China's Foreign Ministry has lodged a strong protest against Japan's decision to "buy" part of China's Diaoyu Islands.

Media reports claim that the Japanese government agreed a deal on Monday with the islands' alleged private owners to "buy" three of the five uninhabited islands at a cost of more than 26 million US dollars.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the Chinese government and the Chinese people resolutely oppose and strongly protest the move, which seriously violates China's territory and sovereignty.

The statement said that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and that the Japanese government's move is totally illegal.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has summoned Japanese Ambassador Uichiro Niwa to lodge a strong protest over the issue.

 

 

Relief efforts in full swing in Yunnan

 

Relief efforts are in full swing after 81 people were killed in multiple earthquakes that hit Yunnan last Friday.

Over 820 have been injured.

So far, power has been restored to about 90 percent of the affected areas as well as the basic restoration mobile phone services.

Nearly 180,000 people have been evacuated after the quakes leveled more than 7,000 houses.

Authorities have dispatched over 11,000 tents and 78 tonnes of rice to the affected area.

 

 

China to raise gasoline, diesel prices

 

China will raise the retail prices of gasoline by 550 yuan per tonne and diesel by 540 yuan per tonne starting Tuesday.

As a result, the benchmark retail price of gasoline will be lifted by 0.41 yuan per liter and diesel by 0.46 yuan per liter.

The price hike marks the second such increase in a month and the fourth this year.

China last raised fuel prices on August 10, following three consecutive cuts between May and July.

 

 

Security arrangements in place for Tianjin Davos forum

 

Security arrangements have been put in place for the sixth Summer Davos Forum, set to open in Tianjin on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Public Security says several hundred police officers and firefighters have been assigned to monitor security at the venue.

Premier Wen Jiabao is scheduled to attend the forum, which will be held under the theme of "Creating the New Economy".

CRI will broadcast the opening ceremony live in Mandarin and English from 17:00 to 18:00.

CRIENGLISH.com will also simulcast the event.

 

 

Four Sichuan mine blast officials suspended

 

Four officials in Sichuan have been suspended from their posts in the wake of an explosion at a coal mine late last month that left 45 people dead.

The explosion hit the mine in the city of Panzhihua on August 29th, trapping about a third of the 154 miners who were working underground.

The the explosion also left 54 others hurt, 17 of them seriously.

Meanwhile, rescue efforts for 11 miners trapped in another coal mine in Sichuan is progressing slowly due to the high density of toxic gas and dust in the pit.

 

 

Yemeni military confirm death of No. 2 AQAP leader

 

Senior Yemeni military officials have confirmed the killing of Saeed Ali al-Shihri, the second- in-command of Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

Six other terrorists have also been killed in the raid.

It is believed that al-Shihri's death is going to be a heavy blow to the al-Qaida wing, which has already lost a string of top leaders from U.S. drone strikes this year.

The United states and neighboring oil-rich Saudi Arabia have beefed up their anti-terror cooperation with the Yemeni government since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February.

It's been around a year since the political upheaval broke out in Yemen that allowed al-Qaeda capture several cities in southern Yemen.

 

 

Myanmar plans privatization of telecom industry

 

Myanmar's government is working out a plan to privatize its telecommunications industry.

Four private operators are going to take over the industry.

Under a step-by-step privatization process, the industry will operate without funding from the government.

The government of Myanmar is going to open the telecom industry up to foreign firms as well.

Only around 6-percent of the country has their own landline or mobile phone.

 

 

China's auto industry picks up momentum in Aug.

 

China's auto industry is picking up momentum, backed by strong sales and output figures in August.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers is reporting August auto sales have surged 8.4 percent from July.

The total volume has hit almost 1.5 million.

Sales of passenger vehicles are leading hte charge, with an increase of nearly 8 percent increase year on year.

Through the first 8 months, around 10-million vehicles have been sold in the Chinese market.

Vehicle manufacturing in China has increased some 4.5-percent month on month.