The Young Reporter
World Press Photo Exhibition 2020 returns to Hong Kong
- 2021-03-29
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Simran VaswaniEdited by: Editor
- 2021-03-29
The World Press Photo Exhibition opened today for two weeks after being cancelled in February by Hong Kong Baptist University over campus safety and security concerns. The independent, Amsterdam-based organisation holds the awards, which is recognised as one of the most prestigious photojournalism contests in the world. The World Press Photo 2020 received more than 70,000 entries from 4,000 journalists. The Hong Kong exhibition is sponsored by the Netherlands Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau. More than 150 photos are exhibited as this year’s winners across eight categories: Contemporary Issues, Environment, General News, Long-term Projects, Nature, Portraits, Sports and Spot News. Photo of the year "Straight Voice", won by AFP photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba, was on a protester reciting poetry amid a military coup and blackout in Sudan. A major theme of the Word Press Photo 2020 were protests held in places all over the world including Algeria, Sudan, Hong Kong and Chile. Other themes were climate change, transgender rights and territorial conflict. Story of the year titled "Kho, the Genesis of a Revolt", was a series of 30 photographs on the youth-led protests in Algeria by photographer Romain Laurendeau. A series of photographs on the protests in Hong Kong titled “Hong Kong Unrest” by AFP photographer Nicolas Asfouri, was nominated for World Press Photo Story of the Year. The Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to more than half of the World Press Photo exhibitions worldwide and delayed Hong Kong’s exhibition, which was initially set to be held in the fall last year. The exhibition was cancelled again in February by Hong Kong Baptist University after online criticism of the Hong Kong photos sparked safety and security concerns. The exhibition is open to the public at theDesk in the United Centre, Admiralty. Online registration is required beforehand to enforce social …
Chinese sportswear stocks jump after anti-Xinjiang cotton statement
- 2021-03-26
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yoyo Kwok Chiu TungEdited by: Vikki Cai Chuchu
- 2021-03-26
Shares of Chinese sportswear makers extended gains on Friday in hopes of increased sales as leading foreign brands, including H&M and Adidas, faced backlash in China after western countries imposed sanction on the country amid a Xinjiang cotton row. Li-Ning (2331.HK) ended 2.9% higher at HK$51.45 after jumping nearly 11% on Thursday. Anta Sports (2020.HK) rose 5.61%, extending gains of 8.4% yesterday. Chinese consumers boycotted some foreign brands after the US along with the European Union, Canada and the UK announced a joint statement earlier this week for sanctions on Chinese officials over human rights violations in Xinjiang. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China produces about a fifth of the world’s cotton and supplies the material to many international brands. The anti-Xinjiang statement affected a number of fashion brands in China over Xinjiang cotton. Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M products were removed from major Chinese e-commerce platforms including Alibaba and JD.com, following calls by state media for a boycott over the retailer's decision to stop buying cotton from Xinjiang, according to media reports. Several other international brands, including Nike and Adidas, were also targeted by social media in Mainland China this week. The People's Daily, a Chinese government-backed newspaper, shared an image with the hashtag “I support Xinjiang cotton” in Chinese. This post triggers a boycott on Adidas, News Balance, H&M, Nike and Burberry, brands, which expressed concern about the alleged use of Uighur forced labour in the production of Xinjiang cotton. Adidas, New Balance, H&M and Burberry and their stock prices were lower. Adidas was at $155.71 (HK$1209.7) and H&M $4.56 (HK$35.43), down 5.25% and 3.38% respectively overnight. Chinese celebrities cut ties with brands rejecting Xinjiang cotton. “Me and my company artist - Eason Chan Yick-shun resolutely boycott any action vilifying China, Therefore, we decided to terminate all collaboration …
DSE results to be released via SMS, strict Covid measures in place as exams begin next month
- 2021-03-25
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Sara ChengEdited by: CHEN Bingyi
- 2021-03-25
Candidates sitting this year's Diploma of Secondary Education examinations will receive their results through SMS messages in addition to official print transcripts, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority announced on Thursday. The text will show the partial name and ID number of the student, subjects and grades. It allows candidates - who might not be able to go to school in-person due to Covid-related reasons - to change their university choices promptly, said Ricardo Mak, Director of Public Examinations at the HKEAA. The HKEAA will send students a test SMS in June, one month before the DSE results are released. The exams will take place from April 23 to May 20. Students waiting for compulsory Covid tests or in lockdown are not allowed to take the exams, and they should inform the Public Examinations Information Centre, the HKEAA said. But there will be no make-up if the students miss their exams, added the HKEAA. The application for absence from exams requires affirmation from the school principal. The HKEAA will then give a grade based on the student's academic performance; the maximum score is 5, the third-highest level after 5** and 5*. "Regarding unusual cases like this, we will assess and tackle fairly and impartially," said Mr Mak. Head of School Examinations and Assessment Margaret Hui said, students who are late for exams because of delayed Covid test results should try to head to the centres and report to the supervisors. But no extra hours will be granted. "Even though they might have less time for paper 1, they might make it to do paper 2. We will use the performance of paper 2 to assess how we can compensate for the loss in paper 1," Ms Hui said. Candidates must fill in the health-declaration form and have their temperature …
Hongkongers jump on live streaming e-commerce trend
- 2021-03-25
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: Zhou Yichen Gloria 周奕辰、Zhu Zijin Cora 朱子槿Edited by: Zhu Zijin Cora 朱子槿
- 2021-03-25
Standing in the spotlight, Connie Hung enthusiastically sold a range of products to more than 30,000 people watching her live streaming. "Our products are of high quality and low price. Don't hesitate to buy them," said Ms Hung, a former insurance broker and veteran marketer. Numerous messages concerning the products pop up continuously from the viewers. In this Facebook Live with Group Buyer, one of the most popular group-buying websites in Hong Kong, Ms Hung pitched the company's products, mainly daily groceries, and the two hours’ sales exceeded the company's sales volume for three days. "More and more merchants are willing to come to me to do live streaming for their products because it can save the high cost of online advertising," said Ms Hung. "Every live streaming is watched by tens of thousands of people. Through interaction with fans, the sales are much higher than just advertising," she said. More Hongkongers like Ms Hung are becoming livestreamers, jumping on the new e-commerce bandwagon to tap into the profit as COVID-19 lingering and more brick-and-mortar stores sorting alternative ways to stay afloat. China’s live-streaming craze Influencer streaming has first shown prosperity in the mainland and has already become a new normal in China retail industry. According to iiMedia Research, the market size of the country’s live streaming e-commerce reached 961 billion yuan (HK$1.15 trillion) in 2020, with a year-on-year growth of 121.5%. As of June 2020, China has 309 million live-streaming consumers, accounting for about a third of its internet population. During the live interactive online video shopping, the influencer, as a host, hawks on viewers by introducing products and services, meanwhile adding non-shopping contents to make the whole session attractive. They will also answer viewers’ questions on-site and many offer exclusive discounts to lure customers. The top influencers such …
RTHK producer Bao Choy goes on trial for false declaration while searching public database
- 2021-03-24
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: POON Hiu LamEdited by: LAM Tsz Yau
- 2021-03-24
RTHK producer Bao Choy went on trial on Wednesday, charged with two counts of making false declarations in breach of the Road Traffic Ordinance. Ms Choy pleaded not guilty to two counts of making a false statement in obtaining license information from an online vehicle registration department. Prosecutors said Ms Choy used the public database for her reporting rather than for traffic issues as she indicated on her user application. The defense attorney played Ms Choy’s RTHK documentary episode, “Hong Kong Connection: 7.21 Who Owns the Truth”, to show her use of the database was related to traffic issues. Prosecutors read out a witness statement by an employee from the Transport Department who said people should only make a vehicle registration search for transport-related proceedings or traffic and transport-related matters. Before the hearing, around a dozen members of the RTHK Programme Staff Union staged a demonstration outside the court. They shouted slogans -- including “Support Choy Yuk-ling! Fearless and selfless! Protect the truth and freedom!” -- and held up placards that read “Journalism is not a crime” and “Without fear or favour”. Principal Magistrate Chui Yee-mei adjourned the case until April 22, extending her bail period.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam: “Large-scale vaccination programme is key to normalcy”
- 2021-03-23
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAN Wing YeeEdited by: Simran Vaswani
- 2021-03-23
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Yuet-ngor said that a large-scale vaccination programme is needed so citizens can go back to their normal lives at the Executive Council meeting. About 379,600 people are vaccinated in Hong Kong. 243,000 people have received the Sinovac vaccine and 135,800 people have received the BioNTech vaccine. “Hong Kong is very fortunate in terms of vaccination programme. We are doing great in vaccine supply, the community centre for vaccination and the release of vaccine information.” Mrs Lam said. She encouraged people in priority groups to receive the vaccine as soon as possible in order to protect themselves. Mrs Lam also added that she would look into whether the 21-day quarantine restrictions for overseas travellers could be eased. “I am certainly, fully and acutely aware of the pressure that has been put on a lot of people. To be isolated for 21 days is a huge load in terms of physical, psychological and other aspects." Lam said. Lam added she felt fine after receiving the second dose of the Sinovac vaccine on Mar 22. Seven people aged between 55 and 80 have died after receiving the Sinovac jab. However, the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment said the deaths were unlinked to the vaccine.
Hong Kong Vaccination
- 2021-03-22
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Yichun、GOH KylanEdited by: Editor
- 2021-03-22
Hong Kong has expanded the Covid vaccination programme to include students over 16 years old who study abroad. Kylan Goh qualifies and he shares his experience.
Bilibili raises up to $3.2 billion in Hong Kong secondary listing amid a cooling market
- 2021-03-19
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: Zhou Yichen Gloria 周奕辰Edited by: Yoyo Kwok Chiu Tung
- 2021-03-19
Chineses video-sharing platform Bilibili Inc. (9626) planned to raise as much as $3.2 billion (HK$ 24.85 billion) in its secondary listing in Hong Kong, while the recent corrections in the market may force the company to price the stock below its maximum offering price. The public offer commenced on Thursday and would run through Mar.23, with trading expected to start on Mar.29, its listing document said. The Shanghai-based Bilibili, backed by Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., went public on Nasdaq in March 2018 (Nasdaq: BILI). Its 25 million Hong Kong shares are on offer at a maximum price of HK$988 apiece, 16.9% higher than its U.S. stock closing price of $108.82 (HK$ 845.18) on Thursday. Each American depositary receipt represents one ordinary share to be listed in Hong Kong. "Recent declines in the share prices of many US technology stocks and the volatility in the Hong Kong stock market could depress Bilibili's final price," said Wang Hui, a portfolio manager at Haitong Securities. "The final offer price will have a lot to do with the value of Bilibili’s American Depositary Receipts in the coming week, as well as the investor demand level." Baidu, another technology stock listed in the U.S, just completed its Hong Kong IPO on March 17. It initially priced its shares at HK$295 based on the average trading price of its US stocks in the previous period of time. But eventually, Baidu cut its offer price by 14.6% to HK$252 due to the recent decline in its US share price. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 7.5% from its 2021 high of 14,175.12 to close at 13,116.17 overnight. The Hang Seng Index closed at 29,405.72 on Wednesday, down 5.7% from its 2021 peak of 31,183.36. Bilibili generates its revenues primarily from mobile games, value-added services, …
Hong Kong releases electric vehicle roadmap, to ban petrol cars from 2035
- 2021-03-18
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAN Sze ChingEdited by: LAI Tsz Ching
- 2021-03-18
Hong Kong will ban fossil-fuel powered cars from 2035 with a target of zero carbon emissions by 2050, the government announced yesterday. Up to 5,000 public charging stations and 150,000 charging facilities in private buildings will be built by 2025, Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing said in a press conference. "There are many challenges, I have to admit. But the intention is clear, we want the city to become carbon neutral, to provide clean air and to make Hong Kong a smart city."Mr Wong said. Electric vehicles in Hong Kong have increased from 180 in 2010 to more than 18,500 at the end of 2020 with around 1,200 public charging stations, including 106 fast chargers, according to the Hong Kong Electric report on installation of electric chargers. Chan Kwok-chung, 45, who has been driving a petrol car for more than 20, said the government's plan to popularise electric vehicles won’t work. “We have insufficient parking spaces right now. Where can we still get room for additional charging parking spaces for electric vehicles?” Mr Chan said. “Especially when an electric vehicle takes a very long time to charge, it will worsen the insufficient parking situation.” Popularising electric vehicles depends on the Hong Kong economy, car dealerships and the number of chargers, Fung Ho-yin, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection department, said in a RTHK interview. “Most public charging services are medium-speed, and the waiting time is at least four to eight hours, which is not the main charging spot that car owners can rely on,” Mr Fung said to RTHK. In October last year, the government launched a $2 billion subsidy scheme to upgrade electric charging stations in private residential buildings. “We received more than 200 application forms from housing estates, with more than 60,000 parking spaces,” he said. In …
Carrie Lam: More “incentives” needed for Hongkongers to get vaccinated
- 2021-03-17
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: GOH KylanEdited by: CHEN Bingyi
- 2021-03-17
The Hong Kong leader addressed concerns about vaccine hesitancy in her first question and answer session at the Legislative Council today, after seven deaths were reported from Sinovac vaccine recipients. “In order to make people be really motivated to get vaccinated, in addition to trust, more incentives are needed,” Mrs Lam said. “For example, vaccinators can enjoy certain conveniences,” she said, adding that authorities are considering relaxing social distancing measures for those who are vaccinated. The chief executive also said the incentive might include the easing of travel and border restrictions with the mainland. Hong Kong’s unemployment rate rose to 7.2% in January, the highest level since 2004, with food and entertainment venues, such as restaurants, pubs and karaoke lounges, seriously affected by the pandemic restrictions. “In addition to the government’s efforts and the assistance of experts, the full support of citizens is required,” Mrs Lam said. “If we encourage people to get the vaccine but they don’t, and they do not follow social distancing measures such as wearing masks, we will be always fighting the virus.” “We need to do a lot of work to contain every outbreak,” she added. Mrs. Lam said she is unable to promise another round of government subsidies.