Will Smith's "Happyness" tops N American box office

Will Smith's new film The Pursuit of Happyness, the story of a struggling salesman and father, opened as the top film in the United States and Canada last week.

"Icy Beauty" contest held in Jinan

Despite cold weather, 15 girls in skirts or even bikinis participated in an Icy Beauty Contest held in a snow-covered ski resort in Jinan, Shandong province, Dec. 16, 2006. (cnsphoto)

Masked ball in Belgrade

Students from the technical science faculty at the University of Belgrade wear masks in front of a statue of Nikola Tesla during a masked ball in Belgrade Dec. 17, 2006. The annual event is in it's 33rd year and is traditionally held before the new year. This year's themed event celebrated the life of Serb-American scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla.

Piglets' Championship in Moscow

Piglets push a ball during the "pig-ball" event at "Russia Piglets' Championship" in Moscow, Dec. 16, 2006. The four-legged athletes are competing over the weekend in disciplines such as running and "pig-ball" - a ball game played with the snout.

Santa Speedo Run in downtown Boston

Runners do push-ups before the fifth annual Santa Speedo Run in downtown Boston, Massachusetts Dec. 16, 2006. Several hundred runners in bathing suits participated in the event which raises money for charities.

Netizens are Time's "Person of the Year"

Time magazine unveiled its "Person of the Year" for 2006 on Dec. 16, 2006, as -- You, the creators and consumers of user-generated Internet content like video-file sharing site YouTube and social network MySpace.

Wedding ceremony dates back to 3,000 years ago

A bride and a groom sit face to face in a traditional Zhou-style wedding ceremony in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province December 17, 2006. The ritual took shape during the ancient Zhou Dynasty (1046BC - 256 BC), and developed into the wedding ceremonies celebrated in the Chinese dynasties later on.

Brazil's Internacional wins Club World Cup

Brazil's Internacional players celebrate their victory at the FIFA Club World Cup soccer tournament after defeating Spain's Barcelona 1-0 in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Dec. 17, 2006.

Buryat traditional costumes show in N. China

Buryat models from Mongolia show the traditional costume at a winter cultural tourism festival in Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region December 17, 2006.

ISS astronauts complete third spacewalk

Astronaut Robert Curbeam works at the end of the International Space Station's S1 truss segment December 16, 2006 as he and fellow spacewalker Sunita Williams work outside the orbiting laboratory in this video grab.

27 killed in wedding ceremony in Pakistan

Residents visit the site of a fire and stampede incident near Multan Dec. 17, 2006. A fire at a wedding party triggered a stampede and collapse of a wall in central Pakistan, killing at least 27 people, including the bride, police said on Sunday.

Sino-Pakistan joint exercise enters into 2nd stage

Military officials of China and Pakistan discuss in a meeting during a joint anti-terrorism exercise in Abbottabad, Pakistan, Dec. 17, 2006.

Six-party talks resumed in Beijing

Members of the six delegations, namely, China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and Russia, attend the opening ceremony of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue opened at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Dec. 18, 2006.

Fatah, Hamas agree to end Gaza clashes

Security soldiers guard in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Dec. 17, 2006.Well-informed Palestinian sources announced on Sunday night that rival Fatah and Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) agreed to end street armed clashes in the Gaza Strip and pullout militants from the streets.