Supply of daily necessities in mudslide zone adequate: official
More relief has arrived in the disaster zone for mudslide survivors in northwest China's Gansu Province which has so far claimed the lives of 1,254 people with hundreds still missing.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs now says instant noodles and bottled water are abundant and tents have been equipped with quilts and makeshift beds.
Damaged water supply facilities are also being repaired. The first well drilled after the disaster has begun to supply clean drinking water. A resident says it has made their life much easier.
"In the past several days, we have Water from Hengyang. It's difficult and the water quality is low. It's muddy. After the well is put into use, it's more convenient to get water. And the water is clean."
Inter-county bus-service in the town has now also resumed. Trapped residents can pay less than 10 yuan to get to neighboring towns.

Torrential rains in NW China leaves 36 people dead, 23 more missing
Torrential rains in Longnan City of northwest China's Gansu Province have left 36 people dead and 23 others missing by Monday afternoon, according to a report released by local provincial authority Tuesday.

'Miracle' in Colombia crash: Woman dies, 130 live
A Boeing 737 jetliner filled with vacationers has crashed and broken apart in a thunderstorm on a Caribbean island, but only one of the 131 people on board died.
The plane hit short of the runway on Colombia's San Andres Island and skidded on its belly. The only fatality was a 68-year-old woman,
Officials were investigating a range of possible causes and looking into reports that the plane was hit by lightning before the crash on the resort island.

3.5 Million Children Are at High Risk From Deadly Water-born Diseases in Pakistan
The United Nations says up to 3.5 million children are at high risk from deadly water-borne diseases in Pakistan following the country's floods.
The World Health Organization is preparing to help with tens of thousands of people in case of cholera, although there have been no confirmed cases yet.
Dr Mohmmad Ayub, a doctor at Ummah Welfare Trust, says diarrhea is also a problem.
"Allergy and diarrhoea are the major diseases which we find here at our medical camp. So far, we treated over 1000 patients with those two symptoms."
The flood in Pakistan have so far killed 1,600 people and left millions homeless.

US Senate leader speaks out against Ground Zero mosque location
US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has broken step with President Barack Obama on plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 terror attacks, saying he disagrees with its construction.
A spokesman for Reid says the senator thought the mosque should be built "somewhere else".
Obama has come under fire after defending the planned mosque last week. Many conservatives say the president is out of touch with the views of Americans.

Iran to Start Construction of New Uranium Enrichment Site by March 2011
Iran's nuclear chief says it will begin construction of a new uranium enrichment site by March next year.
Ali Akbar Salehi, Iranian Vice President and Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, made the announcement on state television.
The planned site is among 10 new ones that Iran approved last year as part of the expansion of its controversial program.
Iran has one large enrichment site in Natanz and a smaller one near Qom.
It says it still needs 20 sites to meet domestic electricity demand in the next 15 years.

NE China fireworks factory explosion kills 19
The death toll from a fireworks factory explosion in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has climbed to 19, with five missing and 148 others injured.
The explosion happened in the city of Yichun.
More than 2,000 people living in the area were evacuated after the explosion shattered windows within a kilometer radius.
Preliminary investigation shows the accident happened when workers moved stored wet fireworks to other places inside the factory.

China, IAEA to ink nuclear safety deal
An agreement on nuclear safety between China and the International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to be signed this week, as the chief of the UN body wraps up his visit to Beijing.
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang has met with IAEA head Yukio Amano, and says the peaceful use of nuclear energy is a priority for China.
A draft agreement between the two sides pledges to boost cooperation in nuclear safety training across East Asia.

Hainan extends visa-free country list to 26
The island province of Hainan in China's south has added five more countries to its visa-free list, as it moves to expand its already burgeoning tourism industry.
The policy applies only to tourist groups, and not individual travelers. Finland, Denmark, Norway, Ukraine and Kazakhstan join 21 other countries whose tour group can now visit Hainan without a visa.
China's southernmost island province is famous for its beaches and tropical scenery.