HONG KONG — An angry crowd of people opposed to pro-democracy protests that have paralyzed parts of Hong Kong for more than two weeks charged barricades used by the demonstrators today, clashing with police as they attempted to storm the protest zone.

About two dozen men wearing surgical masks to hide their faces tried to forcefully remove the metal barricades that protesters, most of them university students, have set up to block off main roads near the heart of Hong Kong's financial district. Some were seen using box cutters to snap cables connecting the barricades.

Several hundred of the protesters' rivals rushed up to the barricades and chanted “Open the road!” They also shouted “Occupy Central is illegal,” referring to one of the names of the pro-democracy movement that has swept Hong Kong.

Taxi drivers joined in, some driving their cabs up to the barricades and leaning on their horns to express their anger about the traffic disruptions.

A line of police officers held the crowd back, keeping them separated from the protesters on the other side of the barriers.

BEIJING — China has approved the development of a $3.3 billion Universal theme park in Beijing that would be the first major foreign-owned theme park in the Chinese capital.The U.S. company Comcast NBCUniversal and a consortium of four Chinese state-owned companies announced the plan today, saying the park will be developed on about 300 acres in eastern Beijing.They said the park will include attractions from other Universal parks as well as new ones reflecting China's cultural heritage.The complex will eventually cover about 1,000 acres and feature a Universal CityWalk entertainment zone and a Universal-themed resort hotel. It will be the third Universal park in Asia, with the others in Singapore and Osaka, Japan.The developers said they were not ready to announce a time frame for completing the park.China's growing consumer market has proved fertile ground for U.S. companies looking to expand theme park franchises.Disney has opened one park in Hong Kong and is building another one in Shanghai. In June, Six Flags announced plans to build six parks in China over the next decade.

HYDERABAD, India — More than 1,000 rescue workers and soldiers cleared away piles of uprooted trees and electrical poles blocking roads today after powerful Cyclone Hudhud slammed into India's eastern coast, leaving at least eight dead.In another storm lashing Asia, Typhoon Vongfong was downgraded to a tropical storm as it hit the Japanese island of Kyushu after battering the southern island of Okinawa.At least 37 people were injured, and authorities advised 400,000 people to evacuate.Train service and flights were disrupted in Kyushu and the neighboring island of Shikoku.Japan's Meteorological Agency said the storm could reach the Tokyo area by early Tuesday.In India, rescuers readied dozens of boats, helicopters and other aircraft to carry out relief operations once they obtained a clearer idea of the extent of damage in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states, said Anil Shekhawat, an Indian official.