Special trains carry football fans to 'Su Super League' showdowns

The "Su Super League," an amateur football league in eastern China, has ignited excitement among fans, prompting special train services across Jiangsu Province to transport devoted supporters to key matches.

Officially called the Jiangsu City Football League, the amateur, all-male football tournament is competed by teams from 13 cities in Jiangsu Province. It has become a national sensation, attracting a surge of fans traveling across cities to attend matches, whose motto is "Fighting for city honor."

To serve the devoted fanbase, railway officials introduced "Fan Express" trains, offering nonstop service from home cities to match-day destinations.

On Sunday, the railway station in Xuzhou was buzzed with excitement, as over 800 football fans prepared to board one of the "Fan Express" train to Taizhou, where their hometown team would face off against the team of Taizhou at 19:30 that evening.

The railway station implemented staggered boarding, opened a fast-track entrance, assigned dedicated guides, and designated a fan-only waiting area, to reduce boarding time and ensure seamless travel.

"I'm thrilled. Even before boarding, you can feel the incredible passion and excitement in the air," said a football fan from Xuzhou.

The return trip was just as well-orchestrated. After the match, a train departed from Taizhou that night, carrying football fans back to Xuzhou.

"At present, we have launched several fan express train services in Suzhou, Lianyungang, Huai'an and Nanjing. All these fan express trains run directly to their destination without stops. Both local governments and our railway department have made careful preparations to coordinate fan transportation and return travel," said Zhang Congli, head of the Xuzhou Railway Station.

A similar initiative rolled out on Saturday in Lianyungang, when its team competed with Huai'an, carrying about 1,000 Huai'an supporters to the city.

The local railway station also implemented a support plan and optimized entry procedures through a dedicated "Fan Fast Track" for smooth transit.

Special trains carry football fans to 'Su Super League' showdowns

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation