Photos Of The Day

Palestinian youths flee while gunmen (not seen) open fire into the air in front of burning vehicles, belonging to the local electric company, on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006 in Gaza City, Gaza Strip. The vehicles were set on fire by relatives of two pro-Fatah militants who were killed on Tuesday during clashes with Hamas militiamen, only hours after a truce took effect.

'Difficult Year' In Iraq

President Bush speaks during a news conference in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006. Summing up a year of setbacks, Mr. Bush conceded that insurgents in Iraq thwarted U.S. efforts at "establishing security and stability throughout the country."

Fog Lifting On U.K. Slays?

A British policeman keeps watch in thick fog Wednesday Dec. 20, 2006, where the bodies of murdered Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls where found Dec. 12, 2006, near Levington, east of Ipswich, England. A coroner formally opened inquests into the deaths of four prostitutes on Wednesday as police continued to question two men suspected of killing them and one other woman.

Snake 'Flossing'

Manoharan, known as Snake Manu, 30, practices his snkae "flossing" techniques with two brown tree snakes by running them through his nose and mouth in Chennai, India, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006. Manoharan is awaiting a sponsor for a chance to make a performance for the Guinness Book jury.

Colossal Facial

A worker uses a steamer to smooth the wrinkles on a large billboard advertisement for a skin care product in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006. Indonesia is struggling to boost its economic growth through foreign investment as a vast capital injection is needed to tackle widespread poverty and unemployment in the world's fourth most populous country.

Iced Tree

Icicles hang from buds on a maple tree branch, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006, as trees, power lines and other stationary items in Garden City, Kan., are covered with ice from a winter storm that was moving into the Plains after pummeling parts of the Southwest.

Bode Blitzes The Slopes

Bode Miller of the United States powers past a gate on his way to winning an Alpine ski World Cup men's super-G race, in Hinterstoder Austria, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006.

Up For Bids

A successful oil contract bidder, right, is congratulated by a colleague as they take a break from the bidding process in front of a stained-glass window outside the bidding room, at the Al Mahary hotel in Tripoli, Libya Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006. Twenty-three firms - including three from the U.S. - announced their bids to drill for oil beneath Libya's desert sands and azure Mediterranean waters.

Waving The Flag

Lebanese university students wave a Lebanese flag during the 20th day of an open-ended protest in downtown Beirut, Lebanon Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006. Parties allied to Hezbollah have withdrawn from the Cabinet and staged daily protests in a bid to force the resignation of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's government.