Hong Kong Federation of Students before talks with government officials in Hong Kong. (Agence France-Presse)
Hong Kong authorities and pro-democracy protest leaders sat down on Tuesday for talks aimed at ending weeks of rallies that have paralysed the city's streets, on the same day the city's leader ruled out democratic reforms.
The crucial talks began just hours after Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying said open elections would result in the largest sector of society, the city's poor, dominating the electoral process, adding that free elections were impossible.