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Amazon still hiring junior developers, CTO says during Hong Kong visit
- 2026-10-10
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: LI Yuzhou Asher、HU Mudi 胡沐迪、Xi Yuke JackieEdited by: CHEN Yongru、ZHONG Xinyun、Wang Yunqi
- 2026-10-10
AI summary: *Amazon CTO Werner Vogels confirmed during a Hong Kong event that the company continues to hire junior developers at its historical rates. *The Hong Kong government plans to launch an 18-month AI upskilling campaign in early 2027 aimed at training roughly 40,000 employees. *PwC data shows 2025 job postings for low-AI-exposure roles reached 1.3 times 2021 levels, while highly exposed roles fell to 80%. —------------------------ Amazon is still hiring as many junior developers as in the past, chief technology officer Werner Vogels said in Hong Kong on Friday, stressing that human skills remain important in the AI era. Speaking to university students, start-ups and technology leaders at Hong Kong Science Park, Vogels delivered a keynote speech titled “The Renaissance Developer” at “Future Builders: The AI Career Dialogue”, hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS). “Everything that AI generates for you is yours, not that of the tool,” he said. Discussing responsibility for errors in regulated industries, he added, “You can’t say to the regulator, ‘Oh, that was AI.’ No. It’s yours.” “AI transformation is not really about technology, it's about people and the process,” said Chris So, managing director of AWS Hong Kong. He said the event aimed to build a steady flow for Hong Kong talent ready to lead in the AI era. In the 2026 Policy Address, the Hong Kong government announced plans to offer more than 200 training courses and activities by the first quarter of 2028 under its "AI for All" Inclusive Programme. An 18‑month AI upskilling campaign, which will be launched in the first half of 2027, is expected to benefit around 40,000 employees, the government said Sun Dong, Hong Kong’s secretary for innovation, technology and industry, said at the event, “As generative artificial intelligence (AI) flattens the technical learning curve, …
Over 300,000 tourists visit Hong Kong on first day of National Day Golden Week
- 2026-10-05
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Ng Wing Sum JodieEdited by: LEUNG Chi Ngai
- 2026-10-05
A total of 306,544 visitors from mainland and other countries entered Hong Kong on National Day, Oct.1, according to Immigration Department statistics. Despite scorching midday temperatures exceeding 34 degrees, tourists flocked to streets in Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and Central, many adorned with National flags and celebratory banners. Two tourists from Jiangsu, visiting Hong Kong for the first time, said even more national flags were hanging around where they came from. “Basically, every road is decorated with national flags, even in less-populated areas,” said Alina Shan, one of the tourists. The duo said they had long bookmarked Hong Kong after seeing recommendations on Xiaohongshu (RedNote). In Central, Liza Erata, 56, was hanging out with her daughter, enjoying their day off as local domestic workers. She said National Day felt like any other holiday, as she always has Sundays off. “We stayed here too long already, that’s why we got used to it.” Two Australians on a business trip, Max Penny, 18, and Sam Penny, 50, were walking with miniature national flags they got for free on the Star Ferry. Max said the festive vibes had been pretty good so far, but he was not used to Hong Kong’s heat, as it is currently winter in Australia. The Immigration Department estimates that more than 7.44 million, including Hong Kong citizens and visitors, will pass through the border during the seven-days National Day Golden Week.
Po Pin Chau visitor cap overrun on National Day, almost half absent
- 2026-10-03
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yutong SuEdited by: YANG Shuyi
- 2026-10-03
The number of reserved visitors for Sai Kung’s Po Pin Chau on National Day reached 2,420, exceeding the original official capacity limit of 2,000, yet only 1,160 people visited the spot, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. That came as the department announced on Aug. 21 that during the weekends, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the National Day “golden week” from Sept. 5 to Oct. 7, visitors must make an appointment in advance to visit the High Island Geo Trail-Po Pin Chau Section of the High Island Reservoir East Dam in Sai Kung. Visitors must make a reservation via online travel agency Klook and present both the electronic confirmation and proof of identity to gain entry on the day of visit. On the National Day, environmental NGO Greenpeace conducted a field visit, and said crowding and trail damage remained serious despite the booking system, it said in a statement. Greenpeace called on the authorities to lower the daily quota of 2,000, prioritise repairs to damaged sections of the trail, and consider stronger measures such as seasonal closures or closing degraded segments during peak periods. “In the long run, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Environment Bureau should implement cross-departmental cooperation to carry out carrying-capacity studies on ecologically sensitive sites across Hong Kong and formulate a conservation-first ecotourism policy,” it wrote. Peng Liqing, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong, said while visitor caps are direct management tools, their actual effectiveness ultimately depends on quota calibration and visitor behavior management. Before the policy was implemented, the East Dam—the starting point of Po Pin Chau—recorded a daily average of 2,900 visitors during this year’s May Day holiday, peaking at 5,700 in a single day, the AFCD said. According to the Policy Address 2026, …
Dare to taste? Sweden’s Disgusting Food Museum arrives in Hong Kong
- 2026-10-02
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Fu RongEdited by: Li Yinheng
- 2026-10-02
Presenting more than 80 unusual foods from 35 countries with their historical and cultural background, the Disgusting Food Museum opens up to the public from Sept. 29 till Nov. 26. “People should come with an open mind to see things that they haven’t really seen before,” said Andreas Ahrens, the CEO and founder of the Disgusting Food museum. Coming to the exhibition with a given vomit bag, visitors can tease up to eight selected foods at the end. The museum’s concept originated in Malmö, Sweden, had recorded 761 vomits over the eight years, and had tours to Los Angeles, Berlin, Bordeaux and Taipei, attracting more than 500,000 visitors. Follow the link below to watch the full reel: http://www.youtube.com/shorts/6pVvPC0A1bc Reported by Audrey FU, Linnea Hedman Edited by Henry Li Yinheng
Women’s sports is on the up in longest‑ever women’s world road race
- 2026-09-28
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: RONG Miu Tung ShellyEdited by: CHAU Wing Yau
- 2026-09-28
MONTREAL, Canada Sept. 26 - The Women Elite Road Race of the 2026 Union Cycliste Internationale Road World Championships started its longest race in history, covering 180.4 kilometres after the Union Cycliste Internationale changed its rules. The championships ran for eight days from Sept. 20 to Sept. 27, in Montréal, Canada, featuring 13 separate races. After raising the maximum distance for elite women’s world championship and Olympic road races from 160 km to 180 km, this year’s event has become the longest Women's World Road Cycling Championships since the women elite race was first introduced in 1958. The eight-lap course in Mount Royal circuit had passed through Côte de la Polytechnique with a gradient of over 11% and finished at the uphill of Avenue du Parc. In the final laps, the women's elite riders have to climb roughly 2,150 of the 2,570 metres total, testing riders' endurance. Around 141 riders have joined the Women Elite Road Race on Sept. 26. Demi Vollering from the Netherlands won the championship, beating Katarzyna Niewiadoma in the race, while Elisa Longo Borghini took bronze. Amanda Spratt, an Australian 39-year-old rider, finished 39th, said her strategy to the added kilometres was to conserve energy from the very start by eating and drinking constantly. “I think it is not very hard with the distance in the legs and when you were just doing the climb once,”Spratt said. “But it was definitely difficult for the last two laps, after making so much distance and laps,”she added. Spratt considered it a fun race, despite hours of racing and the punishing laps of Mount Royal. “It was a hard race, but giving up is not really in my DNA.” she said. Around 500,000 audiences arrived at the Avenue du Parc for the eight-day competition. Sean Zimmer, a …
Global visitors flock to Victoria Park for festive lanterns
- 2026-09-27
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: Cao Beiyu、MA Yifan ChloeEdited by: Li Yinheng
- 2026-09-27
Hong Kong’s first International Lantern Spectacular is bringing lanterns from more than 20 countries to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, alongside local lantern art and traditional lantern-making craft from Nanjing. Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board under the theme “Reunion”, the show was originally scheduled to run from Sept. 17 to 27 but has been extended through Oct.4. Follow the link below to watch the full reel: http://m.youtube.com/shorts/oQcVdWFLN3s?ra=m
Policy Address 2026: Government to relax regulations for cross-border yachts
- 2026-09-17
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: WU Sitan Elaine、PENG Yixin NaomiEdited by: LAU Ka Yan
- 2026-09-17
Video description: The Policy Address 2026 sets out new plans to take forward Hong Kong's yacht economy, including expanded Greater Bay Area cross-border cruising arrangements and streamlined certification for visiting yacht captains. Industry stakeholders are calling for further investment in supporting infrastructure and marine services to underpin the sector's long-term growth.
Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong government to call for private sector bids to build student housing
- 2026-09-16
- Society
- By: MA Yifan Chloe、SHI Puxuan AmyEdited by: CHEN Xiyun
- 2026-09-16
The Development Bureau will put the first student-hostel designated site up for sale this financial year, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in today’s policy address. The tendered land will be from Kai Tak, Siu Lek Yuen, Shatin or Tung Chung East, according to the February release of LegCo, with no further details released. The land-selling initiative comes under the Hostels in the City Scheme, jointly launched by the Development Bureau and Education Bureau in July last year, and encourages dormitory developers from private sectors. The scheme was previously limited to the conversion of office buildings and hotels into student housings when introduced in the policy address last year. Ho Hang-kei, a professor researching housing policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said, developing new sites, as opposed to converting existing buildings, will compete for limited construction human resources in the market. He added that it may curb the number of building projects that can commence in the same period. “But in the medium term, I think that’s going to be quite an attractive position, given the steady stream of students and high occupancy rate,” he said. As of April, existing market-run student hostel projects have recorded an occupancy rate of between 98% and 100%, according to the report from Jones Lang LaSalle. Sun Yichen, 22, a master student at City University of Hong Kong, moved into the Yuè Residence in Kowloon in August this year since she failed to secure a place in the on-campus hall in June. Sun thinks that the hostel needs better security arrangements. “It’s very late for me to finish the class at 10 p.m. every night,” she said. “Temple Street draws heavy foot traffic after dark, and there is only one security guard on duty downstairs at the dormitory,” she added. TYR reporters …
Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong moves forward with shift to digital trade
- 2026-09-16
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: XIE Xinni Cindy、LO In Fei FayeEdited by: Li Yinheng
- 2026-09-16
Hong Kong is accelerating its digital trade initiatives by expanding paperless trade documentation and freight data sharing platforms, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in the policy address today. The government confirmed its goal of granting electronic trade documents the same legal validity as traditional paper documents in a response to the Legislative Council in April. “The government will introduce a bill on facilitating the digitalisation of ‘business‑to‑business’ trade documents,” Lee said. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority launched the Cargox pilot programme in May in collaboration with 21 major banks and leveraged the previously established Commercial Data Interchange infrastructure, with both programmes facilitating digital trade. Philip Li, manager of ICBC (Asia) Market Financing Department, said banks have more channels to access business data from small and medium-sized enterprises through these digital trade information platforms. “These third-party digital platforms add greater credibility to corporate information,” Li said. According to HKMA's research, the infrastructure narrows information gaps between banks and SMEs, helping smaller firms, especially young startups, obtain better loan terms with lower interest rates and less collateral required. Dong Xiaole, founder of Fortunae Limited, said everything in the trading process is becoming digitised, but the number of steps involved may have increased. “For instance, simply stamping a document is so easy, just one quick action, whereas electronic seals require more creation and verification steps,” Dong said. Chan Ka Ming, the Chief Operation Officer of Meat the Next Research and Development Company Limited, said when using electronic systems to process food customs declaration documents, it is necessary to backtrack and redo steps after an initial attempt, resulting in repetitive actions. “Regarding the CDI and Cargox launched by HKMA, we have only looked into it so far and haven't actually tried using these tools yet,” Chan added. According to the policy address, digitisation …
Policy Address 2026: HK$10 billion loan ‘not enough’ for building new campus site, after John Lee announced the development of Northern Metropolis University Town
- 2026-09-16
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHENG WU Anny、ZHENG Yuan ElaineEdited by: CHAU Wing Yau
- 2026-09-16
The new university town in the Northern Metropolis Development area will be expanded, Lee said today in the policy address, but universities, which are expected to fund new campuses, say the government is not offering enough money for building costs. In April, the government announced a low-interest loan scheme with HK$10 billion reserved to support universities in building campuses in the new development area. Dr Albert Chau, the Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) at Hong Kong Baptist University, said the low-interest loan is “not enough”. “Our university may build new laboratories and buildings, and the required funding is substantial, despite a HK$10 billion loan for universities.” Nineteen universities have submitted proposals for building a new campus in NMUT, Choi Yuk-lin, the secretary for Education of Hong Kong, said in a press conference in June. If all the proposals are accepted, each university would receive an average of around HK$500 million. According to the University Engagement Office of HKBU, its new Jockey Club Campus of Creativity, which opened in 2024 on its Kowloon Tong campus, cost HK$2.22 billion for 7,430 square metres, far exceeding HK$500 million. Zhou Haoming, a post-graduate student at the University of Hong Kong, said he is concerned that universities may raise tuition fees to fill the funding gap. “Government loans are a policy concession, but the school will ultimately have to put up the money for construction,”he said. Chau said that the tuition fee at HKBU will only be raised to meet inflation and won’t be a major way to gather funding for expanding the campus site. “We have no reason to transfer the burden of university development to our students. We should set proper tuition figures which students can afford. This is our social responsibility,” Chau said. Universities are expected to seek funds by utilising reserves or …