Briefs, November 11, 2012

Shenzhou X launch set for June

The nation plans to launch its Shenzhou X spacecraft in early June, one of the senior officials in charge of the manned space programme said yesterday, according to Xinhua. The launch will mark another step forward in Beijing's ambitions for a bigger presence in space that include the construction of a space station by 2020. The crew could comprise a woman and two men, and they would be scheduled to enter the Tiangong 1 space lab module, according to Niu Hongguang, deputy commander-in-chief of China's manned space programme. Reuters

Tibetan self-immolates; seventh in a week

A young Tibetan died after setting himself on fire in Gansu province yesterday, local authorities said - the seventh to do so in a week in protest at Chinese rule over Tibet. The man set himself ablaze in front of a monastery in Hezuo, in the Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Gannan, the provincial government said. He was identified as 18-year-old Gonpo Tsering. Xinhua, AFP

Relief for drivers as fuel price cut expected

The government was likely to cut petrol and diesel retail prices this week, as crude oil prices had dropped close to the price adjustment threshold, analysts said. The price cuts could be between 300 yuan (HK$370) and 350 yuan per tonne, they said, and would be the fourth this year. Xinhua

Internet monitor says Google sites blocked

Google reported an unusual drop in traffic to its sites in China, and an internet monitor said the search engine's services were being blocked. Google's Transparency Report, which measures traffic to its sites worldwide, showed a bigger-than-typical plunge in China traffic. Its services - including mail, maps and document storage - were being blocked in China, said Greatfire.org, which monitors internet activity and access on the mainland. A spokeswoman for the Chinese consulate in New York said she had no information on the matter. Bloomberg