In This Edition

 

?Israel deploys artillery along Gaza's border with cabinet authorising the mobilisation of army reservists, preparing for a possible ground invasion.

?Arab foreign ministers condemn Israel's airstrikes on Gaza in a meeting of the Arab League in Cairo.

?China says a regional summit opening in Cambodia this weekend should not be overshadowed by a dispute over the South China Sea.

?And fifty people, mostly children, have been killed in a serious train crash in central Egypt.

 

Hot Issue Reports

 

?Israel Keeps up Airstrikes on Gaza with Possible Ground Offensive

 

Israel deployed artillery along Gaza's border on Saturday, hours after aircraft bombed Hamas government buildings in Gaza, including the prime minister's office.

 

Israel's cabinet has already authorised the mobilisation of up to 75,000 reservists, preparing for a possible ground invasion.

 

Israeli aircraft bombed various locations in Gaza on Saturday evening, killing one and injuring several others, according to Palestinian medics.

 

The office building of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was destroyed by Israeli planes.

 

Speaking from the rubble of the attack, Taher al-Nunu, spokesperson for Hamas, remained defiant and pledged victory over the Jewish state.

 

"From here, amidst the rubble, we tell the Palestinian people, the Islamic and Arab nation - we are here to flash the victory sign. We are here to declare victory. We say the enemy will lose the battle and will not fulfill its aims in this operation."

 

Palestinian militants in Gaza kept up their cross-border rocket salvoes on Saturday.

 

One rocket hit an apartment building in the Israeli Mediterranean port city of Ashdod, and police said five people were injured.

 

Meanwhile, Israel's rocket-defence system knocked down an incoming rocket fired from Gaza over the skies of Tel Aviv.

 

Israel's Minister of Civil Defence Avi Dichte visited a so-called situation room in Tel Aviv, designed as a base to monitor the situation in Israel's largest city.

 

Dichter stressed the importance of the Iron Dome missile defence system in protecting the citizens of Tel Aviv.

 

"There is a probability, a slight probability, that it will hit inside Tel Aviv. Iron Dome brings down this probability to a very small probability. But you cannot play games, even if it's a very small, very poor probability you have to be in the shelter."

 

Israel has been bombarded by hundreds of rockets since it launched a military offensive on Wednesday against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

 

Gaza militants had targeted Tel Aviv, some 70 kilometres north of Gaza, on Thursday and Friday.

 

The attacks on Tel Aviv, and a separate strike near Jerusalem on Friday, are the first time the rockets have reached the two cities.

 

?Arab FMs Condemn Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza

 

Arab foreign ministers spoke out strongly against Israel on Saturday during a meeting of the Arab League in Cairo.

 

The ministerial meeting was called shortly after Israel launched a massive air campaign on Gaza on Wednesday.

 

Gaza officials said at least 38 Palestinians, half of them civilians, had been killed in the enclave.

 

Lebanon's foreign minister Adnan Mansour said the deaths amounted to "war crimes".

 

"It is necessary that we resort to strict political and economic steps and to firmly apply them against Israel. The most important of these steps is for those in Israel who are responsible to be prosecuted before international courts for the war crimes that they have committed against Palestinians and Arabs."

 

Addressing the Cairo gathering, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby also called for those carrying out attacks to be held to account.

 

"We applaud the determination of the Palestinian people in Gaza and all the occupied territories and all that they have sacrificed in the wake of this aggression and the massacres that occur every day against the Palestinian people. These should not go unpunished and without accountability."

 

Arab foreign ministers are due to consider a draft statement that calls for the Arab League chief to lead a delegation to Gaza and voices support for Egypt's efforts to negotiate a truce.

 

?Middle East Issues Discussed at Russia-German Forum in Moscow

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged the Palestinian militant group Hamas to take responsibility for its missile strikes against Israel, and called on Egypt to play a role in easing the regional dispute.

 

Merkel made the comments at a Russian-German business forum in Moscow.

 

"Hamas bears responsibility for its missile strikes. There is no justification for that violence, because Israel's civil population is suffering. And we have a very similar opinion that the Egyptian government should influence Hamas in order to stop the escalation."

 

On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin warned the West against pushing for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, saying it might plunge the country in chaos.

 

"It's necessary to first agree about the future, reach an understanding on how to protect the rights of different ethnic and religious groups, and only then to make changes. Not the other way around?to oust Assad and think what to do next. We already have problems after a similar situation in Libya and other countries."

 

At the forum, Putin emphasized a desire to forge even closer economic ties with Germany, Russia's largest trading partner.

 

The leaders signed a series of agreements on energy, transportation and other sectors after the meeting.

 

?Pro-Palestinian Demos Held in European Capitals

 

People took the streets of European capitals Saturday to protest against Israel's ongoing assault on the Gaza strip.

 

In Paris, thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters gathered in the city center chanting "Palestine will live, Palestine will win" and carrying pro-Palestinian banners.

 

In Rome, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Italian Parliament calling on the international community to take action to stop the strikes.

 

Protesters who gathered outside the Israeli embassy in London waved placards and shouted slogans calling Israel a "terror state".

 

On the sidelines of the IberoAmerica Summit in Spain, Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota condemned the violence and called for both Israel and the Palestinians to seek a diplomatic solution.

 

"We (the Mercosur countries) call for an end to the violence and ask the UN Security Council to take its responsibility on this issue, and express our support to the Palestine request to be an observer member state of the United Nations, and we send a message to Palestine and Israel that the way to overcome the crisis is through diplomacy and dialogue."

 

?ASEAN Secretary Calls for Cooperation in Asia

 

ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan has called on the group's member countries to focus on cooperation in Asia.

 

Pitsuwan made the comments while leaders of Association of Southeast Asian Nations gather in Cambodia for a summit.

 

"ASEAN will have to work very hard in order to make sure that all of us, not only the ASEAN member states, but our dialogue partners look at the larger picture, look into the future and work together in order to achieve the larger and bigger vision of regional cooperation."

 

Pitsuwan said certain ASEAN countries and China should work to avoid an escalation of tensions in the South China Sea.

 

"We must move from the agenda of contention and tension and confrontation to the agenda of cooperation, the agenda of constructive engagement."

 

China and the ASEAN signed a nonbinding declaration in 2002 that urged rival governments to avoid acts that could touch off violent confrontations, including occupying new islands or reefs.

 

Both sides have agreed to work to come up with a stronger and legally binding "code of conduct" after fresh altercations involving China, Vietnam and the Philippines ratcheted tensions anew in the disputed waters.

 

?South China Sea Issue Manageable: Chinese Diplomat

 

Meanwhile, a top Chinese diplomat says the ASEAN summit should not be overshadowed by a dispute over the South China Sea.

 

Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying made the remarks ahead of the ASEAN summit in Cambodia, also to be attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and U.S. President Barack Obama.

 

Fu Ying said Asia's experience of avoiding large-scale conflict since the end of the Cold War showed that the South China Sea issue was also manageable.

 

"Everyone is so concerned about the South China Sea issue, but could you give some examples of actual incidents? In fact, over the past few years, China and the countries surrounding the South China Sea have successfully controlled the dispute and not let it intensify. This region can control and deal with crises through talks and negotiations, leading to peace and stability in the region."

 

China and several ASEAN nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, have been embroiled in territorial disputes in the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in gas and oil reserves.

 

China has opposed any attempt to take the disputes to international forums, including ASEAN, instead preferring to negotiate one-on-one with rival claimants.

 

Light News

 

?Egypt Train Crash Killing Dozens of Children Triggers Public Fury

 

Fifty people, mostly children, have been killed in a serious train crash in central Egypt.

 

The accident occurred when a train collided with a school bus as it crossed the tracks at a rail crossing south of Cairo on Saturday.

 

Angry residents have gathered at the crash site, walked through the debris, accusing authorities for poor safety record on roads and railways. Some victims' families protested on site.

 

"It's not the first time, it's happened several times. The gate is always open, and no one is there minding it. Where are they? The people who work on the railways are getting a salary after all, and they want their salaries to be increased. For what?"

 

Witnesses said barriers at the crossing were open when the train hit the bus. Transport Minister Mohamed Rashad and the head of the railways authority resigned. President Mohamed Mursi said those responsible would be held to account.

 

Another man on the crash site said local resident had cleared away the damage after the crash.

 

"There were no ambulances but the local residents did what they could. They took the children, and the bodies from the railways. They used their bare hands and put the bodies in plastic bags. They took the body parts that remained out with their hands and took them to the graveyard in bags. It's a shameful. And then the ambulance that did come was not good, it looked like a minibus. It had no equipment."

 

Egypt's roads and railways have a poor safety record, which led to frequent accidents. Egyptians have long complained the authorities failing to ensure the security.

 

?Latin American Leaders Address National Concerns at Ibero-American Summit

 

Latin American leaders have addressed national concerns, such as claims on territorial sovereignty and anti-drug campaign at the Ibero-American Summit in Spain.

 

The summit was called upon by Spain and Portugal who aimed to seek help from their Latin American colonies to tackle economic crisis.

 

Argentina's Vice President Amado Boudou has used the meeting to reassert the claim for the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, called the Malvinas by the Argentines.

 

"I want to thank the renewed support of the Ibero-American countries to Argentina's claim on the issue of the Malvinas Islands. I am convinced that the joint work of the nations calling for dialogue to solve the sovereignty controversy with peace as the fundamental principle, and the right as the source of justice, one day will be rewarded. The obstinacy of the illegitimate occupiers will not last forever."

 

Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has call for more to be done to stop drug trafficking.

 

Every year the Ibero-American summit brings together the heads of Spain and Portugal and the leaders of Latin America to discuss political issues and arrange business deals.

 

This year the two nations hoped to secure investment from their former colonies that see booming economies.

 

?Clinton Stresses Importance of Economic Models in Foreign Policy

 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stressed the importance of economic models on foreign policy.

 

Clinton said nations could achieve benefits from what she called "economic statecraft" during a speech she delivered at Singapore Management University.

 

Clinton cited Myanmar as a prime example of a former military regime that changed its ways because of strong economic pressure.

 

"The costs of economic sanctions (on Myanmar) and the benefits of rejoining the global economy helped spur the government to begin opening up. The United States is responding not just with growing diplomatic engagement but also with new economic ties that we believe will help encourage further political and market reforms."

 

Clinton has also called on nations with many state-owned or state-supported enterprises to make policies that are more beneficial to private and small investors to break industry monopolies.

 

Clinton will join President Barack Obama at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, regional summit in Cambodia this weekend.

 

Obama will then travel on to Myanmar, becoming the first U.S. president to go there after decades of repression that are giving way to democratization.

 

?China Shows Missile Defense System at Zhuhai Airshow

 

China has unveiled its latest missile defense system with an electronic simulator at an air show in the southern city of Zhuhai.

 

The missile apparatus integrates missiles and other weapon systems to detect, provide defense and attack targets within a range of 500 kilometers.

 

The C4ISR system is the key component to controlling the whole system.

 

Zhou Wu is a researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, a major defense contractor in the country.

 

"By using the C4ISR technology, we can integrate our ground, naval and air systems into one that enables all arms and weapons to perform their own operations."

 

The missile defense system can be installed on surface ships ranging from aircraft carriers to patrol boats.

 

?Greek Students Mark 1973 Uprising that Overthrew Military Junta

 

Hundreds of Greeks have gathered at Athens Polytechnic University to pay their respects to the historic student uprising of November 1973 that lead to the fall of the country's former military junta.

 

Nikos Koutsimpogiorgos, a 22-year-old university student, said he believed the mass student mobilization that led to the overturning of the regime in 1973 still served as an example of how collective action could bring about change.

 

"They (the incidents of November 1973) remain not just a trademark, they remain a steady point at which we can keep and look, not just for this year, but for every year, on how people can keep together, and they can fight for something they want, and they can really achieve it. Even if it doesn't come directly, it will sometime come, sooner or later."

 

Koutsimpogiorgos said he believed the gathering was relevant for Greece given its current economic woes.

 

"ˇThere are a lot of people, especially young people, that suffer from unemployment and lack of opportunities in Greece. And the worse is lack of hope, the lack of hope that 'I can't do nothing with my future or with the people around me.' And the only way to get out of this and to go further and further is to come together and introduce something new."

 

Greece is suffering from a severe debt crisis. Since May 2010, the country has had to rely on international loans, which have forced the government to pass harsh austerity measures to cut public spending. The unemployment rate has risen to 25 percent.

 

A U.S.-backed military junta ruled Greece between 1967 and 1974, which was widely referred to as the Regime of the Colonels. It was overthrown in a student movement initiated at Athens Polytechnic University.

 

Students are planning to demonstrate in front of the American embassy in Greece next week.

 

[Media Digest]

 

?China Daily: Continuity of Vision Ensures Better Future

 

International observers have been keenly looking for clues about China's future development strategy over the past days as the Communist Party of China, CPC, concluded its leadership transition at this past week's National Congress.

 

An editorial in China Daily says judging from the report delivered at the congress by the General Secretary of CPC Central Committee, Hu Jintao, continuity with what has proved effective in the nation's renewal is the way forward.

 

The report, approved by CPC delegates, reaffirmed the Party's commitment to reform and opening up, which is widely credited for China's progress in the last three decades.

 

The China Daily editorial says the reaffirmation of the strategy is of far-reaching significance for ensuring the country's future development and a stronger nation.

 

Meanwhile, the newspaper says the upgrading of the "scientific outlook on development" to the ideological compass of the CPC's revised constitution is a hallmark of the Party's learning curve and signals its growing maturity and self-confidence.

 

The scientific outlook on development calls for comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development that emphasizes the welfare of common people and the natural environment.

 

In conclusion, the China Daily editorial says while the ostensible lack of drama throughout the weeklong National Congress may have disappointed sensation seekers, the continuity of the CPC's vision for China, rather than the adoption of revolutionary ideas and dramatic approaches, means a better tomorrow is attainable.

 

?People's Daily: China Remains Sober Despite Economic Miracle

 

A recent report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicts that China will surpass the United States as the world's largest economy as early as 2016.

 

Despite so, at the past week's 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, China's top leadership wanted the Party and the nation to keep sober minded about the country's seemingly rapid development.

 

A commentary in the People's Daily newspaper analyzes that the CPC remains sober about the prediction because of its correct understanding of international and national conditions. China's national strength has greatly increased since its reform and opening up in the ealy 1980s, but the basic reality that China is still in the primary stage of socialism and will remain so for a long time to come has not changed.

 

The commentary quoted the report to the 18th CPC National Congress, which said there were still considerable difficulties ahead despite China's growing economy. It suggested that the CPC exercise greater political courage and wisdom to deepen reforms in key areas at the appropriate time, resolutely remove all ideological and systematic barriers to scientific development, and make various systems and mechanisms more complete, effective and mature.

 

According to the People's Daily commentary, as a developing country, China faces unprecedented opportunities, risks and challenges. Only by keeping a cool head and maintaining enthusiasm can China achieve its goals of modernization and write the next great chapter in its history.