Security officials are working to rescue eight Hongkongers thought to be held against their will in Myanmar, after falling prey to fake job offers. They say authorities updated its Outbound Travel Alerts page to warn people of the dangers of such scams, as they announced a task force to tackle suspected human trafficking to Southeast Asia. The Foreign Ministry says the country's diplomatic institutions are actively searching for the captive Hong Kong citizens. Frank Yung reports:

Pro-democracy activists Benny Tai and Joshua Wong, and former lawmakers Wu Chi-wai, Alvin Yeung, Claudia Mo and Chu Hoi-dick are among 29 people who plan to plead guilty to violating the national security law over their involvement in unofficial primary elections. As Damon Pang reports, this was revealed after a reporting ban on their committal proceedings was lifted:

Hong Kong's daily Covid tally has surpassed the 6,000 mark for the first time since March, as the number of imported cases rose after travel restrictions into the SAR were loosened. Aaron Tam reports:

The ICAC has arrested thirty people on suspicion of bribery over the building of the airport's third runway. The suspects include Airport Authority managers who oversaw supplies and works contracts, as Damon Pang reports:

Two major local banks have moved to raise interest rates on new mortgages linked to the Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate, or Hibor. This comes after the US Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by 75 basis points late last month to try to tame inflation, and indicated in minutes of that meeting that another hike is in the pipeline in September. Vanessa Cheng reports:

Centaline property founder Shih Wing-ching says he expects a 'major correction' in the property market as rising interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and a struggling mainland economy combine to dampen sentiment. He was speaking a day after two major local banks raised the cap on their Hibor-linked mortgage rates. Shih told Vicky Wong it's inevitable that interest rates will keep rising:

The Senior Vice President of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, Aaron Bok, has given his backing to government plans to expand the ageing Lion Rock Tunnel. Authorities are planning to add a third lane to each direction, with work due to be completed in 2033. Bok – who has dozens of years of experience as a government engineer – says the work will be challenging, and necessary. He spoke to RTHK's Ben Tse:

Beijing has warned the United States against making what it described as a 'wrong judgement' after Washington agreed to initiate trade talks with Taiwan. Todd Harding reports: