The Top Story

Reports say rescue crews have found no survivors after a deadly midair collision involving an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians are on their way back home in northern Gaza after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect. U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to pause all federal funding has met strong opposition. Celebrations continue across China as the country marks the first day of the Year of the Snake.

Hezbollah has reaffirmed its stance on Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, saying the deadline has passed and they will tolerate no extensions. U.S. President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants is picking up pace, with at least 1,000 people arrested in various operations. People across China are holding various celebrations to usher in the Year of the Snake.

Lebanon's caretaker prime minister says the country will uphold the ceasefire with Israel. Rebels have claimed control of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, forcing thousands to flee. China is buzzing with festive energy as the Year of the Snake approaches in two days.

Gazans continue to receive humanitarian aid as the ongoing ceasefire enters its fifth day. A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to revoke birthright citizenship, calling it unconstitutional. Brazil is bracing for another possible dengue fever epidemic this year amid a severe strain of the mosquito-borne disease.

An Israeli delegation is in Cairo for talks on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. The US business community is opposing the Trump administration’s tariff threats. A funeral has been held for the victims of the fire at a ski resort in Turkiye.

The World Health Organization expresses regret over the new U.S. administration’s announcement of withdrawing the country from the organization. Fighting between armed groups in Colombia kills at least 100 people and forces thousands to flee to Venezuela. Qatar confirms that the next round of hostage exchanges based on the Gaza ceasefire deal will proceed as scheduled this weekend.

Donald Trump overturns numerous executive orders by his predecessor as he starts his second term as U.S. President. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says thousands of trucks of aid are waiting to enter Gaza, and Hamas says it will release four more Israeli hostages this week under the ceasefire deal. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the third hearing of his impeachment trial.

90 Palestinian prisoners walk free from Israeli jails under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Hundreds of people storm a court in Seoul in support of detained South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. TikTok restores services in the U.S. after Donald Trump said he would reinstate the app's access after he returns to the White House.

The Israeli PM's office announces a hostage deal with Hamas. South Korea's anti-corruption agency files a request to extend the detention of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol. The new Mozambique president vows to reunite his country on the heels of devastating protests.

Israel and Hamas agree to a ceasefire deal, with an initial 42-day phase during which over 15 months of fighting in Gaza will stop. U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his farewell address, warning of what he describes as an oligarchy of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country. TikTok users in the U.S. flock to another Chinese social media app amid a possible ban of the popular platform.

South Korean investigators have arrested impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol. Hamas says negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza have reached the final stage, while there have been mixed reactions from Israel on the deal. Firefighters are holding the line against the wildfires in Los Angeles.

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake has jolted the epicenter of last week’s deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake in southwest China. Israel and Hamas are appearing to move closer to a potential ceasefire in Gaza. TikTok has made a final attempt to stop it from being effectively banned in the United States.

Ravaging wildfires in Los Angeles have killed at least 24 people. Xizang has held a memorial service to mourn the victims of the 6.8-magnitude earthquake hitting the southwestern Chinese region. Incumbent Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has won a landslide victory to claim a second term as president.

The Chinese foreign minister has hailed his country’s ties with Nigeria as a model for solidarity and cooperation among countries of the Global South. Over 47,000 residents have relocated to more than 200 resettlement sites across the quake-hit area in Dingri, southwest China. Local officials have confirmed that the raging wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles have killed ten people.

Rescuers from across China are racing to the quake zone in Xizang for relief and rescue efforts. Firefighters in Los Angeles are battling to contain raging blazes. The leader of Greenland has held talks with the Danish King after Donald Trump threatened to seize the Danish autonomous territory.

Rescuers are searching for survivors after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Xizang in southwest China. California declares a state of emergency amid a fast-moving wildfire in the southern part of the U.S. state. John Mahama assumes office as the president of Ghana, returning to power after eight years.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he is stepping down after nine years in the job. The U.S. Congress has officially confirmed Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 presidential election. Palestinian sources say the latest round of Israeli airstrikes over Gaza has killed at least 19 Palestinians.

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency requests that the police take over the efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol. The Israeli military ramps up airstrikes on Gaza amid revived negotiations in Doha on halting a 15-month conflict. Washington D.C. is preparing to host a series of high-profile political events this month.

South Korea's Chief Intelligence Officer announced that the country has halted the execution of the arrest warrant against President Yoon. The Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel is close to being finalized. Authorities have identified the driver in the Tesla Cybertruck attack.

Sixteen people were killed in two incidents in the US on the first day of 2025. Emergency relief supplies provided by China have arrived in Vanuatu’s capital. Displaced Palestinians in central Gaza are relying on charity kitchens due to a lack of food aid.

Celebrations in China and around the world welcome the year 2025, with thousands gathering at Beijing's Tian'anmen Square for a flag-raising ceremony. The UN human rights office says Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza have devastated the strip’s health system. The supply of Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukraine comes to an end on New Year's day after a transit deal expired.

South Korea issues an arrest warrant against impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol, an unprecedented move against a sitting head of state. South Korean police vow to speed up the identification of the victims killed in the Jeju Air plane crash. A transit deal allowing Russia to export natural gas to Europe via Ukraine expires.

This special edition of The Top Story brings you China Media Group's list of the top 10 China-related news stories and the top 10 international news stories of 2024.

Israel intends to build temporary military posts to ensure their operations inside the buffer zone in the Golan Heights. An investigation into the cause of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan is underway, with a second black box reportedly found. Mass protests have erupted across several cities in Syria over a video showing an attack on an Alawite shrine in Aleppo.