TOP STORIES
Technology for Change Asia : new initiatives to make Hong Kong a “smarter city”
- 2024-02-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHAO Runtong、LIU YutongEdited by: Juncong SHUAI
- 2024-02-28
An artificial intelligence Supercomputing Centre and a Digital Policy Office will be established in Hong Kong in phases starting this year, along with more than 100 digital government initiatives to be launched. These initiatives were highlighted by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Dong Sun, in his opening speech of the 4th annual Technology for Change Asia event held yesterday, which hosted 300 solution-oriented leaders from across the world. According to Sun, AI technology is “ charting the way” in the process of technological revolution and industry transformation in a new era for Hong Kong. “The AI Supercomputing Centre will help build a resilient digital economy and a Hong Kong that is more welcoming to international investors, which will bring huge economic benefits and allow us to have a ‘Smart City’,” Sun said. “The future is all about AI” “‘Smart City’ means that it can decide which specific problems can be solved by specific technologies,” said Atsuko Okuda, regional director of International Telecommunication Union. “The use of AI technology could contribute to productivity and help improve market efficiency,”said Tom Standage, deputy editor for The Economist. One of the examples is KUDO, the international sponsor for the event, which provides real-time translation. “What we do is enable attendees to watch full text of speeches and panel discussions content in their mother language,” said Nick Blake, head of sales at KUDO Asia-Pacific district. “Thanks to AI, we can translate more than 200 languages for meetings, training and many other situations in Hong Kong from now on.” However, using AI as an ancillary tool for “Smart City” faces potential risks, according to Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia . “AI can convey biased or deceptive information," said Wales. "If Hong Kong wants to build a ‘Smart City’ with the help of AI, it …
Budget Speech 2024 Preview: Tourists want more than free tickets under costly travel
- 2024-02-26
- Business
- By: Runqing LIEdited by: Ji Youn Lee
- 2024-02-26
Tourists expect more favourable policies from the government than free tickets after the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign. The themed campaign was officially launched in early February 2023. Afterwards, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced the budget plan for the campaign in his 2023 budget speech as part of an effort to lure back tourists from the world and boost the local economy. Around 500,000 free air tickets were sent to tourists through local airlines, including Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express, and Hong Kong Airlines, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Sicily Chen, 35, a tourist from Shanghai, travelled to Hong Kong for five days during the Chinese New Year holiday because her husband won a free ticket from Cathay Pacific. The tour cost HK$18,000 in total, including accommodation, transportation, shopping, and other daily costs for Sicily Chen’s family. Sicily Chen said the most considerable portion of expenditure is hotel accommodation expenses, followed by transportation fees. For this year’s budget speech, Sicily Chen hopes the Hong Kong Government can sell three-day or five-day transportation coupons to tourists. “I do not expect free activities again; promotional events with discounts are good enough to attract me,” Chen said. However, not every winner of the free tickets uses the opportunity. Lim Changwoo, 24, a university student in South Korea, gave up coming to Hong Kong after receiving a ticket from Cathay Pacific in October 2023 due to high accommodation expenses. “The prices are around HK$881 per night for hotels near the airport or located in the islands, and it was more expensive to live near Central,” Lim said. “If I can receive cheaper accommodations, I would be more than welcome to come.” While different promotions or holding events attract tourists, it is important for the Hong Kong Government to identify and monitor the …
World’s First Hydrogen-powered Bus Hits the Road
- 2024-02-26
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: XIA Fan、ZHANG YipingEdited by: Wai Sum CHEUNG
- 2024-02-26
Hong Kong’s first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus hit the road on Sunday, marking Citybus’ s first operation of zero-emission vehicles. The bus, running on Route 20, embarked on its first journey at 11 am from Kai Tak and arrived at Cheung Sha Wan Terminal in around 40 minutes. The services ended at 8 pm. “The new hydrogen-powered bus has opened a new page of Hong Kong’s transportation development,” said Anson Li, the operations officer of Route 20. The bus will operate six to eight trips per day along Route 20 on the “Waterloo Road Line” through Kowloon City during its initial month, then gradually expanding the services to Routes 20A and 22M. The bus operated from and refueled at Hong Kong’s first hydrogen refueling station in the West Kowloon Depot. Li said the hydrogen-powered bus can be fully charged in only 10 to 20 minutes, much faster compared to the two to three hours required by an electric bus. Over a hundred bus enthusiasts gathered to experience the rides. Among them, Lee Wan, 23, captured the moments of the last bus returning to the Kai Tak Terminal. After the ride, Wan said that the hydrogen bus was more comfortable, as it ran more smoothly and was quieter. Citybus spent HK$ 8 million on producing the hydrogen double-decker bus, which emits only water after transforming the fuel into electricity to power the vehicle. “To me, I think the production costs are too high. It's well worth being rolled out on a large scale if the price can be lowered as the technology improves,” Wan said. Citybus launched the first electric double-decker bus in 2021. The company pledged to operate a complete fleet of zero-emission buses by 2045.
First international racketlon tournament in HK a hit with local players
- 2024-02-20
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Ludan、AU YEUNG JimEdited by: Lisheng CHENG
- 2024-02-20
Hong Kong hosted its first international racketlon tournament last weekend, with players saying they hope the sport will catch on in the city. Racketlon is a combination of four racket sports: table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis. They are played in consecutive order in a single match, with each carrying up to 21 points. Those who obtain the highest cumulative points win. “Laying groundwork through this first competition, this sport could spread across Asia,” said Steven Cheng, Chairman of the Hong Kong Racketlon Association and director of the tournament. International racketlon tournaments had been held in Thailand, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. “Hong Kong is the best place in the world for racketlon,” said Stephanie Chung, 33, who won the women’s singles. “Within a 15 minute drive, I can probably find six to 10 places to play all four racket sports. That’s extremely rare.” Chung said that in New York City, she had to drive for an hour and still could not find a real badminton court. “I have a feeling Hong Kong has the potential to become the No.1 racketlon place in the world,” Chung added. Cheng said that the government could provide more venues for future racketlon tournaments. “This year, there are players from 17 countries, which I think helped promote Hong Kong as an international city,” said Cheng. “We hope that the government could allocate more resources to us, allow racketlon tournaments to be held yearly.” One of the difficulties promoting racketlon is that not everyone knows how to play all four sports, said Esther Ma, founder of Harvest Sky Sport Education and Management Company and the leading public relations personnel for the tournament. “Squash is becoming very popular now, and a lot of kids are doing very well in squash, but badminton is more underrepresented, …
Voting for Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards starts
- 2024-02-18
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHANG Yiping、CHEN Yik NamEdited by: James Ezekiel Kalaw MODESTO
- 2024-02-18
Reported by Zoey Zhang and Nansen Chen Yik-nam Public voting for the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards, the city's most prestigious awards for local athletes, started Friday and lasts until March 17. Over 200 nominated athletes gathered at Olympian City on Saturday, calling out to the public for votes. A total of 118 athletes and sports teams were nominated by 54 National Sports Associations, according to the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong. Hong Kong athletes achieved impressive results on the world stage in 2023. Local athletes bagged 53 medals at the recent Asian Games in Hangzhou, including eight gold, 16 silver and 29 bronze medals, ranking 12th among all countries and regions. There has been a 20% increase in the number of nominees compared to the previous year when 96 athletes were nominated, Edgar Yang Joe-tsi, Honorary Secretary General of the federation, said at the press conference. The four categories of awards this year are for men, women, sports combination and team only sport. “We will be happy if we get it, but everyone deserves the reward,” said Joy Hwang Join, a member of the Cheerleading Federation of Hong Kong, who was nominated for the second time since 2022. “We are nervous and scared but happy to be here,” said her teammate Akira Escudero Takato. “For us, it's our second nomination. For Max, it's his third nomination, the first being back in 2004,” said Kenny Chan Ka-kin, referring to cycle-ball teammate Max Ho Wing-tai. “Last year, we ranked third in online voting. We hope to get the first place this year, to a higher level, even the second is acceptable,” said Ho. Winners are determined by votes from a judging panel made up of seven representatives from different associations, which counts for 50% of the score, as …
E-commerce revives Asia’s largest flower market from poor Spring Festival sales
- 2024-02-17
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: BO Chuxuan、WANG LudanEdited by: Yuqi CHU
- 2024-02-17
Dounan Flower Market in Kunming, Yunnan, which covers 74 acres, is Asia's largest cut-flower market and a major supplier of flowers in China. From here, 80% of the flowers grown in China are traded and exported to over 50 countries and regions. But this year, traders at Dounan Flower Market were unhappy that sales during Lunar New Year were worse than before the epidemic. Many are hoping that the resumption of e-trading on Feb.15 may be a turnaround. Qin Cuiyun, 54, earned 100 yuan after standing in the cold wind for six hours. Her flower baskets sold for around 20 yuan, which meant she only made two to three yuan on each one. “Flowers always sell better during LunarNew Year, but the business this year is worse than before,” said Qin. “After the pandemic, more people came, but fewer people purchased. People are spending less nowadays because of the financial situation and the rise of e-commerce, ”she added. Zhang Junzheng, 48, the largest tulip and lily retailer in Dounan, said the sales during the Lunar New Year holiday this year have been much worse than before the epidemic, and he had a loss this year. “It's hard to sell flowers this year even though they are cheap because there are more retailers but fewer customers this year,” said Zhang. Zhang has been working in flower retail in Dounan since 2000 and has been growing tulips for more than 10 years. Faced with competition from e-commerce, Zhang opened an online shop but the prices there are less competitive. “The online platform allows poor quality tulip varieties to sell well through vigorous low-price promotions, which makes it more difficult for me to sell high-quality products”, he said. Fu Wuyin, 63, has been a vendor at Dounan market for 26 years. His …
Brisbane faces Heaviest Rainfall since 2022 floods
- 2024-02-17
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: KURNIAWAN Trista VaniaEdited by: Aruzhan ZEINULLA
- 2024-02-17
Brisbane faced its heaviest rainfall since the 2022 floods on Friday, as a tropical cyclone crossed the Northern Territory-Queensland border, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The Bureau reported that rainfall was 184 millimetres of rain in 24 hours. The downpour flooded streets, submerged cars and overflowed rivers. The cyclone is expected to continue through the weekend. In the Brisbane suburb of Rosalie, 197 millimetres of rain was recorded and there were, 189 millimetres in Mt Cootha, 173 millimetres in Bowen Hills, and over 160 millimetres around the city this morning. One fatality was reported when a woman's car was swept away by floodwaters at Malbon River, near Cloncurry Duchess Road, on Friday afternoon. The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services told 7news that they received 58 calls for help between midnight and 8 a.m. due to floodwater and roofs collapsing. In 2022, heavy rain in Brisbane killed at least 13 people and flooded more than 23,400 properties. The highest flood level reached 3.85 metres on Feb. 28, 2022, which was the second-highest level since the 4.46-metre peak recorded in 2011. In a statement to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Brisbane City Councillor Fiona Cunningham said that residents were unable to receive weather alerts for hours after the first thunderstorm warning was issued. The city’s weather alert system, Weatherzone, was assured to be fixed after the technical error. Naura Miyantari, a university student, experienced the flood while on her way to a class on Friday morning. She said that there was no clear warning about the weather conditions. Due to the heavy rainfall and flood, her plans for the day were delayed and cancelled. “There were a few accidents down the road and road closures. The weather alert should have been more accurate in predicting the weather and alerting residents of …
AI Photography blurs the Boundaries of Creativity
- 2024-02-17
- Society
- By: KONG Tsz YuenEdited by: charlottelam
- 2024-02-17
The Sony World Photography Awards made waves in March when they unveiled "Pseudomnesia: The Electrician," the winner of the creative open category. However, German artist Boris Eldagsen, who created this thought-provoking piece, gained notoriety for not accepting the prize because his work was created by artificial intelligence. Eldgsen explained on his website that he wanted award organizers to be more aware of the difference between AI-generated images and photography and asked them to create separate competitions for AI-generated work. The Oxford English Dictionary defines photography as the process, practice, or art of taking photographs, the business of producing and printing photographs. As AI algorithms become increasingly adept at generating realistic and high-quality images, they challenge the traditional notion of photography as a human-driven process. Never Chan, 23, a wedding photographer, said the fairness of photography competitions depends on the rules. For example, the rules may indicate that only color correction is permitted, while post-processing is off-limits. She enhances her photographs, for example, by removing unwanted objects from the background. However, she draws a clear line between AI's role in post-processing and its involvement in the actual act of photography. "I'll ask where my clients met and assist them in taking photos there. But if AI can alter the background of a client's photos, they would lose the realism of the shot and the memorable moment of capturing it,” said Chan. In a statement provided to The Young Reporter, Ivan Tsoi, the spokesperson of the Hong Kong Photo Contest, said the contest commits to the principles of Documentary Photography. That is seeing the world as perceived through the photographer's lens rather than through post-production images produced by AI. Tsoi said they go through a rigorous evaluation process for the shortlisted works. To ensure compliance with the competition's rules, each photograph is …
Annual Lunar New Year Fireworks lights up Victoria Harbour again
- 2024-02-13
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Haicen、ZHAO RuntongEdited by: Jemima Badajos
- 2024-02-13
Festive fireworks display returned to Victoria Harbour last night for the first time in five years following cancellations because of social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 338,000 spectators, including tourists from mainland China and overseas lined both sides of the harbor to enjoy the festivity. The display was divided into eight scenes on the theme of "Prosperity in the Year of the Dragon".
Sales at Lunar New Year Fairs fail to match pre-pandemic level
- 2024-02-06
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: BO Chuxuan、LAI Uen LingEdited by: Yuqi CHU
- 2024-02-06
Hong Kong’s biggest Lunar New Year's Fair at Victoria Park is selling hot food and dry goods again after four years of restrictions, but some vendors said sales are not as good as they were before the pandemic. The fairs launched on Sunday at 15 locations across the city, such as Kwai Chung and Kwun Tong, are surrounded by crowds. Candice Li Man-shuen, a vendor selling dog accessories who joined the fair several years before the pandemic, said the atmosphere was less lively than she had expected. “People are here today mainly because it is Sunday and there are other nearby events, but they didn’t come here intentionally,” Li added. Wong Kin-fan, a vendor from the mochi stall who has had a stall at the fair for several years, had sold half of her mochi by the afternoon of the first day. That brought her roughly HK$10,000 in sales revenue by the afternoon of the first day. “Sales aren’t what they were before 2020,” Wong said. “However, the rental cost of the stall is correspondingly low. My boss decided to return to this fair again because it is cheaper.” Shirley Lau, 51, a local retailer visiting the fair every year, said there were fewer fast food stalls than before COVID-19. According to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the size of the fast food stalls in 2019 was 56.48 square metres, compared to 40 square metres this year at Victoria Park. Liu Wing-ting, currently working in the hospitality industry, said she felt the variety of goods and food at this fair was less compared to last time when there were fast food stalls. Liu has visited Lunar New Year fairs many times in other districts, but it’s her first time at Victoria Park. She thought people weren’t buying much …