Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment aims to pinpoint places where giant particle storms are launched into spaceNasa has selected a new mission that will study how space weather forms on the sun and launches radiation storms into space.Called the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE), the mission consists of six small CubeSats that will provide three dimensional maps of solar...

Communication Workers Union estimates half of sorting offices have insufficient PPE and sanitiserMany Royal Mail sorting offices are not providing workers with sufficient protection from coronavirus infection, according to a trade union, which argues that some depots should close until staff are safe.The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents thousands of postal workers, told members...

Concern that centres were too far from both work or home for those working in LondonCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNHS staff have called on Boris Johnson to ensure the new coronavirus testing centres are located conveniently for health workers and not in out of town sites such as Ikea car parks.Drive-in test centres for nurses and doctors were opened this week in...

After initially pursuing a centralised policy, the government has now switched to a ‘Dunkirk-style’ effort utilising smaller research unitsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageScientists have complained that “precious time has been wasted” before the implementation of the government’s new, Dunkirk-style approach to boost Covid-19 testing.In the past week, the...

Health secretary ‘determined’ to reach six-figure goal for England by end of AprilCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe health secretary, Matt Hancock, has set the government a new target of carrying out 100,000 Covid-19 tests a day in England by the end of April as he sought to defend the government’s approach.After several days of intense scrutiny over failures...

Fossil shows the first of our ancestors existed up to 200,000 years earlier than previously thought, researchers sayThe earliest known skull of Homo erectus has been unearthed by an Australian-led team of researchers who have dated the fossil at two million years old, showing the first of our ancestors existed up to 200,000 years earlier than previously thought.The lead researcher Prof Andy...

Findings offer researchers new ways to measure intensity of emotional responses Whether it is screwing up your face when sucking a lemon, or smiling while sitting in the sun, humans have a range of facial expressions that reflect how they feel. Now, researchers say, they have found mice do too.“Mice exhibit facial expressions that are specific to the underlying emotions,” said Dr Nadine...

Country seen as a model for its response is told it is not doing nearly enoughCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGermany still needs to increase its coronavirus testing rate dramatically if it wants to successfully manage the virus, scientists are advising the government.The country has the capacity to carry out up to 500,000 tests a week, but must increase that to more...

In 1915 a shortage of shells for soldiers brought down the government. A century on, the prime minister faces a similar challenge• Coronavirus latest updates • See all our coronavirus coverageThomas Harvey was a family man, a father of seven, but in his last moments he was forced apart from them.The 57-year-old nurse, who had been self-isolating at home with coronavirus symptoms, was found by...

I can’t tell if my optimism is misguided when experts disagree on everything from mortality rates to preventive measures • Coronavirus latest updates • See all our coronavirus coverageI was wrong. Or I think I was. I heard Boris Johnson on 3 March leap into war mode and publish 28 pages of emergency plans, should coronavirus take hold in Britain. There were reports that “half a million...

Change is coming to the UK, when this crisis is over. Unless progressives have a plan, they will lose out like they did in 2008It can take a grave national crisis to fire a flare, revealing the ugliest features of a society defined by injustices that the wealthy and powerful would rather forget. It took the second world war to achieve what the Jarrow hunger marches of the 1930s struggled for: to...

Human trials will begin imminently – but even if they go well and a cure is found, there are many barriers before global immunisation is feasibleCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageEven at their most effective – and draconian – containment strategies have only slowed the spread of the respiratory disease Covid-19. With the World Health Organization finally declaring...

Latest figures from public health authorities map the spread of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. Find out how many cases have been reported near youCoronavirus - live news updatesFind all our coronavirus coverage hereHow to protect yourself from infectionPlease note: these are government figures on numbers of confirmed cases - some people who report symptoms are not being tested, and are not...

AI companies and scientists are cooperating, but they desperately need access to pharmaceutical companies’ dataProf Ara Darzi is a surgeon and director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College LondonCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe past few weeks have revealed the worst and the best in human responses to the coronavirus crisis – from the...

What are the symptoms caused by the Covid-19 virus, how does it spread, and should you call a doctor?Find all our coronavirus coverage hereCoronavirus – latest updatesHow to protect yourself and others from infectionIt is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has transferred to humans from animals. The World Health...

Trump says personal protective gear has nearly run out; Florida, Georgia, Mississippi ordered to shelter in place; record daily fatalities in UK. Follow the latest updates. At a glance: summary of key eventsLondon hospital almost runs out of oxygen for coronavirus patientsAustralia coronavirus – latest updatesSee all of our coronavirus coverage 7.45am BST Jazz pioneer Ellis Marsalis Jr has died...

Grim milestone approaches as WHO chief says he is ‘deeply concerned’ about spreadCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageConfirmed Covid-19 infections are nearing the one million mark after “near exponential growth” saw global cases more than double in the past week.The World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned of the approaching milestone as...

Sarah Boseley speaks to Prof Sonja Rasmussen about how the virus might affect mothers who are expecting and their unborn child Continue...

Rhinos keep turning up for their belly rubs, and giraffes have been keeping their appointments, but there is no one to watch themCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhile humans have been using Netflix and Zoom to quell the coronavirus lockdown ennui, New Zealand’s zoo animals have also been struggling with boredom – and zookeepers have had to resort to some unusual...