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The week in pictures

From the Mongolian elections to the destruction of historic shrines in Mali, Al Jazeera showcases this week in images.

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By a 5-4 vote, the US Supreme Court upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The most controversial provision of the law, which requires most uninsured Americans to buy health insurance, was found to be constitutional.
Published On 1 Jul 2012
Al Qaeda-linked fighters in Mali, armed with Kalashnikovs and pick-axes, began destroying prized mausoleums of saints in the UNESCO-listed northern city of Timbuktu on June 30. The Islamist Ansar Dine group considers the shrines of the local Sufi version of Islam to be idolatrous.
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Enrique Pena Nieto, presidential candidate for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), greeted supporters during his final campaign rally before Mexicans vote on July 1. If he wins, the PRI will return to power 12 years after losing the presidency to the ruling National Action Party.
A Mongolian woman prepared to cast her vote at a polling station in Ulaanbaatar during parliamentary elections on June 28.
In a historic gesture in 2012, Queen Elizabeth shook hands with Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, a former commander of the Irish Republican Army [File: Reuters]
In a historic gesture, the United Kingdom(***)s Queen Elizabeth shook hands on Wednesday with Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, a former commander of the Irish Republican Army.
Storm-damaged trees littered the east lawn of the US capitol on June 30. Wind gusts clocked at speeds of up to 127 kilometres per hour were reported in and around the Washington, DC area, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes.
Thomas Mueller, third from left, reacts after Germany lost to Italy during the Euro 2012 football championship semi-final match on June 28.
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A European Union embargo on providing insurance to tankers carrying Iranian oil took effect on July 1, causing the Iranian currency to depreciate. South Korea became the first major Asian consumer of Iranian crude to announce a halt to imports as a result of the embargo.
Cyprus, whose banks are highly exposed to Greek debt, became the latest eurozone country to request a financial bailout. Officials from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF will begin assessing how much money the country will need.