General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "optimize the layout, structure, function, and development model of infrastructure, build a modernized infrastructure system, and lay a solid foundation for comprehensively building a socialist modern country." At the beginning of the new year, various regions continued to optimize infrastructure layout, and the construction of new infrastructure, such as charging facilities, information networks, and new energy infrastructure, has accelerated across the board, continuously empowering various industries. As the Spring Festival approaches, more and more people are returning home or traveling. Chen Changhong, a villager from Wanqiao Village, Hechuan District, Chongqing, chose to drive his electric car home for the first time, covering a distance of over 1,600 kilometers from Hangzhou. The charging cost along the way was only over 200 yuan. What excited him even more was the newly built super charging station in his village. During this year's Spring Festival travel rush, charging services have basically achieved full coverage in highway service areas across China, and charging equipment and technology are constantly being updated and rapidly extended to rural areas. New infrastructure represented by new energy vehicle charging piles is an important engine for promoting high-quality economic and social development. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to appropriately advance the deployment of new infrastructure construction and has made specific arrangements for various fields of new infrastructure. He pointed out the need to strengthen the construction of information infrastructure, intensify the in-depth integration of information resources, and open up the information "artery" for economic and social development; to adapt to the needs of energy transformation, further build a new energy infrastructure network, and promote the intelligent transformation of power grid infrastructure and the construction of smart microgrids; and to improve the major cross-provincial infrastructure systems for transportation, energy, and water conservancy, and promote the construction of new infrastructure. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed to build a new infrastructure planning and standard system and improve the integration and utilization mechanisms for new infrastructure. Soon after, a series of policies were quickly implemented. Regarding information infrastructure construction, eleven departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued specific measures to promote the coordinated development of new information infrastructure; regarding energy transformation, the state proposed to accelerate the construction of supporting infrastructure for renewable energy. With the continuous optimization of top-level design, at the beginning of the new year, good news about new infrastructure projects continued to come from various regions. In the eastern coastal area, Fujian's first large-scale centralized shared energy storage power station was successfully put into operation, which will significantly improve the absorption capacity of nearby offshore wind farms; in the northwestern region, Qinghai's 750 kV power transmission and transformation project has just been completed, adding a "green power highway" to the "desert, Gobi, and barren land" wind and solar power bases. Meanwhile, from ultra-long distance UHV projects to "Eastern Data, Western Computing" separated by thousands of miles, and from 10-gigabit optical network pilots in Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities to accelerating 5G coverage in rural areas, the overall layout of new infrastructure has become more balanced. Data shows that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's total investment in new infrastructure is expected to reach 10.6 trillion yuan, with continuous improvement in technological levels and a constant emergence of innovative achievements. Today's new infrastructure is also accelerating its empowerment of various industries and integrating into people's lives. As the Spring Festival approaches, various regions are stepping up the digital transformation of key scenarios. In Jinan, Shandong, the entire subway line has just upgraded and deployed "5G+AI" technology, allowing the number of trains during morning and evening rush hours to be intelligently adjusted in real-time based on passenger flow; in Suzhou, Jiangsu, gas pipelines are being renovated, and a smart device to prevent gas leaks can shorten the time to shut off gas valves from the previous 35 minutes to 25 seconds, and remote control has been achieved. In recent days, cultural and tourism departments across the country have been preparing for the Spring Festival travel rush. Behind a series of consumption scenarios such as immersive experiences, drone performances, and digital cultural and creative products, the support of information infrastructure such as 5G and computing power is indispensable. The latest data shows that China's computing power scale has an average annual growth rate of nearly 30% in the past five years. Since the commercialization of 5G, it has directly driven a total economic output of over 5.6 trillion yuan and indirectly driven a total output of over 14 trillion yuan, strongly promoting high-quality economic and social development. This year, China will continue to appropriately advance the deployment of new infrastructure, promoting the deep integration of new infrastructure with key industries such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and agriculture. At the same time, it will promote the coordinated development of new infrastructure and traditional infrastructure, accelerate the construction of a modernized infrastructure system, and stimulate new drivers for economic development.
Recently, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Plan for Comprehensive Rural Revitalization (2024-2027)" and issued a notice requiring all regions and departments to conscientiously implement it in light of their actual conditions. The Plan points out that implementing the rural revitalization strategy is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, focusing on the overall situation of the Party and the country's cause, and is the overall grasp of "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work in the new era and new journey. It is necessary to adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, aim at the goal of building a strong agricultural country, learn from and apply the experience of the "Thousands of Projects" initiative, improve the long-term mechanism for promoting comprehensive rural revitalization, ensure national food security, and prevent large-scale return to poverty or new poverty among the rural population as the bottom line, consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation, focus on improving the level of rural industrial development, rural construction, and rural governance, strengthen the dual drive of science and technology and reform, strengthen measures to increase farmers' income, solidly promote the "five revitalizations" of rural industry, talent, culture, ecology, and organization, accelerate agricultural and rural modernization, promote the comprehensive upgrading of agriculture, the comprehensive progress of rural areas, and the comprehensive development of farmers, and provide strong support for comprehensively building a socialist modern country. The main goals are: By 2027, substantial progress will be made in comprehensive rural revitalization, and agricultural and rural modernization will reach a new level. The foundation for national food security will be more solid, agricultural comprehensive production capacity will steadily improve, ensuring that the Chinese people's rice bowl is firmly held in their own hands; rural industries will be more prosperous, achieving a full-chain upgrade of rural industries; rural areas will be more ecological and livable, with significant improvement in the living environment, more complete rural infrastructure, and continuously improved equalization of basic public services between urban and rural areas; rural civilization will continue to improve, excellent traditional Chinese culture will be fully inherited and developed, and the comprehensive quality of farmers will be comprehensively enhanced; rural governance will be more effective, and the modernization level of rural governance systems and capabilities will be significantly improved; farmers' lives will be better, income levels will continue to increase, and a tiered and categorized assistance system for low-income rural populations and underdeveloped areas will be basically established. Developed regions in the east and rural areas in the suburbs of large and medium-sized cities in the central and western regions with suitable conditions will take the lead in basically achieving agricultural and rural modernization. By 2035, decisive progress will be made in comprehensive rural revitalization, agricultural modernization will be basically realized, and rural areas will basically have modern living conditions.
The 30th Chairperson's Meeting of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was held in Beijing on January 22nd. Wang Huning, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over and delivered a speech. The meeting conveyed and studied the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, where he heard the work report of the CPPCC National Committee Party Group, as well as the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's recent important speeches and instructions. Wang Huning stated that it is necessary to deeply study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches on the work of the CPPCC, conscientiously formulate and implement measures, and promote the high-quality development of CPPCC work. It is necessary to conscientiously prepare and organize the Third Session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, and incorporate the implementation of the eight-point规定 (regulations) of the Central Committee and the improvement of writing and meeting styles into all aspects of the conference. It is necessary to conscientiously implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, fulfill duties focusing on "the great affairs of the country" and the concerns of the people, and contribute wisdom and strength to the high-quality completion of the "14th Five-Year Plan" goals and a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan." It is necessary to deeply study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches at the democratic life meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, earnestly fulfill the political responsibility of governing the Party strictly, and create a clean and upright political ecosystem. It is necessary to deeply study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's New Year's address for 2025 and his important speech when he met with non-Party personages to welcome the Spring Festival, and solidly do a good job in uniting hearts, building consensus, pooling wisdom, and gathering strength. It is necessary to deeply study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, embody the Party's overall leadership over the CPPCC in the concrete actions of implementing the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, and better serve the development of the Party and the country's cause. The meeting reviewed and adopted the work report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee (draft) and the report on the work of proposals since the Second Session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee (draft), and decided to submit them to the 10th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th CPPCC National Committee for deliberation. The meeting also reviewed and adopted the report on the work of the CPPCC National Committee in 2024, the key work points for the CPPCC National Committee in 2025, the inspection and research plan, the key democratic supervision plan, and the plan for centralized study and training of CPPCC members in 2025. The meeting reviewed in writing "The CPPCC's Consultative Democracy Construction (2024)," the report on the CPPCC National Committee's work in connecting with people from various sectors in 2024, and the work plan for 2025. The meeting reviewed and approved the decision to revoke Lu Jin's qualification as a member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, and submitted it to the 10th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th CPPCC National Committee for ratification. Shi Taifeng, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, Hu Chunhua, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, and Yang Zhen, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, spoke on studying and implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's recent important speeches and instructions. Wang Dongfeng, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the CPPCC National Committee, and others explained relevant issues.
On January 21, Ding Xuexiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos and delivered a speech titled "Upholding the Right Path of Multilateralism and Promoting Open and Inclusive Development." Ding Xuexiang said that eight years ago, it was here that Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, sending out the strongest message in support of economic globalization, upholding and practicing multilateralism, and building a better world, providing clear answers for improving global governance and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, offering important guidance to the international community. Currently, the world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, the global governance system is undergoing profound adjustments, and human society has once again come to a critical crossroads. We must review President Xi Jinping's important speech, strengthen our convictions, unite and cooperate, move forward hand in hand amidst winds and waves, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, inject more stability and certainty into the world, and build a just world with common development. Ding Xuexiang put forward four suggestions: First, jointly promote inclusive economic globalization, find a win-win path of mutually beneficial cooperation, and not only make the "cake" of economic globalization bigger, but also divide it better. Second, jointly uphold and practice true multilateralism, adhere to the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and create an open, inclusive, and non-discriminatory international economic cooperation environment. Third, jointly shape new drivers and advantages for world economic development, adhere to the principle that scientific and technological achievements benefit all mankind, and allow more countries to board the fast train of digital economic development. Fourth, jointly address major global challenges, work together to advance the three major global initiatives, and gather strong forces to overcome difficulties. Ding Xuexiang introduced the trending features of China's high-quality development steadily advancing, green and low-carbon transformation accelerating across the board, and reform and opening up continuously moving to a higher level. He emphasized that China's economy is generally stable and making steady progress, with noticeable results in the transformation of old and new economic drivers, and new quality productive forces are accelerating formation. Everyone is full of confidence in future development. China's door to opening up will only open wider, and the business environment will only get better. He welcomed more foreign enterprises to invest and do business in China, and achieve better development by sharing opportunities. After his speech, Ding Xuexiang answered questions from Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, on international order, artificial intelligence, and other topics. During the meeting, Ding Xuexiang also met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization Daren Tang. On the same day, Ding Xuexiang had in-depth exchanges with international business leaders. They spoke highly of the policy measures taken by the Chinese government to promote high-quality development, expressed full confidence in China's development prospects, and stated that they would continue to pay attention to China and invest in China.
As the Spring Festival approaches, the National Dual Support Work Leading Group, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, and the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission have issued a慰问信 (condolence letter) to national dual support models, military personnel, and beneficiaries, extending holiday greetings and sincere blessings. In the past year, commanders and fighters of the People's Liberation Army, officers and soldiers of the armed police force, civilian personnel in the military, reserve personnel, and militia have taken up arms to defend the borders, bravely rushed to the front lines in disaster relief, and actively undertaken responsibilities for the well-being of the people, fully demonstrating the vigorous spirit of the people's soldiers in the new era: loyal to the Party, daring to fight, good at fighting, and striving forward. The families of martyrs and military personnel have been self-reliant and considerate of the overall situation, silently supporting the progress of strengthening the military with genuine affection and great love. Retired military personnel and other beneficiaries have always kept the country and their homes in mind, never forgetting their original aspirations, serving the Party, contributing to the country, and serving the people on various fronts. 2025 marks the final year of the "14th Five-Year Plan." National dual support models and the broad masses of military personnel and civilians should rally more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, focus on supporting the decisive battle to achieve the centenary goal of army building and assisting the high-quality development of economy and society, and more deeply and solidly carry out dual support work in the new era to contribute to the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.
Today (January 22nd) marks the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, and various places are adorned with new decorations. People are busy shopping for New Year's goods and experiencing folk customs, making the atmosphere of the New Year increasingly strong. Streets and alleys are decorated with lanterns and festive ornaments, looking brand new. Today, the 2025 "Jingcai" Spring Festival Lantern Fair Carnival met with citizens and tourists at Beijing Garden Expo Park. This lantern fair features over 100 themed lantern sets and more than 100,000 colorful lantern ornaments. At the same time, the lantern fair is combined with a temple fair, allowing everyone to experience the charm of traditional culture in a lively Spring Festival atmosphere. In Huizhou Ancient City, Shexian County, Anhui, strings of big red lanterns are hung high along the city walls, on the谯楼 (city gate tower), and in the streets and alleys; on the Wujiang River bank in Zunyi, Guizhou, couplets, fu characters (blessings), and red chili peppers create a joyful and peaceful Spring Festival atmosphere with a dominant "Chinese red" theme. The 23rd day is for sticky candy. In Zezhou County, Jincheng, Shanxi, people are busy making local specialty sticky candy, adding a strong festive atmosphere to the Minor New Year; in Shenyang, Liaoning, people are eating灶糖 (kitchen god candy) and cutting window flowers on heated brick beds, sharing sweetness and welcoming the new year together. Making ciba in Hongjiang, Hunan, sticky bean buns in Qinglong, Hebei, and steamed fish cakes in Yichang, Hubei... specialty foods from various places also express people's expectations for a sweet life in the new year. Shopping at markets for New Year's goods, in Ningbo, Zhejiang, the "Sanbatangtou Market," with a history of nearly 300 years, opened warmly today, attracting citizens and tourists from all directions with its dazzling array of New Year's goods. Experiencing and appreciating intangible cultural heritage, the vibrant folk culture also makes the New Year's atmosphere increasingly rich. In Shunde, Guangdong, golden and plump kumquats, symbolizing "great luck," are harvested; in Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, Mianzhu, Sichuan, Boxing, Shandong, and other places, ice sports, stilt walking, and land boat rowing activities are dazzling; in several landmark commercial districts in Shanghai, the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Fair" showcases several national intangible cultural heritage items such as Yingge Dance and Bench Dragon; in Tianjin Ancient Culture Street, auspicious New Year paintings and hanging decorations are hung high, and intangible cultural heritage performances such as Peking Opera, dragon dance, and lion dance attract many citizens and tourists to stop and watch at the theater square.
How will Hubei, a major economic province in China, shoulder the responsibility of being an important strategic fulcrum for the rise of the central region and promote high-quality development in the new year? Today (January 22nd), in "Authoritative Interview: Seeking Development, Starting a New Chapter," we will see the interview with Wang Zhonglin, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, by a China Media Group reporter. In 2024, Hubei's GDP grew by 5.8%, reaching the 6 trillion yuan mark. Three major industries, namely optoelectronic information, intelligent manufacturing, and biomedicine, entered the trillion-yuan level, and there were 19 industries exceeding 100 billion yuan, including high-end equipment manufacturing, Beidou and its applications. Wang Zhonglin stated that under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the land of Jingchu has shown a good trend of stable economic growth. The Central Economic Work Conference proposed to strengthen basic research and key core technology breakthroughs, and strengthen the construction of national strategic scientific and technological forces. In the new year, Hubei will accelerate the construction of Wuhan into a nationally influential scientific and technological innovation center, build a technological innovation center in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, promote the normalization of cooperation among the Hubei-Hunan-Jiangxi Innovation Alliance, and strive to build four highlands: talent, origin of innovation, industry, and ecology. Hubei firmly shoulders the political responsibility of protecting the Yangtze River, promotes coordinated efforts to reduce carbon emissions, pollution, and increase greenery and growth, and accelerates the formation of a green and low-carbon production and lifestyle. In the next step, Hubei will continue to implement the Yangtze River Protection "Double Ten Projects" and "Double Ten Actions," and continue to fight the battles for blue skies, clear waters, and clean lands. It will accelerate the establishment of three major systems: green industry, green energy, and green institutions, and unswervingly promote green development.
Data from the 2025 Comprehensive Transportation Spring Festival Travel Rush Task Force shows that on January 22, the total number of cross-regional passenger trips across society is expected to exceed 230 million. Among them, railway passenger volume is expected to reach 13.4 million, highway passenger volume is expected to exceed 210 million, waterway passenger volume is expected to be 700,000, and civil aviation passenger volume is expected to be 2.29 million. For railways, in response to the pre-holiday peak travel, 1,346 additional passenger trains are planned to be operated today (January 22). Guangzhou has launched special trains to Guizhou, Hunan, Chongqing, and other places to prioritize services for people lifted out of poverty. Xinjiang Railway Department has launched the "Tianshan Snow Lotus" passenger service brand for the first time this year, aiming to make travel more convenient for passengers of all ethnic groups by scientifically allocating capacity and improving waiting environments. Regarding highways, the national highway network is generally operating smoothly today, with slow traffic on sections with concentrated returning traffic, such as Guangdong, Hunan, and Guizhou. In terms of civil aviation, passenger transportation continues to operate at a high level today, and multiple airlines have increased capacity reserves and supply for key periods and popular routes. Currently, the number of vehicles crossing the Qiongzhou Strait is gradually increasing, entering the Spring Festival travel rush peak period. Relevant departments have set up multiple service points in vehicle waiting areas and crossing channels to provide inquiry, guidance, and order maintenance services for waiting passengers and drivers.
The China Media Group's "2025 Spring Festival Gala" held its fourth dress rehearsal today (January 22nd). Songs, dances, traditional opera, and skits were ingeniously designed and wonderfully presented, with the performers in high spirits and full of enthusiasm. The entire gala flowed more smoothly and skillfully, with a joyous atmosphere and continuous laughter, brimming with a strong Spring Festival ambiance. Among the performances, representatives of laborers from various fields and frontline workers sang with soaring passion, expressing the voice of the era that "everyone is a protagonist on the new journey of Chinese modernization"; the song "What the World Gave Me" conveyed the emotions of ordinary life with delicate and gentle melodies; in the traditional opera program "Vibrant Liyuan," renowned artists and new talents jointly demonstrated the enduring charm of traditional opera art.
Ministry of Water Resources and Other Departments Jointly Issue "Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of Happy Rivers and Lakes". The Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Finance, and four other departments recently jointly issued the "Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of Happy Rivers and Lakes". It clarifies that by 2030, a number of happy rivers and lakes will be built, focusing on local "mother rivers"; by 2035, happy rivers and lakes will be basically completed. Ministry of Civil Affairs Deploys Increased Assistance to Ensure Warm Holiday for People in Need. Reporters learned from the Ministry of Civil Affairs today (January 22nd) that before the Spring Festival, the Ministry of Civil Affairs deployed and requested civil affairs departments in various regions to promptly understand changes in the lives of people in need through strengthening dynamic monitoring, carrying out visits and condolences, and fully utilize temporary assistance, material assistance, and service assistance measures to strengthen assistance for key groups and ensure that people in need spend a warm and peaceful Spring Festival. Ministry of Education Releases "Guidelines for Primary and Secondary School Science Education Work". Recently, the "Guidelines for Primary and Secondary School Science Education Work" was released, requiring primary and secondary schools to be equipped with sufficient science and related subject teachers, with at least one science vice principal in each primary and secondary school, and incorporating students' usual experimental operations and participation in scientific inquiry and practical activities into the comprehensive quality evaluation. 5.615 Billion Domestic Tourist Trips in 2024. Data on domestic tourism released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism today (January 22nd) shows that in 2024, there were 5.615 billion domestic tourist trips, an increase of 724 million compared to the previous year, a year-on-year increase of 14.8%. Total domestic tourist spending was 5.75 trillion yuan, an increase of 0.84 trillion yuan compared to the previous year, a year-on-year increase of 17.1%. The First Ship of Type 054B Frigate, the Luohe, Commissioned into the Navy. This morning (January 22nd), the first ship of the Type 054B frigate, the Luohe (hull number 545), was commissioned into the Navy at a naval base in Qingdao, Shandong. The Luohe is a new generation of domestically developed and built frigate with a displacement of approximately 5,000 tons. It has made breakthroughs in stealth technology, combat command systems, and firepower integrated control, possessing strong comprehensive combat capabilities and the ability to perform diverse military tasks. Hubei Spring Festival Consumption Season Launched. The Hubei Spring Festival Consumption Season was launched yesterday (January 21st). This consumption season plans over 600 promotional activities, focusing on eight major areas such as automobile consumption and catering services, and will create new Spring Festival consumption scenarios through provincial and municipal联动 (linkage). China Media Group's 2025 Online Spring Festival Gala Aired Tonight. The "China Media Group's 2025 Online Spring Festival Gala" will be broadcast tonight (January 22nd) at 8:00 PM simultaneously on CCTV-1 (General Channel), CCTV-3 (Variety Channel), and new media platforms such as CCTV News. The gala will integrate cutting-edge visual technology into stage design and program creation, showcasing the new look of online culture in the new era and allowing audiences to celebrate the reunion in a technologically immersive interaction.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), and the Border Police issued a joint statement on January 21st, announcing that the IDF launched a large-scale operation in the northern West Bank city of Jenin that day to strike local armed group infrastructure, with the operation expected to last several days. Palestinian security sources said that Jenin city and the Jenin refugee camp were attacked by the Israeli army that day. Palestinian armed factions engaged in fierce clashes with the Israeli army. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on January 21st that the Israeli operation resulted in at least 10 deaths and approximately 40 injuries. Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned Israel's attack on the West Bank on January 21st. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement warning Israel not to repeat the crimes it committed in the Gaza Strip in the West Bank.
Slovak and Hungarian Prime Ministers Meet, Oppose Ukraine Joining NATO. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on January 21st to discuss energy security, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and other issues. Both sides unanimously opposed Ukraine's membership in NATO, believing that Ukraine joining NATO would be tantamount to a direct war between NATO and Russia. In addition, Orbán reiterated his opposition to sanctions against Russia, stating that the relevant EU sanctions are destroying the European economy. Turkey Ski Resort Hotel Fire Kills 76. A hotel fire at a ski resort in Bolu Province, northwestern Turkey, on January 21st, has resulted in 76 deaths and 51 injuries. As it was peak tourist season, more than 230 guests were staying in the 12-story hotel when the fire broke out. Local officials said that the hotel's location on a cliff made firefighting difficult. The fire was extinguished after more than ten hours, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Nine people, including the hotel owner, have been detained. Dry Winds Continue, New Wildfires Erupt in California, USA. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, four wildfires ignited on January 21st in San Diego and Riverside counties in Southern California. Several school districts in San Diego County suspended classes, and local evacuation orders were issued. According to US media reports, persistent dry and windy weather further increased the risk of new wildfires. Currently, most areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties in Southern California remain under a red flag warning for fire risk.
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