn digital skills. However, local social workers say this fails to address many problems for the elderly. The number of Community Care Service Vouchers, which help the elderly age in place, will increase to 11,000 at a cost of about HK$900 million, said Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in the budget address this morning. From the second quarter of this year, the number of Residential Care Service Vouchers, which help the elderly pay for services in care centres, will increase to 5,000, involving an annual expenditure of about $1.44 billion overall. The government plans to set aside $100 million from the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund to help people aged 60 or above get equipped with digital skills and technical support. At least 50,000 elderly individuals are expected to benefit from the first round of projects, which are expected to begin at the end of 2024. Tony Fung, 30, a social worker at a district health centre in East Kowloon, said the plans mentioned this year are not in line with real problems elderly residents face. “At the centre, we are already teaching our elderly residents how to use smartphones and computers. I hope that the government can help in transforming service centres and update their services,” he said. Fung said the government should assess the waiting time for admissions into elderly care homes and increase expenditure where necessary. The average waiting time for a bedridden person to be admitted to an elderly care home takes around 18 months, Fung said. Cindy Chan, 40, is a social worker at a district health centre in East Kowloon. A 15-year veteran, she hopes …
Budget 2024: People want more supplies towards new births and families with babies
- 2024-02-28
- Business
- By: Subin JOEdited by: Chi On LIU
- 2024-02-28
People are disappointed by the lack of new policies for new births and families with babies in the latest budget speech with the problems of low birth rates and high costs in the city. Shin Yoon Jung, 37, a housewife who anticipates the birth of her child this April, expressed disappointment over this budget proposal. "I am really disappointed that the proposal has no real benefit for a pregnant woman. I think one of the factors behind Hong Kong's low fertility rate is economic factors," Shin said. Although Hong Kong provides a subsidy for those who give birth, the financial support needs to be more adequate even for the costs of diapers and formula under the city's high cost, Shin explained. The Hong Kong SAR government announced in the last policy address that it would provide a one-time cash bonus of HK$20,000 for each baby born after Oct. 25, 2023, with parents who are Hong Kong permanent residents. Bosco Yuen, 21, a single woman, said:“ I think the economic and housing issues most affect Hong Kong people’s fertility.” “It costs more than HKD 20,000 to raise a baby. Buying baby supplies already costs a lot of money.” Yuen added As Shin's child is coming up this April, she was concerned about raising a child in Hong Kong, particularly regarding the economic aspect. Her primary worry revolves around "financial problems." "I am concerned about living with the baby in our current apartment,” Shin said. “My husband and I are looking into expanding our living space, but the thought of paying over a million dollars for a small additional room is quite burdensome." According to World Bank statistics, as of 2020, Hong Kong's total fertility rate was 0.87 births per woman, making it the second lowest among 52 Asian countries. Korea ranked …