This Week in Pictures: May 16 – May 23, 2016

Last week saw numerous big stories break around the world so we take a moment to look back at some of the most important.

In the Mediterranean EgyptAir flight MS804 disappeared from radar at 0230 hrs local time just inside Egyptian airspace en route from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Cairo. There were 56 passengers aboard including two babies, as well as ten crew, three of whom were security staff. An extensive search was immediately begun for the aircraft. Wreckage was located within the area of search but none of it was confirmed as being from the flight which sent emergency messages pertaining to smoke in the aircraft shortly before it vanished.

In Afghanistan a drone strike killed the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour last week. Reportedly having targeted his vehicle in a remote area of South-West Pakistan near Ahmad Wal a town in proximity to the Afghan border the former Civil Aviation minister was killed along with his security detail. With close ties to the Taliban’s founder Mullah Omar, and constantly linked to drug trafficking, his death was seen as a blow to the organization and its finances. The Afghan National Security Directorate confirmed the death in the Dalbandi area of Balochistan province on Sunday.

In the US new election polling averages saw presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump move ahead of Democrat probable Hillary Clinton for the first time, last week. In what is likely to be an incredibly tight Presidential Election the battleground states of Ohio and Florida are neck and neck, and in a race characterized by opposition rather than support a full fifth of the current supporters of Bernie Sanders, who is still nominally in the race, polled as more likely to vote for Trump than Clinton.

In sports the rumors swirled around the English Premier League last week as speculation on Jose Mourinho joining Manchester United look to have been well founded as Louis Van Gaal is reported to have said “It’s over” following his team’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final on Saturday. The question is when will the controversial former Chelsea boss take the reigns? You’ll have to read our daily news pages to find out. In the meantime here’s a look at the big stories we covered last week.

1. BetVictor’s £1 million prize Euro prediction promotion was introduced to punters.

How precise are you in estimating goals scoring? (Photo: BetVictor)

Demichelis has to cashout his latest winnings to pay the fine… (Photo:http://zeenews.india.com)

Plenty of chances for Trump… (Photo: nobelprize.org)

You can make plenty of money by betting on the Eurovision (Photo: Debra Killalea/ AFP)

Is she a safe bet? (Photo: Freaking News)

Which will be his next kingdom? (Photo: Action Images)(

Who will be the next winner of the French Open ? (Photo: Wall Devil)(

Meanwhile auctions hit the headlines last week with Lady Gaga’s childhood piano failing to meet its reserve price at a sale that saw a Gibson Dove guitar made for Elvis Presley by his father sell for $334,000. Last week also saw the rather macabre sale of the Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm pistol George Zimmerman used to kill unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin for a quarter of a million dollars in an online auction organized by the United Gun Group who described it as a “piece of American history.”