World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Two men dressed as centurians ride in carts pulled by ostriches in a race billed as 'The 3rd Annual Ostrich Derby' at the Meadowlands Race Track in East Rutherford, New Jersey



A group of crazy skydivers have taken their extreme hobby to the next level by setting off fireworks as they jump out of the plane. Pyrotechnic skydiving is the latest wild craze in extreme sports. A team of four divers activate sets of fireworks strapped to their legs as they fall through the air of speeds of up to 120mph. The Fastrax team are high performance skydivers used to throwing themselves out of planes and creating shapes in the sky. But unlike ordinary dives, their latest act includes an added element of danger, namely the giant sticks of gunpowder attached to the divers ankles firing sparks everywhere

[Mr Lick]

Jurgis Kairys of Lithuania performs with a modified Russian Sukhoi Su-31 plane during the Bucharest International Air Show at Baneasa airport



A mysterious 'magic island' has appeared out of nowhere in radar images of a hydrocarbon sea on Saturn's giant moon,Titan. Scientists are struggling to explain the bright 'transient feature' but say it could be the result of waves, bubbles, or buoyant solid matter. The object was spotted by flipping between images of Ligeia Mare, Titan's second-largest sea, captured by the Cassini space probe which has been exploring the Saturnian system since 2004. Prior to July 2013 the sea had appeared flat and completely devoid of features, including waves. Then the enigmatic object, dubbed 'magic island' by scientists, suddenly materialised - only to vanish away in later images

[Mr Lick]

Military history enthusiasts dressed as German 2nd World War soldiers take part in a staged battle near the village of Ivanovskoye, some 60 km outside Moscow. The War of Motors festival marks the 73rd anniversary of Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union.



An Interior Ministry security force member assists his colleague to adjust the helmet as they stand guard outside a branch of Russian bank Sberbank which was attacked during a pro-Ukrainian anti-separatist rally in Kiev

[Mr Lick]

A man is trapped on a mud-covered road in Longhui county of Shaoyang, central China's Hunan province, after strong rainfall hit the area triggering landslides



Sand sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik from India works on his sculpture during the final day of the Sand Sculpting World Cup competition on the beach at Pennsylvania Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey

[Mr Lick]

Rising floodwater covers the promenade in Lanxi, Zhejiang province after heavy rainfall. Severe rainstorms in southern China have left at least 26 dead and three others missing. The Ministry of Civil Affairs says 4.9 million people have been affected, Xinhua News Agency reported.



Belgium's King Philippe poses for a selfie with Belgian soccer players after the team's World Cup Group H soccer match against Russia at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro

[Mr Lick]

An Israeli soldier carries a tank shell near Alonei Habashan on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, close to the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria June 22, 2014. An attack from inside Syria killed a 13-year-old Israeli boy on the occupied Golan Heights, the first fatality on Israel's side of the frontier since the Syrian civil war began, relatives and the military said. Israeli tanks fired at Syrian army positions in response to what an Israeli military spokesman described as an intentional attack.



Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed (L-R) listen to the ruling at a court in Cairo June 23, 2014. Three Al Jazeera journalists were jailed for seven years in Egypt after a court convicted them of helping a "terrorist organization" by spreading lies, in a case that has raised questions about the country's respect for media freedoms.The three, who all deny the charge, include Australian Peter Greste, Al Jazeera's Kenya-based correspondent, and Canadian-Egyptian national Mohamed Fahmy, Cairo bureau chief of Al Jazeera English. The third defendant, Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed, received an additional three-year jail sentence on a separate charge involving possession of ammunition.



Jermaine Jones of the U.S. celebrates with Alejandro Bedoya (L) after scoring a goal during the 2014 World Cup G soccer match between Portugal and the U.S. at the Amazonia arena in Manaus June 22, 2014.

[Mr Lick]

A U.S. soldier, part of a NATO peace force, places barbed wire on his Humvee during a protest in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica June 22, 2014. Police in Kosovo fired tear gas and rubber bullets at ethnic Albanian rioters burning police cars and lobbing rocks in Mitrovica, in protest over the blockage of the main bridge by ethnic Serbs.



A diver swims near the bow of the wreck of the Baron Gautsch ship, near the Adriatic town of Rovinj June 22, 2014. The 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Baron Gautsch, an Austro-Hungarian steamboat which sank in the northern Croatian Adriatic sea, will be marked on August 13, 2014. The ship, originally used to service passenger lines, had been leased by the Austro-Hungarian Army following the July 1914 outbreak of World War One to transport troops, only to run into a friendly minefield off the Brijuni islands less than a month later. Estimates say between 240 and 390 people perished in the sinking, making it one of the biggest losses of life in World War One. Today the shipwreck lies at a depth of 40 meters off the coast of Rovinj and is said to be the most popular site for divers in the Adriatic.



Police patrol the area around a man killed after a shooting, as fireworks are set off at a local party in the background, in Naples, June 21, 2014.

[Mr Lick]

An Israeli soldier is seen during clashes with Palestinian stone throwers in the West Bank city of Ramallah June 22, 2014. Israeli troops killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian medics said, as Israel continued its crackdown on Islamist group Hamas, blamed for abducting three Israeli youths. Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel's existence, has neither claimed nor denied responsibility for the disappearance of the youths, who went missing near an Israeli settlement on June 13



taly's national soccer team player Leonardo Bonucci (R) gives his jersey to a boy who invaded the pitch during a training session at the Maria Lamas Farache-Frasqueirao stadium in Natal, June 21, 2014



A rebel fighter walks through a hole in a wall on the front line of Ramouseh, an area located beside Aleppo Artillery school in Syria June 22, 2014

[Mr Lick]

Andy Murray fans getting ready in the queue outside before the start of day one of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. See more pictures here.



Fans in Algiers celebrate their team's first World Cup win in 32 years after Algeria beat South Korea 4-2.

[Mr Lick]

People force their way into a food distribution centre in Bannu after The World Food Programme began distributing aid for hundreds of thousands of people who have fled violence in Pakistan.



Actress Angelina Jolie signs autographs for fans as she makes her appearance at Japan's premiere of Maleficent in Tokyo.

[Mr Lick]

Police in Kosovo fire tear gas at stone-throwing protestors demanding the removal of a blockade on a bridge linking ethnic Albanians and Serbs in the northern city of Mitrovica.



Syrians tackle a blaze caused by what activists said was an air strike by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, in Maaret al-Naaman, Idlib.

[Mr Lick]

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze at a carpet market in Benghazi June 23, 2014. According to local authorities, no casualties were reported in the fire which started in a fireworks shop close to the market.





Members of police escort Mufti Abdul Hannan (C) , leader of militant group Harkat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI), to a prison van after a verdict at the Dhaka Judge Court in Dhaka June 23, 2014. A Bangladeshi court sentenced to death eight members of an outlawed Islamist militant group in connection with a series of bomb attacks 13 years ago that killed 10 people, lawyers said on Monday.

[Mr Lick]

A Dutch fan cheers for his national team before the group B World Cup soccer match between the Netherlands and Chile at the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Monday, June 23, 2014.



Tokyo city assembly lawmaker Akihiro Suzuki (R) bows to apologise to lawmaker Ayaka Shiomura at Tokyo Metropolitan City Hall in Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo June 23, 2014. The lawmaker from Japan's ruling party apologised on Monday for telling Shiomura to "hurry up and get married", an incident that embarrassed the government as it makes a major push to increase women in the workforce. City assembly member Shiomura, 35, was talking about measures to support child raising and boost fertility during a session last week when male lawmakers interrupted her with cries of "Hurry up and get married" and "Can't you give birth?"

[Mr Lick]

Dutch fans head for the Arena Corinthians soccer stadium to watch the Netherlands play Chile for Group B of the 2014 World Cup in Sao Paulo, June 23, 2014

[Mr Lick]

Filipino Senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada looks on before boarding a police vehicle, after he turned himself in, at the police headquarters in Quezon city, metro Manila June 23, 2014. Jinggoy, a second senator, and son of a former president Joseph Estrada, ousted in 2001 on corruption charges, turned himself in to authorities on Monday after an anti-graft court ordered his arrest for the misuse of congressional funds



Aircraft parts are pictured on a road after a mid-air collision between two aircrafts in Elpe, near the western city of Olsberg, June 23, 2014. A civilian Learjet crashed in the wooded area near Olsberg, after a mid-air collision with a German military aircraft. The military aircraft landed safely.

[Mr Lick]

Dancers wait during a visit by American actor Forest Whitaker (not seen) inside the UN House IDP Camp in Juba, June 23, 2014



The Canadian ambassador to Egypt, David Drake, center, attends the sentencing hearing for journalists working for Al-Jazeera in a courtroom in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, June 23, 2014. An Egyptian court on Monday convicted three journalists from Al-Jazeera English and sentenced them to seven years in prison each on terrorism-related charges, bringing widespread criticism that the verdict was a blow to freedom of expression. The three, Australian Peter Greste, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohammed, have been detained since December charged with supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been declared a terrorist organization, and of fabricating footage to undermine Egypt's national security and make it appear the country was facing civil war.

[Mr Lick]

Seth Mazzaglia, right, and his attorney Melissa Davis watch as the first defense witness enters the Strafford County Superior courtroom, Monday, June 23, 2014, in Dover, N.H. Mazzaglia is accused of killing Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott after she refused his sexual advances in October 2012.

[Mr Lick]

When Alligators Attack: Glen Bonin (bottom right) and two friends attempted to move an 11 ft alligator from the middle of the road in Sulphur, Louisiana. The carpenter and his friends, Kacey Kole Mays, 21, Ricky LeBlanc, 24, attempted to move the alligator by first using their t-shirts to blindfold it. But Glen narrowly avoided serious injury when the irate beast clamped its jaws round his hand and shook him like a rag doll



This posing spider can't take its eyes off the camera and even looks like its had a trip to the hairdressers for a new set of highlights. However, rather than the result of expensive, celebrity hair treatment, these are natural colours. Incredibly, thousands of tiny, brightly coloured hairs fit on the body of a spider measuring no more than 4mm long. The photo was taken by IT worker Iwan Susanto in his backyard in Tangerang, Indonesia using a macro lens.

[Mr Lick]

Game of Bones: Blinkbox has teamed up with three adorable pugs to create the cutest Game of Thrones remake ever. With season four of Game of Thrones having drawn to a dramatic close, the movie and TV streaming service has produced their very own homage to the hit HBO series to help tide fans over. Roxy, Blue and Bono love nothing more than dressing up as their favourite characters but they are fortunately much cuter than the baddies they portray. Owners Phillip Lauer, 57 and his wife Sue, 47 have been dressing their pugs up as characters from cinema and TV since they were puppies. The fourth instalment of the critically acclaimed drama Game of Thrones is available now to buy from Tesco’s streaming service blinkbox



A puppy that somehow got his head stuck in the middle of a car's wheel rim was brought to a Kern County fire station. Fire Department spokesman Brandon Hill says two firefighters used vegetable oil to ease the dog's head out of the hole. The little pooch, named Junior, has returned to live with its owner and seven siblings

[Mr Lick]

During the day the Queen shook hands with Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness (R) as she arrives for a visit at the Crumlin Road Gaol Visitor Attraction and Conference Centre in Belfast...



A zany new zipline whisks travellers from Spain to Portugal in less than one minute. The border-crossing attraction is the first - and currently only - zipline in the world to transport users across a border. Thrillseekers board in Sanlucar de Guadiana in Andalucia, Spain, before whizzing down the line at around 50mph - and landing across the Guadiana River in Alcoutim, Portugal. And thanks to time zone differences between the two nations, the 60 second journey will see the zipliners travel back one hour in time



A one-of-a-kind concept car made by Aston Martin during World War II is expected to fetch a whopping £1 million when it goes under the hammer in a Bonhams auction at Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 27

[Mr Lick]

A classic Mini Cooper with just 13 miles on the clock is up for sale after the sons of its only owner grew too tall to drive it. The limited edition 25-year-old gem, seen here with David Hollis behind the wheel, was kept hidden in a Cheshire farmers shed for almost all its life after he bought it for his two sons as a 21st birthday present. But by the time they'd got old enough to drive it, their heads were hitting the roof and it was left to gather dust. Despite its age, it is as good as new and starts perfectly, having never been driven on the road



Nasa's Curiosity Mars used the camera at the end of its arm in April and May 2014 to take dozens of component images combined into this self-portrait where the rover drilled into a sandstone target called 'Windjana.' Nasa's Mars Curiosity rover will complete a Martian year, 687 Earth days, on June 24.



Catholic devotees around the world joined in with the festivities to celebrate the feast of Saint John the Baptist. Above, people in the Philippines covered themselves in mud as they attended a mass to mark the 'Taong Putik' (Mud People) Festival

[Mr Lick]

Members of a Malaysian hazardous disaster emergency response team wearing protective suits take part in a trasportation emergency response drill 'Ex-Eagle' on a highway near Bentong, outside Kuala Lumpur.



Jeff Koons sculpture 'J.B. Turner Train' is among works spanning his 30-year career being installed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. 'Jeff Koons: A Retrospective,' marks the final exhibition at the Whitney's uptown Manhattan location from June 27 through to October 19.

[Mr Lick]

A bumbling souvenir company deserves a red card - after mistaking Barack Obama for England player Chris Smalling (inset) on a memento mug. It seems a junior member of staff was trusted with picture research, the boss didn't notice, and 2,000 mugs were printed with the face of the US president instead of the England centre-back



An orphaned juvenile squirrel is fed a cherry in New Delhi. The squirrel was rescued from a tree which fell during a recent thunderstorm in the city

[Mr Lick]

BBC journalists and colleagues from other news organisations participated in a one-minute silent protest outside New Broadcasting House in London on Tuesday against the seven-year jail terms given to three Al-Jazeera journalists in Egypt. A court in Cairo found Al-Jazeera's Cairo bureau chief, Mohamed Fahmy, who is Canadian-Egyptian, Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed and Australian correspondent Peter Greste guilty of spreading false news



A suicide bomber blew up his car in southern Beirut on Monday night near an army checkpoint, killing himself and wounding several people watching the World Cup in a nearby cafe.

Monday's explosion, shortly before midnight, killed the bomber and wounded 19 people, Lebanon's civil defense force said. An emergency worker at the nearby Sahel hospital said it treated 11 lightly wounded people.

[Mr Lick]

Austrian extreme athlete Franz Muellner successfully completed his world record attempt of pulling a Boeing 777 out of a hangar at the Vienna-Schwechat airport in Austria, on Monday. The 44-year-old strongman moved the Boeing 777 47.5 feet by pulling it with a rope.
Muellner has previously turned a 244-ton ferris wheel in Vienna with sheer muscle and let a helicopter land on his shoulders