Iran says the world should be ready for oil at US$200 a barrel, as Iranian forces began hitting merchant ships across the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency has agreed to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history – as it tries to counter the war's effects on the global energy market. Jamie Clarke has more:

Mainland airline bosses say the ongoing conflict in the Middle East will not have a “prolonged impact” on oil prices. But they also say it is difficult to predict how much longer energy costs will fluctuate. Frank Yung reports from Beijing.

Cathay Pacific also acknowledged headwinds from the ongoing Middle East conflict, but said it is well positioned to weather the storm. The comments came as the airline posted a 9.5 percent rise in full-year profit, driven by a rise in passenger numbers and robust cargo demand. But its low-cost subsidiary, HK Express, recorded a loss of nearly HK$1 billion. Chloe Feng reports.

China's top political advisory body has ended its annual session with a call from its chairman to help kick-start the country's 15th five-year plan. Frank Yung reports from Beijing.

A Hong Kong delegate to the country's top political advisory body says the SAR can help Beijing achieve high quality growth by providing financial vitality for mainland enterprises to enhance innovation and go global. Chloe Feng with that story.

The Consumer Council has received more than 100 complaints after a band from Taiwan, Mayday, cancelled the opening night of its concert series at Kai Tak Stadium later this month. The total sum involved reached almost HK$300,000. Elvis Yu has more.

The Hospital Authority says it's looking to expand its pre-hospital stroke-diversion scheme, to further reduce overall treatment times among patients. Charlie Chun tells us more.

In Hong Kong, transport sector lawmaker Lothair Lam says the war in the Middle East is hurting the shipping sector. He said costs are set to rise by 20 to 30 percent because of higher fuel prices. But as Marcus Lum reports, a tourism sector representative said the impact on air passengers is limited.

The Customs and Excise Department has intensified its crackdown on cross-boundary vehicles that illegally transport large quantities of petrol from the mainland to Hong Kong. According to the department, the smuggling was spurred by the recent surge in oil prices because of the Middle East conflict. Hailey Yip reports.

The government says it's tried its best to mitigate fare increases on some outlying island ferry routes. The adjustments are set to take effect on April the first, as Elvis Yu reports.

Hong Kong's customs department is hosting a Regional Conference on Smart Customs, with the city positioning itself as a hub for collaboration to speed up digital transformation in border control in the Asia-Pacific region. Hailey Yip reports.

Top Democrats in the US Congress say they are worried that US President Donald Trump is considering the deployment of ground troops in Iran. As our Washington correspondent Simon Marks reports, the lawmakers received a briefing from top officials, and say they fear the war against the Iranian regime is not going the way Mr Trump anticipated.

Both the Trump administration and leadership in Tehran have exchanged claims of being in the driver's seat of the war. Israel and the US continue to carpet bomb Tehran, with Iran retaliating against Israel and US assets in neighbouring Gulf countries. Earlier, American economist Jeffrey Sachs explained on RTHK's Backchat programme why Trump seemed to be sending confusing messages about the direction of the Iran war.

Files released in the United Kingdom reveal initial concerns around Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador in 2024. The documents have revived questions about the British prime minister's judgement in appointing a man close to Jeffrey Epstein. Jamie Clarke reports:

Drone strikes in Goma, in east Congo, have killed at least three people. The United Nations says it's the first such attack in the city since rebels seized it last year. Here's Jamie Clarke again:

In football... Champions League title-holders Paris Saint-Germain rolled to a dominant 5-2 home victory over Chelsea in the first leg of their last 16 tie. Norwegian side Bodo Glimt, meanwhile, continued their giant-killing debut in Europe's top-tier competition with a 3-0 win over Sporting Lisbon. Raymond Yeung has more: