A young musician on tour with an Australian youth orchestra has died of a suspected drug overdose in a Hong Kong hotel room, even as his friend fights for his life.

According to News Ltd., Joseph Daniel Hall, 21, an oboe player died, while Evan Andrew Williams, 21, trombonist, was found unconscious in their room at the Kimberley Hotel Friday night, as police investigates the incident as a suspected drug overdose. No external injuries have been found on either man and the circumstances of the incident do not appear suspicious.

Chinese banks helped fuel a rebound in Hong Kong stocks on Monday after the benchmark Hang Seng index closed up 2.72 per cent up, or 554.15 points, at 20,929.52, its highest level for nearly 12 months.

Turnover was 71.39 billion Hong Kong dollars (9.15 billion US dollars).

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 2.96 per cent Thursday to a near-10-month high with bank and property company shares fuelling the jump

The Hang Seng was up 569.33 points to 19,817.7. Turnover was 74 billion Hong Kong dollars (9.48 billion dollars).

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index soared above 19,000 points to close at 19,502 on Monday, up 3.7 per cent, or 696 points, to reach its highest level in 10 months.

Turnover was 77.7 billion Hong Kong dollars (9.9 billion dollars).

Analysts said Monday's gains continued the surge that started last week as investors became more bullish.

The benchmark Hang Seng index rose 2.2 per cent Wednesday to largely recover losses from a day earlier.

The blue-chip index climbed by 353.78 points or 2.02 per cent to end the day at 17,892.15. Turnover was 56.7 billion Hong Kong dollars (7.3 billion US dollars).

Health checks and other preventive measures to combat the H1N1 virus will remain in force for "some time" even though the swine flu virus is emerging as a seasonal disease, the territory's health minister said Wednesday.

A blind Hong Kong woman who suspected her husband was cheating on her poured boiling hot congee on his groin as he slept naked, a news report said Wednesday.

The former head of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong Monday called on China to reassess the Communist Party's official verdict on the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.