Chinese-Indonesians in Banda Aceh receive donations

Some Chinese-Indonesians carry daily necessaries in Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh Province, Indonesia, Feb. 2, 2005. The materials were the 5th batch of donations by Chinese from Medan since Jan. 25 to the victims in Banda Aceh, one of the worst tsunami-hit areas.

Fire motorbikes make debut in Shanghai

Firemen demonstrate new fire motorbikes in a fire drill in Shanghai, east China, Feb. 2, 2005. These fire motorbikes will be used on crowded tunnels and overhead roads. With the maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour, the new type of fire motorbike is equipped with a double nozzle gunjet, two tanks containing 20 liters of fire foam each and a gas cylinder.

Little calligraphers write free spring festival couplets

Little calligraphers write Spring Festival couplets for passers-by on Renmin Road in Chaohu, East China's Anhui Province, Feb.3, 2005. With the approaching of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese new lunar year, a calligraphy-studying class organized little calligraphy learners to write Spring Festival couplets for citizens for free Thursday morning.

Bush delivers State of Union address

U.S. President George W. Bush pauses as Vice President Dick Cheney (L) and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R) applaud at the start of his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, February 2, 2005. Bush challenged a hesitant Congress on Wednesday to take political risks to make Social Security "permanently sound," saying the nation's costliest social program was headed for bankruptcy unless changed.

Chinese peacekeeping police to Kosovo win UN medals

Kai Vittrup (R), inspector general of UN specially appointed police to Kosovo adorned medal for Li Haiming, head of Chinese peacekeeping police to Kosovo in Prishtina Feb 2nd, 2005. The 19 Chinese policemen received medals conferred by Kai Vittrup, inspector general of UN specially appointed police to Kosovo and Chinese military attache Wang Debao Wednesday.

12 Iraqi soldiers killed in ambush

A man cried beside bodies of Iraqi soldiers who were killed in an ambush near Kirkuk in the evening of Feb 2nd, 2005. A total of 12 soldiers were killed.

Georgian PM killed by gas leak

Georgian civilians stand outside the house of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania's mother in Tbilisi, February 3, 2005. Zurab Zhvania was found dead of natural-gas poisoning in Tbilisi Thursday.

Zeng Qinghong addresses opening ceremony of China-Caribbean trade forum

Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong addresses the opening ceremony of China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum in Kinston, capital of Jamaica, Feb. 2, 2005.

President Hu meets 11th Panchen Lama

Chinese President Hu Jintao met Thursday with the 11th Panchen Lama at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the eve of the young religious leader's 15th birthday, asking about his progress on religious and academic studies and encouraging him to learn from his predecessor, the 10th Panchen, to be "a Living Buddha with full love to the country and his religion."