The number of deaths linked to coronavirus in India has moved past the 400,000 mark as the country tries to speed up its vaccination drive. Experts warn that the real number of fatalities might be much higher as many deaths are not officially recorded. India is only the third in the world behind the US and Brazil to record more than 400,000 deaths. The country has recorded 30 million cases – second only to the US.

Hundreds of dead sea animals have washed up in Sri Lanka, weeks after a cargo ship carrying dangerous chemicals caught fire and sank. The X-Press Pearl sank in early June off the coast of Colombo after it had been on fire for days. The remains of 176 turtles, 20 dolphins and four whales have washed ashore since, a court has heard. Experts fear the ship, which carried tonnes of oil in its tanks, will remain an environmental hazard for decades. The X-Press Pearl had had been carrying 278 tonnes of bunker fuel oil and 50 tonnes of gas oil when it caught fire on 20 May. It was also carrying 25 tonnes nitric acid, along with other chemicals and cosmetics. One environmental group had earlier said the ship’s toxic cargo threatened to create “a chemical soup” in the area.(BBC)…[+]

Australia will halve the number of international arrivals it accepts after Covid outbreaks put half the population in lockdown this week. The country’s strict border rules have only allowed Australians and people with exemptions to enter. From 14 July, Australia will accept just over 3,000 people a week – a measure likely to last until next year. The announcement sparked dismay among Australians who are overseas and separated from their families. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the measure would reduce pressure on the country’s quarantine system. Virus leaks from hotel quarantine – which is mandatory for all arrivals – have been the source of numerous outbreaks across the country. Australia is maintaining a Covid-elimination strategy until it can get the majority of its population vaccinated next year. Just 8% have been vaccinated so far. Mr Morrison’s government has faced criticism for its border policies over the past year, which have extended family separations and made it difficult for many Australians to return.(BBC)…[+]

An American man who crashed a stolen lorry into a house before shooting two black bystanders was a suspected white supremacist, police say. Nathan Allen, 28, fatally shot retired policeman Dave Green and military veteran Ramona Cooper in Saturday afternoon’s attack in Massachusetts. Investigators later found racist and anti-Semitic writings by Allen, who was shot dead by officers at the scene. He was married, employed and had a PhD and no criminal history, police said. According to CBS affiliate WBZ-TV, Allen walked through a marsh to a garage in the city of Winthrop where he stole a plumber’s lorry. He crashed the vehicle into an unoccupied home, causing extensive damage. He then climbed out of the wreckage and attempted unsuccessfully to carjack another vehicle.(BBC)…[+]

Anti-government protesters in Colombia have toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus in the coastal city of Barranquilla. The figure of the European explorer, after whom Colombia is named, was dragged from its plinth with ropes and vandalised. The demonstration marked two months since the start of a nationwide protest movement calling for social reform. Indigenous activists see Columbus as a symbol of colonialism and oppression. The mayor of Barranquilla said those responsible would be brought to justice. The Columbus statue is the latest to be pulled from its pedestal as part of the anti-government protests which have been sweeping through the country. One of the first to fall was that of the 16th Century Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar in the south-western city of Popayán in September.(BBC)…[+]

France is poised to pass a law allowing single women and lesbian couples to get fertility treatment, currently reserved for heterosexual couples. The National Assembly (lower house) vote follows two years of heated debate and demonstrations by groups opposed to this expansion of reproductive rights. Many French women have gone to Belgium and Spain for fertility treatment, which can be very expensive. The new law brings France into line with 10 other EU countries and the UK. Besides Belgium and Spain, the 10 are: Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. Outside the EU, Iceland and Norway have similar legal provisions. A recent Ifop opinion poll found 67% of French respondents favour the new law.(BBC)…[+]

France has held its second round of regional elections, with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) again failing to take power anywhere. President Emmanuel Macron’s party also suffered bad results, while the centre-right Republicans and the Socialist Party both received surprise boosts. Turnout for Sunday’s elections was at a record low, with under 35% of eligible voters casting their ballots. It comes ahead of French presidential elections due in April next year. Mr Macron’s centrist La République En Marche (LREM) party, which performed badly in the first round of regional elections last week, also failed to win control of any region. It was the first time President Macron’s party had taken part in regional elections, as it did not exist the last time they were held in 2015.(BBC)…[+]

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has met national leaders for emergency talks on how to tackle a spike in Covid-19 infections. An outbreak in Sydney linked to the highly contagious Delta variant has grown to 128 cases. Cases have also been recorded in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia.

Officials say it is a “critical time”. Australia has kept case numbers low with border closures and lockdowns. Reports say the emergency meeting considered measures such as mandatory vaccinations for care home workers and new quarantine rules. This is the first time in months that cases have emerged in multiple parts of the country at the same time. “I think we’re entering a new phase of this pandemic, with the more contagious Delta strain,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told ABC News ahead of the meeting of the Covid-19 response committee. (BBC)…[+]

Canada has recorded its highest ever temperature as the country’s west and the US Pacific north-west frazzle in an unprecedented heatwave. Lytton in British Columbia soared to 46.6C (116F) on Sunday, breaking an 84-year-old record, officials said. A “heat dome” of high pressure parked over the region has set new records in many other areas. The US and Canada have both warned citizens of “dangerous” heat levels that could persist this week. Experts say that climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves. However, linking any single event to global warming is complicated. The high pressure zone is huge, from California right up to Canada’s Arctic territories and stretching inland through Idaho. There has been a run on air-conditioners and fans, and cooling shelters have sprung up. Some bars and restaurants – and even at least one swimming pool – were deemed too hot to function.(BBC)…[+]

The US Senate has struck an agreement for a $1.2tn (£860bn) infrastructure bill in what could herald a legislative victory for President Joe Biden. “We have a deal,” said the president after meeting the cross-party group of senators at the White House. The eight-year plan includes funding for roads, bridges, the power grid, public transport and internet. But the deal is far from done as Mr Biden said it depended on the passage of another, bigger spending bill. At the White House on Thursday, Mr Biden praised the group of five Republican and five Democratic senators whom he met earlier, and promised the package would generate “millions” of jobs. The investments are long overdue, said Mr Biden, who has persisted with the cross-party negotiations despite the impatience and scepticism of some in his Democratic party.(BBC)…[+]