Hong Kong - A Hong Kong student taken away by police after unfurling a Tibetan flag during the Olympic torch relay through the city in May launched a legal challenge against her detention on Friday.

Christina Chan, 21, was bundled into a police van and detained for several hours after wrapping her body in the Tibet flag as the Olympic torch was paraded through Hong Kong in May.

She complained bitterly that she had been unfairly detained while police said at the time that they acted to protect her from angry pro-China crowds gathered along the route of the torch.

Hong Kong - A Hong Kong internet user has been prosecuted for posting a message on an online forum warning that a bank was facing financial problems, a news report said Friday.

Jobless Leung Kin-wai, 34, was arrested by police after going on an internet forum to warn people to withdraw money from the Hong Kong-based bank, the South China Morning Post said.

He was charged with accessing a computer with dishonest intent and at a court hearing Thursday was put on a one-year good behaviour bond, according to the newspaper.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong stocks fell 4.04 per cent Thursday, joining a regional downward spiral in share prices after heavy overnight losses on Wall Street.

The blue-chip Hang Seng Index closed at 12,298, down 517 points. Turnover was 44.6 billion Hong Kong dollars (5.75 billion US dollars).

At one point, the index fell more than 6 per cent and threatened to close below 12,000; however, it bounced back slightly in later trading to stay above that barrier.

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.