World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Riot policemen surround striking workers at Yoosung Enterprise Co., an auto parts supplier for domestic car makers, in Asan, South Korea on May 24. Thousands of riot police raided the auto parts factory Tuesday to break up a sit-in by striking workers as the weeklong walkout has crippled the operations of Hyundai and other local automakers and their parts suppliers.




Children ride on a passenger jeep while it maneuvers in a flooded street as occasional rain showers fall in Manila, Philippines on May 24. As tropical storm Chedeng (international name: Songda) changed its track, Philippines Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda Edwin appealed to residents in low-lying and landslide prone areas, particularly in Panay and Negros region, to evacuate immediately.

[Mr Lick]

A man, who officials said was wounded in an air strike by coalition forces, lies on a bed at a hospital in Tripoli, Libya on May 24. Heavy explosions were heard in the city early on Tuesday.

[Mr Lick]

Chelsea flower show 2011






A garden designed by South Korea's Jihae Hwang entitled Hae-woo-so (Emptying one's mind), which features a toilet as its centre piece



A visitor walks through the gold award-winning Leeds City Council HESCO Garden



Dame Helen Mirren is presented with a nepenthes cultivar (a new variety of the carnivorous pitcher plant), Nepenthes 'Helen' – named in her honour. Doesn't she look pleased?

[Mr Lick]

A living statue poses as a display



The Art of Yorkshire garden

[Mr Lick]

A guardian lion made from flowers pictured in the Thailand Garden



An exhibitor poses with clematis and delphiniums

[Mr Lick]

Can you guess what the theme is here? Created by the Plant Nursery Guide



A 'William and Catherine' Rose on the David Austen stand

[Mr Lick]

Diarmuid Gavin's sky garden





The Times's Eureka Garden

[Mr Lick]

Yazoo City, USA: Floodwaters from the Yazoo river, one of the tributaries of the Mississippi, inundate crops



San Juan, Philippines: A man wears a mask featuring the face of Joseph Estrada, former Philippine president and mayor of San Juan, as residents of a squatter settlement await the arrival of a demolition crew

[Mr Lick]

Tatul, Bulgaria: A tortoise crosses the road



Joplin, USA: A car drives down a street after a deadly tornado ripped through the Missouri city

[Mr Lick]

Mumbai, India: A disabled man propels himself while sitting on a wheeled plank, a common sight in Indian cities



Berlin, Germany: A radio-controlled airplane comes in for landing on the runway of the disused Tempelhof airport

[Mr Lick]

Sapa, Vietnam: A farmer carries grass to feed water buffalo



Kommetjie, South Africa: High winds churn up rough seas to produce sea foam, washed up on the beach

[Mr Lick]

Leipzig, Germany: A crust of bread forms a makeshift necklace for a pigeon



Jenin, West Bank: Palestinians take part in a ceremony to commemorate the assassination of Arab-Jewish actor and theatre director Juliano Mer-Khamis at the Freedom theatre. The 52-year-old director was shot dead by a gunman in April



Oakland, USA: Radio and television preacher Harold Camping prepares for a taping of his show Open Forum. Camping had predicted the end of the world on Saturday, 21 May 2011

[Mr Lick]

Dog Photographer of the Year finalists 2010




















Even DD had a mention

[Mr Lick]

Weatherman Mike Morgan wears his severe weather tie for tornado coverage

[Mr Lick]

Pre-Kindergarten students arrive at the Varnett Public School's graduation ceremony at the Stafford Civic Center Tuesday, May 24, 2011 in Stafford, Texas



World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali attends a news conference at the National Press Club on May 24 in Washington, DC. Ali and other prominent American Muslims and clergy appealed to Iran's Supreme Leader for the release Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, the two US hikers detained in Iran since July 31, 2009

[Mr Lick]

Armored car courier Josh Beck works on salvaging cash from an ATM which was damaged and tossed approximately 20 feet when a massive tornado passed through the town killing at least 116 people on May 24 in Joplin, Missouri. Authorities were prepared to find more bodies in the town. The tornado that ripped through the town of about 50,000 people May 22, is being called the deadliest single tornado in the U.S. in 60 years.

[Mr Lick]

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, and U.S. President Barack Obama during a state banquet in Buckingham Palace, London, on Tuesday May 24. President Barack Obama immersed himself in the grandeur of Britain's royal family Tuesday, as Queen Elizabeth II welcomed him to Buckingham Palace for the first day of a state visit.



Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, U.S. President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during a State Banquet in Buckingham Palace on May 24 in London, England. The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, and his wife Michelle are in the UK for a two day State Visit at the invitation of HM Queen Elizabeth II. During the trip they will attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and the President will address both houses of parliament at Westminster Hall.

[Mr Lick]

Manchester United confirm signing of David de Gea from Atlético Madrid



Sir Alex Ferguson has acted quickly to replace the outgoing Edwin van der Sar by smashing the British transfer record for a goalkeeper and agreeing the signing this summer of David de Gea from Atlético Madrid for a fee believed to be in the region of £17m.

The size of the fee indicates the importance Ferguson has attached to finding the right successor to Van der Sar at Old Trafford.

The figure dwarfs the £9m Sunderland paid Hearts for Craig Gordon in 2007 and makes the 20-year-old De Gea, who is yet to win a cap for Spain, the second most expensive goalkeeper in football history behind Gianluigi Buffon, who swapped Parma for Juventus in a deal worth around £32m in 2001.

[Mr Lick]

French Open 2011: Rafael Nadal survives five-setter with John Isner



By the hour, almost, evidence gathers that the established order in tennis is under siege – and rarely more dramatically than in the city of revolution on the day that Rafael Nadal was dragged into a four‑hour, five-set dogfight to stay in the 110th French Open.

That Nadal had to dig so deep to quell the challenge of John Isner, the world No39, in the first round, winning 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, did more than encourage Andy Murray and others on the Spaniard's side of the draw; it reinforced a message across the game that even the greats are vulnerable now.

The defending champion insisted he had been "closer to the exit" in other matches, but there could be no separating this result from those of recent weeks and months. Nadal could still win this tournament, of course, but he might have to stretch himself again as hard as he did on Tuesday, and that would be some achievement.

Murray went through prosaically by comparison, taking 109 minutes to dispatch the Parisian qualifier Eric Prodon 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. The Scot has another qualifier on Thursday in Italy's Simone Bolelli.

[Mr Lick]

James McCarthy awol as Northern Ireland are thrashed by Republic

Republic of Ireland 5

• Stephen Ward 24,
• Keane 37,
• Cathcart 45,
• Keane 54,
• Cox 80

Northern Ireland 0




The Republic of Ireland's biggest ever win over their northern neighbours – and a victory which was one goal short of equalling their best win against any opposition – was later overshadowed by a player who did not even feature.
Intrigue in Ireland surrounded the non-appearance at the Carling Nations Cup of James McCarthy after it was claimed the Wigan Athletic player had not responded at all to his call-up. In a further twist a statement from the Football Association of Ireland on Tuesday night claimed Wigan had informed them on Sunday that McCarthy was to have a scan on an ankle injury to determine his international availability.

[Mr Lick]

Sepp Blatter turns down request to give evidence at parliamentary inquiry



Fifa says Sepp Blatter will not attend the parliamentary inquiry as the governing body is carrying out its own investigation.


Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter, has turned down a request to appear before the parliamentary committee inquiry that gave rise to the latest round of corruption allegations afflicting the world football governing body.

Fifa said that because it was conducting its own inquiry into the claims there was no need for Blatter, who next week hopes to be re-elected as president for another four-year term, to take up the invitation to appear before the committee.

Several committee members have been forthright about the need for fundamental reform in the wake of allegations made before it by Lord Triesman, the former Football Association chairman, that four members of the Fifa executive committee asked for bribes or inducements during the 2018 World Cup bidding campaign.

In evidence from a Sunday Times whistleblower submitted under parliamentary privilege, the committee also heard that two executive committee members had been accused of taking a bribe of $1.5m (£926,000) from the Qatari bid for the 2022 World Cup.

The Qatar FA and the four executive committee members have strongly denied the claims. "Fifa has immediately asked both the Football Association and the Sunday Times for a report on this matter," said a spokesman.

"With this in mind, Fifa has informed the culture, media and sport committee that it is focusing on its own investigation and that there is therefore no need for the Fifa president to attend the committee."

The FA has promised that its own inquiry into the allegations, conducted by James Dingemans QC, will be delivered by Friday ahead of the Fifa Congress and presidential vote next week.

The Sunday Times has said it will arrange for its whistleblower to provide evidence to Fifa, but they are likely to do so via signed affadavit rather than in person.

Mohamed Bin Hammam, the head of the Asian Football Confederation who is challenging Blatter for the presidency but looks increasingly likely to fail, has accused the FA of forfeiting its right to effect change and urged it to reconsider its decision to abstain.

[Mr Lick]

Ruins of Misrata









Libyans walk past a destroyed fire truck at a vegetable market near Tripoli street in central Misrata, May 22, 2011.























A display of weapons and ammunitions picked up after a fierce battle between rebels and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi is seen on Tripoli street in central Misrata, May 22, 2011. The words read, "February 17".

[Mr Lick]

Eruption in Iceland









Hotel employee Margret Erla Agustsdottir tries to seal a window at Hotel Geirland near Kirkjubaejarklaustur May 23, 2011.









Passengers sleep on the floor in the main terminal at Edinburgh Airport, in Scotland, May 24, 2011.

[Mr Lick]

Emergency personnel work at the temporally headquarters at the Geirland farm near Kirkjubaejarklaustu, May 23, 2011.



Farmer and hotel owner Gisli Kjartanson rests at the bar in his empty hotel Geirland near Kirkjubaejarklaustur, May 23, 2011.



Passengers sleep at Edinburgh Airport, in Scotland, May 24, 2011.

[Mr Lick]

On stage



Former Beatle Paul McCartney performs during his concert in Rio de Janeiro, Baidu May 23, 2011, as part of his "Up and Coming Tour''.



The Georgian Legend performs their new show "Samaia" during a media preview at the TIM Show Center in Istanbul, Turkey May 20, 2011.



A performer takes part in "Requiem for the Merles" at the Mediterranean Institute Theatre Programme theatre in Valletta, Malta May 20, 2011. The "Requiem for the Merles" is a contemporary theatre piece about the duel between man and the ultimate silence, written and directed by Ada Moira of Mexico