Hong Kong  - More than 60,000 new jobs will be created by the Hong Kong government in 2009 to offset the effects of the global financial crisis, the territory's leader announced Monday.

Speaking at the opening of a financial forum in the city of 6.9 million, Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang said the government had speeded up infrastructure projects to provide the new jobs.

Hong Kong  - A record 8.62 million people are expected to come in and out of Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year holiday starting at the end of this week, immigration officials said Monday.

The predicted total would be 8 per cent more than during the same period last year and would set a new record for travel numbers in and out of the former British colony at a Chinese New Year.

Around 3.2 million of the people are expected to travel between Hong Kong and China using the land border crossings which are among the world's busiest.

Hong Kong  - The Hong Kong branch of the international language school Linguagphone has filed for liquidation as bankruptcies soar in the former British colony, official statistics showed Saturday.

The local holder of the Linguaphone licence posted a notice on its website this week announcing it had ceased operating and asking students and those who had bought self-learning packages to contact an appointed provisional liquidator.

Hong Kong  - Cathay Pacific Airways on Friday announced it was putting a 4.8-billion-Hong-Kong-dollar (620-million-US-dollar) project for a new Hong Kong cargo terminal on hold because of the economic downturn which has hit profits, cargo and passenger numbers.

A spokesman said that the Hong Kong Airport Authority had agreed to let its subsidiary company Cathay Pacific Services Ltd defer the completion of the new terminal by two years to mid-2013.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong shares dipped lower Thursday, losing more 3.3 per cent to a seven-week low on more worries over the worsening recession.

Hong Kong  - China is planning to present Hong Kong with a collection of endangered giant salamanders - despite the recent death of three rare sturgeon given to Hong Kong as gifts to mark the Olympic Games, a news report said Thursday.

A yet unknown number of the salamanders are to be offered to the city's Ocean Park recreation park as a way of increasing public awareness of the rare amphibian.