The ICAC has arrested 148 people who allegedly used fake qualifications to obtain licences to become excavator operators and electricians. The anti-corruption watchdog said it did not find any risk to public safety. Charlie Chun reports:

The government says it is looking into revising the standards on auditing to crack down on unlicensed accountants in the city. The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui, wrote on his blog that accountants may be required to specify their practising certificate number when signing audit reports. Accounting-sector lawmaker Edmund Wong told Vanessa Cheng that the proposed measures would be able to uphold Hong Kong's reputation and status as an international financial centre:

The government says officials have approved applications for nearly 29,000 imported workers in the past year, after restrictions on overseas labour were lifted for 26 types of jobs. Around a third of the approvals were for waiters and chefs. Damon Pang reports:

The government says it hopes bidding for a proposed youth hostel and cultural exchange facility in Kai Tak can begin by the end of this year. The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Alice Mak, says there are no plans to split the bidding into two separate projects as this would not be cost effective. Vanessa Cheng reports:

The government has given the green light for the Regal Oriental Hotel in Kowloon City to be partially converted into a youth hostel. The non-governmental organisation Yan Oi Tong will provide 160 bed spaces for people aged up to 31. Carlos Leung reports:

The Family Planning Association has introduced a new book to address questions about relationships and changes during puberty. The book covers topics such as body image, sexual orientation and sexual identities. Hong Kong's sex education came under the spotlight recently after officials released a set of teaching materials, advising teenagers who experience sexual impulses to instead play badminton. Chau Wai-wai, an education officer from the association, told Kelly Yu that she wanted to see more comprehensive sex education in the school curriculum:

The government says it will continue to encourage event organisers to make use of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. One legislator proposed building helipads in support of a low-altitude economy. Vanessa Cheng reports:

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service says many non-profit organisations are facing a manpower crunch and are struggling to maintain or improve services due to a lack of funding. The findings came from its recent survey of over 140 organisations. Chua Hoi-wai, the council's chief executive, blamed migration and the ageing population for the labour crunch while the economic downturn had resulted in fewer donations. He spoke to Janice Lo:

There has been a 16 percent jump in the number of visitors from 10 mainland cities in the third quarter. As Damon Pang reports, the increase followed Beijing's decision to allow individual visits from those cities:

Chief Executive John Lee has led government and political figures in paying tribute to former minister Michael Suen, who has died at the age of 80. He joined the civil service in 1966 and was best known for tackling a housing crisis two decades ago. Kelly Yu reports:

Scores of locals and tourists have flocked to the Central Harbourfront, where the annual Wine and Dine Festival is underway. For the first time, the flagship event organised by the Tourism Board opened on a Wednesday and will last five days. Frank Yung reports:

President Xi Jinping has met with the leaders of Egypt and Iran on day two of the Brics summit - two of the four nations to have recently joined the grouping. In a speech addressing the convention in the Russian city of Kazan, President Xi hailed the decision to invite new partner countries as an important step in the development of Brics. Jamie Clarke reports:

Beijing says it hopes US tech giant Apple will continue to deepen its presence on the mainland. The comment came in talks between Industry Minister Jin Zhuanglong and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Natale Ching reports:

Shares of Tokyo Metro have rocketed 45 percent on their trading debut. It was Japan's biggest initial public offering in six years, raising US$2.3 billion. Hailey Yip reports:

The victim of an alleged mass rape orchestrated by her husband has taken to the stand in the French city of Avignon, to testify in the trial of her alleged abusers. Dominique Pelicot has admitted drugging his wife and recruiting dozens of men online to rape her while she was unconscious. 50 men are facing trial alongside him. Jamie Clarke reports:

Donald Trump's presidential campaign has accused Britain's ruling party of "blatant foreign interference" in the US election after some Labour Party staff travelled to help campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris. The Republican candidate's camp has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in Washington and called for an investigation into what it said were illegal contributions from Labour to the Harris campaign. RTHK's UK correspondent Peter Anderson called the allegations 'embarrassing' for prime minister Keir Starmer. He spoke to Azam Khan:

More than half of Sudan’s population of 50 million are suffering from severe hunger, with hundreds estimated to be dying each day from starvation and hunger-related diseases. Earlier this year, the world’s leading hunger monitor reported that at least one state in the country was experiencing famine. But due to the country’s ongoing war, life-saving international aid is unable to reach millions of people who desperately need it. Jamie Clarke reports:

The AFC Champions League Two continues to heat up, with Hong Kong football clubs Lee Man and Eastern both in action on Thursday night. RTHK's Asia football correspondent, Chris KL Lau, has a preview of what to expect:

Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc in the United States when it slammed into Florida two weeks ago, spawning tornadoes, flooding neighbourhoods and knocking out power at millions of households. Apart from the tangible destruction, it also gave rise to a virtual storm of misinformation. Social media was flooded with AI-generated videos exaggerating the storm's impact, while conspiracy theories circulated that the government had geo-engineered the hurricane. In RTHK's Fact Focus podcast, Vanessa Cheng and Tony Sabine look at some of the claims made and examine why some bad actors may see natural disasters as a goldmine: