First female space tourist to blast off on Sept 14

Iranian-American businesswoman Anousheh Ansari (L) poses for a photo with NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria (C) and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin at the Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow, Sept. 14 launch. Anousheh Ansari will blast off on Sept 14, becoming the first female space tourist in the world.

58-years-old freshman

Accompanied by her young high school classmates, 58-years-old Tong Zhengguo(C) leaves home for college, north China's Tianjin Municipality, Aug. 31, 2006. After three years in high school, Tong passed in the entrance examination for college and was admitted by Kunming University of Science and Technology, which located in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Cargo train derails in Chaohu, Anhui

Recuers survey the site of a cargo train derailment in Chaohu, East China's Anhui Province September 1, 2006. The accident occurred at about 23:00 pm on Thursday near the Shaohu Castine Factory CO. Ltd. Reports of casualities are unavaible and the cause of the accident is under investigation.

China's Qingdao Int'l Regatta closes with accolades

This combo photo shows Sun Limei (L) of China and a view of her competing during the women's RS:X event of 2006 Qingdao International Regatta. Sun won the silver medal of the event. The 2006 Qingdao International Regatta closed in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Aug.31, 2006.

Earliest Bach manuscripts found

Restorer Nanett Woithe shows documents written by German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) in the eastern German city of Weimar August 31, 2006. These are the earliest handwritten originals by Bach found during restorations in Weimar and shows his transcriptions of organ works by Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) and Johann Adam Reinken (1643-1722). (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

A robot for your iPod

The new Japanese music robot Miuro, designed to turn an iPod music player into a scuttling boombox-on-wheels, is shown during a press conference in Tokyo Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006. Equipped with speaker systems developed with Japanese audio-maker Kenwood Corp., the 35-centimeter (14-inch) long machine, which looks like a ball popping out of an egg, from Tokyo-based venture ZMP Inc. will roll and twist from room to room blaring music. Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod portable player locks into the top of the 108,800 yen (US$ 930; euro 725) robot. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Cany baskets instead of plastic bags

A saleswoman shows a cany shopping basket at a supermarket in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug.31, 2006. The supermarket invited the customers to use the cany baskets instead of the plastic bags for shopping. The customer could bring one renewable and refundable cany basket home by paying 15 yuan deposit.

Rare big wild glossy ganoderma

A big wild glossy ganoderma (R) is compared to an ordinary one in Zhaoping County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2006. The glossy ganoderma, measuring 49.5 centimetres as the longest diameter and weighing 650 grams, was found by a local farmer in the mountains.

China's top legislator speaks in Brazil's parliament

China's top legislator Wu Bangguo delivers a speech in Brazil's parliament in Brasilia of Brazil, Aug. 31, 2006.

White tiger gives birth to six cubs in Jinan

Four white tiger and two snow tiger cubs wabble on the ground in the Paomaling Safari Park in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, Aug. 31, 2006. The nine-year old female white tiger "Rongrong" gave birth to six cubs on Aug. 23. Since the tiger mother was not able to feed all cubs at one time, two of them were raised by park feeders.

Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week in India

Models display creations by Indian designer Manju and Bobby Grover at a fashion show on the second day of the Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week in New Delhi, capital of India, Aug. 31, 2006. India Fashion Week runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 showcasing some 30 shows from Indian designers.

Lebanese resume normal life

A Lebanese boy rides in a street of Beirut, capital of Lebanon, Aug. 30, 2006. More people appeared on streets and many stores reopened in Beirut in recent days. Lebanese resumed their normal life after the 34-day-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire on Aug. 14.

Fire ravages forest in Chongqing

Smokes billowed upwards as a forest fire was spreading rapidly through the parched timberlands of Chongqing Municipality on August 31. More than 4,000 people have been mobilized to fight the fire which began at 1 pm on Wednesday in Yakou Village, 40 kilometres northeast of downtown Chongqing. It soon spread to neighbouring areas, ravaging 66 hectares of forest. The cause of the fire was still unclear, but the prolonged drought has contributed to its spread, said firefighter.

Armed police hold drill in Beijing

Members of armed police attend an simulation drill in Beijing, Aug. 31, 2006.

100,000 unexploded bombs to be defused in Lebanon

A German expert checks an unexploded Israeli cluster bomb in the southern Lebanon Aug. 30, 2006. Three Lebanese soldiers were killed trying to defuse an unexploded Israeli cluster bomb as the Jewish state lost a soldier to one of its own mines in Lebanon.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Venice Film Festival opens with 'Dahlia'

Director Brian De Palma arrive at the Cinema Palace in Venice August 30, 2006. The Venice Film Festival opens on Wednesday with the world premiere of 'The Black Dahlia', a sepia-tinted throwback to 1940s Hollywood based on a grisly real-life murder that remains unsolved to this day.