Talking points

The Court of Final Appeal will deliver judgment on the controversial right-of-abode dispute involving domestic helpers and children born to mainlanders in Hong Kong. The top court will decide whether helpers have the right to apply for a permanent identity card after living in Hong Kong for seven years. It has also been asked to consider a government request to ask the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to clarify its 1999 interpretation of Article 24 on right-of-abode conditions in the Basic Law.

European Union President Herman van Rompuy and European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso will visit Tokyo for a one-day summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. They are expected to reach a final accord that will see the launch of long-awaited talks to liberalise trade and remove barriers on services and investment. EU trade ministers agreed in November to launch free-trade talks with Tokyo, while pledging to safeguard Europe's struggling carmakers.