The US Department of Defense announced on Saturday (Dec. 7) that it will provide weapons worth US$988 million to Ukraine over a relatively longer term to enhance its military capabilities amid the conflict with Russia.

​The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Louise Ho, from December 3 to 5, led a delegation that included the Assistant Commissioner (Excise and Strategic Support) of Customs and Excise, Rudy Hui, the Assistant Commissioner (World Customs Organization) of Customs and Excise, Li Kin-kei, and other Customs officers to attend the 91st Session of the Policy Commission of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Cape Town, South Africa, and visited Saudi Arabia on December 6 and 7.

Chan noted that the DesignInspire, a major event for the local cultural and creative design sector, was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) over the past few days, and that one of the highlights of the event is its first-ever collaboration with the Maison & Objet (M&O), the leading international design fair in France.

In a radio program today (Dec. 8), Chan explained that it was mainly due to the decrease in government revenue, including the high interest rate, the public's hesitation to buy their own homes, the decrease in stamp duty revenue from the property market, and the decrease in stamp duty revenue from the stock market, as well as the different pace of post-epidemic recovery for different enterprises, which he believed to be only a cyclical situation.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol Sunday (Dec. 8) accepted the resignation of Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min.

The new Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law, said at her first public sports event and meeting with the media that there were 145,000 mainland visitors to Hong Kong yesterday (Dec. 7), 28.5% higher than the average daily visitor arrivals in November, which is believed to be a result of the resumption of the "multiple-entry visas" which has brought new opportunities to Hong Kong.

The Kerry Hong Kong Streetathon 2024 finished smoothly today (Dec. 8). According to the organizer, the temperature today was good and the response received so far was positive, describing the event as smooth. More than 19,400 people registered for the event, with 85% attending and 99% completing the race. During the race, four people were hospitalized for broken bones or bruises, while 110 others sustained minor injuries.

Opposition activists said the rebel fighters entered the Syrian capital of Damascus at dawn Sunday, according to the Britain-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

South Korean prosecutors Sunday (Dec. 8) opened a case on President Yoon Suk-yeol, citing numerous complaints, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Korean presidency is a poisoned chalice. Few occupants of that top post have survived intact: they are either assassinated, jailed, overthrown, exiled, or scarred by scandal. In the latest episode, the incumbent has added another layer of intrigue as a doting husband. Under him, K-drama has come roaring back. The whole world is waiting for the next instalment. This storyline has everything: a potent cocktail of sex, fraud, money and power.

South Korea's former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun has been arrested and his mobile phone has been confiscated, the country's Yonhap news agency reported Sunday morning (Dec. 8).

French local time on the evening of Dec. 7 (Hong Kong time early morning on Dec. 8), Notre-Dame Cathedral reopening ceremony was held in Paris, the French capital. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the ceremony and delivered a speech.

An An and Ke Ke, the giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong by the central government, made their official debut at Ocean Park today (Dec. 8). The Park was packed early this morning, with long queues outside Hong Kong's Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures, where An An and Ke Ke are housed.

The Kerry Hong Kong Streetathon 2024 kicked off this morning (Dec. 8), featuring a full marathon, a half marathon and a 10km race, and for the first time, village food such as pon choi will be provided along the way.

The much-anticipated An An and Ke Ke pandas gifted to Hong Kong by the central government are finally ready to meet the public from today (Dec. 8).