The government has hit back at what it calls "unsubstantiated remarks" from the US state department in its latest Trafficking in Persons Report, which said Hong Kong was actively being used by syndicates as a destination or transit point for human trafficking. Todd Harding reports:

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung, says it is of vital importance that government workers uphold the constitutional order and national security, according to the code of conduct for civil servants. As Georgina Lee reports, her remarks come after authorities revised the Civil Service Code, which lays out 12 fundamental values and standards of conduct, including political neutrality, confidentiality, and integrity:

There are calls for CLP Power to prioritise installing anti-lightning devices as the storm season gets underway. An engineer was commenting after recent reports of power outages in buildings caused by a voltage dip. The electricity supplier said such works over installing these devices was ongoing and would continue over the next two to three years. Frank Yung reports:

Hundreds of people have been turning up at the Housing Authority's office in Lok Fu in the hopes of snapping up a light public housing flat. Applications for the first batch of homes under the scheme opened on Monday. By 6pm on Monday, the authority said it had received around 1,800 applications. Natale Ching reports:

A concern group says existing harbour protection laws should remain in place after the government revised its proposal to relax a general ban on reclamation in Victoria Harbour. Paul Zimmerman, a member of Society for Protection of the Harbour, told Hailey Yip about the need to protect the harbour and that authorities should still be required to prove an overriding public need for large-scale reclamation projects:

The DAB party wants the government to enact legislation on e-commerce to protect online shoppers' interests. A survey it carried out in March revealed that more than 40 percent of respondents had unpleasant online shopping experiences. District councillor Elaine Chik said most people said the goods they received did not meet their descriptions. She detailed the buyers' complaints to Natale Ching:

China is bracing for heavy rains in large parts of the country this week, with a red alert issued in some areas. The warning comes after at least 38 people were killed last week in Guangdong where downpours triggered flooding and landslides. Charlie Chun reports:

At least 22 workers have been killed and several others injured in a fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea. Firefighters said 18 of the dead were Chinese nationals. Tom McAlinden reports:

A government-owned investment vehicle has struck a deal with a biotech firm started by the founder of Chinese internet giant, Baidu. As Wendy Wong reports, it is the second strategic partnership announced in just two weeks:

Beijing wants the European Union to scrap its preliminary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles by next Thursday, according to the Global Times. This comes as both sides agreed to hold new trade talks. Jacqueline Guico reports.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the intense phase of Gaza's war is winding down. But he has said he will only accept a partial ceasefire deal that would not end the eight-month-long war. It casts doubt on the viability of a US-backed truce proposal. Azam Khan reports:

A humanitarian organisation for children says the ongoing war in Gaza has left an estimated 21,000 children missing, with many feared trapped under rubble, detained, or lost. As Hailey Yip reports, Save the Children said the escalating security situation in the territory complicated the urgent need to protect children who had been separated from their parents:

Russia’s southern region of Dagestan has held the first of three days of mourning, following an attack by Islamic militants who authorities say killed 20 people - mostly police - and attacked Christian and Jewish houses of worship in two cities. Although the assailants have not been officially identified, Russian media is widely reporting that among the gunmen were two relatives of a local official. Militants with links to the Islamic State group are also suspected. RTHK's Moscow correspondent Fred Weir told Annemarie Evans that the latest violence was a major headache for the Putin government:

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he will act on any findings of wrongdoing from an internal investigation into a damaging betting scandal. Five people connected to the prime minister are being investigated over reports that they placed bets on the date of the July 4 election before it was announced. Azam Khan reports:

Sunak says he is "not aware of any other" Conservative election candidates being investigated by the Gambling Commission over alleged bets on the date of the upcoming general election. The commission has not said who it is investigating but so far the names of four Conservatives have emerged - including two who are standing for election. RTHK's London-based correspondent, Peter Anderson, says members of Sunak's Conservative party are desperate to put the scandal behind them:

If UK voters are disillusioned with the choices on offer, can an AI avatar be elected as a British member of parliament? Businessman Steve Endacott is among hundreds of candidates in next month's general election. But the face on his campaign leaflet is an AI-generated avatar, not the man himself. If his bid succeeds, it would give the world its first AI lawmaker. Jacqueline Guico reports:

A new AI tool being developed by a Japanese company has raised concerns about the removal of the "human element" from customer service. Telecoms giant Softbank is working on "emotion cancellation" technology, which aims to make the voices of angry customers sound less intense and protect call centre staff who deal with frustrated people all day. So how does this technology work? And can it be used in areas other than customer service? Raj shroff and Elvis Yu find out in Tech Tuesday: