The security minister says authorities will "actively consider" suggestions by lawmakers to remove a six-month waiting period before action can be taken against absconders, such as cancelling their passport. It came out during meetings of a Legco bills committee, which is currently scrutinising the Safeguarding National Security Bill. Frank Yung reports:

The government says it strongly disapproves of a misleading newspaper report in Britain's The Times, which was headlined: "Hongkongers to be jailed for keeping old newspapers". Jacqueline Guico reports:

The government has unveiled details of a mass-transit system for East Kowloon that would include a monorail. According to its blueprint, it would take about 10 minutes to travel between Kai Tak MTR Station and the cruise terminal. Damon Pang reports:

Kowloon East lawmaker, Bill Tang, says the government should consider extending the route to the Choi Hung MTR station on one end, and through the Kwun Tong harbourfront to Yau Tong station on the other. The Federation of Trade Unions legislator told Damon Pang that this would maximise the line's capacity and help develop the area as a central business district:

The operator of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal says plans for a monorail in the area will improve tourists' experience, though may not be the main factor for cruise lines in deciding where to berth. Jeff Bent, managing director of Worldwide Cruise Terminals, told Carol Musgrave that a rail would provide another option to the single-road access to the terminal:

The government says nearly 7,700 crime cases were recorded in January, a 21 percent rise from a year ago. As Azam Khan reports, the undersecretary for security said the uptick was mainly due to more fraud, theft and blackmail cases involving nude chats being detected:

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has opened its animal-protection centre in Tsing Yi. It houses the largest animal hospital in the New Territories. Elvis Yu reports:

The SPCA says its new Tsing Yi facility will focus on education and animal welfare, and will include an immersive classroom to teach children about pets. Its Deputy Director for Welfare, Fiona Woodhouse, says the five-storey building will also offer surgery, re-homing and boarding facilities, and a dedicated dental clinic. She told Ben Tse that the charity chose Tsing Yi due to demand for its services in the New Territories:

The Commerce Ministry in Beijing says it plans to include French brandy producers Martell, Hennessy, and Remy Martin in an anti-dumping probe against the EU. Robert Kemp reports:

Shares in state-backed property giant China Vanke have closed up by more than 10 percent in Hong Kong, a day after credit agency Moody's said it might downgrade the company's debt status to junk. In comparison, the Hang Seng Index rose by about three percent and the Hang Seng Mainland Properties Index by almost eight percent. Hailey Yip reports:

The Hang Seng index is projected to open up 0.4 percent at 17,030 on Wednesday morning, rising for a fourth consecutive trading day. On Tuesday, it broke past the 17,000 mark for the first time this year. Dickie Wong, Executive Director of Research at Kingston Securities, told Chloe Feng that the surge came after positive inflation data from China. He spoke to Chloe Feng:

An analyst from the Bank of East Asia says the positive sentiment on the mainland may be due to a rumour that large banks will be required to provide more support to property developers. Jason Chan, vice president and equity strategist at the bank, also told Chloe Feng that he expected the momentum behind tech-driven stocks to continue: