World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Tornado devastates Missouri

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The body bag of a victim is laid on the floor of a business establishment which was wiped out by a tornado in Joplin, Missouri May 23, 2011











Sheila Donham (R) and volunteers tend to an injured dog as they comb a neighborhood hard hit by a devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri May 23, 2011.

[Mr Lick]

Deadly Twister Strikes Missouri



Volcano in Iceland Blows Its Top



Soggy in Mississippi

[Mr Lick]

A veiled woman in front of the United Nations headquarters in Amman, Jordan, on Saturday takes part in a protest calling on Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to step down.



A policeman kicks a protester during a demonstration by the "February 20" movement in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday. The rally called for political reform in the country.

[Mr Lick]

A dead pilot whale is loaded onto a truck in South Uist, Scotland, on Sunday. The creature was from a pod of about 60 pilot whales seen struggling in Loch Carnan. Experts hope to prevent a mass stranding on the loch's shoreline



During a demonstration against Spain's economic woes and sky-high jobless rate, a protester climbs the gate of the main entrance at Puerta del Sol square in Madrid on Sunday.

[Mr Lick]

To kick off the day-long holiday of Lag Baomer, which commemorates the death of famous scholar Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, ultra-orthodox Jewish men dance at his grave site in the northern Israeli village of Meron on Sunday.



U.S. Marines in Afghanistan's Helmand province arrested 12 suspects during an early morning operation on Monday. Here: A Marine checks the handcuffs of one of the suspects taken into custody.

[Mr Lick]

Anti-government demonstrators seeking the resignation of Western-backed President Mikheil Saakashvili protest in the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia, on Sunday.



A demonstrator falls after being sprayed with a water cannon by riot police during clashes outside the Congress in Valparaiso, Chile,

[Mr Lick]

After arriving at the airport in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, on Saturday for the swearing-in of President Alassane Ouattara, left, French President Nicolas Sarkozy looks on as an unidentified woman dances in front of him.



In the northern German city of Bremen on Sunday, a man casts his vote in an election that's seen as likely to weaken Chancellor Angela Merkel's federal government

[Mr Lick]

Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins, seen above, became the oldest champion in boxing history on Sunday after defeating Jean Pascal in the WBC Light-Heavyweight title fight in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Hopkins is 46.

[Mr Lick]

Nato steps up air strikes on Tripoli



Nato planes have launched a series of air attacks on Libya's capital Tripoli, with correspondents saying they may be the largest so far of the campaign.

Some of the strikes appear to have targeted Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound.

They came after France announced it and the UK would also deploy attack helicopters to escalate strike power.

Nato is enforcing a UN resolution to protect civilians, following the uprising against Col Gaddafi's rule.

Plumes of smoke

Between 12 and 20 explosions were reported in the early hours of Tuesday.

The BBC's Andrew North, in Tripoli, said the first blasts were in the vicinity of Bab al-Aziziya and were followed by more in other parts of the city.

He says the hotel journalists have been staying in was shaken to its foundation by some of the blasts.

After each a Nato aircraft could be heard in the sky.

Plumes of smoke were rising from the area of Bab al-Aziziya and anti-aircraft guns were firing.

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said three people were killed and 150 wounded in the strikes.

[Mr Lick]

Russell Brand deported from Japan by immigration



British actor and comedian Russell Brand has been deported from Japan.
He was travelling with his wife, Katy Perry, on the Asian leg of her California Dreams tour.

She tweeted on Sunday: "So...my husband just got deported from Japan. I am so. sad. I brought him all this way to show him my favourite place."

Immigration officials in Japan have declined to comment on why Brand was deported, but Perry tweeted: "It was for priors from over 10 years ago."

The 35-year-old star of the remade 1981 comedy, Arthur, has spoken openly about using drugs and sleeping around and has had various run-ins with police.
He was arrested in September 2010 after he allegedly attacked a photographer at Los Angeles international airport

[Mr Lick]

Head teacher appeal to school run 'pyjama parents'



A Middlesbrough head teacher has asked parents to get properly dressed before the school run.

It follows sightings of a number of them still wearing their pyjamas when they brought their children to school.

Some people were even attending meetings at Pallister Park Primary school in their nightwear.

This prompted the school's head, Chris Wain, to send out letters to parents urging them to think about what they were wearing.

Ms Wain said: "What we were seeing was people staying in their pyjamas all day.

"They were dropping their children off in the morning and collecting them in the afternoon wearing the same pyjamas."

Outside the school, one parent, accompanied by a friend in slippers, was wearing leggings over her pyjamas.

She said: "I have to cover up otherwise the school goes mad."

Northern traditions hard to shake off eh?

[Mr Lick]

Imogen Thomas: From Miss Wales to the High Court



Before she found her name being mentioned in the High Court in connection with a high profile footballer, Imogen Thomas was a familiar face only to celebrity magazine readers and reality TV fans.

To her obvious distress, Thomas, 28, from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, has found herself a household figure in the UK after being embroiled in one of the highest profile legal wrangles in recent years

Thomas first rose to public attention as a beauty queen when she became Miss Wales in 2003.

But she achieved a wider fame by appearing as a contestant in the seventh series of Channel 4's hit reality show Big Brother, in 2006, in which she lasted three months in the house.

After that she built a successful career as a glamour model and made further forays into the world of TV.

Thomas, a fluent Welsh speaker, was given her own fly-on-the-wall show, Salon Imogen, on Welsh language station S4C, which followed her opening up her own business, a nail bar in Cardiff.

A week ago, Thomas had appeared outside the High Court in London after a private hearing with the footballer's lawyers, The Sun newspaper and her representatives

She told ITV1 show This Morning: "I didn't want my name to be out there in the public domain''.

[Mr Lick]

'Blast' at new Iran oil refinery as Ahmadinejad visits



One person has been killed and at least 20 hurt in an explosion at a refinery in Iran during a visit by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian media say.

He was not hurt in the blast and went on to make a televised speech to mark the opening of the oil refinery, in the south-western city of Abadan.

A technical problem caused the blast and then a fire, Fars news agency said.

Thick smoke was seen rising from the refinery but the fire was under control, the semi-official agency said.

Another news agency, Mehr, said the explosion was caused by a gas leak and some employees inhaled toxic substances.

In August last year, Iranian authorities denied that an explosive device had been thrown at Mr Ahmadinejad's convoy near the city of Hamedan.

Mr Ahmadinejad is currently involved in a power struggle with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after the latter reinstated the intelligence minister the president tried to sack.

[Mr Lick]

Sudan Abyei dispute: Gunmen burning and looting - UN



The Sudanese town of Abyei has been set on fire, with gunmen looting property, the United Nations says.

The town and surrounding area are claimed by both Khartoum and by South Sudan, set to become independent in July. The town was captured at the weekend by northern troops.

The UN has urged Sudan's government in Khartoum to withdraw its forces.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir later said that Khartoum wanted to resolve the issue peacefully.

South Sudan's secession follows decades of north-south conflict and some fear this dispute could reignite the war.

[Mr Lick]

Uganda warning over horn-honking protest



Ugandan police have warned people planning to hoot car horns in protest at the rising cost of living they will face arrest for noise pollution.

The opposition call to honk horns or whistle five times at 1700 local time (1400 GMT) was to complement the "walk-to-work" protest begun in April.

A BBC reporter says some honking could be heard at the appointed time, but it was rather low key in some areas.

Rights groups have criticised the violent crackdown on recent protests.

They say at least nine people have died, while the government accuses the opposition of trying to organise an Egypt-style uprising after losing an election in February.

[Mr Lick]

UNCHR questions Australia-Malaysia asylum deal legality



The United Nations commissioner on human rights has questioned the legality of Australia's latest plan to deal with the problem of boat people trying to reach its shore.

Navi Pillay said that a proposed deal with Malaysia to send 800 asylum seekers to the country potentially violates refugee law.

She also called on Australia to be more humane to asylum seekers.

Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention.

For the government of Julia Gillard, the proposed deal with Malaysia over asylum seekers helped address a logistical and political problem.

Australian detention centres are struggling to cope with the number of asylum seekers heading here by boat and there has been violent unrest over the past couple of months at its two main facilities, in Sydney and on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

Under the plan, Australia would transfer 800 boat people to Malaysia to have their refugee claims processed, but the UN's commissioner on human rights has questioned its legality.

"If Australia is serious about this policy of sending 800 people out to Malaysia, then I think it violates refugee law," said Ms Pillay.

"They cannot send individuals to a country that has not ratified the torture convention, the convention on refugees," she said.

[Mr Lick]

Burma prisoners on hunger strike at Insein jail



A group of Burmese political prisoners has staged a hunger strike to demand better living conditions.

A lawyer told the BBC's Burmese Service that 22 prisoners started a protest on Saturday at Insein jail, in Rangoon.

The authorities have already taken action against the prisoners - putting some in solitary confinement, and threatening to move others from Insein.

Meanwhile, the UN's rights envoy says abuses are still widespread, despite an overhaul of the political system.

Earlier this year, the Burmese military oversaw a transition to civilian government after four decades of army rule.

[Mr Lick]

Syria condemns EU sanctions on Bashar al-Assad



Syria's foreign minister accused the EU of "colonialism"


Syria has denounced sanctions imposed on President Bashar al-Assad by the European Union, saying the measures would "harm the Syrian people".

Foreign Minister Walid Muallem accused the EU of "trying to impose their will" on Syria.

"Today, the Europeans have added a black page to their record of colonialism in the region," he said.

EU ministers had earlier added Mr Assad and nine officials to a list affected by travel bans and asset freezes.

They had already placed restrictions on the president's brother, four of his cousins and others in his inner circle, in response to the Syrian regime's crackdown on pro-democracy protests

[Mr Lick]

Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad suffers heart attack in US



Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has suffered a heart attack during a visit to the United States, his spokesman has said.

He said Mr Fayyad, 59, suddenly felt strong chest pain in Austin, Texas, and was taken to hospital.

US medics then performed surgery to open a blockage in the coronary artery, and Mr Fayyad is now in a stable condition.

Mr Fayyad, a chain smoker, is expected to leave the hospital in two days.

His political future has been in doubt following a reconciliation deal earlier this month between the Fatah Palestinian faction, which runs the West Bank, and their rivals from Hamas, who control the Gaza Strip.

[Mr Lick]

Yemen: Three die in Sanaa as Hashid tribe fights police



Three people were killed and 25 wounded during heavy fighting in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, medics and officials said.

Security forces clashed with members of the country's powerful Hashid tribe in a northern district, near the home of tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar.

Witnesses said machine-guns, grenades and tanks were used.

Sheikh Ahmar, a former supporter of President Abdullah Saleh, joined protests against his rule in March.

The clashes, which one official said lasted six hours, were among the fiercest since demonstrations against Mr Saleh's regime began.

Outside the interior ministry, tribesmen and security forces traded fire with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, witnesses told the Associated Press news agency.

An office building of Yemeni Airlines was on fire, and smoke poured out of a building inside the interior ministry compound.

[Mr Lick]

Afghan blast 'kills 10' labourers in Kandahar province



At least 10 road workers have been killed and 28 injured in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar when their truck hit a roadside bomb, hospital officials say.

No group has said it carried out the attack. Last week gunmen shot dead 35 highway workers in Paktia province.

Road workers are frequently targeted by Taliban militants.

The Taliban recently declared a "spring offensive" of attacks. This is the fourth attack in as many days.

[Mr Lick]

Indian Maoists 'kill and dismember' 10 policemen



Ten policemen, including one senior officer, have been killed and dismembered by Maoist rebels in India's Chhattisgarh state, police say.

The attack reportedly took place in the densely-forested Gariyaband area on the state's border with Orissa.

The bodies of nine policemen were found on Tuesday. Officials say they were shot and then hacked into pieces.

Maoist rebels say they are fighting for the rights of indigenous tribal people and the rural poor.

They are active in several eastern and central states. In one of the most deadly attacks last year, rebels killed 74 policemen in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

India's prime minister has described the Maoist insurgency as the country's biggest internal security challenge.

[Mr Lick]

Canada officers shot in Quebec 'domestic dispute'



A Quebec provincial police officer has been killed and another wounded after an apparent domestic dispute ended in gunfire, officials have said.

A man in the city of Brossard was shot to death and a woman shot in the leg.

A police spokesman told local media that investigators believe the male officer shot himself and that all the bullets were fired from his gun.

He declined to specify the nature of their relationship. The shooting occurred in the woman's home.

"The shooting seems to have been one where the man took his own life," Longueuil Pc Martin Simard told the Montreal Gazette.

"Whether he shot the woman before doing that, or inadvertently, remains to be seen. The shots were all fired inside the home and he did not live there."

After the shooting, which happened on Saturday night, the man, aged 45, was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The injury to the woman officer, 33, was said not to be life-threatening.

[Mr Lick]

California must release prisoners, Supreme Court rules



The US Supreme Court has upheld an order for California to free thousands of prisoners because of overcrowding.

Federal judges had ordered 40,000 prisoners be released within two years. The state says it has 148,000 inmates, in jails designed for 80,000 people.

California appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the prisoners could pose a risk to public safety.

But the court ruled the limit was necessary "to remedy the violation of prisoners' constitutional rights".

Judges rejected the state's appeal by a 5-4 vote, and upheld the 2009 federal court order.

[Mr Lick]

Obama state visit to the UK
























Nice rug



The Royal Collection, i'm sure there's one of me there









Hi, i'm Dave and she's Sam, no B.O., not Uncle Sam!