Hong Kong leader says will launch new round of talks on electoral reform soon

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying said on Sunday the government will launch a new round of consultations on electoral reform shortly, following a weekend of violent clashes between police and pro-democracy activists calling for greater freedoms. Leung was speaking as police barricaded city streets to block in thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators surrounding the government headquarters after they accelerated a plan to shut down the heart of the global financial hub. He did not provide a time-frame for consultations. It was his first address to protesters since students launched a demonstration on Monday to call for greater democracy and demand he meet them to discuss electoral reforms. (Reporting By Donny Kwok; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree)