The annual "Two Sessions" is under way in Beijing. Members of the country's legislature, the National People's Congress, and the top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, are meeting in the capital to map out China's future directions. On Tuesday, the CPPCC chairman outlined efforts to advance Chinese modernisation and refine standards and procedures. Meanwhile, Hong Kong delegates to the national legislature were told to contribute to the city's economic development. Frank Yung reports from Beijing.

Entrepreneurs and executives of private mainland firms have expressed the hope that Beijing will roll out more supportive measures to assist with the nation's industrial upgrade, while balancing the development of various industries. Chloe Feng reports.

China has warned that it will not back down if the United States launches a tariff or trade war. This came after the US imposed additional tariffs on Chinese imports, bringing it to 20 percent, and blamed Beijing for not doing enough to control ingredients needed to make fentanyl. China retaliated by slapping duties on a wide range of American food and agricultural products. Janice Lo reports.

An economist said that the latest round of US tariffs on Chinese imports could gradually reduce China's gross domestic product by some 0.3 to 0.4 percent over a 12-month period. Le Xia, Chief Economist for Asia at BBVA Research, told Chloe Feng that China's response, which included a lawsuit at the WTO, was "measured and calibrated", leaving room for negotiations.

Donald Trump has also slapped tariffs of 25 percent on Canadian and Mexican imports. Canada said it will respond with duties of the same amount. The premier of Ontario province -- which borders the state of New York -- threatened to stop supplying the US with electricity and critical minerals. Meanwhile, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has denounced Donald Trump's tariffs as 'dumb'. That's a pretty strong remark from the leader of what traditionally is one of the US's strongest allies, as our US correspondent Simon Marks told Carol Musgrave.

Hong Kong's CK Hutchison has agreed to sell its interests in a key Panama Canal port operator to a BlackRock-backed consortium. It comes after intense pressure from US President Donald Trump. The US$22.8 billion sale also includes dozens of ports in other countries. Trump had refused to rule out military action to assert US control over the canal. The waterway is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous agency overseen by the Panamanian government. Aaron Tam reports.

The government may use facial recognition technology at the Kai Tak Sports Park and other venues to stop people sneaking in without tickets.This follows a report by the Wen Wei Po newspaper that two reporters without tickets managed to attend the park's opening ceremony last Saturday. The paper said the pair, and a man who helped them get inside, were also able to avoid security checks. Damon Pang reports.

The firm that operates the Octopus Card system says it hopes to shorten the process needed to implement the government's plan to scale back the HK$2 elderly transport subsidy scheme. This comes after labour minister Chris Sun said last week that it'll take 18 months to adjust each and every Octopus machine across the city. Damon Pang reports.

Ahead of International Women's Day this Saturday, a forum was held on Tuesday to address the diverse health needs of women, and to highlight Hong Kong's research and development capabilities. The event also discussed government policies and innovation in technologies specialising in women's health. Liona Poon, chairperson of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said demand for software and services designed specifically for women's health is growing. But she told Hailey Yip that the sector -- also known as "femtech" -- requires collaboration between public and private sectors, as well as academic institutions in order to thrive.

Arab leaders have adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza. The plan would cost US$53 billion and avoid resettling Palestinians–that’s in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s “Middle East Riviera” vision. But, as Jamie Clarke reports, there remain major questions that need to be answered about Gaza’s future, however. Namely, who will run the enclave, and which countries will provide the billions of dollars needed for reconstruction.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the Oval Office blowup with the United States’ President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, last week, was “regrettable.” He added that he stands ready to work under Trump’s, quote, “strong leadership” to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine. Zelensky’s remarks in an apparent move to soothe tensions with Trump came in a social media post. There has been no response from the White House. Earlier, the White House had announced a pause in military aid to Ukraine, which has been critical in its fight against Russia. Jamie Clarke has more.

At least three lawmakers have been injured, one of them seriously, after chaotic scenes in Serbia’s parliament. Video footage from the assembly hall has captured the chaos and clashes between lawmakers. Inside the building, members of opposition parties staged protests against the government, while hundreds of students demonstrated outside. Again, here's Jamie Clarke.