Hong Kong has been hunkering down since the Number 8 Storm Signal was issued on Wednesday night at around 7:30pm. Severe tropical storm Ma-on came within 190 kilometres of Hong Kong in the early hours of Thursday morning. Timmy Sung reports:

The number of new Covid infections surged past 7,000 on Wednesday, as an upward trend of cases showed no signs of abating. As Natale Ching reports, health authorities warned the daily caseload could soon reach 10,000:

The worsening Covid outbreak has prompted the government to tighten the rules for large-scale sporting events. This has led to the cancellation of a 10km run on the weekend and the potential postponement or cancellation of the annual cross-harbour swim. Natale Ching reports:

Trade and business representatives have welcomed the government's decision to ease the quarantine rules for exhibition visitors. The arrangement takes effect from Thursday and allows people with an amber health code to participate in business-to-business conventions and exhibitions. The amber health code is issued to travellers who have done three nights' hotel quarantine but are still under medical surveillance. The Chinese Manufacturers' Association praised the government for listening to businesses. The Trade Development Council echoed that sentiment and urged authorities to also lift the restriction on arrivals going to public exhibitions. The Vice Chairwoman of the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Industry Association, Wendy Lai, told Joanne Wong that more needed to be done to try to restore the SAR’s status as a convention and exhibition hub:

A task force looking into why a giant video panel fell at a concert last month by local boyband, MIRROR, says one of the cables securing it to the ceiling had quality and operational issues. Two dancers were injured, with one reported to be paralysed. The task force says it is too early to assign blame or responsibility, as Timmy Sung reports:

A member of the MIRROR task force says miscommunication may have contributed to the giant video screen falling onto the stage, injuring two dancers. Louis Szeto from the Institution of Engineers says preliminary findings indicate that a cable that snapped was found to be 20 percent weaker than normal; the screen was heavier than concert organisers declared; and a mechanism to move the panel up and down had flaws that further weakened the cable. He spoke to Samantha Butler:

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an attempt by activist, Jimmy Sham, to have same-sex marriages overseas recognised in Hong Kong. Sham launched a judicial review in 2018, arguing that the SAR government should recognise the marriage he and his partner entered into in New York in 2013. Frank Yung reports:

An NGO for the LGBT-plus community, Pink Alliance, says the court's decision is a disappointment but comes as no surprise. Its chief executive, Jerome Yau, says the Court of Appeal in general has taken a more conservative approach in handling cases related to marriage equality. He spoke to Frank Yung:

Police have arrested a man over the unlawful disposal of a dead body in a Yau Ma Tei park. The victim is suspected to have died from a drug overdose. Maggie Ho reports:

The Peak Tram is to reopen on Saturday after a major facelift, with bigger tram cars and refurbished terminuses. But all this comes at a cost to its patrons, with fares for the tram going up by more than 60 percent after the revamp. Altis Wong reports:

The general manager of the Peak Complex says she is confident that the increased fares for the Peak Tram will not deter passengers and tourists from taking a ride. Adult round-trip fares go up by $36 to $88. May Tsang said they were positive that people would still want to ride the tram because the upgrade offered a “fully-redesigned and spectacular passenger journey”. She spoke to Vicky Wong: