Sony launches E series LCD displays in China

Sony China rolled out E series liquid crystal display (LCD) Thursday in Beijing. The E series displays feature a special compartment at the bottom to store office stationary like pens. The additional space below is also dedicated to Post-It notes. An official with Sony China said the launch of E series shows Sony begins to march towards the mid-to low-end.

Israel pounds Beirut's airport

The airport fuel storage tanks set on fire after Israeli warplanes bombed the fuel storage tanks of Lebanese Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut's southern suburb after nightfall Thursday, July 13, 2006.

$76.90 a barrel, oil price hits record

Dealers work nervously in the New York Mercantile Exchange on July 13. In response to escalating tensions in the Mideast, U.S. light crude oil for August delivery rose $1.75 to settle at $76.70 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a record closing high, after hitting a new trading high of $76.90 earlier in the session.

Buddha painting unfolded in Tibet

Photo taken on July 12, 2006 shows the painting of the Future Buddha laid out on a 32-meter-tall and 42.5-meter-long stone platform at the Tashillunpo Monastery in Xigaze, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The annual Buddha-painting unfolding ceremony is held on the 13th, 14th and 15th days of the fifth month according to the Tibetan calendar, which falls on July 10-12 this year.

Funeral held for Israeli soldier killed by Hizbullah militia

An Israeli woman cries during the funeral of Israeli soldier Nimrod Cohen at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, July 13, 2006. Nimrod Cohen, 19, was killed by Lebanese Hizbullah militia during a military operation on Thursday. Israel pounded Lebanon following a cross-border attack by Lebanese Hizbullah militia Wednesday, during which two Israeli soldiers were captured and eight others killed. Now the Middle East conflicts escalate unceasingly.

Japanese PM kicks off visit to Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) meets with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in the West Bank city of Ramallah, July 13, 2006.

First community arboretum in Beijing

Local residents visit the Bajiaobeilu community arboretum in the Shijingshan District of Beijing, capital of China, July 13, 2006. As the first community arboretum in Beijing, it covers an area of 1,200 square meters, and is divided into 10 blocks according to plant species.

Price of tobacco to jump in Japan

A Japanese passes by a tobacco store in Shibuya, Tokyo, capital of Japan, on July 13, 2006. The price of tobacco in Japan will rise by about 10 percent as the government decided to raise tobacco tax in early July. Nearly 50 percent Japanese frequent smokers consider to quit smoking due to the markup, according to a recent survey.

China donates 100 sets of computers to Zimbabwe

Zhang Xianyi (L), Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, talks with H.M. Murerwa, finance minister of Zimbabwe, during the handover ceremony of computers in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, July 13, 2006. Chinese government donated 100 sets of computers to Zimbabwe on Thursday.

Liu Xiang returns to Beijing after setting world record

Chinese athlete Liu Xiang shows his shirt with the number 12.88, meaning the new world record he set as he returns to Beijing, capital of China, July 13, 2006. Liu set a new world record of 12.88 seconds in the men's 110m hurdles race at the IAAF Super Grand Prix Athletics in Lausanne, Switzerland, July 11.

Harbin International Auto Show

A model shows a BMW car during the Ninth Harbin International Auto Show in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, July 13, 2006. Over 600 car makers and accessory manufacturers from 12 countries and regions displayed their products in the show, opened on Thursday.

Cars with super stereo system

A car with a set of music players is displayed during an auto maintenance, repair and accessory fair in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13, 2006. The car has three LCDs on its dashboard and six 12-inch loudspeakers in its front compartment. Young people in Brazil are very fond of installing high-power music players in their cars.

Shipping line suspended due to influence of Bilis

Passenger liner "Gulangyu" from Jinmen to Xiamen berths at the Heping Dock in Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian Province, July 13, 2006. Because of the coming tropical storm Bilis, the direct shipping line between Xiamen and Jinmen was suspended on July 13.

Yin Ruins placed on World Heritage List

A bird's eye view of the palace of Yin Ruins is seen in this September, 2001 photo.China's Yin Ruins is listed as a world heritage site during the 30th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, July 13, 2006. The 3000-year-old Yin Ruins in Anyang city of central China's Henan province is the capital of Shang Dynasty (1600BC-1100BC). It is also the earliest remains of an ancient capital city in China.

Rumsfeld makes surprise visit to Iraq

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld speaks to the media during an unannounced visit to Iraq , Wednesday, July 12, 2006, in Baghdad. Rumsfeld said the Iraqi government is not yet ready to decide on security issues that will determine the pace of U.S. troop reductions this year. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

2006 ESPY Awards in Hollywood

Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong accepts the ESPY award for best male athlete from presenter, singer Mariah Carey at the 2006 ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California July 12, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters photo)

One Israeli killed in rocket attack from Hizbollah

Rescuers carry a victim's body to the ambulance in Nahariya, northern Israel, July 13, 2006. An Israeli woman was killed and 29 other people were wounded in Nahariya by Katyusha rockets fired by Lebanese Hizbollah militants on Thursday.

Violence escalates at Israel-Lebanon border

An Israeli artillery unit fires across the border into southern Lebanon from a position on the frontier in Zaura, northern Israel , Wednesday, July 12, 2006. Hezbollah fighters launched a raid into Israel and captured two Israeli soldiers Wednesday, triggering an Israeli assault with warplanes, gunboats and ground troops in southern Lebanon to hunt for the captives. Seven Israeli soldiers and two Lebanese were killed in the violence. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Chinese President meets European Parliament President

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with European Parliament President Josep Borrell Fontelles during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 13, 2006.