Spain court prevents Catalonia independence vote

September 29, 2014

MADRID (AP) — An independence vote set for November in Spain's powerful Catalonia region was halted Monday by the nation's constitutional court after the central government mounted a legal case saying the planned referendum would be illegal.

The court's unanimous decision to hear the government's case automatically suspended the Nov. 9 vote from going forward until the court hears arguments and makes a decision, a court statement said. That process could take months or years.

Spain's central government contends that the vote approved Saturday by Catalan regional leader Artur Mas is unconstitutional. The court acted hours after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the referendum decree represents "a grave attack on the rights of all Spaniards."

Under Spain's 1979 Constitution, Rajoy said, all Spaniards must vote on issues of sovereignty — not just the 5 million Catalans who would be eligible to vote under Mas' planned vote. Rajoy said after holding an emergency cabinet meeting that Spain's Constitution "was based on the indissoluble unity of the Spanish state" and that it could be amended in the future but the government must defend it.

Unhappy at Spain's refusal to give it more autonomy and fiscal powers, Catalan politicians have been pushing for the referendum for months. The effort is Europe's latest secession attempt following Scotland's recent independence vote that resulted in a No vote and kept it part of Britain.

Polls suggest most Catalans favor holding the vote but are roughly evenly split on independence. Mas has insisted that the vote will happen but has also said Catalonia will not break any laws. The region's government, based in Barcelona, has prepared ballot boxes and started publicity campaigns to inform voters about the referendum.

Rajoy said it was not too late for the Catalan regional government to change course and call off the vote, saying he was willing discuss Catalonia's complaints with the region's leaders.

Associated Press writer Jorge Sainz contributed from Madrid.

Scotland 'No' fails to stop Catalan secession push

September 19, 2014

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Despite Scotland's decision to reject independence, lawmakers in Spain's Catalonia region voted overwhelmingly Friday to give their leader the power to call a secession referendum that the central government in Madrid has denounced as illegal.

The prospect of an independent Scotland had captivated European separatists. Besides the Catalans, their ranks include pro-independence Basques in northern Spain; Corsicans who want to break away from France; Italians from several northern regions; and Flemish speakers in Belgium demanding more autonomy, independence or union with the Netherlands.

Catalonia's regional president, Artur Mas, supported a Yes vote in Scotland, but stressed Catalans simply wanted the same chance as the Scots. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said he will block a planned Nov. 9 vote in the wealthy northeastern region of 7.5 million people.

"What happened in Scotland and the United Kingdom is not a setback for us because what we really want in Catalonia is to have the chance to vote, the same possibility," Mas said. Later Friday, the Catalan parliament voted 106-28 to give him the power to call a referendum. Mas didn't say when he would sign the decree to set the vote date.

Backers called the vote a strong sign of support. "Catalonia has a social majority that wants independence, a majority in parliament that wants independence and now we have the instrument in this law of public consultation," said Carme Forcadell, president of the Catalan National Assembly group.

Unlike the Scotland vote, the referendum in Catalonia wouldn't result in secession. It would ask Catalans whether they favor secession. If the answer is Yes, Mas says that would give him a political mandate to negotiate a path toward independence.

But Spain's constitution doesn't allow referendums that don't include all Spaniards, and experts say its Constitutional Court would rule the vote illegal. Santi Rodriguez, a member of the Catalan parliament who represents Rajoy's center-right Popular Party, said it wouldn't be fair for only Catalonians to vote.

"There are not just 7 million of us who would be affected by this, there are 47 million" in Spain, he said. Catalonia shares cultural traits with the rest of Spain, but many Catalans take pride in the deep differences based on their language. The region, a financial powerhouse, is key to helping Spain emerge from its economic crisis — but locals feel they give too much of their taxes to help the rest of Spain.

Polls indicate Catalans are roughly evenly split on independence — but that figure drops significantly when people are asked if they favor an independent Catalonia outside the European Union. Scotland's decision to reject independence could delay successful secessionist efforts for years, said Marc Hooghe, a political science professor at the University of Leuven in Belgium.

"The Scots could have led the way for other regions. They failed. So we will need a new 'pioneer' now, and that new pioneer has much less opportunity to get EU membership in a smooth manner," he said.

Ferran Abello, a 38-year-old dog trainer, said Scotland could have provided a roadmap for how to break up a nation that would later seek to re-enter the 28-nation European Union. "There are steps that Scotland would have taken first," he said in the Catalan capital, Barcelona. "But they had the chance to vote and voted no, so we will have to knock that door down."

Italy's Northern League party sent half a dozen observers to Scotland, hoping a Yes victory would boost its own push for greater autonomy for the northern Veneto and Lombard regions. "At least the Scots went to the polls," said Matteo Mognaschi, a League observer in Edinburgh. "They won't even let us vote."

Alan Clendenning reported from Madrid. Nicole Winfield contributed from Rome.

Barcelona, Spain, tops innovative cities contest

September 17, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Barcelona, Spain, captured the grand prize in a competition that spurs cities to develop novel approaches to improve urban life, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Wednesday.

Barcelona was awarded 5 million euro ($6.5 million) as top finisher. Four others were awarded 1 million euros ($1.3 million) each: the metropolitan area of Kirklees, England, and the cities of Stockholm; Warsaw, Poland; and Athens, Greece.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the winners, selected from 21 finalists, in Paris. The prizes came from the billionaire businessman-turned-politician's personal foundation for innovative ideas that could also potentially spread to other cities.

"To meet the biggest challenges of the 21st century, city leaders must think creatively and be unafraid to try new things, and the Mayors Challenge is designed to help them do that," Bloomberg said in a statement.

Cities were challenged to come up with creative solutions to critical urban issues, such as youth unemployment, aging populations, civic engagement, environment and public health and safety. Barcelona's project focused on improving the quality of life for its growing elderly population with the creation of a support network that would include relatives, friends, social workers and volunteers.

In an email to the foundation after the announcement, Barcelona's Mayor Xavier Trias said, "The Mayors Challenge inspired Barcelona to address the issue of isolation among elderly residents, and this prize will enable us to achieve a more connected and inclusive society."

Kirklees proposed a social capital project that calls for pooling its idle assets such as citizens untapped time and expertise and empty unused spaces to "make the most of what it has and do more with less."

Stockholm focused on combating climate change by encouraging residents to produce biochar, an organic material that increases tree growth, isolates carbon and purifies storm runoff. Warsaw proposed a transportation accessibility idea to help the blind and visually impaired navigate the city more easily by providing auditory alerts through mobile apps.

Athens' civic engagement project called for creation of a new online platform to address "the large number of small-scale challenges accelerated by the Greek economic crisis." "The Mayors Challenge inspired Athens to find ways to link the dynamic input of public-spirited citizens back into municipal priorities," Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis said in an email to the foundation.

Bloomberg said the winners "represent the best of the best, and all have the potential to improve lives." His foundation said 155 European cities with populations ranging from about 250,000 to 1 million from 28 countries competed for 9 million euros — about $12 million — in prizes.

The Mayors Challenge in Europe was modeled on a Bloomberg Philanthropies competition that debuted in the United States last year. In the U.S. version of the Mayors Challenge, the $5 million top prize went to Providence, Rhode Island. Its project called for improving poor children's vocabulary by outfitting them with recording devices if their parents agreed, counting the words the children hear and coaching parents. The four other cities awarded $1 million apiece were Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Santa Monica, California.

Eying Scotland, Spain Catalans seek secession vote

September 11, 2014

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Catalans energized by Scotland's upcoming independence referendum protested Thursday for a secession vote aimed at carving out a new Mediterranean nation in what is now northeastern Spain.

The events illustrated how the Scottish vote in just one week is captivating breakaway minded Europeans in several countries. Sporting bright yellow and red shirts representing the colors of the Catalonian flag emblazoned with the phrase "Now is the time," protesters in Barcelona shouted "Independencia!"

They crowded into two avenues that look like a "V'' from the air to signal their desire for a Catalonia independence referendum that the central government in Madrid insists would be illegal. Just how many showed up was in dispute after the protest ended Thursday evening. Barcelona police said 1.8 million people participated but the Spanish Interior Ministry's regional office in Catalonia put the number at no more than 525,000, among them retired hospital director and economist Lluis Enric Florenca.

"If the Yes wins in Scotland, and it looks like it will be close, and Europe accepts it, they will accept Catalonia, which is bigger and in relation to Spain stronger than Scotland in relation to England," said Florenca, 65. "Catalonia is potentially much more powerful."

Catalonia regional leader Artur Mas said his government is not wavering from plans to hold a Nov. 9 referendum in the region of 7.6 million people, even though experts say any attempt is sure to be blocked by Spain's Constitutional Court. Mas has repeatedly said he won't call an illegal vote.

"This is a very powerful message we are sending to Europe and the world," Mas said. "Now is the moment to sit down and negotiate the terms for the Catalan people to be able to express themselves at the polls."

Polls have suggested that Scotland's independence vote on Sept. 18 is too close to call and that has captivated a wide variety of groups in addition to Catalan separatists. They include pro-independence Basques in northern Spain; Corsicans who want to break away from France; Italians from several northern regions; and Flemish speakers in Belgium demanding more autonomy, independence or union with the Netherlands.

"The dynamics at this point are with the Yes side, and if the Yes side actually wins it creates a strong precedent," said Hugh O'Donnell, a professor of cultural politics at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Unlike the Scottish ballot, a vote in Catalonia wouldn't result in secession. Mas' proposed referendum would ask Catalans whether they favor secession. If the answer is Yes, Mas says, that would give him a political mandate to negotiate a path toward independence.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has vowed to block the vote because Spain's constitution doesn't allow referendums that don't include all Spaniards, but Mas told reporters that would be a mistake.

"The Catalan issue is one of the biggest issues the Spanish government is facing," Mas said. "It is an error to try and solve this through legal means. Political problems are solved through politics, not with legal threats."

If Madrid refuses to allow an independence vote, a go-ahead by Mas could put him in perilous legal terrain. When the northern Basque region failed to obtain permission for a similar referendum in 2005, Spain said Basque leaders could face jail if they went ahead.

The next step for Mas comes the day after Scotland's vote, when the Catalan parliament is expected to approve a measure giving him the power to call a referendum. Rajoy's government is then expected to ask Spain's Constitutional Court to rule the vote illegal and experts believe the court will do so.

If that happens and Mas decides to obey the ruling, he could hold Catalan regional elections as an unofficial referendum, with parties obliged to state where they stand on independence. Despite sharing cultural traits with the rest of Spain, many Catalans take pride in the deep differences based on their language, which is spoken side-by-side with Spanish in the wealthy region that is key to helping Spain emerge from its financial crisis.

Polls indicate Catalans are roughly evenly split on independence — but that figure drops significantly when people are asked if they favor an independent Catalonia outside the European Union. Call center administrator Monica Casares, 43, from the Catalan city of Badalona, wants to be able to vote in a referendum but is undecided about independence. She says that's because of uncertainty about whether her small children would be better off in an independent Catalonia or as Spanish citizens in the 28-nation EU.

Her husband, an independence supporter, is energized. "He's thrilled because he thinks a Yes vote in Scotland would give more legitimacy to the independence drive in Catalonia," Casares said. Catalonia's attempt to hold a referendum and the vote in Scotland have strong support from the Basque pro-independence coalition Bildu, which won 25 percent of the Basque region's vote in the 2012 regional election.

"Catalonia and Scotland have again put the issue of the peoples' right to decide on the political stage, showing that this is an open question in Europe," said Pello Urizar, leader of one party in the Bildu coalition.

In Italy, the leader of the Northern League party that supports independence or greater autonomy for several northern regions said his supporters "are rooting for the separatists" because independence for Scotland would send a message to the EU that other European separatists deserve the right to vote on their future.

"We are hoping that (Scotland) goes through, because it would give a breath of fresh air to a campaign that doesn't end in Scotland but continues in Catalonia and will arrive in Veneto," he said, referring to Italy's northern Veneto region.

Despite the euphoria, political scientists have found that separatism in one country doesn't promote separatism in another, said Jason Sorens, a government professor at Dartmouth College. "If Scotland votes Yes and the negotiation process goes smoothly, and Scotland gets into the EU quickly, that might boost secessionist support because it would show the risks of independence are lower," he said. "It could go the other way, if the transition involves a lot of cost."

Alan Clendenning reported from Madrid. Associated Press writers Jorge Sainz in Madrid and Colleen Barry in Milan, Italy, contributed to this story.

Taiwan honors 56,000 WWII soldiers killed in Myanmar

Taipei (AFP)
Aug 27, 2014

Taiwan on Wednesday honored tens of thousands of Chinese Nationalist soldiers killed in World War II in Myanmar, many of whom came to the rescue of British troops.

A wooden plaque inscribed with Chinese characters reading "The spirits of the Republic of China officers and soldiers killed" was brought to the Martyrs' Shrine in Taipei as a military band played solemn music.

It symbolizes the souls of more than 56,000 soldiers who died in a series of bloody battles against Japan in Myanmar, according to the defense ministry.

"This is a special touching moment as we observe the 77th anniversary of war against Japan," said Chen Chen-hsaing, a general-turned-legislator who had been pressing for the belated memorial event.

"We've never forgot them even though this should have been done a long time ago and (was) postponed by the civil war," he said.

The Nationalist government ruling China was defeated by the communists in the civil war which ended in 1949, and fled to Taiwan.

"Now they come home after so many years," said Chen, in part blaming a lack of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Myanmar for the delay.

While more than 400,000 fallen soldiers from various wars have been enshrined in Taiwan, the ceremony was the first to mark those killed in Myanmar since the end of the World War II in 1945.

At that time China was still ruled by the Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek. Their war with Japan began in 1937 and ended with the Japanese World War II surrender in 1945.

A number of the soldiers memorialized Wednesday lost their lives in a 1942 battle in Yenangyaung, when General Sun Li-jen and his unit came to the rescue of around 7,000 British troops surrounded by the Japanese army.

Sun was later made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

A former British veteran who survived the battle recalled the fighting during his trip to Taiwan in June.

Gerald Fitzpatrick, 95, a retired British army captain, flew all the way to Taipei to join an event held by the Taiwanese military to show gratitude to the Nationalist troops decades ago.

Source: Sino Daily.
Link: http://www.sinodaily.com/reports/Taiwan_honours_56000_WWII_soldiers_killed_in_Myanmar_999.html.

Japan seeks to double budget for disputed islands patrol

Tokyo, Japan (AFP)
Aug 28, 2014

Japan's coastguard is to ask for a doubling of its budget to boost patrols around islands that are the focus of a dispute with China, officials said Thursday.

The agency will submit a request to the government for 50.4 billion yen ($485 million) for the financial year starting in April 2015, they said.

The move will come after two years of relentless tensions with Beijing over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands, which Japan nationalized in September 2012.

That angered China, which claims the chain as its own under the name Diaoyus.

Since the long-simmering dispute flared anew, Chinese vessels and aircraft have regularly approached the unoccupied islands, with Japan's coastguard in pursuit.

The coastguard plans to add one new jet aircraft to its fleet, 10 large patrol ships and four small patrol ships, as well as to increase the number of personnel assigned to the new large patrol ships, it said in a statement.

It will also replace two jets with new ones and retire existing patrol ships in favor of new vessels to boost cruising distance and speed, the officials said.

It also hopes to build a pier, accommodation for crew and other facilities at its base in Ishigaki island, the main jumping off point for the Senkakus.

The measures are part of efforts to push back against Chinese government ships loitering in nearby waters and to create an around-the-clock air patrol system, officials said.

The budget request also considers the "possibility that the number of foreign fishery ships plying disputed waters could double," a coastguard official told reporters.

Aside from Chinese official ships, the number of foreign fishery ships entering the islands' waters has rocketed over the past three years, from 39 over the 12 months to March 2013, to 169 in just five months between April and August this year, the official said.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Japan_seeks_to_double_budget_for_disputed_islands_patrol_999.html.

Hong Kong protesters threaten to occupy buildings

October 01, 2014

HONG KONG (AP) — Raising the stakes in their standoff with the authorities, student leaders of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests warned they will step up their actions if the territory's top official doesn't resign by Thursday, possibly occupying several important government buildings.

Storming government buildings would risk inviting another confrontation with police. It also would put pressure on the Chinese government, which so far has said little beyond declaring the protests illegal and backing Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's attempts to end them.

Chinese state media indicated the government may be losing patience with the protests. An editorial solemnly read Wednesday on China's main TV broadcaster CCTV said all Hong Kong residents should support authorities to "deploy police enforcement decisively" and "restore the social order in Hong Kong as soon as possible."

Students are leading the protests for wider electoral reforms, which pose the stiffest challenge to Beijing's authority since China took control of the former British colony in 1997. Lester Shum, vice secretary of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said the students would welcome an opportunity to speak to a Chinese central government official.

"However, we ask them to come to the square and speak to the masses," Shum told reporters. "This is a movement of Hong Kongers and not led by any specific group." Shum demanded that Leung resign by the end of Thursday. He said there was "no room for dialogue" with Leung because he had ordered police to fire tear gas at protesters over the weekend.

"Leung Chun-ying must step down. If he doesn't resign by tomorrow we will step up our actions, such as by occupying several important government buildings," he said, adding that demonstrators would not interfere with "essential" government agencies, such as hospitals and social welfare offices.

Chan Kin-man, another protest leader, said the demonstrations would continue as long as the Hong Kong government fails to give a satisfactory response to their demands. "I hope people will understand why the action keeps on escalating. It's because the government is getting more and more closed without listening to Hong Kong people," he said in an interview on the street. "If the government can give us a proper response in due course I think we can end the occupation immediately."

The protesters oppose Beijing's decision in August that all candidates in an inaugural 2017 election for the territory's top post must be approved by a committee of mostly pro-Beijing local elites. They say China is reneging on a promise that the chief executive would be chosen through "universal suffrage."

Upping the pressure on leaders in Beijing, sympathy protests sprang up in Macau, a former Portuguese colony that China took over in 1999, and in the independently ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own.

In Hong Kong, protesters heckled Leung as he attended a flag-raising ceremony early Wednesday marking China's National Day, the day Communist China was founded in 1949. Hundreds yelled at him to step down, then fell silent and turned their backs when the ceremony began.

In a speech, Leung did not mention the protesters, but told voters it would be better to agree to Beijing's plan for vetting candidates and hold an election than to keep the current system in which an Election Commission chooses the chief executive.

As the protests have worn on, Beijing's tone has hardened. President Xi Jinping, who has acted harshly against any perceived threats to the Communist Party's hold on power, vowed in a National Day speech to "steadfastly safeguard" Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

An editorial in the Communist Party-run People's Daily warned of "unimaginable consequences" if the protests persist. "They have already severely disrupted the normal life of the Hong Kong public, and even endangered the property and personal safety of the Hong Kong public," it said.

Protest numbers swelled on Wednesday, a national holiday, to tens of thousands, including many families with children, couples, students, retirees and foreigners who live in the city of 7 million. Many thronged a six-lane highway in front of the government headquarters in the Admiralty area, while others gathered in the downtown areas of Causeway Bay and Mong Kok.

"I came out today to support the movement. No student leaders or occupy leaders urged me to come out. I came out on my own," said Pierre Wong, a 36-year-old IT technician. "I hope there will be democratic reform, instead of using the current framework."

Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach, Louise Watt and Wendy Tang in Hong Kong and Didi Tang in Beijing contributed to this report.

Protesters heckle Hong Kong leader on National Day

October 01, 2014

HONG KONG (AP) — Pro-democracy protesters kept behind police barricades heckled Hong Kong's under-fire leader on Wednesday when he attended a flag-raising ceremony on China's National Day.

The protesters, upset that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has refused to meet them, have threatened to expand their demonstrations unless he resigns and the Chinese leadership agrees to broader electoral reforms.

The ceremony was held to mark the anniversary of the founding of communist China in 1949, and after the hundreds of protesters yelled at Leung to step down, they then fell silent and turned their backs when the ceremony began.

Helicopters flew past carrying the Hong Kong and Chinese flags, with the latter noticeably bigger. In a speech, Leung made no direct mention of the protesters, who have blocked streets for days across the semiautonomous territory to press demands for genuine democratic reforms for Hong Kong's first direct elections in 2017 to choose the city's top leader. The protests have posed the stiffest challenge to Beijing's authority since China took control of the former British colony in 1997.

Beijing has restricted the voting reforms, requiring candidates to be screened by a committee of mostly pro-Beijing local elites similar to the one that handpicked Leung for the job. Leung told voters it is better to agree to Beijing's plans for nominating candidates and to hold an election, than to stick with the current system of having an Election Commission choose the chief executive.

"It is definitely better to have universal suffrage than not," Leung said. "It is definitely better to have the chief executive elected by 5 million eligible voters than by 1,200 people. And it is definitely better to cast your vote at the polling station than to stay home and watch on television the 1,200 members of the Election Committee cast their votes."

As he spoke later to a group of dignitaries, pro-democracy lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung shouted for him to step down before he was bundled away by security. Local councilor Paul Zimmerman held up a yellow umbrella. The umbrella has become a symbol of the nonviolent civil disobedience movement because it has been used by protesters to deflect police pepper spray.

"I'm here today with the yellow umbrella because it stands against the shooting of tear gas at the children of Hong Kong. I think we have destroyed the values of Hong Kong earlier this weekend by shooting tear gas at children," Zimmerman said.

China took control of Hong Kong under an arrangement that guaranteed its 7 million people semi-autonomy, Western-style civil liberties and eventual democratic freedoms that are denied to Chinese living on the communist-ruled mainland.

The territory's first direct elections are set for 2017, but the recent move by the Chinese government saying that a special committee will screen the candidates is seen as reneging on a promise that the chief executive will be chosen through "universal suffrage."

Changing that is one of the major demands of the protesters. The growing protests have attracted worldwide attention, with British Prime Minister David Cameron saying he planned to summon the Chinese ambassador to discuss the dispute, saying it is essential that Hong Kong's people have a genuine right to choose their top leader.

"It is not for us to involve ourselves in every dot and comma of what the Chinese set out," Cameron said in England. But he added: "I think it is a critical question. Real universal suffrage doesn't just mean the act of voting; it means a proper choice."

Leung's rejection of the student demands dashed hopes for a quick resolution of the standoff that has blocked city streets and forced some schools and offices to close. Despite the hardening rhetoric from both sides, Tuesday night passed with a festive mood and few police were evident, but the crowds and road blockages are expected to grow sharply as Wednesday and Thursday are public holidays.

"Frankly, if I was a government official, I would not have a clue how to solve this," said Chit Lau, a 35-year-old pilot, adding he thought the stalemate would continue until Leung or some other top official resigned, or the army clashed with the people.

It was not clear what the demonstrators plan to do next. There were no immediate official statements from the protesters. University students are already boycotting classes, and other options include widening the protests, pushing for a labor strike and occupying a government building.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has taken a hard line against any perceived threat to the Communist Party's hold on power, vowed in a National Day speech to "steadfastly safeguard" Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

China's government has condemned the student-led protests as illegal, though so far it has not overtly intervened, leaving Hong Kong authorities to handle the crisis. Over the weekend, police fired tear gas and pepper spray in an attempt to disperse the protesters, but the demonstrations only spread.

Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach, Louise Watt and Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong and Aritz Parra in Beijing contributed to this report.

Hong Kong protesters set deadline for government

September 30, 2014

HONG KONG (AP) — Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong set a Wednesday deadline for a response from the government to meet their demands for reforms after spending another night blocking streets in an unprecedented show of civil disobedience.

A brief statement from the Occupy Central civil disobedience movement said it had set an Oct. 1 deadline for the city's unpopular Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to meet their demands for genuine democracy and for him to step down as leader of Hong Kong.

It said they would "announce new civil disobedience plans same day." Wednesday is a holiday for China's National Day, and even larger crowds are expected to flood the streets. The government said it was canceling a fireworks display planned to celebrate the National Day.

One day after police shocked the city by firing tear gas at the crowds, the protesters passed a peaceful night Monday singing as the blocked streets in several parts of Hong Kong. They also staged a brief "mobile light" vigil, waving their glowing cell phones as the protests stretched into their fourth day. Crowds chanted calls for Leung to resign, and sang anthems calling for freedom.

"The students are protecting the right to vote, for Hong Kong's future. We are not scared, we are not frightened, we just fight for it," said Carol Chan, a 55-year-old civil service worker who took two days off to join the protests after becoming angered over police use of tear gas Sunday.

Students and activists have been camped out since late Friday, demanding that Beijing grant democratic reforms to the former British colony. Police said they used 87 rounds of tear gas Sunday in what they called a necessary but restrained response to protesters pushing through cordons and barricades. They said 41 people were injured, including 12 police officers.

"Police cordon lines were heavily charged, by some violent protesters. So police had to use the minimum force in order to separate the distance at that moment between the protesters and also the police," said Cheung Tak-keung, the assistant police commissioner for operations.

The atmosphere was more festive Monday as constantly shifting crowds blocked major roads. People moved in and out of the sit-ins, some bringing in food and drink while others fetched their own. Some high school students, still in their school uniforms, sat on the pavement doing their homework.

"It's already the fourth day, so it's really tiring," said Ching-ching Tse, a 24-year-old student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who was on her second day of collecting trash in the protest area with her friends. "So we are forming some groups and hope we can do some shifts and take turns."

Officials announced that schools in some districts of Hong Kong would remain closed Tuesday because of safety concerns, while dozens of bus routes were canceled and some subway stops near protest areas were closed.

The protests have been dubbed the "Umbrella Revolution" by some, because the crowds have used umbrellas to not only block the sun, but also to stop the police from hitting them with pepper spray. Political slogans calling for freedom have also been written on the umbrellas.

Many younger Hong Kong residents raised in an era of plenty and with no experience of past political turmoil in mainland China have higher expectations. Under an agreement set in 1984, before most of them were born, Beijing promised to allow Hong Kong residents civil liberties — unseen in the rest of China — after it took control of the city of 7.1 million in 1997.

The protesters are dismayed by China's decision last month that candidates in the city's first-ever election for its top leader must be hand-picked by a committee of mostly pro-Beijing tycoons. That move is viewed by many residents as reneging on promises to allow greater democracy in the semi-autonomous territory, since Beijing had promised that the chief executive would eventually be chosen through "universal suffrage."

China's communist leaders take a hard line against any threat to their monopoly on power, including clamping down on dissidents and Muslim Uighur separatists in the country's far west, but it cannot crack down too harshly on the semi-autonomous territory where a freewheeling media ensures global visibility.

Across the border, Chinese state media have provided scant coverage of the protests beyond noting that an illegal gathering spun out of control and was being curtailed by police. The protests began a week ago with a class boycott by university and college students demanding reforms of the local legislature and a withdrawal of Beijing's requirement that election candidates be screened.

Leaders of the broader Occupy Central civil disobedience movement joined the protesters early Sunday, saying they wanted to kick-start a long-threatened mass sit-in demanding Hong Kong's top leader be elected without Beijing's interference.

"People are feeling a kind of guilt that they were allowing the young kids in their late teens and early 20s to take all the risks, so people are coming out to support them," said Steve Tsang, a senior fellow at the University of Nottingham's China Policy Institute.

Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach, Kelvin Chan and Joanna Chiu contributed to this report.

Latvia holds election with Ukraine on its mind

October 03, 2014

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — The Ukraine crisis looms large over Latvia's parliamentary election on Saturday as the Baltic country worries over how best to deal with resurgent neighbor Russia. Here's a look at some of the key issues for the nation of 2 million:

EMBRACE MOSCOW OR STEER CLEAR? Alarmed by Moscow's intervention in Ukraine, Latvia's center-right coalition government has welcomed the buildup of NATO forces in the region as protection against Russia. But the opposition Harmony Party, a left-leaning group supported mainly by the country's Russian-speaking minority, wants to balance Latvia's Western orientation with stronger links to Moscow.

"I, as a person of Russian ethnicity, find it easier to talk about certain practical matters in Moscow than, for example, in Berlin or Washington," Harmony leader Nils Usakovs told the Latvian news agency LETA.

Though Harmony is currently first in the polls, comments like those are likely to keep it from being invited to coalition talks by other parties, who fear that Moscow wants to pull the Baltic region back into its orbit.

LATVIA'S LARGE RUSSIAN MINORITY After regaining independence in 1991 following five decades of Soviet occupation, Latvia and Baltic neighbors Lithuania and Estonia turned west and joined NATO and the European Union in 2004. Western integration always had less appeal for the countries' Russian minorities, however.

About one-third of Latvia's people speak Russian as their native language. Many of them aren't even Latvian citizens because they cannot — or don't want to — meet Latvian citizenship requirements, including speaking Latvian.

"I was born and raised in Latvia, I don't understand why I have to take a citizenship test if I was born here," said Julian Beryukov, a 62-year-old from Riga who two years ago decided to apply for Russian citizenship instead.

Although Usakovs and his Harmony Party say they want to bridge the divide in Latvian society, they're viewed with suspicion by many ethnic Latvians. Former defense and foreign minister Artis Pabriks has warned that giving Harmony or smaller, pro-Russia parties greater influence will set Latvia backward.

"It will undermine everything. It's not acceptable," said Pabriks, now a member of the European Parliament.

WELCOMING NATO'S LONG SHADOW At its recent summit in Wales, NATO promised to increase its presence in the Baltics. Thousands of NATO troops will rotate around the region to send a strong signal for Russia to back off. More Russian warships and jets, meanwhile, have been observed near Latvian territory.

Kalris Zalans, a 28-year-old IT specialist and ethnic Latvian, said he fears a Ukraine-style scenario — where a chunk of the country is annexed — could happen in Latvia. He hopes that residents will vote for any party but the pro-Russian ones.

"In a perfect world, Latvia could work with Russia and the EU. But in today's world, Russia doesn't act like that," Zalans said. "Russia will try to do what they did in Ukraine to Latvia."

'Umbrella Revolution' protests spread in Hong Kong

September 29, 2014

HONG KONG (AP) — Pro-democracy protesters wearing masks and wielding umbrellas to protect against pepper spray and tear gas expanded their rallies throughout Hong Kong on Monday, defying calls to disperse in a major pushback against Beijing's decision to limit democratic reforms in the Asian financial hub.

Riot police withdrew from the extraordinary scene of chaotic tear gas-fueled clashes that erupted the evening before and the government asked the student-led protesters to disperse peacefully. But the demonstrators, whose use of umbrellas, plastic wrap and other improvised defenses has led some to dub their movement the "Umbrella Revolution," remained camped out on a normally busy highway near the Hong Kong government headquarters. Supporters were using the phrase on social media.

Police had tried earlier to negotiate, with an officer asking them through a bullhorn to clear the way for the commuters. A protester, using the group's own speaker system, responded by saying that they wanted Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to demand a genuine choice for the territory's voters.

"Do something good for Hong Kong. We want real democracy!" he shouted. China has called the protests illegal and endorsed the Hong Kong government's crackdown. The clashes, images of which have been beamed around the world, are undermining the city's image as a safe financial haven, and raised the stakes of the face-off against President Xi Jinping's government. Beijing has taken a hard line against threats to the Communist Party's monopoly on power, including clamping down on dissidents and Muslim Uighur separatists in the country's far west.

The mass protests are the strongest challenge yet to Beijing's decision last month to reject open nominations for candidates under proposed guidelines for the first-ever elections for Hong Kong's leader, promised for 2017. Instead, candidates must continue to be hand-picked by a committee of mostly local pro-Beijing tycoons — a move that many residents viewed as reneging on promises to allow greater democracy in the semi-autonomous territory.

With rumors swirling, the Beijing-backed and deeply unpopular Leung reassured the public that speculation that the Chinese army might intervene was untrue. "I hope the public will keep calm. Don't be misled by the rumors. Police will strive to maintain social order, including ensuring smooth traffic and ensuring the public safety," Leung said. "When they carry out their duties, they will use their maximum discretion."

That came hours after police lobbed canisters of tear gas into the crowd on Sunday evening. The searing fumes sent demonstrators fleeing, though many came right back to continue their protest. The government said 26 people were taken to hospitals.

To ward off tear gas, demonstrators used homemade defenses such as plastic wrap, which they used to cover their face and arms, as well as goggles and surgical masks. But umbrellas, used to deflect pepper spray, have become the movement's most visible symbol. They were the main line of defense Sunday for a huge crowd demonstrators trying to push past barricades manned by police dousing the crowd with pepper spray from backpack sprayers.

As the crowd surged forward, officers tore umbrellas away one by one and threw them aside. Demonstrator Rick Chan summed up the feelings of many on Monday when he shouted to police watching the encampment, "We're only carrying umbrellas!"

"I came last night and saw police fire many rounds of tear gas at the crowd, who were mostly young students and even included some old people," said Chan, a 32-year-old finance worker. "I feel it was extremely unnecessary. They could see protesters were not dangerous. Instead they made everyone very angry. I plan to stay here indefinitely."

Supporters donated new umbrellas, which were distributed to those needing them at stations around the protest zone. They also did double duty, providing shade from the blazing sun. The protest has been spearheaded largely by college and university-age activists but has gathered momentum among a broad range of people from high school students to the elderly.

Protesters also occupied streets in other parts of Hong Kong Island, including the upscale shopping area of Causeway Bay as well as across the harbor in densely populated Mong Kok on the Kowloon peninsula.

More than 200 bus routes have been canceled or diverted in a city dependent on public transport. Subway exits have also been closed or blocked near protest area. After China took control of Hong Kong from the British in 1997, it agreed to a policy of "one country, two systems" that allowed the city a high degree of control over its own affairs and kept in place liberties unseen on the mainland. It also promised the city's leader would eventually be chosen through "universal suffrage," a pledge that Hong Kongers now say Beijing is failing to keep.

While it was under British rule, Hong Kong's leader was chosen by London in an arrangement that faced virtually no opposition. But now, residents want a greater say in their own government and future.

Momentum for the protests started building after university and college students began a class boycott last Monday, which they said would continue until officials meet their demands for reforming the local legislature and withdrawing the proposal to screen election candidates.

Leaders of the broader Occupy Central civil disobedience movement joined them early Sunday, saying they wanted to kick-start a long-threatened mass sit-in demanding Hong Kong's top leader be elected without Beijing's interference.

Occupy Central issued a statement Monday calling on Leung to resign and saying his "non-response to the people's demands has driven Hong Kong into a crisis of disorder." The statement added that the protest was now "a spontaneous movement" of all Hong Kong people.

Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach, Louise Watt and Joanna Chiu contributed to this report.

Pro-democracy protests expand in Hong Kong

September 29, 2014

HONG KONG (AP) — Pro-democracy protesters, some wearing surgical masks and holding up umbrellas to protect against tear gas, expanded their rallies throughout Hong Kong on Monday, defying calls to disperse in a major pushback against Beijing's decision to limit democratic reforms in the Asian financial hub.

Police officers tried to negotiate with protesters camped out on a normally busy highway near the Hong Kong government headquarters that was the scene of tear gas-fueled clashes that erupted the evening before.

An officer with a bullhorn tried to get them to clear the way for the commuters. A protester, using the group's own speaker system, responded by saying that they wanted Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to demand a genuine choice for the territory's voters.

"Do something good for Hong Kong. We want real democracy!" he shouted. China has called the protests illegal and endorsed the Hong Kong government's crackdown. The clashes — images of which have been beamed around the world — are undermining Hong Kong's image as a safe financial haven, and raised the stakes of the face-off against President Xi Jinping's government. Beijing has taken a hard line against threats to the Communist Party's monopoly on power, including clamping down on dissidents and Muslim Uighur separatists in the country's far west.

The mass protests are the strongest challenge yet to Beijing's decision last month to reject open nominations for candidates under proposed guidelines for the first-ever elections for Hong Kong's leader, promised for 2017. Instead, candidates must continue to be hand-picked by Beijing — a move that many residents viewed as reneging on promises to allow greater democracy in the semi-autonomous territory.

With rumors swirling, the Beijing-backed and deeply unpopular Leung reassured the public that speculation that the Chinese army might intervene was untrue. "I hope the public will keep calm. Don't be misled by the rumors. Police will strive to maintain social order, including ensuring smooth traffic and ensuring the public safety," Leung said. "When they carry out their duties, they will use their maximum discretion."

The protest has been spearheaded largely but student-age activists but has gathered momentum among a broad range of people from high school students to the elderly. Protesters also occupied streets in other parts of Hong Kong Island, including the upscale shopping area of Causeway Bay as well as across the harbor in densely populated Mong Kok on the Kowloon peninsula. The city's transport department said roads in those areas were closed.

More than 200 bus routes have been canceled or diverted in a city dependent on public transport. Subway exits have also been closed or blocked near protest area. Authorities said some schools in areas near the main protest site would be closed.

Leung urged people to go home, obey the law and avoid causing trouble. "We don't want Hong Kong to be messy," he said as he read a statement that was broadcast early Monday. That came hours after police lobbed canisters of tear gas into the crowd on Sunday evening. The searing fumes sent demonstrators fleeing, though many came right back to continue their protest. The government said 26 people were taken to hospitals.

To ward off tear gas, demonstrators improvised with homemade defenses such as plastic wrap, which they used to cover their face and arms, as well as umbrellas, goggles and surgical masks. The protests began with a class boycott last week by students urging Beijing to grant genuine democratic reforms to this former British colony.

"This is a long fight," business and law student Edward Yau, 19, said overnight. "The government has to understand that we have the ability to undo it if they continue to treat us like we are terrorists."

When China took control of Hong Kong from the British in 1997, it agreed to a policy of "one country, two systems" that allowed the city a high degree of control over its own affairs and kept in place liberties unseen on the mainland. It also promised the city's leader would eventually be chosen through "universal suffrage."

Hong Kong's residents have long felt their city stood apart from mainland China thanks to those civil liberties and separate legal and financial systems. Beijing's insistence on using a committee to screen candidates on the basis of their patriotism to China — similar to the one that currently hand-picks Hong Kong's leaders — has stoked fears among pro-democracy groups that Hong Kong will never get genuine democracy.

University students began their class boycotts over a week ago and say they will continue them until officials meet their demands for reforming the local legislature and withdrawing the proposal to screen election candidates.

Students and activists had been camped out since late Friday on streets outside the government complex. Sunday's clashes arose when police sought to block thousands of people from entering the protest zone. Protesters spilled onto a busy highway, bringing traffic to a standstill.

In a statement issued after midnight, the Hong Kong police said rumors that they had used rubber bullets to try to disperse protesters were "totally untrue." Police in blue jumpsuits, wearing helmets and respirators, doused protesters with pepper spray when they tried to rip metal barricades apart.

Thousands of people breached a police cordon Sunday as they tried to join the sit-in, spilling out onto a busy highway and bringing traffic to a standstill. Although students started the rally, leaders of the broader Occupy Central civil disobedience movement joined them early Sunday, saying they wanted to kick-start a long-threatened mass sit-in demanding Hong Kong's top leader be elected without Beijing's interference.

Occupy Central issued a statement Monday calling on Leung to resign and saying his "non-response to the people's demands has driven Hong Kong into a crisis of disorder." The statement added that the protest was now "a spontaneous movement" of all Hong Kong people.

Police said they had arrested 78 people. They also took away several pro-democracy legislators who were among the demonstrators, but later released them. A police statement said the officers "have exercised restraint and performed their duties in a highly professional manner." It urged the public to not occupy roads so that emergency vehicles can get through.

Among the dozens arrested was 17-year-old Joshua Wong, who was dragged away soon after he led a group of students storming the government complex. Wong is a leader of the activist group Scholarism, which organized protests two years ago that forced the government to drop proposed Chinese national curriculum guidelines seen as brainwashing. He was released Sunday evening.

Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach, Louise Watt and Joanna Chiu contributed to this report.