RTHK has learnt that the government is hoping to first open the cross-border checkpoints at Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, as well as the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, when quarantine-free travel with the mainland resumes as early as Sunday. As Wendy Wong reports, debate rages over whether travellers with business or family needs should be given priority:

Legislator Gary Zhang says the government needs to clarify, as soon as possible, the details of Sunday's resumption of quarantine-free travel with the mainland. Zhang, who previously worked for the MTR Corporation, said it was reasonable that the high-speed rail to Guangdong would not be ready by Sunday as it needed to take into account mainland train timetables. He said he was not concerned about crowded border crossings, given that passenger flow between Guangdong and Hong Kong could previously handle 400,000 people in a single direction. But he told Ben Tse that a rumoured quota of around 50,000 per-day was too conservative, especially if offered on a first-come, first-served basis:

The head of the Retail Management Association has warned that the reopening of the border with the mainland will not help the ailing trade much, at least in the near term. Annie Yau Tse's comments came as retail sales fell in November, snapping two months of growth. Leung Pak-hei reports:

PricewaterhouseCoopers says the border reopening will boost the Hong Kong economy down the road. But the accountancy firm is less upbeat about prospects in the nearer term. It is expecting the government's budget deficit to reach $109 billion this fiscal year. That would be the second-biggest in a decade. The administration itself has forecast a shortfall exceeding $100 billion. PwC says government expenditure is expected to remain high while revenue fell short of expectations. Agnes Wong, a PwC Hong Kong Tax Partner, told Ada Au more about their estimates:

Secretary for Justice, Paul Lam, says the government will speed up its work in amending outdated ordinances. Lam pointed out that some pieces of legislation introduced before 1997 are no longer applicable, but have not been changed. Frank Yung reports:

Researchers at Baptist University say patients with a common bowel disorder should reduce their intake of high protein food, after they discovered the disease was mainly triggered by a bacterium in the gut. They collected stool samples from about 300 patients and found that irritable bowel syndrome is caused by excessive amounts of this bacterium. Researcher Dr Zhai Li-xiang says current drugs only relieve the symptoms. But this research paves the way for the development of new drugs. He also told Vanessa Cheng what patients can do to improve their condition:

The man behind some of the city's best-known music has passed away. Renowned composer Joseph Koo died in Canada at the age of 92. His career spanned decades and inspired generations of fans and musicians, as Kelly Yu reports:

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung, has expressed deep sadness over composer Joseph Koo’s passing, hailing his contributions to the city's pop culture. Stephen Chu, a Hong Kong Studies professor with the University of Hong Kong, described Joseph Koo as a "trendsetter", whose work symbolised a golden era of Canto-pop. In particular, he said one of Koo's most famous pieces, "Below the Lion Rock", inspired generations of Hong Kong people. He told Kelly Yu that the composer left behind a lasting legacy:

British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has pledged to halve UK inflation, grow the economy and stop illegal immigration. In his first major speech of 2023, he focused on tackling the slowing economy and reducing national debt. He also vowed to pass new laws to stop migrants from arriving on British shores in small boats, as well as cut massive backlogs in Britain's public health service:

RTHK's UK correspondent, Gavin Grey, says little detail has been released on how Sunak will achieve his pledges. He also told Vicky Wong that attempting to tackle the migrant issue and deal with the National Health Service has been the downfall of many of his predecessors: