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The Young Reporter

Politics

Legco By-election: democrats reclaim 2 of 4 places, still losing ground to secure veto power

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Wallis WangEdited by: Ezra Cheung、Raphael Blet、Michelle Ng
  • 2018-03-12

Candidates from the pro-democracy camp eventually managed to retain half of the four disqualified seats in the Legislative Council by-election yesterday, showed in the final voter turnout rate this morning. However, these equal shares do not enable the whole camp to reseize the power to block most bills as it still falls short of the influence significant enough to strike a balance in this semi-democratic legislature's split voting system. Au Nok-hin in Hong Kong Island and Gary Fan Kwok-wai in New Territories East were the two victorious democrats. But the pro-Beijing competitors, Vincent Cheng Wing-shun and Tony Tse Wai-chuen, outran the pro-democracy camp in Kowloon West and the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency respectively. Au, a Southern District Council member who left the Democratic Party last year, obtained 137,181-strong support whilst his pro-Beijing arch-rival, Judy Chan Ka-pui of New People's Party, got 127,634 votes. Gary Fan, current convenor of Neo Democrats, won 183,762 votes to defeat Bill Tang Ka-piu, representing both Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and the Federation of Trade Unions, who got 152,904 votes. This time, Fan acquired 7% more votes than his ally, Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu of Civic Party, in the 2016 by-election. Yeung received 160,880 votes back then. Yet, previously ousted Legislative Councillor, Edward Yiu Chung-yim, failed to recapture the seat in Kowloon West. He requested a re-count at about 5 am because he was just trailing Vincent Cheng by about 2,000 votes. But in the end, he did not manage to combat Cheng's 107,479 votes with his 105,060 votes. Winning the 2016 general election, Yiu was the representative of the Architectural, Surveying, Planning and Landscape functional constituency. But he was disqualified and expelled from the Legco by the High Court for his "improper" oath-taking following Beijing's interpretation of Article …

Politics

China aims to lift 10 million people out of poverty

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Katherine Li、Wallis WangEdited by: Alexandra Lin、Zinnia Lee
  • 2018-03-07

Reported by Katherine Li and Wallis Wang Edited by Alexandra Lin and Zinnia Lee China will step up efforts to alleviate poverty using targeted measures and promote the development of local industries, education and healthcare, Premier Li Keqiang revealed in his government report speech. "This year, we will further reduce the poor rural population by over 10 million, including 2.8 million people who are to be relocated from inhospitable areas," Premier Li said. Cheung Siu-wai, a China analyst,  explained that there will be more cooperation between local and central government and a case-by-case focus on poverty alleviation. "The government will allocate resources in coordination with local authorities, which means they will find out specific issues and difficulties in different locations in order to find a solution," Mr. Cheung said. Zuo Hongding, deputy director of Jinsha County Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau that works on poverty alleviation in Guizhou province, said different areas need different approaches to alleviate poverty. "For mountainous areas that cannot be easily reached, we have no choice but to relocate the people. A family of five who we helped in 2015 was relocated to a 100 square meter house and was provided with livestock and fertilisers. And now they are well above the poverty line," Mr. Zuo said.   The bureau where he works has helped more than 1,000 families in the town of Qinchi in Guizhou province. They plan to lift another 10,000 people out of poverty in the county over the next three years. Premier Li also announced that the government will "take targeted measures against corruption and misconduct in poverty alleviation and improve the methods used in evaluation and oversight" to manage the poverty alleviation funds more effectively. Mr. Cheung supported the new approaches on fund and resource allocation in targeted poverty relief. "In …

Politics

China strives to become a well-connected country

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Anna Kam、Tomiris Urstembayeva、Nadia LamEdited by: Jade Li、Yoyo Chow
  • 2018-03-07

Reported by Anna Kam, Tomiris Urstembayeva, and Nadia Lam Edited by Jade Li China wants both rural and urban areas to have high-speed internet access to boost economic development, said Premier Li Keqiang in the National People's Congress. Rural Areas in China have a low percentage of internet connectivity compared with urban areas. Only 40% people in Yunnan Province are internet users while Beijing has 77.8%. China has poured a lot of money in improving the internet infrastructure, cloud computing and broadband, according to Decoding the Chinese Internet, a report published by a Boston Consultant Group in 2016. The internet users in China spiked up to 772 million by the end of 2017. Despite the largest number of internet users in the world, the percentage of the population that is connected is less than that of any Asian country, according to statista.com. Mr. Cheung Siu-wai, a China analyst, said the initiative will increase the agriculture development because farmers are able to reach more people and develop their markets simultaneously. The internet connectivity will not purely boost agriculture, but also overall economic development, said Mr. Cheung. "I've seen a big impact on smartphone companies. The connectivity will boost the sales of smartphones particularly in rural areas," Mr. Cheung explained. The policy also addressed that there will be no roaming fee in China, thus decreasing the cost of the internet "by at least 30%". However, if the government only develops the internet, but does not improve the roads and infrastructure, there is no way that the farmers are able to transport their crops to the metropolis, said Mr. Cheung.  

Politics

China's constitutional change may extend tenure of presidency

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Vanessa Yung、Oasis Li、Yetta LamEdited by: Scout Xu、Yolanda Gao
  • 2018-03-07

Reported by Vanessa Yung, Oasis Li and Yetta Lam Edited by Scout Xu and Yolanda Gao China proposed to abolish the current term limits for presidency in the 13th National People's Congress. Removing the requirement that a president "shall serve no more than two consecutive terms" from the constitution could mean Chinese president Xi Jinping remains in his position for years to come. The revision is supported by the public and committees, said Wang Chen, the Secretary-General and Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. He added that the revision would help centralise and unify the leadership of the Communist Party. Fu King-wa, Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Centre of the University of Hong Kong, said this means future presidents could serve for life. Zhang Baohui, political science professor at Lingnan University, said this proposal violates Deng Xiaoping's reforms to stop another dictator like Mao Zedong. "And it means that China is possibly back to strongman politics," Mr. Zhang said. The committee also proposed adding "Xi Jinping Thought" to the constitution, making Xi the third leader to have his name added behind Mao and Deng. Mr. Zhang said this promotes the cult of personality. "I think the whole package is to create the atmosphere that Xi is the most powerful person in China," Mr. Fu said, "and also to change the legal framework to support him." Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo reached a peak in the number of censored posts last Sunday, Mr. Fu said. He helps run Weiboscope, a project making censored Weibo posts publicly accessible. Sensitive keywords like "proclaim oneself emperor", "long live" and "Xi Zedong," a combination of the names Xi Jinping and Mao Zedong, flooded the platform and were quickly deleted. said Fu. "A lot of people don't want …

Politics

China eager to reduce energy consumption and pollution further, still faces lack of support

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Rachel Yeo、Amy Ho、Phoebe LaiEdited by: Erin Chan、Maggie Liu、Windy LI
  • 2018-03-07

Reported by Rachel Yeo, Amy Ho and Phoebe Lai Edited by Erin Chan, Maggie Liu and Windy Li China has set a target to reduce energy consumption per unit of GDP by at least 3% over the coming year. Carbon emission will also be cut by 3.9% as part of China's goal to reduce pollution, Premier Li Keqiang said in his speech at the opening of the National People's Congress. It is part of the country's effort to improve the quality and effectiveness of development. The premier called for "greater emphasis on economic indicators that concern structure, quality, and efficiency that reflect the requirement to promote high-quality development". Premier Li laid out plans to control chemical pollution along the Yangtze River where authorities closed down 959 illegal ports along the river and the subsequent ecological restoration is almost finished. He also hopes to promote integrated development in the Yangtze River Delta. Coal and steel production will also be reduced by 30 million metric tons and 150 million metric tons respectively this year. Both of these industries are major causes of air pollution, yet China is still one of the world's top producers and consumers for coal and steel.  "We will use a combination of market and law-based methods to strictly enforce standards on energy conservation, environmental protection, quality, and safety to continue cutting overcapacity in the steel, coal, and coal-fired power industries," said Li. He added that China has already upgraded coal-fired power plants to achieve ultra-low emissions and steel products that did not meet environmental standards were also immediately banned. But China analyst Cheung Siu-wai points out that the country faces many obstacles in improving the environment. China's carbon emission levels is still one of the highest compared to of the United States, India, Russia and Japan. He mentioned …

Culture & Leisure

Oscars 2018: The results are in!

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Katherine Li、Holly ChikEdited by: Angie Chan、Ezra Cheung
  • 2018-03-05

The "most colourful" night of Hollywood is over and all awards this year are presented. The Shape of Water, the movie with 13 nominations, is the biggest winner of the night bringing home four trophies. Here is the list of Oscars 2018 nominations with the winners bold: Best Picture: Call Me by Your Name Darkest Hour Dunkirk Get Out Lady Bird Phantom Thread The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri BREAKING: The #Oscar for Best Picture goes to “The Shape of Water.” https://t.co/KyJELjJlTS #Oscars pic.twitter.com/VncaRPrsXU — ABC News (@ABC) March 5, 2018 During the Cold War era in Baltimore in 1962, lonely and mute Elisa (Sally Hawkins) works as a cleaning lady in a high-security government laboratory. Her life forever alters when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret project where a mythical humanoid amphibian, living underwater, was held captive, experimented on and then tortured. With the help of Zelda and Giles (Richard Jenkins), Elisa rescues the creature to her own home against life-threatening odds. As the two forms a deeper bond, a romance that transcends race and species unfolds. Director Guillermo del Toro​ dedicates his Best Picture Oscar for 'The Shape of Water' to 'every young filmmaker.' "This is a door, kick it open and come in." #Oscars A post shared by ABC News (@abcnews) on Mar 4, 2018 at 9:05pm PST Lead Actor: Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq. Gary Oldman thanks his 98-year-old mother. "Thank you for your love and support. Put the kettle on. I'm bringing Oscar home." https://t.co/lJd891ISOk #Oscars pic.twitter.com/N3HLidEb0t — ABC News (@ABC) March 5, 2018 Lead Actress: Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri …

Culture & Leisure

Oscars 2018: are there any colours other than white and black?

Nominating only actors of European descent in the lead and supporting categories in 2015 and 2016, the Academy Awards were accused over the past few years of being too "white" and have received years of backfire and boycotts. Even the host Jimmy Kimmel made fun of that "whiter than white" phenomenon at last year's presentation. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences then became rivetingly diverse last year, aiming to escape from the #OscarsSoWhite scandal with seven nominations of coloured actors; Moonlight also won Best Picture although its way towards the trophy was a downright blooper because it got mixed up with La La Land. 90 years ago, this was the first joke ever told at the #Oscars! pic.twitter.com/NWP8F6dYl3 — ABC Network (@ABCNetwork) March 5, 2018 Its board of governors also approved in a unanimous vote on January 18 this year to alter its membership composition for the sake of increasing its diversity, committing to doubling the number of female and minority Oscars voters by 2020. And thanks to the spectacular performances of Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.),  Mary J. Blige (Mudbound), Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water) and the nomination of Mudbound, the Academy Awards seem to have succeeded in getting rid of being #OscarsSoWhite this time. Unfortunately, it seems that there is still a lack of some oriental tenor in the nominations. Asians have been denied altogether of any nomination of main acting categories. Lebanon's The Insult, directed by cinematographer Ziad Doueiri, nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, is imbued with the most noticeable sense of "eastern" ambience. This Near Eastern drama has earned a "certified fresh" with an approval rating of 88% based on 69 reviews from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of 92%. "The Insult uses its familiar …

Culture & Leisure

Oscars 2018: TYR's Picks and what we expect from the ceremony

The 90th Academy Awards are just a few hours away. As the people of Hollywood get prepared for their big night. Much like the previous years, there are many speculations as to what people will wear, what the host, Jimmy Kimmel, will be saying, what topics would be mentioned during acceptance speeches, and most of all, who will be the winners. While we will have to wait until 5 pm PST on Sunday, March 4 (9 am HKT on Monday, March 5), editors Angie Chan and Ezra Cheung sat down with The Young Reporter's Editor-in-Chief Holly Chik and discussed the upcoming Oscars, before their live-streams on Facebook during the event. A: Angie Chan       E: Ezra Cheung       H: Holly Chik H: What makes the 90th Academy Awards so significant? E: I think it's fairly important because the ceremony is held amidst the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, electrifying the whole American film industry. I am very curious about what one of the nominees, Meryl Streep, will say during the presentation (given she wins the Best Actress in a Leading Role). And besides, I did go to pretty much all of the films nominated. The race is fairly competitive and I am looking forward to (the announcement of) the winners. A: Well, it's the 90th Academy Awards, the number itself makes it significant. *laughs* I think with so much happening in Hollywood, it would be hard for the celebs not to be political one way or the other, and I think how they represent their stance will be what makes this year extra significant 'cause what these important figures of the entertainment industry say will easily determine the general public's view. And I think seeing Jimmy Kimmel a second time would be quite interesting as well considering his kind of awkward …

Politics

Budget 18/19: Hong Kong financial chief attempts to smarten up tourism

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Amy Ho、Phoebe Lai、Rachel YeoEdited by: Ezra Cheung、James Edward Allen、Kobie Li
  • 2018-02-28

In the hope of developing smart tourism in Hong Kong, Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po, unveils today an additional provision of $396 million for the industry from last fiscal year's recording-breaking surplus of about $138 billion. This yearly budget proposes allocating $226 million to Hong Kong Tourism Board to implement four strategies to boost tourism. One of them is to refine smart tourism measures in a bid to attract more visitors to the city. The move comes in response to the latest 4.5% decrease, reported by the Tourism Commission in 2016, in visitors from around the world altogether. Smart tourism refers to a series of technologically innovative initiatives implemented to enhance sightseers' at-destination experiences. According to a paper from the International Journal on Networked Business in 2015, big data is employed for analysing current tourism trends. The findings then are used to improve current tourist attractions and to bring better accessibility for travellers. Tourism sector lawmaker, Wayne Yiu Si-wing, hopes Hong Kong could make use of such technology to collect data, such as putting sensors on streetlights to track traffic and pedestrian flows. "We hope that the data collected will allow tourists to make better choices when they visit (Hong Kong)," he said. Hong Kong is currently utilising QR codes and Wi-Fi hotspots for some of the smart tourism measures. However, Mr Yiu highlighted that the government could do more to develop Hong Kong into a smarter tourism destination. "For example, Wi-Fi hotspots in the city are still not fast enough because people may gather to use Wi-Fi in the same spot," he explained. Ling Ho, director of cultural tour agency Ho Ho Go Experience, mentioned past measures implemented by the government to improve IT security for tour agencies. "The government has given several hundred thousand dollars for people to set up …

Politics

Budget 18/19: Increased housing supply aims at lessening low-income families' burden

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Anna Kam、Nadia Lam、Tomiris UrstembayevaEdited by: Raphael Blet、Michelle Ng
  • 2018-02-28

Reported by Anna Kam, Nadia Lam and Tomiris Urstembayeva Edited by Raphael Blet Infographics edited by Michelle Ng Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced today that the government worked on increasing living space for local citizens. This includes expanding housing space for 210 sites which will supply 310,000 flats, 70% of which will be used for public housing. The government said that it would continue to support the demand and supply of housing in Hong Kong. The International Housing Affordability survey conducted in 2017 ranks Hong Kong as the most unaffordable housing market with a median multiple of over 19. According to a research conducted by Mercer assessing 101 cities, Hong Kong ranked 70th in the world in terms of living standards. Alister Musgrave, the Founder of MoneyHero.com.hk, believes that the overall budget failed to address the public concerns on housing. He cites a research conducted by Demographia and found that Hong Kong has the worst housing affordability in the world for 8 years, which is one of the major problems. Despite the government's initiatives to increase the stamp duty taxation in 2017-2018, the housing property continued to rise and did not falter. Shih Wing-ching, the founder of Centaline Property Agency Limited, said that the market-cooling measures initiated by the government in recent years are not effective in the long run. "Take the Stamp Duty as (an) example, although it discourages the investors to purchase properties, it fails to help the real users to buy flats," said Mr. Shih. Many of these flat owners are investors, with the government taking the initiative to increase both public and private flats at 100,000 and 280,000 respectively. Still, the financial secretary did not roll out any policies to aid first-time home buyers. Mr. Shih suggests that the government should provide more housing supply …