The US and Israeli war against Iran has widened with no end in sight. Israel has attacked Lebanon in response to strikes by Hezbollah, while Tehran has kept up its missile and drone attacks on Gulf states. Jamie Clarke reports:

Cypriot officials say a drone that hit a British airbase in Cyprus was most likely fired from Lebanon. The strike caused limited damage and no casualties, officials from both countries have said. But it represents an escalation that entangles an EU member in the conflict surrounding Iran, as Jamie Clarke reports:

China says it mourns the death of a Chinese national in Tehran. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing said the embassy in the Iranian capital has been asked to help the victim's family. Elvis Yu with that story.

A shipping sector representative says higher shipping costs are expected in the long term amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Peter Hui, chairman of the Hong Kong Shippers' Council, said while the war might have a limited impact on Hong Kong for the time being, the costs are expected to go up in the long term. He spoke to Chloe Feng.

The financial secretary says Hong Kong’s safe-haven status has stood it in good stead, attracting capital during times of war. Elvis Yu has the details.

Chief Executive John Lee leaves for Beijing today to attend the opening of the National People's Congress on Thursday. At the "Two Sessions" meetings this year, policymakers are expected to focus on longer-term initiatives to ensure the sustainable and resilient growth of the mainland economy. Frank Yung has more.

An analyst has said Beijing is expected to focus on policies to ensure the country is resilient in the face of challenges at home and abroad during the upcoming "Two Sessions" meetings. The country will announce its 2026 economic growth target when the National People's Congress opens on Thursday. Zoon Ahmed Khan, a research fellow at the Centre for China and Globalisation in Beijing, says she believes the nation is going to coordinate policies to withstand uncertainties. She told Frank Yung her expectations of the annual gatherings, and the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan:

The city's investment-for-residency scheme has attracted nearly 3,200 applicants over the past two years, bringing in an estimated HK$95 billion, according to the government. Chloe Feng reports.

A technology sector professional who successfully renewed his visa under the city's Top Talent Pass Scheme last year has described Hong Kong as an unexpected "second home". Tony Zhou, who relocated from Shanghai to Hong Kong with his family two years ago, says life in the city has far exceeded his initial expectations, despite early concerns about the cost of living and education. He told Hailey Yip that the decision to renew his visa was a family one, rooted in the integration they have achieved since arriving:

A trade event focused on the integration of education, technology and talent is return later this month, aiming to foster cross-regional talent exchange and explore future trends in the field. The Global Talent Summit Week, organised by the Labour and Welfare Bureau in collaboration with Hong Kong Talent Engage, includes the International Talent Forum and the CareerConnect Expo, both scheduled for March 18 and 19 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre. In addition, a series of satellite events focused on human resources and talent development will be held. Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage Felix Chan spoke to Hailey Yip:

Housing minister Winnie Ho says the launch of a light public housing project in Kowloon Bay symbolises the government's determination to resolve the issue of sub-divided flats. Damon Pang has the story.

The medical body that accredits specialist doctors says it will try to encourage more physicians to serve as medical witnesses to support proposed reforms to the Medical Council. The government has invited the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine to set up a specialist talent pool to handle complaints and enquiries. The academy's president, Philip Li, said that since 2022, around 400 doctors have joined a training course on becoming medical witnesses. One hundred and seventy of them have completed the full course. Professor Li told Elvis Yu that the academy is exploring ways to boost participation.

The Transport Department says it will be rolling out an enhanced online booking system for non-local drivers in the middle of this month that allows them to complete applications for a driving licence conversion within 10 minutes. Altis Wong reports.

The Highways Department says railway safety standards will not be compromised by the adoption of benchmarks from outside of Hong Kong. Raymond Yeung reports.

An expert has praised measures to boost the intellectual property, or IP, sector. In his budget last week, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the government will enhance economic development by boosting IP trading and financing, including establishing the Intellectual Property Academy. James Lau, Intellectual property lawyer at East IP group, told RTHK's Backchat programme that IP education is vital, from schools to businesses:

Officials say Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply and stocks of food staples may become tight. That's after Israel blocked the entry of fuel and goods into the war-shattered territory, citing fighting with Iran. Jamie Clarke has the details:

OpenAI says it has struck an agreement with the Pentagon to deploy its technology on the US Defense Department's classified network. The announcement came just a day after rival AI firm Anthropic's public fallout with US President Donald Trump over a similar partnership that's now crumbled. RTHK's Silicon Valley correspondent Mark Niu told Ben Tse what went wrong for the original deal, and how OpenAI filled in that void: