The government has unveiled details of its plan to import workers for the construction industry. The first batch of these labourers will be here by the end of this year, as Aaron Tam reports:

A survey of final-year school students has found that the majority of them hope to study in Hong Kong and then stay here to work. A recruitment agency - Quality People - polled nearly 3,000 DSE students a few months ago. The agency's director, Edward Chan, told Mike Weeks more about the survey's findings:

Sai Kung and Hong Kong is abuzz about a whale that was spotted on Thursday afternoon in the waters off Millionaire's Beach, but conservationists have urged the public not to disturb it. Video posted online by people who saw it showed the whale's head above the water as it fed in the area sheltered by High Island, Kau Sai Chau and Bluff Island. Taison Chang, Chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, says it could be a Bryde's whale. He told Ada Au these baleen whales are typically gentle giants:

The owner of a Japanese restaurant says many businesses may not survive the government's threatened ban on Japanese seafood if Tokyo releases treated waste-water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. He issued the warning on an RTHK programme, on which the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-wan, revealed that checks on Japanese food stuffs have already been stepped up. Kimmy Lau reports:

An expert in clinical maternal fetal medicine has called for active Covid-19 monitoring and vaccination for pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant. This comes after a study found that the coronavirus is leading to severe pregnancy complications. The study by the University of Science and Technology and the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that Covid infections can alter gene regulation in the placenta, which may lead to a higher risk of pre-term or low birth-weight infants. Professor Liona Poon, the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told Ben Tse about the three significant findings of the study:

Health chief Lo Chung-mau says he will prioritise the expansion of non-smoking areas, especially around schools and hospitals, to ensure that vulnerable people are not affected by second-hand smoke. Here's Natale Ching:

Ombudsman Winnie Chiu has urged the Housing Department to reconsider the use of public housing for senior citizens, and allocate them instead to people with urgent housing needs. Chiu said these flats have become outdated and unpopular among elderly tenants. She advised officials to consider converting the flats back into ordinary public housing, or allocating some of the flats to those living in inadequate housing. But Cleresa Wong, who chairs the Housing Authority's subsidised housing committee, told Kelly Yu this may not be simple to do:

The Ombudsman has urged tree management officials to be more proactive and explore ways to handle complaints faster. Winnie Chiu said of the 24,000 tree problems reported to the government's 1823 hotline between 2018 and late 2022, dozens received replies only after more than three months. In one case, it took the Lands Department more than a year to respond to a person who was worried about the risk of a nearby tree falling. The chief executive of the Conservancy Association, Ken So, described that as "worrying". He told Kelly Yu it is common to find problematic trees in Hong Kong, and that it is important for authorities to step in and spot problems at an early stage:

The Chief Executive says the government has to explore different avenues for companies to invest in arts and culture in Hong Kong. The development of the city's cultural and creative industries was a key topic in John Lee's second “interactive and consultative” exchange with the Legislative Council, as Frank Yung reports:

Thailand's parliament has rejected election winner Pita Limjaroenrat's bid to become prime minister. Pita failed to secure the 375 parliamentary votes needed to become the country's 30th premier, despite his reformist party winning the popular vote in the general election. RTHK's South East Asia correspondent, Larry Jagan, told Aaron Tam that this outcome had become increasingly inevitable:

China has published measures to manage its booming generative artificial intelligence industry, softening its tone from an earlier draft. It said regulators would seek to support development of the technology. Sean Kennedy has more: