World News: Egypt braces itself for more anti-government demos

Thousands of Egyptians have vented their rage against President Hosni Mubarak's autocratic government.

Baton-wielding police responded with tear gas and beatings in a crackdown that has shown no tolerance for dissent.

Egypt's largest anti-government protests in years echo the uprising in Tunisia, threatening to destabilise the leadership of one of the most important US allies in the Arab world.

The ability of the protesters to sustain the momentum for two days in the face of such a heavy-handed police response was a rare feat in this country.

Some 860 people have been rounded up, and Facebook, Twitter and mobile phones - key to organising protests - disrupted.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Egypt not to crack down on the anti-government crowds, urging the Mubarak regime to "take this opportunity to implement reforms".

A black rhinoceros calf nuzzles up to its mother, Kati Rain, at the Saint Louis Zoo in the States. The male is the first rhino to be born at the zoo in 20 years.

Australians to pay floods tax

Australia's prime minister Julia Gillard has announced a new tax to help pay for the country's devastating floods that she says will mean a reconstruction bill of A$5.6 billion (3.5bn).

Ms Gillard said the 12-month tax would start from July 1.

Stoning killers 'will be traced'

The men who stoned a couple to death in north Afghanistan will be brought to justice, say officials, after footage of the killings came to light.

The man and woman were accused of adultery in the district of Dashte Archi in Kunduz province last August.

Hundreds of people attended the stoning but no-one was charged. The area is under Taliban control.

After viewing the footage, regional police chief Daoud Daoud said those responsible could be recognised.

Dog found dead in block of ice

Canadian authorities have launched an animal cruelty investigation after a dog was discovered encased inside a block of ice on a man's front lawn.

Marcie Moriarty, a spokeswoman from the British Columbia animal protection society, said the homeowner did not know how the block of ice came to be there.

Germany halts Global Fund

Germany has suspended its annual payment of more than 200 million euros (172m) to the Global Fund against Aids, TB and malaria, following corruption claims.

Germany is the third-biggest donor to the UN-backed fund, which has an annual budget of more than 12bn.

21 miners die in methane gas explosion

Colombia: An explosion probably caused by a methane gas build-up ripped through an underground coal mine in Colombia during a shift change, killing 21 workers, officials said.

A similar fatal blast occurred at the same mine four years ago.

Philippines: A service elevator with construction workers plunged 25 floors at a building site in the capital today, killing ten.

The workers were installing glass windows.