CGTN头条新闻2022 北京2022年奥运会火炬接力开始（在线收听）

Beijing 2022 Olympic torch relay kicks off

China's top legislature opposes so-called human rights resolution adopted by Japan's House of Representatives

A spokesperson of China's top legislature has voiced firm opposition to the adoption of a so-called resolution concerning China's human rights conditions by Japan's House of Representatives.

You Wenze, spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, says the so-called resolution grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and gravely violated basic norms governing international relations.

Beijing 2022 Olympic Torch Relay kicks off

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic torch relay kicked off on Wednesday in Beijing.

The relay will last until Friday in the three competition zones of Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games will run from February 4 to 20.

Tonga to impose nationwide lockdown after port workers test positive for COVID-19

Tsunami-hit Tonga will go into a nationwide lockdown on Wednesday after two port workers in the South Pacific island nation tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

The two cases were detected when Tonga's Ministry of Health tested 50 frontliners who had been working at the port of Nuku'alofa, capital of Tonga, with the aid shipments arriving in the island nation following the volcanic eruption and tsunami on Jan. 15.

The two cases are the first community transmission confirmed in Tonga, and the two men are currently in isolation.

Several people arrested after failed coup attempt in Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau's President says several civilians and soldiers have been arrested after a failed coup attempt on Tuesday at the Government Palace.

Umaro Sissoco Embalo says the coup attempt is an isolated act carried out by a group of drug traffickers in the country.

He made the announcement in a press conference accompanied by the Prime Minister and members of the government.

Blinken says U.S. willing to continue "substantive exchange" with Russia over security concerns

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday that the United States is willing to "continue a substantive exchange with Russia on mutual security concerns."

Blinken also urged Russia to immediately de-escalate the tensions on Ukraine's borders by withdrawing its troops and equipment.

Tuesday's phone call was meant to follow up on a written response last week from Washington addressing Moscow's security concerns.

Speaking of the U.S. document, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday that "fundamental Russian concerns were ignored" by the U.S. side.

U.S. national debt surpasses 30 trln USD as Fed prepares to raise rates

The U.S. national debt has surpassed 30 trillion U.S. dollars for the first time, raising concerns about future fiscal sustainability, as the Federal Reserve prepares to raise interest rates to tame inflation.

The total public debt includes 23.5 trillion dollars in debt held by the public and 6.5 trillion dollars in intergovernmental holdings.

The rising national debt came after U.S. Congress passed legislation in December to raise the federal government's debt limit by 2.5 trillion dollars to about 31.4 trillion dollars, averting a looming debt default.

The Fed signaled last week that the central bank is ready to raise interest rates as soon as March to combat surging inflation as it exits from the ultra-loose monetary policy enacted at the start of the pandemic.

One student dead, another critically injured in shooting outside school in U.S. Minnesota

One student died and another was critically injured after being shot outside a school in Richfield, midwestern U.S. state of Minnesota, on Tuesday.

The shooting occurred around noon at the South Education Center, an alternative school that serves about 200 students from pre-K to age 21 in the region.

Jay Henthorne is Richfield Police Chief:

"Officers quickly determined that the suspects had fled the scene immediately after the shooting took place. Both injured students were transported to Hennepin County Medical Center via ambulance. Unfortunately, one of the students succumbed to his injuries. The other student remains in critical condition at this time."

Richfield is about a 20-minute drive south of Minneapolis, a major city in Minnesota.

2022 Spring Festival Gala attracts over 1.3 billion viewers

The 2022 Spring Festival Gala held by China Media Group has reached nearly 1.3 billion viewers both on TV and new media platforms.

This year's Gala was staged on Monday evening as Chinese people worldwide celebrated the start of the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.

The extravaganza was broadcast and reported in more than 170 countries and regions.

Some 758 million people watched the live show and its video clips via new media platforms, recording 7.1 billion views in total.

China's World Cup hope crushed by loss to Vietnam

China's slim hope of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was crushed by a 3-1 loss to Vietnam in the final round of 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Zone qualifiers on Tuesday.

This is also the first win for Group B bottom side Vietnam, who registered seven losses in as many matches prior to the clash with China.