Sweden to give 'new information' on Assange rape probe

Stockholm: The Swedish Prosecution Authority said Monday it will provide an update with "new information" this week on a probe into a 2010 rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The investigation concerns events which took place in August 2010 after a Swedish woman met the Australian at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm.

Assange has always denied the allegation. In a statement, the prosecution agency said it was planning a press conference on Tuesday at 1300 GMT when the prosecutor will give a briefing on the "investigative measures taken" and "provide new information".

The 48-year-old has been held at a top-security British prison since April after police dragged him out of the Ecuadoran embassy in London, where he had been holed up since 2012 to avoid an extradition order to Sweden.

Assange was subsequently sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for breaching bail conditions when he took refuge in the embassy.