A Palestinian Hamas policeman gestures in front of portraits of late Fatah leader Yasser Arafat (L) and jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti, in Gaza City on June 15, 2009. In the two years since Hamas seized power in Gaza, the territory's residents have endured crippling economic sanctions and a devastating war with Israel, but the Islamist group's grip on power is as tight as ever. Getty Images logo Getty Images 6 months ago

A Palestinian Hamas policeman gestures in front of portraits of late Fatah leader Yasser Arafat (L) and jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti, in Gaza City on June 15, 2009. In the two years since Hamas seized power in Gaza, the territory's residents have endured crippling economic sanctions and a devastating war with Israel, but the Islamist group's grip on power is as tight as ever.

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  1. Palestinian carry pictures of late leader Yasser Arafat, right, late George Habash, center, founder of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, as they march to the Sabra and Shatila mass graves in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009. Palestinians in Lebanon observed the 27th anniversary of one of their darkest episodes _ the massacre in the Beirut camps of Sabra and Shatila by Israeli-backed Christian militiamen in which between 1,200 and 1,400 people died, by Lebanese Red Cross count.
  2. Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini stands in front of a picture of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a joint news conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (not seen) in the West Bank city of Ramallah December 9, 2009.
  3. Palestinian security officers walk past a wall covered in graffiti depicting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, the late leader Yasser Arafat, and the Dome of Rock Mosque, as they patrol in the West Bank city of Jenin, Thursday Nov. 26, 2009.
  4. Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle stands in front of a picture of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a joint news conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (not in picture) after their meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah November 24, 2009.
  5. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (R) jokingly pushes Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (C) into the Laurel cabin on the grounds of Camp David as U.S. President Bill Clinton watches during peace talks, July 11, 2000. Arafat and Barak were insisting that the other proceed through the door first. Camp David is the venue where Egypt and Israel made peace in September 1978, and the Laurel cabin was the site of many of the meetings. REUTERS/Win McNamee.
  6. A Palestinian security officer guards next to portraits of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, right, and Palestinan President Mahmoud Abbas during a graduation ceremony of a special Palestinian police unit at the Farah refugee camp near the West Bank town of Jenin, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009.
  7. A member of the Palestinian security forces stands guard near a Yasser Arafat impersonator during a rally, marking a symbolic declaration of independence, in the West Bank city of Nablus November 19, 2009. Sunday marked the anniversary of the symbolic November 15, 1988 declaration of independence by the late Palestinian leader Arafat.
  8. A Palestinian youth holds a poster that depicts late leader Yasser Arafat during a rally, marking a symbolic declaration of independence, in the West Bank city of Nablus November 19, 2009. Sunday marked the anniversary of the symbolic November 15, 1988 declaration of independence by the late Palestinian leader Arafat.
  9. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, the prime minister of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, speaks at the parliament in Gaza city on October 5, 2009 against the Palestinian Authority's support for delaying the endorsement of a UN report on possible war crimes committed during Israel's Gaza offensive. Haniya accused Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas of the 'absurd and criminal' decision to delay endorsement of the report, a move he said endangered Egyptian-brokered national unity talks.
  10. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, the prime minister of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, speaks at the parliament in Gaza city on October 5, 2009 against the Palestinian Authority's support for delaying the endorsement of a UN report on possible war crimes committed during Israel's Gaza offensive. Haniya accused Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas of the 'absurd and criminal' decision to delay endorsement of the report, a move he said endangered Egyptian-brokered national unity talks.
  11. A Hamas movement supporter holds a poster showing Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine, with Hamas protesters superimposed in the background, during a demonstration in the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon on October 4, 2009 against a UN decision to delay a vote on a report accusing Israel of war crimes in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority is under fire for giving in to what critics said was US and Israeli pressure to defer a vote by the UN Human Rights Council on the report by the former international war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone.
  12. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya (R) gives a speech on October 4, 2009 during a reception at his office in Gaza City for Roudah Habib (L), the final Palestinian woman prisoner set free by Israel as part of a breakthrough swap with the Hamas movement for a video of its soldier held in Gaza for more than three years. Habib was released into Gaza via the Erez crossing, where she was greeted by relatives and friends before being escorted to Haniya's office, Habib's sister told.
  13. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya offers flowers to Roudah Habib (C), the final Palestinian woman prisoner set free by Israel as part of a breakthrough swap with the Hamas movement for a video of its soldier held in Gaza for more than three years, as he welcomes her at his office in Gaza city following her release on October 4, 2009. Habib was released into Gaza via the Erez crossing, where she was greeted by relatives and friends before being escorted to Haniya's office, Habib's sister told.
  14. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya waves to the crowd near house in Gaza City of the the final Palestinian woman prisoner released by Israel on October 4, 2009 as part of a breakthrough swap with the Hamas movement for a video of its soldier held in Gaza for more than three years. Roudah Habib was released into Gaza via the Erez crossing, where she was greeted by relatives and friends before being escorted to Haniya's office, Habib's sister told.
  15. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya waves to the crowd near house in Gaza City of the the final Palestinian woman prisoner released by Israel on October 4, 2009 as part of a breakthrough swap with the Hamas movement for a video of its soldier held in Gaza for more than three years. Roudah Habib was released into Gaza via the Erez crossing, where she was greeted by relatives and friends before being escorted to Haniya's office, Habib's sister told.
  16. Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (3rd R) waves after his visit to the house of newly released Palestinian prisoner Rawda Saed (not pictured) in Gaza City October 4, 2009. Israel freed the Palestinian woman prisoner to the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the last of 20 it has swapped for a videotape that provided the first visible evidence that a soldier captured in 2006 was still alive.

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  1. Queensland Rail 2800 Class locomotives on a line near Mt Isa, about 960kms (596miles) northwest of Brisbane in this undated handout picture. Global miner BHP Billiton has offered to buy the Australian state of Queensland's coal freight business, The Australian said on December 16, 2009.
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  4. Queensland Rail 5000 Class locomotives pull coal wagons on a line near Mount Arthur, about 700km (435 miles) northwest of Brisbane in this undated handout. Global miner BHP Billiton has offered to buy the Australian state of Queensland's coal freight business, The Australian said on Wednesday.
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  11. The statue of Christ the Redeemer is seen during sunset in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009.
  12. A man prepares a native delicacy during the season for church goers attending an early morning mass that signals the start of celebration of Christmas Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009 in Manila, Philippines.
  13. Filipino devotees flock to the church for the early morning mass that signals the start of celebration of Christmas Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009 in Manila, Philippines.
  14. Christopher Hall stands during his arraignment in Providence, R.I., District Court Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009, on charges of shooting and wounding three police officers during a drug raid Monday night.
  15. Wolverhampton Wanderers' goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann is seen during his team's 3-0 defeat against Manchester United during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009. 20 7864 9121 or EMAIL info@football-dataco.com FOR DETAILS.
  16. Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov, center, fights for the ball against Wolverhampton Wanderers' David Jones, right, during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009. 20 7864 9121 or EMAIL info@football-dataco.com FOR DETAILS.