Construction of No.4 generating unit of Qinshan II Nuclear Power Plant begins

Construction has begun on a second power unit, power unit No. 4, as part of the Qinshan Phase II Extension Project, in Haiyan, Jiaxing of east China's Zhejiang province on January 28, 2007.

Miss Oklahoma wins Miss America

Lauren Nelson, a 20-year-old aspiring Broadway star from Oklahoma won the Miss America crown Monday night, Jan. 29, 2007 . It was the second consecutive year a Miss Oklahoma won the annual beauty contest.

Student camp gets across the Taiwan Strait

Participants in a cross-Taiwan Strait student camp visit Panda World zoo in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province January 30, 2007. More than 70 students from Taiwan and 20 Fuzhou pupils in the camp will travel across Fujian in ten days.

Ronaldo moves to AC Milan from Real Madrid

Former Real Madrid player Brazilian international Ronaldo speaks to the press in Madrid to confirm that an agreement had been reached between Real and AC Milan to allow him to move to Italy. Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid on Tuesday announced the transfer of its Brazilian star striker Ronaldo to Italian Serie A powerhouse AC Milan.

British Stonehenge builders' village found

A village of small houses about three kilometers from Britain's mysterious Stonehenge that may have sheltered its builders has been found, local media reported on Jan 31, 2007.

"The Lord of the Rings" exhibition held in Germay

A visitor looks at original studies of "Gollum" at the exhibition "The Lord of the Rings" at the Movie Park of Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany, during a press preview tour on Tuesday.

Cuban leader Castro appears on TV

Cuba's President Fidel Castro and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez (R) look at a book during the daily newscast Mesa Redona in Havana in this image taken from television January 30, 2007. Ailing Cuban leader Castro was shown on state television on Tuesday for the first time in three months, meeting with Chavez in Havana.

Clowns of Gaojia Opera

Gaojia Opera artists perform in a theatre in Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province January 30. Gaojia Opera is a regional drama popular in Fujian and famed for various clown roles.

France to ban smoking in bars, restaurants and cafes

A student smokes outside a high school in Paris after the visit of Health and Solidarity Minister Xavier Bertrand to announce a smoking ban in public places. France, home to a lively tobacco-scented cafe culture, this week moves to enforce a ban on smoking in public places that will extend to embrace bars, restaurants and cafes next year.

263 militants killed in Najaf battles

Iraqi soldiers stand guard near the bodies of militants after a battle in Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Jan. 30, 2007. Iraqi security forces backed by U.S. helicopters killed 263 militants and detained 392 others in the battles outside the holy Shiite city of Najaf, some 160 km south of Baghdad, a defense ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

Germans protest retirement age increase

Employees of German car manufacturer Opel gather during a demonstration by German metal and engineering worker union IG Metall at the Opel headquarters in Ruesselseim near Frankfurt, Jan. 30, 2007. Juergen Peters, chairman of IG Metall informed the workers about the plans of Germany's government to increase the retirement age from 65 to 67.

Short track skating at Winter Asiad

China's Wang Meng holds a five-star national flag after winning the gold medal in the women's short track 500m speed skating at the 6th Asian Winter Games in Changchun, Jilin Province January 30, 2007. Wang Meng clocked 43.869 seconds.

President Hu kicks off eight-nation Africa tour

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) and his wife Liu Yongqing wave well-wishers upon their arrival in the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde January 30, 2007, kicking off his eight-nation Africa tour. Hu will also visit Liberia, Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles.

World's oldest person celebrates 114th birthday

Japan's oldest person Yone Minagawa blows off some of the candles on her birthday cake with a nursing home official as they celebrate her 114th birthday at a special nursing home in Fukuchi town in Fukuoka prefecture, southwestern Japan, Jan. 4, 2007. Minagawa has become the world's oldest living person after Emma Faust Tillman, who became the world's oldest last week, reportedly died Sunday night at a nursing home in Connecticut at 114 years old, local media reports. Picture taken Jan. 4, 2007.

Ice on Yellow River begins to melt

The photo taken on Jan. 30, 2007 shows the flowing ice on the Yellow River near the Yellow River Bridge in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. As the temperature in the area is higher than that in 2006, frozen parts in the Ningxia section of the river began to melt.

Engine fuel spill near Gibraltar coasts

Men clean up engine fuel from a refrigerator ship that ran aground near Algeciras, southern Spain, Jan. 29, 2007. The ship ran aground on a Spanish beach in stormy seas on Sunday, breaching the hull and spilling engine fuel over protected coasts near Gibraltar.