The governor of the People's Bank of China, Pan Gongsheng, says Beijing will significantly increase the proportion of its national foreign exchange reserves and asset allocation in Hong Kong. As Chloe Feng reports, this is part of efforts to boost the development of the city's financial markets.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has welcomed the central bank's new measures to boost financial links between the mainland and the SAR, especially the announcement that the Faster Payment System, or FPS, will soon be linked to its mainland equivalent. Elvis Yu reports.

The decision by the People's Bank of China to acquire assets in Hong Kong and boost its operations there will be beneficial for the city's financial sector, according to an economist. Gary Ng from Natixis added the move also sends a strong signal to support the SAR's role as an international financial hub.

Chief Executive John Lee has told thousands of business leaders from around the world that Hong Kong is working towards developing itself into an international gold trading hub. Daniel Lee reports.

Security chief Chris Tang has said senior Thai officials have promised to do all they could to secure the safe return of Hongkongers who were reportedly lured to Southeast Asia for illegal work. Frank Yung reports.

Security minister Chris Tang has confirmed that national security police are investigating whether veteran pollster Robert Chung or his research organisation had provided assistance to an absconder. As Aaron Tam reports, the probe relates to his former deputy at the Public Opinion Research Institute, Chung Kim-wah, who was put on the police's national security wanted list last month.

Eleven people have been injured in a scaffolding collapse at a construction site in Kai Tak, with four in critical condition and one seriously hurt. Aaron Tam reports.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong has conducted an online survey with over 900 people who identify themselves as members of sexual minorities in Hong Kong, and found that many same-sex couples in the city would like to get married one day. Associate professor Suen Yiu-tung from the CUHK's gender studies programme talked to Sophie Hui about the findings of the survey.

Tourism industry leaders have been urged to find ways to attract more overnight visitors to Hong Kong during the Lunar New Year "golden week" holiday on the mainland. As Frank Yung reports, officials expect a significant rise in tourist numbers over the eight-day period.

The Centre for Food Safety has urged dim sum restaurants to further reduce the amount of sodium in their dishes. The call came after its survey revealed that a small decrease in salt largely went unnoticed. The centre conducted a test by asking 72 people to sample two classic dim sum dishes - shrimp siu mai and steamed pork ribs in black bean sauce. Each dish was prepared in two different ways - first using the traditional recipe, and the other with reduced salt. Only a small percentage of tasters were able to detect the changes. Tony Chow, principal medical officer of risk assessment and communication at the Centre for Food Safety, spoke to Hailey Yip.

Officials say significant progress has been made over a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been working for more than a year on talks to end the bloodshed, and for the release of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians detained by Israel. Discussions seemed to have reached a deadlock in recent weeks, but mediators now say both sides have been given a final draft of a truce. The next 24 hours are said to be pivotal if a deal were to be made, as Jamie Clarke reports.

US billionaire Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has called off the launch of its New Glenn rocket after it said that "a few anomalies" were detected during the mission countdown. The launch, which is the firm's first attempt to reach orbit and compete with SpaceX in the satellite launch market, has been postponed by at least a day. Jacqueline Guico reports.

Celebrations continue in Sudan after the army recaptured a strategic city in the country's east from rebel forces over the weekend. This could mark a turning point in the devastating near two-year civil war, which has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, a displacement headache, and plunged half of Sudan's population into hunger. Jamie Clarke reports.

Hundreds of illegal miners remain trapped underground in South Africa, two months after a police raid. Many of them had previously defied government warnings and went down the shaft in search for gold. Authorities are currently preparing for a planned rescue at the mine. The operation came days after a court ordered the government to facilitate the long-delayed rescue effort. Disturbing videos have emerged showing the dire situation below ground, as Jamie Clarke reports.

China's foreign trade reached a record high last year. Imports and exports climbed five percent from 2023 to 43.8 trillion yuan. As Daniel Lee reports, the upbeat figures were released amid threats by US President-elect Donald Trump to impose steep tariffs on Chinese imports.

China achieved an astonishing milestone in July 2024. For the first time in any country ever, more than half of all new vehicles sold for the month were either electric or hybrid cars - outpacing sales of conventional, internal combustion engine vehicles. The momentum is expected to continue this year, with experts predicting that more New Energy vehicles will be sold in 2025 than traditional cars. It's a testament to a decades-long effort to put China at the top of the E-V market, though many challenges remain, including western protectionism, and a brutal price war. In this episode of China Perspectives, Azam Khan takes a look at the country's road to automotive dominance, and where it's headed next.