BEIJING, Dec. 17, 2019 (Xinhua) -- The world in the past 24hrs. A selection of the best daily press photos from Xinhua.
A Long March-3A carrier rocket carrying two satellites of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) blasts off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Dec. 16, 2019. (Photo by Guo Wenbin/Xinhua)
A signing ceremony of the founding partnership between Tencent and Global Esports Federation is held in Singapore on Dec. 16, 2019. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)
Aerial photo taken on Dec. 16, 2019 shows a bullet train running on the Xixi River grand bridge of the Chengdu-Guiyang railway in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The 648-km-long Chengdu-Guiyang high-speed rail line, an important part of China's ambitious plan to build a high-speed railway network across the country, was launched on Monday. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reacts during a press conference after a cabinet meeting in Wellington, New Zealand, Dec. 16, 2019. Questions need to be asked and answered with regard to the casualties caused by the White Island volcanic eruption, said Jacinda Ardern on Monday. People across New Zealand observed a one-minute silence on Monday in honor of the victims of the White Island volcanic eruption. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)
Passengers prepare to get on trains at the Yancheng Railway Station in Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu Province, Dec. 16, 2019. The Xuzhou-Yancheng rail line and Lianyungang-Huai'an rail line were put into service on Monday, linking major cities in northern Jiangsu with high-speed railway network. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
A man listens to an introduction of the development of Taiwan Biobank during an annual session of the Taiwan Society for Biopreservation and Biobanking in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, Dec. 16, 2019. Taiwan Biobank, founded in 2012, aims to expand its gene database to 200,000 individuals by 2024, its principal investigator Lee Te-chang said Monday. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
People enjoy the 16th annual Santa Claus parade on Columbia Street in New Westminster, Dec. 15, 2019. (Photo by Andrew Soong/Xinhua)
Aerial photo taken on Dec. 16, 2019 shows a view of Danxia landform, a landscape characterized by reddish sandstone features, in Xinghe Town of Zhidan County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Tao Ming)
Aerial photo taken on Nov. 18, 2019 shows a scenery of Macao Peninsula in south China. On Dec. 20, Macao will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)
Combo photo shows a view of Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe on Dec. 31, 2016 (top) and a view of Victoria Falls on Dec. 13, 2019 (bottom). The volume of water of the Victoria Falls decreases in recent years. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuliang)
Photo taken on Dec. 16, 2019 shows a snow scenery at the Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)
