Hong Kong was brought to a standstill on Monday morning as thousands of pro-democracy protesters blocked roads, disrupted trains and cancelled almost 200 flights as a mass strike got underway. Traffic snarled up as activists barricaded the Cross-Harbour tunnel linking Hong Kong island with the mainland, while trains were delayed as demonstrators held the doors of carriages open. Police fired rounds of tear gas at protesters outside Tin Shui Wai police station this afternoon during clashes as demonstrators gathered to rally against the officers' rough treatment of a female protester. Some of the activists had been hurling stones at the police station while others shouted 'triad' in Cantonese at a distance, accusing the police of colluding with gang members. #retract

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia would be 'forced' to develop new missiles if the US does the same, after Washington pulled out of a Cold War-era nuclear arms deal last week. He urged the United States today to start new arms talks following the demise of a Soviet-era agreement, which limited the development of ground-based nuclear and ballistic mid-range missiles. The president also added that he wished to 'avoid chaos that has no rules' and to 'weigh all possible dangerous consequences.' He added that he wanted to start 'serious dialogue without any ambiguities.'