Top three awarded at New Silk Road model contest

No. 39 Brazilian contestant waves to the audience at the final of New Silk Road Model Look International 2005 was held in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province on that day. 57 models from 40 countries and regions took part in the contest.

People flee Houston before Rita

A long line of vehicles wait on Road No. 10 leading to San Antonio for leaving Houston, the United States, Sept. 22, 2005. Hurricane Rita is expected to land on the coast of the Mexico Gulf in Texas early Sept. 24 and people were busy evacuating from Houston, which is near the gulf.

Lotus seeds meet public after space tour

Luo Dengqiang shows his lotus in Dazu County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Sept. 23, 2005. His 150 lotus seeds were shown to public on Friday after a successful tour in the outer space. In last two months, the lotus planter separately had his seeds sent to space by satellite to improve seed quality, according to an agreement with Beijing Space Satellite Application Company for space breeding, which cost him 15,000 RMB yuan (about 1,850 US dollars).

Sharapova advances, Chinese singles lose

Maria Sharapova of Russia returns to Shinobu Asagoe of Japan during a match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Sept. 23, 2005. Sharapova won 2-0.

Mobilization for Global Justice holds mock wedding

Vineeta Gupta (bride) portrays the World Bank as she holds hands with Sameer Dossani, who portrays the Pentagon, during a mock wedding staged by Mobilization for Global Justice in front of the World Bank building in Washington Sept. 22, 2005. According to the group, the ceremony presented the marriage between US military and corporate interests.

Rural projectionist in mountainous area

Cheng Liechao checks equipment as his wife Yi Yongfang looks on during projection at Caijia Town of Chongqing, southwest China's municipality, Sept. 14, 2005. Cheng Liechao, 54, is a projectionist in mountainous area of Caijia town. Since 1978, Cheng has projected some 400 films annually to mountainous villagers. Each time, he and his wife carrying projection equipment weighing more than 50kg, usually walk across several hills, measuring decades of kilometers, to a remote village. Despite of little earning and tough work, Cheng never has the idea to abandon it. He is proud of his job, saying as a projectionist he is responsible to bring happiness to local people.

Bus fire kills at least 20 evacuees

A US policeman checks a burnt bus near Dallas, Texas, September 23, 2005. The bus fleeing Hurricane Rita caught fire with 24 evacuees on board on that day, killing at least 20 people.

Central delegation arrives in Xinjiang, visits office of Eighth Route Army

Luo Gan (C Front), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, arrives at an airport in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 23, 2005. Luo Gan led the central delegation to Urumqi on Sept. 23 for a series of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the autonomous region, which falls on Oct. 1.