Highlights: Hong Kong paralysed for 5th day, students guard campuses

MTR

15/11/2019 11:23

(Updates with latest development)
    HONG KONG, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Anti-government protesters
paralysed parts of Hong Kong for a fifth day on Friday, forcing
schools to close and blocking some main roads, as university
students barricaded campuses and authorities struggled to calm
the violence. 
    Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned an "attack" in London
on the city's justice secretary saying the incident was barbaric
and violated the principles of a civilized society.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N27V0AK
    Latest news from the protests: 
    
    - 1000 p.m. (1400 GMT on Thursday): The U.S.-China Economic
and Security Review Commission says the U.S. Congress should
enact legislation that would suspend the special economic status
Hong Kong enjoys under U.S. law should China deploy forces to
crush protests in the territory.
    - 1434 GMT on Thursday: China President Xi Jinping says
restoring order and stopping violence is the most urgent task
for Hong Kong, China's state television CCTV reported.
    - 1540 GMT on Thursday: Hong Kong government says in a
statement in response to a report issued by the U.S.-China
Economic and Security Review Commission that foreign
legislatures should not interfere in the internal affairs of the
city. 
    - 1816 GMT on Thursday: The Food and Environmental Hygiene
Department expresses sadness at the death of a cleaning service
worker on Thursday night after he was hit in the head by hard
objects during a protest. 
    - 1947 GMT on Thursday: Hong Kong's secretary for justice,
Teresa Cheng, castigates a violent mob in London on Thursday for
causing her "serious bodily harm" as she made her way to an
event. A video clip shows a group of protesters surrounding her,
and her later falling to the ground. The secretary made a report
to police in London.
    - 2348 GMT on Thursday: Transport Department says Tolo
Highway and Cross Harbour Tunnel have been suspended because of
road blockages and damaged facilities. East Rail Line stations
between University and Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau at the border are
closed. About 210 sets of traffic lights are under urgent
repair. 
    - 2352 GMT on Thursday: MTR Corp  0066.HK  says train
service on the West Rail Line is disrupted.
    - 0035 GMT on Friday: Carrie Lam expresses outrage at the
attack on the secretary for justice in London saying it was
barbaric and must be strongly condemned.
    - 0325 GMT on Friday: China's embassy in Britain strongly
condemns the attack.
    - 0425 GMT Friday: Police say part of Tolo Highway in New
Territories has reopened.  
    - 0514 GMT Friday: Hundreds of people, both office workers
and protesters, swarm roads in Central, the city's business
district, at lunch time for a fifth day, while a few hundred
take to the streets in the eastern district of Tai Koo.
    - 0516 GMT Friday: Police classify as murder the death of a
70-year-old cleaner who was hit in the head by hard objects
during a protest. 
    - 0600 GMT Friday: Hospital Authority says 11 people, aged
15-62, were injured between midnight and 11.30 a.m. One is in
critical condition, eight stable and the others discharged.
    - 0808 GMT Friday: Hong Kong stocks end the week with the
biggest weekly loss in 3 months.
    - 0807 GMT Friday: Muslims pray at Kowloon Mosque for return
of peace to Hong Kong - broadcaster RTHK reported.
    - 0821 GMT Friday: Police say 58 people were arrested on
Thursday, aged 12-62, for charges including illegal assembly,
possession of offensive weapons and arson etc. 
    - 0830 GMT Friday: Hong Kong confirms its economy plunged
into its first recession in a decade in the third quarter,
weighed down by increasingly violent anti-government protests
and the escalating U.S.-China trade war.
    - 0910 GMT Friday: British police say they are investigating
the assault on the Hong Kong justice secretary.
    - 1008 GMT Friday: Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for
Administration Matthew Cheung says civil servants will be sacked
if they are arrested for taking part in unlawful public
activities 
    - 1012 GMT Friday: Cheung reaffirms that the government aims
to hold a fair and safe district council elections this month. 
        

 (Reporting by Donny Kwok
Editing by James Pomfret, Robert Birsel)
 ((donny.kwok@thomsonreuters.com; +852 2843 6470; Reuters
Messaging: donny.kwok.reuters.com@reuters.net))