A magic performance took the audiences' breath away with its unbelievable tricks during the China Media Group (CMG)'s Spring Festival on Tuesday night.
Star magician Liu Qian from China's Taiwan gave his distinctive performance at the main venue in Beijing, creating a sizzling atmosphere for the annual gala.
The annual gala, also known as "Chunwan," was first broadcast in 1983 and is seen as a major cultural symbol for Spring Festival celebrations in China.
Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's most-watched annual TV program, the hours-long television extravaganza attracts over a billion views every year.
The 2025 Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Wednesday this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake.
Magic performance takes audiences' breath away during Spring Festival Gala
The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday decided to lower key interest rates by 25 basis points, which is the fifth one since it began easing monetary policy in June last year.
After the rate cuts, the interest rates on the deposit facility, the main refinancing operations and the marginal lending facility will be decreased to 2.75 percent, 2.9 percent and 3.15 percent, respectively, effective from Feb. 5.
The decision was announced after the central bank's monetary policy meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday.
Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, said at a press conference that the interest rate cuts were decided based on the fact that the economic growth in the eurozone is "set to remain weak in the near term" and the inflation is expected to slow down.
With the current inflation in the eurozone remaining high, Lagarde said, it is set to return to the central bank's two-percent medium-term target in the course of this year.
ECB lowers interest rates by 25 basis points