Hong Kong has sent a search and rescue team to Turkey after the government there called for international help. Monday's earthquakes have now killed at least 12,000 people. The team left Hong Kong International Airport on Wednesday night after a send-off from the acting Chief Executive Eric Chan, the Security Secretary Chris Tang, and the Turkish consul general. Robert Kemp reports:

The earthquakes also devastated northwest Syria, an impoverished region which has been shattered by civil war for the past 12 years. Planes carrying aid from several Middle East countries have been arriving after the only land crossing from Turkey to opposition-controlled Idlib province was closed because of damaged roads. Paul Rogers, a professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University in the UK, told AnneMarie Evans about the logistical and political challenges of the quake-hit region:

The government's bid for funding for its light public housing project (LPH) has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislative Council. The administration is seeking almost $15 billion to build the first 17,000 of the 30,000 homes it has proposed, at eight sites across Hong Kong. Damon Pang reports:

Lawmaker Doreen Kong says she still wants the government to give a further breakdown of costs for its light public housing plan, saying it is not clear about demolition and storage costs. The housing is intended to be temporary and demolished after about five years. Kong was the sole member of the Public Works subcommittee who did not attend Wednesday's meeting, when councillors agreed to support the funding application. She said the government's plan was a very good idea to help improve the substandard living conditions of people in subdivided flats. But she told Ben Tse that she also had concerns about facilities that would be provided:

A human resources consultancy says many international employees left Hong Kong last year for more liveable locations due to the Covid restrictions imposed here. ECA International says Hong Kong ranked 92nd in the world’s most liveable locations last year, down 15 places from the year before. It says Hong Kong lagged behind most major destinations, such as Singapore and Tokyo, which attracted talent from Hong Kong. ECA's regional director for Asia, Lee Quane, told Vanessa Cheng that most Asian cities rose in the rankings last year after falling in 2021, but the situation was different for Hong Kong:

Tourism unions have added their voice to warnings that the sector's attempts to recover from the pandemic are being hampered by a shortage of staff. Now, they have come up with a potential solution: a government handout for workers who return to their old jobs in the industry. Leung Pak-hei reports:

The chief executive of the Hong Kong Rugby Union says he is very excited for this year's Hong Kong Sevens event, which will be the first time it will be held in three years without any pandemic restrictions. Robbie McRobbie said event organisers were targeting the local and short-haul market, as long-haul flights had yet to return to normal to Hong Kong. Tickets will be available to the public from Thursday and the tournament is set to take place from March 31 to April 2. McRobbie told Vicky Wong that this year would be the first time to see the top women's teams playing alongside the top men's teams at a World Rugby Sevens Series event:

Cross-border secondary school students say they are happy but nervous to be back in Hong Kong for face-to-face classes, after three years of online teaching because of pandemic restrictions. The government said arrangements at border checkpoints went smoothly on Wednesday morning, giving it confidence about the return of other students living on the mainland later this month. Frank Yung reports:

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam has condemned acts disrupting the administration of justice after a case of suspected criminal damage was reported at West Kowloon Magistrates' Court. Vanessa Cheng reports:

A new electronic payment system is to come into force later this month for motorists using the tunnel that connects Shatin with the highway to Tsing Yi and the airport. Transport officials say it will come into operation early in the morning of February 26. But that is just the start, as Kelly Yu reports:

Chief Executive John Lee says he hopes to sign a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates to build on trade ties. Trade between the two surged by about 35 percent in 2021 to just under USD$13 billion. He made the comment as he arrived in Dubai - the last stop of his trip to the Middle East. Violet Wong reports from Dubai:

President Biden has vowed not to hesitate to defend his country’s interests against China, a reference to the downing of what Washington suspects is a Chinese surveillance balloon that travelled across America last week. In response, Beijing said it would "firmly defend" its interests, as Aaron Tam reports: