China-Laos Railway stages shows to welcome upcoming Spring Festival

A unique cross-border Spring Festival show unfolded on the China-Laos Railway on Tuesday, the first day of this year's Spring Festival travel rush.

With carriages turned into stages, people from cities along the route presented unique performances to welcome the upcoming Spring Festival, the most important festival on the calendar, which falls on Jan 29 this year.

This special Spring Festival show lasted for more than four hours, with over 50 programs such as songs and dances from China and Laos, close-up magic, and musical instrument performances.

"I take the China-Laos Railway today to get home. Watching this Spring Festival show filled me with surprise and joy," said a Lao tourist.

"I recorded many videos along the way. I will edit them together into a wonderful footage and share it in Thailand," said a Thai tourist.

Starting operation in late 2021, the cross-border railway connects Kunming, provincial capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, with Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

So far, the China-Laos Railway has operated more than 1,500 international passenger train trips, providing cross-border travel services for about 400,000 passenger trips involving more than 100 countries and regions.

Pongdong Paxaphacdy, consul general of Lao People's Democratic Republic in Kunming, said the train will further enhance connection between the two countries.

"The train can promote people-to-people exchanges among neighboring countries, especially between China and Laos. Second, it can boost our bilateral trade. Third, it can showcase China's strength, displaying China's railway technology to the whole world," he said.

The rail link has also greeted even more international passengers, as China introduces a range of visa-free policies.

"Germany was one of the first countries to actually get the visa-free access to China, and I was very happy about it. Now, to be able to just leave the airport and stay in China for a week is perfect for us. It's so quick, it's so convenient," said Jonas Gorlo, a traveler from Germany.

Passengers say the special celebration marks the beginning of a new year filled with hope, as the railway continues to foster ties between people and cultures across borders.

China-Laos Railway stages shows to welcome upcoming Spring Festival

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza Strip has risen to 50,423, with 114,638 injured, after nearly 18 months of Israeli military operations, Gaza health authorities said Wednesday.

Local medical sources noted that since the Israeli army resumed its operations on March 18, the number of fatalities has reached 1,066, while 2,597 have been injured.

In the past 24 hours alone, hospitals in Gaza received 24 fatalities and 55 injured. Many bodies remain trapped beneath the rubble, with ambulances and civil defense personnel struggling to reach them.

According to a report by the Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that it had carried out strikes on over 50 sites belonging to Hamas and other militant groups, ahead of a major ground push into the southern Gaza Strip. During the day, dozens more strikes were carried out across Gaza.

In addition, the IDF issued a statement on Wednesday night that it had intercepted two rockets launched from northern Gaza. Air raid sirens were activated in areas near the Gaza Strip, and local media said that there are no reports of injuries or damage in the attack. The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to Palestinian media reports on Wednesday, the Israeli air force targeted a medical facility operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The head of Gaza-based health authorities reported on the same day that 19 people were killed in the attack.

The Israeli military stated on Wednesday that it had struck a Hamas command center in Jabalia.

On Wednesday night, Al Jazeera quoted relevant sources as saying that Hamas officials had received Israel's response to the ceasefire proposal, which had been put forward by mediators and accepted by Hamas. Based on this response, they concluded that Israel had rejected the proposal.

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 50,423