World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Isle of Wight festival 2012

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Lana Del Rey and Noah and the Whale were among the acts playing on Friday



Tom Petty



Charlie Fink of the band Noah and The Whale



Feeder were the opening act on the main stage on Friday



Guy Garvey of Elbow performs on the main stage



Grant Nicholas of Feeder



Lana Del Rey, wearing cut-off blue jeans, played in the Big Top stage

[Mr Lick]

A very muddy Isle of Wight festival

[Mr Lick]

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a 'pacified' favela, or squatter settlement, is seen on a forested mountainside in the mist. Rio's authorities have successfully 'pacified' a number of formerly crime-ridden favelas in the city, although the expansion of favelas due to a housing shortage has contributed to Rio's rainforest destruction



Donetsk, Ukraine: an Ukrainian woman and her daughter await a mechanic to repair their broken down Moskvitch car - haven't come across one of those for a while



Chongqing, China: drug addicts rehearse a short play for a performance to mark International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June at a playground of a compulsory drug rehabilitation centre. There are about 1,000 addicts in the centre who are undergoing treatment with a strict regime of physical exercise, psychological therapies and medication



Bandipora, Kashmir: farmers walk through their rice fields

[Mr Lick]

Fiona Zaldua is spun through the air by Dmitry Sukhanov as the Russian figure skating pair perform at the Artistry on Ice show in Shanghai - wow!!



Italy's Antonio Cairoli celebrates after winning the motocross MX1 Grand Prix of Belgium



Hey, why the long face? Sweden beat France 2-0



Milwaukee Brewers' Carlos Gomez blows a bubble while the Brewers take on the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB



A horse is seen in the stables of the Hippodrome Caprilli in Livorno, Italy. The hippodrome Caprilli, one of the most important Italian racecourses since 1894, is threatened with closure. In Italy, the crisis of horse racing is very serious and of 43 racecourses, over 60% risk closure due to deep cuts and betting that is diversified and changed. More than 50,000 people and 20,000 horses are at risk of losing their jobs



A tender moment at the Metalist stadium in Kharkiv as Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with team-mate Miguel Veloso after the Portugal captain scored against Holland

[Mr Lick]

A peasant supporter of Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo waits outside the National Congress building before the start of Lugo's impeachment proceedings in Asuncion June 22, 2012.



A labourer empties a sack of rotten paddy crop at Khamano village in the northern Indian state of Punjab June 22, 2012.



An Afghan policeman takes pictures of the body of an attacker at a hotel on the outskirts of Kabul June 22, 2012.

[Mr Lick]

World War II veteran Lev Yatsevich attends a memorial service at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union



Wax figures at Madame Tussauds in London

[Mr Lick]

Breivik trial ends in Norway with walkout by families



The trial of Anders Behring Breivik has ended in Norway with a walkout by families of victims in protest at his attempts to justify the massacre.

As he took the stand to explain why he had killed 77 people last July, some 30 people filed out of the courtroom.

Saying he had acted to stop a Muslim invasion, he asked to be considered sane and to be acquitted.

Judges will deliver their verdict on 24 August. The prosecution is asking for Breivik to be deemed insane.

Breivik's lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said his client had been driven by extreme politics.

The trial's final day also heard poignant testimony from people affected directly by the attacks.

Breivik, 33, admits killing 77 people and injuring 242 on 22 July when he bombed government buildings in Oslo before shooting young Labour Party supporters at a camp on the island of Utoeya.

His request for acquittal was a legal formality because he does not accept the charges of terrorism and premeditated murder against him.

Memorials to Breivik's victims will be built at the two attack sites, the government announced on Friday.

[Mr Lick]

No referendum to be held on House of Lords reform



The government has decided not to hold a national referendum on plans to reform the House of Lords.

The coalition has suggested cutting the number of peers from more than 800 to 300, with 240 elected and 60 appointed.

It will publish its plans next week. If its legislation is passed, the first elections would take place in 2015.

David Cameron had hinted he might agree to a referendum on the changes but Nick Clegg, who made reform a major Lib Dem issue, had said it was not necessary.

The three main national parties backed the proposed changes at the last general election but some MPs and peers argue that constitutional change should not be a priority at a time of economic crisis.

There are also concerns that altering the Lords could undermine the primacy of the Commons.

[Mr Lick]

Moody's downgrades 15 major banks



Credit ratings agency Moody's has downgraded 15 global banks and financial institutions.

The UK banks downgraded were Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and HSBC. Lloyds also had its rating cut by Moody's in a separate announcement.

In the US, Bank of America and Citigroup were among those marked down.

BBC business editor Robert Peston said banks were concerned the downgrades may make it harder for them to borrow money, but their shares rose on Friday.

John Raymond, senior banking analyst at research firm Credit Sights, said Moody's announcement would have little impact on the banks' abiity to borrow funds - and in turn on their customers - because it was so expected.

"The downgrades from Moody's have been expected for some time, and therefore had already been factored in," he told the BBC.

"So I don't think Moody's move will mean the banks end up having to increase the interest rates or charges that their customers face."

Explaining the decision for the downgrade, Moody's global banking managing director Greg Bauer highlighted the banks' exposure to volatility in the world's financial markets.

[Mr Lick]

Paraguay President Fernando Lugo impeached by congress



Paraguay's Senate has voted to impeach left-wing President Fernando Lugo, forcing him to step down.

Both houses of Congress had voted on Thursday to begin impeachment proceedings over his handling of clashes between farmers and police last week in which at least 17 people died.

Mr Lugo likened the move to a coup by the right wing-controlled parliament, but said he would accept the decision.

Vice-President Federico Franco has already been sworn in as president.

He will serve the remainder of Mr Lugo's five-year term, which ends in August 2013.

After previously trying to get the Supreme Court to stop the impeachment vote, the fallen president said he accepted "what the law has stated, even though the law was twisted".

[OhOh]

GAZA - Israeli air strikes on Hamas security targets in Gaza killed two Palestinians and wounded 30 people on Saturday, medical officials in the Islamist-ruled territory said, while heavier rocket fire by militants wounded an Israeli man.

[Mr Lick]

U.S. decathlete Ashton Eaton celebrates as he clears 5.30 meters in the decathlon pole vault at the U.S. Olympic Athletics Trials in Eugene, Ore., June 23.

In the decathlon, Ashton Eaton was ahead of a world-record pace for two events. His shot put throw of 46 feet, 7 3/4 inches slowed him down, but he still led two-time world champion Trey Hardee by 205 points with six events to go.

Eaton, an Oregon native, looked very much at home in the steady rain that swamped Hayward Field for the first of this 10-day event, during which up to 120 spots on the U.S. Olympic team will be awarded.

[Mr Lick]

Supporters of Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate, protest against Egypt's military rulers in Tahrir Square and celebrate a premature victory on June 23, 2012 in Cairo, Egypt. Egyptian election officials have postponed the announcement of a winner in last weekend's presidential run-off, stating they needed more time to evaluate charges of electoral abuse that could affect who becomes the country's next president. The official result is expected on June 24.

[Mr Lick]

Demonstrators burn barricades during a protest against foreign lithium exploitation in Santiago, Chile, June 22. Chilean opposition and experts have criticized the Chilean government for its decision to open lithium mining to foreign companies, fearing the government may try to privatize a resource that they regard as state property

[Mr Lick]

Flash floods hit northern England

Torrential downpours overnight brought flooding to swaths of northern England, forcing people to leave their homes as more than a month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours



Floodwaters surround the cinema and shops in the centre of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

[Mr Lick]

Berlin, Germany: fans celebrate at a public viewing event after Germany beat Greece 4-2 in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals



Mieres Figaredo, Spain: a coal miner fires handmade rockets at riot police during clashes with authorities in northern Spain as they protest against cuts in subsidies



New York, US: a visitor walks on a footbridge in a replica of French painter Claude Monet's garden in an exhibition, at the New York Botanical Gardens

[Mr Lick]

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: environmental activists, one portraying a shrinking planet, left, another dressed as a butcher carrying a hatchet and donning a red-stained apron with corporate logos of fast food restaurants, attend a protest on the final day of the United Nations conference on sustainable development



Managua, Nicaragua: Hayel Pineda, 31, walks to the room where her husband tried to kill her by cutting her throat with a knife. A new law called integral law against violence against women has been introduced that recognises all forms of violence against women as criminal acts and makes them punishable up to a 30-year term in jail



Harare, Zimbabwe: Tonderai Kanyere waits for his results after he was tested for HIV and Aids. In Zimbabwe's parliament, politicians belonging to a panel on health issues are setting up an HIV/Aids testing and male circumcision centre



Lake Lucerne, Switzerland: Yves Rossy, known as the Jetman, dropped from a helicopter and deployed a carbon-kevlar jetwing to perform the flight

[Mr Lick]

A wounded woman sits on a chair as another wounded man lies in a hospital in Gaza City, following an Israeli air strike June 23, 2012



Rocks and sand bags are thrown into the air by a controlled detonation of an unexploded, Russian made, 82mm mortar round inside of FOB Joyce in Afghanistan's Kunar Province June 23, 2012



Naked volunteers, numbering around 1700 people, pose for U.S. artist Spencer Tunick in downtown Munich June 23, 2012

[Mr Lick]

A rider rears up on his horse surrounded by a cheering crowd in downtown Ciutadella, in the Spanish Balearic Island of Menorca, during traditional Fiesta of San Joan (Saint John) June 23, 2012.



A participant paints his face before taking part in a parade celebrating sexual diversity in Guadalajara June 23, 2012.



New Paraguayan President Federico Franco gives a thumbs-up sign at the end of an interview with Reuters at his office in the Presidential Palace in Asuncion June 23, 2012.



A hospital staff member covers the bodies of men who were killed by unidentified gunmen, at a hospital morgue in Quetta June 23, 2012

[Mr Lick]

Runner Amy Hastings (L) lies on the ground at the finish line after winning the women's 10,000 meters run during the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon June 22, 2012.



Palestinians carry the body of six-year-old Ali Al-Shwaf during his funeral in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip June 23, 2012



A racegoer walks past statues collectively titled "Uniting Two Societies" by W.J. Gredley on the fifth day of racing at Royal Ascot, southwest of London, June 23, 2012.

[Mr Lick]

Olympic torch: Sir Bobby Charlton carries flame



Football legend Sir Bobby Charlton carried the Olympic torch past Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium on day 37 of the relay.

Sunday's route from Salford to Leeds will see 151 people carry the torch 121 miles, ending the day at Temple Newsam.

The torch will make its way through towns which were once intrinsic to the cotton industry, before crossing the Pennines into West Yorkshire.

BMX world champion winner Shanaze Reade was the day's first torchbearer.

The 24-year-old, from Cheshire, has won six world titles across BMX and track cycling and competed at her first Olympics in Beijing.

She started at Salford's Media City, home to the BBC's offices.

Sir Bobby, who was voted the fourth-best Manchester United footballer of all time, carried the flame up Sir Matt Busby Way to the front of Old Trafford in the rain in front of a packed crowd



BMX world champion winner Shanaze Reade was the day's first torchbearer

The oldest torchbearer carrying the flame on Sunday is 94-year-old Thora Beddard.

She has written 6,000 poems, learnt to swim at 50, discovered yoga at 60 and took up abseiling and lingerie modelling at 70.

In her 80s she passed her English GCSE and carried the Commonwealth baton in Manchester in 2002.

She has eight grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.

Her nomination said her life represented an "ideal example of magnificence, fighting spirit, determination and success to every one of us

[Mr Lick]

Greek coalition proposes easing bailout terms



Greece's new coalition government has proposed an extension to the deadline for it to reduce its budget deficit by at least two years, to 2016.

In a policy document, the government said its aim was for the fiscal target envisaged by the bailout deal to be met without further cuts to salaries and pensions.

Greece is under huge international pressure to fulfil bailout terms.

Polls last week ended a two-month deadlock over its implementation.

Pro-bailout parties gained a narrow majority in parliament, despite widespread public anger at austerity measures stipulated in the bailout.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is recovering after a successful eye operation on Saturday morning.

The routine surgery was to repair a damaged retina. Mr Samaras is expected to leave hospital on Sunday.

New Finance Minister Vassilis Rapanos is also in hospital after apparently fainting on Friday. His condition is said to be "stable and improving".

[Mr Lick]

David Cameron suggests cutting housing benefit for under-25s




The prime minister has suggested that people under the age of 25 could lose the right to housing benefit, as part of moves to cut the welfare bill.

Scrapping the benefit for that age group would save almost £2bn a year.

In an interview in the Mail on Sunday, David Cameron said he wanted to stop workers resenting people on benefits.

But a senior Lib Dem warned that the priority was to get young people into work, training or education to avoid "repeating the mistakes of the 1980s".

In his newspaper article, which comes ahead of an expected speech on the subject this week, Mr Cameron said the existing system was sending out "strange signals" on working, housing and families.

He called for a wider debate on issues including the cost of benefits

[Mr Lick]

Tony Blair: UK may face 'interesting choice' over euro



Tony Blair has said the UK will face an "interesting choice" over whether to join the euro if the currency's current crisis is resolved.

The former prime minister told the BBC he believed the UK should still be keeping open the option of joining it.

He said that looking at the "broad sweep of history" in the long term "the European integration project" was going to go ahead, "like it or not".

The UK, as a "small island nation", had to be part of it to have influence.

Mr Blair said that the only thing that would save the single currency now was to have a "grand plan" where Germany was ready to commit its economy fully - "treating the debts of one as the debts of all".

This would be difficult for Germany, he said, and would have to be in return for other countries having "precise, deliverable" programmes of change and reform that could restore European competitiveness

[Mr Lick]

Muslim Jesse Curtis Morton jailed over South Park threats



A Muslim who admitted posting internet threats against the creators of the South Park TV show has been sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison.

Jesse Curtis Morton, 33, who founded the now-offline Revolution Muslim website, had already admitted using it for al-Qaeda propaganda.

He conspired against South Park's writers after the show depicted the prophet Muhammad wearing a bear suit.

Co-accused Zachary Chesser received a 25-year sentence in February.

Chesser, a 20-year-old American Muslim convert, was handed a stiffer sentence as he had twice tried to travel to Somalia to join al-Shabab, which the US designates as a terrorist group.

The pair used their website to deliver thinly veiled threats against the creators of South Park, a popular satirical cartoon.

Morton, a Muslim convert from New York, offered an apology for his conduct, saying he had "contributed to a clash of civilizations" by espousing a violent ideology.