PRESS DIGEST- Hong Kong - July 30
July 30 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Hong Kong newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
- A massive surge in crime involving telephone con artists posing as mainland officials has cheated Hongkongers out of HK$85.4 million ($11 million) in this month alone, police said. A total of 263 people had fallen victim to the fake-official scam, police director of crime and security Lo Mung-hung said. (http://bit.ly/1U7TgLr)
- The Hong Kong government's fifth batch of inflation-linked bonds attracted a record 600,000 subscribers offering a total of HK$36.1 billion ($4.66 billion), according to initial data released by the city's de facto central bank as subscriptions closed on Wednesday. (http://bit.ly/1I9HZ5O)
- Four mainland tourists who took part in an attack on ground crew at Hong Kong International Airport after a flight delay on Tuesday were on Wednesday jailed for a combined total of 39 days. Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong called the assaults "uncivilised" and said it was the ground crew's duty to safeguard restricted zones so the court had to protect them. (http://bit.ly/1LYPjrs)
THE STANDARD
- Top global luxury brands, including Burberry Group Plc and Kering's Gucci, intend to negotiate lower store rents as business in Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland continues to drop. Prada's Finance Director Jean-Jacques Guiony said the group will attempt to renegotiate rental arrangements with landlords in view of the weakening sales in Hong Kong. (http://bit.ly/1Dc1Mol)
- KGI Securities is planning an initial public offering in Hong Kong next year, its Taiwan-based parent firm China Development Financial said. The deal would make KGI the first Taiwanese financial firm to list in the territory. (http://bit.ly/1ILRnlN)
HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES
- CITIC Dameng Holdings Ltd saw its first-half net loss widened to HK$281 million as price of manganese ores dropped on weak demand, and said it expects the commodity market to remain subdued amid slower growth in global economy, oversupply of major commodities and weak commodity demand.
For Chinese newspapers, see...............
($1 = 7.7505 Hong Kong dollars) ($1 = 6.2089 Chinese yuan) (Compiled by Donny Kwok in Hong Kong; Editing by Anand Basu)
