HK leader offers talks with protesters

HONG KONG, Oct 3 (AFP): Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying agreed  Friday to open talks with pro-democracy protesters but he and his Chinese government backers made clear that they would not back down in the face of the city's worst unrest in decades.
Tens of thousands have taken to Hong Kong's streets in the past week to demand full democracy, including a free voting system when they come to choose a new leader in 2017. Numbers dwindled at some protest sites on Friday as rain fell and as Hong Kong people returned to work after a two-day holiday.
Leung refused to bow to an ultimatum from protesters to resign. Police have warned repeatedly of serious consequences if protesters try to block off or occupy government buildings in and around the Central financial district.
Leung told reporters just minutes before the ultimatum expired at midnight that Chief Secretary Carrie Lam would meet students soon to discuss political reforms, but gave no timeframe.
The government issued three press releases on Friday afternoon condemning the "Occupy Central" protesters and Leung warned that the disruption would not be tolerated for ever.
The protests have ebbed and flowed since Sunday when police used pepper spray, tear gas and baton charges to break up the demonstrations, which are the biggest since the former British colony was handed back to Chinese rule in 1997.
China rules Hong Kong through a "one country, two systems" formula underpinned by the Basic Law, which accords Hong Kong some autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland and has universal suffrage as an eventual goal.