All five franchised bus companies in Hong Kong have applied to bump up their fares. Most would rise by about 10 percent. But if the fee increases are approved, the cost of taking an airport bus could jump by half. Vanessa Cheng reports:

A transport consultant says the five franchised bus companies appear to have chosen 'arbitrary' figures in their applications for fare hikes. Alok Jain, CEO and managing director of Trans-Consult, said unlike the rail firm, there was no objective fare adjustment-mechanism for buses, guided – for example – by inflation or the wage index. Jain also said there appeared to be no service guarantee attached to the fare hike. He told Ben Tse that passengers would be willing to pay more if the bus companies could provide better value for money:

Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker Bill Tang has called on the government to reject what he described as "crazy" fare-rise applications, saying they will hurt Hong Kong's economy. He was especially critical of the steep hikes sought in airport bus fares. Tang spoke to Vanessa Cheng:

More government officers are set to be given the power to issue people with fines for littering, with some given body cameras to catch offenders in the act. Lawmakers are now scrutinising the administration's plans to double the penalty for littering. Violet Wong reports:

The government says it will step up testing of food products from Japan, as the country plans to release contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power station later this year. But some lawmakers questioned if that was enough to ensure food safety, as Violet Wong reports:

The Housing Society says applicants for its new Senior Citizen Residences Scheme will be able to look at flats in its project in Hung Hom from Friday. The newly-completed Blissful Place scheme provides more than 300 flats for people aged 60 or over. They will need to pay a one-off contribution of between $1.2 million and $2.65 million within one month, four months or one year, but will not have to pay rent. The Housing Society's sales and marketing general manager, Peter Or, told Leung Pak-hei more about the project:

The government has approved plans by an NGO to convert a hotel on Morrison Hill Road into a youth hostel. Residents will pay a monthly rent of between $3,800 and $4,800. Jacqueline Guico reports:

New Premier Li Qiang has emphasised the need for China to focus on high-quality economic development. At the same time, Beijing will be trying to reach its GDP growth target of five percent for 2023. Liu Baocheng, founder of the Center for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, told Ada Au that setting a moderate economic growth target could allow authorities to shift the development approach from being GDP-oriented to a more holistic one:

A local scholar says China's push for high-quality development shouldn't only involve technological innovation and eco-friendly practices, but also strive to address social issues and inequality. Professor Larry Qiu, chair professor of economics at Lingnan University, said there's a risk that focusing talent and resources in particular areas could exacerbate regional inequality, and this is something Beijing will have to watch out for. Professor Qiu told Ada Au what he felt was meant by high-quality development:

Stock markets in the United States and Europe have rebounded after turbulence caused by the collapse last week of Silicon Valley Bank. It was shut down on Friday, after a run on the bank was triggered when the lender announced it had sold a bunch of securities at a loss, and would have a new share-sale to raise money. The shutdown – followed two days later by the collapse of New York-based Signature Bank – roiled global markets and prompted authorities around the world to give their assurances over the safety of financial systems and bank stocks. RTHK’s UK correspondent, Peter Anderson, said SVB's collapse in the UK would have affected Britain's technology sector, which the government was relying on to spearhead the country's economic recovery. He spoke to Samantha Butler: