Downturn to hit Hong Kong like a 'tsunami', as China slaps warning on Cathay

Hong Kong's protests are hitting its economy, the city's leader Carrie Lam said on Friday, echoing warnings from business leaders including powerful local property developers, as about 1,000 mostly young activists occupied the airport arrivals hall. China, whose rule over the city is being challenged by the protests, meanwhile demanded Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways <0293.HK> suspend staff involved in the demonstrations. The pair of warnings -- one aimed at residents planning more marches still and the other at a business emblematic of the city's colonial past -- mark a toughening stance by authorities as they grapple with Hong Kong's deepest crisis in decades.