Alex Lagowitz (pictured left with his father, right) was found dead on a third-floor patio directly below his bedroom window on Sunday morning in the Murray Hill neighborhood. He is reported to have consumed four grams of magic mushrooms, and his 22-year-old roommate Max Kaplan has been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to the Post.

Officer Edward Nero was cleared of assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment charges after the 25-year-old black man died after being put in the back of a police van in April 2015. According to witnesses in court, plain-clothed police officers came and hugged Nero one-by-one after the verdict was read out by Judge Barry Williams. A small group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse as the city's police prepared for a reaction to the verdict. The mayor of the city immediately appealed for calm. Freddie Gray's family's attorney, Billy Martin, said in a statement that he believed the verdict was fair and correct. Nero said he was 'relieved' that the nightmare was almost over, but will still be on active desk duty while the other officers face trial.

There was plenty of pomp and circumstance when Jordan's Queen Rania, 45, and King Abdullah, 54 came to Washington, D.C. this weekend - but it wasn't for them. The royals were in town to watch their 21-year-old son, Prince Hussein, get his college diploma from Georgetown University. And they were more than happy to take a back seat to their child in his special moment, glowing with pride as he donned a cap and gown for the occasion. He now has a degree in international history, while his younger sister Princess Iman still attends the prestigious school.

More than 20 body bags containing remains recovered amid the wreckage from the Mediterranean Sea crash were brought to the Zenhom morgue in the capital by the Egyptian Army at midnight last night. Relatives of the 66 passengers and crew who died were invited to give DNA samples to the forensic services to aid identification. The process was expected to be long and difficult after forensic workers described the remains as 'unrecognisable'. A source said: 'There is no complete body. There are only body parts. But it is important for the families to be able to bury their loved-ones and to be able to visit their grave to help with the mourning process.' It comes as hundreds of mourners attended memorial services (pictured) over the weekend for some of the 66 victims of the EgyptAir plane which mysteriously crashed into the Mediterranean on Thursday after an apparent fire on board.

Mother-of-two Julie Mall, 43 (inset), is accused of being intoxicated and aggressive at the time of the incident on Bald Head Island, in July 2015, which footage of the incident now emerging. She says she allowed their son to drive the cart the two blocks back to their cottage, when suddenly a police golf cart with flashing lights pulled them over. Mall claims the officer started berating her, and soon pinned her on the ground, put his knee on her back, and shackled her by the hands and legs (main). I've never been that scared of anything in my life,' she told The Kansas City Star.

The Survival Capsule is a personal safety system designed to withstand tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes. The capsules will withstand the initial impact of a natural disaster, as well as sharp object penetration, heat exposure and rapid deceleration. Julian Sharpe, American founder of The Survival Capsule, said: 'It gives [people] an option of having a security system on their own property which is easily accessible day or night and really gives the family a safe security they wouldn't otherwise have.'

President Barack Obama had dinner with CNN personality Anthony Bourdain, whose hosts 'Parts Unknown', on Monday in Hanoi, Vietnam. Bourdain picked up the $6 tab and praised the presidents 'chopstick skills'. The pair indulged in a 'Bun Cha' dinner, typically grilled pork and noodle, while the president sipped what appeared to be beer and discussed the purpose of his trip to Asia. The CNN host asked about Obama's interest in the people, food and culture of Vietnam. The interview with Obama will be featured in the eighth season of 'Parts Unknown,' which begins in September. Obama had his fun with Bourdain but also took serious strides with the U.S.'s former war enemy nation by lifting a half-century-old ban on selling arms to Vietnam.

Paula Deen, 68, headed to court last month to void a deed transfer she had previously made in which she gave all rights to her Wilmington Island, Georgia, property to her husband of 11 years, tugboat captain Michael Groover. Deen had granted Groover the deed to their three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 5,646-square-foot home in January 2015, according to documents filed in a Georgia court. Following the deed transfer, divorce rumors swirled for months. But documents filed on April 8 show that Deen has filed a cancellation of erroneous deed in the Georgia court, saying the transfer was made, executed and delivered by error and an misunderstanding between the couple. Deen's Food Network cooking show was canceled in 2013 after she caught making a racist slur.

Travis (bottom, left mug shot) and Robin Royall (bottom, right mugshot) had their children (pictured all together, left) removed and were charged with child neglect after their Florida home (top, right) was found in infested with 'millions of cockroaches', piles of human feces and trash. This is the third time the family has been visited by the Department of Children and Families and the second time they lost custody of their two young sons. Palm Beach Sheriff's officers were horrified by the scene, writing in a report that there were 'millions' of bugs in the home and so many roach eggs in the fridge, they couldn't see the bottom of the drawers. The home also had no air conditioning and no running water. Officers demanded the couple clean the home, and over the weekend Travis Royall, his father and siblings removed at least two trailers of trash from the single-family home.

YouTube couple Jesse Wellens and Jeana Smith, from Philadelphia, pictured inset during happier times, have shocked fans by announcing their split online. Their channel, BFvsGF, has nearly nine million subscribers. Their break-up video, pictured, in which the former couple struggle to hold back their emotion, has been watched more than 4.5 million times.

Nancy Kidwell's (top left) first husband Slim was flying from Minnesota to California in 1965 when he got lost and flew over a beautiful patch of Nevada desert. The couple, 34 years apart in age, decided to move to to the desert outpost and farm under a land-settlement act. They eventually expanded the town, called Cal-Nev-Ari (bottom right), to include a casino and an airport. When her husband got sick with Alzheimer's in the 1980s, his son from a previous marriage, Ace, moved to Nevada to take care of him. Kidwell fell in love with her husband's son, and the two got married after Slim died in 1983. Ace died in 2011 from Alzheimer's as well and now Kidwell is looking to sell their town and move on. She has listed the entire town for an $8million asking price.

The Queen of Pop herself, Madonna, headed up an emotional tribute to the late, great Prince during the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday. The 57-year-old Material Girl paid homage to the Purple One by donning a Gucci lavender paisley suit and ruffled blouse and belting Nothing Compares 2 U onstage the T-Mobile Arena. But within minutes of being on stage, social media was awash with savage critiques of her performance.

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: These horrifying pictures show how Alexandra Mezher (right) tried to pull herself to safety after she was attacked by one of the 'boys' she was meant to be caring for in Gothenburg, Sweden. The young woman had tried to defend herself from the vicious onslaught, and witnesses who rushed to her aid described hearing her beg for her life. But a stab wound to the thigh severed her artery, and she bled to death in a bedroom where she had sought shelter. Prosecutors today said they had conclusively proved Ethiopian asylum seeker Youssaf Khaliif Nuur, inset left, who was pretending to be 15, is at least 21, if not older. He has been charged with her murder.

A star of the reality show Pawn Stars is taking a plea deal that could spare him jail time in a case stemming from the discovery of guns, marijuana and other drugs at his Las Vegas home. Austin Lee Russell, known as Chumlee on the TV series, told a judge Monday that he intends to plead guilty to a felony weapon charge and a misdemeanor count of attempted drug possession. The agreement will get him counseling and three years' probation.

Daredevils straddling trains in Bangladesh (top), rainbow rooftops in Ho Chi Minh City (bottom left) and buffalo drinking at night in South Africa (bottom right) - these spellbinding snaps are in the running for National Geographic's coveted Travel Photographer of the Year contest, which is currently in its final week of submissions.

An American couple whose son disappeared almost four decades ago have been sent a letter that claims to know the reasons behind his vanishing. Carol Ross, 78, and her 80-year-old husband Bernard Ross Sr received the note to their home in Portland 39 years after Bernard 'Bunny' Ross Jr, then 18, was last seen. Its anonymous writer alleged to have key knowledge of the circumstances surrounding their son going missing, linking Bunny's disappearance with a story in a local newspaper.

Moving thirteen heavy barrels to the other side of a room would be a mammoth task for anyone. But one factory worker (left) completed the chore in just over a minute thanks to his incredible technique of spinning the containers - still upright - over to his colleague. A mesmerising video captured him rolling the large red kegs (right) across a warehouse in a perfect circular arc that meant they reached his co-worker in record time.

Kind hearted Florence Welch stopped by a hospice to give a private performance to a sick teenager who missed one of her concerts. The 29-year-old held the hand of 15-year-old cancer patient Karinya Chen as she sang Shake It Out and Dog Days Are Over backed by bandmate Rob Ackroyd on guitar. The sweet moment came as Welch, who performs as Florence And The Machine, stopped by Hospice Austin's Christopher House in Texas on Friday  

Former Disney princess Katie McBroom, 29, from South Florida, who lives in New York, gives unique behind-the-scenes insight into life as Snow White at the Orlando theme park. Katie, pictured left and bottom right in character and top right as herself, who is now a make-up artist, said playing Snow White and Princess Leia she encountered little girls whose life-long aim was to meet her and sometimes 'creepy dads' who made jokes.

Erin Jennings (left) claims in court papers that on May 17, 2015 she and a group of friends were at Southside (inset), a popular club located in the city's Nolita neighborhood. At some point during the night, Jennings, 26, claims that John Jannarone (right), 35, approached the group and made a pass at one of her friends. After being rejected, Jennings claims that Jannarone came and hit her over the head with a beer bottle multiple times, causing her to fall to the ground while bleeding profusely from her head.

More than seven decades after being killed during World War II, Pvt. Earl Joseph Keating finally came home to his native New Orleans on Monday after his remains were recently discovered on the Pacific island where he died in 1942. It's a journey long in the making. Keating's nephew, Nadau 'du Treil' Michael Keating Jr., was only 6 months old when his 28-year-old uncle was killed Dec. 5, 1942. He remembers his grandmother's message to him when he was just 12 years old and she was on her deathbed. 'She said "I want you to remember to please find Earl with your Dad. Help your dad find Earl,"' he said.

Social media users are having trouble wrapping their heads around the cover artwork on a high school algebra book. The textbook, which is for college prep algebra, features an image of five happy looking students with their arms draped around each other. In each of their hands is a textbook - the same textbook, in fact, that they themselves are seen posing for, which means they're each holding a picture of themselves standing as they are at that very moment. Confused, several people have offered up ideas for how this 'special effect' could be achieved.

When 57-year-old Michel Madie arrived in New York in the 1980s, he quickly became one of the biggest names in real estate. Ever since he has also been part of a growing polyamorous community, hosting open sexuality and swingers party inside one of his most prestigious properties. The mogul tied the knot with Swedish civil engineering student Rasmus Foyer, 27, in December 2015 at the $12million converted church in Harlem, that has been dubbed the 'Taj Marharlem'. According to Narrative , some twenty percent of the guests were current or former lovers of either groom. After they said 'I do', the party went for another 24 hours, starting with a traditional Algerian dinner, and followed by belly and flamenco dancers, acrobats and a rotation of five gifted DJ's spinning deep house, down-tempo and funk. Since moving in to the enormous home, Madie has received countless complaints from neighbors who say it is really an unlicensed club. But Madie hasn't let the the issues get in the way of his swanky shindigs. Photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie followed the married pair around as they entertained guests at their home and went to other parties across the city, filled with couples who have a similar interest.

The bright pattern is the latest optical illusion to spread online, playing on the way your brain processes colour. The picture appears to show green, blue and pink swirls - but not all is as it seems. The optical illusion was created by Akiyoshi Kitaoka , a Japanese professor of psychology.

The snaps have been included in the Best of the Best Engagement Photo Contest for 2016, as chosen by Junebug Weddings. The touching photographs feature a couple posing in their swimsuits (left) in front of a stunning backdrop and the back of a US soldier with his fiancee's hands wrapped around his head (top right). A more surreal shot shows a couple dressed in white attempting to fight off a dinosaur (bottom right). Each year, the company chooses 50 unique shots that capture the raw emotion of the special moment.

A video of a baby and puppy cuddling in a swing proves you're never too young to see a dog as 'man's best friend'. In the video the dog wears pajamas and drapes its paw over the baby as they pair rock back and forth. As the swing goes back and forth the baby looks cheerfully at the camera, while the puppy appears to be so relaxed with its friend it might fall asleep. During the 15 second clip, a woman's voice can be heard asking the baby if it loves its puppy companion. The baby smiles back at the woman as the content pup blinks lazily.

Former kickboxer Viacheslav Datsik (top left), 36, calls himself Red Tarzan and has declared war on prostitution in the city of St Petersburg. Harrowing footage shows him and several other men including Stanislav Baretsky (inset), a 44-year-old Russian musician and actor, raiding a brothel (bottom left). Datsik has reportedly been calling police and tipping them off, effectively orchestrating raids but this time police did not appear to be involved. In a raid last week, prostitutes and their customers were forced to walk naked outside (right).

Video of what happened during the incident on December 9, 2015, at Cass Tech High School in Detroit was recently uploaded online, showing the officer and the female student getting into a fight. School officials say the 15-year-old was caught using an elevator without a valid elevator pass. The two began to struggle, with the officer claiming the girl tried to bite him. The officer is then seen in the footage pepper spraying the student (center), who needed to be taken to hospital. The officer was later cleared on any wrongdoing following an investigation.

Crowds pulled together in more ways than one after they rescued en elderly woman trapped under a van in an impressive display of teamwork. More than 20 pedestrians came to the lady's aid after a white van ran her over as she was crossing the street. Footage from May 19 shows the crowd in south China's Guangzhou province pushing the vehicle to one side to release the badly injured Ms. Huang who is in her 80s, within minutes. An ambulance arrived shortly afterwards to take her to hospital. Doctors who examined Ms. Huang said she suffered bone fractures in her left hand and deep cuts in the head. They reported that she was conscious, but was not able to open her eyes due to bruises and blood clots.

The Rich Kids London Instagram account was set up by a 24-year-old property broker for super wealthy clients to share photos of the lavish lifestyles of his friends and acquaintances. One man didn't have the energy to board his private jet after a trip to Vegas (bottom left), while another shared a video of himself bathing in champagne (top right). Another wrote they had a molotov champagne cocktail to 'throw at peasants' (top centre), while others posed in luxury cars (top left and bottom centre) and flashed wads of cash (bottom right).

Members of AnimaNaturalis (pictured) in Spain took off their clothes, daubed themselves in fake blood, stepped into polysterene trays and allowed themselves to be wrapped in clingfilm. The bizarre demonstration took place in the Sant Jaume plaza (pictured) in Barcelona, the first city in the world to declare itself vegan-friendly. The 20 activists wanted to make a dramatic plea to people to adopt a meat-free diet, free from animal exploitation and any suffering. They agreed to become packaged meat to raise public awareness and to remind Barcelona's city council that their pledge should mean actions and not just words. 'We wanted to draw the attention of the authorities,' said Aïda Gascón, director of AnimaNaturalis in Spain. 'They pledged in March to join global activities such as Paul McCartney's campaign Meatless Monday but have not yet implemented anything else.'

Far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life, these hardy Aussies might seem to be living a Wild West dream in the far south of Queensland. But their work was cut out when an extreme drought rocked their community and they had to up sticks to find water for their livestock in a race against time before they perished. With the nearest major city, Brisbane, 300 miles away, life for this Outback family depends on their 3,000 cattle, so it came as relief that after three months on the road, there was enough rainfall to return home. Photographer Arlie McCumstie followed the workers as they finished camping and began transporting their herd home near the small town of Hebel.

This is the heart-stopping moment thrillseeker Robbie Favre, 25, risks his life by leaping more than 55ft into a 6ft-deep swimming pool at a hotel in Tampa, Florida. The daredevil jumped from the top of the building and luckily landed in the narrow pool just two seconds later. The extreme sports addict doesn't even hesitate as he runs off the side of the roof (left), and as he flies through the air (middle left), he loses his baseball cap (middle right). He then makes a huge splash when he lands in the swimming pool (right). The bold bartender soon made a dash for a waiting car parked outside because he hadn't even booked to stay there.

The short clip, which was shot by a US tourist, shows the male worker holding the enormous animal at a distance as it takes several swings for his body and face. A group of people behind the camera can be heard saying 'oh my god, they're literally boxing'. And a child can be heard laughing and shouting that the scene is 'kangaroo versus man' - only to be told off by an adult who warns him that 'it is not funny'.

A man in Yichang City, China attempted an elaborate proposal by parachute (inset) on May 21 only to be blown into a tree by a gust of wind (left). The man was stuck in the tree's branches for an hour and firefighters had to come to his aid. Once back on the ground, he tried to propose again (right) however his girlfriend turned her back and walked away.