Official estimates indicate Hong Kong's economy likely grew 3.2 percent year-on-year last year. That is in line with the government's forecast last November when it lowered its GDP predictions from between four and five percent. For the fourth quarter, GDP grew 4.3 percent on-year, boosted by tourism and private consumption. The economy returned to growth last year after it shrank by 3.7 percent in 2022. Terence Chong, economics professor at the Chinese University, told Chloe Feng that while growth fell short of expectations, the GDP figure was still good:

While the city's economy is doing better, the problem of negative equity has worsened sharply. The number of cases has reached a 19-year high, as Violet Wong reports:

The government has acknowledged that there are calls for all of the so-called "spicy" property cooling measures to be lifted. The housing secretary made the remark as Legco approved a bill to partially ease such measures. Vanessa Cheng reports:

The privacy watchdog has raided offices of the cryptocurrency project, Worldcoin, over suspicions it broke the law while scanning people's eyeballs in return for free tokens. Natale Ching reports:

A deputy head of a national think tank on Hong Kong affairs says authorities here have done a good job with the preparatory work for Basic Law Article 23 legislation. Tam Yiu-chung also pointed out that enacting the laws would make the central government feel at ease. Damon Pang reports:

Lawyers representing Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai have told the court in his national security trial that an ex-publisher of the newspaper tailored his testimony to receive a lighter sentence and to “put the blame” on his former boss. The former publisher, Cheung Kim-hung, denied those claims. Frank Yung reports:

An anti-smoking activist says raising the tobacco tax is considered the single most effective measure to discourage smoking. Henry Tong, chairman of The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, says the council wants tobacco tax to increase to 75 percent of the retail price, in this month's budget. Tong told Ben Tse that other measures should include increasing non-smoking areas around Hong Kong, banning menthol cigarettes, and making warnings cover the entire surface area of a cigarette pack:

Some taxi passengers will soon find more than 20 different ways to pay for their journeys as a new smart meter is trialled from April. The new CabCab meter is partially funded by the government’s Innovation and Technology Fund. Elvis Yu reports:

100 taxis will first test out the new CabCab meter, which accepts payments via Octopus, credit card, QR code, Alipay, PayMe and various other electronic platforms. The CEO of CabCab, Sam Hui, told Elvis Yu that he hoped 1,000 taxis would be equipped with the new meters by the end of the year:

Hong Kong's first diagonal crossing has made its debut and pedestrians are now able to legally cross the busy intersection in Sha Tin in any direction for the first time. Kelly Yu reports:

Mainland authorities have executed a couple over the deaths of two young children, thrown from a Chongqing apartment block window three years ago. The case caused nationwide outrage due to the cold-blooded nature of the crime. Vanessa Cheng reports:

An official mainland factory survey shows activity contracting for a fourth straight month, although the pace of contraction is slowing. But there is better news when it comes to services and construction, as Jamie Clarke reports:

Now to a young British music prodigy who has often been compared to Mozart. British composer, pianist, violinist and conductor, Alma Deutscher, makes her Hong Kong debut. Also in this week's Broad Strokes - RTHK's arts and culture podcast - Jacqueline Guico and Ben Tse check out a retrospective of one of Thailand’s most well-known contemporary artists and look at a memorial concert for a much-loved local indie musician:

RTHK's annual charity drive, Operation Santa Claus, has raised HK$14.9 million in its 2023 campaign. Jointly organised with the South China Morning Post, some 11,000 people stand to benefit, with the money raised going to 16 charities. Here are highlights from the closing ceremony, held at the unique and historical Crown Wine Cellars in Deep Water Bay: