Hong Kong - A Hong Kong police officer from an elite unit has been found dead with his elderly grandmother, police said Thursday.

The 29-year-old officer and the 82-year-old woman were discovered unconscious next to a stove burning charcoal in his smoke-filled apartment Wednesday afternoon.

Both were declared dead at hospital. The officer, Ma Chun-pong, was a member of the Special Security Unit at Hong Kong airport and provided counselling to fellow officers.

Media reports said their deaths were believed to be a suicide pact or that Ma killed himself and his mother because of relationship problems he was having.

A note is believed to have been found indicating that Ma had intended to commit suicide.

Hong Kong  - Former US president Bill Clinton will next month receive an honorary degree for his work in the HIV/AIDS field from the University of Hong Kong.

The university said Thursday the ceremony will take place on December 4 when Clinton will be conferred an honorary Doctor of Law for his work in the field which includes helping 1.4 million sufferers access life-saving drugs through his Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative.

Also present will be Taiwan-born AIDS researcher Dr David Ho who will receive an honorary Doctor of Science in recognition of his contribution to medicine and work in helping the cause in China.

Hong Kong  - Hong Kong stocks opened more than 5 per cent lower Thursday, joining a regional downward spiral in share prices following heavy overnight losses on Wall Street.

The blue-chip Hang Seng Index was down 690.71 points, or 5.39 per cent, in the first 10 minutes of trading Thursday, leaving the index at 12,125.09.

The losses come after the Dow Jones Index in the US fell 5 per cent overnight to close below 8,000 points, triggering falls in Asian markets including Australia, Japan and South Korea.

Hong Kong - Cathay Pacific Airways said Wednesday that it has scrapped the traditional end-of-year bonus for all its Hong Kong staff in a cost-cutting measure sparked by the global economic crisis.

Chief executive Tony Tyler blamed the move on the difficulties the airline was facing because of fuel price hikes earlier this year and the worsening economic downturn.

Hong Kong  - The number of job vacancies in Hong Kong has plunged by 13 per cent in a month as the global economic crisis has forced mass layoffs, the government revealed Wednesday.

Government statistics show there were 9,000 fewer job openings in October compared to September.

The jobless rate has risen by 0.1 percentage points to 3.5 per cent, taking it to its highest level in almost a year.

The statistics were released amid growing gloom in Hong Kong following a number of big layoffs this month.

Hong Kong  - A jobless driver leapt to his death from the 33rd floor of a building in Hong Kong, becoming the latest victim of the economic downturn, police said Wednesday.

The 29-year-old married man was confirmed dead at the scene after jumping Tuesday evening from the window of his flat. He had been out of work for a month.

His suicide came as government statistics revealed growing job losses and a fall in the number of job vacancies in the city of 6.9 million people.