Koizumi not to withdraw troops

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Oct 31 the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Iraq despite a Japanese hostage had been killed, but he did not explicitly say whether to extend the mission.

Clinton campaigns for Kerry

Former US President Bill Clinton is greeted by supporters at a Democratic rally for the Kerry Edwards ticket and other Democrats Sunday, Oct. 31, 2004, in Little Rock, Ark.(AP Photo)

9 US soldiers killed in western Baghdad

US soldiers try to help a buddy who was injured during a clash against Iraqi militants in Ramadi, Oct. 30, 2004. 9 Marines were killed and nine others were wounded in a car-bomb ambush in Fallujah on Saturday.

Presidential election begins in Ukraine

Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, also Ukrainian presidential candidate, casts his vote at a polling station in Kiev, Oct. 31 2004. Ukrainians began casting their ballots Sunday in the presidential election to choose a successor from 24 candidates to President Leonid Kuchma. Polling stations are due to close at 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). Yanukovich is believed to be one of the two presidential hopefuls.

Taiwanese protest against budget for weapon purchase from US

College professors protest outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan Province, Oct. 31, 2004, in a bid to prevent Taiwan lawmakers from approving the Taiwan government's special defense budget of 610.8 billion new Taiwan dollars (18 billion US dollars) to purchase weaponry from the United States.

Fire fighter contest held in Shenyang

Fire fighters run to the scene of accident during a fire fighting contest in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, Oct. 31, 2004. A total of 448 fire fighters from 14 teams of the province participated in the contest on Sunday.

5th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition

A mechanician examines a plane of Chinese Bayi aerobatics team at an airport of Zhuhai, a city of south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 31, 2004. The 5th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition during which five aerobatics teams from Britain, France, Russia and China will demonstrate stunt flights is planned to run from Nov. 1 to 7.

Ma, Zhang winners in World Cup

China's Ma Lin scored a World Cup championship hat-trick by beating Greek Kalinikos Kreangaat 4-2 while Chinese women's players continued to dominate with their eighth World Cup title on Sunday, Oct. 31, in Xiaoshan, east China's Zhejiang Provice.

Happy Halloween

A salesman carves pumpkins for Halloween on a street in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province. Each jack-o-lantern is sold for between 10 and 20 yuan (US$1.2 to 2.4). Many stores in the city were selling products related to the Halloween celebration over the weekend. (newsphoto)

UN appeals for safety of abducted workers

A TV grab showing the three UN employees held hostage by a breakaway Taliban group at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)