World News from the BBC

A spokesman for the Egyptian Interior Ministry has told the BBC that the former President Hosni Mubarak is suffering from problems with his breathing and blood pressure. But he denied reports that Mr Mubarak was in a

coma

. There have been conflicting reports about the state of the ousted leader's health since he was jailed for life last week for ordering the killing of protesters.

Here in Britain, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has dismissed suggestions that the government was involved in a conspiracy with the tycoon Rupert Murdoch before the last election. Mr Osborne told an inquiry into media ethics, but he'd taken no view on a multibillion-dollar bid by Mr Murdoch's empire to gain control of the broadcaster BSkyB.

"The claim is that there is some vast conspiracy where the Conservative Party knows before the general election that News International wants to bid for more of Sky, that we sign up to some deals in return for their support. And then when we get into office, we hand over BSkyB. It is completely

nonsense

."

Plans have been approved to build the world's biggest optical telescope in Chile. The observatory to be constructed in the Atacama desert will have a main mirror 40m in diameter to collect light from the night sky. Astronomers say the extremely large telescope will provide insight into distant planets and the formation of

galaxies