Hong Kong  - Rents for luxury homes are set to slump as jobs are cut in the face of the global economic downturn, a media report said Monday.

Property consultants expected rents for high-end homes, which were at record levels earlier this year, to drop by 15 per cent in the fourth quarter, with a further fall of 25 per cent anticipated next year, the South China Morning Post said.

Hong Kong  - Law enforcement agencies will be put on "high alert" during the financial crisis to ensure that Hong Kong remains a safe city, government chief executive Donald Tsang said Saturday.

Tsang told a crime-prevention conference that the global economic slowdown had adversely affected the local economy and jobs, but that public safety would be a high priority.

Hong Kong - A serial robber has been jailed for seven and a half years for 16 robberies committed to fuel his heroin addiction, a media report said Saturday.

Hong Kong - Three Chinese astronauts who took part in the country's first spacewalk arrived in Hong Kong Friday for a four-day visit that will include talks to schoolchildren and a variety show.

The space men - known as taikonauts in China - are in a 40-strong delegation from the Shenzhou-7 manned space mission that also includes the deputy commander-in-chief of China's manned space engineering programme and designers who worked on the mission's systems.

Zhai Zhigang, who performed the 20-minute space walk on September 27, and crew members Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng were met along with other delegation members at Hong Kong airport by Hong Kong and Chinese officials.

Hong Kong  - A joint probe by customs officers in Hong Kong, India and Singapore has been launched after illegal drugs worth a record 41.3 million Hong Kong dollars (5.3 million dollars) were found at the city's airport, a media report said Friday.

Ketamine disguised as sugar and methamphetamine made to look like milk powder were found hidden in a shipment of loudspeakers that arrived at the airport's cargo terminal from India via Singapore, the South China Morning Post said.

No arrests have been made but customs officers in the three countries are investigating the source of the drugs.

Hong Kong  - Police released 24 taxi drivers Thursday who were arrested during a demonstration by about 300 cabbies who blocked the main highway from Hong Kong International Airport and caused traffic chaos.

The taxi drivers were released on bail of 1,000 Hong Kong dollars (128 US dollars) pending possible charges following Wednesday night's protests.

Hundreds of air travellers were held up on their way into the city as taxis blocked all three lanes of the only highway from the airport to downtown Hong Kong.

The drivers, who began their protest at 10 pm (1400 GMT), were angry at a new taxi fare structure that took effect Sunday which they claim has left them out of pocket.