Photo Essay
Super Typhoon Ragasa: Travellers stuck in airport after flight suspension
- 2025-09-24
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: AO Wei Ying Vinci、AU YEUNG JimEdited by: LI Sin Tung
- 2025-09-24
Hundreds of travellers remained stranded at Hong Kong International Airport from 6pm on Tuesday due to flight cancellations, after the Observatory issued the T8 warning signal for the approaching Super Typhoon Ragasa. All flights scheduled to depart after 6pm on Tuesday have been cancelled, as well as most flights scheduled to fly out after 5pm. Air France flight AF8404 to Amsterdam, originally scheduled to depart from Hong Kong at 10:45pm, was moved forward to board passengers at 4pm. Travellers are stuck at the airport as they await updates from their airlines, while take-offs and landings remain suspended until resumption from Thursday 6am, according to the Airport Authority. Jonas Humann, a traveller from Germany whose flight was originally scheduled for Tuesday evening, said he was confused about where to get information regarding the typhoon. Humann said he will be sleeping on a bench for the night, at the airport, as he could not find a staff member who could offer him help. “Qatar Airways isn’t paying for a hotel, and there are no meal vouchers or anything either, the hotels nearby are very pricey,” said Humann. Upon enquiries, the Qatar Airways customer service hotline said they are not responsible for handling any arrangements online, while there were no staff present at the Qatar help desk in Hong Kong International Airport on Tuesday at 7pm. A couple from Papua New Guinea, Vanessa and Ronald, said they are satisfied with the clear instructions given by the Hong Kong government. “We do appreciate the timely announcements that they have been given, and it's good to see that they're not trying to just create a mass panic,” said Vanessa. The customer service counter of the airport distributed small pillows to stranded travellers, and restaurants will operate normally throughout the 36 hours of flight suspension. Flight …
Typhoon Ragasa: Preparation of supplies before storm approaches
- 2025-09-23
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: AO Wei Ying Vinci、MA Tsz Chiu OscarEdited by: NG Natasha Goa Sheng
- 2025-09-23
Residents in Hong Kong rushed to markets to purchase food and supplies on Monday and Tuesday, before the arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the T8 signal at 2:20pm on Tuesday, after a pre-T8 announcement on Monday when the T1 and T3 signals were hoisted. Markets were packed with people wanting to stock up food and supplies in advance before stores close. Products including bread, vegetables and fresh meat ran out of stock in many stores. As of 8:45pm on Tuesday, the Observatory estimated that Ragasa will be closest to Hong Kong on Wednesday morning. Higher signals will be considered for issuance from 11pm on Tuesday to 3am the following day. Our reporters visited markets and supermarkets in Kowloon, Sha Tin and Tai Po to capture how locals prepare for the storm.
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.
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 …
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 …
Piu Sik parade returns to Cheung Chau on Buddha’s birthday
- 2025-05-09
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: AO Wei Ying VinciEdited by: AU YEUNG Jim
- 2025-05-09
Some 20 floats paraded down the streets of Cheung Chau along with children dressed up as celebrities on the annual Jiao Festival on May 5, the Buddha’s birthday. The parade kicked off at Pak She Street at 1:30pm, passing through New Hing Street, Tai Hing Tai Road, Secondary School Road, Chung Hing Street, Tai Choi Yuen Road, Tai Sun Back Street, Hing Lung Main Street, New Hing Back Street, and concluded at Pak She Street again at around 4:30pm. Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, also known as the Bun Festival, is a Hong Kong folk festival that’s supposed to give thanks to the deities. This year, characters from mainland Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 were a hit. Children also dressed up as National Games athletes, members of the “KK Park” scam group in Myanmar that detained Hong Kong residents, and the Hong Kong police’s anti-scam mascot “Little Grape.” The children in costumes, known as Piu Sik, sat on stilts carried by adults during the parade. One of the performers included a girl wearing a sun hat and an orange shirt holding up a sign, to warn the public against scam farm jobs. Spectators lined the streets under the scorching sun and in the humidity. “This is my first time at the parade. My favourite “Piu Sik” is Ne Zha because I liked the movie a lot,” said Xuan, 10, a Beijing tourist in Hong Kong with his parents during the “Golden Week” holiday in the mainland. “I think this year’s Piu Sik parade is not exceptional since I have attended this event for 20 years already,” said Poon Lai-yin, 50, a Tin Shui Wai resident. “I hope I don't have to wait too long for the ferries when I leave. The arrangement last year was really messy.” On-site police announced crowd …
Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2025 draws record high audience
- 2025-04-01
- Society
- By: LEUNG Chi NgaiEdited by: Chun Lim LEUNG
- 2025-04-01
The first Hong Kong Sevens played at Kai Tak Stadium attracted more than 110 thousand fans, the highest since the tournament began in 1982, according to Hong Kong China Rugby . Argentina beat France 12-7 in the men’s cup final and New Zealand beat Australia 26-19 to take home the women’s cup. Hong Kong men's team won the Melrose Claymores against China’s national team, 31 to 7. “Although we were trailing in seven nil, our teammates’ mentality dedicated the comeback against China,” said Jack Combes, rugby player for Hong Kong China 7s men’s team. Matches were played over three days between March 28-30. Tha canopy over the brand new Kai Tak Stadium was closed on day one. “There was a bit more of an echo and sort of the volume, when there were glimpses of quiet, you need to be really clear to each other with your calls and communication,” Jack said. According to the press release from Hong Kong China Rugby, Kai Tak Stadium sold over 82,000 litres of beer and 350,000 food and beverage items over three days. Brodie Buckle, 44, an Australian manager of a home care services company, has travelled to more than five countries and watched the Rugby Sevens 20 times. He visited the Hong Kong Stadium 15 years ago. “Rugby fans are the best fans in the world because they are accepting of everyone”, Brodie said. “Everyone is willing to have a chat, they are willing to tell you about your hometown,” he said, “having multiple teams here is fantastic.” He was amazed by the architecture of Kai Tak Stadium. “How they envision this stadium and how it works out, it is really an incredible experience to have in its own sense,” he said.
Holi Festival: “The most fun event” in Brisbane
- 2025-03-29
- Photo Essay
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAU Wing YauEdited by: ZHANG Yiping
- 2025-03-29
Hundreds of students, with their faces and white clothes smeared with coloured power, gathered at Forgan Smith Lawns of the University of Queensland on March 14 to celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, love and spring dedicated to the deities Radha and Krishna. It’s the third year the event is held at the college. Participants wore white, which acts as a canvas for the colours. The powders, a mixture of cornflour and colourings, symbolise different blessings: red for love, green for new beginnings and blue for Krishna, according to the National Geographic. Students smeared and threw the coloured powders either in the air or at each other. “The Holi is the only event you will attend where you will leave looking completely different to how you arrived,” said the Student Union of the University of Queensland, in a post on Instagram. DJ Gaurav Bose and Martin Garrix played music in the middle of the lawn, while students slipped and slid in water pools to the beat of Hindu music. “I think it is fantastic, this is the most fun event that I have had in university so far,” said Camille Bloomfield, an 18-year-old student. “I love seeing all the people being so friendly with each other. It just feels like a community being able to come together to celebrate.” The University of Queensland set up a Cultural Inclusion Council in 2021 that has been holding events with different cultures, such as Chinese New Year, Holi Festival and Toga Party. But Shaktika Malhotr, 25, an Indian student, thought the event may not help to spread her culture. “This event is not preaching about Hinduism. People are just coming here to have fun,” said Malhotr. Despite that, Malhotr said this kind of event helps drive away the homesick. “But being an …
German Election 2025: Tension in central Berlin as election approaches
- 2025-03-01
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: MA Tsz Chiu Oscar、LAI Uen LingEdited by: AU YEUNG Jim
- 2025-03-01
Far-right supporters demonstrated against left-wing extremism while antifa supporters called out the rise of fascism in the city centre of Berlin on Feb. 22, one day before Germany’s federal election. One of the right-wing protests was organised by Ferhat Sentürk, the founder and leader of a far-right party, Bürgerliche Allianz Für Deutschland, or Civic Alliance for Germany, formerly a member of Alternative for Germany, or AfD. A group of far-right supporters marched from Dorothea-Schlegel-Platz near Friedrichstraße Station to Berlin Central Station waving the national flag of Germany. Meanwhile, another group of antifa supporters gathered in Schiffbauerdamm to protest against the far-right supporters. Police set up blockades on both sides of the far-right demonstration route to prevent clashes. “If you have a child as a woman, you may not be able to have a legal abortion because some populists and moralists believe that our self-determination does not matter,” said Penelope Alva Frank, a LGBTQ activist, during a speech in the antifa protest. “We have to show that we resist as German people against this far-right propaganda, and this far-right movement is against human rights,” said Marianna, a Green party and antifa supporter who did not disclose her surname because of privacy concerns. Despite police interventions, some antifa supporters managed to block far-right protesters on Hannoversche Strasse for about an hour. The Young Reporter reached out to a number of far-right supporters during their demonstration, but they claimed they do not speak English. The far-right AfD gained widespread support in states that were formerly part of East Germany and nearly doubled their seats to 152 in the Bundestag, according to the Federal Returning Officer. The Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union in Bavaria, a centre-right alliance, won 208 seats and became the dominant force in the Bundestag. The incumbent governing coalition, …
Kenyan runner takes first place in Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon
- 2025-02-17
- Photo Essay
- By: Fu RongEdited by: Chun Hei LUK
- 2025-02-17
Kenyan runner Rutto Bethwell Kipkemboi was the champion of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on Feb 9, clocking in at 2:11:13 hours. “I never knew I could win. I struggled to beat the other seven to nine runners around 30 km. It's a hard win,” Bethwell Kipkemboi said. “Hong Kong people were friendly. With the cheering along the way, it was a good game.” This year, 383 local runners won the special incentive award with a cash prize of HK$1,000 each, reduced for the first time from the usual HK$10,000. The award is for permanent residents who finished the marathon in less than three hours for men and three and a half hours for women. “While prize money was a nice incentive, I didn't think it would diminish their desire to compete or pursue better results,” said Kwan Kee, the Chairman of the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates. “After finishing the race, I heard some runners complaining about the prize money, but I believed the process was the most important aspect,” said Tam Ho-hin, 23, a local amateur runner who finished the marathon. Around 74,000 runners participated in the marathon on the coldest day of the year, including 15,00 non-locals. The marathon started at Nathan Road and finished in Victoria Park. Hong Kong local and spectator Paddy Haughey made creative boards with her friends to encourage runners and their friends who took part in the race. “We wanted to make the race more exciting and interactive,” Haughey said. Tam Man-huen, 24, an artist, finished the concurrent 10km race. She said that professional as well as amateur runners enjoyed the race. “I thought such an atmosphere was only found in the Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon,” Tam said. “It was cool to see so many people doing something …