Dog owners will be allowed to take their pets to designated restaurants as early as the middle of this year. As Charlie Chun reports, the government is moving to amend a decades-old regulation that imposed a blanket ban on the presence of canines in eateries.

A catering sector representative welcomed the government's proposed amendment. Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said he expects catering businesses to benefit from the move. He spoke to Charlie Chun.

An animal welfare group welcomes the phased approach, saying the goal is to ensure the long-term viability of pet-friendly policies. Susan Lai, founder of the Animal Rights and Welfare Association, also said the licensing requirements are reasonable, and strike a necessary balance between public hygiene and pet-friendly access. She spoke to Elvis Yu.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun has said that the government is considering a fixed penalty of HK$3,000 for smoking at construction sites. The move comes after the industry described the previously proposed maximum fines to be "too extreme". Hailey Yip reports:

Data breaches last year increased by 21 percent from 2024. But there was an overall drop in doxxing cases, according to the city's privacy watchdog. Frank Yung has the details.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said it was notified of 246 data breach incidents last year. About a third of them involved hacking. Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung said personal information is prone to being exposed by hackers as data are now stored online. She spoke to Frank Yung:

Retail sales in Hong Kong in December rose by 6.6 percent from a year earlier to HK$35 billion. The eighth straight month of gains was driven by more online transactions and robust purchases of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts. Aaron Tam has the details.

Households affected by two redevelopments have been assured of further assistance if they face financial difficulties despite getting relocation allowances. The Housing Authority said they could turn to community service or care teams. Damon Pang reports.

President Xi Jinping says China and Uruguay should boost cooperation in various areas, including trade and infrastructure construction. His call came in talks in Beijing with Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi who's on a state visit. Azam Khan reports.

Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have dropped their long-standing refusal to testify in person on Capitol Hill about their friendship with sex-trafficking financier Jeffrey Epstein. They were facing the possibility of contempt of Congress charges that could have seen them jailed. The Clintons both deny any wrongdoing, and will now sit for filmed, transcribed depositions later this month. Our Washington Correspondent Simon Marks with the report:

Britain's former US ambassador Peter Mandelson intends to retire from the upper house of parliament, the House of Lords. The announcement follows revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, as well as renewed scrutiny of his conduct in public office. Jamie Clarke has more:

The son of Norway's crown princess has denied rape and admitted to lesser charges on the first day of his trial. It's a case that has shaken the already embattled royal family - as Jamie Clarke reports:

The Sudanese army says it's broken a years-long siege on the city of Kadugli. Doing so could potentially provide tens of thousands of people a reprieve from famine and signal a shift in the war's momentum. As Jamie Clarke reports, the conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces has displaced millions and caused a vast humanitarian crisis since it broke out in April 2023:

In football...Arsenal are through to their first English League Cup final in eight years after holding off Chelsea 1-0 in the second leg of their semi-final. As Todd Harding tells us, the 4-2 aggregate win sets up a clash at Wembley with either Manchester City or holders Newcastle, who face off in the other semi-final tomorrow:

The world's top snooker stars have returned to Hong Kong, with the crack of the break-off signalling the start of the World Grand Prix at Kai Tak Arena. As Hailey Yip reports, this marks the second time the city has hosted the tournament.

And now...some highlights from the closing ceremony of Operation Santa Claus 2025, which was held Tuesday night at Cafe 8 above the Maritime Museum in Central. The fundraising drive raised more than HK$19 million. Here's a taste of the event.