SOUTH AFRICA

The Star, Johannesburg, April 14: Questions are always asked after every tragedy or disaster. We have some questions to ask in the aftermath of South Africa's biggest sports disaster, which left 43 people dead and scores injured.
We have to ask why the situation that enabled the tragic events to take place was allowed. How is it that the Ellis Park stadium management and the security company were either unaware or unable to enforce the "house full" sign, with all the police officers present at the stadium?
Major event: Did anyone call for help at any point when the security personnel realised thay couldn't cope with the wave of people eager to find a seat for the biggest event in local soccer?
We need to know how so many people managed to fill the stadium while thousands of ticket holders were still outside.
Were any fake tickets sold?
We pose these questions because we believe that Wednesday's tragedy shouldn't have been allowed to happen. We ask them because we believe that better planning would have prevented the tragedy.
EGYPT
Al-Akhbar, Cairo, April 17: When will America wake up? This is the question that has been widely repeated in the Arab region.
It might be that only after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sent his planes to attack a Syrian radar position in Lebanon that America started to realize the seriousness of the warning against a catastrophe that threatens the region and the world if it keeps siding with the foolish policies of the general (Sharon) whose history is stained with blood.
Lone sponsor: Though the general rids himself day after day of peace commitments and gives free rein to his illusions and grave policies, Washington, which is still the lone sponsor of the peace process, only purses its lips before it whispers with some carefully selected words of blame so as not to hurt the delicate sentiments of the bloody general.
JORDAN
The Jordan Times, Amman, April 17: Foreign Minister Abdul-Ilah Khatib's high profile visit to Israel on Monday cannot be considered a diplomatic victory, but also cannot be considered a failure.
The only way to ensure the end to current conflict and by extension Jordan's interests is to confront Israel's incomprehensible policy with the persuasion of diplomacy - not boycott it as many would like to see.
It seems that, no matter how controversial Khatib's visit, maybe on the street, politically speaking it was well-timed.
Peace proposal: It coincides with renewed meetings between the Palestinians and the Israeli foreign minister, and between Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minster's son. Added to that Khatib's visit and the Jordanian-Egyptian peace proposal.
For all these reasons, also, Israel's decision to strike Syrian targets in the heart of Lebanon are all the more curious and condemnable.
Between the continuing aggression on the Palestinians and the renewed aggression against Lebanon and Syria, Israel is bombing the peace process to death.
SWEDEN
Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm, April 17: If the Chinese dictatorship should indicate a clear will to not only change economic system, but also give people political freedom, the candidacy could be considered. But as long as the baseball bat is the best expression of the regime's stance toward the opposition, it's not enough to give away hats.
The Olympics in Beijing 2008 could be a new Berlin 1936, in other words a well stage-managed propaganda show to demonstrate the strength of a rising, aggressive power. It is a different show than that staged in connection with the crippled American reconnaissance plane, but the purpose is the same.
Economic role: If China just wanted to play a more important economic role, there would be no reason to object. But the Communist leaders have in recent years threatened neighboring countries, not leastly Taiwan. Another concern is that China's military spending is increasing. The defense budget has increased by 17 percent this year.