Hourly News updated 18:00 2011/10/07

 Record-high rainfall forces 24,000 people to evacuate 1 in S. China provincial 2 capital

 
More than 24-thousand people have been forced from their homes by torrential rains in Hainan's capital, Haikou.
Over 330-millimeters of rain was dumped on the city in a 24-hour period between Tuesday and Wednesday, and more rain is continuing to pound the city.
The historic downfall is being brought on by the reminance of Typhoon Nalgae.
Forecasters are expecting between another one to 200-millimeters of rain in the next two days in Haikou.
 
 
Chemical plant blast kills 1,injurs 6 in north China
 
One person is dead, and one other is missing, after an explosion at a chemical plant in Inner Mongolia.
6 others had to be hospitalized after the explosion and subsequent fire at the chemical factory in the city of Wuhai, which is located just north of Ningxia.
It's unclear what kind of chemicals the company is working with.
Worker error is being blamed for the explosion and subsequent fire.
 
 
Top Army Genral says goals of Warn in Afghanistan are still far from reach
 
A former commander of coalition 3 forces in Afghanistan has spoken out against the operation, saying that US and NATO allies are "far from reaching their goals".
Retired 4 Army General Stanley McChrystal says the US began the war with a "frighteningly simplistic" view and still lack the knowledge to achieve a successful end. 
"Operation Enduring Freedom" aimed to track down Osama Bin 5 Laden 6 after 9/11 and eliminate the Taliban. The UN says more than 10,000 civilians 7 have died in the past five years alone. 
More than 2,500 international troops have been killed, the majority of them American. 
The conflict has already surpassed Vietnam to become the longest war in US history.
 
 
US Senate has now postponed 8 vote on 'Currency Manipulation Bill'
 
The US senate has now postponed its vote on the much-debated "currency manipulation" bill until next week amid differences between the Republicans and Democrats 9. 
The bill would make it easier to impose penalties on goods from countries seen as keeping their currencies artificially low.
Politicians and some business groups have accused China of using its policy of limiting the yuan's value to boost exports.
The debate on China's currency policy has become the centre of attention amid a slowdown in the US economy.
 
 
Libyan Transitional Government Forces launch major assault on Sirte
 
Forces loyal to Libya's transitional government have launched a major assault on the city of Sirte, one of the last Gaddafi strongholds.
Hundreds of vehicles have advanced on the city from all sidesand are currently close to the city centre.
Thousands of civilians have already left Sirte but many more are thought to have remained behind.
Sustained tank and mortar 10 fire has been targeting the city, which lies 360km from the capital of Tripoli. 
The assualt is thought to be the final push for Col Gaddafi's home town which is seen as the final step in officially overthrowing 11 his regime.
 
 
De Facto Libyan PM makes surprise visit to Iraq
 
Libya's de facto Prime Minister, Mahmoud Jibril, has made a surprise trip to Baghdad.
He briefes the Iraqi authorities on their hunt for Muammar Gaddafi.
"Security is the most important thing for him. To specify 12 where he is exactly even for ten hours is very difficult. I hope within the coming days we will be able to confirm where he is located exactly," 
Jibril's trip to Iraq is also believed to be the start of a campaign to get fellow OPEC members to lend their support to Libya during its transition.
 
 
Australia & New Zealand to airlift Emergency aid to Tuvalu
 
Australia and New Zealand are to airlift emergency equipment to the Pacific nation of Tuvalu, to help it deal with a severe water shortage caused by drought. 
Military planes from both countries will fly a large desalination 13 unit to Tuvalu's main island of Funafuti. 
New Zealand has already flown smaller units to the island nation but its foreign minister said more capacity was needed. 
Tuvalu has declared a state of emergency over the water shortage.
It has not rained in Tuvalu for more than six months, and there is no drinkable groundwater because rising seas have contaminated it.
 
 
Beijing airport handles record number of holiday travelers
 
Officials with the Beijing Airport say they've been handling record numbers of travellers, and are expecting one of their busiest days again today.
The airport authoritiy says between last Friday and this past Wednesday, around 1.35-million passangers have passed through the airport.
That's up nearly 4-percent compared with the same holiday period last year.
Today is expected to be one of the busiest days, as it's the official end of the National Day holiday.
Around 250-thousand people are expected to roll through the Beijing Airport today, which would be just slightly less than the 258-thousand people the airport had to handle on National Day itself last Saturday.
 
 
Germany's chancellor 14 again hints at bolstering 15 banks
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel now says countries in Europe shouldn't hesitate to re-capitalize their banks. 
As the debt crisis simmers in Europe, Merkel is pressing other countries in the Eurozone to top up their banking 16 systems to avoid any further damage to the euro.
Merkel has made the comments following meetings with the World Bank and International Monetary 17 Fund in Berlin.