All 15 trapped miners have been confirmed dead after an explosion in a coal mine in east China's Jiangxi yesterday.

Thirty-eight miners were working in the mine when the blast happened at a mine in the city of Pingxiang on Sunday.

Twenty-three had survived the accident.

11 injured miners are still under medical treatment at a local hospital.

A working team sent by the State Administration of Work Safety has arrived at the accident site to direct the rescue work and aftermath.

The investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

 

 

Chinese Defense Minister Visits India

 

Defense Minister Liang Guanglie arrived in Mumbai over the weekend, marking the first visit by a Chinese defense minister to the South Asian country in eight years.

The visit is also Liang's first trip to India since he became defense minister.

The Chinese Defense Minister and his delegation will meet his Indian counterpart Shri AK Antony.

The ministers are expected to discuss issues including joint military exercises and border security.

The two countries are also expected to discuss their mutual neighbors Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Defense exchanges between the two countries have been on hold since 2004.

After the five-day trip to India, Liang will head to Laos.

 

 

4 killed, 18 injured as blast hits UN vehicle in NW Pakistan

 

At least four people, including two Americans have been killed in a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar Monday morning.

The two Americans are employees of the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar. One of them has been identified as a man working as a technical administrator in the U.S. Consulate.

Local media say that an explosive-laden car rammed into a vehicle carrying employees of the U.S. Consulate in the city.

The bomber has also been killed in the blast.

About 20 others were injured, including four policemen.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

 

U.S. drone strike kills 13 civilians 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.

 

 

Sudan, South Sudan to resume negotiations on outstanding issues Tuesday: report

 

Sudan and South Sudan are set to resume negotiations on outstanding issues in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday.

Sudan and South Sudan last month reached reached a deal on oil-sharing, meaning that the south's oil operations would be resumed and exported via Sudan's existing oil infrastructures.

Sudanese media reports indicate that the two sides had agreed on about 26 U.S. dollars per barrel as fees for transporting and processing South Sudan's oil.

The talks will be mediated by African Union.

 

 

South Africa: Miner murder charges dropped

 

South African courts are to begin releasing 270 striking miners charged with murder after 34 of their colleagues who were shot dead by police.

The first 100 miners will be freed on Monday, and the rest on Thursday.

Earlier, the charges, levelled under an apartheid-era law, were suspended following a national outcry.

A final decision will only be made after a full investigation, including a judicial inquiry, is complete.

That inquiry has to submit its findings by the end of the year.

An standoff between rival unions eventually led police to open fire on the strikers.

 

 

Ethiopia Holds State Funeral for Late PM Meles Zenawi

 

Thousands of mourners have gathered in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, to pay their final respects to the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Meanwhile, hundreds of dignitaries from around the world, including several African leaders also participated in the state funeral.

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu attended the funeral on behalf of the Chinese government.

Zenawi died on August 20 of an unspecific illness in a Belgian hospital. He was 57.

 

 

Man calls in flight bomb threat to stop creditor

 

A man who was detained for calling in a fake bomb threat says he was trying to stop a creditor from collecting his debt.

The fake bomb threat grounded a plane bound for Shenzhen from Xiangyang, Hubei Province last week.

The man said he owed his creditor 240-thousand yuan and consumed alcohol prior to making the call.

Police say the man might face at least five years in jail for fabricating and spreading terrorism information.

 

 

China non-manufacturing sector's growth rises

 

The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) of China's non-manufacturing sector rebounded in August after a fall in July.

The China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing says the index rose 0.7 percentage points to 56.3 percent as growth in the non-manufacturing sector stabilized.

China's August PMI for the manufacturing sector fell to 49.2 percent, the first time in 9-month it has come in under the boom-or-bust 50 level.

 

 

Chinese heavy industry firm takes stake in German truck maker

 

China's Weichai Power has signed a deal to buy a one-quarter stake in Germany's Kion Group, the world's second-largest forklift truck maker.

Weichai Power is an automotive and equipment manufacturer from Shandong province.

The 740 million-euro deal marks the greatest direct investment in a German firm made by a Chinese company.

Kion Group holds 15 percent of the global market share in the business.