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Few books with “sensitive” content on sale at HK Book Fair 2021
- 2021-07-14
- People
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jayde CheungEdited by: C.K. Lau
- 2021-07-14
Books that contain politically sensitive content can hardly be found at the Hong Kong Book Fair 2021, the first such event held after the Hong Kong National Security Law was introduced last year. Publishers say fears about breaching the law, which bans acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, have discouraged them from pubishing some titles. Hillway Press is the only publisher that has released books whose content may possibly be regarded as sensitive, including The Journey Through the Brick Wall and 21 July 2019. The first book is an autobiography of Raymond Yeung Tsz-chun, a liberal studies teacher who was shot in the eye in a protest on 12 June in 2019 during the anti-extradition bill movement. The second is written by Ryan Lau Chun-kong, one of the victims in the so-called 721 incident, who offers his account of what happened in the evening of July 21, 2019, when a number of people deemed to be sympathetic to the anti-extradition bill protests were attacked by alleged gangsters in the Yuen Long MTR station. Mr Yeung, who has since quit teaching to start Hillway, also revealed that the company was prepared to publish three other books that contain sensitive content, but no printers were willing to print them. He did not disclose what those three books were about. Jimmy Pang Chi-ming, president of the publishing house Subculture, said fears over the “white terror” of unintentionally violating the national security law now pervaded the whole publishing industry. “Under the vague standards of the national security law, we have abandoned some books that only contain cultural content,” said Mr Pang. “For example, Liu Xiaobo (the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner who was jailed on the mainland for inciting subversion of state …
Lucky draw to tempt nursing home staff to get Covid jabs
- 2021-07-13
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG ZhenfeiEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2021-07-13
The Elderly Services Association of Hong Kong (TESA) is offering prizes totalling more than a million Hong Kong dollars for staff in nursing homes who take the Covid vaccine. They must have received two doses of the vaccine in order to take part in the lucky draw. TESA will also provide 100 free pre-vaccination health assessments for those who might be worried whether they are fit for the vaccine. Nursing homes which have at least half of the staff vaccinated can also participate. Those who qualify can register on the TESA website from 9pm tonight. TESA also hopes to encourage more elderly people to get the vaccine. Speaking at a press conference today, Mr. Kenneth Chan Chi Yuk, chairman of TESA, said the current process of getting the Covid vaccine is not convenient for many elderly people. "For example, the queues are very long at some vaccination sites, which is inconvenient for wheelchair-bound people," Mr. Chan said. "We hope the government can provide special help at the vaccination centres for the elderly, arrange vaccination at nursing homes or provide door-to-door vaccine services in the community," he added. He also suggested that public hospitals and clinics can provide vaccination and he urged the authorities to discuss how to deploy its manpower in order to do so. Government figures show that so far, less than 20% of people aged 60 years and above in Hong Kong have been vaccinated. As of the end of May, only 9368 members of nursing home staff had received at least one dose of the vaccine. That’s about 23 percent of the total number of nursing home staff in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong to ban plastic tableware at restaurants from 2025
- 2021-07-12
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Editor
- 2021-07-12
The Hong Kong government planned to ban all types of disposable plastic tableware at restaurants from 2025, according to an announcement made on Friday. The city’s Environment Protection Department, which is seeking public opinion on the proposal during the next two months, said parts of plastic cutlery often packaged in take-away services would also be banned. A consultation paper, released by the government on Friday, proposed to ban the local sale of disposable expanded polystyrene (EPS) utensils and discontinue their use at restaurants within four years. Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government, wrote in the consultation paper that, “ practising ‘plastic-free’ at the source is the most fundamental way to achieve ‘waste free seas’.” “Countless waste plastics enter the natural environment, including the ocean, each year,” he wrote in the document. “They will eventually be fragmented into microplastics and enter the human food chain.” The department also suggested regulating the use of non-EPS plastic tableware for dine-in and take-away services in phases. The first stage was to ban all types of disposable tableware offered to dine-in customers at restaurants, with disposable cutlery, such as straws, knives and forks, banned in take-away food and beverage services. Take-away services would be regulated the same as dine-in services in the second stage, according to the statement. Chung Wai-yi, the owner of a ramen restaurant, said they were using recyclable plastic chopsticks and plastic food containers for take-away services. She supported the ban on disposable plastic tableware. “I always support the environmentally friendly promotion in Hong Kong, but this time, I hope the government can make it a reality rather than just talking,” she said. She expected the government to make laws and regulations on plastic use in the catering industry to ensure fair competition, and also find good substitutes …
University LGBTQ groups in China “muted” following social media account closures
- 2021-07-09
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Editor
- 2021-07-09
With no warning and little objection, more than 10 social media accounts for university LGBTQ groups in mainland China were shut down on July 6, according to members of the LGBTQ community in China. Posts and content published on the WeChat accounts, including WDH Purple from Tsinghua University, ColorsWorld from Peking University, and Zhi Heshe from Fudan University, were removed, according to members of those accounts. All of the account names were changed to “unnamed official account” by Tuesday evening. The closure of the accounts may have been connected to a student protest at Wuhan University in April 2021, according to the founder of an NGO in Wuhan that focuses on LGBTQ issues. The protest, in support of feminist issues in China, may have crossed the government’s “red line,” the person, who wished not to be identified by name, had written in a recent WeChat discussion with Cheung Kam-hung, a Hong Kong LGBTQ activist. During the protest, Chinese feminist activists, who are accused by the Chinese government of having been influenced or helped by foreign politicians, were mentioned. The activist wrote that, following the university protest at Wuhan University, the Chinese government probably began to collect information about the social media accounts belonging to the university LGBTQ groups. These digital social media accounts, mostly organised by student communities and teachers, were often used to share stories and research about LGBTQ groups. A message on the main page of the closed accounts stated, “(WeChat) received relevant complaints that (the account) violates The Internet User Public Account Information Service Management Regulation. All the content in the account has been blocked and usage of the account was stopped.” RucSGS, an organization at Renmin University of China advocating discussion on gender issues, said it was affected. The …
Think tank calls for land supply to double
- 2021-07-08
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG ZhenfeiEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2021-07-08
Local think tank, Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF) estimates that the land supply currently planned by the government is only half of what’s needed to satisfy housing demand over the next 30 years. The Foundation released a report today titled Building a Global City of the Future— Envisioning Sustainable Urbanisation of the New Territories. Speaking at a press conference organised by the Foundation, Richard Wong, a professor in Political Economy at the University of Hong Kong, said Hong Kong is bogged down by the “triple lows”, that is spade-ready land supply, housing completions, and quality of living reflected by the shrinking average size of new housing units. “If no resolute action is taken promptly, the society will continue to bear the poor living environment with great despair,” Prof Wong warned According to the report, it is estimated that at least 9000 hectares of land will be needed in the next 30 years. However, taking into account the Lantau Tomorrow Vision , and the two ongoing New Development Areas (NDAs), namely Hung Shui Kiu and Kwu Tung North / Fanling North , the land supply of 5080 hectares currently planned by the government is only half of what’s needed. Apart from reclamation, the report suggests that large-scale development in the New Territories is the only way to create more land. Mr Ryan Ip, the Head of Land and Housing Research of OHKF, considered the New Territories to have huge development potential. “For example, the New Territories can provide development space for industries that cannot afford the soaring rent in the core business district, making Hong Kong's economy more diversified. Moreover, with its superior position adjacent to the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong can further strengthen its advantages in connecting the mainland and the world market, ” Mr Ip said. The OHKF …
Discount scheme will benefit all diners, not just those having supper
- 2021-07-07
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jayde CheungEdited by: C.K. Lau
- 2021-07-07
A scheme by which 500 restaurants will offer a 30% discount for dinner from July 15 and a 20% discount in August will be expanded to cover lunch and other meals as well. The Dining Discount Bonanza scheme was earlier launched by the catering industry to encourage people to spend the $5,000 electronic consumption voucher they each get from the government on meals. As originally conceived, participating restaurants will offer a 30% discount to dinner customers between July 15 and July 31, and a 20% discount in August. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Mr Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, the Legislative Councillor who represents the catering constituency, said the restaurants would be allowed to implement the scheme flexibly by offering the discounts not just for dinner, but also other meals, as they wished. Mr Cheung said the scheme would have no strict rules because the restaurants should handle the personal needs of the diners generously. Organised by eight catering associations, the scheme has drawn support from more than 500 restaurants serving different cuisines. Participating restaurants used to be confined by strict rules and regulations, and the discounts were applicable to four vaccinated diners sitting at one table. However, the website of Dining Discount Bonanza now says that individual merchants are allowed to “change the information and offers they provide without prior notice”. “We have no right or the ability to monitor the implementation of the scheme, and so we don’t have to,” Mr Cheung said. “We expect that HK$15 billion to HK$20 billion could be spent on the catering industry, among the HK$35 billion dollars (worth of electronic consumption vouchers) offered by the government.” Mr Cheung, who is also a member of the Executive Council and chairman of the Liberal Party, said he appreciated the contributions of participating restaurants, as it …
China’s ride-hailing app Didi still in use as authorities review cybersecurity
- 2021-07-06
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Jenny Lam
- 2021-07-06
Two days after mainland authorities ordered the removal of ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing from China’s app stores, it is still the preferred way of transport for many diehard customers For 29-year-old engineer Li Haining, who works in Qingdao, hailing a car from Didi Chuxing to get to her office has become part of her daily routine. “Honestly this incident will affect my choice in the future as I’m concerned about my privacy, but I will keep using this app as long as it’s the most convenient and affordable one for me,” she said. The Cyberspace Administration of China ( CAC) removed Didi’s app from local app stores last Sunday, shortly after it announced that it would start a cyberspace probe. “Didi Chuxing app has serious violations of laws and regulations concerning the collection and use of personal information. The Cyberspace Administration of China notified app stores to remove Didi Chuxing in accordance with relevant regulations of the National Cybersecurity Law,” the CAC said in a statement on July 4. Didi, a household name in China, raised US$ 4.4 billion in its IPO at the New York Stock Exchange on June 30. Its stock gained 1 percent on the first day of trading. Besides Didi Chuxing, the CAC also launched cyberspace reviews into Boss Zhipin, Yunmanman and Huochebang, three other companies listed in New York this year, and removed their apps from the country's app stores on Monday. When using those apps, customers need to provide their identity information such as identity card and phone numbers and their location. Cao Jing, 40, who is used to calling a car from Didi to work almost every day, said the fact that Didi was collecting data was no surprise to her. …
Loneliness during the pandemic
- 2021-07-05
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAN Wing Yee、REN Ziyi David、Nicholas ShuEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2021-07-05
It has now been more than a year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The social distancing rules and general restrictions have been particularly tough on people who live on their own. Tobey Chan, David Ren and Nicholas Shu talked to some elderly about how they cope with loneliness during the pandemic.
LegCo members: Ask schools to report vaccination numbers regularly
- 2021-07-02
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Shameel IbrahimEdited by: Alison Leung
- 2021-07-02
Pro-government Legislative Council members urged the Secretary for Education, Kevin Yeung, to require schools to report the number of students and staff who are vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to better monitor and handle the pandemic. An Education Bureau (EDB) survey showed that as of May 2021, the total vaccination rate of the 2,000 schools, including kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, being polled was only 18%, according to a LegCo brief. Addressing a LegCo panel on education today, Mr. Yeung also added that a further survey may be conducted to find out the number of vaccinations in schools. Addressing a LegCo panel on education today, Mr. Yeung also added that a further survey may be conducted to find out the number of vaccinations in schools. Some health experts have said that if schools’ vaccination rate reaches 70-80%, more school activities or extracurricular activities could be allowed. Mr. Yeung said, “In the months ahead, we hope to finalize the plan with the experts, we need to see what the epidemic situation is like. If possible, we hope that schools can achieve a 70-80% vaccination rate and more activities can be held.” Lau Kwok-fan, a legislator and member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), stressed that the government needs to have statistics on the number of persons vaccinated. “Personally, now that we don’t have any survey to collect figures about teaching staff vaccination rate, I’m a bit disappointed with that because you might expect or want to achieve 70-80% rate to allow for more activities and yet you don’t have a mechanism to collect or to record the figures in relation to vaccination. That actually cannot support your goal,” Mr. Lau said. However, Mr. Yeung said that schools can let the government know if they …
100th Anniversary of CCP: Government Closes Victoria Park from Public Gathering, Collectors Queue for Commemorative Stamps
- 2021-07-01
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: Jayde CheungEdited by: Editor
- 2021-07-01
Collectors queued up at Hong Kong’s main post office to purchase special commemorative stamps issued for the 100th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China, while Hong Kong police closed Victoria Park to restrain protesters from gathering during the 24th observance of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day. More than 60 customers lined up at the General Post Office in Central to purchase the special edition stamps after the office had opened. “The 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China” Commemorative Stamp was first issued today.Individual stamps and a stamp sheetlet are included in the collector set. “I feel happy for the 100-year establishment of the Communist Party of China,” said Tse, who only disclosed her first name, has been collecting stamps for years. She bought two stamp sheetlets for her grandchildren. She said Hong Kong had restored peace and security compared to the same day last year. In the same line, Tong, who did not provide his first name, said he was thankful for the 100th anniversary, “but it was nothing special, because the Communist Party of China will still thrive in the coming years.” Mr Tong said he supported the cancellation of the July 1 march. “Hong Kong used to be chaotic, but now I can travel around more conveniently,” he said. “ That’s why I can come and collect the stamps.” Hong Kong police banned the July 1 march for the second consecutive year, citing coronavirus pandemic restrictions on public gatherings Despite the cancellation of the annual July 1 march, at noon police sealed off Victoria Park, where the march traditionally started, to prevent unauthorised assembly. “Anyone who enters or stays at the prohibited area will be subjected to the maximum penalty …