Chinese wedding for Americans in Nanjing

American teacher John Healen and his wife Lona get ready for the wedding ceremony in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 4, 2004. The American couple, who are teachers in an international school in Nanjing, had a typical Chinese wedding on Saturday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their wedding.

Six sentenced for gas well blowout in Chongqing

The six convicted hear the ruling on a major gas well blowout in the No.2 Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing Municipality in southwest China, Sept. 4, 2004. Six people on Saturday were sentenced to jail terms ranging from three to six years on charges of key responsibility accident crime in a major gas well blowout which took place in Chongqing¡¯s Kaixian County on December 23, 2003, killing 243 people and injuring more than 4,000 others.

Putin vows to strengthen security

Russian President Vladi mir Putin visits a victim of the besieged school at a hospital in Beslan, September 4, 2004. Putin ordered a crackdown in seething southern Russia after a school siege killed at least 250, and warned Chechen sympathisers they would be seen as "accomplices of terrorism". (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

China develops top hybrid rice

An expert checks up growth of the hybrid rice named "II You 7954" at a demonstration farmland in Yongsheng County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Sept. 3, 2004. After scientific checkup by a team of experts, the team confirmed that the grain output of this kind of hybrid rice has reached 1,195.2 kilograms per mu (15 mu equals to one hectare). Experts said that it was a top-ranking rice yield in the world and the hybrid rice had high promotion value as well.

Jia Qinglin meets Speaker of Malta's House of Representatives

Jia Qinglin (R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, shakes hands with Anton Tabone, speaker of Malta's House of Representatives, during their meeting in Valletta, Malta, Sept. 3, 2004.

CPPCC official kicks off visit to Spain

Jia Qinglin (R), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, arrives at an airport and is welcomed by the first vice president of the Spanish Senate Morras (C) in Barcelona, Spain, Sept. 3, 2004. Jia started his four-day official goodwill visit to Spain on Friday.

New tennis center for Beijing Open

A general view of the central court of Beijing tennis center. This court, which is fully constructed, will accommodate some 10,000 spectators attending the Beijing Tennis Open scheduled on Sept. 10, 2004.