Electricity bills are set to surge next year, with the two local power companies expected to announce likely double-digit increases in tariffs on Monday amid rising global fuel prices. Both CLP Power and Hong Kong Electric will be making presentations at a Legco panel. But earlier, to take the sting out of the coming announcement, CLP Power said it would be providing some HK$200 million in community support next year to help alleviate the impact of the higher fees on underprivileged families. It said around 100,000 grassroots families will benefit from one-off fuel cost subsidies of HK$600. CLP will also provide one-off subsidies of HK$800 to 50,000 tenants of subdivided flats. Its chief corporate development officer Quince Chong told Kelly Yu the measures will help reduce the impact of electricity price rises on the underprivileged community:

The Star Ferry has applied to double its fares as it struggles to continue running its loss-making cross-harbour services. It has also asked for permission to scrap its free rides for the elderly, as Joanne Wong reports:

The Executive Council won't meet as usual later this morning because the Chief Executive is suffering from a mild fever after coming down with Covid-19. John Lee tested positive for the virus after returning to Hong Kong from his first overseas trip as the leader of the SAR. Kelly Yu reports:

Beijing says it's facing its most severe test of the Covid-19 pandemic. Authorities in the capital issued the warning as they began shutting businesses and schools in hard-hit districts and tightening rules for entering the city as infections ticked higher there and nationally. Mike Weeks reports:

A representative of the catering industry says most restaurants aren't keen on serving tour groups who have the amber health code because its currently impossible to determine the cost-effectiveness of doing so. And the Travel Industry Council says the slightly relaxed restrictions that have just come in aren't likely to be much of a draw. This comes as Hong Kong's coronavirus tally fell for a second straight day on Monday. 7,286 new Covid infections were reported, 614 of them imported. Vanessa Cheng reports:

Some Hong Kong business leaders, who accompanied John Lee and other officials to Thailand for the Apec summit, say they have cleared up misunderstandings people there may have about the city. As Violet Wong reports, they believe the trip will pave the way for more cooperation between the two places in future:

Hong Kong’s sole representative of China's top legislative body, Tam Yiu-chung, has confirmed that he's stepping down from the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. He says it's been an honour to serve, and listed the national security law he helped Beijing draft for its SAR as one of the highlights. Ada Au reports:

The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong says it will issue guidelines soon to affiliated sports associations on the use of the national flag and anthem, to prevent any mix-ups. As Maggie Ho reports, such problems have occurred at rugby matches involving the SAR's squads at least twice this month and once earlier in the year:

A survey of over 1,000 low-income families has found that more that 60 percent can't sustain a healthy diet. Researchers from the Hong Kong and Chinese universities say that extrapolates to around a million people in the city not being able to afford to buy sufficiently healthy food. The study commissioned by Food-Co was carried out between March 2021 and August this year. The government-funded platform connects businesses with surplus food to local distributors. Connie Ng, a senior manager from St. James Settlement which oversees the Food-Co project, told Janice Wong more about the survey findings:

Auction house Christie's has called off the sale of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, days before it was due to go under the hammer here in Hong Kong. The announcement comes after an American fossil company raised doubts about parts of the skeleton, named "Shen". Aaron Tam reports: