China concludes National Financial Work Conference
Premier Wen Jiabao says China's financial system is running on a stable course despite the global financial crisis. However, apparent problems and potential risks still linger, as the crisis has not ended.
He's told a two-day National Financial Work Conference in Beijing that China's economy has maintained stable and relatively fast growth with stabilized consumer prices and improvements in people's lives.
The premier said China has the confidence, capabilities and conditions to move economic development to a new stage.
He noted that in the future, China will stick to the principal of having the financial industry serve the real economy to prevent virtual bubbles from inflating the economy.

Chinese city dispatches police to hunt suspect in high-profile armed robbery
Over 13,000 police officers have been dispatched to search for a male suspect who shot and robbed a man in front of a bank in an east China city on Friday.
The Public Security Bureau of Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province, has upgraded its city alert to the first-level and initiated a blanket search for the suspect in the armed robbery case.
Special armed police and police cars have blocked all major and secondary roads, with many others searching in public places. Two helicopters have also been dispatched to search for the suspect.
Over 240 tips have been poured in by citizens and the case remained under investigation.

6 killed, 2 injured after geothermal plant blast in north China
Six people have been killed and two others injured in a geothermal plant explosion in north China's Hebei province.
The blast occurred Saturday afternoon in a residential area in the city of Shenzhou.
Rescue work was launched right after the accident.
An investigation into the cause of the blast is underway.

Central bank suspends bill issue ahead of Lunar New Year holiday
The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank, says it will suspend sales of bills in the open market to ensure bank liquidity ahead of the week-long Lunar New Year holiday in late January.
The bank says it will conduct short-term reverse-repurchase agreement operations "if necessary" to inject money into banks through purchases of securities with an agreement to resell them at future dates, according to a statement posted on its website.
A banking official says the move is intended to prevent a tightening of liquidity in the banking system.

China stresses road safety for Spring Festival travel rush

中國針對春運高峰強調道路安全
Traffic management authorities nationwide will tighten patrol and inspection efforts to ensure road safety during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush period starting Sunday in China.
The Ministry of Public Security says preparations are being made to ensure safe and smooth traffic as millions of Chinese are heading home for the Spring Festival, or the Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 23.
The Lunar New Year is the most significant festival for Chinese and a typical time for family reunions and friend gatherings.

China to boost service capacity of community-level health clinics
The Ministry of Health says it will enhance the service capacity of underdeveloped hospitals in rural areas and urban communities in order to provide quality health care service.
An official with the ministry says the focus of the country's medical care system will be shifted from coverage expansion to quality improvement.

Syrian opposition condemns suicide bombing in Damascus

敘利亞反對派譴責大馬士革自殺性爆炸事件
Syrian opposition figures have denounced the explosion that rattled the heart of the Syrian capital of Damascus, calling for embarking on a national dialogue to help bring the months-long crisis in the Middle East country to a close.
A suicide bombing ripped through al-Midan neighborhood in Damascus Friday, killing at least 25 people and leaving dozens of others wounded.
A series of bombings over the past few days represent an escalation of violence in Syria at a time when the Arab League observers are touring the country to monitor the nearly 10-month-old unrest on ground.

Iran plans more naval exercises in Hormuz Strait

伊朗計劃在霍爾木茲海峽進行更多的軍事演習

Iranhas announced plans for new military exercises in the world’s most important oil shipping lane. This is its latest gesture towards the West, as new sanctions threaten Tehran’s oil exports.
An Iranian naval commander says exercises next month would focus directly on the Strait of Hormuz.
He says Iran has full domination over the region and controls all movements within it.
Iran has threatened in recent weeks to block the strait if new sanctions harm Tehran’s oil exports. Iran has warned they would take action if the United States sails an aircraft carrier through it.

Curfew imposed in Nigeria's Adamawa State after deadly attacks

尼日利亞阿達馬瓦在致命襲擊后實施宵禁
Adamawa State in northeastern Nigeria declared a dusk to dawn curfew in major towns across the state on Saturday, a day after the militant sect Boko Haram shot dead 12 people during a church service.
Unidentified gunmen in two separate attacks killed 14 people on Thursday and Friday.
The police say they have not ascertained the perpetrators of the act but have drafted men to strategic places for stop and search exercise.