Chief Executive John Lee says investors will be able to continue trading on Hong Kong's financial market during extreme weather events. As Altis Wong reports, the stock exchange will remain open when a typhoon signal number eight or above is in effect and during black rainstorm warnings, starting September 23:

Finance-sector lawmaker Ronick Chan has welcomed the new arrangement to continue trading during extreme weather. Chan, an advisor to the Bank of China, told Anne Chan that the financial industry was well prepared for the new measure:

Chief Executive John Lee says airport officials followed contingency procedures following an emergency landing on Monday. One of the runways had to be closed for several hours, resulting in 450 flights delayed. The CE said the top priority was to ensure safety. Frank Yung reports:

Labour minister Chris Sun says the government will recruit talent from mostly Southeast Asia and Europe in the coming year. Malaysia will be the first stop, as Elvis Yu reports:

The MTR has announced it is working with four mobile network operators to improve 5G coverage at 24 busy stations. An upgraded 5G network was launched at Tin Hau station on Tuesday. The railway firm said it was installing 3.3 and 3.5 GHz indoor base stations to provide a faster and smoother mobile service. Upgrading works are expected to be done in Wan Chai, Kowloon and Admiralty stations this year and other stations by the end of 2027. Francis Fong, the honorary president of the Information Technology Federation, told Kelly Yu that the upgrade was long-awaited:

Parents of children at a Wong Tai Sin school have expressed disappointment that it is set to close in two years. The school's principal, meanwhile, welcomed the Education Bureau’s decision to step in and appoint managers. Kelly Yu reports:

Accountancy giant KPMG has downgraded its projections for Hong Kong's initial public offering market this year, citing a global decline in funding and deal volume. Anne Chan reports:

KPMG's Head of New Economy and Life Sciences, Irene Chu, says interest rates have been slow in coming down, resulting in caution in the IPO market. But she said market sentiment was expected to improve in the second half of the year, as new applications had been trending up for the last six months. She spoke to Anne Chan:

A better economic performance has helped Hong Kong climb two places to fifth in an annual global ranking on competitiveness. Frank Yung reports:

Local farmers have called for public support, saying home-grown watermelons are better than imported ones. As Natasha Ho reports, their appeal comes ahead of the Local Organic Watermelon Festival:

The Local Organic Watermelon Festival kicks off on Friday at the Maritime Square Farmers Market in Tsing Yi. The annual event is organised by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Wong Mun-wai, an agricultural officer, says local watermelons grow well in Hong Kong's hot summer weather and have more flavour than imported ones. She told Natasha Ho that the festival aimed to promote local agriculture:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in North Korea to a red carpet welcome, at the start of his first visit to the reclusive state in nearly a quarter of a century. Azam Khan reports:

The South Korean military says dozens of North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the heavily-fortified border with the South and retreated after warning shots were fired. As Hailey Yip reports, it is the second such incident involving North Korean troops in two weeks:

On the last day of his Australia trip, Premier Li Qiang has toured a Chinese-controlled lithium refiner in Perth, a sign of the nation's vast appetite for Australian critical minerals required for clean energy technologies. Kelly Yu reports:

Torrential rain and landslides in China's coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian have killed more than a dozen people. President Xi Jinping has urged all-out efforts to fight the floods and to ensure solid work in disaster relief to safeguard people's lives and property. Natale Ching reports:

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted bail after he was formally charged with insulting the monarchy. The case is one of four that could trigger a political crisis in Thailand, as Raymond Yeung reports:

Thailand's Senate has passed the final reading of a marriage equality bill, which paves the way for the country to become the first in Southeast Asia to enact such a law. Wendy Wong reports:

President Biden has announced a new policy that authorities say will protect half-a-million undocumented spouses of US citizens from deportation. Azam Khan reports:

India's southern state of Kerala has been left reeling after a fire at a housing facility for migrant workers in Kuwait last week killed 42 Indian workers. 24 of them were from the state. The bodies have been sent back to India. RTHK's India correspondent Murali Krishnan told Annemarie Evans that more needed to be done by both the Indian and Kuwaiti governments to protect the safety of Indian workers abroad:

Peru has been shocked by reports that hundreds of indigenous girls have been sexually abused by their teachers. Jacqueline Guico reports:

Hong Kong's ambitious waste-charging scheme may be shelved for now but that has not stopped discussion in the community of how to reduce overall waste. Attention has focused, in particular, on what to do with food waste. One company in the United Arab Emirates is transforming food waste into compost - in a country where growing food on sandy soils is a challenge. Samantha Butler reports:

Swimming star Siobhan Haughey took home two silvers - in the 100 and 200 metres freestyle events - at the Tokyo Olympics. Will Paris be where Haughey wins Hong Kong's first-ever swimming gold medal? Hailey Yip finds out more: