News
Policy Address 2025: Hong Kong extends tax allowance for parents with newborns in its latest fertility push
- 2025-09-17
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Shuyi、Lou ZhengzhengEdited by: WANG Jing
- 2025-09-17
Hong Kong parents with newborns are set to get more tax allowance as the city strives to boost its birth rate. Currently, parents receive a HK$260,000 tax exemption in the baby’s first year, but this is going to be extended for another year, said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in 2025 Policy Address. Those with older children will continue to get HK$130,000 of their taxable income exempted. Hong Kong has been struggling with a declining birth rate, with the number of babies born dropping from 60,900 in 2016 to a low of 32,500 in 2022. In 2024, there was a slight improvement to 36,700 babies. A 36-year-old mother of a toddler from Kowloon welcomed the additional tax break. “As someone from the 80s generation, I really want to have children, this policy will help us to relieve some financial pressure,” said Ruby Tse, who is trying for a second child. Lawmaker Chan Wing-kwong, who specializes in medicine, said the allowances are a welcome addition for families trying for more children, but it would be an unlikely fertility boost for those who don’t. “The additional newborn allowance is merely a drop in the bucket when it comes to the cost of raising a child in Hong Kong,” said Lin Sen, who has been married for six years but has remained reluctant to have a baby. Lin said the intensifying competition for schools and jobs a child might face in the future deters him from giving birth. Lee also pledged more childcare resources for babies and schoolchildren. Chan said that although the direction of the current encouraging policies is right, a series of supporting measures must keep pace. The lawmaker called on the government to provide more measures for schools and job placements. “Only when the social environment can let people ‘live …
Policy Address 2025: Leveraging Kai Tak Sports Park to popularise sports in Hong Kong
- 2025-09-17
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: Fu RongEdited by: AU YEUNG Jim
- 2025-09-17
John Lee Ka-chiu said in this year’s Policy Address that the government will support elite sports and leverage Kai Tak Sports Park to further develop the “sports + mega events” model in Hong Kong. “We will continue to promote sports development by supporting elite sports, maintaining Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, enhancing professionalism in sports, developing sports as an industry and promoting sports in the community,” said Lee. The Policy Address also focused on enhancing professionalism in sports, improving the functionality and positioning of sports venues, reviewing the governance of sports and boosting the publicity of sports by the media. “Elite sports and popularisation are mutually supportive. Elite sports can promote public participation and ‘sports for all’ through the celebrity effect. Expanding the proportion of the grassroots in sports will in turn promote the selection of elites and further promote the popularisation of sports events,” said Patrick Lau, Professor and Associate Academy Director (Research) of the Academy of Wellness and Human Development of Hong Kong Baptist University. Hong Kong already plans to co-host part of this year’s National Games, the National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the National Special Olympic Games in November and December. The city’s portion of the National Games include bowling, track cycling, fencing, golf, Rugby Sevens, a triathlon, beach volleyball, men's handball and men's U22 basketball. The golf will be played in Fanling, and the Hong Kong Golf Association has announced that Xu Longyi, individual gold medalist of the Hangzhou Asian Games, will represent Hong Kong. “To attract more world-class players to compete in Hong Kong, we have agreed on a multi-year partnership arrangement with LIV Golf, one of the most important golf tours in the world,” said Lee. "Kai Tak Sports Park is an important vehicle for the eventisation …
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivers Policy Address 2025
- 2025-09-17
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: SIU Tsz HangEdited by: AO Wei Ying Vinci
- 2025-09-17
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced his fourth policy address at 11am today. As in the case in the past three years, Lee continues to stick with green as the theme colour. His policy address mainly focuses on several areas such as promoting patriotic education, setting up an accountability system for senior civil servants to enhance governance, accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis, improving innovation and technology industry’s development, reforming the economy and healthcare system. This year, his address lasted 174 minutes, which is his second longest in history, followed by the longest record of 202 minutes in 2023.
Policy Address 2025: Government to support low-altitude economy with new action plan
- 2025-09-17
- By: LAU Ka Yan、CHAN Hiu YingEdited by: NG Natasha Goa Sheng
- 2025-09-17
Hong Kong will create more legislation promoting the low-altitude economy, mostly focused on drone activities, said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in the policy address this morning. Potential activities in airspace under 1,000 metres include drone rescues, surveys and deliveries. Food delivery platform Keeta launched drone food delivery in a small area in the New Territories in June. Keeta, along with SF Express and Lalamove, were some of the first applicants to apply for drone activities in March. Improving civil aviation legislation and regulatory framework, promoting infrastructure facilities, organising more talent trainings, enhancing the application system and developing low-altitude economy insurance products were all mentioned in the policy address this year. More complex government plans will establish air route networks, satellite positioning, three-dimensional spatial data systems and a smart and traffic-management system for low-altitude passenger aircrafts, Lee said. “With countless islands in the city, it is a perfect scenario to apply passenger-carrying aircraft,” said Huang Hailong, assistant professor in the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and leader of the university research group on autonomous technology. “For people living on the islands who have urgent medical needs, using drones to access hospitals is more convenient and cost-effective than ships and helicopters.” “In the meantime, the government should establish clear regulations including administrative penalties to curb illegal flights, considering safety should be the first priority in developing the low-altitude economy,” said Huang. He said third-party insurance similar to car insurance can be introduced. “Low-altitude technology can also be applied to sectors including express delivery, emergency rescue and construction monitoring in the future,” said Zhang Feiyang, Research Manager of Our Hong Kong Foundation and one of the authors of the organisation’s policy recommendation report to the government regarding low-altitude economy. “To serve as a global role …
Brisbane’s West End celebrates Kurilpa Derby with parade and festivities
- 2025-09-17
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAU Wing YauEdited by: CHAN Wing Yiu
- 2025-09-17
BRISBANE, Australia — The 2025 Kurilpa Derby took place on 14 September, continuing an 18-year tradition in the West End suburb in Brisbane, Australia. The word “Kurilpa” means “home of the water rat”, showing the West End suburb’s history as a natural habitat for water rats and a place where First Nations people once lived. The West End Community Association organises the parade annually in recognition of Indigenous heritage and celebrates the community’s spirit. Participants decorated their wheels in various creative styles and dressed up for the parade. A series of activities following the Kurilpa Derby parade, including a doggy fashion parade, Samba performance and live music. Follow the link below to watch the full reel: https://youtube.com/shorts/vOYWsjYb81Q?si=i10rLg1kZpImBD-d
Nepali people protest and pay tribute at Copenhagen’s City Hall and Nepal Embassy
- 2025-09-13
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: LEUNG Chi NgaiEdited by: AO Wei Ying Vinci
- 2025-09-13
Flowers, candles, and handwritten cardboard signs sat on the stairs of a public square in the city centre of Copenhagen to commemorate more than 50 Nepali protesters who died protesting against the government in Nepal on Monday and Tuesday. Hundreds of Nepalis living in Copenhagen gathered at the City Hall Square on Tuesday evening, said Jyotindra Thapa Ais, 29, a Nepali living in Copenhagen who attended the gathering. On Wednesday morning, 23 Nepalis gathered again outside the Nepal Embassy to protest Nepal government policies, youth unemployment and a lack of opportunities and to pay tribute to the dead protesters. The protest, which started against a social media ban in Nepal, has escalated into a deadly conflict involving tens of thousands of mostly young people taking to the streets of Kathmandu. More than 50 Nepali protesters, mainly students and young people, have died from clashes with security forces and police, according to the BBC. The Nepali Supreme Court, parliament and other major government buildings were set on fire. Houses that belong to government officials were raided by demonstrators. The dissent has created a power vacuum in the Nepali government, as the prime minister, ministers and high-ranking members of political parties resigned. Bel Gurung, 50, from Nepal who lives in Copenhagen, said he initiated the two events in Copenhagen on Tuesday morning, after hearing requests from Nepalis in Copenhagen to raise their voices. “No corruption, no violence, no injustice” were the key messages Gurung and other protesters spread, he said. “When you speak a voice, the true voice, it doesn't matter how loud or how small it was. That spread all over the world to the right people, to the right country,” he said. Jyotindra said: “Today was just for the death of the students, and we were not focusing on other …
Music, beer, and sweat: Copenhagen metro turns into a dancefloor for locals
- 2025-09-10
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: LEUNG Chi NgaiEdited by: AO Wei Ying Vinci
- 2025-09-10
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Hundreds of revelers danced to electronic music with beer in an hours-long metro party in Denmark’s capital of Copenhagen on Sept. 7. The rave took place in a running metro train circulating the Copenhagen City Circle Line from 8:30pm to 11pm, with people joining or leaving at any station. Four music artists played live techno music, with big speakers installed in each car. Some party-goers brought beer along with them on the train. Metro staff regulated the flow of passengers at the gates to prevent overcrowding. Augustinas, 20, from Lithuania, said he has a broad interest in different music genres and is a fan of Peachlyfe, one of the DJs at the event. “I just want to have a great time. I want to dance. I want to listen to some good stuff,” he said before entering the metro party. The metro party is one of the events of the 2025 Strøm Festival, an annual festival since 2006 that promotes electronic music to both Danes and international audiences. Around one-fifth of Nordic listeners chose “dance & electronic” as their favourite music genres, according to a 2020 study by YouGov, an international market research and data analytics firm. “We often present electronic music in unconventional settings: urban spaces, nature and other unexpected places where audiences do not typically expect to encounter electronic music,” said a spokesperson for the non-profit Strøm, which organizes the festival, in an email interview. Theo Pallesen, 21, a Danish local resident, found himself passing through one extra station due to the crowds. “I was at the right station and tried to squeeze off and suddenly the door shut and then I was stuck just right in the middle of the party, where people were jumping, sweating and drinking alcohol,” he said.
Hong Kong’s first hot air balloons festival deflates as balloon rides cancelled
- 2025-09-06
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: SIU Tsz Hang、CHENG Tsz Sen SeanEdited by: LAI Uen Ling
- 2025-09-06
The opening of Hong Kong’s first hot air balloon festival was marked by disappointment as the planned balloon ride was cancelled. Scheduled from September 4 to 7, the festival initially promised “Tethered Ride Experience” allows guests to enjoy views on hot air balloons. The government said it declined to issue the permit for the experience due to safety concerns. Follow the link below to watch the full reel: https://youtube.com/shorts/DAos7mQwVMI?si=pSBmlk8bXAsWvRC1
LGBT-friendly gyms provide safe environment for non-binary bodybuilders
- 2025-06-23
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: SIU Tsz Hang、CHEN XiyunEdited by: Lok Tung LAU
- 2025-06-23
https://youtu.be/Wi2mom2R6YU?si=SogYzdgx6cBC7SVv There are more than 10 LGBT-friendly gyms in Hong Kong, targeting the LGBT+ community in Hong Kong. It is to provide a comfortable place for the LGBT and to ensure they feel safe and secure. Reported by Henry Siu Tsz-hang, Richard Chen Xiyun Edited by Canny Lau Lok-tung
Confusion over navigation app at Osaka Expo 2025
- 2025-06-09
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHANG Yiping、CAO JiawenEdited by: CAO Jiawen、ZHANG Yiping
- 2025-06-09
OSAKA – Osaka Expo 2025 is supposed to showcase futuristic technologies, but some visitors experience were confused by the official app which was meant to offer with navigation and language support. The app, called “EXPO 2025 Visitors”, has a 2.3/5 rating on Google Play with over 500k downloads, with many users complaining about the slow function, clunky interface, and glitchy performance. “It would be nice if they had a map with the pavilion names on the app, because we have to click on every button to see what it is,” said Frank Johnson, 37, a tourist from the United States. “First we used the maps on the website and then the maps on the app, but we kept getting lost,” said Helen Okoro from the United States. “It’s because there aren’t really any signs with pavilion names in general.” Tourists can buy a paper map for 200 yen at the venue, but the line is usually very long. According to the official website, the map is not distributed free of charge due to sustainability concerns. Across the venue, groups of volunteers are placed to help visitors find their way. “Lots of tourists need help with directions in the venue,” said a Japanese volunteer who chose not to reveal her name for fear of getting into trouble. “It is generally circular, so it’s hard to tell the direction,” she added. Angela Zhou, a Chinese visitor aged 28, said the paths inside the venue are confusing. “Google Maps is much more useful compared to their official app,” she said. “It allows you to directly search for each pavilion and head straight to it, while the official app is slow.” “Many of the app’s functions require you to visit the website on a browser. For example, clicking on the booking button on the …
