The first meeting of the newly elected legislature on Wednesday began with a speech by the chief executive. John Lee pledged that the investigation into the deadly Tai Po fire last November would be thorough and comprehensive. He also promised to formulate long-term accommodation arrangements for those affected. Frank Yung reports:

The government's motion on supporting and rebuilding work for Wang Fuk Court fire victims was passed last night, after almost nine hours of deliberation. Elvis Yu reports:

A series of legal changes to strengthen fire safety regulations and the role of the Urban Renewal Authority in overseeing bids for renovation works have also been proposed during the Legco meeting. Damon Pang with that story:

A government questionnaire distributed to residents of fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court included an option to acquire their flats. A lawmaker has asked the government to raise the offer, while a senior official once again cast doubt on redeveloping the estate at its original location. Natale Ching reports:

Two workers died in separate industrial accidents in Kai Tak and Tsuen Wan Wednesday. As Elvis Yu reports, labour officials say they're probing the cause of the accidents:

A local economist says the city must embrace digital innovation to boost its vital trade finance sector, adding that traditional financing methods are struggling to keep up with changes in global trade. Associate Dean Heiwai Tang made the call as part of the "Hong Kong Economic Policy Green Paper 2026" from the HKU Business School, which explores the city's economic challenges and opportunities. He spoke to Hailey Yip:

China's trade surplus surged to a record of almost US$1.2 trillion in 2025, as exports picked up in December. While acknowledging the external trade environment remains challenging, officials say Beijing will continue to open up its markets and be an "opportunity for the world". Raymond Yeung reports:

An economist says that America's threat to impose tariffs on nations trading with Iran is unlikely to cause significant disruption, adding the global economy has already adapted to years of trade volatility. Hailey Yip with that story:

China's market regulator says it has launched an investigation into the country's largest online travel platform Trip.com over alleged monopolistic practices. The company is suspected of abusing its dominant market position. Francis Punia reports:

A train derailed in northeastern Thailand after a construction crane collapsed and fell onto the two carriages, killing at least 32 people and injuring 66 others. Azam Khan reports:

Denmark's foreign minister says Washington has not budged on its position that it must acquire Greenland, after talks with the US. The meeting between officials from the three nations seems to have only raised the prospect of prolonged tension between Copenhagen and Washington - as Jamie Clarke reports:

A coalition of women's groups, tech watchdogs, and progressive activists is calling on Google and Apple to drop social media platform X and its chatbot from their app stores. As Jamie Clarke reports, the group has cited the spread of non-consensual sexual images of women and minors on the platform:

Scientists say the planet experienced its third-warmest year on record in 2025, while average temperatures have exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming over three years. Tony Sabine reports:

Sport and football...Arsenal have drawn first blood in their English League Cup semi-final against Chelsea, winning the first leg 3-2 at Stamford Bridge. The victory puts the Gunners in the driver’s seat ahead of next month's second leg, as they vie for their first trophy in the domestic competition since 1993. Todd Harding has more:

ChatGPT's maker OpenAI has advertised a vacancy that pays US$550,000 a year, but comes with a daunting job description. According to CEO Sam Altman, the so-called "head of preparedness" will be directly responsible for evaluating and mitigating emerging threats and, "tracking and preparing for frontier AI capabilities that create new risks of severe harm". Altman said the job will be "stressful", and that some executives have had short stints in the position. Earlier, Azam Khan asked RTHK's tech correspondent Raj Shroff what sort of risks the suitable candidate would have to deal with, and if it's a role that he would find appealing: