Al Jazeera, a pro-Arab news agency, in reporting the latest clash in the Gaza Strip, said that 17 Palestinians had been killed in a day of heavy fighting and five Palestinian children and a cameraman from the Reuters news agency were among those killed by the Israeli military. It claimed that Israeli forces were totally reckless and would fire on cars in spite of 'Press' markings on the roof of the car.

CCTV, a pro-China news agency, reported that the former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt had voiced his concern over many Westerners' misconceptions regarding China, and some Western media's biased and misleading coverage of the recent events in Tibet. Western hostility towards China is largely rooted in the strong perception of many Westerners that China should develop according to the 'democratic mode' represented by the US or European countries, said Mr Schmidt.

CNN, in reporting the clash in the Gaza Strip, said that 10 Palestinians - five militants and five civilians - were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The five slain militants were members of a new radical Islamic group called the El Oma Army. The Israeli military also expressed sorrow for the death of the Palestinian cameraman. Four Hamas members were killed when soldiers entered Gaza in a routine operation against militants.

BBC, in reporting the clash in the Gaza Strip, said that 22 people, including five Palestinian children, had died since Israeli incursions took place in March. Four Hamas militants were killed in an Israeli airstrike. 'It is hard to say whether the recent spike in Israeli military casualties is down to more effective tactics by Hamas or simply the result of increased Israeli activity in Gaza,' says BBC correspondent Rob Watson.

It is inevitable that all news reports are biased to some extent and hence to get a more balanced view of all these news, one should not just rely on one single news agency. To get a balanced diet, one has to eat carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins and, by the same token, one should read all the different news and it is safe to adhere to the Latin phrase 'audi alteram partem' which means 'hear the other side'.

Heng Cho Choon