- Hong Kong court has jailed four leaders of 2014 pro-democracy protests amid heightened concerns over the decline of freedoms in the China-ruled Hong Kong.
- The protests started in reaction to a decision made by China that it would allow direct elections in 2017 but only from a list of candidates pre-approved by China.
- The protests were known as the Umbrella Movement after people used umbrellas to shield themselves from pepper spray fired by police to disperse the crowd.
- Protesters have accused the Chinese government of breaking its promise to allow full democracy in Hong Kong and of encroaching more and more on the region.
- Hong Kong was a former British colony till 1997.It was handed back to China on a condition that Hong Kong would be given a high degree of autonomy,except in foreign and defence affairs for 50 years.
