Primary and secondary English and Putonghua teachers will from the next academic year have to pass with flying colours the International English Language Testing System -- or IELTS -- and a proficiency test in Putonghua conducted by the State Language Commission before they're able to teach either language. As Frank Yung reports, these tests replace a proficiency assessment test conducted by the government:

Mervyn Cheung from the Hong Kong Education Policy Concern Organisation said while the national Putonghua test could be adopted to better assess prospective teacher's proficiency, he believed the existing language proficiency test for English should be kept, instead of being replaced by IELTS. He spoke to Frank Yung:

The principal of Ying Wa College, Dion Chen, who also chairs the Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, said the change in English testing requirements will likely make it easier for prospective teachers to get the qualifications they need. He also told Ben Tse that he believes teaching standards won't be affected:

The manufacturer of a cholestrol supplement which has been at the centre of a health scare in Japan has said they don't sell the tablets in Hong Kong. The product, which contains something that's called 'red yeast rice' has been recalled in Japan over fears that it could cause kidney damage. Vanessa Cheng reports:

Authorities say they'll be talking with the taxi trade about possibly installing mandatory surveillance and dash cameras in all cabs in Hong Kong, a move some lawmakers say would protect the public. Damon Pang reports:

A university student has been sentenced to eight weeks in jail for removing TVB actor Raymond Cho from the city's organ donation register without his permission. Wong Tsz-shing had earlier pleaded guilty to criminal damage. Kelly Yu reports:

The new stock exchange chief, Bonnie Chan, says many firms are "very" keen to list in Hong Kong. Ms Chan said listings were down last year because of a challenging market environment. Elvis Yu reports:

The Trade Development Council is maintaining its forecast of a four to six percent growth for the city’s exports this year. The council has unveiled its inaugural export confidence index, which stood at 39.6 for the first three months of 2024 and is projected to reach 47.4 in the April-June quarter. Any readings below 50 indicate contraction, while any readings above 50 indicate expansion. Noting an overall improvement since last September, Irina Fan, the council’s director of research, said sentiment continues to pick up in the three months this quarter. She spoke to Chloe Feng:

Hong Kong Art Week is now in full swing, with Art Central returning to the Central harbourfront this year. As Anne Chan reports, the show will focus on contemporary art this time around:

One of the pieces being featured at this edition of Art Central is a giant installation inspired by martial arts by local artist Ho Sin-tung. She told Anne Chan that the art show is a great opportunity for emerging artists to showcase their works to a larger audience:

Finance secretary Paul Chan has hailed Hong Kong's many financial strengths, saying the SAR is performing very well in that regard. His comments come after an article in the Financial Times suggested that the territory was quote..."now over". Frank Yung reports:

Thailand has taken a historic step closer to marriage equality after the lower house passed a bill giving legal recognition to same-sex marriage. It still needs approval from the country's senate and royal endorsement to become law. But it's widely expected to happen by the end of 2024, making Thailand the only Southeast Asian country to recognise same-sex unions. Annemarie Evans spoke to our Bangkok correspondent Larry Jagan:

Japan's finance minister has issued his strongest warning to date about the weakness of the yen as the currency fell to a 34-year low against the dollar. He says authorities could take "decisive steps", language previously used before intervention. Altis Wong reports: