Hong Kong - Hong Kong stocks fell by more than 3 per cent Wednesday, dropping back below the 15,000-point mark for the first time this year.

The blue-chip Hang Seng Index fell by 522.05 points, or 3.37 per cent, to close at 14,987.46. Turnover was 90 billion Hong Kong dollars (11.6 billion US dollars).

The index fell heavily in afternoon trading after earlier selling off of stocks in China banks and profit-taking on Hong Kong-listed Chinese telecom stocks.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong welcomed a record 29.5 million visitors in 2008 but fell short of its target of 30 million for the year, officials announced Wednesday.

The figure represents a 4.7 per cent increase on the previous record set in 2007 but will disappoint tourism board leaders who in early 2008 predicted the city would welcome 30 million visitors.

Hong Kong - A thieving Hong Kong family of three with 33 previous convictions between them were beginning jail terms Wednesday after going on a shoplifting spree together.

Hui Siu-loi, 51, his wife Wong Hau-wan, 54, and their son Hui Ka-chun, 36, were arrested after they wheeled a shopping trolley full of milk powder, medicine and shampoo out of a supermarket.

The three scattered when a store manager and a policeman chased them and the father drove his car over the policeman's foot trying to flee, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported.

Hong Kong  - Action star Bruce Lee's last home has been given to the Hong Kong government to turn into a museum and memorial to the kung fu star, a news report said Wednesday.

Philanthropist and property developer Yu Panglin has agreed to donate the property after a year of talks over the home worth an estimated 10 million US dollars, the Hong Kong Standard reported.

Hong Kong - A public hospital in Hong Kong Tuesday said it had lost the body of a baby boy and had set up a committee to investigate how the blunder took place.

The city's Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital said the body of the infant had gone missing last Friday. Police and the Hospital Authority had been informed, a spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman expressed "great concern and regret" over the incident and told government-run radio station RTHK that a full apology had been given to the parents.

The committee would establish how the incident had taken place and make recommendations to avoid future incidents, the spokesman said. The circumstances of the baby boy's death were not known.

Hong Kong - The threat of strike action by baggage handlers at Hong Kong International Airport was lifted Tuesday as management reached a deal with workers over their end-of-year bonuses.

Thousands of passengers were hit when 1,000 ground workers staged a three-hour strike between Christmas and the New Year top protest over the axing of their bonuses.