People
“Little Bangkok” in Kowloon City finds ways to keep its Thai flavors amid redevelopment
- 2025-10-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Lou Zhengzheng、Li ZhongyiEdited by: WANG Ludan、AO Wei Ying Vinci
- 2025-10-28
In the bustling food court on the roof of the Kowloon City Municipal Services Building, the air is filled with the enticing aroma of food from 10 restaurant stalls. Sukulporn Paipha, 59, owner of Chiangrai Thai Food, a 27-year-old eatery, welcomed diners as they entered the cooked food centre. Her daughter served the Thai dishes while her grandson played with toys at a nearby table. This scene is set to disappear with the demolition of the building, which includes a wet market and the cooked food centre, sometime in the next few years under the government’s redevelopment plan for the neighborhood. Around 120 buildings will be demolished, including current public facilities such as the Kowloon City Municipal Services Building and the Kowloon City Lions Clubs Health Centre. According to the Urban Renewal Authority, the redevelopment scheme in the Lung Shing area is divided into three areas, including the replanning of Nga Tsin Wai and Carpenter roads. In July this year, the government reclaimed the land along the two roads, forcing the closure of dozens of businesses. Outside the municipal building, the streets are nearly desolate. Only a few shops remained open, with others busy packing up to relocate. Metal shutters were pulled down for most shops, displaying signs that read “Urban Renewal Authority Property: No Trespass or Unauthorized Entry.” Some simply note “Clearance Sale” or “Relocation Notice” in Chinese nearby. Approximately 140 floor shops across the three sites are affected. During a visit, TYR found that while most are looking for new premises, other businesses that have operated for decades are preparing for permanent closure. “I arrived in Hong Kong when I was just 20, and now at 59, my family has grown deep roots here, three generations in all,” Sukulporn said. “I started with one shop, then opened a …
Thousands march in Brisbane against mass immigration
- 2025-10-27
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAU Wing YauEdited by: KURNIAWAN Trista Vania
- 2025-10-27
Around 2,000 protesters gathered in Brisbane’s central business district on Oct.19 to call for an end to mass immigration, which they believe is worsening Australia’s housing and cost-of-living crisis. Nearly 300 counterprotesters joined nearby, with banners calling the protest a racist and fascist movement. This is the second round of anti-immigration protests, also known as “March for Australia”, across the country. The first was held on Aug. 31 with thousands protesting in major cities, such as Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. In Brisbane, 6,000 protesters, out of a city of 2.5 million, joined the demonstrations. “Racism may intensify, and I feel concerned about my safety,” said Alice Wong, 28, a Hong Kong student in Melbourne planning to obtain permanent residency, who didn’t go to the protest for physical safety concerns. Wong said the protest promotes the idea of white superiority. “When they protest against immigration, it feels like they think immigrants are taking away their resources, like housing or job opportunities,” she said. Australia’s housing market is surging at its fastest pace in almost four years, with Brisbane becoming Australia’s second-most expensive housing market, according to the House Price Report in 2025. Kev, 72, an Australian who participated in the protest and preferred to keep his last name anonymous, said he has never seen a country in such a bad economic position. “We’ve never had so many people coming to the country so quickly, and the government has been no help,” he said. In September 2023, Australia’s net overseas migration peaked at 558,000 after lifting COVID-19 restrictions, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australia recorded a net overseas migration of 446,000 people in 2024, down from the previous year but still far from pre-pandemic numbers of 239,000 in 2020. Kev said he isn’t against immigrants, but he wants to see …
Super Typhoon Ragasa lands in China from the southeast, bringing new experiences to cities’ new arrivals
- 2025-09-25
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Fu RongEdited by: WANG Ludan
- 2025-09-25
The Greater Bay area takes the heat of super Typhoon Ragasa, the most intense storm in 2025, as it sweeps across all the regions on Wednesday, prompting a No. 10 hurricane signal in Hong Kong. The ferocious wind and sudden rainfall bring an unprecedented experience for cities’ newcomers. After Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, Ragasa is expected to be the strongest typhoon in Hong Kong’s history, according to the former observatory director Shun Chi-ming on Tuesday. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, Typhoon Ragasa sustained a maximum wind speed of 195 kilometres per hour, which makes it more intense than Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, which recorded a maximum wind speed of 185 kilometres per hour. Chen Guowei, a 24-year-old physiotherapist born and raised in Yunnan Dehong, came to Shenzhen Dapeng New Area after graduating last year. “I have never seen a real typhoon before. It’s really crazy,” said Chen, living in the hotel next to the beach provided by his company. Prompted by the weather forecast and messages from families and corporations, he decided to move into the hotel inside Taikang Home Penguyaun, the elderly community he works in. “I don’t really have to work during the typhoon and can live in this expensive hotel, which costs about 500 yuan a night,” Chen said in the video interview. Dubsy Eli, a Nigerian international student at City University of Hong Kong, is also experiencing his first T10 typhoon. “It’s not my first typhoon, but it’s the biggest one. I bought so many fruits to survive,” Dubsy said in a video interview, waking up several times at night to check the weather outside his apartment in Prince Edward. “Back in my hometown, we only experienced heavy winds. But raining with big winds is so exciting for me,” said Dubsy. He is …
Policy Address 2025: Government provides sufficient focus on the needs of subdivided communities amid continued poverty concerns
- 2025-09-19
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Chun Hei LUK、Wing Chi HOEdited by: CHAN Wing Yiu
- 2025-09-19
As the Chief Executive prepares to unveil the 2025 Policy Address, poverty reduction is in the spotlight, especially regarding Hong Kong’s subdivided flats. Concern for Grassroots' Livelihood Alliance emphasizes that the government has given little attention to the specific needs and wants of subdivided flat users. Our reporter Gigi Ho explores how proposed initiatives aim to support vulnerable communities. This address could be crucial in the fight against poverty, emphasizing the urgent need for effective policies to uplift marginalized citizens and improve their quality of life. (Sept 17, 2025) Reported By: Gigi Ho Wing-chi, Anson Luk Chun-hei Edited By: Yoyo Chan Wing-yiu
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
Photo Gallery: South Koreans choose their new president after six months of political chaos
- 2025-06-05
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Wang Yunqi、BO ChuxuanEdited by: BO Chuxuan
- 2025-06-05
SEOUL – The South Korean presidential election wrapped up with liberal party leader Lee Jae-myung winning the presidency and being sworn in on June 4, bringing an end to six months of political chaos since martial law. Lee Jae-myung won with 49.42% share of votes, amounting to 17,287,500 ballots, the largest number of votes in South Korean presidential election history, according to Yonhap News Agency, while voter turnout reached 79.38%, the highest since 1997, reflecting a high level of public mobilisation. Besides Lee’s victory, Kim Moon-soo, leader of the conservative People Power Party, received 41.15% of the vote, as the previous party leader’s martial law declaration received wide criticism, with Lee Jun-seok of the Reform New Party securing 8.34% of the votes, who emphasised on political reform and youth empowerment. The remaining two candidates, Kwon Young-guk and Song Jin-ho, received 0.98% and 0.1% of the votes, respectively. According to a May poll conducted by Gallup, there were notable differences in support rates across age groups. Lee Jae-myung enjoyed higher support among people in their 40s and 50s, while Kim Moon-soo was more favoured by those in their 60s and 70s. And Lee Jun-seok received relatively greater support among younger voters. South Korea faced significant disruptions in high-level diplomatic activity following ex-president Yoon declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, with domestic investors suffering “roller coaster” fluctuation of both the stock market and currency, also driven by the tariff policy initiated by US President Donald Trump. With concerns for the country’s social and security landscape raised, Lee outlined five key missions for his administration during his victory speech, including ending internal conflict, achieving national unity, revitalising the national economy, ensuring national security, and maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula. “This is a world where things like martial law shouldn’t exist”, said …
South Korea Presidential Election 2025: Young voters see the economy as one of their major concerns amid economic downturn
- 2025-06-02
- Politics
- By: BO ChuxuanEdited by: BO Chuxuan
- 2025-06-02
Young voters in Seoul consider the economy one of the major concerns heading into the South Korean 21st presidential election, which takes place on June 3, as South Korea’s central bank cut the basic interest rate by 25 basis points days before to counter the current economic downturn. “The current (economic) situation is really bad, everything is becoming more and more expensive,” said Victoria Kim, a psychology student at Yonsei University, who gave up travelling abroad but visited cities inside South Korea instead because of the depreciation of the South Korean won. South Korea's won weakened sharply after ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law, causing a democratic crisis in the country on Dec. 3, 2024, and hit a record low in nearly 16 years after Trump’s declaration of a 25 percent tariff against Korea-manufactured goods in April. While the South Korean benchmark stock index, KOSPI, moved higher and broke a 10-month record high at 2,720.64 on May 29, boosted by tech shares, which strengthened the won against the USD, this was mainly triggered by the US trade court’s blockade of Trump’s global tariffs. For Kim, the economic uncertainty extends beyond travel decisions to her everyday expenses. “I like to be a vegetarian and eat lots of veg and fruit at home, and with the recent price rises it’s a burden to buy and eat,” said Kim, working part-time in Seoul apart form college right now. Being eager to enjoy cultural life, Kim must continue working to save money, which makes her feel frustrated and negatively impacts her mental well-being. Jerry (assumed name), a student in the Korea University department of Humanities, sees social welfare for low-income groups as the key issue in his vote, and is looking for substantial and implementable funding policies to support the research and …
As Australia’s Indigenous Languages Disappear, Experts are Working to Save Them
- 2025-04-30
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAU Wing YauEdited by: KURNIAWAN Trista Vania
- 2025-04-30
Indigenous languages in Australia are endangered. Australia has more than 250 Indigenous languages and around 800 dialects, but only 150 are still spoken today, according to the Australian Insitute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, From European colonisation in the 18th century until the mid-20th century, Aboriginal communities were forbidden to speak their Indigenous languages. Now, most fluent speakers are elders and younger generations often don’t speak them at all. Last month, the Australian government unveiled its 2025 budget which included AU$ 3.6 million to continue digitising at-risk audio and video collections of Indigenous languages. We spoke to experts working on preserving and revitalising these languages for the next generation.
Popularity soars amid the venue challenge for local pickleball and padel
- 2025-04-16
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: LIN Xiaoyou、YAM Long Hei JamieEdited by: WANG Ludan
- 2025-04-16
Chu Fuk-ling and Jack Zhu vigorously swung their paddles, and the ball swiftly crossed the net. They secured third place in the men's doubles at the Hong Kong round of the 2024 Pickleball World Championships in December. “Pickleball has evolved in terms of speed and technical variety in recent years, and players now not only master the standard forehand and backhand shots but also frequently employ techniques such as drop shots, which are used to surprise opponents,” said Ho King-choi, a coach with the Pickleball Association of Hong Kong, China. Racket sports, such as pickleball and padel, are gaining popularity among people of all ages, leading to an increase in various programmes and clubs aimed at promoting these emerging sports in Hong Kong. However, when it comes to venue allocation, pickleball benefits from government support, which provides more accessible public venues, while padel does not. Pickleball has been around since 1965, but it has picked up in popularity over the last few years. A bit like a combination of tennis and badminton, two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a hollow plastic ball over an 86-centimetre-high net until someone wins. In the US, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport, with more than one million children playing and has the largest participation rate from those aged 25 to 34, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association report in 2024. Hong Kong has more than 12 public venues for playing pickleball, and the city ranked among the top 11 in regional search popularity for pickleball, according to Google Trends. Joanna Hiew, a pickleball player, was watching the finals of a pickleball tournament and said anyone can participate in the competition as long as they form a team. “The tournament of pickleball is usually flexible, with the team of the …
Mega Event Rugby7S Kicks Off at Kai Tak Stadium for the First Time
- 2025-03-31
- People
- The Young Reporter
- By: Fu RongEdited by: Wing Chi HO
- 2025-03-31
The Hong Kong Sevens is underway at the new multi-billion dollar Kai Tak Sports Park. The rugby tournament is set to welcome more than 43,000 fans worldwide over three days with a total of 26 games. Reporter: Audrey FU Editor: Gigi Ho Wing Chi