TENS of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Hong Kong to demonstrate against proposed changes to extradition laws that would allow some suspects to be sent to mainland China to face charges.

The amendments have been widely criticised as eroding the semi-autonomous Chinese territory’s judicial independence.

Under its “one country, two systems” framework, Hong Kong was guaranteed the right to retain its own social, legal and political systems for 50 years following its handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

However, China’s ruling Communist Party has been seen as increasingly reneging on that agreement by forcing through unpopular legal change.

IN Japan, finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the group of 20 major economies concluded a meeting with a pledge to do all they can to protect global growth.

The G20 finance leaders, pictured, said in a joint statement that risks from trade and geopolitical tensions were “intensifying”.

The National:

“We reaffirm our commitment to use all policy tools to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, and safeguard against downside risks,” the leaders said. They added that despite the risks, global growth appeared to be stabilising and was expected to pick up later this year and next year.

The leaders spent the weekend haggling over issues ranging from taxes to debt and artificial intelligence as China and the US showed no sign of breaking their stalemate over trade and technology.

Japan, the world’s third largest economy, was hosting the G20 for the first time since it was founded in 1999.

STREETS were empty across Sudan’s capital on the first day of a general strike urged by protest leaders demanding the resignation of the ruling military council.

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) called on people to stay at home in protest at the military’s deadly crackdown last week, when security forces violently dispersed the group’s main sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum.

Videos and photos circulated online showed the empty Khartoum International Airport, closed offices and businesses and light traffic in the capital and Port Sudan.

The National:

AND in the Vatican City, Pope Francis has spoken out against today’s “culture of insults”.

In his homily in St Peter’s Square, Francis added “the more we use social media, the less social we are becoming”.

The Pope said that “nowadays it is fashionable to hurl adjectives”, and recommended people respond “to malice with goodness”.