A person dressed as the mascot of Tokyo Tower wears a face shield while waiting to greet patrons at the entrance of the 332.9m (1,092ft.) high tower on May 28, 2020, as the city's landmark reopened following the lifting on May 25 of the state of emergency, imposed due to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)

A person looks at Australian artist Ron Muecks large-scale installation “Mass” which comprises more than 100 hand-cast skulls that collectively weigh approximately 5000 kilograms at an exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne on May 18, 2022. (Photo by William West/AFP Photo)

A person watches Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, light up the night sky with eruptions, as seen from Piazzale Funivia dell'Etna, Italy on December 1, 2023. (Photo by Etna Walk/Giuseppe Distefano/Handout via Reuters)

An injured person is seen after an earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, January 12, 2010. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake, the largest ever recorded in the area, rocked Haiti on Tuesday. (Photo by Jorge Cruz/AP Photo)

English social media influencer Grace Keeling, aka GK Barry, won over jungle viewers on I'm A Celeb with her down-to-earth personality to finish in fifth place. Grace went from being a normal student to having more than 4 million followers on TikTok. (Photo by Mark Hayman)

Relatives wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) mourn a man, who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), during his funeral at a crematorium in New Delhi, India on April 21, 2021. (Photo by Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

A person suspected of looting is beaten by protesters during demonstrations to mark the first anniversary of the deadly 2024 anti-government protests that drew widespread condemnation over the use of force by security agencies, in Nakuru, Kenya on June 25, 2025. (Photo by Suleiman Mbatiah/Reuters)

Some are in it just for the money, others to help buy a meal. Then there are those who trade for fun or to spend time among friends. Millions of investors – pensioners, security guards, high-school students – dominate China's stock markets, conducting about 80 percent of all trades. Retirees gather in brokerage houses dotted around China also to enjoy some company and savour the air conditioning on hot days. Some start as young as 13, trading from home with an eye on future careers in finance. Winning isn't guaranteed. This year, among the most turbulent in China's financial history, its stock markets more than doubled in the six months to May, only to crash amid concerns that growth in the country, which makes everything from cars to steel, is slowing faster than previously thought. (Photo by Aly Song/Reuters)