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As 2012 draws to a close, the IBTimes UK has pulled together some of the most striking and powerful images from the past 12 months.

The past year has featured a bombardment of extraordinary news, with some phenomenal photography to help expand the stories further.

The Syrian civil war maintains its tense grip on the news agenda, national pride reached amazing highs with the triumphant London Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the year ended with the heartbreaking tragedy of the Sandy Hook school massacre.

No matter the story - whether protests about a jailed Russia punk band or a snapshot on how the eurozone crisis has hit millions across the continent - each picture communicates with an audience in a way words cannot.

Click through to see what IBTimes UK believes to be the most powerful images of 2012:

Follow the links below to read the IBTimes UK picks of the year, in:-

Tennis

UK Television

Manchester United

Films

Free apps for iPhone 5

50 Shades of Grey

World football

Technology

Sporting Heroes and Villains

England Cricket

The Newsmakers

Business Quotes