Briefly

Funding to provide drought relief

China has earmarked 174 million yuan ($24.5 million) from the central government to support drought relief in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. The disaster relief funds, allocated by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Water Resources, will mainly be used to ensure the safety of drinking water and agricultural irrigation in the drought-affected areas of the provinces, the Ministry of Finance said. Temperatures in the two provinces are expected to be 1 to 2 degrees C higher than normal years in April, the China Meteorological Administration said last week.

Immigration platform receives 10m calls

China's 12367 immigration service platform has received more than 10.9 million calls since its launch in April 2021, with its service covering 143 countries and regions, according to the National Immigration Administration on Monday. With an average satisfaction rate of 98.3 percent, approximately 8.09 million calls inquired about border entry and exit issues relevant to Chinese citizens, while 728,000 asked about issues related to foreigners. The requests for details regarding border management and checks have remained a common theme among both domestic and overseas callers. The majority of overseas calls have been from the United States, Australia and Japan, according to the NIA.

3 killed, 7 injured in traffic accident

Three people were killed and seven injured after a traffic accident in Jiangxi province on Monday, local authorities said. The accident happened at 11:42 am in the city of Nanchang. According to the traffic administration bureau of the city's public security bureau, a preliminary investigation showed that a bus driver lost consciousness due to a heart problem and crashed into pedestrians. The injured have been sent to hospital for treatment. The driver is in police custody. Further investigation is underway.

Xinhua