Hong Kong: Hong Kong's embattled leader abandoned a State of the Union-style speech on Wednesday after she was shouted down by opposition lawmakers on a day that also saw a prominent protest leader left bloodied by hammer-wielding thugs. The speech by chief executive Carrie Lam was billed as an attempt to win hearts and minds after four months of seething pro-democracy protests. Instead the day laid bare the intense polarisation coursing through the semi-autonomous financial hub after four months of huge and increasingly violent rallies. Lam's speech was swiftly dismissed by protesters who called for a new rally on Sunday. Hours later the leader of the group organising that march was rushed to hospital after an attack by suspected government loyalists.

The city's unelected pro-Beijing leader, who has historic low approval ratings, tried twice to begin her policy address inside the Legislative Council, three months after the building was trashed by masked protesters. But pro-democracy lawmakers -- a minority of the pro-Beijing stacked legislature -- heckled her and called for her resignation. Lam instead released a pre-recorded video, announcing plans to increase housing and land supply in a city that has one of the least affordable property markets in the world, as well as various subsidies. "I firmly believe that Hong Kong will be able to ride out this storm and move on," she said. But the economic sweeteners did little to placate her opponents.