Talking points

Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...

Chief executive rivals vie for New Territories support

Two men vying for Hong Kong's top job have obviously opted for safety in numbers when they enter the hurly-burly world of New Territories politics this afternoon. Chief executive hopefuls Leung Chun-yin and Henry Tang Ying-yen will meet members of the Heung Yee Kuk, the powerful rural group. The kuk are no mugs when it comes to getting a deal at the best of times, but in the wake of recent developments over property rights and illegal structures, which have made them feel under siege, Leung and Tang may have their work cut out in getting their support.

Vice-premier to visit both Koreas

The diplomatic skills of Vice-Premier Li Keqiang will be put to test when he visits divided North and South Korea in quick succession, starting tomorrow. Li will visit North Korea for three days before heading to South Korea on Wednesday and Thursday. Li's visit could raise his diplomatic standing but also challenge his ability to bridge the two sides of a tense peninsula - a key balancing act for Beijing's regional diplomacy. China's Foreign Ministry hailed his visit as helping to safeguard peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Li is widely tipped to be the man most likely to succeed Wen Jiabao as premier in 2013.

Chinese political adviser pays European call

Jia Qinglin , China's top political adviser, will pay an official two-week visit to Greece, the Netherlands and Germany from tomorrow. Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, is travelling at the invitation of the Greek parliament, the Netherlands government and the German Bundesrat, or federal council.

In Tunisia, Arab spring sees first free election

Tunisia, which launched the 'Arab spring' when its outraged citizens ousted a seemingly entrenched dictator in January, again takes the lead with a historic vote this weekend for the drafters of a new constitution. 'It is a historic turning point. Tunisians do not have the right to make mistakes. The world is watching this first test on the road to democracy,' a European diplomat said. Ten months ago, Tunisian fruit seller Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest against abuses under the 23-year-old regime of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. He died days later, but Bouazizi's action sparked Tunisia's so-called jasmine revolution and region-wide revolts. Now, after a short transition period marked by protest against the pace of change, Tunisians will tomorrow have a chance to take charge of their destiny in the Arab world's first post-revolution vote.

Sarkozy, Merkel huddle on euro-zone debt crisis

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel will meet today to prepare a 'global and ambitious answer' to the euro-zone crisis ahead of a second EU summit on Wednesday. Steffen Seibert, spokesman for Merkel, said in Berlin: 'We have made enormous progress, but not enough to take final decisions on Friday. In certain areas, we have reached agreement, in others, we are on the right track.' The major sticking point is over how to scale up the European Financial Stability Facility, a Euro440 billion (HK$449.2 billion) fund so far used to bail out Portugal and Ireland.