Study highlights importance of biodiversity as part of strategy to stop planet overheating Scientists have shown to be true what JRR Tolkien only imagined in the Lord of the Rings: giant, slow-reproducing trees play an outsized role in the growth and health of old forests.In the 1930s, the writer gave his towering trees the name Ents. Today, a paper in the journal Science says these “long-lived...

None of 3.5m home tests ordered have so far been accurate enough to detect coronavirus immunityCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters could face a fight to recoup their losses on orders for antibody tests amid calls to abandon pin-prick kits that can be used at home in favour of more reliable lab-based testing.The health secretary, Matt Hancock, announced in March...

They are volunteering with a trust in south-west England and are being invited to apply for jobs in HampshireCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNHS trusts are recruiting vets to help relieve pressure on health service staff as hospitals struggle to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.About 150 vets are volunteering as respiratory assistants with Torbay and South Devon NHS...

The warnings of Mers, Sars and Ebola were ignored, with fatal results. Coronavirus is the greatest policy failure in a generation• Coronavirus latest updates• See all our coronavirus coverageWe knew this was coming. In her 1994 warning to the world, The Coming Plague, Laurie Garrett concluded: “While the human race battles itself, fighting over ever more crowded turf and scarcer resources,...

Covid-19 hits the old hardest, but young people are dying too. Scientists say it may be down to genes or ‘viral load’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt remains one of the biggest puzzles of the Covid-19 pandemic. The disease generally causes serious problems only in older people or those with underlying health problems. But occasionally it strikes down young,...

Research on Massospondylus carinatus embryos sheds new light on animals’ developmentThe fossilised skulls of dinosaur embryos that died within their eggs about 200m years ago, have been digitally reconstructed by scientists, shedding new light on the animals’ development, and how close they were to hatching.The rare clutch of seven eggs, some of which contain embryos, was discovered in South...

Southern hemisphere neighbours have developed different strategies but both are working – for nowCoronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Its more than 35,000km (21,750 miles) of coastline was always going to be Australia’s strongest advantage in keeping coronavirus at bay, but even so, the speed with which it was used was breathtaking.Without warning on Thursday 19...

Court application warns ‘many lives will be lost’ without urgent action to provide face masksThe Zimbabwean government has been taken to court over its failure to provide doctors working on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic with masks.The Zimbabwe Association for Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) is seeking to compel the authorities urgently to provide personal protective equipment (PPE)...

Latest figures from public health authorities on 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...

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...

It’s likely Covid-19 originated in bats, scientists say. But did it then spread to pangolins and humans?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn the public mind, the origin story of coronavirus seems well fixed: in late 2019 someone at the now world-famous Huanan seafood market in Wuhan was infected with a virus from an animal.The rest is part of an awful history still in...

A supermoon happens when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its 27-day orbit and it happens to be full, which usually occurs once a year. We asked you to share your shots of April’s lunar spectacular. Here’s a selection of our favourites Continue...

Following the decision to end Wuhan’s lockdown this week, Hannah Devlin speaks to Dr Adam Kurcharski about the various aspects of lifting restrictive measures, including the importance of the timing and the role that testing could play Continue...

Boris Johnson still in intensive care but condition improves; virus fears halt Saudi military operations in Yemen; global trade could fall up to a third. Follow the latest updates. US sees highest one-day death tollCoronavirus latest: at a glanceUS coronavirus updates – liveAustralia coronavirus updates – live See all of our coronavirus coverage 1.39am BST Bernie Sanders, who has dropped out...

Speculation rife about an impending baby boom, but experts say uncertain times mean this is unlikely Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThey were warned by the officials against stockpiling toilet paper or flour. But that’s not all New Zealanders have been hoarding, according to the nation’s largest retailer of sex toys, which said sales of its products tripled after...

Experts reexamine eggs – some dating back to bronze age – to understand origins and designsThey are about the same size as a standard Easter egg, but are rather older – with some specimens dating back five millennia to the early bronze age.A collection of decorated ostrich eggs belonging to the British Museum in London has been reexamined by experts in an effort to understand where they...