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Fund is more a PR exercise for tycoons
Poor families can hardly cope with rising inflation, even when there are government subsidies. I think the Community Care Fund is a controversial initiative.
The goal seems to be to reduce resentment against the rich rather than improving the living standards of those in need. In other words, tycoons want to show how generous they are through the Community Care Fund. As the fund doesn't say how the money will be spent, and is only voluntary, I doubt if it will succeed.
Hong Kong's tycoons have a responsibility to help the underprivileged fight their plight. It is the duty of the extremely rich to contribute to Hong Kong society because they are earning billions in profit. They should always take care of the poor, not just donate money to a high-profile fund.
Alice Hung Man-ching, Pooi To Middle School
Leaks may make leaders more open
The WikiLeaks website has uncovered many classified documents that could affect international security and relations. This raises the question of whether 'leaking' is ethical or not.
The leaks so far have caused a fair bit of chaos internationally, but perhaps it isn't all that negative. People have learned murky secrets behind their supposedly open and clean governments.
North Korea, for one, discovered that her strong and influential ally China was teetering on whether to join the international community to confront North Korea for the sake of a more peaceful world, or to side with its old friend despite it acting like a dangerous 'spoilt child', as quoted in WikiLeaks documents.
Who knows what other secrets will be exposed? On the bright side, it might force governments to be more open with their citizens.
Siu Yau-king, Diocesan Girls' School
'More' is not always better
With so many fast food outlets around our city, it's common to see schoolchildren eating junk food on their way home.
Teenagers are not aware of the effects of a poor diet. They eat junk food just to satisfy their craving. But these types of food cannot provide us with well-balanced nutrition.
Young people enjoy a much higher living standard than their parents did at their age. They have money to buy luxuries, but it only makes their health poor.
Alison Yeung Pooi To Middle School
Liu right choice for Peace Prize
Liu Xiaobo is a very important person on the mainland's road to democracy. He had been jailed three times since joining the 1989 student protests in Tiananmen Square.
After his release, Liu used his pen to fight for human rights on the mainland. In 2008, he was convicted of inciting subversion after writing Charter 08, which urged the central government to respect human rights and the rule of law, and to introduce democratic reforms.
For this, he was jailed for 11 years. Despite his harsh judgment, he wrote famously that 'I don't have enemies' because he believed those who convicted him were controlled by the state.
The decision to award Liu the Nobel Peace Prize was correct because he forgave those who had been unfair to him. This is the real spirit of the prize.
William Cheung, Tak Sun Secondary School
The good, bad and ugly of dieting
Can dieting really change your life for the better? Or is it just a fad that might completely ruin your health?
A good diet paves the way to good health. A high-fat diet poses a greater risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Obese people are more prone to such diseases and others, such as diabetes. One of the best things they can do is lose weight.
Some people diet to get a better their figure. They consult a doctor and, with time, take off pounds healthily, resulting in a nicer figure and greater self-confidence.
But some people blindly follow starvation diets. This could lead to malnutrition.
Instead of improving their appearance, they start to look gaunt and unhealthy.
Samantha Wong Man-ting Wong
