China's Transportation Deals with 9 Percent Increase of World's Largest Seasonal Migration

China's annual Spring Festival travel rush has now officially begun, with over 3 billion people expected to travel across the country during the next 40 days.

The expected number of travelers this year would be an increase of over 9-percent from last year.

For many, traveling during the Spring Festival -- the lunar New Year -- is the only time they are able to travel home to their families.

The rail system here in China is now preparing to accommodate over 230 million people.

This year, travelers can book their train tickets online or by telephone, although the new booking services are being criticized for not being as effective as expected.

Buses plunge off road in SW China as travel rush officially begins

Five people have been killed and 47 others injured in two separate long-distance bus accidents in Guizhou.

In the latest accident, a bus carrying 11 people slid off the road and plunged into a 90-meter-deep ravine, leaving one dead and nine injured.

One is still missing.

Earlier, four people, including a child, were killed and 38 others injured when another bus veered off a road into an 8-meter-deep ditch.

Five of the injured are still in serious condition.

36 Chinese Leading Officials Face Economic Accountability Probe After Audit

Auditing authorities here in China now say cases involving 36 officials at the ministerial level have been sanctioned through the course of last year.

The revelation has come amid a national economic accountability audit.

A statement issued at a national auditing work conference says the cases involve some 3.4 billion yuan.

Meanwhile, the head of the National Audit Office says they're going to be paying close attention to social security funds, construction of affordable housing projects this year.

Additional scrutiny is also going to be directed at the planning of primary and middle schools in rural areas.

China to Maintain Monetary Policy "prudent" this year: Central Bank

The People's Bank of China says it will maintain a prudent monetary policy this year with "timely and appropriate adjustments".

The central bank has issued a new statement, saying it will adjust the credit supply and keep social financing at a reasonable level through a set of policy tools, such as interest rates, exchange rates, open market operations and banks' reserve requirement ratio.

Meanwhile, PBOC chief Zhou Xiaochuan is warning the government that it has to be ready for external shocks at any time this year.

AL to Continue its Observer Mission in Syria

阿盟繼續在敘利亞執行觀察任務

The Arab League has decided to continue its observer mission in Syria, despite criticism that the regional bloc has failed to quell violence in the country.

Aab League chief Nabil al-Arabi announced the decision, following a ministers meeting in Cairo to hear the report from the monitoring mission.

"The idea of sending the observers is a matter of protocol. The main demand we want to achieve is a political solution for the Syrian crisis. This solution will never come without the opposition and the Syrian government sitting down to discuss the future of Syria."

Al-Arabi has also re-issued calls for the Syrian government to bring the violence to an end.

Over 160 Observers have been in Syria since late December.

The United Nations puts the number of deaths in the 10-month uprising in Syria at over 5-thousand.

Syrian Defense Minister visits Russian Warships in Syria's Tartous City

敘利亞國防部長參觀塔爾圖斯港俄航母

Syria's Defense Minister has taken time to hail his country's relationship with Russia.

Dawoud Rajha has made the statement while visiting a Russian naval supply facility in the Syrian port city of Tartous.

The visit by the Russian vessel to Syria is being viewed by many as an apparent show of Russia's support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia is one of the leading international investors in Syria.

UN appeals for aid in South Sudan

聯合國呼吁在南蘇丹的援助

The United Nations is appealing for aid for the thousands in South Sudan who have been displaced in the recent fighting.

The UN's High Commissioner for Refugees is Antonio Guterres.

"What is obvious is that without a massive humanitarian support from the international community it will not be possible to respond and that is why I think the key message to convey today is that we are facing a humanitarian disaster of large proportions."

The UN estimates that around 80-thousand people have fled inter-community violence in South Sudan.

Despite independence in July last year, tribal clashes and disputes with its neighbor to the north have left hundreds dead since the formation of the new country.

U.S. Expels Venezuelan Envoy in Miami

美國驅逐委內瑞拉特使

The US government is kicking out Venezuela's consul general in Miami.

Livia Acosta Noguera has been deemed persona non grata, and has to leave the country before Tuesday.

The US State Department hasn't said exactly why Noguera is being kicked out, other than to say the move is in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Last month, the US government pointed to "very disturbing" reports that the female diplomat had been involved in an alleged Iranian plot to attack computers at sensitive U.S. national security facilities.