Asian Winter Games opening ceremony dazzles int'l officials, athletes

The 9th Asian Winter Games (AWG) kicked off in China's "ice city" of Harbin on Friday, with international officials and athletes hailing the spectacular opening ceremony as a resounding success, featuring a captivating torch-lighting ceremony and dazzling performances that left spectators in awe.

The opening ceremony reached its climax when four torchbearers - two-time Olympic champion and short track speed skater Yang Yang, China's first male Winter Olympic gold medalist and freestyle skier Han Xiaopeng, Olympic race walk champion Wang Zhen, and Sochi Winter Olympics speed skating champion Zhang Hong - joined by children holding ice lanterns, lit the lilac-shaped cauldron at the opening ceremony's sub-venue of the Harbin Ice and Snow World.

"I'm very impressed with the show. It's nice that they could bring us all the way out here from the mountains. But I wasn't expecting the ice skaters to come out of nowhere. We were all looking at the floor and we were wondering how they were doing it. You know, that was pretty cool," said a Singaporean athlete.

"The ceremony was amazing, every part of it, every part of the show, it was amazing. Like I can't even pick one, which one was my favorite because everything was amazing," said a Kyrgyzstan athlete.

"It's a great environment and we are happy to be here as a part of the Asian Winter Games 2025. And it's nice [organization], even we have come from Yabuli because of good transportation to make the commute for the athletes. I think the show is very nice. And especially the background of the stage is impressive," said Taratip Chantawat, deputy head of the Thai delegation.

Framed by children's dreams of inspiration, pursuit, and fulfillment, the gala performance, featuring chapters titled "Blazing Ice and Snow," "Passion in Motion" and "Everlasting Friendship," vividly portrayed hope and resilience.

The performance opened with ice harvesters and ballet dancers symbolizing harmony with nature, while the Games' emblem "Breakthrough" was illuminated. It then showcased the thrill of winter sports and a joyful ice carnival, concluding with vibrant Asian dances and a unifying "Asian balcony concert."

Running from February 7 to 14, the Harbin Games, with the slogan "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia," represents another major international winter sports event hosted by China following the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. It also marks the country's third time hosting the AWG, following Harbin 1996 and Changchun 2007.

A record 34 countries and regions are competing in Harbin 2025, surpassing the previous high set at the 8th AWG in Sapporo, Japan in 2017.

Asian Winter Games opening ceremony dazzles int'l officials, athletes

Asian Winter Games opening ceremony dazzles int'l officials, athletes

Asian Winter Games opening ceremony dazzles int'l officials, athletes

Asian Winter Games opening ceremony dazzles int'l officials, athletes

European countries and international organizations have widely condemned Israeli air strikes on Lebanon which have resulted in more than 1,000 civilian casualties, including children, and have caused damage to civilian infrastructure.

Israel launched large-scale air raids across Lebanon on Wednesday, saying it had carried out 100 strikes within a matter of minutes on positions they claimed belonged to the Hezbollah group.

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health reported more than 300 had been killed in the attacks, with roughly 1,150 wounded.

The attacks came after a two-week ceasefire agreement was reached by the United States and Iran. However, both Israel and the United States have maintained Lebanon is not included in the truce.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Thursday accused Israel of violating international law to carry out the air strikes on Lebanon, calling the attacks "a shame on the conscience of all humanity".

Earlier on Thursday, Albares announced that Spain would reopen its embassy in Tehran in the hope of achieving peace in the region.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Israel had "disrespected" the two-week ceasefire with Iran by carrying out the strikes.

Meloni also warned of further economic turmoil if U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran flare ​up again, and said the European Union should consider a temporary suspension of the Stability and Growth Pact, an agreement which ensures economic stability within the European Union, in order to handle the potential monetary consequences.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday warned that Israel's military operations in Lebanon could cause the entire peace process as a whole to fail, telling a press conference in Berlin "that must not happen."

Merz announced that the German government will resume direct talks with Iran in order to support the newly agreed two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

He also stated that a window of opportunity for a negotiated solution has opened for the first time since the outbreak of the conflict, though he cautioned that the situation in the Middle East remains "fragile."

The UK's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Thursday that she is "deeply troubled" by Israel's escalating attacks on Lebanon, expressing hope that Lebanon will be included in the current ceasefire arrangement.

Cooper also reiterated the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the effective closure of the vital shipping chokepoint had been "deeply damaging for the world", while stressing how crucial the passageway is to the entire global economy.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described the Israeli strikes on Lebanon as "intolerable."

In a radio interview, Barrot said France strongly condemns "the massive strikes" which seriously undermine the temporary ceasefire reached earlier between the United States and Iran. The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday that Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon, which killed hundreds overnight, could not be considered as an act of self-defense.

"Israel's right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction," Kallas said in a post on the social media platform X. She warned that the strikes risk further destabilizing the region and added that Israel's actions were putting the U.S.-Iran ceasefire under severe strain.

Despite this widespread criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Thursday there would be no ceasefire in Lebanon, signaling that Israel will continue its military operations while pursuing planned negotiations with Beirut.

"There is no ceasefire in Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a video address to residents of northern Israel, adding: "We continue to strike Hezbollah with force and we will not stop until we restore your security."

Netanyahu said he had instructed his cabinet to open direct talks with Lebanon following what he described as repeated requests from the Lebanese government.

The negotiations, which are expected to begin next week in Washington, aim to disarm Hezbollah and reach a "historic and lasting" peace agreement, Netanyahu added. Delegations will be led by the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States.

Israel and Lebanon have no formal diplomatic relations and technically remain in a state of war.

European Leaders widely condemn Israeli attacks on Lebanon