Radio Lantau News

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1. T8 in effect but higher signals not likely, says HKO

   The Observatory issued the No 8 Southeast Gale or Storm signal at 9.20pm on Sunday as Tapah intensified into a severe tropical storm. Forecasters said the No 8 signal will remain in force until at least 11am on Monday, and that the chance of higher signals is "relatively low" unless the storm adopts a track closer to the Pearl River Estuary or strengthens significantly. At 10pm, Tapah was about 250 kilometres south-southwest of the SAR and is forecast to move northwest or north-northwest at about 18 kilometres an hour, edging closer to the coast of western Guangdong. According to the present forecast track, it will skirt within 200 kilometres southwest of Hong Kong around sunrise on Monday before making landfall over western Guangdong. Local winds are expected to strengthen further on Sunday night and Monday, and there will be squally heavy showers and thunderstorms. Classes of all day schools on Monday – including secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres – have been suspended. And with the No 8 signal in force, the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan and the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui have been closed temporarily. Air traffic are also being disrupted with several airlines announcing the cancellation of flights. Passengers are being urged to check with the airlines for the latest flight information.

2. Election Committee by-elections turnout tops 97pc

   Turnout for Sunday's Election Committee Subsector By-elections topped 97 percent. The government said 3,534 out of 3,631 registered voters cast their ballots in the polls that closed at 6pm, for a turnout of 97.33 percent. The ballot boxes were then delivered to the central counting station at the Convention and Exhibition Centre for counting. Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, David Lok, said authorities aim to complete vote-counting before the storm signal No 8 takes effect. The Observatory said it will issue the No 8 signal at 9.20pm on Sunday.

3. T8 to be issued at 9.20pm

   The Observatory said it will issue the gale or storm signal number 8 at 9.20pm on Sunday, as tropical storm Tapah edges closer to the western coast of Guangdong and is intensifying gradually. At 6pm, Tapah was estimated to be about 290 kilometres south of Hong Kong, and was forecast to move northwest or north-northwest at about 18 kilometres per hour. The forecaster said the storm is expected to skirt within 200 kilometres southwest of Hong Kong around sunrise on Monday, before making landfall over western Guangdong. The number 8 signal will remain in force until at least 11am on Monday. The Education Bureau announced that classes of all day schools on Monday – including secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres – are suspended. Arrangements for evening schools will be announced on Monday. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific called on passengers to check their flight status prior to heading to the airport, as a number of its flights scheduled to operate on Monday have been cancelled. Several other airlines have also announced the cancellation of flights. Ferry services operator Turbojet has stopped all of the remaining Sunday services to and from Sheung Wan, Kowloon and Zhuhai due to the storm. It will also stop services to Macau by 8.30pm.

4. Student suicide risk remains high: expert

   The number of student suicide cases in Hong Kong remained at a high level, according to a member of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, Paul Yip. Speaking on a TVB programme on Sunday, Yip said despite a drop in the cases in 2024 compared with the year before, Hong Kong needs to remain vigilant. The head of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong said students were denied the chance of building friendship during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the long-lasting impact still affects some of them today. "The students at their teenage years should have established good interpersonal relationships and a network of friends, but they lost that opportunity. Even after they move up to senior grades, they might not be able to fix the relationships," Yip said. "We hope schools could provide more opportunities for the students to build closer relationships with their classmates and teachers, and many problems can be solved on that level without the need of professionals." Yip said it’s important to make schools "a happy place" for students, to help reduce their anxiety. He raised concern about suicide cases among primary five and six students, and called for the expansion of the government-led three-tier school-based emergency mechanism to cover primary students as well. Yip also called on parents to notice sudden changes in their children’s emotions and enhance communication.

5. John Lee wants to boost horse racing tourism

   Chief Executive John Lee said on Sunday he hopes the Tourism Board will keep working with the Jockey Club to promote horse racing as a key part of Hong Kong’s travel experience. Lee was at Sha Tin Racecourse to attend festivities marking the start of the racing season. Writing on his Facebook page, Lee encouraged the travel industry to design high-quality tour packages that include horse racing. He said this would allow more visitors to experience Hong Kong’s long history and its horse-racing culture. The CE added that the government and the Jockey Club will work together to create “sports tourism experiences,” attracting tourists to come for international race days, performances and themed racing events.

6. Starry Lee pushes for smoother cross-border travel

   Hong Kong’s sole deputy to the country's top legislative body, Starry Lee, said on Sunday she's proposing efforts to further streamline border-crossing arrangements between Hong Kong and the mainland. Lee spoke to reporters before flying to Beijing to attend a five-day meeting of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee that starts on Monday. She said she has written to authorities on the mainland to push for measures that make cross-boundary travel smoother. She noted that traffic is now very heavy, with 45 million visits by mainlanders to the SAR last year and many Hong Kong residents heading north on weekends and holidays. “Mainland authorities have announced that checkpoints will introduce separate screening for large and small luggage. I hope this can be rolled out gradually, and as soon as possible, at different crossings," she said. "I will also raise concerns about holiday traffic jams on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and urge the customs authority and relevant departments to give the issue close attention.” Lee said the five-day meeting has a packed agenda, including deliberation of 18 pieces of legislation and briefings on 13 reports, many of which relate to Hong Kong.

7. HKO to consider issuing T8 on Sunday evening

   The Observatory said it will consider issuing the No. 8 signal between 9pm and midnight on Sunday, as tropical storm Tapah is expected to intensify further and edge closer to the western coast of Guangdong. The Observatory said the storm had moved north-northwest steadily in the past couple of hours, and its outer bands of thundery showers are affecting the coast of Guangdong. At 3pm, Tapah was about 340 kilometres south of the SAR and was forecast to move north-northwest at about 18 kilometres per hour. The forecaster said the storm will skirt within 200 kilometres southwest of Hong Kong on Monday morning, with its associated gale winds affecting the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary gradually. The Strong Wind Signal No. 3 was issued at 2.40am and the Observatory has said it would remain in force for most of the day. It said the city will be hit by occasional squally showers and thunderstorms throughout Sunday, with heavy squally showers and windy weather on Monday.

8. 'New ride-hailing framework will not affect citizens'

   Transport minister Mable Chan on Sunday said the 12-year cap on vehicle age limits for ride-hailing services allows for more flexibility even under strict regulations, and will not affect current services. The limitation is five years longer than the original cap proposed by the Transport and Logistics Bureau in July. Speaking on a radio programme, Chan said the government would adhere to the curb that aims to promote safety and protect citizens' interests. "We hope to not enforce too much and [place] too many strict limits on ride-hailing service drivers and vehicles that could participate in the government's plan, which may affect those that are currently providing such services [to citizens]," Chan said. "They may lose their business [due to] not being able to provide services, and harm the interests of citizens," she added. She said such vehicles are also required to go through examinations each year to ensure safety standards are met. Chan said the government's proposal, gazetted on Friday, also aims to prevent the emergence of a rental market that may cause speculation and liability issues. She said the move would also prevent illegal workers from providing ride-hailing services. Under the plan, each permit is tied to one vehicle and its registered owner, who must be the sole driver. Drivers also have to be at least 21 years of age, hold a Hong Kong permanent identity card, and have no serious traffic conviction records within five years preceding the application date. The minister added that ride-hailing service platforms would also have to take on responsibility in monitoring whether vehicles and drivers operating under them have obtained the right licences, and that platforms may have to face criminal liability if there are any offences.

9. Higher signals may be issued: HKO

   The Observatory said it may consider issuing higher tropical cyclone warning signal on Sunday night, according to Tropical Storm Tapah's rate of intensification and proximity to Hong Kong. The weather watchdog raised the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 at 2.40am, and said the signal would remain in force for most of the day. The forecaster said the storm has continued to track north-northwestwards, with its outer bands of thundery showers affecting the coast of Guangdong. Local winds will pick up progressively, it added. "According to the present forecast, Tapah will continue to intensify and skirt around 200 kilometres to the southwest of Hong Kong tomorrow morning," said Acting Senior Scientific Officer Shum Chi-tai. "Members of the public are advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports," he added. The Observatory said heavy squally showers and thunderstorms will hit the city on Monday and Tuesday, with the weather improving and becoming very hot in the middle and latter parts of the week.

10. Belt and Road Summit to explore opportunities: FS

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan said more than 90 officials and business leaders from 18 countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative will exchange views at an upcoming summit. The two-day 10th Belt and Road Summit will be held at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday and Thursday. Writing on his blog on Sunday, Chan said the speakers at the summit will discuss business opportunities created by the initiative in different sectors including investment, innovation, infrastructure, logistics and professional services. Hong Kong has been actively contributing to the initiative, which has benefited participating countries and regions since it was launched in 2013, he added. Chan also said he visited two historic sites related to the War of Resistance on Saturday. The government has gathered information on more than 40 war resistance-related sites, and conducted repair and maintenance works at these places, he said.