The government has launched a public consultation on enacting Basic Law Article 23 national security legislation. In making the announcement, Chief Executive John Lee said Article 23 legislation must be enacted as soon as possible because of the national security risks the SAR faces. Aaron Tam reports:

The security chief said new laws against computer crimes and external interference are among those proposed under Article 23 of the Basic Law. Wendy Wong reports:

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, meanwhile, stressed that law-abiding residents do not need to worry about inadvertently violating national security laws under Article 23. As Kelly Yu reports, Lam said that the legislation will be clearly specified:

Some business sector representatives have expressed support for the government's proposal to enact legislation under Article 23. The CEO of Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Patrick Yeung, says the laws can maintain the SAR's status as an international financial hub, while property tycoon Ronnie Chan said that stability is the foundation of prosperity. Executive council convenor Regina Ip - who also chairs the New People's Party - says she expects widespread support for the new laws. She spoke to Elvis Yu:

The president of the German Chamber of Commerce, Johannes Hack, was circumspect about the likely effect of the coming legislation, saying it remains to be seen whether proposed offences such as the theft of state secrets could potentially curtail business reporting. He spoke to Anne Chan:

Members of the public have until the end of February to submit their views about the proposed legislation. Professor Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, told Vanessa Cheng he believes that is enough time to consult the public in light of the urgency to enact the legislation:

Executive councillor and barrister Ronny Tong says the duration of the consultation period, which lasts until February 28, is reasonable as people can still raise their opinions afterwards. He spoke to Vanessa Cheng:

Legislative Council President Andrew Leung has said Legco welcomes and fully supports the government's proposals on Basic Law Article 23 national security legislation. He expressed the hope that lawmakers and officials could work together to explain the bill "word by word, clause by clause" during the legislative process, as Vanessa Cheng reports:

The national security trial of Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai has heard that a former publisher found the newspaper's stance on violence and protests to be problematic. Cheung Kim-hung says Apple Daily's reporting became more supportive of the protesters as the unrest escalated in 2019. Here is Frank Yung:

The elderly may soon have access to AI-powered shopping carts to help them when they are out shopping for groceries. Pui Shing Catholic Secondary School students, who developed the smart cart, have been in discussions with elderly care homes to conduct trials. Professor Albert Ko from Lingnan University has been offering advice to the student team since 2021. He explained to Natale Ching how their invention - which is the size of a suitcase and is designed to navigate Hong Kong sidewalks - can help older shoppers:

The IMF has raised its 2024 global growth forecast to 3.1 percent, citing unexpected "resilience" in major advanced and emerging market economies around the world, including China and the United States. Sean Kennedy reports: