Hong Kong  - A humpback whale separated from a migrating group of the marine mammals was trying to find its way out of busy shipping lanes around Hong Kong, enthralling the former British colony.

The plight of the 10-metre adult whale made television and newspaper headlines in the normally money-obsessed city, providing a welcome distraction from a tide of bleak economic news.

Hong Kong - The trading in shares of Hong Kong telecomms giant PCCW was suspended at the company's request Wednesday.

It followed reports concerning the investigation into alleged vote-rigging in the company's 2-billion-US-dollar privatisation plan proposed by PCCW's controlling shareholders

A report in the South China Morning Post Wednesday said a court decision could be delayed, and quoted sources saying that the Securities and Futures Commission was investigating whether anyone had made false statements to the stock market or regulators.

Hong Kong - A Chinese illegal immigrant was found dead on the roof of a cross-border train travelling from China into Hong Kong, police said Wednesday.

Hong Kong police said the body of the 28-year-old man was discovered at around 10 am, after a passenger told officials at the Lo Wu border checkpoint in Hong Kong that he had seen someone lying on the top of a carriage.

The train was travelling from southern China through to Hung Hom in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong.

Wellington  - New Zealand Customs officers seized drugs worth millions of dollars on the illegal street market when they arrested three travellers from Hong Kong as they flew into Auckland over the weekend, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The three were carrying more than 15 kilograms of Contact NT, a pseudoephedrine-based cold remedy used to make methamphetamines, known as crystal ice or P, a spokesman said.

Hong Kong  - An illegal immigrant has died in hospital after being shot in the head at close range by a police officer in Hong Kong, police said Wednesday.

The unidentified man was shot on Tuesday as he attacked the constable in a city park with a wooden chair, after being challenged to produce his identity papers.

The officer, who had been called to the scene after complaints about the man from residents, used pepper spray and shouted warnings before opening fire on his attacker, police said.

Hong Kong  - A speech in Hong Kong by a campaigner for Tibetan self-determination was postponed after Beijing officials complained about the event, organizers said Wednesday.

Kate Saunders, communications director of the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet, was scheduled to speak at Hong Kong's Foreign Correspondents Club Tuesday.

Officials from China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong contacted the club to let them know they were "unhappy" about the speech, the South China Morning Post reported.