Week in pictures: 10-16 May 2014
- Published
Thousands of people in California have been forced to flee after wildfires hit San Diego county on Wednesday. A major fire engulfed the coastal town of Carlsbad, north of San Diego, burning several buildings and forcing an amusement park to close. Months of drought have made California particularly prone to fires this year.
Yusuf Yerkel, an aide of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was photographed kicking a protester in Soma. The protests against the government were sparked by the country's worst-ever mine disaster.
Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region claimed a resounding victory in a "self-rule" referendum, saying 89% voted in favour. Ukraine's interim President Olexandr Turchynov has called the vote a "farce" with no legal consequences for Kiev.
Police in Venezuela detained at least 80 demonstrators who were demanding the release of those arrested in recent anti-government protests. Hundreds of people, mostly students, had marched peacefully through the streets of the capital Caracas. But security forces later clashed with a group of demonstrators who threw stones and home-made explosives, and tried to erect barricades. More than 40 people have been killed during three months of unrest.
Actor Jon Hamm, best known for his role in Mad Men, takes a selfie at the unveiling of his wax figure at Madame Tussauds in New York.
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron (right) has said he will welcome Boris Johnson as part of his team at the next general election. Mr Cameron and the mayor of London were campaigning in Harrow, north-west London, for the Conservative Party ahead of the local and European elections on 22 May.
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between amateur players and ice hockey stars in the Bolshoy arena in the Olympic Park in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
French actor and Master of Ceremony Lambert Wilson, and Australian actress Nicole Kidman, dance during the Opening Ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, southern France.
Lewis Hamilton took the world championship lead from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg with a closely fought victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. Here he celebrates on the podium after the race.
Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli of France takes part in an exhibition doubles match on one of the indoor courts at the London tennis club. Bartoli insisted in April that she had no plans to make a full-time comeback to the sport after retiring from professional tennis due to persistent injuries.
A ferry carrying at least 200 people capsized and sank during a storm on the Meghna river in Munshiganj district, south of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Ferry accidents are common on Bangladesh's vast river network and scores are killed every year.
Survivors and rescuers attended the dedication of the National September 11 Memorial Museum on the site of the attacks in New York. Almost 3,000 people died on 11 September 2001 after al-Qaeda hijackers flew aeroplanes into the Twin Towers. The museum includes thousands of personal items and parts of the World Trade Center towers themselves.