China is now ready to launch its Tiangong-1 unmanned space module later this evening after injecting fuel into the Long March-2FT1 carrier rocket.

The Long March-2FT1 is the latest model of the Long March rocket series and features 170 "improvements" - most of which were implemented after the recent failure of the Long March-2C.

The module will orbit for two years, and is slated to dock with at least three Shenzhou spacecraft during the duration of its mission.

Tiangong-1 is scheduled to be launched between 9:16 p.m. and 9:31 p.m tonight.

 

 

Typhoon Nesat to land in Hainan late on Thursday

Typhoon Nesat is now nearing southern China.

The deadly typhoon, that has so far killed 31 people in the Philippines, is expected to make landfall later today.

National Meteorological Administration chief forecaster Zhang Ling.

"The strength will be that of a regular Typhoon or it may intensify into a strong typhoon. Over the coming four days, the Taiwan straits and large areas of the coast will have to weather ferocious winds and pouring rains. The larger area, including parts of Taiwan, South Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and South Guizhou will see an onset of pouring rains as well."

Typhoon Nesat is currently capable of carrying winds of up to 145 kilometers per hour.

The typhoon is expected to continue pounding southern China through the weekend, with the track then expected to roll into northern Vietnam and into Yunnan before it dissipates.

 

 

The U.N. Security Council gives the Palestinian bid to the admission committee for examination

The U.N. Security Council has forwarded the Palestinian statehood bid to the council's admission committee for examination.

The admission committee, which includes all 15 Security Council members, is in charge of deciding who gets admitted to the UN as a member-state.

The move comes almost a week after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted the application to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The admission committee will meet on Friday to consider the application.

Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour says he's thankful council is taking quick action on their application.

 

 

Libya willing to cooperate in Lockerbie case if new suspects found

Libya's transitional government says it is willing to cooperate in the investigation on the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, provided new suspects are found.

The bombing in 1988 left 270 people dead, and is still considered one of the worst acts of airline terrorism.

Former Libyan security agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi is the only person who has ever been convicted in the case.

He's now living out his last days in Libya, after being released from prison in Scotland in 2009 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The transitional government is on record as saying that al-Megrahi won't be brought to trial again.

That stand comes after officials in the UK asked for help in re-starting the investigation into the bombing, which is widely believed to have been sanctioned by the Gadaffi government.

 

 

Two injured in explosions near train station in Britain

Terrorism is being ruled out in a series of explosions at a train station in England.

A number of blasts have gone off near a train station in the community of Cheshire.

The blasts have sent two people to hospital with relatively minor injuries.

Faulty underground cables are the suspected cause of the explosions.

 

 

DPRK Premier visits Shanghai

North Korean Premier Choe Yong Rim is now in Shanghai.

Choe has met with Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng to try to press better bi-lateral cooperation between China's economic center and the North Korean city of Hamhung-si.

As part of his time in Shanghai, Choe is scheduled to visit the Baosteel Group, a Goods Purchasing Center and the Chinese Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo.

After that, he's due to head to neighboring Jiangsu.

 

 

China mulls second action plan on human rights

The central government here in China is now set to publish a second action plan on human rights.

Wang Chen with the State Council Information Office says a major goal of the new action plan is to offer more effective protection to people's political rights.

The central authorities published China's first Action Plan on Human Rights in 2009.

China is now one of 26 countries which has drafted a Human Rights Action Plan since the UN first put out the call back in 1993.

 

 

Chinese police disclose details in "sex slave" case

Police in central China are revealing more details of the Hunan "sex slave" case.

The authorities now say Li Hao, the man accused of holding 6 women as sex slaves in a dungeon for up to 2 years, claims his motive was to make money through webcam prostitution.

Li, a retired firefighter, is facing charges of murder, rape and illegal detention.

The 34-year-old has told police he forced the women to strip and chat with customers via webcams.

The four surviving women are also being held by police for allegedly helping Li torture two of his victims to death.