The combination of Delta and Omicron variants is driving a dangerous tsunami of Covid-19 cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief has said. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ words came as the US and countries across Europe reported record new cases. France reported Europe’s highest ever daily figure for the second day in a row, at 208,000 cases. And the US has reported a record average of 265,427 cases a day over the last week, according to Johns Hopkins. Denmark, Portugal, the UK and Australia have all also reported record-breaking figures. Poland reported 794 Covid-related deaths on Wednesday, the highest number in its fourth wave of the pandemic. More than three-quarters of these were unvaccinated people.(BBC)…[+]

Mourners are filing past the coffin of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as his body lies in state at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa. Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped end apartheid in South Africa, died on Sunday aged 90. His official state funeral will be held on 1 January after the lying-in-state period, allowing mourners to file past his body and say their final goodbyes. Large crowds are expected to visit the cathedral over the next two days. The lying in state period had to be extended to two days, “for fear there might be a stampede”, a local priest told AFP news agency.Priests burnt incense as Tutu’s simple wooden coffin was carried into the cathedral.(BBC)…[+]

Afghanistan’s former president has defended his decision to flee the country as the Taliban closed in earlier this year, saying he did it to prevent the destruction of Kabul. The Taliban seized power in August after taking control of the capital. Ashraf Ghani revealed that when he woke up on 15 August he had “no inkling” it would be his last day in Afghanistan. It was only when his plane left Kabul that he realised he was going, Mr Ghani said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. He was heavily criticised and accused of abandoning the country at the time. He is now in the United Arab Emirates. Mr Ghani made the comments in conversation with Gen Sir Nick Carter, the UK’s former Chief of the Defence Staff, who was guest-editing the Today programme on Thursday.(BBC)…[+]

The mummified body of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh has been studied for the first time in millennia after being digitally “unwrapped”. The mummy of Amenhotep I, who ruled from 1525 to 1504 BC, was found at a site in Deir el-Bahari 140 years ago. But archaeologists have refrained from opening it in order to preserve the exquisite face mask and bandages. Computer topography (CT) scans have now revealed previously unknown information about the pharaoh and his burial. Dr Sahar Saleem, professor of radiology at Cairo University and lead author of the study published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine, said they showed Amenhotep I was about 35 years old when he died.”He was approximately 169cm (5ft 6in) tall, circumcised, and had good teeth. Within his wrappings, he wore 30 amulets and a unique golden girdle with gold beads,” she told PA Media. “Amenhotep I seems to have physically resembled his father: he had a narrow chin, a small narrow nose, curly hair, and mildly protruding upper teeth.” However, Dr Saleem said they did not observe any wounds or disfigurement due to disease that would allow them to give a cause of death. The researchers were able to gain insights about the mummification and burial of Amenhotep, who was the second king of the 18th Dynasty, including that he was the first pharaoh to have his forearms folded across his chest and that, unusually, his brain was not removed.(BBC)…[+]