The government has condemned a report by Bloomberg that said social media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, would be banned here under Article 23 national security legislation. A government spokesman called on Bloomberg to ensure that reporting on the proposed legislation was fair, to avoid any misunderstanding by its readers. It came after the Justice Secretary Paul Lam ruled out a ban on certain social media platforms under the laws, insisting the SAR had freedom of information. Violet Wong reports:

Vice Premier Ding Xue-xiang spoke about the Article 23 legislation while meeting in Beijing with Hong Kong and Macau delegates of the country's top political advisory body - the CPPCC. Members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference also said Ding believed that enacting the laws would ensure stability in Hong Kong. Vanessa Cheng reports from Beijing:

A top official in the mainland city of Qingdao says he expects more of its residents to visit Hong Kong. Residents from Qingdao and Xi'an can now begin travelling to the SAR under the Individual Visit Scheme, meaning they are not forced to join a tour group to come here. Kelly Yu reports from Beijing:

Commerce and economic development chief, Algernon Yau, says the government plans to host a "Hong Kong Shopping Festival" in the next few months. He says it is part of efforts to help local businesses sell their products online. Damon Pang reports:
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The average wait for public housing has edged up to 5.8 years. The Housing Authority blamed the longer wait on the slow delivery of new flats, with completions at the lowest level in years. Chloe Feng reports:

A local deputy to the National People's Congress, Dennis Lam, says an expansion of the medical voucher scheme in the Greater Bay Area will give more options for patients and promote cross-border medical integration. The government recently announced that elderly Hongkongers will soon be able to use their medical vouchers at seven more facilities in the Greater Bay Area, including Dr Lam’s dental clinic in Shenzhen. He spoke to Kelly Yu on the sidelines of the two sessions in Beijing:

An economist says Beijing will need to offer strong stimulus measures if it is to achieve the country's five percent economic growth target. Tan Jun-yu, the North Asia regional economist for the French credit insurer Coface, says economic momentum is now waning since China emerged from the pandemic. He is projecting lower growth for the world's second-largest economy, compared with the official target. Tan spoke to Anne Chan:

National People's Congress delegate and sports sector lawmaker, Kenneth Fok, says he hopes China will host the Women's World Cup football tournament in 2031. He also hopes Hong Kong could host some of the matches. Vanessa Cheng reports from Beijing:

Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the country's top legislature says she will continue to act as a bridge between Hongkongers and central authorities and make “constructive suggestions”. Starry Lee is in Beijing attending the two sessions. Kelly Yu reports from the capital:

How does a deaf Japanese artist tell the stories of deaf survivors of the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima? What kind of songs can truly express what it means to be a woman in the modern world? And what happens when world-class jazz guitarists converge in Hong Kong? Find out more in this episode of Broad Strokes, our regular arts and culture podcast, presented by Ben Tse and Jacqueline Guico: