Financial Secretary Paul Chan has said that public finances have improved after government revenue saw a surplus of over HK$40 billion in the first nine months of the fiscal year. Henry Siu reports:

Culture, Sports and Tourism Secretary, Rosanna Law, says she's optimistic about tourism during the Chinese New Year holiday, noting a surge in hotel bookings after the government announced a fireworks display to celebrate the Year of the Horse. Wendy Wong has more.

It's understood that former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui has died at Eastern Hospital at the age of 77. Aaron Tam reports:

Secretary for Security Chris Tang says he's believes the improved seatbelt mandate on public buses will be more practical and convenient for passengers when it's reintroduced. His remarks came after the government announced it would remove legal provisions requiring bus passengers to put on seatbelts, citing shortcomings in the law. Here's Wallis Wang:

Security minister Chris Tang has warned of a significant rise in a new type of traffic-related fraud, with dozens of cases already reported. Wendy Wong has more.

The MTR Corporation has said that service on the Tuen Ma Line remained mostly smooth on Sunday despite special arrangements requiring passengers to change trains when passing Hung Hom station. Wallis Wang has more:

The nation's annual Spring Festival travel rush begins today, with inter-regional trips expected to hit a record 9.5 billion. Henry Siu reports:

Ukrainian officials say a Russian drone strike on a bus carrying miners has killed at least a dozen people. That attack came hours after the Ukrainian president announced a second round of trilateral talks that seek to bring peace to the warring nations - as Jamie Clarke reports:

The US Justice Department on Friday published millions of new files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with references to US President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as well as prominent figures such as Elon Musk and Bill Clinton. Our Washington correspondent, Simon Marks told Ben Tse some of the biggest takeaways from the latest Epstein documents, including assault allegations levied against Mr Trump:

US House Speaker Mike Johnson says he has the votes to end a partial US government shutdown within days. Representatives are scrambling to return to Washington DC to vote amid widespread transport problems following a massive snowstorm last week. Jamie Clarke has more:

A powerful snowstorm has blasted southern United States, bringing sub-zero temperatures to regions not accustomed to deadly winter conditions. The latest bout of extreme weather comes about a week after a monster storm barrelled through large parts of the country, killing more than 100 people and leaving many communities struggling to dig out from snow and ice. Aaron Tam reports.

Israel has partially reopened the Rafah crossing between the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and Egypt, although access will be limited to the movement of people. The reopening comes amid ongoing violence in the Palestinian territory, with Gaza's civil defence agency reporting dozens killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday. The Rafah crossing is a vital gateway for both civilians and aid, but has remained closed since Israeli forces seized control in May 2024 during the conflict with Hamas. Wallis Wang reports.

Indonesia's government has said it will restore access to Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok after the billionaire's social media platform X promised to comply with the country's laws. Aaron Tam reports:

Malaysian Hindu devotees have been celebrating one of the religion's most revered festivals in the country's capital. They marked the occasion in traditional attire with dancing, prayers, and shaving their heads. Jamie Clarke has the details:

In sport...Carlos Alcaraz has clinched his first-ever Australian Open title, making history as the youngest man in the Open era to win all four majors. As Todd Harding tells us, the 22-year-old defeated Novak Djokovic in a four-set battle in Melbourne -- surpassing fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who was 24 when he completed the career Grand Slam:

In football... Manchester City missed out on a chance to chew into Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League after a dramatic 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester United, meanwhile, extended their 100 percent start under new boss Michael Carrick by beating Fulham 3-2 at Old Trafford. Raymond Yeung tells us more:

Here at home... Lee Man kept pace with Hong Kong Premier League leaders Kitchee with a 4-1 win over Kowloon City at Sham Shui Po Sports Ground. Our Asia football correspondent, Chris KL Lau, has more on that match-up and all the action from this past weekend:

India's last tram network is clinging to life as Kolkata fights to preserve its legacy. Once operating across Kolkata with 52 routes in the 1970s, in 2015 the network was drastically reduced to just 25. Today that number has shrunk even more, as Jamie Clarke reports: