Weekend curfew expected in Hong Kong as protests intensify - report

The Hong Kong government is expected to announce a weekend curfew, China's Global Times, a tabloid run by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, reported on its Twitter feed on Thursday, citing sources.

The Global Times is a tabloid run by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily.

Anti-government protests in Hong Kong have grown increasingly violent in recent days. Protesters on Thursday paralyzed parts of the Asian financial hub for a fourth consecutive day, with some transport links, schools and many businesses closing after an escalation of violence.

Schools and universities remained also closed on Thursday as protests brought parts of the city to a near standstill by barricading roads and disrupting public transport links.

Key arterial roads were cut by brick and bamboo barricades, a cross-harbor tunnel was closed, and metro stations and bus services suspended -- leaving many of the city's 7.5 million people struggling to get to work. Authorities have ordered schools and universities to close until next week, while hospitals deferred non-emergency operations.

The government urged employers to be flexible with workers trapped in the gridlock. Of those who made it to work, some joined lunchtime rallies across the city -- including in the city's financial hub -- part of an increasingly emboldened white-collar support base for the protest movement.