Record revenue of Tibet tourism

A group of European tourists have their lunch on their ride to Xigaza on November 24, 2004. They are driving around Tibet for traveling. The Tourism Bureau of the Tibet Autonomous Region revealed that from Jan.- October this year tourism generated a record revenue of more than 1.3 billion yuan for Tibet, which was 40.5 percent higher than that of the same period of last year.

Angels on Xisha Islands

Active participators in team activities, the women soldiers are affectionately called "angels on Xisha Islands" by their fellows. The islands welcomed the first batch of seven women troops stationed there in July 2001. They have been dedicated to ensuring communication against adverse living conditions and closed geographic environment. The troops won the third-grade merit in 2004.

Huge bowl aimed at Guinness record

Huge porcelain bowl with a diameter of 1.97 meters and a height of 0.85 meter, in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, Nov. 24. It took half a year to complete the bowl, from design to production. Related departments have planned to file application for Guinness world record.

55th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Albania

Tian Changchun (R1), Chinese Ambassador to Albania talks to Albanian President Moisiu in the embassy on Nov 23. The Chinese embassy to Albania holds a reception to mark the 55th anniversary of founding of diplomatic ties with Albania. A total of 150 guests including Albanian President, President of Parliament and Deputy Prime Minister attend the reception.

Black boxes of the crashed plane found

The picture taken on Nov. 24, 2004 shows the second flight data recorder, or known as the "black box", of the crashed CRJ-200 jet, which was discovered in the lake in Baotou, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 24, 2004. A 50-seat short-haul jet CRJ-200, with 47 passengers and six crew members aboard, left Baotou for east China's Shanghai on Sunday morning, but crashed into a lake of the Nanhai Park shortly after it took off.

Afghan President meets freed UN workers

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (1st, L) and three United Nations workers Philippine diplomat Angelito Nayan (3rd R), Kosovan Shqipe Hebibi (2nd R) and Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland (1st R) meet the press at the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul Nov. 24, 2004. The three UN workers, who were held hostage in Afghanistan, were set free unharmed Tuesday.

Iraqis apply for Haj

An Iraqi woman waits eagerly to hand in her application for Haj in Makkah, an Islamic holy city in Saudi Arabia, at the window of the application center in Al-Jame'a Mosque in Baghdad, capital of Iraq, Nov. 24, 2004. About 28,000 applications will be approved in Iraq for the annual Haj in February 2005.

Abbas meets Russian FM

Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive committee chairman Mahmoud Abbas (R) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) answer media's questions after a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah November 23, 2004. Palestinian presidential favourite Mahmoud Abbas vowed on Tuesday never to give up the late Yasser Arafat's bedrock demand that Israel recognise a "right of return" of Palestinian refugees.

Official condoles families of the air crash victims

Entrusted by the State Council, Wang Xianzheng, Director of the State Administration of Work Safety condoles families of the air crash victims in Baotou on Nov 24.

China stuns Brazil to enter final in U-19 World Championship

Members of Chinese team greet the audience after the match against their Brazilian rivals, Nov. 24, 2004. China beat Brazil 2-0 in the semifinal in the FIFA U-19 World Championship to enter the final.

Indian PM meets his Pakistani counterpart

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) shakes hands with Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, capital of India, Nov. 24, 2004. Aziz, who arrived in New Delhi Tuesday for a two-day visit, held talks with Singh on Wednesday.

Art exhibition for handicapped children held in Beijing

A visitor takes a photo of an art work at an art exhibition for handicapped children in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 24, 2004. Some 227 art works by handicapped children from nine cities are displayed at the four-day exhibition, opened on Wednesday.

Palestinian leaders meet Chinese envoy for the Middle East

Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Mahmoud Abbas (R) meets with Wang Shijie, Chinese envoy for the Middle East, in the West Bank city of Ramallah Nov. 24, 2004. Abbas and Wang exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli situation.

Rumsfeld denies lobbying against intelligence reform

US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld denies reports that he privately lobbied against a proposed intelligence overhaul supported by President George W. Bush at a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington Nov.23, 2004.

Ukrainian opposition supporters hold rally

Supporters of Ukraine's opposition leader and presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko take part in a rally in Kiev Nov. 24, 2004. Ukrainian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich led Yushchenko by three percentage points with nearly all of the ballots counted.

Chinese Vice Premier in Germany to attend China-Europe Forum

Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan (L Front), accompanied by Jurgen Hambrecht, chairman of BASF chemical company, visits the company in Ludwigshafen, Germany, Nov. 23, 2004. Zeng started a six-day visit to Germany on Nov. 22, during which he will also attend the first meeting of the China-Europe Forum, to be held in Hamburg, Germany.

President Hu meets Spanish crown prince

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R2) and his wife Liu Yongqing (R) meet with Spanish Crown Prince Felipe de Borbon y Grecia (L2), and his wife Letizia Ortiz (L) in Gran Canaria, Spain, Nov. 24, 2004.