Press Digest: Hong Kong - July 30

CEC International Holdings

30/07/2014 02:55

HONG KONG, July 30 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading 
stories in Hong Kong newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not 
verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.   
         
    SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST  
    -- Asian gambling kingpin and Macau junket operator Paul 
Phua Wei-seng was San Marino's ambassador to Montenegro for more 
than three years until the city state revoked his diplomatic 
status after his arrest in Las Vegas earlier this month on 
illegal betting charges. He is currently under house arrest in 
Las Vegas awaiting a pre-trial hearing. (http://bit.ly/1klx4A1) 
    -- Singapore, the US, Australia and South Korea emerged as 
the offshore hubs that saw their shares of the renminbi payments 
market grow the most in the past year, according to global 
transaction services organisation SWIFT. (http://bit.ly/UAnaOH) 
    -- Hong Kong is helping test the world's newest passenger 
plane as Airbus'  AIR.PA  A350 arrives for a series of trial 
flights, the final step before the aircraft can be certified and 
delivered later this year. Cathay Pacific  0293.HK  with 46 
orders is the model's second-biggest customer in Asia after 
Singapore Airlines  SIAL.SI  with 70. (http://bit.ly/1s2yUWk) 
        
    THE STANDARD 
    -- Tourist satisfaction with Hong Kong hit a record high 
last year, with Australia-Pacific islands holidaymakers getting 
the biggest buzz. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Tourist 
Satisfaction Index reached 75.96, the highest since its launch 
in 2009. But Occupy Central could deter tourists this year, a 
Polytechnic expert warned. (http://bit.ly/1s0hWsv) 
  
    -- An HSBC  0005.HK   HSBA.L  employee who sold the personal 
data of clients to a criminal gang in return for HK$1.5 million 
($193,600) has been sentenced to 10 years in jail. The gang used 
the data to withdraw some HK$15.5 million from the accounts of 
two mainland clients of HSBC, the Court of First Instance heard. 
(http://bit.ly/1qjj5Zp) 
    -- Three more mainland cities, Hangzhou, Shijiazhuang and 
Xuzhou, have eased home-purchase restrictions amid increased 
housing supply and sliding demand. But first-tier Beijing, 
Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen do not show signs of easing 
off. (http://bit.ly/1rNGhU4) 
     
    HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL  
    -- CEC International Holdings Ltd  0759.HK , controlling 
parent of Hong Kong food and beverages chain "759 Store", posted 
a 17.9 percent year-on-year rise in net profit at HK$23.77 
million for year ended in April.     
         
    HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES  
    -- China Green (Holdings) Ltd  0904.HK  said it plans to 
sell up to 802.7 million new shares to existing shareholders in 
the proportion of one new share for every 2 existing shares 
held, raising up to HK$200.7 million ($25.90 million) for 
repayment of interests of bonds and for working capital. 
                
    APPLE DAILY 
    -- The retail tranche of the initial public offering of 
Chinese pork company WH Group  0288.HK  in Hong Kong was 54 
times oversubscribed, locking up funds totalling HK$44.3 billion 
($5.72 billion), according to market sources. 
     
    For Chinese newspapers, see............... PRESS/CN    
($1 = 7.7498 Hong Kong Dollars) 
 
 (Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Prateek Chatterjee) 
 ((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com)(+852 2843 6470)(Reuters 
Messaging: donny.kwok.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: PRESS DIGEST HONGKONG/