Dozens Killed In Egypt School Bus Crash

Up to 47 people have been killed after a train collided with a bus in a city south of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

A senior security official in Assiut, near the crash site, said 44 of the dead were children, aged between four and eight years.

Two women and a man, who was probably the bus driver, also died, he added.

The state news agency said another 13 people were injured. A medical source said as many as 28 were injured, 27 of them children.

"They told us the barriers were open when the bus crossed the tracks and the train collided with it," doctor Mohamed Samir said, citing witness accounts.

Distraught locals search through the wreckage at the crash site

He said the bodies of many of those killed were severely mutilated, indicating the force of the crash, which took place in the city of Manfalut, near Assiut, some 190 miles south of the capital.

President Mohamed Mursi ordered his ministers to offer support to the families of those killed.

Transport Minister Mohamed Rashad has offered his resignation, which President Mursi was considering, state media reported.

The governor of Assiut, Yahya Keshk, has ordered an inquiry.

Egypt's roads and railways have a poor safety record.

Egyptians have complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards, leading to a string of deadly accidents.

Earlier this month, at least three Egyptians were killed and more than 30 injured in a train crash in Fayoum, another city south of Cairo.

In July, 15 people were injured in Giza, close to the capital, when a train derailed.

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Gaza Conflict: Rockets Hit Israeli City

Gaza Attack: Cock-Up Or Conspiracy?

Updated: 8:45pm UK, Friday 16 November 2012

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

Why would Hamas fire a rocket towards Jerusalem?

The first explanation to be dealt derives from the cock-up theory of world affairs. This suggests that unintended events drive history as much as grand strategy.

So Hamas, or its radical allies, didn't shoot a missile towards Jerusalem - they were aiming somewhere else and it went awry.

Admitting this would have been embarrassing for a militant group which prides itself on efficiency and discipline.

After all, a misfire which landed on the West Bank close to Jewish settlements risked killing Palestinians more than it risked killing Israelis.

On top of that, hitting the Gush Etzion settler block raised the danger of international outrage if the missile had drifted off into Bethlehem nearby.

One could argue that Hamas made a hash of the launch of what they are now claiming is a new long-range missile. Then pretended the mistake was intentional, and sought to make the best of a bad shot.

Oddly enough, the effect of the cock-up theory would be the same as the effect of a conspiracy theory.

In that model Hamas got its hands on a new weapon. It fired it at settlers in the West Bank, not far from Jerusalem and hit its intended target - an illegal Jewish bloc in the Occupied Territories.

This sends a message to fellow Palestinians on the West Bank that there is a force among them to be seriously reckoned with.

It could lure many away from the moderate views of the Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. It could help to trigger a Third Intifada.

And it is a psychological blow to the Jewish citizens of Jerusalem who have never considered themselves physically vulnerable to events on the Gaza Strip.

Cock-up or conspiracy?

In the Middle East, a modern concept forged in Roman, Greek and Byzantine Empires, tempered by the Ottomans and bent out of shape by Europe's colonial powers - every event is a conspiracy.

That is bad news for Israel, and very bad news for the 1.7 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza.

If Hamas has new rockets. If Hamas fired them at Jerusalem successfully. And if Hamas has more of these in an arsenal already estimated to have held 10,000 missiles - then Israel will launch a ground assault. Obviously.

Less obvious is the next level of conspiracy, or unintended consequences.

Is a ground assault in Hamas' interests?

Has Hamas - the militant group, trained by experts from Hizbollah who are probably the world's greatest insurgents, prepared a trap for Israel?

It has been re-arming itself. Israeli sources say it has state-of-the-art tank killing weaponry and Hizbollah's expertise with improvised bombs.

With the Arab street rallying to its cause in Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan; Hamas under fire looks stronger than it did a few weeks ago.

Imagine Israeli troops ambushed in the maze of Gaza City. Groups of young men killed and captured. Israel forced into the use of devastating weapons or an ignominious retreat

So as he contemplates giving Israel's famed Golani, Givati and Paratroop brigades now on the start line outside Gaza the 'GO!' order, the Israeli Prime Minister must ask himself whether or not he is doing Hamas' bidding.

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Tornado Hits Portugal's Algarve: Eight Hurt

A tornado has hit Portugal's popular holiday hotspot the Algarve, tossing and flipping vehicles - some with people inside - and causing flooding in areas.

Hundreds of people have been left homeless, trees uprooted, balconies, roof tiles and framework ripped off, and windows shattered as the violent winds struck the region.

Eight people were injured and taken to hospital for treatment. Firefighters said most of those injured had to be pulled out of overturned vehicles.

An overturned car

Television footage showed the tornado approaching the shore from the Atlantic near the town of Lagos.

The Algarve is a popular tourism destination, although November is low season.

Tornadoes are not common in Europe, but do occur occasionally in the northwest and south of the continent.

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US Veterans Parade In Texas Hit By Train

Four people have been killed after a freight train hit a float during a parade honouring wounded military veterans.

The crash, which also left 17 people injured, happened on a railway crossing in the city of Midland, Texas.

City spokesman Ryan Stout said 10 people are in critical condition at Midland Memorial Hospital, while the seven others are in stable condition.

The crash site in an industrial area was cordoned off by police as rescue crews and investigators worked at the scene.

Midland Police Chief Price Robinson told local media: "I'm standing out here now. It's hard to look at.

"It's a very tragic event, very unfortunate."

The float was one of two carrying veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, some who suffered major injuries in combat, and their partners.

Parade participants comfort each other after the crash

Some people managed to jump clear before the train hit, police said.

Witnesses described the panic as the locomotive's horn sounded.

"My daughter said, 'Momma, the train is coming!' Patricia Howle told KOSA-TV.

"People were jumping off, trying to get off that trailer and the truck was still rolling.

"People on the trailer saw the train coming and they were flying in every direction," she added. "I covered my face. I didn't want to see."

Hours after the accident, a float was still sitting near the train tracks, a white poster board on its side and about a dozen empty chairs sitting on top.

The parade was scheduled to end at a "Hunt for Heroes" banquet before the wounded service members were to be treated to a deer-hunting trip.

A spokesman for railway operator Union Pacific said it was not clear if the train crew had seen the float approaching the crossing but that they had been sounding their horn before the collision.

He added that the crossing gate and lights were working at the time.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said the agency was investigating.

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Perth Glory 'Make Request For Beckham'

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Australian football club Perth Glory have reportedly asked LA Galaxy if they can talk to David Beckham about him playing ten games for the club.

David Beckham had earlier insisted he had no plans to play in Australia following conflicting media reports suggesting he was planning a career move Down Under.

A spokesman for the 37-year-old midfielder originally issued a statement to Sky Sports News saying: "There is always enormous interest from clubs across the world in signing David as a player.

"There are absolutely no plans to play in Australia. David is completely focused on the Major League Soccer play-offs and winning another Championship with the Galaxy."

But hours later Sky sources claimed Perth Glory had made approaches.

Perth Glory chief executive, Paul Kelly, told Sky News: "There may be an opportunity for him to become available. There have been rumours around Australia for weeks about it and it came to a head today when the Australian media said it was happening.

"We put our hand up and said 'we're more than happy to speak to David Beckham's representatives' and we formally requested that through these contacts. We could only sign him as what's known as a 'guest stint' which is ten games".

This appeared to confirm an earlier statement released by Football Federation Australia (FFA) saying they had been approached by Beckham's management about the possibility of him playing in their A-League, but that no deal had been done.

Football is far behind 'Aussie Rules' football as a spectator sport in Oz

Earlier media reports suggested he would play just 10 games, with several clubs hoping to attract him. It was reported the move would have to be ratified by the FFA and its new chief David Gallop.

Beckham, who signed a new two-year deal with LA Galaxy last January, has previously said he will not be making any decisions on his future until their season ends in two weeks' time.

He has visited Australia a number of times with Galaxy, playing in friendlies against Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victoria, and has never ruled out a move to the country.

During the visits he was mobbed by fans and created a huge buzz on and off the pitch. Beckham would be the biggest signing ever for the A-League' if it ever happened.

During one visit he was interviewed by former Manchester United team mate Mark Bosnich, now a Fox Sports pundit, who asked him his thoughts on the A-League.

"The standard's similar to what it is in the US," Beckham replied. "The game's growing like it is in the US, and that's great to see.

"People all around the world are talking about (Major League Soccer and the A League) now, and that's a sign of the growth in both countries."

Football in Australia is enjoying something of a resurgence at present with recent star recruits Alessandro Del Piero and Emile Heskey drawing record crowds and television audiences.

It is the country's number one participation sport but is far behind Aussie rules football and rugby league as a spectator sport.

Beckham said earlier this year he had no intention of retiring from the game for a while. "If I continue to feel like I do right now, I'll continue to play," he said.

"I don't feel 36 years old when I'm out there. I still love training, I still love playing.

"So I want to continue until I feel differently. I love the game. Until that stops, I want to play as long as I can."

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Tel Aviv: Loud Explosion As Sirens Sound

Air raid sirens have sounded after a loud explosion was heard in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

Police said sirens had sounded but could not immediately confirm that anything had hit the Tel Aviv area.

Palestinian militants in Gaza fired two rockets toward the city, Israel's commercial and cultural capital, on Thursday.

One fell in the sea and the other landed in a Tel Aviv suburb, causing no damage or casualties.

The rockets fired at Tel Aviv on Thursday were the first time in about 20 years. Israel responded with airstrikes.

Hisham Kandil (L) and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during the visit

The latest explosion follows fresh exchanges of fire between Israel and Hamas militants this morning despite a temporary ceasefire in place for a visit by Egypt's Prime Minister to Gaza.

Several sites in southern Israel have been hit by rockets fired from inside the Gaza Strip and the Israeli air force has responded by attacking a Hamas commander's house.

Medics said the attack killed two people, one of them a child, raising the Palestinian death toll since Wednesday to 21. Three Israelis were killed by a rocket on Thursday.

During his three-hour visit, the Egypt PM Hisham Kandil condemned Israeli action against Gaza as "unacceptable aggression", saying his country will intensify efforts to secure a truce in the conflict.

"This tragedy cannot pass in silence and the world should take responsibility in stopping this aggression," he said at a press conference in Gaza City's Shifa hospital after seeing some victims from an air strike.

"Egypt will not hesitate to intensify its efforts and make sacrifices to stop this aggression and achieve a lasting truce."

His visit comes as 16,000 Israeli army reservists have been called up and heavy artillery has been seen on the Gaza border, increasing the possibility of a ground attack.

Israel has given the green light to the call-up of up to 30,000 army reservists.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier said all offensive actions would be called off during Mr Kandil's visit - as long as Palestinian groups refrain from firing rockets across the border.

But the ceasefire quickly dissolved in violence as what Palestinian security sources said was an Israeli air strike hit northern Gaza.

Israel also accused Hamas of violating the agreement but it denied carrying out any strikes.

About 16,000 Israeli reserve troops have been drafted in

Ofir Gendelman, spokesman for Mr Netanyahu, said: "Hamas does not respect the Egyptian PM's visit to Gaza and violates the temporary cease fire that Israel agreed to during the visit."

Sky's Middle East Producer Tom Rayner said: "We've seen at least 4 rockets launched from Northern Gaza in the last 10 minutes - ceasefire may be over before it has even really begun."

Overnight the Palestinian territory suffered a heavy bombardment, with Israeli warplanes hitting targets in and around Gaza City.

"There have been 130 strikes overnight until now," Hamas interior ministry spokesman Islam Shahwan said.

He said the strikes destroyed a building belonging to the interior ministry, while there were also reports that training positions used by various Palestinian militant groups had also been hit.

The Israeli army said 11 Palestinian rockets had been fired from Gaza at Israel overnight.

Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Israel had the right to protect its people against Gaza rocket attacks but urged it to stick to a "proportionate" response.

Deploring the loss of civilian lives on both sides, Ms Ashton said in a statement that "the rocket attacks by Hamas and other factions in Gaza which began this current crisis are totally unacceptable for any government and must stop."

"Israel has the right to protect its population from these kinds of attacks. I urge Israel to ensure that its response is proportionate," she added.

An Iron Dome launcher fires an interceptor rocket near Sderot in the south

Baroness Ashton said she had spoken to leaders in the region to stress the need to prevent more escalation and loss of life.

She also voiced hopes that the Egyptian Prime Minister "will be able to calm the situation".

And Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague urged both Israel and the Palestinians to make efforts to halt the violence.

But Mr Hague made it clear that he believes Hamas bears the greatest responsibility for the current crisis, as well as the ability to bring it most swiftly to an end.

Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there had been "a large increase" in rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza over recent weeks.

And he added: "What Israel has done is obviously the Israeli response to that. The thing that would bring this most quickly to an end would be for Hamas to stop launching rockets at Israel.

Palestinian firefighters at the Interior Ministry in Gaza City

"But of course, there are also responsibilities on Israel. I spoke to the Israeli foreign minister yesterday afternoon to urge the Israelis to do their utmost to reduce tension, to take every opportunity to de-escalate the situation and observe international humanitarian law, to avoid civilian casualties.

"Both sides have a responsibility to try to bring this to an end."

Mr Hague said he also spoke to the Egyptian foreign minister last night to urge him to use his country's influence to try to negotiate a "meaningful" ceasefire.

Asked whether Britain would condemn a ground offensive, Mr Hague said: "We will see what the situation is. This depends on the actions of two sides, not just one side."

Prime Minister David Cameron spoke by telephone on Thursday night with Mr Netanyahu to discuss the situation following Israel's assassination of Ahmed Jabari, the Hamas military chief, in a drone strike on his car on Wednesday.

Downing Street said that the PM made clear that Hamas bears principal responsibility for the crisis, but called on Israel to do everything it could to avoid civilian casualties.

And Tunisian foreign minister Rafik Abdessalem will visit Gaza on Saturday, the presidency said, in a statement denouncing Israeli "aggression" on the Palestinian enclave.

The conflict has been intensifying over recent weeks, but flared up dramatically in the wake of the Israeli strikes against senior Hamas figures.

Hundreds of rockets have been fired into Israel, with three people killed in the town of Kiryat Malachi - about 15 miles north of Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu has warned that his country is prepared to extend its operation against Hamas, sparking fears of a repeat of the ground incursion four years ago in which hundreds died.

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Anti-Austerity Protests Turn Violent In Spain

A day of anti-austerity protests across Europe has ended in clashes between demonstrators and riot police in Madrid and Barcelona.

More than 140 people were arrested and dozens injured across the two cities, including two people who were said by police to be carrying material to make explosives.

After sporadic skirmishes through the day, the demonstrations continued into the night with fierce fighting breaking out at the tail end of rallies.

Police charged scores of protesters near the parliament building in Madrid after coming under a hail of broken bottles and stones.

Under attack near the capital's main railway station Atocha, police fired rubber bullets into the ground and air to disperse crowds. Rubbish bins were set alight and at least two shop windows were shattered.

At least one police vehicle was torched in Barcelona, and Spanish media showed images of a 13-year-old boy with his head bloodied from a beating by a riot police officer.

A protester throws a stone at police near the parliament building in Madrid

Protests also turned violent in Italy, where police used tear gas to disperse crowds.

In bailed-out Portugal, where the government intends to intensify austerity measures next year, the second general strike in eight months left commuters stranded as trains ground to a virtual halt and the Lisbon subway was shut down.

About 200 flights to and from Portugal were also cancelled, while hospitals provided only minimum services and rubbish bins were left uncollected.

Marches in 40 Portuguese cities were reportedly peaceful until nightfall when a small group of protesters threw rocks and bottles at police protecting the parliament building in Lisbon.

A police charge dispersed the protesters who fled the scene. At least five people were injured.

Airports across Europe - including Heathrow - were forced to cancel flights to and from striking nations.

Police clash with protesters in Malaga

In Spain, where one in four workers is unemployed, airlines including Iberia, Iberia Express, Air Nostrum, Vueling, Air Europa and easyJet cut more than 600 flights including some 250 international routes.

Hospitals fully staffed emergency and surgery rooms, but non-essential care was scaled back.

The country is teetering on the brink of calling for a European bailout, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy trying to put off a rescue that could require even more EU-mandated budget cuts.

Economy Minister Luis de Guindos spoke of "a long crisis that has meant sacrifice and uncertainty," but added: "The government is convinced that the path we have taken is the only possible way out."

Union-led rallies were also called across France and in Poland, while high-speed Thalys rail services between Belgium and Germany were cancelled for the day.

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China Unveils Xi Jinping As New Leader

Who Is Xi Jinping?

Updated: 7:25am UK, Thursday 15 November 2012

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

He will lead the world's most populous nation of 1.3 billion people for the next 10 years and could be at the helm when China becomes the world's largest economy but who is Xi Jinping? And why should you care anyway?

Mr Xi is a "princeling" -  the son of one of the founding members of the Chinese Communists, Xi Zhongxun, a guerrilla commander who went on to form the party alongside Chairman Mao.

Mr Xi's father and Mao fell out. Xi Senior was tortured and placed in jail for several years.

During the Cultural Revolution - when millions of Chinese died under Mao's leadership - the Xi family were sent to live in communes as peasants along with so many others.

In recent and rare interviews Xi Jingping talks about this difficult time in his life which he refers to as a "struggle" which helped develop him into a stronger man.

Mr Xi and those around him now represent the first generation of leaders to experience first-hand the struggle of being a child through the Cultural Revolution. Many speculate that this could mould his leadership, especially in terms of how he deals with the widening gap between rich and poor in China.

After the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, Mr Xi moved back to Beijing to continue his education. He was educated into Communist Party and quickly rose through the ranks, first in Hebei Province and then in Fujian Province.

In 2000 he was made governor of Fujian Province followed by acting governor of Zhejiang in 2002. He built economies in those two provinces which have become larger than both Hong Kong and Taiwan.

He has a daughter who studies at Harvard and a wife who is more famous than he is.

Peng Liyuan is a folk singer, fluent in English and a Major-General in the People's Liberation Army. She is, by all accounts, a beautiful woman - her name even means "beautious beauty".

Ms Peng will be far more of an American-style first lady when compared with her elderly and reclusive predecessor, Hu Jintao's wife.

In public, Mr Xi also contrasts with his stiff and formal predecessor. He is a charismatic and a relaxed public speaker.

He is well travelled too, having lived in the United States for a short time as a young man. In recent years, in preparation for his rise to the very top, he's been to a number of Western capitals.

Mr Xi's inner thoughts, aspirations for his country's direction and attitude towards the West are not widely known.

A comment he made on a 2010 visit to Mexico is often used as an example of his true colours.

"Foreigners with full bellies, and nothing better to do than point fingers at China. China does not export revolution, or famine, or poverty or mess around with other countries. So what else is there to say," he said.

But his first speech to the media on Thursday as leader was more conciliatory.

"Just as China needs to learn more about the world, so does the world need to learn more about China," he said.

However, despite all that, walk down any street in Beijing and you'll find the Chinese know very little about their new leader. And in the West it would not be an embarrassment to admit to not having ever heard of the man.

The reason for this is simple. China operates what can be called a black-box system of government. It is a system closed to its subjects. It is extremely hard to see how it operates and who is pulling the levers.

The Communist Party runs or contributes to almost every facet of life in China. Its 80 million or so members make it the largest political party in the world. And yet China is so large, they represent just 6% of the country's population.

It is that 6% who have some say over who in community rises up each of the thousands of different party organisations.

With a pyramid effect fewer and fewer people endorse those who will sit above them - and that is why very few people know who Mr Xi is, what he is like, what he stands for and in what direction he will take the world's most populous nation.

Reform is the buzzword for China's next 10 years. Many had believed that following the country's economic reforms in the 1990s, political and social reform would come under Mr Hu and Mr Wen. It didn't happen.

China is now at a crossroads. Past Chinese leaders have lifted the country economically beyond all expectations; it is now the world's second wealthiest country.

But its economic explosion coupled with a downturn in exports to the West has produced a long list of explosive problems.

The wealth gap is wider than ever. Corruption is rife. The cities are the most polluted in the world. Factory production is slowing. Now mix all that in with an increasingly restive population which is more technologically connected and geographically mobile than ever: this is the China Xi Jinping must lead.

He has never really revealed whether he is just a moderniser or a genuine reformer. The direction he chooses will determine China's fate.

And remember, China's fate matters to the West.

China has holdings of more than $1trn (£631bn) of US debt. It is buying up Western companies and increasingly Western companies are investing in China.

If further reform comes, think of the opportunities which could help lift the West out of economic crisis.

But if China crashes, it could bring the rest of us down with it.

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Gaza Rocket Attack Kills Three Israelis

Three Israelis have been killed after a rocket fired from Gaza hit a building in the south of the country, according to police.

The casualties were the first since Israel attacked targets in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing Hamas' top military commander.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the rocket struck an apartment building in the town of Kiryat Malahi.

World leaders have urged Israel to show restraint after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to "expand" military operations in Gaza following the killing of Ahmed al Jaabari.

US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon both telephoned Mr Netanyahu ahead of an urgent UN Security Council meeting on the deteriorating situation.

According to the White House, Mr Obama reiterated US support for Israel's right to self-defence against rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip but urged Israel to avoid civilian casualties in the Palestinian territory.

They agreed that Hamas must stop the attacks, which have seen more than 120 rockets fired into Israel over the last five days, in order to allow tensions to ease.

The head of Hamas' military wing Ahmed al Jaabari who was killed

Mr Ban told the Israeli PM of his expectation that "Israeli reactions are measured so as not to provoke a new cycle of bloodshed," the UN said.

He also expressed his concerns about "an alarming escalation of indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza into Israel".

So far, at least seven people, including Mr Jaabari, have been killed in more than 50 Israeli airstrikes - codenamed Operation Pillar Of Defence. Two young children were also among the dead.

The Israeli military is ready, if necessary, to send ground troops into Gaza, according to its official Twitter account. It has also been authorised to call up army reserve units.

In a televised address, Mr Netanyahu said: "If it becomes necessary, we are prepared to expand the operation.

"We will not tolerate a situation in which Israeli citizens are threatened by rocket fire."

Defence minister Ehud Barak, appearing with the prime minister, said: "We are at the beginning of the event, and not the end."

Palestinian militants said the airstrikes had opened "the gates of hell" for the Jewish state.

A car destroyed by a rocket fired by Palestinian militants

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said another 55 rockets had been fired at Israel in the aftermath of the airstrike that killed Mr Jaabari.

Gaza's Hamas government welcomed the decision of Egypt, one of only two Arab countries to have a peace treaty with Israel, to pull out its envoy and urged Arab leaders to take "decisive action".

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said: "The occupation committed a dangerous crime and crossed all the red lines, which is considered a declaration of war."

The emergency Security Council meeting came at the request of Egypt, Morocco and the Palestinians.

"Once again the international community is witness to Israel's malicious onslaught, using the most lethal military means and illegal measures against the defenceless Palestinian civilian population," the Palestinian Authority's UN envoy, Riyad Mansour, told the Council.

"A direct firm message must be sent to Israel to cease immediately its military campaign against the Palestinian people and to abide ... by its obligations under international law."

Speaking to reporters, Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor urged the international community to condemn "indiscriminate rocket fire against Israeli citizens - children, women".

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China Set To Unveil Xi Jinping As New Leader

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent

President Hu Jintao of China has stepped down as the general secretary of the Communist Party as the country concludes its once-in-a-decade leadership transition.

At the ceremony in Beijing's Great Hall of the People next to Tiananmen Square, President Hu made the last few procedural steps in passing the responsibility of governing the world's most populous country to a new generation of leaders.

Xi Jinping will be unveiled as the party's new general secretary at another ceremony on Thursday and will formally take over as Chinese president in March.

The new leadership team, who will be paraded in front of the world's cameras at the ceremony, is the so-called Fifth Generation: a group of middle-aged men who are tasked with ruling 1.3 billion people.

Their job will be to ensure Communist continuity, five generations after the revolution which brought Chairman Mao to power.

The new leader will be announced on Thursday

However, their challenge will be to balance a strong but slowing economy with growing resentment over corruption, an urban-rural wealth gap and continued calls for wholesale political reform.

The method through which the Communist Party chooses its new leaders is extremely opaque.

The party's 80 million represent just six per cent of the country's population, and it is they who have some say over who in their community rises up each of the thousands of different party organisations.

With a pyramid effect fewer and fewer people endorse those who will sit above them. Today it was the turn of 2,000 very senior delegates to choose the 200 who will rise above them.

From that 200, the Politburo of 26 will be selected and, in turn, from that the Standing Committee of just seven well be endorsed.

The Chinese Communist Party has 80 million members

Given how confusing and opaque that is, it is rare to get a glimpse of the process in action.

But along with other international news organisations, Sky News was granted brief access to the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday.  

The trip involved a dawn pick-up from a Beijing hotel. A fleet of government buses took the waiting media across Beijing, around Tiananmen Square and into the Great Hall complex.

We passed through several high-tech security searches and then queued in the Hall's corridors for three hours.

From the windows we could see the fleets of black Audis used to ferry the delegates around town. Audi has become the preferred make of car for all those with power in Beijing.

Audi is the car of choice among China's ruling elite

The Great Hall itself is an awesome sight. Imagine the grandest of theatres and then quadruple the size. On the stage, in perfect uniformity, sat the 200 Central Committee members.

From our distant vantage point, it was quickly clear that binoculars would have been useful. Each of the figures was simply a dot in a grey suit. It was not even possible to tell which of the men (and they are almost all men) was speaking.

With impressive unison all 200 delegates raised their hands together in one single motion as they agreed to endorse different reports.

We watched this spectacle inside the Great Hall for just an hour: a tiny glimpse inside the Communist machine as it appoints the man who will lead the country for the next 10 years.

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