Chinese railways carried over 24 million passengers during the Spring Festival, with the figure slightly down from 26 million last year due to the severe snow storms.
Domestic carriers flew 3.7 million passengers, while 235 million bus trips took place.
Cargo transport also increased to carry coal, grain and foodstuffs to snow-affected areas.
Stock market dips after Lunar New Year
Chinese markets reopened after the holidays to a shaky start, but later regained some ground.
On Thursday the Shanghai Composite Index closed at 4,552.31, while the Shenzhen Component Index was 16,704.93.
During the break, other markets in the region were hit hard by growing fears of the United States sliding into an economic recession.
9/11 Suspects formally charged
The US Military is charging six Guantanamo Bay detainees with murder and war crimes for plotting and executing the September 11 terror attacks.
A total of 169 charges were formally laid on the six accused that killed over 3,000 people.
Officials say they are seeking the death penalty and intend to convict the six together.
Hollywood Writers’ Strike Over
Film and television writers voted to end their 100-day-old strike against major studios and officially returned to work on Wednesday.
The members will vote later on a proposed three-year contract which provides payments to writers for work streamed on the Internet, and for films and TV shows that are resold as Internet downloads.
Grammy Awards
British pop singer Amy Winehouse won big at the recent Grammys with five awards for her album, Back to Black.
She managed to upset hip-hop star Kanye West who while having eight nominations, managed to scoop just four Grammys.
Album of the year went to Herbie Hancock for River: The Joni Mitchell Letters.
In depths:
S. Korean Namdaemun Gate fire
A 69-year-old South Korean man is in police custody after he admitted setting fire to a national treasure.
Namdaemun, or “Great South Gate” was ravaged by fire earlier this week and fire fighters could do little to save the 600-year-old gate.
The man surnamed Chae confessed to the crime out of anger because he felt the government didn’t do enough to compensate him for redevelopment of his land.
Snow disaster areas shift focus to reconstruction work
In the past month weather related incidents have killed 107 people and left eight others missing.
Direct economic loss is estimated at $15.3 billion
So far 21 provincial-level areas in the country have been affected, about 1.5 million people have been evacuated, and almost 2 million stranded passengers have been transported out.
The extreme weather has also led to the collapse of approximately 354,000 homes.
East Timor President Recovering
East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta is in stable condition in an Australian hospital after rebel soldiers shot him in a failed coup attempt.
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao was also shot at, but not injured during the attack.
Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace laureate, was hit in the stomach.
The rebel soldiers were led by Alfredo Reinado and he was killed during the gunfight.
Meanwhile Australian forces have arrived in East Timor to keep the peace and Prime Minster Kevin Rudd visits the Southeast Asian country today.
Australia apologizes to Aborigines
Australia’s Prime Minister apologized earlier this week for its historic mistreatment of its indigenous people calling it a “blemished chapter in our nation's history”
Prime Minister Rudd gave the apology to members of the Stolen Generation, Indigenous Australians who were forcibly taken from their families and communities when they were young children.
An earlier report documented the stories of tens of thousands of Australian children taken from their families by governments from 1910 to the early 1970s.
This saw them being forcibly removed and then trained up to work as domestic servants.
And now for a look at Spring Festival celebrations:
Chinese New Year roundup – celebrations
In Beijing
In Beijing, residents visited temple fairs in the city, which have performances and booths selling arts and crafts, as well as snacks.
In Shanghai
In Shanghai people poured onto Nanjing Road, the busiest shopping street in the city and bought new clothes and ate jiaozi or dumplings.
Overseas
Chinese communities in Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States held Chinese New Year parades featuring lion dances and cultural demonstrations.
In disaster-hit regions
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao both spent the most important holiday in disaster-hit regions, directing relief work and greeting people.
（英語點津 Celene 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.
Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.
He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.
