Sense of uncertainty looms over Venezuelan university amid escalating tensions with US

Students at the Central University of Venezuela (Universidad Central de Venezuela) are increasingly gripped by uncertainty as they worry that rising tensions with the United States will disrupt their lives.

Currently, teaching activities and exams are progressing as usual at the Caracas-based university.

However, some students say they still feel stressed as they can feel the real impacts of the escalating tensions.

"Maritime blockade has led to a shortage of resources related to public transportation in Venezuela. Reduced service frequency has made it difficult for me to attend the class on time," said Julio Blanco, a student.

"Sometimes I also feel worried and wonder what to do if the worst-case scenario really happens. But generally speaking, I try to digest this unease," said Juan Sanchez, another student.

Most students say they remain optimistic about the future despite growing concerns about escalating tensions with the United States.

Study remains their major focus, and they are also looking forward to the upcoming year-end holiday.

"Being subjected to waves of rumors for so many years makes people not really believe many things. There is no heightened stress or fear," said Corina Aristimuno, secretary of the Central University of Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government on Thursday condemned the United States' seizure of a giant oil tanker off its coast, calling the move "a blatant theft and an act of international piracy."

The sharp denunciation follows U.S. President Donald Trump's confirmation of the military action on Wednesday.

In a related escalation, the United States imposed new sanctions on Thursday targeting three nephews of Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores, as well as six crude oil tankers and associated shipping companies, ramping up pressure on Caracas.

The tanker seizure and new sanctions form a dual economic and military thrust in Washington's protracted campaign to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power.

Sense of uncertainty looms over Venezuelan university amid escalating tensions with US

The total number of inter-regional passenger trips across China during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, also known as chunyun, reached a record of 9.41 billion, official data showed Saturday.

The figure marked a 4.3 percent increase over the same period in 2025, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Road traffic made up the lion's share of these trips. During the period, about 8.74 billion trips were made by road, increasing by 4.2 percent year on year.

Railway passenger volume reached 540 million, expanding 4.8 percent year on year, according to the ministry.

The country's civil aviation sector recorded 94.39 million passenger trips during the period, up 4.6 percent year on year, while waterway trips surged 15.3 percent from a year ago to 35.97 million.

During the period, China's transportation authorities rolled out various measures to alleviate traffic congestion and enhace the passenger experience.

Instead of simply adding extra trains, many railway stations used ticketing system, big data to dynamically allocate capacity for popular routes. Many railway stations and airports carefully calculated their passenger demands, and then deployed robots to help guide passengers. On expressways, AI-monitoring systems were used to help better manage traffic.

For the first time this year, many train stations rolled out a large luggage delivery service, which means after ordering online, passengers can have their luggages picked up at home and delivered to their departure station or even straight to their destination.

The travel rush, often described as the world's largest annual human migration, highlights China's massive mobility and vibrant economic activity. This year's Spring Festival travel rush started on Feb. 2 and ended on March 13.

China sees record-high inter-regional trips in Spring Festival travel rush