CRI Hourly News 2012 09 03

 13 dead, 2 missing in Jiangxi colliery blast

13 miners are confirmed dead, and 2 are still missing, after an explosion in a coal mine in Jiangxi yesterday.

The blast happened at a mine in the city of Pingxiang.

Rescue attempts to reach the 2 miners are being hampered 1 by high temperatures and additional risks of explosions.

Meanwhile, the death toll 2 from last week's coal mine explosion in Sichuan has climbed to 45.

One other is still listed as missing.

17 others caught up in that incident are still listed in serious condition.

Mine mismanagement is being blamed for the accident.

China launches emergency response to southwestern floods

Flooding has left 12 dead and 15 missing in Sichuan.

174-thousand others have been moved out of harms way, or are still in need of help.

The flooding is also affecting Chongqing.

Close to 150-thousand people in that municipality have been evacuated 3 since the heavy rains began late last week.

One person has been killed there.

Further south in Yunnan, 5 villagers are missing following a mudslide triggered by a heavy downpour in a mountainous region of the province.

The central authorities have initiated 4 emergency response plans for the southwest of the country.

Japan's islands survey 'illegal and invalid 5'

The Chinese foreign ministry 6 has made "solemn representations" to the Japanese government again, following another landing of Japanese citizens on the Diaoyu Islands.

The ministry has issued a statement, saying "any unilateral action by the Japanese side on the DiaoyuIslands is illegal, invalid."

The survey group, organized by Tokyo's prefectural government, was comprised of 25 people.

They were there to do surveys around waters near the islands, including real estate assessments 7.

Tokyo's prefectural government is preparing another survey on the islands in October.

Tokyo's Governor has vowed 8 to take part in the forthcoming trip, despite possible disapproval 9 from the central government.

U.S. drone strike kills 13 civilians 10 in central Yemen: official

A U.S. drone strike targeting al-Qaida in central Yemen has mistakenly killed at least 13 civilians.

The strike reportedly missed its suspected al-Qaida target and mistakenly hit two vehicles.

The drone was said to be going after an al-Qaeda leader.

This is the 3rd flawed drone strike in Yemen, following 2 failed U.S. air raids last year.

The previous failed drone strikes left more than 40 civilians dead in Abyan and the northeastern province ofMarib.

Those strikes drew wide-spread protests against the Yemeni and U.S. governments.

The United States has beefed up anti-terror cooperation with the Yemeni government since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February.

Oil spill threatens marine 11 life off Cape 12 Town

The wreckage 13 of a derelect ship is said to be starting to threaten marine life and nearby beaches in South Africa.

The authorities near Cape Town say they're worrried about local penguins 14 and other sea birds.

The Turkish ship actually ran aground in 2009.

Local authorities say the ship is starting to spread, what they call, "black oil fingers."

The ship was transporting coal to Gibralter 3-years ago when it ran aground.

Rail ministry loses US$1.4b in H1

China's Ministry of Railways is reporting its first-half net loss has reached 8.8-billion yuan.

Rising operating costs and mounting debt levels are being blamed.

The ministry's total expenses have come in at 421.5 billion yuan through the first six months.

That is more than half the spending for last year.

The money the ministry has raised via bank loans and bonds are declining as well.

The ministry of Railways has only been able to take in about 311-billion yuan over the first 6-months.

In July, the ministry raised its budget for infrastructure 15 construction to 470-billion yuan, up from the original 406-billion yuan.

Manufacturing shrinks for 1st time in 9 months

China's manufacturing is now in official contraction 16.

The official Purchasing Managers' Index has come in at 49.2 for August.

In July the reading came in at 50.1

This is the first time in 9-months the PMI has come in under the boom-or-bust 50 level.

New orders have declined 0.3-percent.

New export orders have remained flat at 46.6.

On the back of the new figures, the Australia and New Zealand Banking 17 Group is estimating the full-year GDP of China may come in weaker than first expected.

The projection 18 now is 7.8 percent, down from 8.2 percent previously 19 predicted.

UBS: China's economy to continue to moderate

United Bank of Switzerland is predicting that China's economy will continue to weaken in August.

The upcoming Consumer Prices Index, a main gauge 20 of inflation, will show a rebound 21 to 2 percent driven by growth in food prices.

That is up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month.

Meanwhile, it forecasts that the Producer Price Index, the inflation gauge at the wholesale 22 level, will have fallen 3.2 percent.

Exports are likely to have expanded by a 2.5 percent in August.

The UBS expects China's economy will recover slowly in the second half.

Meanwhile it also says the banking sector 23 is likely to achieve the 7.5 percent growth target set by the government despite the slowing recovery.