Headline:

Torrential rain kills eight; five missing

Torrential rains and floods in southwest China's Sichuan province have left at least eight people dead, five missing and thousands without homes.

More than 117,000 people were relocated after downpours destroyed more than 5,000 houses in 22 counties in Sichuan from Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Beijing.

China Meteorological Administration issued the second-highest alert for storms.

Chinese delegation in Moscow for talks on smuggling probe

China's Vice Minister of Commerce, Gao Hucheng, left for Moscow Wednesday to discuss the case of 150 Chinese businessmen arrested in a crackdown on smuggling at a market in Moscow on June 29.

Russian authorities also confiscated $2 billion of alleged "smuggled" goods from the Chinese sellers, media reports said.

The Chinese officials are understood to want to reunite the vendors with their seized goods.

Chinese films quit Melbourne festival over Kadeer film

Three Chinese films have been withdrawn from this year's Melbourne International Film Festival in protest of the inclusion of a documentary about Rebiya Kadeer -- the leader of the World Uygur Congress.

The films -- "Perfect Life," "Petition" and "Cry Me a River," -- had been expected to be screened in the mid-August festival, according to the Age newspaper in Melbourne.

Police seek Jackson manslaughter link

Dozens of police and federal agents descended on the Houston clinic of Michael Jackson's doctor Wednesday in what his attorney said was a search for evidence of manslaughter.

It puts the doctor back under suspicion in the King of Pop's death.

Dr. Conrad Murray was with Jackson in his final moments at the singer's rented mansion in Los Angeles.

News in depth:

Mission for peace targets terrorists

Senior members of the Chinese and Russian armed forces Wednesday vowed to jointly fight terrorists as the nations kicked off a massive joint anti-terror drill.

Chief of General Staff of the Chinese armed forces, Chen Bingde, and his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Makarov, kicked off the five-day joint anti-terror drill, along with dozens of high-level military leaders from both sides, at strategic talks that marked the start of the exercise.

Russia and China are holding the joint exercise to tell the world "the two armed forces have the capability to handle new challenges and protect regional stability and security," Makarov told reporters at a joint press conference after the talks.

Asia basks in shadow of sun

Millions of Asians turned their eyes skyward Wednesday for the longest solar eclipse of the century.

The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century, which was experienced first in India, was visible across large areas of China and the rest of the Asian continent before moving over southern Japan and into the Pacific Ocean.

Wednesday’s phenomenon was forecast to be the longest of its kind until 2132.

The eclipse was the longest since July 11, 1991, when a total eclipse lasting 6 minutes and 53 seconds was visible from Hawaii to South America.

For people not able to witness the eclipse, the world's largest tidal phenomenon was a close second.

Tens of thousands gathered at Haining of Zhejiang province to watch the extraordinary surging tide of the Qiantang River.

Other news:

Guo makes big splash at Worlds

China's diving queen, Guo Jingjing, confirmed her status as the most successful woman in the sport's history Tuesday by taking her fifth consecutive 3m springboard title at the World Swimming Championships in Rome.

It's also her ninth world title in a row and she is likely to take all 10 titles in five world championships if she is crowned the 3m synchronized springboard winner today.

About the broadcaster:

Siberian-born Kristina Koveshikova is a freelance journalist from New Zealand who has worked in print, television and film. After completing a BCS degree majoring in journalism, she won an Asia NZ Foundation/Pacific Media Centre award to work for China Daily website. Kristina previously did internships at ABC 7 News in Washington DC and TVNZ in New Zealand and has written for a number of publications, includingThe New Zealand HeraldandEast & Bays Courier.