The United States is pausing tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports for about one month, just hours before the duties were set to take effect. The halt comes following emergency talks between the leaders of the North American neighbours. US President Donald Trump said he had a very friendly conversation with his Mexican counterpart, Claudia Sheinbaum. Then hours later, Mr Trump said another phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went "very well". Jamie Clarke reports.

Donald Trump's plan to hit Chinese imports with a 10 percent tariff - on top of existing duties - is set to take effect today. Beijing has warned there are no winners in a trade or tariff war, and vowed to take necessary countermeasures. Einar Tangen, a senior fellow at Taihe Institute and the chairman of Asia Narratives, explained to Janice Wong China's rationale in filing a complaint to the World Trade Organisation.

Hong Kong's economy grew by two-and-a-half percent last year. That's down from a 3.2 percent increase in 2023. And as Priscilla Ng tells us, the government expects growth to pick up this year, despite heightened uncertainties in the external environment.

Terence Chong, economics professor at the Chinese University, said that higher growth in the last three months of 2024 was partially driven by the stimulus measures from Beijing last September, as well as supportive policies from Chief Executive John Lee's Policy Address last October. He also told Chloe Feng that the fourth-quarter performance showed that the economy is gaining steam, but he also warned that exports will face headwinds in the year ahead.

Retail sales in Hong Kong dropped 9.7 percent in December from a year earlier. As Vanessa Cheng reports, it was the tenth consecutive month of decline.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan says he's cautiously optimistic about the city's stock market performance in the Year of the Snake. And as Chloe Feng reports, Hong Kong's stock market operator say it will carry out reforms to attract global enterprises.

The Travel Industry Authority says the sector should consider whether it is necessary for tour guides to stand and talk on a moving coach. This came after a guide died after he was thrown out of a vehicle in a crash in Shanghai last Friday. Damon Pang reports.

Former lawmaker Chim Pui-chung has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud over 42 million dollars in transactions linked to a listed company. The District court gave his son Ricky a term of three years and one month in the same case. Elvis Yu reports.

Another Hongkonger has been rescued after being held prisoner and forced to work at a scam farm in Myanmar. SAR officials confirmed that the person is now in Thailand. Raymond Yeung reports.

A green group is urging the government to develop a reusable cup system at Kai Tak Sports Arena to reduce waste created at mega events set at the venue after its opening. Greenpeace conducted a study at the Lunar New Year Cup last Saturday at Hong Kong Stadium that hosted some 20,000 people. It estimated over 1.2 million disposables will be given out at Kai Tak, with the venue hosting 40 sports events yearly. Campaign officer Leanne Tam told Charlie Chun about the study.

Organisers of the annual Hong Kong Marathon say they have attracted an exciting group of international runners this year. As Charlie Chun reports, many elite athletes are expected to be in action.

Taiwan actress Barbie Hsu has died from a respiratory illness while she was on a trip to Japan. She was 48. Kelly Yu has more.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who has been spearheading US President Donald Trump's plan to shrink the federal government, confirms work is under way to shut down the US Aid Agency for International Development, or USAID. Staff of the agency have been instructed to stay out of its headquarters. However, Washington's top diplomat Marco Rubio now says he's in charge of the massive agency, which disperses funds to needy countries around the world. Jamie Clarke reports.

Over 200 undersea earthquakes have been recorded over the past three days across Greek Islands, leaving authorities on high alert. The spike in seismic activity, called an "intense geological phenomenon" by the country's prime minister, has raised concerns about a potentially powerful earthquake. The fear is particularly real for residents on the volcanic island of Santorini. Jamie Clarke has more.

Popular performer Beyonce has picked up the top honour in this year's Grammy Awards, walking away with the Album of the Year prize for the first time in her career. At the glittering ceremony in Los Angeles, tributes were paid to the host city as it recovers from deadly wildfires. Other winners included Chappell Roan as best new artist and Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" as best record and song of the year. Jacqueline Guico has the details.

Chinese startup DeepSeek has created a game-changing AI chatbot that rivals ChatGPT's performance at just a fraction of its cost. The open-source model topped Apple Store downloads and sent ripples through Wall Street. US President Donald Trump called it a "wake-up call" for American tech companies, while OpenAI boss Sam Altman admitted the need to rethink their strategy. But it's not all smooth sailing for the Hangzhou-based startup. Some companies and government agencies are already steering clear of DeepSeek due to privacy concerns, while the model's open-source framework sparked questions about data security. So what lies ahead for the company and the industry? Kelly Yu finds out more with AI consultant Raj Shroff in this episode of Tech Tuesday.