Russian, US astronauts begin their spacewalk

Gennady Padalka, Expedition 9 Commander (L) and NASA ISS science officer Michael Fincke (R) outside the International Space Station's Zvezda service module as they install communications and other equipment during a four and one half hour spacewalk Tuesday, August 3, 2004. (REUTERS)

Turkish hostage killed

An Islamist Web site showed photographs of what it said was the killing of a Turkish hostage in Iraq by a group linked to al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The site showed a sequence of five still pictures, available on August 2, 2004, showing the hostage kneeling before armed, masked men standing in front of a banner which resembled that of Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad Group. (Reuters)

Horse race festival in Tibet

Liu Yuanyuan, model of Beijing New Silk Road company, presents Tibetan-style fineries in the Dangxiong Horse Race Festival in northern Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China, Aug. 1, 2004. Liu is one of the image ambassadors of the festival.

Explosions outside churches kill at least 18 in Iraq

United States soldiers and Iraqi policemen inspect the explosion site at the Armenia Church in Baghdad Aug. 1, 2004. Car bombs exploded outside five Christian churches in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul on Sunday, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 100 others.

Paraguayan supermarket owner arrested

The owner of the supermarket(R) and his son(L) are accused of deliberately closing the doors when the market caught fire so that people could not leave without paying, Aug. 2, 2004.(Xinhua/Reuters photo)

Measures against smuggling tightened in SE China

Chinese coast guard police patrol a local harbor as they take measures to fight against smuggling and human trafficking on the coast of southeast China's Fujian province August 1, 2004.

New Baiyun Int'l Airport in Guangdong

China prepares for semifinal against Iran

Chinese players have training in Beijing, capital city of China, August 2, 2004. China will face Iran during the semifinal of 2004 Asian Cup on August 3, 2004.

3rd APEC Youth Science Festival in Beijing

Chinese volunteers make preparations for the Third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Youth Science Festival in Beijing, China August 2, 2004. The festival, which runs from August 3 through 9, aims to arouse interest in science and technology among youth and to promote exchange and interaction among students and science teachers. The theme of this year's festival is "Science, Youth and Future". Around 1,000 students and teachers from 14 APEC economies and China's Macao will participate in the festival.

US raise terror threat to "high"

Vehicles for living broadcast of dozens of TV stations stay for reaction in Wall Street in New York, the United States Aug. 2, 2004. The US Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced on Aug. 1 that the US was raising the color-coded terror threat level to "high" (orange) from "elevated" (yellow) for financial institutions because of the threat that al-Qaeda may attack symbols of international finance in Washington D.C., New York City and northern New Jersey.

Top legislator meets with US Senate leader

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, shakes hands with Ted Stevens, president pro tempore of the US Senate, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, August 2, 2004.