The Young Reporter
Hong Kong priority groups get first doses of BioNTech vaccine today
- 2021-03-10
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: AMALVY Esten Carr Claude Ole EriksenEdited by: Simran Vaswani
- 2021-03-10
Priority group Hongkongers were given access to the German-made BioNTech vaccine today for the first time since the first 585,000 doses arrived in Hong Kong on Feb. 27. In addition to the elderly, priority groups include food and beverages servers, food delivery workers, transportation operators, construction workers, property management staff, teachers, and tourism staff. Priority group Hongkongers can schedule bookings at any of the 29 community vaccination centres spread throughout the city, which opened their doors at 9 am. At the EDB Kowloon Tong Education Service Center, people showed up in droves to receive their first shots. EDB Kowloon Tong Education Service Center is one of 29 vaccination centres in Hong Kong. “I got it this morning and at least for me I've had the whole morning already and I feel fine nothing feels any different I guess," said Priyanka, a local woman on site this afternoon to accompany her father to get his first vaccine. Both Priyanka and her father opted for the BioNTech vaccine against the widely available Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, as distrust of the Sinovac vaccine spreads among Hongkongers. “According to all the available information, I think this is one of the most reliable, safe, and protective vaccines that we can get worldwide,” said Dr Y. K Lo, who also made his way to the Kowloon Tong Education Service Center this afternoon to receive his vaccine. Dr Y. K Lo stands outside the Education Centre in Kowloon Tong after having received a BioNTech vaccine today. Distrust in the Sinovac vaccine started when a local woman, 55, and a man, 73, died this past week after receiving their first shot. Although Hong Kong health authorities have ruled out the vaccine as the main cause of death, Hong Kongers are not convinced. The efficacy rate for the Chinese vaccine varies …
Cotton trees in bloom and the best places to see them
- 2021-03-09
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: SHI RuoshuiEdited by: Bowie Tse
- 2021-03-09
Hong Kong’s cotton trees are in full bloom. The flame-colour flowers mark the height of Spring in the city, especially along the road named after it: Cotton Tree Drive in the mid-levels. Native to India, Malaysia and the Philippines, cotton trees are widely cultivated in South China, Taiwan, Indo-China Peninsula and Malaysia by immigrants. According to Mr. Ken K. Y. So, arborist and t Chief Executive of The Conservancy Association, cultivation of cotton trees has been recorded in Hong Kong since the Qing Dynasty. Today, there are more than 8,000 trees according to Greening, Landscape & Tree Management Section of Development Bureau. Colloquially known as “hero trees”, cotton trees get the name for their straight and sturdy trunk., They are also named after the legendary hero of the Lizu people, one of the 56 ethnic groups indigeous to Hainan island in southern China. The late Hong Kong pop icon Roman Tam also had a song called Hung Min, the Cantonese name for cotton trees, in which he used the plant as a metaphor for the lofty and unyielding character of Chinese people. It also carries the connotation of cherishing and the promise of wealth and well-being. In 2015, a Wong Tai Sin District Councillor proposed to sterilize the cotton trees around town because he thought the kapok the plants produce was a nuisance. But the proposal was eventually dropped because there was no medical evidence that the white kapok affected the respiratory system. The scientific name of cotton trees is Bombax ceiba. It can be found all over the city, and there is a cotton tree lovers map marking out more than 40 places to admire the bloom. Many are in Tuen Mun and Mei Foo. The most famous place to see cotton trees blossom is along the Shek Kong …
China Two Sessions: proposal to cancel English as a main high school subject
- 2021-03-09
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: GOH KylanEdited by: Editor
- 2021-03-09
A member of the National People's Congress, Liu Weichao has proposed to drop English as a compulsory subject in primary and junior high schools in mainland China. In the annual meeting that is currently held in Beijing, Mr Liu said " foreign language education has a serious impact on mother tongue learning and imposes an undue pressure on students". Mr. Liu suggested that schools should only offer English subjects from high school and put more effort on training students' practical skills such as speaking and listening. The proposal has gone viral on the Chinese internet. Some netizens said it is more important to have English rather than mathematics. "As an international language, I think English is still very important now. I hope my children can learn English well and have the opportunity to explore the world in the future," Binting Cai, a mother of a four-year-old child, said on WeChat. English is currently a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools across China. Students are required to attend at least one class everyday. "I think this is very unreasonable, because elementary and junior high schools are the golden age of learning English," said Edward Liao, an English tutor in New Oriental, one of China's biggest private tutorial centres. "If students start to learn letters and phonetic symbols from high school, this will increase the workload of high school teachers," Mr Liao added. This is not the first time deputies at the annual Two Sessions propose to cut back on English education. On March 4, Xu Jin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) said it is unnecessary for students to learn a language that he described as "useless" for most people. In an interview with Beijing News, Mr Xu said that less than …
Another Covid-19 ambush lockdown at Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion
- 2021-03-08
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: Simran VaswaniEdited by: Editor
- 2021-03-08
Yet another ambush-style lockdown is being implemented tonight at Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion, Nathan Road. The lockdown comes after the Centre for Health Protection reported nine new Covid-19 cases citywide on Monday, one of which was from the building. The case from Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion is a 41-year-old housewife who developed a blocked nose on March 4 and tested positive for the virus the next day. Tsim Sha Tsui Mansion consists of many subdivided homes, guest houses, hotels, stores and restaurants. Before Chinese New Year, several ambush-style lockdowns were implemented as a way to mass-test residents overnight in buildings with untraceable or growing cases. In early February, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced that all lockdowns would be on hold ahead of Chinese New Year as cases decreased. Social distancing measures were also loosened after the holidays as the fourth coronavirus wave came to a gradual end.
Ethnic minority women: race and gender in "Asia's world city"
- 2021-03-08
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Simran VaswaniEdited by: Editor
- 2021-03-08
Unkind looks on the MTR, judged for not looking like or having the same skin colour as the majority and even getting turned away from jobs solely because of ethnicity. Ethnic minorities face discrimination on almost every corner of Hong Kong's streets. More than 80% of ethnic minorities said they face discrimination on a day to day basis, such as in shops, markets or restaurants in a study done by the City University of Hong Kong. It can be even tougher for ethnic minority women, who may face both racial and gender discrimination. On top of that, the city has seen a big change over the past year from its usual buzzing atmosphere amid an ongoing pandemic and over a year of social unrest that fills the air with unwavering tension. Ethnic minority women account for more than 100,000 of the 7.4 million population, with the majority being South Asian. This excludes foreign domestic helpers, who make up a large chunk of the female population according to the 2016 Population By-Census. Marium Fatima Awan, 22, a Hong Konger by nationality says she's been turned away from jobs because of her Pakistani ethnicity. Born and raised in Hong Kong, with the ability to read, write and speak Cantonese fluently, Ms Awan says that’s done anything but work to her advantage. In fact, it’s proven a double standard. Employers expect her to speak more than two languages because of her ethnic background. But not all ethnic minorities can pick up the local language that easily. Ms Awan says more needs to be done to include and inform them about what goes on in the city. The younger generations were reported to have a better understanding of Cantonese, according to data from The Census and Statistics Department. In 2016, almost 65% of ethnic …
Hong Kong excluded from Index of Economic Freedom, Singapore climbs as top
- 2021-03-05
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: Yoyo Kwok Chiu TungEdited by: Vikki Cai Chuchu
- 2021-03-05
Hong Kong was excluded for the first time by an influential index that ranks the freedom of the world’s economies while the city’s official and scholar said the move was based on “political bias” and would not affect the economic development of Hong Kong. Hong Kong and Macau were removed from The Heritage Foundation's 2021 Index of Economic Freedom released on Thursday. Before that, the city was ranked as the world’s freest economies for 25 years straight before 2020 when it was taken over by Singapore, which also topped the list this year. "Developments in Hong Kong and Macau in recent years have demonstrated unambiguously that the policies are ultimately controlled from Beijing,” said Heritage Foundation in its report. The Washington-based research and educational institution said classifying Hong Kong and Macau economies under China was a reflection of Beijing’s “ultimate control” over the cities. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the move made by The Heritage Foundation was unjustified. During a webinar organised by the South China Morning Post, Mr Chan said, “It seems to me when they arrived at that decision, it must have been clouded by their ideological inclination and political bias.” A Hong Kong Government spokesperson said Heritage Foundation’s ranking is ill-conceived in the press release yesterday. "We take strong exception to the Foundation's claim that Hong Kong's economic policies are 'ultimately controlled from Beijing,” Hong Kong government spokesperson added in the press release. The Heritage Foundation’s ranking cannot be valid, because it was evaluated from a different perspective, it should not be generalised as a whole, said Dr Chong Tai-Leung, the director of Economics and Executive Director of Lau Chor Tak Institute of Global Economics and Finance of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Fraser Institute of Canada ranked Hong Kong as the world’s freest …
New covid rule requiring dedicated table cleaning staff leaves small restaurants short handed
- 2021-03-04
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: LAM Tsz YauEdited by: Sara Cheng
- 2021-03-04
All eateries have to assign dedicated staff members to clear and disinfect used tables and eating utensils starting from Thursday. Small restaurants say the new requirement makes them short-handed. The measure was introduced after a Covid-19 outbreak at a Chinese restaurant in K11 Musea shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui that involved a “superspreader,” infecting more than 50 people. Eateries are also required to meet new ventilation regulations of at least six air changes per hour. Yeung Ho-yin, the owner of a cart noodle eatery, said he was short-handed after moving a staff member from helping with ordering to clearing tables. “We have a lot of take-away orders, so it was quite busy,” said Mr Yeung. Staff members sometimes had to clear seats in front of customers who were eating to let other guests in, Mr Yeung said, which he found “less appropriate.” Wong Kit-lung, who runs 39 chain Chinese restaurants under the LH Group, was among the first restaurateurs to create the position “Table Clearing Commissioner” last July. “Unless there is only one or two staff, it is actually achievable. We are just separating the work from staff members’ duties,” said Mr Wong. Eateries can provide safety vests for staff specialising in clearing tables to make them distinguishable, Mr Wong said, adding that employees should educate all staff about hygiene.
Hong Kong authorities probe death of 63-year-old after receiving COVID-19 jab
- 2021-03-03
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG YichunEdited by: Shameel Ibrahim
- 2021-03-03
The death of a 63-year-old man on Sunday after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine will be investigated, the Department of Health said today in a press conference at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The man complained of shortness of breath two days after receiving the Sinovac vaccine at the Kwun Chung Sports Center in Jordan on Feb. 26. He went to the hospital at 1:30am Sunday and was diagnosed with bronchitis.His condition deteriorated, and he died at 6am after failed resuscitation attempts by healthcare workers,according to a press release by Queen Elizabeth Hospital. “At the moment, the causal relationship with the vaccination cannot be ascertained,” the health department said in a statement. A hospital spokesperson said that the man was suffering from underlying diseases. “Patients with severely allergic reactions to vaccines and uncontrolled chronic diseases should not be vaccinated, or consult family doctors or medical staff,” Dr Ronald Lam Man-kin, controller of the Center for Health Protection, said at the press conference. As of Mar 2, 18,000 people have reserved spots for the first and second doses of a vaccine. More than 254,000 people have registered for vaccinations since the start of the drive on Feb 23.
Australia passes media law forcing tech giants Facebook and Google to pay news publishers
- 2021-03-03
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Shameel IbrahimEdited by: Simran Vaswani
- 2021-03-03
Digital platforms including Facebook and Google will now have to pay Australian news publishers, under a new law, the world’s first, passed by Australia on Feb. 25. Under the News Media Bargaining Code, tech firms are obligated to pay news companies if they have an annual income exceeding AU$150,000 (HK$905,585), a move seen to mostly benefit Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which owns most of Australia’s major newspapers. If tech companies do not pay, then they will be fined AU$10 million (HK$60.1 million) or 10% of the annual turnover of the digital platform. The code also allows news companies to negotiate payments with tech firms over the next three months. If they do not reach an agreement by that time, arbitrators from the Australian Communications and Media Authority, a government statutory body, would make the final decision on the payment. "For every $100 of online advertising spend, $53 goes to Google, $28 goes to Facebook, and $19 goes to other participants," said Josh Frydenberg, the Treasurer of the Australian government at a press conference. Facebook suspended hundreds of pages from Australian news outlets, personal blogs and government departments on Feb. 18 following the amendment proposal. The social media giant said in a statement in August last year that it will stop people from sharing local and international news if the law is passed. “Assuming this draft code becomes law, we will reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram,” the statement said. The platform also said in a statement that the code “fundamentally misunderstands the relationship” between its platform and publishers who use it to share news. Facebook accepted the code after last-minute changes to the bill, which included a three-month negotiation period with an additional two months for mediation between …
Bail applications for 47 political activists under review for more than 20 hours
- 2021-03-02
- The Young Reporter
- By: Bowie TseEdited by: Editor
- 2021-03-02
47 democratic politicians charged with conspiracy to commit subversion have waited for more than 20 hours as the West Kowloon Magistracy continues to consider their application for bail. As of 5 pm, 20 of them have yet to learn of the outcome. Lawyers of the defendants have asked for further details of the charges put forward by the prosecutors. But the prosecution side refused, saying they will produce evidence later in the trial. Dozens of people lined up outside West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court at 7 am, hoping to hear the proceedings. Some supporters of the 47 defendants arrived with banners. “I also came to court yesterday. I stayed till 3 am last night nearby after the police chased us away. I don’t understand how an internal election breaches or threatens national security,” said Ms Chan who refused to give her full name. Alexandra Wong, also known as “Grandma Wong” came to West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court both days to support the 47 democrat activists. She unfurled a British flag and yelled, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong” outside the court building. She pledged to wait outside the court until the hearing is over. More than 50 police were on guard outside the court. Consideration for bail was suspended at 2 am last night after several politicians fell ill. Clarisse Yeung Suet-Ying, Leung Kwok-Hung, Roy Tam Hoi-Pong and Mike Lam were sent to hospital after 12 hours of hearing yesterday.