Russia proposes energy association within BRICS

English.news.cn, 2014-07-10

MOSCOW, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Russia plans to establish an energy association within the BRICS countries, the Kremlin said Thursday.

"Russia is going to propose the establishment of the BRICS energy association, which would guarantee energy security of the member countries, conduct integrated research and analysis of global markets," presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said.

The organization will include a fuel reserve bank and an institution for energy policy, he added.

The official said the initiative has been discussed at the governmental level.

BRICS is the acronym for five major emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The sixth BRICS summit is due to take place on July 15-16 in Brazil.

According to Ushakov, the summit will discuss cooperation in trade, investment and financial sphere, as well as international political affairs like the Ukraine crisis.

The leaders will also sign an agreement on currency reserves pool, "a foundation of macroeconomic coordination of the five countries, to help strengthen the global financial system," Ushakov said.

A BRICS Development Bank was first mooted during the New Delhi summit in March 2012, so as to "establish a BRICS financial safety net."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, South African President Jacob Zuma and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the summit.

Trendy Tel Aviv counts the cost of Gaza rocket attacks

Yahoo – AFP, Daphne Rousseau, 10 July 2014

An Israeli man in Tel Aviv on July 10, 2014 inspects a car damaged by the

 remains of a rocket fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip after it was

 intercepted and destroyed by the Iron Dome defence missile system (AFP

Photo/Ahmad Gharabli)

Tel Aviv (AFP) - Israel's commercial capital is under rocket fire from Palestinian militants in Gaza, its normally nonchalant residents using black humour to disguise the anguish of another open war with Hamas.

And since Israel's latest campaign began early on Tuesday, Hamas has fired at least six M75 rockets at metropolitan Tel Aviv, one striking open ground and five being intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

A loud bang rocked the city on Thursday morning, AFP correspondents said, with unconfirmed reports suggesting a missile had hit the sea.

An Israeli activist carries a placard during

 a protest against the war on the Gaza

 strip, in Tel Aviv on July 9, 2014 (AFP

Photo/Ahmad Gharabli)

Young waiters with little to do now sit at tables at once-vibrant seafront cafes normally occupied by visitors in what should be peak season for tourism.

"It's empty, completely empty," sighs 21-year-old waitress Danielle with nothing to do except tuck into a plate of chips.

"Last week we were full of tourists, overwhelmed almost. But now they're afraid to come."

The few people who turned up late Tuesday to watch the sunset quickly scattered when the first alert sounded after realising there were no air-raid shelters in the area.

And with Israel's Operation Protective Edge against Gaza militants in its third day, the beachfront party town is feeling the effects.

Ralph, a 32-year-old tourist from Luxembourg, decided to watch the World Cup semi-final indoors with a friend, rather than sit at an exposed outdoor café.

His holiday in Israel has not turned out as planned.

Missile alert app

"All day we're on our phones, checking the news. I even downloaded an app for missile alerts in real time," he tells AFP.

Now Ralph is steering clear of public places such as markets and "especially the beach, where we would be most exposed if a missile hit".

More than 23 years ago, when Iraq's now dead dictator Saddam Hussein fired Scud missiles at Israel in the first Gulf War, young people thronged the nightclubs of Tel Aviv, gas masks within reach.

Today, black humour abounds on Internet social networks.

Since the crisis erupted, a growing number of pages are popping up on Facebook, where users share experiences about life under fire.

Israelis take cover in an underground car park in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, on

 July 10, 2014, during a rocket attack by Palestinian militants from the nearby

Gaza Strip (AFP Photo/Ahmad Gharabli)

One writes about the fear of being forced to leave her apartment in only her underwear, while another tells how he jumped into his parents' bed in their "safe room" during one early-morning alert. 

Waitress Danielle is not amused by some of the things she sees on the web.

"YouTube skits about safe rooms don't make me laugh," she says, nervously scanning her mobile phone to check whether there has been any fresh military call-up.

Military service is compulsory for both sexes. Men serve three years and women two. They then become reservists.

Since Tuesday, several of her friends have been mobilised after the security cabinet approved the recall of 40,000 reservists.

City that never sleeps

Repeated confrontations between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza have sapped the resilience of some living in this city that never sleeps.

A large section of the Israeli public now supports a lengthy military operation against militants in Gaza.

It would not be the first such offensive.

In December 2008, Israel began Operation Cast Lead with a massive air assault aimed at halting Palestinian rocket attacks.

During the 22-day operation, 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

And in November 2012 another 177 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed during Operation Pillar of Defence.

But not everyone in Tel Aviv is in favour of another Gaza campaign.

People on the beach at Tel Aviv on July 9,
2014 (AFP Photo/Ahmad Gharabli)

On Wednesday night, dozens of people gathered in the city's trendy Habima Square to protest against the current operation in a demonstration which triggered anger among some passers-by.

"May the next rocket fall on you!" one young motorist shouted at the demonstrators. "Shame on you!"

One protester tried to reason with him.

"What the Israeli government is doing is also terrorism," said 38-year-old Khen.

"The people of Tel Aviv can be blase because they have shelters, but the people of Gaza have none."

As the campaign got under way, Tel Aviv municipality made sure to open its public air raid shelters.

Over the past three days, rocket warnings have now become a way of life.

Related Articles:

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Israelis and Palestinians trade accusations as Ban appeals for ceasefire
Obama urges restraint in clash between Israel and Hamas

China urges Palestine, Israel to cease fire

Myanmar journalist slapped with 10 years for revealing chemical weapons factory

A Myanmar court has sentenced five journalists to a decade in prison for disclosing state secrets. The reporters revealed that a military facility was producing chemical weapons, according to their lawyer.

Deutsche Welle, 10 July 2014

Yangon Myanmar Shwedagon Pagode Temple

The defendants' lawyer vowed on Thursday to appeal the sentence, saying the journalists were simply doing their job.

"The ruling means the government can do anything it wants to journalists," said Aung Thein.

Four reporters and the chief executive from Unity Weekly News were jailed after publishing an article in January alleging that the military was operating a chemical weapons factory in the town of Pauk, located in the central Magway Region.

According to the article, the 3,000-acre facility was constructed by top-ranking generals as well as Chinese technicians. The factory reportedly operates under the instructions of Myanmar's former military strongman, Than Shwe.

A new Myanmar?

In 2011, Shwe turned over power from the military junta to a quasi civilian government led by his hand-picked successor, Thein Sein.

The international community has celebrated Myanmar's political reforms, with the United States appointing an ambassador to the Southeast Asian nation for the first time in over 20 years.

But human rights activists have warned the international community, in particular the EU and US, against rewarding the Burmese government before it has proven its commitment to protecting fundamental rights.

slk/ipj (AFP, dpa)

Singapore to Stop Issuing Sg$10,000 Note to Deter Money Laundering

Jakarta Globe – AFP,  Jul 10, 2014

The Monetary Authority of Singapore, pictured
,has announced it will stop issuing Sg$10,000
($8,000) notes. (Munshi Ahmed/Bloomberg)

Singapore’s central bank said Thursday it would stop issuing Sg$10,000 ($8,000) notes to help deter money laundering, with critics complaining the note is the bill of choice for bribe-payers in neighboring Indonesia.

A spokeswoman for the Monetary Authority of Singapore said the decision was “a preemptive move to mitigate the higher money laundering risks associated with large value cash transactions”.

The note is one of the world’s most valuable banknotes in circulation, along with the 1,000 Swiss franc ($1,120) note, the Sg$1,000 note and the 500 euro ($680) note, according to the Standard Catalogue of World Paper Money.

The highest banknote for the US currency is $100 while China makes do with the 100 renminbi ($16) note.

Notes currently in circulation will remain legal tender but stocks are expected to decline over time as worn notes are returned and not replaced, the monetary authority spokeswoman said.

The central bank’s comments come days after an Indonesian financial watchdog urged Singapore to immediately withdraw all Sg$10,000 notes instead of just discontinuing them.

Singapore, a global financial center and major player in the wealth management industry, has rejected accusations that it is a haven for money laundering and foreign tax cheats.

In March, it began regulating intermediaries of Bitcoin such as exchanges and vending machines dispensing the virtual currency, citing the increasing risk that they could be used for money laundering and terrorist financing.

The government has also said it is scrutinizing new forms of illicit financing such as through the trade of precious stones and metals.

Singapore houses the regional offices of some of the world’s top financial institutions with total assets under management in the city-state now around Sg$1.4 trillion ($1.1 trillion), according to the city’s monetary authority.

Agence France-Presse

Related Article:

Switzerland, Singapore join clampdown on bank secrecy

Xi says problems in China-US relations nothing to fear

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-07-09

Xi Jinping speaks at the joint opening ceremony of the S&ED and
the CPE in Beijing, July 9. (Photo/CNS)

Chinese president Xi Jinping said Wednesday that problems in China-US relations will not be an obstacle as long as both sides work to solve them.

Xi made the remarks at the joint opening ceremony of the sixth China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue and the fifth China-US High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange.

"Building a new model of major-country relationship between China and the United States is unprecedented in history. There is no ready-made experience from which to learn," he said.

During a meeting between Xi and US president Barack Obama in California in June 2013, they decided to build the new relationship featuring no conflict and no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

The consensus proceeds from the conditions of the two countries and the world and serves the fundamental interests of both peoples, Xi said, adding that it is a strategic decision and reflects the two countries' will to avoid friction between major powers.

Xi called on both sides to keep up with the times in developing bilateral relations. China and the United States have overcome difficulties and continued to progress in the past 35 years, thanks to the leadership's understanding of contemporary conditions, he said.

"Today, our two countries should better observe the times and think creatively to open up new prospects in bilateral cooperation," Xi added.

Related Article:

China and US commit to 'new model' of relations

China and US commit to 'new model' of relations

A diplomatic delegation from the United States is in China in an effort to smooth out several disputes in relations between the two countries. President Obama spoke of a 'new model' in US-China interactions.

Deutsche Welle, 9 July 2014

The American delegation to the Strategic and Economic dialogue, and annual event that kicked off on Wednesday in Beijing, is being led by Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.

The talks, due to last two days, are designed to be a platform where both countries can address a few points that have repeatedly caused friction in recent months.

The US has accused China on more than one occasion of Internet spying, while China has been angered at the US stance on disputed territories in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. China's valuation of its own currency has irked the US as well.

Despite the differences, both countries have an incentive to learn to get along: two-way trade worth 500 billion dollars (367 billion euros) per year.

Room to breathe

Neither side denies that there are many differences between the two powerhouse nations, but both are calling for increased cooperation in spite of these differences.

"The United States and China will not always see eye-to-eye on every issue," said US President Barack Obama in a statement released at the start of the meeting.

He said that is why "we need to build our relationship around common challenges, mutual responsibilities, and shared interests, even while we candidly address our differences."

'Ample space' in Pacific

"The vast Pacific Ocean has ample space to accommodate our two great nations," said Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured with Kerry) at the start of the summit.

Xi added that mutual sovereign respect was the key to a successful relationship moving forward, and the nations should "refrain from imposing your will or model on the other side."

Secretary of State Kerry added: "We have a profound stake in each other's success," and said "it is not lost on any of us that throughout history there has been a pattern of strategic rivalry between rising and established powers."

mz/ipj (AFP, AP)

Related Article:

US-China talks may 'reverse downward spiral' in bilateral ties

UN tribunal rules for Bangladesh in maritime border dispute with India

Bangladesh and India have welcomed the decision of a UN tribunal that established a new maritime border, ending a decades-long dispute. It's thought the ruling will allow more economic exploitation of the Bay of Bengal.

Deutsche Welle, 8 July 2014

On Tuesday, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled on the disputed area of the bay of Bengal, awarding the greater share of it to Bangladesh.

In its verdict, binding on both countries, the court awarded 19,467 square kilometers (7,516 square miles), from a total disputed area of 25,602, to India's smaller neighbor.

The ruling was welcomed by India, which said it paved the way for greater economic cooperation between the two countries.

Bangladesh declared the result a "win-win situation for the peoples of Bangladesh and India." The development is expected to open the way for Bangladesh to exploit of undersea resources and further develop its fishing industry.

"We commend India for its willingness to resolve this matter peacefully by legal means and for its acceptance of the tribunal's judgment," Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told a news conference on Tuesday.

The ruling means that Bangladesh will once again be eager to open up its waters for foreign companies to explore for hydrocarbons in the resource-rich sea. The maritime dispute is believed to have deterred firms from investing in the "sea blocks" being offered by Bangladesh.

In 2012, Bangladesh resolved a similar sea border dispute that had been a long standing point of contention with neighboring Myanmar, with a ruling made by the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea in Hamburg.

Bangladesh, with a population of 160 million and strong economic growth, has struggled with energy supplies in recent years.

rc/mkg (AFP, Reuters)

Related Article:

Philippines, Indonesia Sign ‘Model’ Maritime Border Accord

Unofficial Macau poll new headache for China

Democracy movements in Hong Kong and Macau could prove biggest challenge yet to Chinese rule in the territories.

Aljazeera, 08 Jul 2014

Macau is the only place in China where citizens can legally gamble
in casinos [AP FILE]

Three activist groups in Chinese-ruled Macau are planning an informal referendum on democracy, following in the footsteps of neighbouring Hong Kong, whose ballot China branded as illegal.

Macau, a special administrative region of China like Hong Kong, is widely expected to re-elect its current leader, Fernando Chui, in a vote on August 31.

But it is an official body of 400 that elects the leader, similar to Hong Kong where a small committee of largely pro-Beijing loyalists chooses who gets on the ballot, effectively rendering the ability to vote meaningless.

"By taking part in a simulated referendum it may stimulate citizens' interest in fighting for a genuine democratic election," poll organiser, Jason Chao, told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

He said there would be more than 400 people taking part in the referendum, which ask candidates to choose whether the new leader should be elected by universal suffrage in 2019.

The groups organising the poll, Macau Conscience, the Macao Youth Dynamics and the Open Macau Society, are planning to hold the referendum from August 24-30 offering both voting online and at polling stations.

Several current and retired Chinese officials have warned in recent months that Beijing is prepared to unleash the army garrison to handle any riots in Hong Kong.

The former British colony of Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, followed two years later by the Portuguese-run enclave of Macau.

Legal gambling

Unlike Hong Kong, where calls for democracy have grown over the years, Macau had remained largely apolitical. But over the past year, Macau residents have become increasingly vocal over perceived inequalities, with more than 20,000 taking to the streets in May in protest.

Macau is the only place in China where citizens can legally gamble in casinos. One of the world's fastest-growing economies, Macau is wholly dependent on the gambling industry with the territory's 35 casinos last year raking in $45bn.

Last week in Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands marched at a massive pro-democracy rally which was followed by a subsequent sit-in by mainly student groups. Five organisers have since been charged by police.

The march on July 1 came after the unofficial referendum on democracy in which more than 10 percent of Hong Kong's population voted for the public to be able to nominate candidates for the Chinese territory's leader.

Related Article:

Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement gains momentum

World Cup tickets official arrested over illegal sales

Yahoo – AFP, Claire De Oliveira Neto, 8 July 2014

The CEO of Match Hospitality Raymond Whelan sits at a police station in

Rio de Janeiro after being arrested on July 7, 2014 (AFP Photo/Tasso Marcelo)

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazilian police have arrested a director from the FIFA partner company handling World Cup ticket packages, accusing him of leading a network that illegally sold game passes.

Ray Whelan, a director at Match Hospitality, was detained Monday at Rio de Janeiro's luxurious beachfront Copacabana Palace Hotel, a police spokesman told AFP, days after 11 people were rounded up in a raid to dismantle the network.

Local media said Whelan is a 64-year-old British citizen, but police were not immediately able to confirm that.

The arrest was made on the eve of the tournament's first semi-final game between Brazil and Germany in Belo Horizonte. Argentina and the Netherlands will face off for the final's last spot on Wednesday in Sao Paulo.

Police say the international scalping syndicate sold thousands of tickets worth millions of dollars, going back to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

The scandal is the latest to hit FIFA, which is already battling allegations that members accepted bribes from a Qatari football official to secure support for the emirate's campaign to get the 2022 World Cup finals.

Security personnel stand guard outside the Copacaban Palace Hotel following

the arrest of Ray Whelan, a director of Match Hospitality, a subsidary company

of FIFA, over illegal cup tickets in Rio de Janeiro on July 7, 2014 (AFP Photo/

Yasuyoshi Chiba)

One of Match Hospitality's shareholders is Swiss-based Infront Sports and Media, headed by Philippe Blatter, the nephew of FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

A French-Algerian suspect, Mohamadou Lamine Fofana, was initially thought to be responsible for the ticket scheme after he was among 11 people arrested last week in Rio and Sao Paulo.

But suspicions moved toward an individual at Match Hospitality, the official World Cup ticket agency, which sells deluxe packages that include private suites at stadiums and gourmet catering.

Authorities intercepted phone calls between Fofana and Whelan, according to the newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo.

Tickets canceled

Match Hospitality said earlier that it had canceled the tickets bought by Fofana's company, Atlanta Sportif, for the semi-finals and the final.

The hospitality firm warned that it would cancel the remaining tickets of three other companies whose names appeared in tickets seized by police unless they cooperate with the probe.

The CEO of Match Hospitality Raymond Whelan arrives at a police station

 in Rio de Janeiro after being arrested accused of leading a network that illegal

sold game passes, on July 7, 2014 (AFP Photo/Tasso Marcelo)

Match identified the companies as Reliance Industries Limited, Jet Set Sports and Pamodzi Sports, but did not give details about the companies' ownership.

Reliance Industries bought 304 packages for 19 matches worth $1.2 million, including access to a private suite for all games in Rio, Sao Paolo and Belo Horizonte. Match Hospitality said 59 tickets seized last week had the company's name on them.

One ticket was imprinted with the name Jet Set Sports, which purchased 40 packages for two games worth $108,250. The package had been allocated to an individual who resides in Australia, Match Hospitality said, without naming the person.

Another ticket had the name Pamodzi, which secured 350 packages for 18 games -- including private suites and business seats - worth more than $1.2 million.

Byrom plc, a Manchester, England, company, has a 75 percent stake in Match Hospitality. It also owns Match Services. Both Match firms are based in Zurich and provide World Cup ticketing and hospitality services.

Ray Whelan was first arrested on Monday and released

after questioning

Related Articles:

Fifa partner boss Ray Whelan surrenders in Brazil - New

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World Cup: FIFA member behind illegal ticket sales

India's Modi seeks to win hearts of Kashmiri people

During his first visit to Kashmir, Indian PM Narendra Modi said he wanted to win the hearts of the people by developing the conflict-ridden region. But separatists demand a political compromise.

Deutsche Welle, 7 July 2014

On his maiden trip to the area on July 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-held Kashmir amid a total shutdown called by separatists. He was greeted by almost empty streets and government security forces, some of who had placed separatist leaders under house arrest ahead of the PM's arrival.

Modi went on to inaugurate a hydro-power project in the town of Uri closed to the disputed border with Pakistan and a railway link in the Jammu region. After launching the new train service, near Katra at the foothills of the famous Hindu Vaishno Devi shrine, Modi said: "Jammu and Kashmir has passed through very trying times. It is every Indian's desire to ensure that the state makes progress and youths here get employment."

Modi was greeted by almost empty
 streets and government security forces
in Kashmir

"My aim is to win the heart of every citizen in Jammu and Kashmir through development. This is my priority," he added.

A lukewarm response

But Modi's development rhetoric was met with a lukewarm response, especially against the backdrop of demands by members of his ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to scrap Article 370 of the Indian constitution which gives special status to the state.

"Kashmir is a political problem. Unless the issue is addressed in its historical context and in agreement with the political realities, there is no possibility of restoring of ever-lasting peace and ending the uncertainty," Mirwaiz Umar Farooq chairman of the separatist Huriyat Conference told DW from Srinagar.

Mirwaiz is convinced that Kashmir does not pose a security issue for the government, but stresses that only a meaningful political dialogue with all relevant stakeholders can end the political deadlock. "What is the point of talking about development when the core issue of Kashmir is not settled? Development cannot happen in a vacuum," hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani told DW. Moreover, Muslim groups argue that Kashmir is not an economic, but a "political issue" which thus requires a political solution.

Modi's attempts to reach out to the populace in the country's only Muslim-majority state - which has been wracked by an insurgency since 1989 - acquire further significance as the state is scheduled to hold assembly elections in October this year, which have in the past been boycotted by the separatists.

Elusive peace

The federal government in New Delhi accuses neighboring Pakistan of fanning the militancy that has seen frequent outbursts of violence and cross-firing along the Line of Control. The Himalayan region is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, but they administer separate partial areas. To this day, India maintains an estimated half a million troops in Kashmir, down from 700,000 at the end of 1989.

“Being a strong Hindu nationalist leader, Modi cannot go against the grain of his party’s credo, which is to do away with the autonomous status Kashmir currently enjoys. Let us see if he can walk the talk of development ushering in prosperity," Fayaz Bhat, a professor at Kashmir University told DW.

Others believe that development and welfare of the state cannot happen unless political dialogue with Pakistan is renewed to resolve all contentious issues.

The Himalayan region is claimed in full
by both India and Pakistan, but they
administer separate partial areas

"People have seen death and destruction in the state for over two decades. Modi did the right thing when he invited Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif to his inauguration ceremony. And now he must pursue that dialogue vigorously to arrive at a settlement,” said Izar Wani, a Kashmir-based businessman, told DW.

Restoring peace in the troubled state has been a big problem for several prime ministers. Though political dialogue was also initiated by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his 10 years in office, his approach failed to produce any lasting results. Modi, too, has a huge task at hand. Political consensus among Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri leaders, many say, is a must for initiating any worthwhile dialogue.

Three Israelis admit teen murder as Gaza toll hits 8

Yahoo – AFP, July 8, 2014

Three Israelis admit teen murder as Gaza toll hits 8 (AFP)

Jerusalem (AFP) - Three Jewish extremists arrested for the killing of a Palestinian teenager have confessed to the attack, an Israeli official said Monday, as shock waves from the brutal murder continued to spread.

As police struggled to contain five days of violent clashes in annexed east Jerusalem and in Arab towns across Israel, tensions were further raised by a series of deadly Israeli strikes on Gaza, which killed eight Palestinian militants.

It was the worst bloodshed since the start of the current round of violence in and around the Gaza, raising fears of a fresh confrontation between Israel and Palestinian militants in the coastal enclave.

The latest violence in Gaza began shortly after June 12 as Israel pressed a vast West Bank arrest campaign to find militants behind the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers, whose bodies were found on June 30.

Two days later, a 16-year-old Palestinian from east Jerusalem was kidnapped and killed in a suspected revenge attack, with police arresting six Jewish extremists, three of them minors.

During their investigation, three of the suspects admitted to the murder in which the victim was burned alive, an official close to the investigation told AFP.

'Mark of Cain'

"Three out of six suspects in custody have confessed to the murder and burning of Mohammed Abu Khder, and performed a re-enactment of the crime," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The murder has sparked shock and outrage, and no small measure of shame in Israel.

"To take a young boy, to kill him, to burn him - what for?" asked outgoing President Shimon Peres.

"The agony is ours. I can't compare with the agony of the mother and father, but it is the highest degree of regret and shame," he said, echoing words expressed by many Israeli commentators.

"For the murder of Mohammed, there is shame. Immense shame and disgrace over the fact that such a thing happened among us," wrote Sima Kadmon in the top-selling Yediot Aharonot.

"It is as if the mark of Cain has been branded on our forehead, all of us," she wrote, referring to the curse placed on the biblical character after he killed his younger brother Abel in the book of Genesis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the teenager's father to convey condolences and express outrage over the murder.

Gaza toll hits 8

"The murder of your son is abhorrent and cannot be countenanced by any human being," he said.

Meanwhile, the death toll from overnight air strikes on the Gaza Strip rose to eight militants after medics retrieved a body from a tunnel near the southern city of Rafah.

They also managed to extract another militant from the tunnel who was in critical condition, they said.

Two of the militants were from the Popular Resistance Committees, while the other six from Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, who Israel blames for the murder of the three teenagers.

Lieberman bolts

The army confirmed hitting 14 targets overnight, and said militants had fired an anti-tank missile at an army patrol by the border fence, causing no injuries.

Warplanes carried out two more strikes on northern Gaza in the afternoon, causing no casualties.

Since midnight (2100 GMT Sunday), 28 rockets have hit Israel, one of which struck the outskirts of the southern city of Beersheva, the army said.

So far, Israel's response to the rocket fire has been relatively measured, with Netanyahu resisting calls from cabinet hardliners for a major operation in Gaza.

But on Monday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the rightwing nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, said he was ending his party's 20-month alliance with Netanyahu's Likud over its handling of the Gaza crisis.

Lieberman's faction is to remain in the governing coalition but his party's divorce from the Likud was expected to give it greater freedom of action in parliament.

Overnight, the angry protests which have gripped east Jerusalem and Arab Israeli towns continued to spread, with police arresting 110 people for throwing stones, damaging property and interfering with police work.

Much of the violence began in the Triangle, a concentration of Arab towns and villages close to the border with the northern West Bank, but has since spread to the Galilee region as well as to the southern Negev desert.

Tariq Abu Khder, a Palestinian-US teenager who was allegedly beaten

in Israeli police custody

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An Israeli woman holds a sign showing images of the Israeli teenagers
at a rally in Tel Aviv on Sunday. Photograph: Baz Ratner/Reuters

Saudi human rights activist sentenced to 15 years in prison

Saudi human rights activist Walid Abu al-Khair has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on sedition charges. He's the founder of Monitor Human Rights in Saudi Arabia.

Deutsche Welle, 6 July 2014

The Saudi court in Jeddah also banned al-Khair on Sunday from travelling outside of the ultraconservative kingdom for an additional 15 years and slapped him with a 200,000 riyal ($53,300) fine. His websites were also shut down.

He was convicted on charges of breaking allegiance to King Abdullah, disrespecting authorities, and creating an unauthorized association. Al-Khair has been under house arrest since April 16.

"Walid does not recognize the legitimacy of this court, refuses to accept its verdict and has no intention to appeal," al-Khair's wife, Samar Badawi, told the AFP news agency.

According to Badawi, her husband faces other charges for setting up the group Monitor Human Rights in Saudi Arabia (MHRS) without a permit. She says that al-Khair sought a permit, but received no response from the authorities. Afterward, he set up an MHRS Facebook page which has attracted thousands of followers.

The lawyer has been critical of Saudi Arabia's anti-terrorism law, which critics say is used as a pretext to stiffle political dissent. Under the law, terrorism is defined as any act that "disturbs public order, shakes the security of society, or subjects its national unity to danger, or obstructs the primary system of rule or harms the reputation of state."

'Prisoner of conscience'

In October, al-Khair was sentenced to three months in jail for signing a petition in 2011 against the imprisonment of a group of activists demanding political reform. That same month, he was briefly detained and then released on bail after setting up an unauthorized meeting of activists.

In 2012, Saudi authorities banned al-Khair from traveling to the United States, where he was supposed to attend a forum at the State Department.

The London-based human rights group Amnesty International has called for al-Khair's immediate release.

"He is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally," said Amnesty's Said Boumedouha, calling al-Khair's detention "a worrying example of how Saudi Arabian authorities are abusing the justice system to silence peaceful dissent."

slk/hc (AFP, Reuters)