DHAKA:  Protesters in Hong Kong have accepted an offer of talks with the government after a week of unrest.

Chief Executive CY Leung Leung offered the talks with his deputy late on Thursday but rejected calls to resign.

The protesters, angry at China's plan to vet election candidates, have been occupying parts of the city since the weekend, though numbers have fallen, reports BBC.

Beijing has thrown its full support behind Mr Leung, calling the protests illegal and "doomed to fail".

On Friday Hong Kong temporarily closed government offices in the main protest-hit area, saying staff should work from home because roads were blocked.

Though the protests were significantly smaller on Friday, some groups remained on the streets. In a sign of tensions, there were some scuffles as police tried to keep protesters back from the buildings.

BDST: 1525 HRS, OCT 03, 2014