Covid infections are up across the UK, according to latest figures that capture the Jubilee weekend of partying. An estimated 1.4 million people or one in 45 has the virus – up from one in 65 the week before. That’s a rise of 43%. Experts say two new fast-spreading subvariants of Omicron -called BA.4 and BA.5 – are behind some of the new infections. People can get catch them ev en if they have recently had other types of Covid. The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which compiles the data, says it is too early to say if this is the start of another wave.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition to the US has been approved by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel. Mr Assange has 14 days to appeal over the decision, the Home Office said. It said the courts found extradition would not be “incompatible with his human rights” and that while in the US “he will be treated appropriately”. Mr Assange is wanted by the American authorities over documents leaked in 2010 and 2011, which the US says broke the law and endangered lives. The Wikileaks documents related to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Australian is being held at Belmarsh prison in London after mounting a lengthy battle to avoid being extradited.(BBC)…[+]

A person has died and 13 others have been injured in India after protests against a new army hiring plan turned violent. He died when police and protesters clashed in Secunderabad city in the southern state of Telangana on Friday. Police reportedly opened fire into the crowd but reports said it was not clear if the man died due to a gunshot wound. Several states have seen huge protests against the plan to hire soldiers on a fixed four-year term. Protesters say the government’s plan to hire temporary soldiers will reduce their chances of getting coveted permanent military jobs, which guarantee fixed salaries and pensions. Young people in India’s smaller towns and villages prepare for years to become soldiers in the armed forces as the job brings prestige, a regular income and for some, a way out of poverty.(BBC)…[+]

Flights in and out of Switzerland were suspended for hours and Swiss airspace closed because of a computer failure at air traffic control service Skyguide. Geneva and Zurich halted early flights but Geneva airport announced air traffic was gradually resuming. Skyguide said a technical malfunction in the early hours of Wednesday meant Swiss airspace had had to be closed to traffic for “safety reasons”. Some flights were being diverted to Milan in northern Italy. Skyguide spokesman Vladi Barrosa told Tagesanzeiger news website that the problem appeared to be a hardware fault and they did not believe their system had been hacked. The company later announced that the “technical malfunction at Skyguide has been resolved” and airspace closure lifted at 08:30 (06:30 GMT). A Flightradar image of air traffic across Western Europe showed a substantial hole in flights over Switzerland early on Wednesday.(BBC)…[+]

Author James Patterson has apologised for saying older white writers face “just another form of racism”, which makes it harder for them to find work. The best-selling US writer made his comments to The Sunday Times last week. But following a backlash, he posted an apology and said he did not actually think white writers suffered racism. “I apologise for saying white male writers having trouble finding work is a form of racism,” the 75-year-old wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. “I absolutely do not believe that racism is practiced against white writers. “Please know that I strongly support a diversity of voices being heard – in literature, in Hollywood, everywhere.”(BBC)…[+]

Twenty-five people have been treated for burns in northern Switzerland after they walked across hot coals as part of a team-building exercise. Thirteen of them were taken to hospital and treated for more severe injuries after the incident on Tuesday evening. A large emergency response, including 10 ambulances, arrived at the private event at around 18:00 (16:00 GMT). The group walked over a bed of coals that was several metres long and felt pain shortly after, police said. It is not yet clear if there was an issue with the set-up of the coals or with how the group walked across them. Officials have opened an investigation and taken evidence from the site, which is in the Au peninsular just south of the city of Zurich. Walking across a bed of hot coals, often known as fire-walking, is sometimes used in motivational courses and charity events.(BBC)…[+]

Authorities in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) have demolished the houses of some Muslims who were allegedly linked to religious protests that turned violent. The protests were sparked by derogatory remarks made by two former leaders of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the Prophet Muhammad. The demonstrations turned violent in some states as people damaged property. More than 300 people were arrested in UP.n Local authorities demolished three Muslim-owned houses over the weekend, alleging that they had been illegally constructed – a claim denied by some of the owners. The demolitions triggered condemnation from opposition leaders, who accused the state government – headed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath – of targeting the minority Muslim community.(BBC)…[+]

An Australian newspaper has removed a gossip column and its writer has offered an apology after being accused of outing actress Rebel Wilson. On Friday, Wilson shared a picture of her with her new partner, saying she had found her “Disney princess”. But the following day, the Sydney Morning Herald wrote they’d known about the relationship before it was public. Their celebrity reporter said he had given Wilson 1.5 days to provide comment for a story. That report sparked widespread criticism on social media, with LGBTQ+ campaigners saying it was unacceptable to put pressure on people to come out.(BBC)…[+]

US campaigners have welcomed a potential cross-party deal on gun safety reforms but stressed the proposals do not go far enough. “This is progress even if small,” said David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting in Florida. Ex-lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords, injured in a 2011 shooting in Arizona, said it was an “important step forward”. The plans include tougher checks for buyers under the age of 21 and cracking down on illegal gun purchases. They were announced by a cross-party group of US senators on Sunday. Crucially, the proposals are supported by 10 Republicans, meaning they have the numbers to be voted into law. President Joe Biden also said the plans were “steps in the right direction” but they fell far short of what he and many Democrats have been calling for. Recent attempts to tighten gun laws in the US – which has the highest rate of firearms deaths among the world’s wealthy nations – have failed to get the required support in Congress. (BBC)…[+]

The Pakistani Taliban has announced an indefinite ceasefire with Pakistan’s government after talks brokered by the Afghan Taliban government. The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) said substantial progress had been made at the talks in Kabul, and the truce extended until further notice. A Pakistani government official said the talks were moving in a positive direction, AFP news agency reports. The TTP has been fighting Pakistan’s armed forces for years. The TTP – Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan – wants to impose its own ultra hard-line interpretation of sharia law in Pakistani regions along the border with Afghanistan. The mountainous area has long been a hotbed of militant activity. The group has enjoyed a close but ambiguous relationship with the Afghan Taliban, reports the BBC’s Secunder Kermani in Islamabad. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last year, the TTP has stepped up its attacks in Pakistan, killing dozens of government soldiers in 2021.(BBC)…[+]