Wal-Mart accelerates expansion in East China

Wal-Mart is scheduled to open its first store in the Pudong District of Shanghai on July 28. The 18,000-square-metre hypermarket, which the company calls a "supercentre," sells about 20,000 commodities. It is learned that taking South China as its main battlefield, Wal-Mart has started rapid expansion of its market share in East China. Apart from the first store in Shanghai, it will launch seven more stores in East China by the end of this year, approaching to the total number of stores it opened in the past nine years in this area.

Key suspect in London bomb plot arrested

A picture taken from closed circuit television on July 21, 2005 and released by London's Metropolitan Police on July 27, 2005, shows a suspect sought by British police in connection with attempted bomb attacks carried out on July 21 in London. "I can confirm that one of the men who was arrested in Birmingham was Yasin Hassan Omar," head of the anti-terrorism unit Peter Clarke said on Wednesday.

Tang Jiaxuan meets with Rice in Washington for talks

Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan (L) meets with US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice in Washington of US, July 27, 2005. The two parties exchanged views on Sino-US relations, "Taiwan independence" and the nuclear issues of the Korean Peninsular. (Xinhua Photo)

China's magnesium city to be built in Qaidam

The salt lake resources in China's Qaidam Basin include abundant sylvite and magnesium salts. For decades, the local people have used large amount of sylvite to produce potash fertilizer. However, the magnesium salts were let out as tailings. Now, a project is launched to build China's magnesium city through making full use of the salt lake resources in the Gobi new city Germu of Qaidam Basin.

Cranes fly in Xianghai National Nature Reserve

A red-crowned crane flies in the ray of the rising sun. Covering 100,000 hectares including 36,000 hectares of wetland, the Xianghai National Nature Reserve in Jilin province is mainly aimed at protecting rare birds such red-crowned crane and rare plant species involving Mongolian yellow elm. Covering 100,000 hectares including 36,000 hectares of wetland, the Xianghai National Nature Reserve in Jilin province is mainly aimed at protecting rare birds such red-crowned crane and rare plant species involving Mongolian yellow elm.

Dai Bingguo meets heads of delegations at the six-party talks

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo(R) shakes hands with Alexander Alekseyev, Deputy Foreign Minister, also head of Russian delegation at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, July 28, 2005. The fourth round of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue continued its closed-door meetings July 28, the third day of the negotiations. (Xinhua Photo)

First female riot police force in China

The Public Security Bureau in Jinzhou city, northeast China's Liaoning Province, set up China's first female riot police force on Dec 26, 2003. The average age of the 25 members in the force was 26. One and half years since the establishment of the female riot police force, it has uncovered 35 various cases, caught 48 criminal suspects and 5 escaped criminals wanted online. In the year of 2004, Jinzhou female riot police force was awarded a class three collective commendation; meanwhile five members were awarded the class three individual commendation, and one member was awarded the title of March-Eighth Red-Banner Pacesetter.

Coal mine blast in Guizhou takes a heavy toll

Rescuers take a rest outside the pit of the Fengxiangpo Coal Mine, a village-run pit in Kaiyang County in southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 27, 2005. Fourteen miners were confirmed killed in a gas explosion, which occurred here at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, rescue headquarters at the site said. (Xinhua Photo)

Reconstruction by locals in quake-stricken Lindian, Heilongjiang

Photo taken on July 26, 2005 shows tents put up beside houses damaged in an earthquake at a village in Lindian County, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. The quake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale occurred at 11:43 p.m. local time (1543 GMT) July 25. After the quake, local people have begun self-rescue work and reconstruction.

"Global Bikini Beauties 2005"

40 beauties arrived in Beihai, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region July 27 to compete for crown of the "Global Bikini Beauties 2005". Beihai city will hold a tourism culture festival from July 28 to July 30. The "Global Bikini Beauties 2005" is an important event of the festival.

Chinese Embassy holds photo exhibition marking WWII in Belgium

Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Zhang Qiyue (R) and Belgian local parliament official Jos Chabert attend the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Brussels, capital of Belgium, July 26, 2005. The nine-day exhibition was sponsored by the Chinese Embassy in Belgium and organizations of overseas Chinese in Belgium.

Malaysia's Consumers Day held in Kuala Lumpur

Girls choose and buy magazines at the Malaysia Consumers Fair 2005 marking Malaysia's Consumers Day in Kuala Lumpur July 26, 2005. July 26 was decided to be the country's Consumers Day by the Malaysian Parliament in 1999.

ASEAN plus 3 foreign ministers meeting held in Vientiane

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (R Front) attends the foreign ministers' meeting between ASEAN countries and China, Japan and South Korea in Vientiane, July 27, 2005.

Medalists at the 11th FINA World Championships

Australian swimmer Leisel Jones(C), US swimmer Tara Kirk (R) and Jessica Hardy show their medals on the podium following the women's 100m breaststroke final at the 11th FINA World Championships held in Montreal, Canada July 26, 2005. Leisel won the gold, Hardy the silver and Kirk the bronze.

First minority nationality hall opens in Hangzhou

Children of Chinese minority nationalities browse web pages about traditional costumes in a minority nationality hall, the first in a community in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, July 27, 2005. The hall covering an area of more than 260 square meters was opened on July 27. More than 170 people of 14 minority nationalities including the Mongolian and Korean nationalities live in the community.

Chinese leaders meet Zimbabwean President

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) shakes hands with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe during their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, July 27, 2005.

Iraqi soldiers in misery

Abbas (L), a 24-year-old Iraqi soldier, and his comrade in arms receive treatment at a hospital in Baghdad. They both were injured in a suicide bomb attack July 20 when they signed up for joining the army at a draft center in Baghdad. Draft centers are a frequent target of suicide bombings, and soldiery has become one of the most dangerous careers in unstable Iraq. But the high unemployment rate forces Iraqi young people to join the army in order to support their families.