A top government official says people should not bank on using technology to have children late in life. Health secretary Lo Chung-mau was speaking at a press conference to discuss measures announced in Wednesday's Policy Address - which include a HK$20,000 handout to parents of newborns and increasing the quota for in-vitro fertilisation treatment. Chief Secretary Eric Chan says the government has set aside around HK$2.5 billion to pay for the baby bonus over the next three years for an estimated 40,000 newborns per year. Natale Ching reports:

Callers to a radio phone-in programme on the Policy Address have complained about just missing out on receiving the HK$20,000 handout for giving birth. Chief Executive John Lee said it would be too costly if the government offered the incentive to people from different walks of life. Violet Wong reports:

A travel industry representative says the tourism measures announced in the Policy Address are "comprehensive" but more needs to be done to address the labour shortage in the sector. The measures include developing Sha Tau Kok - Hong Kong's northernmost town - into a cultural tourism zone and setting up a "blue and green" tourism circle in the Northern Metropolis to showcase its natural resources. Fanny Yeung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, told Kelly Yu what she thought of the initiatives:

A hospitality expert says the tourism measures announced by the Chief Executive reflect a change in tourist behaviour. Dennis Wong from the Vocational Training Council says mainland tourists nowadays want experiences rather than products. He said plans in the policy blueprint reflected travellers' desires for an immersive experience in local culture and green tourism. But he told Kelly Yu that the industry was short of manpower and this type of tourism required tour guides with special knowledge:

Chief Executive John Lee has dismissed suggestions that the cut in stamp duty on stock trading is insufficient. He was answering questions from lawmakers about his Policy Speech, saying that reducing the levy to its previous level was the "safest" option. Frank Yung reports:

Financial Secretary Paul Chan says the measures outlined in the Chief Executive's Policy Address on Wednesday will amount to several billion dollars. While he said a larger deficit was expected this financial year, he said he was not worried about short term fluctuations. Anne Chan reports:

In his Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced plans for new MTR stations, a railway line and a highway extension to improve connectivity within the city. He says the government will publish a transport development blueprint by the end of the year. Tony Sze, an associate professor from the Polytechnic University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering told Samantha Butler that the plans would satisfy the needs of people not connected by the rail network, but they should be modified otherwise there may be bottlenecks in the only two existing highways:

The University of Science and Technology says it will take a gradual approach to recruit more non-local students after John Lee announced that the quota for such students will be raised to 40 percent of available places. Emily Nason, director of undergraduate recruitment and admissions, told Elvis Yu that the university aimed to bring in an extra 100 students from outside the SAR in the next academic year, on top of the usual figure of about 500:

China's top diplomat has voiced hope for more stable relations with the United States as he paid a rare trip to Washington to prepare for a potential visit by President Xi Jinping. Sean Kennedy reports:

The three astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-17 spaceship have entered the country's space station, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. The crew took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on Thursday morning, as Hailey Yip reports:

At the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, medals kept coming in for the Hong Kong team on day four of the games. Team SAR bagged five more medals, including a gold in swimming. The Hong Kong team has won a total of 30 medals so far, including five golds, nine silvers and 16 bronzes. Kelly Yu reports: