A number of anti-Covid rules are being eased from Thursday, amid what the government says is a stabilisation of the local epidemic situation. For example, people visiting bars will no longer be required to take rapid tests, while a limit for people attending banquets will be dropped. Chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong group, Allan Zeman, called the relaxation of curbs the "best Christmas present for everybody". He spoke to Vicky Wong:

The government has welcomed the ruling made by a panel established under the World Trade Organisation's Dispute Settlement Body, that the origin marking requirement imposed on Hong Kong products by the United States is inconsistent with WTO rules. Todd Harding reports:

President Xi Jinping says he will work with Australia to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, and that he attaches great importance to the development of relations. His comments came as Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, arrived in Beijing for talks. China is Australia's largest trading partner, and Australia still provides many of the ores, metals and minerals that fuel the mainland's economic growth. But the two countries have sparred over political issues and human rights. Taihe Institute senior fellow and chairman of Asia Narratives, Einar Tangen, told Aaron Tam why Wong's trip to Beijing is significant at this juncture:

A team of scientists, including some from the Chinese University, has found that microraptors lived more like hawks that we see today. Microraptors were a type of dinosaur that lived in what is northeastern China today, during the early Cretaceous period, or around 145 million years ago. Researchers initially thought they were more bound to the ground, but in a new research paper, they say they lived more like birds. An assistant professor from CUHK's School of Life Sciences, Michael Pittman, told Damon Pang they found that out by looking at the microraptors' feet:

Officials say shoppers and retailers will be allowed a one-month grace period over the new plastic bag levy scheme before facing prosecution for flouting the rules. Kelly Yu reports: