China auntie goes viral with comedic imitations, iconic scenes from Korean dramas
By Yating Yang
An elderly Chinese aunt has captured hearts online by parodying iconic scenes from classic Korean dramas with hilarious and exaggerated acting.
The woman’s performances have sparked an outpouring of affection and pleas for her to continue bringing joy.
In recent years, South Korean TV dramas have seen a massive surge in popularity in the West, notably with Squid Game, which was released in September 2021 and watched by one in four people in the United States.
However, recently, a Chinese aunt has brought her unique style to performances, adding a delightful flavor to the Korean drama craze.
The 66-year-old, Zhen Yingzi, from Qingdao, Shandong province in northern China, is known online as “Silly Aunt Yingzi”, where she boasts 811,000 followers.
Her profile modestly states: “I have no education or background. We are a family of twelve sisters, relying solely on ourselves.”
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Yating Yang
An elderly Chinese aunt has captured hearts online by parodying iconic scenes from classic Korean dramas with hilarious and exaggerated acting.
The woman’s performances have sparked an outpouring of affection and pleas for her to continue bringing joy.
In recent years, South Korean TV dramas have seen a massive surge in popularity in the West, notably with Squid Game, which was released in September 2021 and watched by one in four people in the United States.
However, recently, a Chinese aunt has brought her unique style to performances, adding a delightful flavor to the Korean drama craze.
The 66-year-old, Zhen Yingzi, from Qingdao, Shandong province in northern China, is known online as “Silly Aunt Yingzi”, where she boasts 811,000 followers.
Her profile modestly states: “I have no education or background. We are a family of twelve sisters, relying solely on ourselves.”
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Hong Kong watchdog receives 16 complaints over Real Madrid fan meet fiasco
By Edith Lin
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has received 16 complaints involving about HK$118,000 (US$15,200) from disappointed fans who were unable to meet football legends from visiting club Real Madrid at an exhibition game after paying nearly HK$7,000 each for the experience.
“The organiser should explain to each consumer separately. I hope [it] can be more flexible in settling the disputes,” Consumer Council chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han told a radio show on Monday, three days after the event, citing the organisers as saying they would not be issuing full refunds.
On Sunday night, organisers of the “Legends Assemble” programme said they had set up a WhatsApp hotline for the public and had been in contact with the complainants. But they did not at the time mention if refunds would be issued.
The dispute arose from a fan meet-and-greet event, co-organised by World Football Legends, Timewow and ACO Media, that take took place hours before last Friday’s exhibition game between former greats of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona in Hong Kong Stadium.
Fans were charged HK$6,880 for each “Experience Set” ticket, which would allow them to meet players from either of the teams at the Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy.
June Lee, president of the Real Madrid Hong Kong Official Fans Club, said 26 people had bought tickets to the event but some of the stars, including Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and Fabio Cannavaro, had already left the venue by the time the fans got there.
Many were furious that they had not got what they paid for, including a photo with each player and having memorabilia signed. Two fans made police reports.
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By Edith Lin
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has received 16 complaints involving about HK$118,000 (US$15,200) from disappointed fans who were unable to meet football legends from visiting club Real Madrid at an exhibition game after paying nearly HK$7,000 each for the experience.
“The organiser should explain to each consumer separately. I hope [it] can be more flexible in settling the disputes,” Consumer Council chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han told a radio show on Monday, three days after the event, citing the organisers as saying they would not be issuing full refunds.
On Sunday night, organisers of the “Legends Assemble” programme said they had set up a WhatsApp hotline for the public and had been in contact with the complainants. But they did not at the time mention if refunds would be issued.
The dispute arose from a fan meet-and-greet event, co-organised by World Football Legends, Timewow and ACO Media, that take took place hours before last Friday’s exhibition game between former greats of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona in Hong Kong Stadium.
Fans were charged HK$6,880 for each “Experience Set” ticket, which would allow them to meet players from either of the teams at the Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy.
June Lee, president of the Real Madrid Hong Kong Official Fans Club, said 26 people had bought tickets to the event but some of the stars, including Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and Fabio Cannavaro, had already left the venue by the time the fans got there.
Many were furious that they had not got what they paid for, including a photo with each player and having memorabilia signed. Two fans made police reports.
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Ex-Israeli spies describe exploding devices operation against Hezbollah
By Associated Press
Two recently retired senior Israeli intelligence agents shared new details about a deadly clandestine operation years in the making that targeted Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Syria using exploding pagers and walkie talkies three months ago.
Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the Israel-Gaza war.
The agents spoke with CBS 60 Minutes in a segment aired Sunday night. They wore masks and spoke with altered voices to hide their identities.
One agent said the operation started 10 years ago using walkie-talkies laden with hidden explosives, which Hezbollah didn’t realise it was buying from Israel, its enemy. The walkie-talkies were not detonated until September, a day after booby-trapped pagers were set off.
“We created a pretend world,” said the officer, who went by the name “Michael”.
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By Associated Press
Two recently retired senior Israeli intelligence agents shared new details about a deadly clandestine operation years in the making that targeted Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Syria using exploding pagers and walkie talkies three months ago.
Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the Israel-Gaza war.
The agents spoke with CBS 60 Minutes in a segment aired Sunday night. They wore masks and spoke with altered voices to hide their identities.
One agent said the operation started 10 years ago using walkie-talkies laden with hidden explosives, which Hezbollah didn’t realise it was buying from Israel, its enemy. The walkie-talkies were not detonated until September, a day after booby-trapped pagers were set off.
“We created a pretend world,” said the officer, who went by the name “Michael”.
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Japan’s picturesque Ginzan Onsen starts limiting day trippers to tackle overtourism
By Agence France-Presse
A Japanese hot spring town popular for its photogenic snowy scenes began limiting entry to day trippers on Monday in a trial to tackle overtourism during winter.
Ginzan Onsen, a remote town in northern Yamagata region, draws around 330,000 visitors each year.
Many share photos online of its old-fashioned buildings blanketed in snow and illuminated by lamplight that create a nostalgic atmosphere.
However, authorities in Ginzan Onsen, as in more famous destinations such as Kyoto and Mount Fuji, have become fed up with a rise in road problems, quarrels and other nuisances.
From Monday, only people staying at local hotels will be allowed to enter the town after 8pm, while those wishing to visit between 5pm and 8pm will need a reservation.
Japan has seen a record influx of foreign tourists this year as the weak yen swells a post-pandemic travel boom.
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By Agence France-Presse
A Japanese hot spring town popular for its photogenic snowy scenes began limiting entry to day trippers on Monday in a trial to tackle overtourism during winter.
Ginzan Onsen, a remote town in northern Yamagata region, draws around 330,000 visitors each year.
Many share photos online of its old-fashioned buildings blanketed in snow and illuminated by lamplight that create a nostalgic atmosphere.
However, authorities in Ginzan Onsen, as in more famous destinations such as Kyoto and Mount Fuji, have become fed up with a rise in road problems, quarrels and other nuisances.
From Monday, only people staying at local hotels will be allowed to enter the town after 8pm, while those wishing to visit between 5pm and 8pm will need a reservation.
Japan has seen a record influx of foreign tourists this year as the weak yen swells a post-pandemic travel boom.
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Chinese village’s sinkhole nightmare continues with kitchen floor collapse
By Victoria Bela
A woman returned to a small village in southwestern China to find her kitchen floor on the verge of collapsing, just before the latest sinkhole – of more than 30 recorded in the past 17 months – in the area opened up beneath her home.
The Baxiangping community within Xiangping village, northeast of Fuquan city, was declared at risk of a geological disaster in May, with two reports blaming a combination of depleted groundwater, caused by mining and heavy rainfall.
According to the online Red Star News, local resident Hu Yuzhen returned home on December 9 after several days away to find that the cement floor of her kitchen was cracked and sunken, with audible underground activity occurring beneath it.
She went to fetch the village’s geological monitor and by the time they got back to the house a hole had opened up measuring two metres (6.56 feet) wide and three metres (9.84 feet) deep, the Chengdu-based news outlet said in a report on Sunday.
It was the 32nd sinkhole recorded in the Baxiangping group of karst formations – the distinct, erosion-prone terrain that is known for land depressions and subsidence – since August 2023.
Most of the sinkholes appeared in the village’s surrounding fields, especially during the April flood season and throughout the summer, with the city’s natural resources bureau finding in May that both natural and man-made factors were responsible.
Villagers also reported other signs that changes were occurring below ground, including the drying up of springs that were previously used for both drinking and irrigation.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
By Victoria Bela
A woman returned to a small village in southwestern China to find her kitchen floor on the verge of collapsing, just before the latest sinkhole – of more than 30 recorded in the past 17 months – in the area opened up beneath her home.
The Baxiangping community within Xiangping village, northeast of Fuquan city, was declared at risk of a geological disaster in May, with two reports blaming a combination of depleted groundwater, caused by mining and heavy rainfall.
According to the online Red Star News, local resident Hu Yuzhen returned home on December 9 after several days away to find that the cement floor of her kitchen was cracked and sunken, with audible underground activity occurring beneath it.
She went to fetch the village’s geological monitor and by the time they got back to the house a hole had opened up measuring two metres (6.56 feet) wide and three metres (9.84 feet) deep, the Chengdu-based news outlet said in a report on Sunday.
It was the 32nd sinkhole recorded in the Baxiangping group of karst formations – the distinct, erosion-prone terrain that is known for land depressions and subsidence – since August 2023.
Most of the sinkholes appeared in the village’s surrounding fields, especially during the April flood season and throughout the summer, with the city’s natural resources bureau finding in May that both natural and man-made factors were responsible.
Villagers also reported other signs that changes were occurring below ground, including the drying up of springs that were previously used for both drinking and irrigation.
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Hongkonger arrested after car hits man, police seize alleged ‘space oil’
By Johnny Wan
A 44-year-old Hongkonger has been arrested after his car struck an elderly passer-by and police confiscated e-cigarette cartridges allegedly containing “space oil” in the vehicle.
The force said on Monday the 68-year-old victim, surnamed Li, was transported to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung with injuries to his head.
The crash took place at 12.10am near the Tai Nan Street Refuse Collection Point.
“The man was trapped under the vehicle and had to be freed by firefighters,” police said.
The force searched the car and found 28 e-cigarette cartridges allegedly containing space oil. The anaesthetic etomidate, which requires a doctor’s prescription, is currently classified as a Part 1 poison.
Police arrested the driver on suspicion of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and possession of Part 1 poison. Officers from the Kowloon West traffic unit are following up on the case.
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By Johnny Wan
A 44-year-old Hongkonger has been arrested after his car struck an elderly passer-by and police confiscated e-cigarette cartridges allegedly containing “space oil” in the vehicle.
The force said on Monday the 68-year-old victim, surnamed Li, was transported to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung with injuries to his head.
The crash took place at 12.10am near the Tai Nan Street Refuse Collection Point.
“The man was trapped under the vehicle and had to be freed by firefighters,” police said.
The force searched the car and found 28 e-cigarette cartridges allegedly containing space oil. The anaesthetic etomidate, which requires a doctor’s prescription, is currently classified as a Part 1 poison.
Police arrested the driver on suspicion of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and possession of Part 1 poison. Officers from the Kowloon West traffic unit are following up on the case.
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China is making it easier for Americans to visit, but where is the big uptick?
By Bochen Han
A year ago in Woodside, California, the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies met and agreed to improve “people-to-people” exchanges. During the summit with US President Joe Biden, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the country was ready to receive 50,000 young Americans over the next five years.
Since then, China has made it easier for Americans to visit. This includes faster, simpler and cheaper visa processing, especially for students, as well as discounted flights on national carriers. China’s consulates around the United States, along with China-based institutions, have mobilised to facilitate the movement of people and meet the high-level targets set.
There have already been some dividends. One year on, Beijing says that about 14,000 young Americans have made it to mainland China. Overall numbers of American visitors are not available, but all indications point to an improvement since the downturn experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, though they remain a fraction of 2019 figures.
Beijing’s eagerness to increase the number of tourists and students to boost the Chinese economy and have people “see the country for themselves” has also contributed to a lowering of the US’ travel warning for mainland China.
In November, China released a handful of American detainees and Uygurs as part of a deal to get the warning lowered from “reconsider travel” to simply “exercise increased caution”. There are no longer Americans “wrongfully detained” in China, according to the White House’s National Security Council, though it notes that Americans may still be subject to exit bans.
Earlier this month, China announced an expansion of its visa-free transit policy, which allows Americans and citizens from a few dozen other countries to stay in certain Chinese cities for a limited period without a visa while transiting to a third destination.
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By Bochen Han
A year ago in Woodside, California, the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies met and agreed to improve “people-to-people” exchanges. During the summit with US President Joe Biden, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the country was ready to receive 50,000 young Americans over the next five years.
Since then, China has made it easier for Americans to visit. This includes faster, simpler and cheaper visa processing, especially for students, as well as discounted flights on national carriers. China’s consulates around the United States, along with China-based institutions, have mobilised to facilitate the movement of people and meet the high-level targets set.
There have already been some dividends. One year on, Beijing says that about 14,000 young Americans have made it to mainland China. Overall numbers of American visitors are not available, but all indications point to an improvement since the downturn experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, though they remain a fraction of 2019 figures.
Beijing’s eagerness to increase the number of tourists and students to boost the Chinese economy and have people “see the country for themselves” has also contributed to a lowering of the US’ travel warning for mainland China.
In November, China released a handful of American detainees and Uygurs as part of a deal to get the warning lowered from “reconsider travel” to simply “exercise increased caution”. There are no longer Americans “wrongfully detained” in China, according to the White House’s National Security Council, though it notes that Americans may still be subject to exit bans.
Earlier this month, China announced an expansion of its visa-free transit policy, which allows Americans and citizens from a few dozen other countries to stay in certain Chinese cities for a limited period without a visa while transiting to a third destination.
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Beijing-Paris ties on display in Hong Kong show of silk, porcelain and diplomacy
By Ambrose Li
Hongkongers are being treated to a rare joint exhibition of prized French and Chinese artefacts in a show that experts have said shines the light on past exchanges but also indicates a possible readiness to strengthen ties through dialogue.
Laurent Salome, director of the National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon, told the Post how the exhibition showed the progress from cliches in the artistic work of both countries – such as depictions of people that do not resemble reality – to an in-depth understanding of craftsmanship and know-how.
The exhibition, titled “The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the 17th and 18th Centuries” and which opened last week at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, also set out to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
“You see the attempts in France to create porcelain to imitate the great tradition of porcelain making from China ... They’re not just trying to imitate Chinese objects, they are trying to recreate the delicacy of the porcelain, the simplicity of the shape, the elegance,” he said.
“It’s also a matter of emulation or rivalry in a way, but in a very positive way. It makes everybody improve on both sides – the technique of enamel, porcelain, polishing, painting, it’s all been very productive,” Salome said.
Marie-Laure de Rochebrune, general heritage curator at the Palace of Versailles, highlighted a pair of pink porcelain vases that were produced in France and gifted to the Qing court.
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By Ambrose Li
Hongkongers are being treated to a rare joint exhibition of prized French and Chinese artefacts in a show that experts have said shines the light on past exchanges but also indicates a possible readiness to strengthen ties through dialogue.
Laurent Salome, director of the National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon, told the Post how the exhibition showed the progress from cliches in the artistic work of both countries – such as depictions of people that do not resemble reality – to an in-depth understanding of craftsmanship and know-how.
The exhibition, titled “The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the 17th and 18th Centuries” and which opened last week at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, also set out to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
“You see the attempts in France to create porcelain to imitate the great tradition of porcelain making from China ... They’re not just trying to imitate Chinese objects, they are trying to recreate the delicacy of the porcelain, the simplicity of the shape, the elegance,” he said.
“It’s also a matter of emulation or rivalry in a way, but in a very positive way. It makes everybody improve on both sides – the technique of enamel, porcelain, polishing, painting, it’s all been very productive,” Salome said.
Marie-Laure de Rochebrune, general heritage curator at the Palace of Versailles, highlighted a pair of pink porcelain vases that were produced in France and gifted to the Qing court.
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China can’t rely on technology as a panacea for economic recovery
By Chengxin Zhang
Since 2022, China’s economy has been haunted by a weak recovery. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth has fallen below 5 per cent for two consecutive quarters this year, posing challenges for Beijing to achieve its annual growth target of around 5 per cent.
The International Monetary Fund estimates that the proportion of China’s nominal GDP in US dollars relative to that of the US will be around 62.6 per cent in 2024.
How can China get out of its current economic dilemma? Domestic technological advancement is usually thought of as a solution. The history of each industrial revolution tells us that technological advancement can raise productivity so it’s imperative for China to move forward in this regard.
As the Chinese economy slows down, the US is tightening tech sanctions. Recently, in an escalation of the tech war, 140 Chinese chip-related entities were added to the Entity List of the US Department of Commerce. Now, at least 1,000 Chinese entities across multiple industries have been added to the Entity List, restricting them from accessing US technologies.
In addition to the blacklist, Chinese companies face warped supply chains due to other restrictive measures such as rigorous tariff and foreign investment reviews, laws that limit tech cooperation with China and attempts to put pressure on allies to restrict tech exports.
That’s why Beijing is pushing forward its campaign to become self-reliant in core technology, with industrial policies such as Made in China 2025 and the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as the “Big Fund”. This is the only way China can mitigate its dependence on foreign technology, decrease its vulnerability to fluctuations in the global market and safeguard economic security.
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By Chengxin Zhang
Since 2022, China’s economy has been haunted by a weak recovery. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth has fallen below 5 per cent for two consecutive quarters this year, posing challenges for Beijing to achieve its annual growth target of around 5 per cent.
The International Monetary Fund estimates that the proportion of China’s nominal GDP in US dollars relative to that of the US will be around 62.6 per cent in 2024.
How can China get out of its current economic dilemma? Domestic technological advancement is usually thought of as a solution. The history of each industrial revolution tells us that technological advancement can raise productivity so it’s imperative for China to move forward in this regard.
As the Chinese economy slows down, the US is tightening tech sanctions. Recently, in an escalation of the tech war, 140 Chinese chip-related entities were added to the Entity List of the US Department of Commerce. Now, at least 1,000 Chinese entities across multiple industries have been added to the Entity List, restricting them from accessing US technologies.
In addition to the blacklist, Chinese companies face warped supply chains due to other restrictive measures such as rigorous tariff and foreign investment reviews, laws that limit tech cooperation with China and attempts to put pressure on allies to restrict tech exports.
That’s why Beijing is pushing forward its campaign to become self-reliant in core technology, with industrial policies such as Made in China 2025 and the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as the “Big Fund”. This is the only way China can mitigate its dependence on foreign technology, decrease its vulnerability to fluctuations in the global market and safeguard economic security.
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Desert ant shows Chinese team the way to high-definition polarised light sensor chip
By Victoria Bela
Chinese researchers inspired by the eyes of the desert ant have developed a compact chip to detect the orientation of polarised light.
The chip can have a wide range of uses including in navigation, fingerprint detection, and even identifying cancerous tissue, the team said.
Polarisation photodetectors (pol-PDs) are special light sensors that can sense the direction of polarised light. By identifying differences in incoming light, these photodetectors can distinguish contrast and enhance image quality.
Such photodetectors have widespread applications in areas including “geological remote sensing, machine vision [and] biological medicine”, the team wrote in a paper published in peer-reviewed journal Science Advances on December 4.
The challenge is that commercial polarised photodetectors are hard to miniaturise, as they are made bulky and complex by the complicated optical systems and parts needed for them to function, the team said.
In the new study led by bio-inspired materials expert Li Mingzhu’s team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who worked alongside researchers from Beihang University and Imperial College London, the scientists turned to the eyes of desert ants to inspire a simpler design.
While our eyes consist of a single eye unit, compound eyes found in insects and crustaceans are made up of many small units containing photoreceptor cells.
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By Victoria Bela
Chinese researchers inspired by the eyes of the desert ant have developed a compact chip to detect the orientation of polarised light.
The chip can have a wide range of uses including in navigation, fingerprint detection, and even identifying cancerous tissue, the team said.
Polarisation photodetectors (pol-PDs) are special light sensors that can sense the direction of polarised light. By identifying differences in incoming light, these photodetectors can distinguish contrast and enhance image quality.
Such photodetectors have widespread applications in areas including “geological remote sensing, machine vision [and] biological medicine”, the team wrote in a paper published in peer-reviewed journal Science Advances on December 4.
The challenge is that commercial polarised photodetectors are hard to miniaturise, as they are made bulky and complex by the complicated optical systems and parts needed for them to function, the team said.
In the new study led by bio-inspired materials expert Li Mingzhu’s team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who worked alongside researchers from Beihang University and Imperial College London, the scientists turned to the eyes of desert ants to inspire a simpler design.
While our eyes consist of a single eye unit, compound eyes found in insects and crustaceans are made up of many small units containing photoreceptor cells.
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K-pop star G-Dragon’s gender-bending ‘auntie’ style prompts explosion of memes, imitations
By Fran Lu
The K-pop superstar G-Dragon, who made a major comeback in October with Power, his first new song in seven years has become an “auntie” for many social media users across Asia, thanks to his new avant-garde style.
In November, the 36-year-old singer and rapper was spotted at the Incheon International Airport wearing a red cardigan and an eye-catching pink flower-patterned scarf draped over a baseball cap that reportedly relates to the traditional Korean Bojagi wrapping cloth.
The Chanel ambassador was on his way to Hong Kong to attend the brand’s show.
His look at the event, a pink Chanel tweed jacket over a floral blouse and a pair of sparkling loafers, once again evoked a style commonly seen on middle-aged women.
His new androgynous look has sparked a wave of memes and copying.
A Chinese online observer jokingly posted a photo of a group of peasant women wearing colourful cardigans and head scarves, with the prompt “please find G-Dragon in the photo”.
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By Fran Lu
The K-pop superstar G-Dragon, who made a major comeback in October with Power, his first new song in seven years has become an “auntie” for many social media users across Asia, thanks to his new avant-garde style.
In November, the 36-year-old singer and rapper was spotted at the Incheon International Airport wearing a red cardigan and an eye-catching pink flower-patterned scarf draped over a baseball cap that reportedly relates to the traditional Korean Bojagi wrapping cloth.
The Chanel ambassador was on his way to Hong Kong to attend the brand’s show.
His look at the event, a pink Chanel tweed jacket over a floral blouse and a pair of sparkling loafers, once again evoked a style commonly seen on middle-aged women.
His new androgynous look has sparked a wave of memes and copying.
A Chinese online observer jokingly posted a photo of a group of peasant women wearing colourful cardigans and head scarves, with the prompt “please find G-Dragon in the photo”.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Long-haul flights to cost Hongkongers more this Christmas, travel firms say
By Cannix Yau
Long-haul travellers will have to pay more for economy-class airfares this Christmas season, with some return flights costing over HK$32,000 (US$4,110) due to higher demand, rising operational costs and staff shortages, industry players have said, adding they expect prices to fall next year as capacity returns.
Lily Agonoy, managing director of Jebsen Travel, said passengers could expect rising economy-class airfares to destinations such as London, New York, Sydney and Vancouver compared with last year, with prices ranging from HK$3,650 to HK$32,640, while short-haul airfares had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Ticket prices for the class have soared by up to 43 per cent compared with long-haul trips in December 2019.
“Flights to London have seen a significant increase in prices. Higher fuel surcharges and increased taxes, along with a rise in demand due to more people travelling, have contributed to this increase,” she said.
“Airfares to New York have also increased. The limited number of outbound flights from Hong Kong has driven up prices.
“Overall speaking, rising operational costs, increasing fuel prices and staff shortages have caused airlines to raise airfares.”
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By Cannix Yau
Long-haul travellers will have to pay more for economy-class airfares this Christmas season, with some return flights costing over HK$32,000 (US$4,110) due to higher demand, rising operational costs and staff shortages, industry players have said, adding they expect prices to fall next year as capacity returns.
Lily Agonoy, managing director of Jebsen Travel, said passengers could expect rising economy-class airfares to destinations such as London, New York, Sydney and Vancouver compared with last year, with prices ranging from HK$3,650 to HK$32,640, while short-haul airfares had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Ticket prices for the class have soared by up to 43 per cent compared with long-haul trips in December 2019.
“Flights to London have seen a significant increase in prices. Higher fuel surcharges and increased taxes, along with a rise in demand due to more people travelling, have contributed to this increase,” she said.
“Airfares to New York have also increased. The limited number of outbound flights from Hong Kong has driven up prices.
“Overall speaking, rising operational costs, increasing fuel prices and staff shortages have caused airlines to raise airfares.”
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Outrage in Philippines over deep cuts forces Marcos to halt US$108 billion budget signing
By Raissa Robles
Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has delayed signing the 6.35 trillion pesos (US$108 billion) national budget following public anger over the diversion of funds intended for the country’s poorest citizens to the “pork barrel” of the president and lawmakers.
The presidential palace belatedly announced the decision on Friday to allow more time for a thorough review of a measure “that will determine the course of the nation for the next year”.
“The public outrage has influenced him to backtrack,” health reform advocate Dr Anthony Leachon told This Week in Asia.
Leachon, a former president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said “if the president allows the budget to pass into law, he becomes complicit” in what Congress did.
The uproar began after both chambers of Congress approved the 2025 budget, which includes major cuts of about 361 billion pesos (US$6.1 billion) to government agencies that offer social protection and medical services to the poorest sectors of the economy.
The state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), which provides medical insurance to paying members as well as to the non-paying poor, elderly and disabled, had 74 billion pesos proposed national government subsidy for 2025 slashed – effectively cutting the legally required yearly contribution of the Marcos administration to zero.
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By Raissa Robles
Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has delayed signing the 6.35 trillion pesos (US$108 billion) national budget following public anger over the diversion of funds intended for the country’s poorest citizens to the “pork barrel” of the president and lawmakers.
The presidential palace belatedly announced the decision on Friday to allow more time for a thorough review of a measure “that will determine the course of the nation for the next year”.
“The public outrage has influenced him to backtrack,” health reform advocate Dr Anthony Leachon told This Week in Asia.
Leachon, a former president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said “if the president allows the budget to pass into law, he becomes complicit” in what Congress did.
The uproar began after both chambers of Congress approved the 2025 budget, which includes major cuts of about 361 billion pesos (US$6.1 billion) to government agencies that offer social protection and medical services to the poorest sectors of the economy.
The state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), which provides medical insurance to paying members as well as to the non-paying poor, elderly and disabled, had 74 billion pesos proposed national government subsidy for 2025 slashed – effectively cutting the legally required yearly contribution of the Marcos administration to zero.
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