The presidents of Ukraine and the United States have met hoping to forge a plan to end the war in Ukraine. The pair have met at Donald Trump's Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, with Volodymyr Zelesnky saying he hopes to soften a US proposal for Ukrainian forces to withdraw completely from the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine - a Russian demand that would mean ceding some territory held by Ukrainian forces. Jamie Clarke has more:

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Mr Trump says that a lot of progress has been made, and the world will find out "in a few weeks" when asked if the four-year war is about to end. He also said Russia wanted to see Ukraine succeed.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan has painted a positive outlook for the local economy. He says the city is poised to end the year on a high note, with GDP growth accelerating beyond expectations and positive momentum set to extend into 2026. Hailey Yip has more.

Hong Kong’s sole deputy to the country's top legislature says local businesses should familiarise themselves with China's newly revised Foreign Trade Law. Starry Lee says that would raise awareness among Hong Kong people who are doing business on the mainland. Elvis Yu reports.

Chief Secretary Eric Chan says a government-led mentorship initiative for secondary students from low-income families has seen strong participation, with nearly 4,000 youths taking part in its latest phase. Hailey Yip tells us more.

Authorities are formulating plans on transferring and safeguarding sensitive data within a cross-border hub co-developed by Hong Kong and Shenzhen. That's according to the innovation and technology chief Sun Dong. Frank Yung has details.

The initial round of Myanmar’s phased general election has closed, with signs of low voter turnout for the first polls since its shift to military rule in 2021. Jamie Clarke has the details:

Authorities in Bangladesh say the alleged killers of popular student leader Sharif Osman Hadi have fled to India. Sachin Katvi reports.

The UK is to impose visa restrictions against those arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, after the African nation refused to receive illegal migrants who are repatriated. British officials say the
DRC has not been cooperative in their bid to the tighten up the UK's asylum rules. RTHK's UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the government has been trying to tackle the thorny issue for some time. He spoke to Ben Tse:

Imagine a world where virtual friends and partners become mainstream... smartphones make decisions for us without manual instructions... and humanoid robots greet you in malls and help you with your everyday chores. All these are among the biggest tech trends tech expert Raj Shroff expects in the coming year. He spoke to Elvis Yu.

Our next story is about how people in China have been making new friends and enjoying life's little surprises. "Blind box meals" are all the rage these days, where people dine with complete strangers and expand their social circles. This coincides with the success of "blind-box" marketing in the country, spurring businesses ranging from food deliveries to toys. Chloe Feng takes a closer look in this episode of our segment "China Perspectives".

In sports and in the English Premier League, Tottenham bagged a much-needed three points for under-fire manager Thomas Frank, with a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, while high-flying Sunderland were held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds. Cecil Wong has details:

The 44th Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup is under way, and the SAR representatives forced a 2-2 draw at home despite having two more players on the pitch for the final 20 minutes. Both sides will meet again for the second leg in Shenzhen this weekend. Our Asia football correspondent Chris KL Lau filed this report:

"Master Lock Comanche" has won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race for the fifth time, after pulling clear of a three-way tussle with supermaxis "LawConnect" and "HSK Scallywag 100" from Hong Kong. Elvis Yu has more.
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Actress Brigitte Bardot, often referred to in her native France simply as "B.B." has died at the age of 91. Her death was announced by her foundation, with the cause not immediately known. The 1960s sex symbol became one of the greatest screen sirens of the 20th century and later an animal rights activist and far-right supporter, as Jamie Clarke reports: