James Soong visits Yuelu Academy

James Soong, chairman of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan, visits the Yuelu Academy in Changsha, Hunan Province May 10, 2005. (Xinhua)

EICS opens first office in Chinese mainland

He Tongxin (L), vice governor of Hunan Province and commercial counsellor with EU's delegation to China Christophe Doucerain unveil the cover for the Euro Info Centres (EICs)'s Changsha Office on May 9th 2005 in Changsha, captial of central China's Hunan Province. The Euro Info Centres (EICs) support SMEs in all phases of their development by providing them with information, assistance and advice in all EU-related areas.The Changsha Office is its first office in the Chinese mainland.

Blood-and-tear indictments by "comfort women"

The "comfort women" scheme carried out by the Japanese military during WWII was the ugliest, foulest and darkest sex slave system in the 20th century human history. The inhuman persecution by the Japanese military inflicted grave damages on the body and mind of these victims. Since 1992 some of these elders stood up and began to indict the monstrous crimes once committed by the Japanese military. Recently 16 such victims at Yuxian County of Shanxi's Yangquan have instituted a lawsuit against the Japanese government. The photo shows a relatively intact stone house at Niangziguan of Pingding County in Yangquan used by the Japanese military to lock up victim women.

'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe' in Berlin

An elderly Jew walks among the concrete steles of the 'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe' in central Berlin, Germany May 9, 2005. The Memorial, designed by US architect Peter Eisenman, consists of around 2,700 concrete slabs, and will be officially inaugurated on May 10, 2005.

People in Volgograd commemorate victory of the Great Patriotic War

About 500,000 Russians come to the Statue of Mother Russia in Volgograd (former name Stalingrad) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War May 9, 2005.

Nanjing Fiat 1st-quarter sales plunge 45%

Latest figures show that Nanjing Fiat sold a total 3,590 vehicles in the first quarter of this year, down 45 percent on a yearly basis. This significant drop is 15 times that of the national average of passenger car sales. (newsophoto)

Premier Wen holds talks with Samoan PM

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) shakes hands with his Samoan counterpart Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi during a meeting in Beijing on May 9, 2005. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegao arrived here Sunday afternoon, starting his week-long official visit to China as guest of Premier Wen Jiabao.

Japanese taken hostage in Iraq

Iraqi militants claimed on Monday that they took a Japanese hostage after ambushing a convoy of foreigners and Iraqi troops in western Iraq. The man's employer confirmed he and other employees were missing from the attack. (Xinhua/Reuters)

Chinese president meets world leaders in Moscow

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow May 9, 2005. President Hu arrived in Moscow for the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War.

Grand military parade held at the Red Square

Russian soldiers march during a military parade in Moscow, capital of Russia, on May 9, 2005. A grand parade was held here at 10 o'clock (local time) on Monday to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory of Great Patriotic War.

PFP Chairman returns to alma mater

Chairman of the People First Party (PFP) James CY Soong talks with a pupil during a visit to the Shuguang Primary School, his alma mater, in Xiangtan, central China's Hunan Province, on May 9, 2005. Soong studied here 56 years ago.