National People's Congress

Photos of the Week

Ethnic minority delegates wearing traditional costumes arrives at the Great Hall of the People to attend a plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing Friday, March 8, 2013. The outgoing head of China's legislature has praised the body for upholding the ruling Communist Party's leading role and for rejecting Western models of multiparty democracy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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Capitol Sunrise At dawn, the sun breaks through dark clouds over Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 7, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Britain Weather A bee hovers above a flower in a park in Westminster in London, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. Temperatures in the capital rose to 13 centigrade making today the warmest day of the year so far. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Italy Volcano Er... Lava erupts at the New Sud-Est crater of Mt. Etna's volcano, near Catania, in Sicily, southern Italy, early Wednesday, March 6, 2013. According to reports it is the seventh eruption of 2013 and it did not pose any threats to the nearby airport and inhabited areas. (AP Photo/Salvatore Allegra)
Russia Paralympi... Skaters perform in celebrations launching the one-year countdown for the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics in Red Square in Moscow, Thursday, March 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Spain Bullfight Spanish bullfighter Alejandro Talavante aims his sword before killing a bull during a bullfight in the southwestern Spanish town of Olivenza, Spain, on Sunday, March 3, 2013. Bullfighting is an ancient tradition in Spain and the season runs from March to October.(AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
South Africa Col... A woman blows blue paint powder on to her friend during the holi one colour Festival held in the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday, March 2, 2013. Thousands of people are taking part in the festival by throwing coloured paint powder at each other to express freedom and the colour of everyday life. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
Germany Easter E... Petra Nakoinz decorates eggs in a traditional costume of the region in the Spree Forest Museum in Luebbenau, Germany, Saturday, March 2, 2013. At the two-day Easter egg fair exhibitors show their different techniques and skills of painting eggs. (AP Photo/dpa, Patrick Pleul)
Philadelphia Flo... People attend a preview for the annual Philadelphia Flower Show featuring a replica of the Elizabeth Tower of the Houses of Parliament, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Friday, March 1, 2013, in Philadelphia. More than 270,000 people are expected to converge on the Pennsylvania Convention Center for the event, which runs through March 10. Billed as the world's largest indoor flower show, it's also one of the oldest, dating back to 1829. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Arizona Sunset A hot air balloon decends to land as the sun sets north of Phoenix Friday, March 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
India Kite Festi... A child flies a kite during a kite festival on the banks of the River Brahmaputra in Gauhati, India, Saturday, March 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Superstorm St. P... The Staten Island Pipes and Drums band marches in the Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaway section of New York, Saturday, March 2, 2013. The ocean side community was devastated by flooding and fire during Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
China Pet Fair A dog runs at an obstacle race at Shanghai Pet Fair on Friday March 1, 2013 in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
India Mass Marri... An Indian bride, sits during a mass marriage of 162 Muslim couples in Ahmadabad, India, Sunday, March 3, 2013. Mass marriages in India are organized by social organizations primarily to help the economically backward families who cannot afford the high ceremony costs as well as the customary dowry and expensive gifts that are still prevalent in many communities.(AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Germany Tech Fai... People work on computers at the Datev booth at the CeBIT tech fair in Hannover, Germany, Monday, March 4, 2013. The computer fair opens it doors to the public March 5 through 9. (AP Photo/dpa, Julian Stratenschulte)
Chanel Fashion S... Models wear creations by German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel's Fall/Winter 2013-2014 ready to wear collection, in Paris, Tuesday, March, 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
China Politics A Chinese military member adjusts a camera as he watches over Tiananmen Square from a rooftop against a sun rise, across from the Great Hall of the People before the opening session of the National People's Congress in Beijing Tuesday, March 5, 2013. China's government promised its people Tuesday deficit-fueled spending to fight deep-seated corruption, improve the despoiled environment and address other quality-of-life issues demanded by an increasingly vocal public looking for change. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Egypt Protesters A protester kicks an Egyptian police pickup truck that was set on fire by anti-president Mohammed Morsi protesters on the 6th of October bridge, in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, March 4, 2013. In at least two separate incidents in Cairo on Monday, protesters torched two police vehicles, setting them on fire and driving the policemen in the cars running in the middle of traffic on major thoroughfares. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Vatican Pope Car... The sun sets behind the statues on top of the Bernini colonnade in St. Peter Square, at the Vatican, Monday, March 4, 2013. Cardinals from around the world have gathered inside the Vatican for their first round of meetings before the conclave to elect the next pope, amid scandals inside and out of the Vatican and the continued reverberations of Benedict XVI's decision to retire. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Bay Bridge Light... In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, photo,lights are turned on along the western half of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on Pier 14 in San Francisco. The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has been turned into the latest, and by far the biggest, backdrop for New York artist Leo Villareal, who has individually programmed 25,000 white lights spaced a foot apart on 300 of the span’s vertical cables to create what is being billed as the world’s largest illuminated sculpture. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Philadelphia's E... This photo taken Wednesday, shows Elfreth's Alley in Philadelphia. The Colonial-era houses along Elfreth's Alley, the nation's oldest residential street, have well-researched histories that document the names of nearly every homeowner over the past three centuries, as well as their occupations. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Germany Weather A young man and woman enjoy the sun and spring-like temperatures on a pier at Lake Starnberg in Niederpoecking near Munich, southern Germany, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. (AP Photo/dpa, Andreas Gebert)
Belarus Wild Lif... Waxwings peck frozen apple on apple tree in the town of Novogrudok, 150 km (93 miles) west of Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, March 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Pakistan Slums Pakistani women cook for their family using a fire inside their makeshift home, in a slum in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, March 4, 2013. Slums which are built on illegal lands have neither running water or sewage disposal. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
Winter Storm A pedestrian walks down Pennsylvania Ave near the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Schools, businesses and the federal government closed in anticipation of a snow storm that could blanket the region. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Singapore Zoo En... One month-old endangered Bornean Orang Utan sleeps on his mother named Miri on Wednesday, March 6, 2013, in Singapore. The Singapore Zoo is renowned for its flagship animal, the Orang Utan, and exhibits both the endangered Bornean and critically endangered Sumatran sub-species in a social setting. It is also known for its efforts in promoting and educating the public about the importance of wildlife conservation through its educational programs and breeding of these endangered species. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
The 1836 Battle ... Members of the San Antonio Living History Association fire muskets as they take part in a pre-dawn memorial ceremony to remember the 1836 Battle of the Alamo and those who fell on both sides, Wednesday, March 6, 2013, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Mideast Israel L... Locusts lands on a sand dune in Negev Desert, southern Israel, near the border with Egypt, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. A swarm of locusts crossed into Israel from neighboring Egypt Monday, raising fears that Israel could be hit with a biblical plague ahead of the Passover holiday. Israel sent out planes to spray pesticides over agricultural fields to prevent damage by the small swarm, which numbers about 2,000 locusts, said Dafna Yurista, a spokeswoman for the Agriculture Ministry. The ministry also set up an emergency hotline and asked Israelis to be vigilant in reporting locust sightings. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Smithsonian Butt... This undated handout photo provided by The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History shows one side of the "Royal Butterfly Brooch" . The museum is unveiling the newest addition to its famous gem collection with a butterfly brooch made of 2,300 gems. The "Royal Butterfly Brooch" was created in 2009 by Taiwanese jewelry artist Cindy Chao. She is donating the piece to the museum, making it the first Taiwanese-designed item in the National Gem Collection. It goes on display Wednesday. The Royal Butterfly is composed of 2,328 gems, totaling 77 carats. It includes colored and color-changing sapphires and diamonds, rubies and tsavorite garnets. The centerpieces of the butterfly's wings are four large-faceted diamond slices. (AP Photo/Don Hurlbert, Smithsonian' Institution)
Germany Deutsche... A business man walks through the hallway of the Deutsche Post DHL headquarters prior to the balance news conference of the logistics company in Bonn, Germany, Tuesday, March 5, 2013.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Germany Weather A man paddles across Maschsee Lake in the light of the setting sun in Hannover, Germany, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. (AP Photo/dpa, Julian Stratenschulte)
Philippines Mala... Filipino Muslim women carry torches as they join a rally at the Maharlika village in suburban Taguig, south of Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The group is calling for a peaceful resolution on the current crisis between the Philippines and Malaysia as they deal with a Philippine Muslim Royal clan who claims ownership of Sabah. Sporadic clashes have so far killed 19 followers of Filipino Sultan Sulu Jamalul Kiram III and eight Malaysian policemen. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
France Protest French CGT and FO union members demonstrate to protest the Socialist government’s plans to loosen this country’s famously rigid labor rules, Paris, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. Multinationals are shutting factories around France amid Europe’s economic slowdown. France’s government is trying to stem job losses and turn the stagnant economy around with a new draft labor law being presented at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. Writing on balloon reads, "Solidarity". (AP Photo/Benjamin Girette)
Winter Storm Mas... Ocean waves crash over a seawall and into houses along the coast in Scituate, Mass., Thursday, March 7, 2013. A nor'easter is bringing wind-whipped, wet snow to Massachusetts, and coastal flooding is expected in communities still recovering from February's blizzard. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Pakistan Interna... Halima Bibi, collects edible herbs that she sells to earn a living for her family, in suburbs of Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, March 7, 2013. Pakistan will mark the International day for women with other nations on Friday, March 8. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
Baseball Spring ... Dirt falls off the cleat of Boston Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia as he runs to second base on a single by teammate Mike Napoli in the third inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Thursday, March 7, 2013, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Germany Tutankha... The Tutankhamun gold mask is displayed during the opening of the exhibition His Tomb and his Treasures in Berlin, Thursday, March 7, 2013. The exhibition which displays a reconstruction of the Pharaoh’s tomb and treasures takes place in the German capital from March 9 until Sep. 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
France Unemploye... Riot policemen protect themselves during a demonstration against layoffs by Goodyear employees, at the Goodyear headquarters in Rueil Malmaison, west of Paris, Thursday March 7, 2013. France has yet to hit bottom. The unemployment rate in Europe's second-largest economy rose again in the last quarter of last year to 10.6 percent, putting new pressure on President Francois Hollande's rollout a controversial labor-market reforms.(AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)
Late President H... Covered by objects placed on it by supporters, the coffin carrying the body of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez arrives to the military academy where his body will lie in state until his funeral in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Seven days of mourning were declared, all schools were suspended for the week and friendly heads of state were expected for an elaborate funeral Friday. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Japan Plum Bloss... Visitors admire plum blossoms at a shrine in Tokyo Thursday, March 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
Egypt Protests Egyptian protester gather around burning tyres during clashes with riot police, not pictured, near a state security building in Port Said, Egypt, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Clashes between protesters and police have broken out in this restive Egyptian port city despite efforts by the military to separate the two sides. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Russia Two-Heade... A rare two-headed Californian Kingsnake on exhibition at the Moscow Zoo in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 7, 2013. Zoo officials said that the occurrence of two-headed snakes are one in a million and they usually don't survive in the wild. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze)
China Politics A Chinese hostess, who serves delegates of National People's Congress, supervises her colleagues posing for a souvenir photographs on Tiananmen Square during a plenary session of the NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Friday, March 8, 2013. The outgoing head of China's legislature has praised the body for upholding the ruling Communist Party's leading role and for rejecting Western models of multiparty democracy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Germany Zoo A yet unnamed male giraffe cub sits in the straw at the zoo in Duisburg, Germany, Friday, March 8, 2012. The zoo is now looking for a name of the baby giraffe. (AP Photo/dpa, Bernd Thissen)
National People'... Ethnic minority delegates wearing traditional costumes arrives at the Great Hall of the People to attend a plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing Friday, March 8, 2013. The outgoing head of China's legislature has praised the body for upholding the ruling Communist Party's leading role and for rejecting Western models of multiparty democracy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Singapore Orient... Three 2-month old Oriental Pied Hornbills are displayed at the Jurong Bird Park's Breeding and Research Center in Singapore, Friday March 8, 2013. These three birds were hatched after successful artificial incubation at the bird park when their eggs were rescued on an off-shore island in Singapore. This is all part of the park's efforts in preserving and educating the public about its wildlife and wildlife reserves.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Oregon Weather A bicyclist glides past a background scene of puffy clouds and blue sky reflected in silky smooth Columbia River waters in Portland, Ore., Thursday, March 7, 2013.(AP Photo/Don Ryan)
Spain Financial ... Police, seen reflected in a street mirror, guard the entrance of a polytechnic as students gather to protest education cuts and lay-offs of professors in Madrid, Friday March 8, 2013. Spain is suffering from two years of recession, harsh austerity programs, sky-high unemployment and an unstable footing on the world's markets. (AP Photo/Paul White)
China Electricia... Electricians check the electricity pylon situated amid farmland in Chuzhou, Anhui province, China, March 7, 2013. China published its economic blueprint for the year on Tuesday, targeting 7.5 percent growth in its gross domestic product that would keep the world's second-largest economy on an even keel. (REUTERS/China Daily)
England Fisherme... Line fishermen wait for a catch as a seagull flies overhead off the coast of Whitby, northern England February 27, 2013. (REUTERS/Dylan Martinez)
India Maha Kumbh... In this Tuesday, March 5, 2013 photo, children use magnets to recover coins thrown by pilgrims into the river at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati River, during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India. Millions of Hindu pilgrims have been attending the Maha Kumbh festival, which is one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days and falls every 12 years. (AP Photo/ Rajesh Kumar Singh)