Hong Kong's Exchange Fund has enjoyed its best year ever, posting an investment income of HK$331 billion for 2025. All of its portfolios recorded gains, as Altis Wong reports.

Hong Kong home prices rose 3.3 percent in 2025 as a stock market boom, interest rate cuts, and government policies propped up the previously sluggish sector. As Chloe Feng reports, the annual gain was the first in four years, with analysts predicting that prices could rise by up to five percent this year.

The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants has called on the government to do more to attract firms to set up their headquarters in the SAR. The group also suggested attracting mainland talent by allowing them to buy homes with renminbi. Unveiling its proposals for the upcoming budget, the institute's president Stephen Law told Wallis Wang that while Hong Kong is likely to see a deficit of HK$1.4 billion for the current fiscal year, the financial situation of the SAR remains healthy.

Legislator Peter Koon has urged the government to halt its recurrent expenditure cuts for the social welfare sector. Last year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced a two percent reduction for each of the three years from this fiscal year in a bid to optimise resources. Damon Pang has the story.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan has expressed cautious optimism about the development of Hong Kong's capital markets this year. Elvis Yu reports.

Police are investigating a case of criminal damage after a seatbelt was reportedly cut on a KMB double decker. The incident on Wednesday occurred just days after the implementation of a new regulation mandating seatbelt use on buses and minibuses. Here's Hailey Yip.

Health officials say the risk of the potentially deadly Nipah virus entering Hong Kong is low. A fresh outbreak of the virus has hit the Indian city of Kolkata, where five cases were recorded recently and about 100 close contacts of the patients were quarantined. Wallis Wang has the details.

Health minister Lo Chung-mau says patients with urgent medical needs have generally been treated faster at public hospital emergency wards since fees were adjusted on New Year's Day. Damon Pang reports.

Preparations are in the final stage to upgrade an online reservation system for non-local driving licence holders who wish to obtain a Hong Kong permit. As Frank Yung reports, transport chief Mable Chan said artificial intelligence will be used for verification.

An electronic ticketing system for non-local drivers seeking a Hong Kong licence has been running smoothly, according to the Transport Department. Three hundred same-day e-tickets have been available online each working day since the scheme began less than three weeks ago. Raymond Yeung reports.

Lawmakers have called on the government to better utilise a 60km trail connecting promenades and countryside paths that encircles Hong Kong Island. They suggested installing more catering facilities, as Frank Yung reports.

The support fund for Wang Fuk Court residents has reached HK$4.5 billion. As Damon Pang reports, the government has so far earmarked HK$1.2 billion for financial measures to help those affected by the blaze.

Researchers from the University of Science and Technology have developed a new AI model that improves weather forecast accuracy by over 15 percent. It is also able to predict inclement conditions up to four hours ahead. Researcher Dai Kuai explained to Natasha Ho how the model works:

Companies have been urged to beef up protection against cyberattacks. The call by the Productivity Council came as Hong Kong logged more than 15,800 cybersecurity incidents last year — an increase of almost 30 percent from 2024. Charlie Chun reports.

The Productivity Council's Chief Digital Officer Edmond Lai spoke to Charlie Chun about some common cybersecurity risks:

Hong Kong's privacy watchdog is celebrating three decades of creating proactive data-defence strategies for the public. Privacy Commissioner Ada Chung spoke on RTHK's Backchat programme about her office's plan for the year. She also reflected on how the watchdog navigated the digital era to safeguard data privacy:

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has denied being in contact with US officials or requesting negotiations. His comments came as the United States deployed additional military assets in the Gulf, following deadly nationwide protests in Iran earlier this month. Iranians have been voicing their frustration at an ongoing internet blackout that's followed deadly protests in the country. The blackout has entered a fourth week, and uncertainty persists over when it will reconnect to the global web. Jamie Clarke has more:

A court in South Korea has sentenced the country's former first lady to 20 months in jail for receiving lavish gifts from a religious group. But Kim Keon Hee was acquitted of stock manipulation and other charges. Natale Ching reports.

Rain is hampering the search for dozens of people still missing five days after a landslide hit Indonesia's West Java province. Rescue teams have recovered a total of 53 bodies. The landslide struck early on Saturday, triggered by heavy rains that started a day earlier. Jamie Clarke has more:

A Dutch court has ruled that the state must do more to mitigate the impact of climate change on the Dutch-Caribbean island of Bonaire. As Jamie Clarke reports, the decision has been hailed by climate activists as a breakthrough victory:

South Korea recently implemented what it says is the world's first comprehensive set of laws overseeing AI, aimed at strengthening trust and safety in the sector. It includes a strict legal framework for safety in critical sectors, human oversight and mandatory labelling of generative content. Genie Gan, the governor of Global Council for Responsible AI, and our Tech correspondent Raj Shroff, told RTHK's Backchat programme that Seoul's new regulation even beat the EU's AI framework which has yet to be enforced:

In football...a busy final day of Champions League league phase action saw Liverpool among the teams to qualify for the knockout stage, after a 6-0 crushing of Azerbaijan side Qarabag at Anfield. But it was a different story for title holders Paris Saint-Germain, who face a two-legged knockout playoff round. Todd Harding has more: