Hong Kong - More than 200 employees at Hong Kong TV station Asia Television (ATV) were sacked Thursday in a move to ease the company's worsening financial situation.

Sackings include members of the TV station's news department and account for about 20 per cent of its overall workforce.

In an announcement sent out to employees, ATV executive chairman Linus Cheung said the redundancies came after a review of the station's corporate structure.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares fell more than 2 per cent for the second-consecutive day Thursday as concerns grew that the US stimulus package would not help revive the global economy.

The blue-chip Hang Seng Index tumbled by 310.91 points, or 2.3 per cent, to close at 13,228.3. Turnover was 39.6 billion Hong Kong dollars (5.1 billion US dollars.)

Thursday's losses extended the index's 2.5-per-cent decline Wednesday, which followed five days of gains, the longest winning run since December.

Hong Kong - The head of HSBC bank in Asia Thursday warned of the dangers of "financial nationalism" by banks because of the recent crop of stimulus packages by governments worldwide.

Sandy Flockhart, chief executive officer for the bank's Asia-Pacific banking operations, also warned of bail-out funds being swallowed up by "fringe projects."

Hong Kong  - A passenger arriving at Hong Kong International Airport from Thailand was arrested with 46 rare animals including tortoises and hedgehogs in his luggage, officials said Wednesday.

The Hong Kong resident was caught with two highly endangered Angonoka tortoises, 21 hedgehogs and 23 sugar gliders - small marsupials from Australia which are popular as pets.

Hong Kong  - A 17-year-old Hong Kong youth was being treated in hospital Wednesday after losing most of his left hand when a home-made bomb went off in his high-rise apartment.

Hundreds of people were evacuated when the block of flats in Hong Kong's Yuen Long district was rocked by a powerful explosion that went off at around 10.30 pm (1430 GMT) on Tuesday, a police spokesman said.

Taipei  - Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, after successfully launching a newspaper and a magazine in Taiwan, will soon launch his television channel in Taiwan, Jimmy Lai's Apple Daily said Tuesday.

The Apple Daily said Jimmy Lai has appointed King Pu-tsung, a former Taiwan journalism professor and former deputy Taipei mayor, as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the TV channel.