Veteran Cantonese opera teacher Leung Sum-yee does not expect every child who enters her classroom to become a performer. If they leave knowing what good Cantonese opera sounds and looks like, she considers that worthwhile too. “My purpose was not to train stars or idols. I wanted more people to understand Cantonese opera and to have more audiences,” she said. That approach has guided Leung through more than three decades of teaching and cultural advocacy. She founded an opera organisation in...

Lorelai Jacinto had worked as a domestic helper in Riyadh for two and a half years before she flew home to the Philippines on September 19, increasingly worried that the conflict in the Middle East was making it unsafe to stay. “When the conflict with Iran happened, I started feeling like it wasn’t safe there any more because I was right there in Riyadh myself, so the bombing, the missiles, were closer to us,” Jacinto told This Week in Asia. “I got worried, I got scared that maybe I wouldn’t be...

Veteran Cantonese opera teacher Leung Sum-yee does not expect every child who enters her classroom to become a performer. If they leave knowing what good Cantonese opera sounds and looks like, she considers that worthwhile too. “My purpose was not to train stars or idols. I wanted more people to understand Cantonese opera and to have more audiences,” she said. That approach has guided Leung through more than three decades of teaching and cultural advocacy. She founded an opera organisation in...

Five Guangdong-registered yachts will sail into Hong Kong waters on Friday when the Southbound Yacht Travel Scheme launches, the city’s marine chief has said, adding that officers will step up patrols. A ceremony marking the scheme’s maiden voyages will also take place. The launch is a key step in the government’s plan to develop Hong Kong’s yacht economy, as outlined in the city’s first five-year plan and the latest policy address. Under the scheme, mainland Chinese vessels can register through...

Hong Kong’s four franchised bus operators have applied for fare hikes of up to 17.7 per cent as they face “significant financial pressure” from soaring fuel prices amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. Buses outside department store Sogo in Causeway Bay. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The city’s four bus operators — Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB), Citybus, Long Win Bus, and New Lantao Bus — submitted applications to the government on Wednesday for fare increases ranging between 8.1 and 17.7 per cent. The fare hike applications were triggered by a sharp rise in diesel prices as fuel costs jumped 75 to 134 per cent among the four bus operators, driving up fuel expenditures by 85 to 132 per cent, according to a document submitted to the Legislative Council. That was despite the government providing a subsidy of HK$3 per litre of diesel that ran for two months until June 29 this year. After-tax profits dropped by 20 to 30 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, compared to the same period last year, the document read. “Amid the uncertain trajectory of the war in the Middle East, oil prices are expected to remain at a relatively high level, persistently affecting the financial position of all [bus operators],” it read. Of the four operators, Citybus is seeking the largest increase at 17.7 per cent, while KMB has requested a 16 per cent hike. New Lantao Bus is asking for 9.8 per cent, and Long Win has applied for an 8.1 per cent increase. Passenger numbers lag The document also said that the industry recorded 3.7 million average daily passenger journeys in 2024 and 2025, representing a slight increase compared to about 3.67 million in 2023. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan. File photo: GovHK. “However, the passenger journeys had yet to return to the pre-pandemic level,” the document read. “Such passenger figure reflects the competition faced by the franchised bus industry from other public transport modes, as well as the structural changes in the travelling pattern of passengers.” KMB, Citybus, and New Lantao last hiked fares in January last year. Speaking at the Legislative Council, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said that the government attaches great importance to the reliability and financial sustainability of bus operators, and is paying close attention to passenger affordability. “We will certainly strictly exercise our gatekeeping role in this regard. Of course, we will look at a basket of factors, particularly examining the future operating conditions of franchised buses as well as their cost and revenue forecasts,” she said. Ben Chan, chairman of the legislature’s transport panel, urged the Executive Council, which approves fare hikes along with the Chief Executive, to balance the operators’ sustainability with passenger affordability. He added that he hoped the bus operators would find ways to mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs, for instance by exploring other means of non-farebox revenue.

Hong Kong has recorded 229 taxi driver-related offences under a demerit points system that came into effect in 2024, with more than half involving refusal of hire, the government has said. Hong Kong urban taxis and New Territories taxis. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. In a written reply to lawmaker Chris Ip on Wednesday, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said that, as of October 2, a total of 229 taxi drivers had incurred points under the Taxi-Driver-Offence Points system. The system became effective in September 2024 and targets 11 offences including refusal of hire and overcharging. Among them, 125 of the offences involved refusal of hire. Three drivers were disqualified from driving a taxi for three months after having incurred 15 points or more, Chan said. Meanwhile, the Transport Department received close to 6,000 complaints related to taxi drivers between September 2024 and August this year, with over 600 cases involving refusal of hire, Chan said. Referring to some New Territories residents’ views that it was difficult to hire a taxi during peak hours, Ip suggested that authorities set up dedicated taxi stands at certain New Territories interchanges for passengers bound for urban areas. However, Chan said that setting up taxi stands for specific destinations may fail to address passengers’ demand for point-to-point transportation and even cause confusion, especially for tourists. “We consider that maintaining the current simple and clear arrangement is more appropriate and preferable,” Chan said. Improving New Territories taxi service During a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, Ip also urged authorities to improve taxi services in the parts of New Territories served by green taxis by expanding its designated operating areas. Currently, green taxis – as opposed to urban red taxis – can operate only in the north-eastern and north-western parts of the territory, with lower fares than urban taxis. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on December 17, 2025. Photo: GovHK. That means residents cannot take a green taxi from Ma On Shan to Sha Tin, or from Sai Kung to Tseung Kwan O, Ip said, despite the journey taking place within the same administrative district. In response, Chan said the government maintains a “positive stance” on changing transportation demands for New Territories taxis, and will review the current arrangements through continued dialogue with stakeholders. But any adjustments will also have to take into account the differences in fares and supply between urban and New Territories taxis, Chan added. Separately, lawmaker Lothair Lam of the transport sector asked whether authorities would consider merging urban and New Territories taxis due to large-scale development plans in the city’s north, such as the sprawling Northern Metropolis. “As the Northern Metropolis becomes more developed, the differences between New Territories and urban areas will diminish,” Lam said in Cantonese. New Territories taxis. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Chan dismissed Lam’s suggestion, saying the New Territories is vast with remote areas, justifying the need for designated taxis. The government introduced the demerit points system in September 2024 to improve the overall service standards of the taxi trade and target “black sheep” in the industry. Any driver incurring 15 or more points within two years will be disqualified from driving a taxi, with an initial ban of three months. For subsequent disqualifications, they will be banned for six months. Those with 10 points or above will have to attend a service improvement course. If they fail to do so, they are liable on conviction to a fine of HK$5,000 and a one-month jail term.

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