Covid-19: UK infections rise by two-thirds and Nepal's plea for UK help - BBC News
Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday evening.
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday evening. We'll have another update for you on Saturday morning.

Two measures show cases are beginning to rise rapidly from a low level in the UK. A survey by the Office for National Statistics found that about 100,000 people tested positive in the week up to 29 May - a rise of two-thirds from 60,000 the week before. Daily reported test results also suggest a sharp rise, with 6,278 confirmed cases on Friday. Increased testing in hotspot areas for the Delta variant first detected in India may exaggerate the rise in daily figures, while hospital admissions and deaths continue to fall. But the ONS data, which is not skewed by how many people come forward for tests, shows there is a genuine increase.

The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for children aged 12 to 15, the first time a Covid-19 vaccine has been authorised for under-16s in the UK. The UK's medical regulator found it was safe and effective, with the benefits outweighing any risks. Vaccine committee the JCVI will now decide whether children should get the jab. The Pfizer vaccine was already approved for people aged 16 and over, but the UK is not routinely offering Covid-19 jabs to any under-18s at the moment. Children's risk of becoming ill with Covid is very low, but EU countries, the US and Canada are all beginning to vaccinate younger age groups. Read more about the debate.

Nepal's prime minister has made a plea to the UK for vaccines as it suffers one of the highest infection rates in the world. KP Sharma Oli said Nepal should be a priority for UK aid due to the historic ties the countries share and the contribution of its Gurkha soldiers. "I want to convince the UK government, particularly Prime Minister Boris Johnson, about the situation in Nepal and how we are suffering," Mr Oli said. It comes as the UK blamed the spread of a "Nepal variant" for travel restrictions in Portugal, although no such variant has been officially designated yet. Find out more here.

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Filming in London on the seventh movie in the Mission: Impossible series has been put on pause after crew members tested positive for Covid-19. Movie studio Paramount said it was following "all safety protocols" on the spy series, which stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. Filming has been taking place at the Warner Bros Studios in Hertfordshire and on location across the UK, with Cruise surprising locals in a North Yorkshire village in April when he arrived by helicopter for a shoot. An audio recording previously emerged in December, which seemed to capture the star berating the crew for not following distancing guidelines during filming.

First it was dogs at polling stations, now one Melbourne pathology worker is livening up the city's lockdown with an Instagram account dedicated to the canines at Covid testing centres. Tiffany White began documenting the pooches accompanying their owners on her "Swab dogs of Instagram" account and workers at sites across the city joined in. She says it's helped spread a bit of positivity at a time when life is on hold for everyone and test workers are under pressure.

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You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

And with Scotland's easing of lockdown paused in many areas and England's being debated, you can find the latest on planned changes to restrictions here.

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