World News in Pictures

[S Landreth]

Miami Heat win Game 5 and 2012 NBA Championship in Miami against the Oklahoma City Thunder, on June 21, 2012

The Thunder were trounced by the Heat (121 - 106).

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 21: (L-R) Mike Miller #13, LeBron James #6 and Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat talk on court against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the 2012 NBA Finals on June 21, 2012 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

[OhOh]

China has increased its oil imports from Iran following the settlement of ambiguities by the two countries regarding the terms of the existing crude sale agreements. Customs data indicated that China added 133,902 barrels per day to its crude shipments from Iran in May, increasing its Iranian oil purchase by 34.5 percent from the level of 388,034 barrels per day in April, Reuters reported on Thursday.

[OhOh]

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei says Iran has responded to the proposals put forward by the P5+1 group of world powers and advanced its own five-point package in the Moscow negotiations.

Hong said the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group - Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany - in the Russian capital on June 18, 19 were realistic and positive as the two sides engaged in direct and detailed talks, IRNA reported on Thursday.

[Mr Lick]

Roman, a two-year-old Mexican Hairless Mix, competes during the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.









Mugly, an eight year-old Chinese Crested from Peterborough, Britain, stands for a photo during the contest.



Daisy, a nine-year-old Pug, is seen during the contest.



From sonoma-marinfair.org: Emerging from a field of 29 ugly contenders, a Chinese Crested dog from the United Kingdom named Mugly took the World’s Ugliest Dog ® title tonight before an international assembly of media and a raucous crowd. The United Kingdom challenger Mugly took the title after traveling around the world to wrest the title from a field of 29 plus contestants of questionable beauty with names like Handsome Hector, Creature, Rue, Icky, Spam-O-Rama, and Mouse. Mugly is the UK's ugliest dog.

Said owner Bev Nicholson, "I couldn't speak when they announced Mugly's name. I didn't know which way to look. I was shaking as much as the dog."

[Mr Lick]

Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse Friday night and faces spending the rest of his life in state prison.


Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse after his conviction



Sandusky's attorney, Joseph Amendola, asked Judge John Cleland to allow Sandusky to be released on house arrest, but Cleland summarily rejected the request, saying: "Bail is revoked. Mr. Sandusky is remanded to the custody of the sheriff." Sandusky was immediately led out of the courthouse in handcuffs as a large crowd of onlookers cheered

[Mr Lick]

French high plain diver Cyrille Oumedjkane jumps from Bonifacio's cliffs before the first stage of the Cliff Diving World Series, on June 22, 2012 in Bonifacio, Corsica.

[Mr Lick]

Parks near the city of Moose Lake flood on June 21. Damage assessment teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected to be in the area next week to start tallying the damage to public infrastructure in 14 counties and one Indian reservation.

[Mr Lick]

Land art representing "Dueling Banjos," a reference to the movie "Deliverance", stands at the entrance to the Chattooga River Festival in Long Creek, S.C. on June 22, 2012. Communities along the Chattooga River are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie's release with the first-ever Chattooga River Festival. Some locals are unhappy with reminding the world to the area's connection to the movie. Festival organizers say they hope the event can be an annual draw that raises money to preserve the Chattooga River and promotes environmental stewardship.

[Mr Lick]

A young Palestinian protester runs away from Israeli soldiers during a demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kafr Qaddum, near the West Bank city of Ramallah on June 22, 2012.

[Mr Lick]

Police officers on strike vandalize the police intelligence headquarters and burn documents in La Paz, on June 22, during a police strike demanding a 70 percent salary increase. At least three people were injured when striking Bolivian police officers clashed with an anti-riot brigade in downtown La Paz Thursday, local media reported.






Police officers on strike vandalize the police intelligence headquarters and burn documents in La Paz, on June 22, during a police strike demanding a 70 percent salary increase. At least three people were injured when striking Bolivian police officers clashed with an anti-riot brigade in downtown La Paz Thursday, local media reported.

[Mr Lick]

Egyptian protesters shout slogans during a demonstration against the delay of the Egyptian Presidential results and the military rulers, in Tahrir square, Cairo, on June 22. Egyptians were rallying in central Cairo to demand that the ruling military council expedites the handover of power and abolishes the interim constitution that effectively tightens its grip on power. The Muslim Brotherhood and several other Islamist groups are supporting the rally in Tahrir Square, the focal point of a popular uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak from power in February 2011.






The Muslim Brotherhood's presidential candidate Mohammed Morsi, center, performs Friday prayers in Amr Ibn Al-As mosque in Cairo, Egypt, on June 22. Egypt's ruling military council blamed Friday the Muslim Brotherhood for raising tensions in the country by releasing election results early and insisted its recent decisions granting the generals sweeping powers were necessary for running the country.






Supporters of Muslim Brotherhood's presidential candidate Mohamed Morsy stand under giant Egyptian flags during a demonstration against the delay of the Egyptian presidential results and the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces (SCAF) at Tahrir Square in Cairo on June 22. Egypt's ruling military council criticized the two presidential candidates for making premature claims of victory on Friday and said it would stand by a decree limiting the new president's powers, which many see as prolonging military rule.

[Mr Lick]

Racegoers hold on to their hats during strong winds on day four of Royal Ascot at Ascot racecourse on June 22, in Ascot, England.

[Mr Lick]

The mother of 5 year-old Yazan Gassan Rezk holds his body during his funeral on Thursday, June 21. The child was killed by a sniper at a checkpoint in Qusayr, outside the flashpoint city of Homs,



Soldiers from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) detain alleged members of the pro-government "Shabiha" militia in an undisclosed location in the north of Idlib province on Tuesday, June 19. The men were identified as Mehsin Mohamed Ahmed and Mohamed Azezz, from Aleppo city, and accused by the FSA of stealing from homes and passing information to the authorities.

Blamed for some of the most barbaric massacres committed since the beginning of the uprising 15 months ago, the "Shabiha" are feared tools of a regime seeking to dissociate itself from atrocities, experts and activists say.



FSA fighters at an undisclosed location in Syria on Thursday, June 21.

[Mr Lick]

An Indian shouts for water as a shanty town is engulfed in flames in New Delhi, India, Friday. A fire swept through a slum in the Indian capital, destroying hundreds of shanties where residents had collected scrap plastic and rubber for resale. No one was reported injured or killed, fire department chief A.K. Sharma said.









An Indian man gestures for water as he and others wait for firefighters to arrive as a shanty town is engulfed in flames in New Delhi, India, Friday.

[Mr Lick]

Visitors of the Botanical Gardens in Copenhagen saw nothing less than a sensation when an Amorphophallus Titanum bloomed for the first time in nine years in Denmark, on June 22. However, it might be a malodorous experience as the giant plant emits a strong odor of carcass and therefore has been nicknamed the Corpse-flower or Mr. Stinky.

[Mr Lick]

Smoke rises from explosions near the North Korean flag during South Korea-U.S. joint military live-fire drills at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, near the border with the North Korea. Photo taken June 19, 2012 and made available on June 22.






South Korean and U.S. tanks 'advance on an enemy stronghold' while removing land mines in a joint firepower combat drill in Pocheon on June 22, 2012. The exercise, the biggest-ever in scale, was conducted on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the start of the 1950-53 Korean War, which falls on June 25.

[Mr Lick]

Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers take positions on a hill near the Spozhmai Hotel following an attack by Taliban militants at Qargha lake on the outskirts of Kabul on June 22, 2012.






People hide from militants outside the Spozhmai hotel on Lake Qurgha during an attack on June, 22, 2012.

Guests swam for their lives after five Taliban gunmen attacked a lakeside hotel in Afghanistan, killing at least 18 people and taking 50 others hostage in a siege lasting several hours, according to reports.

At least five militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns attacked the exclusive Spozhmai hotel in the Qargha Lake recreation area around midnight local time on Thursday (3:30 p.m. ET) bursting into a private party and shooting dead hotel workers.







Afghan security forces and civilians are seen at the Spozhmai hotel after the attack on June 22, 2012.

[Mr Lick]

LeBron James #6 and Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat celebrate their win.

James capped his title bid with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, Chris Bosh added 23 points, Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and the Heat finished off the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, winning 121-106



NBA Finals MVP LeBron James of the Miami Heat holds the championship trophy after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

[Mr Lick]

Held by his owner, Clyde, a pitbull, is given oxygen by Garden Grove Fire Department Captain Jeff Wilkins, right, on Thursday, June 21, 2012 in Garden Grove, Calif.




A firefighter sprays water inside the burned home.

[Mr Lick]

A Nigerien woman digs a trench to collect rainwater near the village of Tibiri in the southern Zinder region of Niger. Ten percent of children under five in Niger suffer from acute malnutrition and 44 percent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition, according to the UN World Food Program.






Nigerien farmers receive two-week's pay for work in the village of Tibiri.

[Mr Lick]

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron greets Chairperson and General Secretary of the National League for Democracy Aung San Suu Kyi in Downing Street in London on June 21, 2012. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi continued an emotional visit to Britain where she left her family 24 years ago and took up her famous struggle against the military dictatorship in her homeland.



Burmese revolutionary and statesman General Aung San (1915 - 1947) arrives at 10 Downing Street to negotiate independence for Burma with the British government on January 13, 1947 in London, England. General Aung San's visit to London was referenced in his daughter Aung San Suu Kyi's historic address to both Houses of Parliament.







Aung San Suu Kyi delivers an address to both Houses of Parliament, in Westminster Hall.

[Mr Lick]

Asbury Park firefighter Brett Nielson pauses as he prepares to enter the surf to search for the body of a 23-year-old man who disappeared while swimming after lifeguards had gone off duty yesterday. The body was recovered after a short search by divers.



One swimmer who vanished off the New Jersey shore was found drowned Thursday morning while the search continued for a second caught by rip currents.
Both incidents occurred at beaches where no lifeguards were on duty.
Garrett Giberson, public information officer for the Asbury Park fire department, told NJ.com, website of the Star-Ledger newspaper. “Basically the bottom line is this: When lifeguards are off duty, stay out of the water. Rip tides are dangerous and obviously deadly. It's not worth your life."



Friends sob on the shore as hopes fade in finding an 18-year-old swept out to sea by unusually strong current.

[Mr Lick]

Forks of lightning during a thunderstorm on June 20, in Warsaw, Poland.



And there's more extreme weather, this time in Minnesota. Here a street sign shows the depth of floodwaters along Lakeshore Drive in Moose Lake, near Duluth



On manoeuvres: South Korean army soldiers gather to watch South Korea/US joint military live-fire drills at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, near the border with North Korea



Pallbearers carry the white coffins of John Philpott and his brother Duwayne to St Mary's Church in Derby. Hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of Duwayne, aged 13, and his siblings Jade 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jessie, six and Jayden, five, who all died in a house fire in May

[sunsetter]

lick......666,218 views.....amazing stuff, love this thread mate

[Mr Lick]

Another difficult day for the money men: George Osborne arrives at a European Union finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg



Photographers take pictures of protesters showing their support for Julian Assange outside the Ecuadorean embassy in London



The Queen looks delighted as she gets her hands on some silverware after her horse Estimate won The Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot



Police demanding salary increases burn documents outside a police internal affairs building, in La Paz, Bolivia. Protesters were demanding salaries on par with soldiers and a pension equal to 100% of their salaries. Bolivian police earn about $144 a month



A brown bear eats a watermelon and other frozen fruits as he stands in the water during a hot day at Biopark Zoo in Rome. Yes, there's a heat wave across Italy with temperatures of around 32C made worse by the warm air from the Scipione wind blowing from north Africa