Snow brings traffic to standstill in Qinling Mountains

Hundreds caught in snow: A driver checks his jeep frozen and trapped on a highway in the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province November 25, 2004. Heavy snow began falling Wednesday, blocking the No 312 highway from Xi'an to Shangluo, and trapped over 700 passing vehicles for 24 hours. The local authorities sent police and workers to clear away the thickening snow. Meanwhile, government employees were assigned to bring food and water to trapped passengers. (newsphoto)

Toray's 2005 swimsuit collection

A model presents a new swimsuit during a show of Toray's 2005 swimsuit collection in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 25, 2004.

Black-headed gulls spend winter in Kunming

The picture dated Nov 24 shows people watching black-headed gulls at the Cuihu Park in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province on Nov 24. About 2, 000 black-headed gulls have flown from Siberia to Kunming to spend the winter since November.

US forces launch offensive on "triangle of death"

US soldiers patrol in Fallujah, Nov. 25, 2004.The US-led forces have mounted amajor offensive on a cluster of small towns known as "the triangle of death" south of Baghdad as the fighting against rebel pockets continue in Fallujah.

Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng continues visit to Germany

Visiting Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan (R2) talks with a staff member of Dresden's sewage farm Nov. 24, 2004. Zeng is paying an official visit to Germany at the invitation of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. During the visit from Nov.22 to Nov.27, Zeng will attend the inaugural meeting of the China-Europe Forum to be held in Hamburg, Germany.

IAEA to discuss nuclear issues of Iran and ROK

zhang Yan (R2), representative of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Vienna talks to a delegate at the meeting of IAEA's board of governors in Vienna, capital of Austria, Nov. 25, 2004. The two-day meeting is to discuss the nuclear issues of Iran and South Korea.

Press photo exhibition opens in Macao

Edmund Ho Hau Wah (L Front), chief executive of China's Macao Special Administrative Region, accompanied by Xue Yongxing, head of the Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau of Xinhua News Agency, visits a press photo exhibition in Macao, south China, Nov. 25, 2004. The exhibition was held to mark the 55th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the fifth anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland.

PLA Garrison Troops in HK have 7th turnover

Wang Jitang (L), commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison Troops in Hong Kong, shakes hands with outgoing soldiers in Hong kong, south China, Nov. 25, 2004. The seventh turnover for part of the personnel and equipment of the PLA Garrison Troops in Hong Kong, which was established on July 1, 1997 when China resumed exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, was successfully practiced on Thursday. There is no change of size of the troops and equipment after the replacement.

50th anniversary of CRI's Russian language broadcasting marked in Moscow

Two dancers who teach in a Chinese language school in Moscow perform during a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the start of the Russian language broadcasting by China Radio International (CRI), in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 25, 2004.

Israeli FM meets Chinese Mideast envoy

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom (L) shakes hands with Chinese Mideast envoy Wang Shijie during a meeting in Tel Aviv Nov. 25, 2004. Shalom and Wang exchanged views on the Israeli-Palestinian situation.

Philippine hostage returns home

Philippine diplomat Angelito Nayan (C) celebrates his release upon arrival at Manila Airport Nov. 25, 2004. Nayan and two female United Nations workers were freed Nov. 23, almost a month after they held hostage in Afghanistan.

EU-Russia summit held in Hague

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C Front), European Union Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (L Front) and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende (R Front), whose country is holding EU's rotating presidency, pose for a group photo in The Hague, the Netherlands, Nov. 25, 2004. Putin, Barroso and Balkenende took part in the EU-Russia summit on Nov. 25.

Koizumi's visit to shrine ruled official

A supporter of 63 plaintiffs raises a banner saying "unfair judgement" outside the Chiba District Court in Chiba, Japan, Thursday Nov. 25, 2004. The Chiba District Court ruled on Thursday that Koizumi's visit to the war criminal-enshrined shrine on Aug. 13, 2001 was an official activity, but stopped short of saying the visit was unconstitutional.