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The Young Reporter

Lack of seat belts on minibus poses threats to passengers' safety

  • 2017-10-04
  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Elly Wu、Michelle Ng、Sharon Pun、Candice WongEdited by: Fred LAI、Celia Lai
  • 2017-10-04

More than 40 per cent of light buses in the city do not  have seat belts, despite mandatory requirements to install them. A crash involving a minibus in Shek O three days ago again raised concern on the potential threat to safety. Twenty six passengers were injured. A new law enacted in 2004 states that all minibuses must be fitted with  seat belts. The Young Reporter talked to more than 60 minibus passengers and found that only 29% of them would wear seat belts when taking a ride. Tam Chun Tak, Secretary of HK, Kln & NT Public & Maxicab Light Bus Merchants' United Association, says the high cost of fitting seat belts is a problem. He believes that without government subsidy,  it will take at least 15 years for seat belts to be installed on all light buses, and they have no plans to install seat belts in existing minibuses. "The only way to ensure all minibuses have seat belts is to replace some of the existing vehicles, " Tam said. That's because the frame of some of the  current buses cannot be fitted with seat belts. But former Secretary for Transport and Housing, Cheng Yu-wah, now a legislator, says the government has provided help to the industry. She explained that there have been three incentive schemes since 2004 to encourage minibus owners to replace their own vehicles in order to comply with environmental and safety standards. Out of the 64 minibus passengers The Young Reporter reached, 87% pay attention to whether seat belts are installed on minibuses, but only 29% wears them sometimes. No one said they would refuse to take a minibus without seat belts. Wong Hei-man, 20, who was once fined for not wearing a seat belt on a minibus, says she is not concerned whether …

Business

Cultural tours fail to pull mainland tourists during Golden Week

  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Holly Chik、Caroline Kwok、Ezra CheungEdited by: Angela Cheung、Emily Cheung
  • 2017-10-04

Not a lot of mainland tourists come to Hong Kong for cultural exploration or eco-tours, spokesperson of Mainland Travellers Centre of China Travel Service said. The company offers different one-day tours including popular tourists spots such as Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland, but they also offer cultural and eco-tours. For example, China Travel Service provides cultural tours to Kowloon Walled City Park and site visits to the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. Both types of packages targeted at mainland travellers but cultural and eco-tours are usually less popular amongst customers regardless in peak seasons or in regular days. Over these few days of the National Day Golden Week, over 150 individuals from the mainland came to Hong Kong daily for one-day tours of traditionally popular tourist attractions. Yet, only less than 60 joined either cultural or eco-tours every day. China Travel Service spokesperson said the company did not marketise any of their tours as flagships and customers could make their own choice. "Usually they are here (in Hong Kong) for shopping and popular tourists spots," spokesperson said. Ho Ho Go Experience is a tour agency which covers tradition and off-the-beaten-path attractions. The founder, Ling Ho, also said no mainland tourist has joined their cultural tours after they were launched in 2015. • 20 Most Popular Countries as Mainlanders' Tourist Destinations (Data from China Tourism Academy) Former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying aimed to diversify the visitor source market and develop cultural and creative tourism, as he announced in the 2016 Policy Address. The government defined "creative tourism" as tourism and minglement of experimental activities with local characteristics, citing South Korea, Brazil and New Zealand as examples. Brazil offers tourists samba dance learning experiences instead of just watching a dancing show, whereas New Zealand organises indigenous related hands-on workshops operated by …

Bus Drivers Forced To Work Overtime

  • 2017-10-04
  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Wing Li、Alexandra Lin、Dorothy Ma、Kobie LiEdited by: Richelia Yeung、Tiffany Lui、Choco Tang
  • 2017-10-04

The Federation of Bus Industry Trade Union is calling for shorter working hours and higher salaries for Hong Kong bus drivers, after a fatal bus accident killed three people in Sham Shui Po last week. Lau Kai-him, officer of the Union, said that bus companies have an unhealthy pay structure that forces bus drivers to work overtime. Hong Kong has five franchised bus companies, including Citybus, which was involved in the recent accident, and numerous minibuses and other non-franchised buses. Chu, a Citybus driver who didn't want to reveal his full name, said he works 10 to 12 hours a day, depending on the route he is assigned. He calls this a disguised form of compulsory overtime. "You need to do it when the company assigned it to you," Chu said. Lau also said the drivers don't make enough money without working overtime, another reason for longer working hours. The basic salary for a bus driver starts from around $12,000 for new drivers up to around $15,000 for drivers with good records, including no customer complaints, Chu said. Nowadays more and more passengers like to complain, Chu said. But bus companies advertise a salary of $19,000 to attract new drivers; however, this includes overtime, Lau said. Bus companies need to hire more drivers to reduce the need for overtime, he added. Lau is saying bus companies are having a hard time attracting new blood. "If we only decrease the working hours without raising the salary, the problem cannot be solved," Lau said. "Our bus company has never forced the drivers to work overtime. If the drivers think their working hours are too long, they can ask for a switch," said Wong Ka-lok, Director of Citybus Branch.  

iPhone 8 battery is safe, local Apple Store claims

  • 2017-10-04
  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Maggie Liu、Susan Gao、Melissa KO、Lloyd Hewitt-Robinson、Kenji ChanEdited by: Susan Gao、Melissa KO
  • 2017-10-04

The new iPhone 8 released on September 22, has reportedly had some battery problems. The Apple Daily newspaper reported that a Hong Kong buyer surnamed Lam reported that his gold-coloured iPhone 8 was already bloated when he opened the box even before getting a chance to use the phone. Lam took the faulty device back to the Apple Store where he bought it from, and the store gave him a replacement as it was determined that the device could not be fixed, said Apple Daily. This afternoon, The Young Reporter visited the Shatin store. "iPhone 6s also has had this kind of problem before. We would normally just recall the phone," said its spokesperson, "No need to worry about (iPhone's) safety." Three such known incidents have all taken place in Asia, Japan on September 24, Taiwan on the 26th and Hong Kong on the 28th respectively. Karl Leung Ping-hung, the head of the department of information and communication technology at Vocational Training Council said, "batteries used by current mobile phones and pads usually swell when reaching their lifespans." However, it is still unclear what caused the new iPhone 8 battery to swell up this time. Apple Store said it would investigate the incidents. Kylie Chen, a big fan of Apple product, who plans to buy a new iPhone said the phone bloating incident would not affect his decision. Two more iPhone 8 Plus users have reported problems with their devices. A Taiwanese woman surnamed Wu was the first to report the problem after her gold iPhone 8 Plus burst open whilst charging using an official charging cable, said Taiwan Apple Daily. Wu had the iPhone for three days and began charging when the device has 70% battery and after three minutes it burst open after becoming swollen, Apple Daily said. …

Ink roots deeper than the dermis

  • 2017-10-03

Ink roots deeper than the dermis Hong Kong tattoo convention as a window to the tattoo culture "Tattoos are not only for 'privileged' gang members," said Gabe Shum, founder of the first-ever international tattoo convention in Hong Kong. People from all walks of life get tattoos, he added. Running its fifth year, the Hong Kong China International Tattoo Convention features more than 300 artists from all around the world. Through this event, Shum hopes that more people could get to know the tattoo culture. From September 29 to October 1 in Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, aisles of booths will provide walk-in tattoo services, but for those who are not yet ready for the lifelong commitment, some also display paintings and stickers designed by artists. The three-day event includes tattoo showcases and competitions, a mini-air gun firing range, DJ turntablism sessions and more. The aim of the convention, however, is not profit-ma, king Shum said. He simply wants the event to run smoothly and for Hong Kong artists to leave a lasting impression. He recalled foreign tattoo artists' doubt on Hong Kong and China artists when he went to tattoo conventions in other countries. Enraged by their disdain, he decided to organise the city's own international tattoo convention. Shum hopes that local tattoo artists will develop their own style and stand out in the international radar. One of the highlights for this year is Tebori, the Japanese traditional practice of tattooing by hand. It is being showcased by Japanese tattoo artist, Sousyu Hayashi throughout the whole convention. Hayashi will have completed a 20-hour scalp tattoo by the end of the event, using his hands, needles and hand-grinded Japanese calligraphy ink. This is considered a rare practice performed by only about 20 artists in Japan, said Hayashi, who has been engraving skin …

National day firework draws hundreds of thousands

  • 2017-10-02

As part of the 68th National Day celebrations, 31,888 pyrotechnic shells were fired from five barges in Victoria Harbour in the evening of October 1. The firework, which costs HK$13 million, lasted for 23 minutes. It is the most expensive firework since the city's handover in 1997. Despite the shower, people were seen flocking in until the very beginning of the ceremony at 8pm. Police estimated the number of attendees to 250,000 in Kowloon and 26,000 on the island. Crowd control measures were in place with the closure of numerous roads. The Marine Department issued special notices restricting maritime traffic and urged vessel owners to follow safety guidelines. Dozens of people gathered in Central in memory of the 39 people killed in the collision of two tourist ships bounding for celebration's firework in 2012. The worst maritime disaster in Hong Kong's modern history has prompted the authorities to issue specific guidelines on boats during fireworks. Some families have been demanding justice as the proceedings are ongoing. The flow of people took some time to disperse. Roads were cleared at around 10p.m.   Reported by Raphael Blet Edited by Cecilia Wong

Rally called for an end to 'authoritarian rule' on China's national day

  • 2017-10-02

  Organizers of ‘anti-authoritarian rally' said  40,000 people attended the march on China's 68th National Day. Raised by Demosisto, League of Social Democrats and other political parties, the demonstration kicked off at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, marching to the Government Headquarters in Tamar. "Step down Yuen Kwok-keung!  Against authoritarian rule! " people called for Justice Secretary Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung to resign during the march. "We are here because we see that the situation is getting worse and worse especially since the new administration took over and began persecution and prosecution," said Griffith Jones, member of Socialist Action. In August,  the Department of Justice successfully appealed to the sentencing of student activists Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Alex Chow Wing-hong and Nathan Law Kwun-chung who were charged for storming the ‘Civic Square' beside the Legco back in 2014. The trio was sentenced between six to eight months behind bars- which pan-democrats regard as a politically motivated sentence. Occupy leaders Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming all showed up in the demonstration. The three face charges of public nuisance in relation to the Umbrella movement, which brought the city's busiest districts to a halt for almost three months. Several protesters were holding yellow umbrellas, a symbol of the 79-day occupied movement in 2014. "We are here because Hong Kong is in a bad shape, we will continue until we take back our city," said a female protester surnamed Ho. Part of the Pro-independence protesters were waving Catalan flags, in reference to the current referendum on the Spanish region's possible independence. "We do not have (hold) Catalan flags because (of) support(ing) Catalonia's independence. We just want to show the government that other countries discuss independence as well," said one of the demonstrators. Spokesperson for the government responded to the event later, saying …

After Three Years, Sea of Yellow Umbrellas re-appeared in Admiralty

  • 2017-09-28
  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Erin Chan、Michael Shum、Daisy LeeEdited by: Isabella Lo
  • 2017-09-28

Convener of Citizen Charter 617 James Hon Lin-shan, also an organiser of the event, said more than a thousand people attended the commemorative rally of Umbrella Movement on Thursday - a double of what he expected. At 5.58pm, participants stood for three minutes of silence with their yellow umbrellas raised.  Steam and sound were used to re-enact the scene at the exact time three years ago, when police started intimidating tear gases to force out the protesters. Around 40 parties and civil groups set up booths in the anniversary event. The three Occupy Central founders -  Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming were among the speakers on stage. Tai said that people in Hong Kong should keep the faith in fighting for democracy. "No matter how the situation becomes, we should believe that Hong Kong can enjoy true democracy one day, " he said. The associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong also criticized the government's suppression on discussions over Hong Kong independence. "Tell me why speaking about Hong Kong independence has violated the law? Which law I have actually violated?" Tai added. He also pointed out that the trio are all mentally prepared for the possible imprisonment. 'I believed once we have started the road of civil disobedience, we have to pluck up our courage to walk till the end, including being imprisoned,'' Reverend Chu said. The pro-democracy Umbrella Movement took place in 2014 was aimed to fight for universal suffrage to elect the city's leader and to resist the 831 framework proposed by Beijing. The 831 framework, laid down by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, set limits for 2017 Chief Executive Elections and 2016 Legislative Council in HKSAR, which involves screening of candidates and emphasizes the importance of a patriotic leader. …

Former student leaders exempt from imprisonment over University council siege

  • 2017-09-22
  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Erin Chan、Michael ShumEdited by: Tracy Zhang、Daisy Lee
  • 2017-09-22

Former student leader Billy Fung Jing-en was sentenced to 240 hours of community service on Thursday over the siege of the University of Hong Kong governing council meeting last year. Fung, then president of the University of Hong Kong Student Union, was convicted of acting in a disorderly conduct by forcing his way into the meeting venue and damaging the front door. His then vice-president, Colman Li Fung-kei, 22, was sentenced to 200 hours of community service for obstruction of blocking paramedics from sending council member Leonie Ki Man-fung to hospital, who was injured during the protests. Both men were convicted in July, but only Fung pleaded guilty to the charges of criminal damage and attempted forcible entry. Magistrate Ko Wai-hung stated that even though both were meant to uphold the belief of social justice, using violence to achieve so is unacceptable. "Your identity as university student is not a halo but a spell. People would follow your every move. Your actions may receive mixed reactions. But if you are opinionated, you will wander from righteousness," said Ko. Ko added that he hoped Fung and Li can use legal, non-violence means to give back to the society upon community sentence. Over hundred mitigation letters were presented to court in support of Fung and Li before the court hearing yesterday. Among the letter writers, there are HKU's president Peter Matheison and HKU council member Leonie Ki Man-fung. Ki was blocked by Li on her way to hospital after being shoved and kicked during the tense protests by students demanding a conversation with chairman Arthur Li Kwok-cheung. Ki stated in the letter that she had forgiven Li after meeting him, who had made a sincere apology. Fung reflected on his jail exemption through facebook. "We may be upset or helpless over our …

41-year-old rape suspect refused to answer questions related to the victim

  • 2017-09-21
  • The Young Reporter
  • By: Dorothy Ma、Windy LI、Tracy ZhangEdited by: Nicole Kwok
  • 2017-09-21

Hung Ngam-Chung rape case in high courtA 41-year-old local man accused of raping a teenager refused to say whether he knows the victim, as a video showed by the prosecution today.The police officer who interrogated the defendant appeared in court as a witness.The video showed a trial by police in which the defendant said he did not know the blotted towel and refuse to talk about his whatsapp message sent to the victim.The blue towel was allegedly to be put under the 16-year-old teenager during the intercourse when she was in her periodHung Ngam-chung, the defendant, pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape. The next hearing is scheduled tomorrow. Posted by Jade Li on 2017年9月19日 Hung Ngam-Chung, an unemployed 41-year-old man, is accused of raping a 16 year-old woman, X,  last year in Hong Kong. Hearing continues at High Court yesterday. In a police interrogation video played in court, the defendant refused to answer whether he knows X, as well as other questions related to the X. The policeman in the video appeared as witness today in court, said that the defendant moved to Hung Yu Mansion in Sham Shui Po two days after X was raped. The video also showed that when the defendant was asked about a found blood towel, he said he did not recognize it. He also refused to talk about his WhatsApp message sent to the victim. The blood towel was allegedly said to be put under X when she was forced to have sex with the defendant. X tried to tell the defendant she was in her period at that time, but the defendant ignored her, then place the towel under X. It is also known that X just gave birth. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape. The next …