ALJAZEERA: Hong Kong’s government on Thursday called off planned talks with student pro-democracy protesters, dealing a blow to attempts to defuse a political crisis in which tens of thousands have taken to the streets calling for free elections and the resignation of its Beijing-backed leader Leung Chun-ying…
[Chief Secretary Carrie Lam] blamed the pullout on students’ interpretation of universal suffrage, which she said was not in accordance with the Asian financial center’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law. Leung’s deputy also cited what she described as the protesters’ illegal occupation of parts of the city earlier this month and their fresh calls for people to rally.
Student leaders accused the government of using petty excuses to derail the talks. They called for more people to occupy the streets, after numbers fell significantly following mass rallies in which police fired tear gas at the crowds… (more)
