Hong Kong - Around 14,000 staff at Hong Kong airlines Cathay Pacific and Dragonair have agreed to take unpaid leave in response to a cost-cutting appeal, the sister airlines announced Friday.

The response - amounting to some 70 per cent of the two airlines' global workforce - includes 77 per cent of Cathay Pacific flight attendants and 85 per cent of ground staff, the airlines said.

Hong Kong - The Hong Kong government Friday cancelled its travel warning for Bangkok after the Thai prime minister lifted the state of emergency imposed 12 days ago.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said the travel warning was cancelled with immediate effect but said people travelling to the Thai capital should continue to exercise caution.

"As the situation there is still not entirely clear, those who plan to visit the country, particularly Bangkok, should continue to closely monitor developments," the spokesman said.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong is to give visa-free access to Russian travellers in a bid to tap into new markets in the light of the current economic downturn, officials confirmed Friday. The 14-day visa-free access is expected to come into force later this year following an agreement between Russia and Hong Kong signed Thursday which also gives Hong Kong passport holders 14 days of visa-free access to Russia.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares climbed by more than 2 per cent Thursday, ending a two-d

Hong Kong - Hong Kong lawmakers Thursday approved a tax on every plastic bag handed out by supermarkets in the city as of July in a move to cut the mountain of waste created by the bags.

The tax of 50 Hong Kong cents (6 US cents) will be levied from July 1 in a total of 2,000 shops, including every major supermarket, in the high-rise city of 7 million.

Legislators voted 35 to 3 in favour of the levy which was opposed by industry groups representing Hong Kong companies making plastic bags at factories in neighbouring southern China.