World News in Pictures

[Mr Lick]

Egypt: Hosni Mubarak and sons to be tried over deaths



Egypt's ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons are to be tried over the deaths of anti-government protesters, judicial officials say.

Mr Mubarak, who was ousted in February, is being detained at a hospital in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

He and his wife also face allegations of illegally acquiring wealth while they were in power for 30 years.

The couple's two sons, Alaa and Gamal, are being held in Cairo's Tora prison and also face fraud charges.

The three men have been charged with "premeditated murder of some participants in the peaceful protests of the 25 January revolution," the country's state news agency reported the prosecutor general as saying.

More than 800 people died in the weeks-long crackdown that preceded Mr Mubarak's departure.

The charges come after renewed calls for protests on Friday to demand the trial of the Mubarak family as well as the lifting of emergency law.

[Mr Lick]

Sudan's Abyei dispute: Minister Luka Biong Deng resigns



A southern minister in Sudan's national government has resigned, saying "war crimes" had been committed in the disputed Abyei region.

Luka Biong Deng said he could no longer work with the party of President Omar al-Bashir in the unity government.

He is a senior official in the south's ruling party, which is set to lead South Sudan to independence in July.

The two sides fought for decades before agreeing to share power and hold a referendum on southern independence.

Analysts fear the the dispute could reignite the north-south conflict, in which some 1.5 million were killed.

[Mr Lick]

Top ten new species discovered in 2011



The Pancake Batfish was found in the Gulf of Mexico



At 2 metres long the Philippines fruit-eating Golden Spotted monitor is the longest new species



The pollinating cricket of the Mascarene archipelago in the Indian Ocean



Darwins Bark Spider of Madagascar



The mushroom is bioluminescent and found in the Atantic forest, Sao Paulo, Brazil



Walter's Duiker first found a bushmeat market in West Africa

[Mr Lick]

An underwater mushroom, Psathyrella aquatica found in the cold flowing waters of the upper Rogue River, Oregon, US



Tyranobdella Rex means 'Tyrant leech king' has a single jaw with enormous teeth and was found up the nose of a human, lovely!!



A cockroach that jumps like a grasshopper. Prior to it's discovery jumping cockroaches were only known from the Late Jurassic Period, around 150 million years ago



A new bacterium found growing on the wreck of the RMS Titanic. The bacterium consumes iron-oxide that forms on sunken ships.

[Mr Lick]

Rapture: Harold Camping issues new apocalypse date



The evangelical broadcaster who left followers crestfallen by his failed prediction that last Saturday would be Judgement Day says he miscalculated.

Harold Camping said it had "dawned" on him that God would spare humanity "hell on Earth for five months" and the apocalypse would happen on 21 October.

Mr Camping said he felt "terrible" about his mistake.

But he said he could not give financial advice to those who spent their life savings in the belief the end was nigh.

[Mr Lick]

Colombia security forces seize massive cocaine haul



The Colombian security forces say they have seized a massive haul of cocaine in the port city of Cartagena.

Sniffer dogs found more than 12 tonnes of the drug hidden in a shipment of brown sugar destined for Mexico.

It is believed to belong to one of Colombia's most powerful drug gangs, the Rastrojos.

In another development, police at Bogota airport arrested a Mexican national who had arrived with $2.8m (£1.7m) in his hand luggage.

Sniffer dogs checking a ship bound for Veracruz in Mexico alerted their handlers to the presence of drugs in the hull of the vessel.

Laboratory tests revealed a large shipment of brown sugar had been laced with cocaine.

Investigative teams are still testing the sugar, which had been packed into 33,450 units of 500g each, to determine the exact concentration of cocaine.

However, officials say it already amounts to more than 12 tonnes of the drug.
It is one of largest hauls of cocaine seized in Colombia over the past years.

[Mr Lick]

Pilot cleared of murdering wife Joanna Brown in Ascot



A pilot who battered his estranged wife to death with a claw hammer and buried her body has been cleared of murder.

The body of wealthy Ascot guesthouse owner Joanna Brown, 46, originally from the Isle of Man, was found on the Queen's Windsor Estate in Berkshire.

British Airways captain Robert Brown, 47, was convicted of obstructing a coroner from holding an inquest.

Brown had already admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. He was jailed for 26 years.

The jury, at Reading Crown Court, returned its verdicts after nearly 15 hours of deliberation

[Mr Lick]

George Davis wins appeal against robbery conviction



A man who continually denied involvement in an armed robbery has won an appeal against his conviction.

George Davis was jailed for 20 years for armed robbery and wounding, after a raid in April 1974 at the then London Electricity Board, in Essex.

Three appeal court judges allowed the conviction challenge brought by Davis, who is now 69, and lives in London.

Davis, who said he was not seeking compensation, was delighted but described it as a bitter-sweet moment.

Evidence to show the convictions were unsafe "had been in the hands of the authorities since 1977", lawyers said.

The convictions were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), an independent body which investigates possible miscarriages of justice.

Announcing the decision Lord Justice Hughes said "new material affecting the identifications of the two policemen at the scene of the robbery is of considerable significance".



George Davis's case attracted widespread attention

He said: "We do not know whether Davis was guilty or not, but his conviction cannot be said to be safe."

[Mr Lick]

Gloucester man cleared of murdering baby daughter



A Gloucester man who said he was suffering from post-natal depression has been found not guilty of murdering of his baby daughter.

Architect Mark Bruton-Young, 36, from Quedgley, was accused of killing six-month-old Harriet by smothering her between 25 June and 28 June last year.

Bristol Crown Court heard during the trial that Mr Bruton-Young "could not face up to life as a father".

Mr Bruton-Young had denied a charge of murder.

His trial heard how Harriet was found dead in her cot at the end of June 2009.

It was alleged that Mr Bruton-Young had started scouring the internet in January that year looking for ways of getting rid of the baby.

The prosecution said that information gathered from Mr Bruton-Young's work computer showed that he initially searched for advice on bonding, depression and fatherhood.

In the weeks leading up to his daughter's death Mr Bruton-Young was alleged to have begun to search for terms such as "signs of deliberate suffocation" and "how quickly can a baby suffocate?".

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said after the verdict: "The police treat all sudden and unexpected deaths in infants very seriously and work closely with other agencies and key professionals in order to thoroughly investigate each case.

"The evidence that was gathered in this case was carefully examined and referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, who subsequently decided that Mark Bruton-Young should be charged and the evidence brought in front of a jury."

[Mr Lick]

Foster carer Patrick Gallagher jailed for child sex abuse



An ex-foster father who sexually abused vulnerable boys for more than a decade has been told by a judge he "should die in jail".

Patrick Gallagher, 60, from Mansfield, admitted dozens of charges against 16 young victims.

At Nottingham Crown Court, he was given life, with at least 14 years in prison.
Police believe Gallagher, who was also a swimming coach and youth club volunteer, abused other children and have urged them to get in touch.

Judge Michael Stokes QC told Gallagher he had grossly breached trust placed in him as a carer and said the damage he had done was "incalculable".

Gallagher admitted 55 charges including rape, indecent assault and sexual activity with a child.

The abuse happened between 1998 and 2010.

The judge told him: "I am trying to recollect a worse case and I can't.

[Mr Lick]

Christopher Halliwell in court charged with second murder



A taxi driver has appeared in court accused of murdering Swindon woman Becky Godden-Edwards.

Miss Godden-Edwards' remains were discovered in March in Gloucestershire by police investigating the murder of missing Swindon woman Sian O'Callaghan.

Christopher Halliwell, 47, of Ashbury Avenue, Swindon, has already been charged with Miss O'Callaghan's murder.

He was remanded in custody by Worcester magistrates until Thursday, when he is due to appear at Bristol Crown Court.

Miss Godden-Edwards' remains were discovered at Eastleach, in Gloucestershire, around 17 miles from where Miss O'Callaghan's body was discovered.

A spokeswoman for Wiltshire Police said Mr Halliwell was charged with her murder on Monday evening.

He appeared at Worcester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, charged with killing Miss Godden-Edwards between December 2002 and January 2006.

Miss Godden-Edwards, who would have celebrated her 29th birthday in April, was last seen by her family in Swindon about eight years ago.

Miss O'Callaghan, 22, disappeared after leaving Suju nightclub in the early hours of 19 March.

Her body was found by police five days later in a field in Uffington.

[Mr Lick]

Pc to be prosecuted for death of Ian Tomlinson



Keir Starmer explains the decision to charge Pc Simon Harwood with manslaughter




Pc Simon Harwood gave evidence to the inquest over three days



A police officer is to be charged with manslaughter over the death of newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson during the 2009 G20 protests.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, said there was now a "realistic prospect" of convicting Pc Simon Harwood.

An inquest earlier this month returned a verdict of unlawful death on the 47-year-old.

Mr Tomlinson's family said they were "more than happy" about the decision.
The officer is due to appear before magistrates on 20 June.

The inquest heard Mr Tomlinson collapsed and died after he was hit by a baton and pushed to the ground by Pc Simon Harwood in central London on 1 April 2009

[Mr Lick]

Fiona Pilkington officers face misconduct proceedings




Four officers face misconduct action after police "missed opportunities" to stop youths terrorising a woman who killed herself and her daughter.

Fiona Pilkington, 38, and 18-year-old Francecca Hardwick, who was disabled, died in October 2007 when Ms Pilkington set fire to their car.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has found the family should have been identified as "vulnerable".

They had complained 33 times to Leicestershire Police about harassment.

The IPCC said an inspector, a sergeant and two police constables had a case to answer for misconduct, but police stressed that their jobs were not at risk.

[Mr Lick]

Super-injunctions row: Hemming denies abusing privilege



John Hemming has denied accusations that he abused parliamentary privilege by naming the footballer at the centre of a super-injunctions row.

The Lib Dem MP argued he had not used privilege at all as he could have named Ryan Giggs outside the Commons - because his name was already public.

But Labour's John Cryer suggested it had been an "act of gross opportunism by a politician on an ego trip".

MPs are protected from prosecution over statements made in Parliament.

Birmingham Yardley MP Mr Hemming named Giggs on Monday as the footballer who had used a super-injunction to hide an alleged affair.

But some of his fellow parliamentarians have questioned whether it was an appropriate use of parliamentary privilege to expose a footballer.

[Mr Lick]

Ryan Giggs: reporters' cars attacked by masked gang



Cars belonging to journalists and photographers camped outside the home of Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs have been vandalised.

A group of masked men pulled up in a transit van to the street in Worsley, Salford, and attacked six vehicles.

Reporters said tyres were slashed, while cars were kicked and covered in flour and eggs.

Greater Manchester Police were called to the scene earlier and said inquiries were continuing.

On Monday, Giggs was named in Parliament as the married footballer exposed on Twitter as having an injunction over an alleged affair with reality TV star Imogen Thomas.

[Mr Lick]

Cameron defies Clegg over Lord Ashcroft defence job



David Cameron gave a government advisory post to Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft despite objections from Nick Clegg, the BBC understands.

The peer and former Tory deputy chairman will lead a review of the UK's military bases in Cyprus.

But he has come under fire from Labour and Lib Dem MPs, including the deputy prime minister, over his tax status.

A source said Mr Clegg made it clear he was "not keen" on the appointment, but the prime minister chose to go ahead.

In a statement, Defence Secretary Liam Fox confirmed that Lord Ashcroft would undertake the role of senior independent advisor to the review of the Cyprus bases.

He will work alongside Conservative MP and former Army officer Patrick Mercer.

n the run up to last year's general election, Lord Ashcroft was the subject of fierce criticism from Mr Clegg.
The future deputy PM said it was "wholly wrong" that someone "seeking to influence the outcome of the general election" sought to pay taxes "only partially" in the UK.

The peer confirmed in March that he did have so-called "non-dom" status, but later renounced it in order to keep his seat in the Lords.

A non-dom is someone who is resident in the UK but not domiciled in the UK for tax purposes - although they will pay some UK tax, they will not be fully taxed in the UK on their interests overseas.

[Mr Lick]

Brisk walks fight prostate cancer



Men who have been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer can help keep their disease at bay by taking brisk walks, claim researchers.

Based on their observations, men who power walk for at least three hours a week can halve how much their cancer will grow and spread over the next couple of years.

Strolling does not have the same effect, Cancer Research journal warns.
Experts say it shows that keeping active can improve health.

But they say the findings should be interpreted with caution because the men who did more walking also tended to be younger, leaner, and non-smokers, which could also explain some of the differences seen.

The University of California San Francisco study looked at the outcomes of 1,455 men, mostly in their 60s, who were diagnosed with "localised" prostate cancer, meaning it had not yet started to spread.

''Walking is something everyone can and should do to improve their health” said Lead researcher Erin Richman

The men were asked to say how much exercise and of what type they took in the average week.

During the 31 months of follow up, the US researchers recorded 117 events, including disease recurrence, bone tumours and deaths specifically caused by prostate cancer.

And they found that men who walked briskly for at least three hours a week were far less likely to have one of these events.

The brisk walkers had a 57% rate of progression of disease than men who walked at an easy pace for less than three hours a week.

Lead researcher Erin Richman said: "It appears that men who walk briskly after their diagnosis may delay or even prevent progression of their disease.

[Mr Lick]

Tory MEP criticised after defending Clarke in rape row



A Tory MEP has been criticised after saying some rape victims "share part of the responsibility" for their attacks.

Roger Helmer said a woman opting not to have sex with her boyfriend after going to bed with him had "established reasonable expectations in his mind".

He also argued Ken Clarke was "unfairly treated" when he appeared to suggest some rapes were worse than others.

The Tories disowned the MEP's comments and said they "did not reflect" the justice secretary's earlier remarks.

Mr Clarke last week faced calls to resign by Labour leader Ed Miliband after he appeared to suggest in a BBC interview that some rapes were more serious than others.

He later clarified the remarks and apologised if they had been misunderstood.

[Mr Lick]

Smoke plumes from the Grimsvotn volcano on Saturday, May 21. Grimsvotn volcano lies under the Vatnajokull glacier, about 120 miles east of the capital, Rejkjavik, which began erupting Saturday for the first time since 2004.

[Mr Lick]

Aerial photos of the tornado devastation at Joplin



A destroyed Home Depot is seen in Joplin, Mo. Tuesday, May 24, 2011. A large tornado moved through much of the city Sunday, damaging a hospital and hundreds of homes and businesses.
























Kyle and Alicia Gordon embrace in what's left of their son's room after losing their home to a devastating tornado that hit Joplin, Mo.,

[Mr Lick]

U.S. President Barack Obama plays table tennis against students with British Prime Minister David Cameron at the Globe Academy in London May 24,

[Mr Lick]

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the podium to address a joint meeting of Congress in Washington, May 24.

[Mr Lick]

Women buy vegetables produced in Fukushima at the Shinjuku station in Tokyo, Japan on May 24. Fukushima's vegetables are sold and promoted in Japan as being safe amid fear of nuclear contamination.

[Mr Lick]

Sunrise over Joplin as rescue crews search for more survivors

[Mr Lick]

An Afghan man attends to his wounded brother at a hospital after a roadside bomb blast in Panjwai district of Kandahar on May 24. Ten Afghan construction workers were killed and 28 wounded when their truck hit a roadside bomb in the Panjwai district of southern Kandahar province, said Kandahar health official Abdul Qayum Pukhla.