Chinese top leaders extend Spring Festival greetings to nation
Chinese leaders have offered festive greetings to people across the nation as well as overseas Chinese around the world at a gathering in Beijing to mark the Lunar New Year that falls on Jan. 23.
President Hu Jintao extended regards to Chinese people at home and abroad and foreign friends on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the Cabinet.
Premier Wen delivered a speech, saying that the country has made a good start to the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) at a time of an austere and complicated international economic situation.
He said the government would maintain stable prices and steady, rapid economic development, accelerate the transformation of development patterns and adjust the economic structure in a bid to enhance sustainable development, as well as place more importance on people's livelihoods, letting the people share the achievements of reform.

China voices "deep concern" over U.S. wind tower dumping probe
China has expressed its deep concern over the United States' anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probe into Chinese exports of wind towers.
China's Ministry of Commerce says in a statement that the US act will not only hamper bilateral cooperation in the field of new energy and harm the interests of U.S. industries, but also go against global efforts to tackle the challenges of climate change and energy security.
China hopes the U.S. side can respect relevant laws and facts, and abide by the commitment made at the G20 summit in Cannes that all countries should avoid introducing new trade protectionism measures.

Arab League chief receives observer mission report

阿拉伯聯盟主席收到觀察團任務報告
Arab League (AL) chief Nabil al- Arabi has received the report of the regional bloc's observer mission to Syria.
AL Deputy Secretary General Ahmed Ben Helli says the report has been distributed to Arab countries for discussions at a meeting of the Arab ministerial committee in charge of handling the Syrian crisis on Sunday morning.
The report would then be submitted to the AL council meeting of foreign ministers to be held later on Sunday.

Islamists claim overwhelming victory in Egyptian parliament elections

伊斯蘭主義者稱埃及議會選舉壓倒性的勝利
Islamist parties in Egypt are claiming victory in the first post-Mubarak parliament elections.
Final results show Islamist parties won 70 percent of the vote with the Muslim Brotherhood came in first.
The new parliament is tasked to form a 100-member commission to write a new constitution for Egypt.
It is part of the preparation work for presidential elections scheduled for June.
The new parliament is due to sit for the first time on Monday.

China to improve school bus safety management system
China's safety watchdog says the country will establish and improve its school bus safety management system over the next four years.
School buses have prioritized right of way in traffic, and governments at all levels must continue to step up school bus safety checks, according to the 12th Five-Year Plan on Road Traffic Safety issued by the Safety Committee Office of the State Council, or Cabinet.
The plan says all school buses and coaches must be installed with GPS systems by 2015, and every seat in the buses and coaches must be equipped with seat belts by 2013, in a bid to reduce the number of traffic accidents and death tolls.

China to have sufficient power supply during Spring Festival holiday
The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), the country's largest electric power transmission and distribution company, says the power supply will be sufficient during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.
Thermal power plants currently have over 89 million tonnes of coal, which is enough for 20 days of power generation.
Meanwhile, the country's electricity consumption is expected to fall by 40 percent during the holiday which lasts from Jan. 22 to Jan. 28, as many factories suspend production during the period.

Beijing police to beef up security during holiday week
Beijing police will step up patrols to prevent crime and maintain security during the week-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday that begins on Sunday.
An official with the Beijing municipal public security bureau says more police and plainclothes officers will patrol busy commercial areas, parks, temple fairs and banks to prevent thefts and robberies.
He says police will also help maintain order in crowded areas, and at pivotal subway and railway stations to avoid stampedes.
Beijing police will also be on alert for fires triggered by fireworks during the holiday, particularly Sunday night, New Year's Eve.

Beijing kicks off PM2.5 measure of air quality
Beijing's environment authority has launched the much-anticipated PM2.5 measure of air quality, fulfilling its promise of publishing the data ahead of the Spring Festival holiday.
The PM2.5 gauge is considered stricter than Beijing's previous standard of PM10, as it monitors "fine" particles 2.5 microns or less in diameter.