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From today's featured article

Fomitiporia ellipsoidea is a species of polypore fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae, a specimen of which produced the largest fungal fruit body ever recorded. Found in China, the fruit bodies produced by the species are brown, woody basidiocarps that feed on dead wood and can grow very large under favourable circumstances. They measure 30 centimetres (12 in) or more in length, though typically extending less than a centimetre from the surface of the wood. A number of chemical compounds have been isolated from the species, including several steroidal compounds. These may have pharmacological applications, but further research is needed. The species was first recorded in 2008 by Bao-Kai Cui and Yu-Cheng Dai in Fujian Province; it was revealed in 2011 that they had found a very large fruit body, measuring up to 1,085 cm (427 in) in length, on Hainan Island. The specimen (pictured), which was 20 years old, was estimated to weigh between 400 and 500 kilograms (880 and 1,100 lb). This was markedly larger than the previous record holder, a specimen of Rigidoporus ulmarius found in the United Kingdom, which had a circumference of 425 cm (167 in). (Full article...)

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From Wikipedia's newest content:

... that fish heads are eaten (dish pictured) in Singapore with a range of ingredients including milk, brandy, and fried noodles?

... that the acting Governor of Curaçao, Adèle van der Pluijm-Vrede, signed the Act of Abdication of Queen Beatrix?

... that Devereux Emmet, a pioneering golf course architect, won the Bahama Open when he was 66 years old?

... that Aridhaman is the second nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile submarine being built by India?

... that St Peter's Church, Llanbedrgoch, Wales, contains a reading desk made out of 15th-century bench ends, one of which is decorated with a carving of a mermaid?

... that small, low-cost microconsoles like Ouya, GameStick, and GamePop comprise a new field of video game console alternatives?

... that the meter maids in Surfers Paradise top up the parking meter rather than issuing fines?

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In the news

China launches Shenzhou 10, the fifth manned mission in the Chinese space program.

In tennis, the French Open concludes with Serena Williams (pictured) winning the women's singles and Rafael Nadal winning the men's singles.

A bus fire in Xiamen, China, kills 47 people, including the suspected arsonist.

Irish author Kevin Barry wins the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his debut novel, City of Bohane.

The US National Security Agency's PRISM program is revealed to be using surveillance of user data from major technology companies.

Recent deaths: Henry Cecil – Iain Banks – Tom Sharpe

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On this day...

June 12: Duanwu/Dragon Boat Festival in East Asian countries (2013); Dia dos Namorados in Brazil; Russia Day in the Russian Federation

1776 – The Fifth Virginia Convention adopted a declaration of rights, a hugely influential document that proclaimed the inherent rights of men.

1889 – Runaway passenger carriages collided with a following train near Armagh, present-day Northern Ireland, killing 80 people.

1954 – Pope Pius XII canonised Dominic Savio, who was 14 years old when he died, to make him the youngest non-martyr saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

1963 – African American civil rights activist Medgar Evers was murdered by Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith.

1999 – In the aftermath of the bombing of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo War, the NATO-led Kosovo Force (German Army armoured vehicle pictured) entered Kosovo with a mandate of establishing a secure environment in the territory.

More anniversaries: June 11 – June 12 – June 13

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Today's featured picture

Nathan Phillips Square (pictured in 2011) is an urban plaza located in front of the City Hall (and beside the Old City Hall, seen at right) in Toronto, Canada. Named after former mayor Nathan Phillips, the square was designed by Viljo Revell and opened in 1965. It is used for various public events, including concerts, art displays, a weekly farmers' market, and demonstrations.

Photograph: Paolo Costa Baldi

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