Police have fired teargas in Cairo's central Tahrir Square after several hundred protesters gathered to demand that trials of former senior officials proceed more swiftly. Clashes first broke out in a nearby area of Cairo where families of some of those killed in the uprising that led to Hosni Mubarak's overthrow in February had gathered to honour the dead. "The people are angry that the court cases against top officials keep getting delayed," said Ahmed Abdel Hamid, a bakery employee who clutched stones in his hands. He said police clashed with some of those gathered at the event to honour the "martyrs", as those killed in the uprising are called, prompting protesters to move to Tahrir. The Interior Ministry blamed a group seeking to disrupt the event and stir up a riot. It was the first such violence in weeks in the square, the centre of the revolt against Mubarak. Egypt's former interior minister, Habib al-Adli, has been sentenced to jail for corruption but he and other officials are still being tried on charges related to killing protesters. The former president, now hospitalised, has also been charged with killing protesters and could face the death penalty. His trial starts on August 3.

Afghan civilians have been killed after suicide bombers and heavily armed Taliban insurgents attacked a hotel frequented by Westerners in the Afghan capital late on Tuesday. "At least ten civilians, including hotel staff, were killed when six suicide bombers attacked the Intercontinental," Mohammad Zahir, the head of the Kabul police crime unit, said. Helicopters from a Nato-led force killed the last three insurgents in a final rooftop battle lasting several hours. The attack came the night before the start of a conference about the gradual transition of civil and military responsibility from foreign forces to Afghans. The hotel was not one of the venues to be used by the conference or its delegates, an Afghan government official said. It was also a week after President Barack Obama announced plans for the initial withdrawal of 10,000 US troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, with another 23,000 to leave by the end of 2012. Afghan police have been sifting through the hotel's rooms for any more casualties or security threats following the assault. Violence across Afghanistan in 2010 is already at its worst levels since the Taliban were ousted by US-backed Afghan forces in late 2001.

Pope Benedict has launched a new Internet portal which will seek to improve access to the Vatican. The Pope tested the features of the new portal on an iPad and was shown how to publish messages. Visitors will be able to see video, pictures and information on the portal - a further indication of the pontiff's keenness to use modern forms of communication to open up the Catholic world to the faithful. News will initially be in English and Italian with plans to feature a wider range of languages in the near future. The new portal goes online on Wednesday.

But singing in a false seagull strangling soprano while hiking and camping in grizzly bear country was my way of not creeping up on a bear and surprising it and thus becoming bear food.

A baby koala has made its first public appearance at a wildlife park at Sydney's Darling Harbour. Named 'Boonda', the infant would not let go of her protective mother. Vets will stay out of their way as human interaction could be detrimental to the bond between the mother and her child. There are an estimated 43,000 koalas in the wild in Australia.

A 13-year-old boy from Australia was knocked unconscious and broke his collarbone after a humpback whale hit his dinghy with its tail. Drew Hall was fishing with his parents when the whale approached the family off the north coast of New South Wales state. Drew was treated at a nearby hospital and said he felt "very lucky" to have survived. The tails of humpback whales can be up to 12 feet wide.

A 13-year-old boy from Australia was knocked unconscious and broke his collarbone after a humpback whale hit his dinghy with its tail.

Greek police have clashed with protesters in Athens and tear gas has been used to disperse a small group of youths.

French finance minister Christine Lagarde has been elected as the first-ever female head of the International Monetary Fund. Lagarde had competition from Mexican central bank governor Agustin Carstens, who had support from Latin America, Canada and Australia. The appointment was welcomed by the Government. Chancellor George Osborne said: "Christine Lagarde's appointment as Managing Director of the IMF is good news for the global economy and for Britain. "She is the best person for the job, which is why Britain was one of the first countries to propose her and I am pleased she's secured the support of others." He added: "She has demonstrated she has the experience, vision and diplomatic skills necessary to ensure the IMF can address the challenges it faces. "She has also been a strong advocate for countries tackling high budget deficits and living within their means." Lagarde succeeds Dominique Strauss-Kahn who quit in May after being charged with sexual assault against a New York hotel maid.