Picture desk live: the day's best news images

Baby elephant Nayan has fun in the sun enjoying a hosepipe shower from keepers at Chester Zoo. His apparent delight is quite infectious Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The German city of Hameln is also enjoying beautiful weather, just right for the photographer to capture this cool image of somone sliding in to the pool as temperatures reached 30C Photograph: Julian Stratenschulte/AFP/Getty Images

Ontario's lieutenant governor, David Onley, is clearly tickled by Prince Charles during a visit by the prince and his wife, Camilla, to Canada to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee Photograph: Paul Chiasson/AP

It's hard to tell which side of the fence he's on as Brad Pitt signs autographs before a photocall for the film Killing Them Softly at the Cannes film festival Photograph: Vincent Kessler/Reuters

Like a row of toy soldiers, 91 members of seven military units joined forces at Wellington barracks in central London to break the Guinness World Record for the longest line of fanfare trumpeters Photograph: Sean Dempsey/PA

It's a beautiful day for former home secretary Alan Johnson's stroll back from giving evidence to the Leveson inquiry. This phase of the investigation into the culture, practice and ethics of the UK press is looking at the relationship between the press and politicians Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

The sun has got his hat on … and so, for the first time this year, has Ian Gibbs, a volunteer gardener at Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire, as he works in the brilliant sunshine
Photograph: Tony Bartholomew

An artist paints a mural depicting the presidential candidates Amr Moussa, centre, and Ahmed Shafiq, left, and a combination of the faces of former president Hosni Mubarak and Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi in Cairo. Egypt is preparing for presidential elections, which will take place tomorrow Photograph: Suhaib Salem/Reuters

The two suspects in the murder of the white supremacist and Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB) leader, Eugene Terre'blanche, look on during a verdict hearing in the case at a court in Ventersdorp, South Africa. Chris Mahlangu, left, was found guilty of murder and his co-accused, Patrick Ndlovu, was found guilty of housebreaking Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

Blazing a trail, the SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft on the top of the Falcon-9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The launch this morning makes SpaceX the first commercial company to send a spacecraft to the International Space Station Photograph: Roberto Gonzalez/Getty Images

On the subject of space travel, Vex, a flying saucer by artist Dinu Li, has crash-landed at Tatton Park. The sculpture is part of the 2012 Tatton Park Biennial, which this year explores 'flights of fancy' Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

A different perspective: David Cameron and Barack Obama seem a little divorced at the start of the 'partners' meeting' at the Nato summit in Chicago Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Blair Drummond safari park in Scotland welcomes a new resident as part of a rhino swap. Lucy the white rhino has been transferred from West Midland safari park in Bewdley as part of a European breeding programme. In exchange, Blair Drummond will be sending their rhino Ailsa to West Midland to avoid any inbreeding among both parks' rhino populations Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

An enthusiastic visitor to Tokyo's Skytree shows off his themed hairstyle while waiting to enter the tower in Tokyo. The Skytree is the world's tallest broadcasting tower and opens to the public today. People have been queuing to make the trek to the top despite the dismal weather spoiling the view Photograph: Kim Kyung-hoon/Reuters

The yellow haze from a heavy dust storm lends a surreal sepia tone to city life as people go about their business in Baghdad Photograph: Sabah Arar/AFP/Getty Images

A demonstration in support of the jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is seen before a plenary session at the European parliament in Strasbourg to debate her plight. The former prime minister is currently serving a prison sentence for abuse of power Photograph: Patrick Seeger/EPA