Week in Photos:<br>Nov 27

Lao security forces watch as a young performer walks to the stage during National Day ceremonies Friday, Dec. 2, 2005, in Vientiane, Laos. More than 25,000 gathered at the National Assembly to listen to speeches commemorating the 30th anniversary victory of Lao communist forces over U.S.-backed troops. Laos is one of only five nations in the world that govern under the communist banner.

At Attention

A member of the honor guard stands at the entrance of the congress hall where the 23rd Africa-France summit is taking place in Bamako, Mali, Saturday Dec. 3, 2005. Heads of state from across Africa gathered in Mali's capital for a two-day summit on conflicts and crises facing the continent's youth.

Eye to Eye

U.S. Navy Corpsman Jason Velez, left, of New York, who is attached to the 2nd Marine Division, looks at an Iraqi boy looking at his gun in Saadah, Iraq, eight miles from Syria, Friday, Dec. 2, 2005.

The Cavalry is Here

Cavalrymen gallop through the snow as several thousand military history enthusiasts from 23 countries gather at the Slavkov (Austerlitz) battlefield, Czech Republic, Friday, Dec 2, 2005. Napoleonic historians re-enacted the battle of Austerlitz at its original site some 240 kilometers east of Prague.

Coverup

The obelisk in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina, is covered with a giant condom, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2005 to mark this year's World AIDS Day with campaigns for HIV/AIDS prevention.

Crisis in Zimbabwe

Children pick up rotten eggs from a heap of uncollected garbage in Mbare, a township southwest of Harare, Friday, Dec. 2, 2005. Garbage collection is the latest casualty as Zimbabwe's economy crumbles. Three waste management firms have withdrawn collection services across the capital Harare, citing a lack of gasoline, spare parts and equipment.

Finishing Touches

A Lebanese member of the Hezbollah guerilla group puts the final touches on an effigy representing U.S. President George W. Bush near the Fatma Gate in Kfar Kila village on the Israeli border of southern Lebanon, Friday, Dec. 2, 2005. Hezbollah activists installed the effigy Friday to protest U.S. bias toward Israel.

Putting the Hand in Handball

Irina Pusic of the Netherlands, right, is stopped by Croatia's Maja Cop, left, as Croatia's Kristina Franic looks on during their match at the XVII Womens World Handball Championship in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Dec. 5, 2005.

Artworker

Huw Walters, a senior technician, carries a rediscovered work by Rembrandt to be put on display at Sotheby's auction rooms in London, Friday Dec. 2, 2005. The painting, 'Portrait of an Elderly Woman in a White Bonnet,' circa 1640, is to be auctioned in New York on Jan. 26, 2006, and is estimated to bring $3-$4 million.

Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons prepare to take off in the city of Leon, Mexico on Thursday Dec. 1, 2005. The city hosted the 4th International Festival of Hot Air Balloons.

Small Survivor

Earthquake survivor Khaliq Khan, 4, looks out from his temporary shelter in Drangyari, north of Srinagar, India, Thursday, Dec 1, 2005. Worsening weather has severely hampered aid efforts in earthquake-ravaged areas of Kashmir.

Aids Day

Singers wait to perform in ceremonies held to commemorate International AIDS Day in the Botsabelo district of Maseru, Lesotho, Thursday Dec. 1, 2005. Lesotho's King Letsie III used the occasion to launch a free nationwide testing program. Nearly 70 percent of all new HIV infection occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Panda-monium

Giant panda cub Tai Shan, made his debut to the press Nov. 29, 2005 at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. Tai Shan is the sixth panda cub born at the National Zoo. His mother, 7-year-old Mei Xiang, conceived the cub by artificial insemination.

Opportune Snooze

Naval Academy midshipmen sleep in their seats as they wait for President Bush to arrive at the Academy in Annapolis, Md., Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005. Bush was scheduled to give a speech on Iraq at the Academy.

Front Seat

A poster entitled "It All Started On A Bus," is attached to the front seat of a New York City bus to honor Rosa Parks in New York, Dec. 1, 2005. The MTA asked transit riders to sacrifice the reserved seat as a tribute to Parks on the 50th anniversary of her landmark act of civil disobedience.

Iraqi Raid

Iraqi soldiers question a man during a raid in Saadah, eight miles from Iraq's border with Syria, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005. In a speech Wednesday, President George W. Bush said the U.S. military presence in Iraq is set to change, with fewer patrols and convoys and a new focus on specialized operations aimed at high-value terrorist targets.