CGTN头条新闻2022 科罗拉多州野火烧毁近1000所房屋（在线收听）

Nearly 1,000 homes destroyed in Colorado wildfire

Chinese, Uzbek presidents exchange congratulations on 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev have exchanged congratulations on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Xi Jinping says the two countries have set an example of international relations featuring harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation.

He says the two countries have worked together and assisted each other in the fight against COVID-19.

He says he is willing to work with his Uzbek counterpart to write a new chapter in the history of China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership.

Mirziyoyev says Uzbekistan is ready to deepen cooperation with China on the Belt and Road Initiative and push bilateral relations to a new stage.

HKSAR's seventh-term LegCo begins four-year term on Jan. 1

The seventh-term Legislative Council of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region began its four-year term of office on Saturday.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam will administer the oath-taking ceremony for members of the Legislative Council on Jan. 3.

The new LegCo is expected to hold its first session on Jan. 12.

The LegCo election, the first since improvements to the region's electoral system, was successfully held on Dec. 19.

Chinese mainland reports 131 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 131 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.

Of the new local cases, 123 were reported in the province of Shaanxi, seven in Zhejiang, and one in Henan.

The National Health Commission also reported 60 new imported cases in 10 provincial-level regions.

China to donate two mln doses of Sinovac vaccines to Botswana

China will donate two million doses of Sinovac vaccine to Botswana in 2022.

Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Wang Xuefeng says the new batch of donations will support the Botswana government in its national vaccination deployment plan.

2,000-odd flights canceled on New Year's Day in U.S. as result of surging Omicron

Over 2,000 flights have been canceled on New Year's Day as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continued to upend airline operations during the holiday travel season in the United States.

Southwest has the most cancellations among major U.S. carriers with 457 scrapped flights.

Major carriers such as Delta, United and JetBlue have all blamed the Omicron variant for causing staffing problems that ultimately lead to flight cancellations.

A tally by Johns Hopkins University shows over 2.7 million new cases and more than 9,000 new deaths were recorded over the past week. 

Nearly 1,000 homes destroyed in Colorado wildfire

Officials in the U.S. state of Colorado say nearly 1,000 homes have been destroyed and hundreds more damaged after a wildfire hit neighborhoods in a suburban area northwest of Denver.

Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle says investigators are still trying to find the cause of the blaze.

"We're looking into the cause and origin of the fire, and if it turns out to be arson or reckless, you know, reckless behavior with fire, we'll take appropriate actions."

At least three people have been reported missing in the winter season wildfire.

China's 2021 average temperature hits new high since 1961

China's national average temperature was 10.7 degrees Celsius in 2021, one degree Celsius higher than usual and the highest reading in 60 years.

The China Meteorological Administration says more extreme weather events were recorded in China last year, with stronger intensity and higher frequency.

The national average precipitation was 6.8 percent more than usual.

In particular, the average precipitation in northern China was 40 percent more than previous years.