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The Young Reporter

Culture & Leisure

Premier League Opening: Kitchee 1-0 Eastern

In the opening game of the 2021/22 Hong Kong Premier League on Saturday afternoon, Kitchee, the champion of last season, beat the Eastern by one goal at the Mong Kok Stadium. In the 14th minute, Gavilán, No. 11 of Kitchee, used a made-up shot to score, which made his team win. Under the current COVID-19 prevention policy, the stadium can only accommodate up to 4,800 spectators, compared to 6,664 before the pandemic. 3,163 people came to watch today’s opening battle, reaching 65% of the maximum capacity.  “The fans here are very enthusiastic. I've never been so close to the players in the game,” said Wang Jida, a university student who came to watch the competition for the first time. The opening game is the focus of the league as the two teams were the champions and runners-up last season. Kitchee got 37 points last season to win the title while Eastern got 34 points, only one victory from the championship. Last time the two teams met in the League, Kitchee defeated Eastern 2-0, which directly led to the latter ranking second with a victory gap. This time they still cannot get a result of victory. The competition rules of this season are the same as last season. The eight teams will play in three cycles. After the first two cycles, the top four in the tables enter the “Championship group” to compete for the title in the last cycle, while the remaining four teams enter the “Challenge group”, in which they need to avoid ranking the last and being regulated. HK FC and HK U23 have newly joined the Premier League this season. The returning teams are Kitchee, Eastern, Lee Man, Southern District RSA, Tai Chung, and HK Rangers.  “This year's champion will probably still be Kitchee. Only Eastern and …

Society

Homeless might struggle under government-mandated contract tracing measure using the ‘LeaveHomeSafe’ app, NGOs warn

  NGOs warn that the homeless population of the city, especially those without a smartphone, might struggle to access government facilities and services as the government seeks to mandate the use of the LeaveHomeSafe app when entering government buildings. Anyone entering government buildings including government employees and the public will have to use the government-mandated “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app for accessing government buildings and offices from 1 Nov, according to a press release.  “I usually go to the municipal services buildings and community centres nearby. I will take a rest in the library and take showers in the toilet of the stadium,” said Wong, who has been homeless for 30 years and sleeps on the Mongkok footbridge.  Nicole Yee, a volunteer of The Salvation Army Integrated Service for Street Sleepers said the homeless relied on government services and that the new measure would affect their daily lives. “Many of them don’t know how to write, using smartphones will definitely be harder for them to enter the facilities,” Yee said.  The measure comes after concerns from the government of potentially false information given in the forms which are filled instead of the app  "We notice that incomplete or even false personal particulars may be provided as we currently allow the registration of only the registrant's name and contact number as an alternative,” a government spokesman said.  The spokesman added that false personal particulars may “give rise to the risk of a community outbreak”. Under the new arrangement, people aged below 12 or aged 65 or above, and those with disabilities will be exempted from using the app. “The government has to let the homeless who do not have smartphones sign the form anyway and help them out from this issue,” said Sze Lai-shan, the community organizer of the Society for Community Organisation …

Society

Despite Bright Figures in Food Delivery Industry, Staff are Facing Uncertainties

Every day, Edward Wong, 26, who is a freelance lifeguard and nursing assistant, spends a few hours delivering food in Tsuen Wan.  “I usually deliver food during my lunch time. Though the golden hours for taking orders are 7:30am-10am, 11:30am-1pm and 6:30pm-8:30pm, the frequency of orders highly depends on the location. For example, in Mong Kok and Sheung Wan, as long as you want, there will be orders to take,” said Wong, who works for both Foodpanda and Deliveroo, two of Hong Kong’s most popular food delivery services.  Wong is one of tens of thousands new food delivery drivers as demand for the service surged during the pandemic. Hongkongers are hungry. Hong Kong’s major delivery companies, Foodpanda, Deliveroo and Uber Eats, all reported significant increases in delivery demand.  A Deliveroo survey in January showed a 21% increase in spending and it predicted three-fourths residents are using the service more frequently.  Uber Eats said active users per month nearly tripled last year while total orders doubled, according to a Mingpao article. Foodpanda reported a 60% surge in orders during the first quarter of 2021. Companies are hiring thousands of delivery staff to meet the orders.  Last spring, the food delivery industry created 48,000 jobs, according to Hong Kong Business Times. But Wong said the number of delivery orders he gets has dropped because of a flood of new workers, and he plans to find another job soon.  “More people are becoming food delivery staff as they think the market is growing during the pandemic. However, the increase in staff is faster than the increase in orders in most areas,” said Wong, adding that his income has dropped by one-third from around HK$40,000 per month when he started.  While demand for food delivery surges, job positions open up. However, rising figures does …

Culture & Leisure

Asian contemporary art gallery holds exhibition "Prism" to celebrate 3-year anniversary and promote Eastern art

  Soluna Fine Arts, an Asian contemporary art gallery with deep roots in South Korea, located in Sheng Wan, hosted a month-long exhibition themed “PRISM” from September to October to celebrate its three-year anniversary. Prism - an optical term - is a piece of glass or transparent material cut with precise angles to reflect or disperse a beam of light, forming a rainbow. It symbolises ways people used to see things with respective judgements and prejudices, the organiser said, as they filter facts and live under their own spectrum. The exhibition displayed 36 pieces of artwork produced by sixteen South Korean artists and one Hong Kong artist collaboratively. One of the exhibits was “Buncheong Tiger” - a pair of classical Korean pottery of white slip and transparent glazes covered with dark stones - crafted by artist Huh Sang-wook. Agnes Wy Ching-yi, the gallery operation manager, said the exhibition aimed to promote Asian contemporary art with its items representing a diversity of cultures and styles across countries. “Many people have known us as an art organisation with a lot of Korean artists, but we are starting to represent and excavate Hong Kong artists as well,” she said. “PRISM” was a milestone to the gallery as for the first time it launched an exhibition on its anniversary, she said, and it gave artists a platform to reflect on their work over the years. Over 500 visitors attended the exhibition, said gallery assistant Hannah Lee. It was open to the public for free. “Since we have to display the artworks from 17 artists in our gallery which is not very spacious, the balance of exposure gained by every single artwork is one of our concerns,” Wu said, speaking of the challenges her team faced in running the exhibition. They had to thus switch …

Society

Man with facial paralysis after vaccination denied insurance money after hospital fails to report case

A man whose face was partially paralized after receiving the second BioNTech vaccine on August 31 was denied compensation because his case was not reported to the Department of Health, he said in a press conference. The man, who goes by the alias Mr Y, was rushed to the Princess Margaret Hospital on Sept 2. and was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. He applied to insurance company AXA Hong Kong on Sept 9 under the government’s compensation plan for those adversely affected by the vaccine. But his application was denied since the hospital did not report his case to the Department of Health. The man said the hospital told him it will report his case after approval, but it has not been done yet. Democratic Party health policy spokesperson, Ramon Yuen Hoi-man, worried that the number of adverse post-vaccination cases is understated. “Does it mean that there are many cases like Mr Y that have not been reported?” Yuen said. “It’s impossible for the public to verify that, while the number of residual vaccine symptoms is very likely to be underestimated.” Yuen said the Department of Health should actively encourage medical staff to report serious cases involving vaccines and provide the public access to reports. "When encouraging citizens to vaccinate, the authorities should also protect people’s personal rights, like the right to know and the right to make decisions," Yuen said Health authorities in Hong Kong have confirmed 288 cases of Bell’s palsy after vaccination. Most patients will recover from facial paralysis even without treatment. As of end September, the Department of Health received a total of 6,108 reports of serious adverse events of Covid vaccine in people aged from 12 to 87. A total of HK$5.19 million has been given out with an average of HK$113,000 for each approved case.

Society

HKU Pillar of Shame removal deadline in limbo

  The Pillar of Shame, commemorating the Tiananmen Square incident, is yet to be removed despite the 13 Oct deadline set by the management of the University of Hong Kong. The management gave the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China the deadline. However, the sculpture is still standing in university premises  "We are still seeking legal advice and working with related parties to handle the matter in a legal and reasonable manner," the University of Hong Kong said in a statement. The Pillar of Shame is eight metres tall. It has been standing outside Haking Wong building on the campus of the University of Hong Kong since 1998. The decision of demand for removal is speculated due to conflict with the Hong Kong National Security Law, but the spokesman of the university did not wish to comment on the speculative reports.   Chief Executive and chancellor of University of Hong Kong Carrie Lam Cheng yuet-ngor commented on the removal issue, stating it is the university's  matter, and expected the management team to follow the school’s policy on handling the issue. Jens Galschiot, the Danish sculptor of the pillar, said he has hired a lawyer to follow up on the ownership and placement of the art piece after the institution announced the deadline, according to local media reports. The sculpture commemorates and signifies the 1989 June 4th movement in Beijing. Also known as the Tiananmen Incident, students and teachers held a month-long protest from April 1989 to June 1989 with demands ranging from greater civil rights and the end to corruption among government officials. “I would argue that it is still me who owns the sculpture and that it is permanently on loan for exhibition in Hong Kong,” Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt told Hong Kong Free Press. …

Business

Hong Kong stock surges after holidays

Hong Kong stock closed more than one percent higher on Friday (October 15), as investors returned from holidays catching up with the global rebound driven by a good start of the corporate earnings season.  The Hang Seng Index soared 1.5 percent, or 368 points to 25,330 after recovering from a day low of  24,929 in early trade.  The Hang Sang TECH Index climbed 1.92 percent, or 119.16 points to 6,318.91 at the close with Tencent soaring 2 percent and Meituan increasing 4 percent.  The Hang Seng Index climbed 2 percent or 493 points this week, which was shortened to three trading days due to a typhoon and the Chung Yang Festival holiday. The US unemployment claims released overnight also encouraged stock buyers in Hong Kong. The number fell to 293,000 last week, the lowest level since the pandemic began.   The Shanghai Composite Index increased 0.4 percent or 368 points to 3,572.  In China, the restrictions of home loans in some of the biggest banks were removed on Friday, which also boosted Asian stocks.  Although the latest move is beneficial to developers, it is unlikely to solve their liquidity problems, head of China and Hong Kong research at CGS-CIMB Securities Raymond Cheng told Bloomberg.    Chinese property stocks bucked the market trend and were lower on Friday. China Overseas Land lost 3.57 percent and China Resources Land was lost 1.71 percent.   

Society

Home and Away football tournament raises funds, awareness of plight of Hong Kong’s refugees, asylum seekers

  Sixteen local football teams made of refugees, asylum seekers, NGO volunteers and corporate workers kicked off a charity tournament yesterday in King’s Park to raise awareness and funds for local charity Branches of Hope. The Home and Away tournament winners, My Medicare & Turtles, were composed of players from the general public. Players for The Vine All Stars, Arise United and United FC are mainly refugees and asylum seekers. The team Stop Trafficking of People are volunteers from Branches of Hope. Another four teams are mostly made up of investment bankers and law-firm workers. “We could all be refugees at some point, we should accept everyone as human,” said Assan , who doesn't want to reveal his full name, captain of the The Vine All Stars. The tournament, organised by Branches of Hope, which works with the vulnerable and marginalised in Hong Kong, is the fifth since 2014 and the first in four years because of the pandemic and difficulties in finding a venue. The tournament has so far raised HK$150,000, which will mostly go to refugees and asylum seekers to subsidize their education and rent allowance. Teams from the public were required to raise a minimum of HK$6,000 to participate. “The support by the government is insufficient. We need to live properly too, with good accommodation and shelter,” said Ousman, who doesn't want to reveal his full name ,player for The Vine All Stars. “Lack of opportunities, lack of rights: they’re being denied the rights to flourish and that motivates me to remove all these barriers for them to grow,” said Aman Yee, Executive Director of Branches of Hope. Hong Kong is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and has no legal framework governing the granting of asylum. The Hong Kong …

Society

Cleaners asked to clear debris of fallen plants under Typhoon Kompasu

  Safety concerns arose as cleaners were asked to clear plant debris while Typhoon Kompasu was striking Hong Kong.  “I am afraid to work because there are so many trees in this estate, but my manager told me to avoid them and continue working,” said Hong Xiujuan, a cleaner from Chun Wui Kee Company Limited.  Typhoon Kompasu skirted around 400 kilometres away from Hong Kong in the early hours today. The Hong Kong Observatory hoisted the Gale or Storm Signal No. 8 until 4.40 pm and recorded sustained wind speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour. Hong said her cleaning company told her to clean up the leaves and branches of fallen trees. The company cannot be reached for comment. At 9.15 am, a 5-meter tree collapsed and fell on three vehicles at the open parking lot at Tung Tau Estate in Wong Tai Sin, local media reported. As at 4 pm, the 1823 Government Call Centre received 72 reports of fallen trees, according to a government press release. The Labour Department states in its Code of Practice in Times of Typhoons and rainstorms that employers should give “prime consideration to the safety” of staff on duty and provide equipment such as “safety helmets with chin straps, raincoats and waterproof safety boots.”  “The cleaners should not be working actually. The fallen trees in the estate will be handled by the engineering and gardening group of the Housing Authority after the typhoon,” said Lam Wai, a district councillor of Kwun Tong. “I think the government could monitor how the commissioners arrange jobs for their workers but they could not intervene actually, '' Lam said. Hong Kong was lashed by two typhoons this week. LionRock, which struck the city last week from 500 kilometres away, left at least 14 injured. The …

Society

Panic-buying Emerges Before Typhoon Kompasu Hits the City

Hong Kong people scrambled for food after the Strong Wind Signal No.3 was in force, in order to have enough food before No.8 Gale or Storm Signal was issued today.  Fresh meat and seafood in the Wellcome Superstore in Sha Kok Shopping Centre were sold out at noon, as Hong Kong people were panic-buying to get prepared for the approaching typhoon Kompasu. Chan Fung, a customer at Sha Kok Market, said she returned home empty-handed yesterday because of the stockout. She visited the wet market again this afternoon and bought more than usual, including two bags of vegetables, five oranges and a fish, which cost around HK$200. Prices were up for approximately 10%, Chan added. Still, she was not able to purchase any meat, as they were all sold out earlier. “I didn’t buy much, the food is just enough for tomorrow, because I guess the typhoon will only stay for one day,” Chan said.  The second typhoon in the city this month is approaching after Lionrock’s visit on Saturday. Typhoon Kompasu will be nearest to Hong Kong in Wednesday's early morning, so the No.8 Gale or Storm Signal issued at 5:20pm will be in force at least before sunrise on Wednesday, according to the central briefing by the Hong Kong Observatory. “Strong to gale force north to north easterly winds, occasionally storm force offshore and on high ground,” said Yeung Kwok Chung, Acting Senior Scientific Officer of Hong Kong Observatory, in the central briefing at 9 pm. "Winds will moderate gradually tomorrow night, it will also be cloudy with heavy squally showers and thunderstorms." Queues in the Wellcome Superstore in Sha Kok Shopping Centre were extended to the back of the store.  Tang Man-wai, a customer at the Wellcome Superstore, had only a box of sushi and four cup noodles …