The "defenders at the national gate"

A beagle quarantine dog works at the airport in Guangzhou. South China's Guangzhou has trained about 100 beagle dogs as quarantine dogs. One of the quarantine dogs "Nannan" was awarded a Citation for Merit, First Class by State Administration for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine, because he nosed out 45 duck and goose eggs, banned to carry by travelers, from the entry luggage of a passenger from Viet Nam in May 2005. Now the dogs are nicknamed "defenders at the national gate".

Miss World contestants in swimsuits

Swimsuit contest winners Miss Russia (C), Miss Moldova (R) and Miss Mexico pose for photos at the 55th Miss World Contest in Sanya, south China's sub-tropical island province of Hainan December 6, 2005. The finals of the pageant will be held on December 10. (newsphoto)

Chinese Premier meets with experts in China-Europe strategy

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R Front) shakes hands with a scholar during his meeting with researchers and scholars in the field of China-Europe strategy in Paris Dec. 6, 2005. Wen is in Paris on an official visit to France.

Sand Sculpture Festival to open in Hainan

Workers take measures to protect large sand sculptures in Sanya city, south China's Hainan Province Dec. 5, 2005. More than 100 artists from home and abroad gathered here to make their sand sculptures for the first Phoenix Island International Sand Sculpture Festival that falls on Dec. 18, 2005.

Air crash causes heavy casualties in Tehran

Iranian Air Force officials carry the body of a person killed in the crash. A military transport aircraft crashed after take-off and hit a residential building in the capital on Tuesday, killing at least 128 people and injuring scores of others.

Condoleezza Rice vists Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hold a press conference in Berlin Dec. 6, 2005. Rice arrived in the German capital Dec. 5 for a two-day visit.

Chinese, Japanese universities hold University Day

President of Beijing University Xu Zhihong (R) confers the certificate of honorary professor on Katsuhiko Shirai, president of Japan's Waseda University, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 6, 2005. Beijing University awarded Shirai the title of honorary professor Dec. 6. The two universities held their University Day at Beijing University Dec. 6, during which seminars were held on information technology, artificial intelligence and nanometer technology, and bilateral cooperation in the fields.

Rime scenery in Jilin Province

A resident rides past rime-capped trees on the bank of the Songhuajiang River in the city of Jilin, northeast China's Jilin Province, Dec. 6, 2005.

Oxfam's Big Noise petition handed over to EU

European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson(L) receives Oxfam's Big Noise petition from British famous actor Collin Firth at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Dec 5, 2005. Over 10 million people signed the petition, ahead of the Hong Kong WTO ministerial meeting, which calls on EU to do more to help the developing countries during the WTO talks.