China extends power rationing for factories in drought

BEIJING (AP) — A notice reported by Chinese news outlets says power rationing that forced factories in the southwest to shut down has been extended through at least Thursday due to low water at hydroelectric dams. That adds to losses from China’s hottest, driest summer in decades. Tencent News said the “tense situation” of power supplies in Sichuan province “has further intensified.” Drought and heat have wilted crops and caused rivers including the giant Yangtze to shrink. The disruption adds to challenges for the ruling Communist Party, which is trying to shore up sagging economic growth before a meeting when President Xi Jinping is expected to try to award himself a third five-year term as leader.