Picture desk live: the day's best news images

A slight clash of cultures here as Sarah Duggan and Shannon Tone practise Irish dancing beside a man dressed as a Storm Trooper from Star Wars, as they gather at the Citywest Convention in Dublin for The Invasion Dublin Star Wars Convention and the Irish Dancing Open Championships, both taking place this weekend Photograph: Niall Carson/PA

President Barack Obama greets students after speaking at Washington-Lee high school in Arlington, Virginia Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

An injured protester is evacuated by motorbike from outside the Ministry of Defence in Cairo, Egypt. Cairo has experienced renewed violence in recent days only weeks ahead of presidential elections Photograph: Ahmed Gomaa/AP

A Boris Johnson supporter talks on the phone at the London Mayoral and London Assembly election counting centre at Alexandra Palace. The results are almost too close to call between Boris Johnson and his rival Ken Livingstone Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Mind your step. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond stumbles as he arrives to address military personnel aboard the Royal Navy Helicopter Carrier HMS Ocean as she makes her way up the Thames as part of security rehearsals for the Olympics Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton and China's vice-premier Wang Qishan try to get on the same wavelength as they adjust their translation earphones at the joint statement reading for the closing of the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing Photograph: Jason Lee/Reuters

President Nicolas Sarkozy is mobbed by supporters and appears to be enjoying it as he arrives for a campaign visit near La Rochelle, France, before Sunday's final runoff vote Photograph: Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images

Women recite prayers during an anti-government rally in Sana'a. Thousands have been protesting in Yemen in recent days, calling for the dismissal of members of the country's former regime from top military posts Photograph: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

Israeli activists chant slogans during a SlutWalk rally in Jerusalem to protest sexual violence and counter claims that women's attire or behaviour provoke rape and sexual assault. The sticker on the woman to the right reads in Hebrew: "How am I dressed? Dial 1-800-none-of-your-business." Photograph: Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images

Today's cute animal picture. A seven-month-old baby gorilla named Kukena is watched by his mother Salome as he takes some of his first steps at Bristol Zoo Gardens Photograph: Tim Ireland/PA

The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, savours that winning feeling after his party made significant gains in the midterm local elections. The Liberal Democrats did less well, leading to the party leader, Nick Clegg, saying he was 'really sad'. For more on the local elections see our gallery Photograph: Ian Nicholson/PA

David Cameron shows how plugged in he is by tweeting this Instagram picture of himself with Lady Warsi at Conservative party HQ after the polls closed in local elections last night Photograph: Reuters

A woman unwraps blue plastic sheep on the lawn in front of Schwerin castle in Germany. German artists Rainer Bonk and Bertamaria Reetz say the sheep represent the peaceful message 'all are equal – everyone is important', rather than the message that we're all clueless and follow each other Photograph: Jens Buttner/AFP/Getty Images

A protester is removed by police from outside the Chaoyang hospital in Beijing where Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng is staying. The Chinese government has said today it will allow Chen to apply to study abroad Photograph: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images

Hagai Amir, who helped plan the assassination of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, walks free from Ayalon prison, near the city of Ramle, Israel. Amir helped plan the 1995 killing with his brother Yigal Amir, an ultra-nationalist Jewish extremist, who is serving a life sentence for gunning down the prime minister in Tel Aviv. There have been protests at his release Photograph: Dan Balilty/AP

Sakura Noda gets a fresh perspective on things as she performs during day one of the 51st Artistic Gymnastics at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan Photograph: Adam Pretty/Getty Images

This picture feels like it needs an epic soundtrack in the background. Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Ocean sails through the Thames Barrier in London to dock at Greenwich as part of a London 2012 security exercise Photograph: Sang Tan/AP