World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Formula 1

Sebastian Vettel triumphs after Monaco Grand Prix drama





Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won his first Monaco Grand Prix and pulled further ahead in the championship.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Jenson Button, who briefly led the race, had closed in on Vettel but a late safety car helped the German.

Alonso finished second for the first time in 2011, with Button third and Red Bull's Mark Webber fourth.

Lewis Hamilton became embroiled in a row over critical comments about stewards after finishing sixth.

The Englishman was called before officials for two separate incidents and, asked why he had been to see stewards five times in six races this year,he said, apparently in jest: "Maybe it's because I'm black. That's what Ali G says."

The race was poised for a thrilling finish as Vettel, Alonso and Button were covered by less than a second and chasing each other hard.




But with just seven laps to go, Renault's Vitaly Petrov got caught in a pile-up and plunged his Renault into the barriers at the Swimming Pool.

After complaining of pain in his left ankle the Russian was taken to hospital for a body scan, but Renault subsequently released a statement confirming there was no swelling or broken bone.

The reappearance of the safety car released the pressure on Vettel, and when the race resumed 20 minutes later with the three leaders all having changed their tyres, Vettel comfortably held off Alonso and Button to add the Monaco title to his growing collection.

[Mr Lick]

Luke Donald win at PGA makes him world number one



Luke Donald beat Lee Westwood in a play-off to win the PGA Championship at Wentworth and overtake his countryman as the world number one.

The 33-year-old Donald won at the first play-off hole when Westwood found the water in front of the 18th green.

Donald hit 70 to Westwood's 68 to tie on six under, while Englishman Simon Dyson (69) was third at four under.

On climbing one spot to the top of the rankings, England's Donald said: "Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"

The American-based golfer added: "It's something I'll be very proud of. Obviously, there's a lot of work still to do and hopefully there'll be much more to come, but I'll savour this.

"It's a lot of responsibility and I'm looking forward to the challenge of being number one and hopefully I can hold onto it for a few more weeks. I know Lee and Martin [Kaymer] will be chasing me hard.



BMW PGA Championship final round leaderboard (Eng unless stated)

• -6: Westwood, Donald*
• -4: Dyson
• -2: Fraser (Aus), Lowry (Ire), Jacquelin (Fra)
• -1: Montgomerie (Sco), Donaldson (Wal), Whiteford (Sco), Horsey, Edfors (Swe), Manssero (Ita) *wins play-off

[Mr Lick]

Trott scores double ton as England dominate Sri Lanka



First Test (day four of five): England 491-5 v Sri Lanka 400

Jonathan Trott remorselessly ground his way to England's highest individual Test score against Sri Lanka on another rain-affected day in Cardiff.

When play finally started at 1430 BST Sri Lanka quickly removed Alastair Cook after adding four to his overnight 129.

Kevin Pietersen soon followed, lbw to left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.

But Trott finally fell for 203 having put on 160 with Ian Bell (98 not out) as England closed on 491-5, a lead of 91 in a match surely bound for a draw.

[Mr Lick]

Belgrade Mladic rally




Around 7000 supporters of ex-Bosnian Serb army chief Mladic gather in Belgrade to denounce his arrest

[Mr Lick]

Sri Lankan snipers march during the Victory Day parade in Colombo

[Mr Lick]

Shanghai's Huangpu River exposed by China's worst drought for 50 years

[Mr Lick]

A government building in Peshawar, Pakistan destroyed by a suicide bomber

[Mr Lick]

Bangkok, Thailand: A small Buddha statue, intended to bring good luck, sits on the dashboard of a taxi as rain falls



Katmandu, Nepal: Paramedics carry an injured person, who was allegedly beaten by police for not obeying orders, near Nepal's Constitutional Assembly building

[Mr Lick]

Malaga, Spain: Spectators watch as soldiers from the Marine infantry brigade simulate an assault on La Malagueta beach on the eve of celebrations to mark Spanish Armed Forces Day



Lisbon, Portugal: Demonstrators play drums during a protest against politicians, bankers and the authorities' handling of the economic crisis

[Mr Lick]

Medellin, Colombia: Women clean paints and dyes from their hands during the International Day of Action for Women's Health



Sydney, Australia: Singer Cody Simpson performs at a shopping centre as fans do their best to push closer to him

[Mr Lick]

Misrata, Libya: A volunteer removes rust from a gun belonging to a rebel fighter



Visegrad, Bosnia: Bosnian Muslim women prepare to throw roses from the Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic bridge to commemorate the deaths of relatives killed by Bosnian Serb forces in 1992

[Mr Lick]

Abyei, Sudan: Dinka Ngok civilians internally displaced by a recent military offensive by the northern Sudan armed forces , are airlifted to safety by the UN



Kabul, Afghanistan: A bird seller waits for customers at his shop



Mexico City, Mexico: People walk past a sculpture by the surrealist artist Leonora Carrington outside the Bellas Artes palace

[Mr Lick]

World custard pie-throwing championship



Competitors take part in the championships at Coxheath village hall, in Kent

[Mr Lick]

Angela Hoyt murder: Ex-boyfriend found dead



The former boyfriend of a murdered Red Cross worker from Hertfordshire has been found dead near a railway line.

Martin Collett, 35, was wanted by police over the death of Angela Hoyt, 34, who was found dead at her home at Glebeland, Hatfield, on Tuesday.

A man's body was discovered just north of Hatfield railway station at about 2330 BST on Friday. Police have confirmed it is that of Mr Collett.

They are not looking for anyone else in connection with Ms Hoyt's death.

Det Ch Insp Mark Ross, from the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: "Now we have found Martin, this brings our search to a conclusion and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with Angela's death.



Angela Hoyt is believed to have died some time between 22 and 24 May

[Mr Lick]

Actress Cate Blanchett sparks Australia climate debate



Cate Blanchett features in a new TV advert urging Australians to "Say Yes" to a tax on carbon


The Australian actress Cate Blanchett has been criticised for appearing in a television advertisement calling for the introduction of a carbon tax.

One leading opposition politician said the Oscar-winning actress did not understand the cost-of-living concerns of ordinary Australians.

She has been a strong advocate of steps to reduce Australian emissions.

Senator Barnaby Joyce said she should stick to acting, but the government and the Greens have rallied behind her.

It has been dubbed "the Cate debate", and centres on the actress's support for the government's controversial new carbon tax, which is bitterly opposed by the conservative opposition.

She features briefly in a new television campaign urging Australians to "Say Yes" to a tax on carbon.

Opponents of the carbon tax say it will increase the cost of living for ordinary Australians.

Mr Joyce, of the National Party, said the multi-millionaire star had no idea what it was like for working families struggling with rising costs.

One right-wing tabloid called her a morally vain Hollywood star trying to justify her great good fortune by preaching to the rest of Australia about climate change.

She has been the driving force behind what has been called the greening of the Sydney Theatre Company, where she is an artistic director. Her mansion in Sydney is fitted with solar panels.

The attacks on Cate Blanchett also reveal an instinctive suspicion of people in Australia perceived to be part of a cultural or educational elite - especially by the populist right.

The movie star, who has been backed by the government and the Australian Greens, has not responded publicly to the criticism.

[Mr Lick]

MTV's Geordie Shore upsets locals



MTV reality show Geordie Shore, which follows a group of party-loving friends in Newcastle, has come under fire for the way it portrays the city.

Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah said it was "bordering on pornographic".
"It's exploiting those young people and exploiting our city," she told the Evening Chronicle newspaper.

The local tourism board said it relied on "outdated stereotypes" and had provoked a "fierce reaction" among locals. MTV declined to comment.

The show, a British version of the hit US series Jersey Shore, follows the antics of eight sex-obsessed friends as they drink, vomit, fight and strip off in the hot tub.

The first episode was watched by 330,000 people on Tuesday - the channel's largest adult audience for three years.

Ms Onwurah said she would ask questions in the House of Commons about the issues raised by MTV's production.

"I'm going to be raising questions in Parliament because I think there should be a limit on how much alcohol a broadcaster can pour down the throats of young people to provoke sensational acts," she said.

"By putting those young people in this situation, it's encouraging them to lose all their dignity. I think it's totally unrepresentative of Newcastle."

[Mr Lick]

French minister quits over sexual harassment accusation



A French junior minister accused of having sexually harassed staff of a town hall where he is mayor has resigned from the government.

A statement by the prime minister said Civil Service Minister Georges Tron had acted "in the general interest", and noted he denied the allegations.

His resignation comes in the wake of the US arrest of ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn earlier this month.

He is charged with sexually assaulting a chamber maid in a New York hotel.

In the wake of the Strauss-Kahn case, there has been speculation internationally over whether France is prepared to re-examine its strict observance of privacy laws to report scandals affecting politicians.

[Mr Lick]

Libya: South Africa's Jacob Zuma in peace mission



South African President Jacob Zuma is heading for Libya for what is being seen as a last attempt to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

It is unclear if the visit, Mr Zuma's second, will focus on exit strategies for leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

Rebels fighting Col Gaddafi's forces since February have refused to negotiate unless he steps down.

Meanwhile Mr Zuma's ruling African National Congress has condemned the Nato bombing of Libya.

"We... join the continent and all peace loving people of the world in condemning the continuing aerial bombardments of Libya by Western forces," the ANC said in a statement on the eve of the visit.

Nato imposed a no-fly zone in Libya in March as Col Gaddafi's forces threatened to overrun rebel-held parts of the country.

International pressure on Col Gaddafi continues to grow, with the G8 calling for his departure on Friday and Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev saying on Saturday that he no longer had the right to lead Libya.

The rebels welcomed the G8 statement.

"The entire world has reached a consensus that Col Gaddafi and his regime have not only lost their legitimacy but also their credibility," said rebel leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil in a statement.

[Mr Lick]

Nigeria: Deadly bomb blast at army barracks



At least 10 people have been killed and about 20 injured in a bomb blast near an army barracks in northern Nigeria, local officials say.

The explosion hit the Mamy market in the city of Bauchi late on Sunday. The injured were taken to hospital.

No group has so far said it carried out the blast.

It came just hours after Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as Nigeria's president for a new four-year term in the capital Abuja.

Another - smaller - explosion hit a beer parlour on the outskirts of Abuja, causing minor injuries, officials say. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

[Mr Lick]

Egypt: Hosni Mubarak fined for cutting internet



Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been fined $34m (£20m) for cutting off communications services during the uprising that ousted him.

The fine of 200m Egyptian pounds is the first clear ruling against Mr Mubarak since he left office in February. Two other senior officials were also fined.

The 83-year-old is currently under arrest in hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh after being taken ill in detention.

He has been charged over the deaths of anti-government protesters

[Mr Lick]

Nigerian youth employed to guard oil pipelines



Nigeria's government has employed 12,000 young people to protect oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta.

Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke said the youth would patrol some 5,000km (3,000 miles) of pipeline to stop it from being vandalised.

She said it was part of the government amnesty programme offered to the region's militias who were fighting for a greater share of oil revenues.

Locals and criminal gangs often try to pierce the pipes to siphon off oil.

Ms Alison-Madueke's announcement comes after at least two people died this week in Sapele, Delta state, in an explosion at a pipeline damaged by villagers trying to steal the oil.

Few residents of the Niger Delta, home to Nigeria's oil industry, have benefited from the area's oil wealth.

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producers, but attacks by militants on oil installations led to a sharp fall in output during the last decade

[Mr Lick]

Vietnam accuses China in seas dispute



Vietnam's foreign ministry has accused China of increasing regional tensions in an escalating territorial dispute.

A rare weekend news briefing followed a confrontation in the South China Sea between a Vietnamese oil and gas survey ship and Chinese patrol boats.

Vietnam says the boats deliberately cut the survey ship's cables in Vietnamese waters. China denies the allegation.

China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all claim territories in the South China Sea.

The area includes an important shipping route and is also thought to contain oil and gas deposits.

The spat comes just days before a regional security conference in Singapore.
Beijing said its defence minister would attend the International Institute of Strategic Studies to promote co-operation and stability in the Asia Pacific region.

[Mr Lick]

Yuan at record high versus dollar after Treasury report



China's yuan has hit a record high against the US dollar after the US Treasury department said the Chinese currency was undervalued but not manipulated.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) fixed the yuan's mid-point at 6.4856 against the US dollar on Monday.

China has been accused by the US and other developed economies of keeping the value of its currency artificially low to boost its exports.

China is the world's biggest exporter.

The US and other major economies have said that China's policy of keeping the value of its currency low gives an unfair advantage to its manufacturers.

There have also been concerns that China's currency policies have also been responsible in part for big trade imbalances with its trading partners

[Mr Lick]

Germany pledges to end all nuclear power by 2022



Germany's ruling coalition says it has agreed a date of 2022 for the shutdown of all of its nuclear power plants.

Environment Minister Norbert Rottgen made the announcement after a meeting of the ruling coalition that lasted into the early hours of Monday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel had set up an ethics panel to look into nuclear power following the disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan.

Germany saw mass anti-nuclear protests in the wake of the disaster

[Mr Lick]

Colombia details scale of land stolen in civil conflict



The Colombian government says almost 7m hectares (17m acres) of land have been stolen by armed groups involved in the country's civil conflict over the past 25 years.

Agriculture Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo said hundreds of thousands of families were driven from their land.

He said paramilitaries, rebels and drug dealers had used violence and fraud to take the land.

Colombia this week passed a law which aims to return the land to its owners.