Plants on the wall

A shop assistant refits a plant grown in a frame-shaped vessel on the wall at a flower market in Beijing December 18. The new planting method was invented for indoor vertical greening. (newsphoto)

Color-painting closestools displayed in Fujian

Color-painting closestools are on display while people look on in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province on December 18. These 'works' were made by hundreds of students from Xiamen Gulang Island Arts College. (newsphoto)

China's second largest coal company lists in Hong Kong

Jin Tianliang (R3), Board Chairman and Chief Executive Directors of China Coal Energy Company gives a speech on the listing ceremony, Dec. 19, 2006. The China Coal Energy Company Limited, China's second largest coal company, went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Tuesday, with its shares opening at 4.50 Hong Kong dollars, up 11.1 percent on its initial public offer price.

Top ten weirdest stories in 2006 (2)

Using wave generators, scientists were able to write on water. The Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin "AMOEBA" a circular tank created by researchers can form the roman alphabets and some characters used in Japanese. The device could soon find its way to your nearest amusement park.

Top ten weirdest stories in 2006 (1)

We could blame our accents and different dialects on self-imposed borders but that doesn't explain why animals like whales from different regions speak in dialects. Using underwater microphones, scientists eavesdropped on some whale talk and found that the blue whales off the Pacific Northwest sound different than those living in the western Pacific Ocean or near Chile. The reason for the different whale tongues is still unknown.

Ice sculptures in "Ice City"

An artist works on an ice sculpture production on the street of Harbin, dubbed the "Ice City", northeast China's Heilongjiang Province December 18, 2006.

Poseidon underwater resort in Bahamas

Rendering of a room of the Poseidon underwater resort It is a five-star luxury underwater resort 50 feet (17 meters) under the sea off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas where adventure seekers can shell out 1,500 clams a night for a room.

Google, NASA agree to put NASA data on Internet

NASA Ames Research Center director of strategic business development, Chris Kemp, poses with a poster of Mars in 1996, left, and the moon and earth in 1968, right, at NASA in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Dec. 18, 2006.

100 states, organizations to take part in World Expo 2010

Chinese delegacy announces 100 countries and international organizations will take part in the World Expo 2010 Shanghai during the 140th meeting of BIE in Paris, France, Dec. 18, 2006.

World's biggest occeanic crab

A staff member of the Melbourne Aquarium looks at a Japanese spider crab, the world's biggest occeanic crab, on Dec. 19, 2006. Mang rare crabs and spiders are displayed at an exhibition held by the aquarium.

Suspect over prostitute murders arrested in Britain

The police and the media gather outside a house in Trimley St. Martin near Ipswich December 18, 2006. British police arrested a 37-year-old man on Monday on suspicion of murdering five prostitutes, according to officers investigating one of the country's most dramatic serial killings of recent times.

China holds new year party for UN officials in China

Chinese Foreign Ministry held in Beijing Tuesday evening a new year party for officials from the United Nations and other international organizations in China, Beijing, Dec. 19, 2006.

Annan's final press conference at UN

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (R Front) answers questions during his final press conference at the United Nations in New York, Dec. 19, 2006. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that the failure to stop the Iraq war was the worst moment of his 10 years in office.