Hong Kong  - A computer technician went on trial Monday accused of stealing the photographs that triggered Hong Kong's notorious celebrity sex scandal.

Sze Ho-chun, 24, allegedly downloaded explicit images from the laptop computer of singer-actor Edison Chen showing him engaging in sex acts with a number of young starlets.

The 1,300 pictures showed stars including singer Gillian Chung and actress Cecilia Cheung naked with Chen in a scandal which tarnished the squeaky clean image of Hong Kong's so-called Canto-pop stars.

Hong Kong  - Hong Kong faces its gravest economic test since World War II and might see its economy contract by more than 3 per cent this year, the city's leader said in an interview published Monday.

Beijing-appointed Chief Executive Donald Tsang told the Financial Times newspaper that he would consider dipping into government reserves to launch a mid-year stimulus package to tackle the problem if the economy worsened.

Hong Kong  - Luxury hotels in Hong Kong are seeing occupancy rates fall steeply as travellers seek cheaper accommodation because of the global economic slump, according to government figures released Monday.

Top-tier hotels in the city of 7 million, which charge an average of about 270 US dollars a night, saw occupancy down 6 percentage points to 68 per cent in February compared with February 2008, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said.

Hong Kong  - A Hong Kong magazine columnist was defiant Monday after around 2,000 Filipinos marched to protest a column in which he referred to them as a "nation of slaves."

Chip Tsao, who stirred up a storm of protest among Hong Kong's Filipino workers with his column in HK Magazine, said: "I have already done what should be done. I have no further comment. I am not a racist."

Hong Kong  - It's one of the sunniest cities in the world, but more than six out of 10 people in sub-tropical Hong Kong get too little sunshine, according to a survey published Sunday.

More than 62 per cent of people examined for a University of Hong Kong study were found to be suffering from vitamin D deficiency even though about two-thirds of the days in the year are sunny and hot.

Lifestyle is believed to be a major factor, as most people in the high-rise city shun the sun and exercise, while working long hours in offices.

Hong Kong - Police in Hong Kong said Saturday they were investigating directors of a high-profile company for alleged fraud after a raid by commercial crime squad officers.

The offices of Citic Pacific, the Hong Kong-listed arm of China's biggest conglomerate, was raided Friday evening and searched for evidence of alleged fraud and false financial statements.

The company is accused of failing to disclose massive losses sustained through bets against foreign currency fluctuations in 2008.