Only the radical group's allies in the Basque political party Euskal Herritarriok refused to condemn the killing.

CNN: Thousands pay tribute to latest ETA victim

Junichiro Koizumi's government strikes some radical notes, but the chief opponents of his reforms belong to his own party: the political patrons of the post office he wants to privatise or the rural constituencies he wants to stop subsidising.

ECONOMIST: Lands of the cautiously rising sun

But blazing radical new trails such as allowing multi-candidate elections for top party posts would require extraordinary political daring for a leader still finding his feet.

ECONOMIST: China