Scientists still divided on the issue as PM hints he will make face coverings mandatory for shoppersCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageScientists remain divided over the effectiveness of masks in providing protection against the Covid-19 virus in the wake of Boris Johnson’s hints that he would soon make face coverings compulsory in shops in England.Some senior...

The vaginal mesh scandal betrayed the intimate trust that should exist between doctor and patient, whatever their sexWhatever comes next in the vaginal mesh scandal, let’s hope that it spells the end of the “shut up and put up” medical culture when it comes to female healthcare.The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, led by Baroness Julia Cumberlege, spent two years...

Job losses, homelessness, school closures and acute hunger set to rise dramatically without urgent support, Christian Aid warnsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe pandemic has exposed and reinforced deep inequalities across the world, with the true extent yet to be seen, according to a major new report.The crisis in the poorest countries threatens to escalate into a...

I looked forward to spending more time with my wife – but it took a while before romance found its way back inIt felt like we were embarking on a new adventure. It was late March and Boris Johnson had announced that Britain would, in response to the threat of Covid-19, be going into lockdown. Life as we knew it was about to grind to a halt. I would be working from home as the British Library was...

Other finds include lead lined Roman coffin and Stonehenge-like wooden structureA skeleton believed to be a murder victim from the iron age has been discovered by archaeologists working on the HS2 project in Buckinghamshire.HS2 said the find was made during excavation work at Wellwick Farm, near Wendover. Archaeologists found the skeleton of the adult male buried face down in a ditch with his...

Daniel Andrews says effects of lockdown won’t be reflected for weeks as NSW cases linked to Casula pubSign up for Guardian Australia’s coronavirus emailDownload the free Guardian app to get the most important news notificationsVictoria has recorded another 216 cases of coronavirus and one additional death, a man in his 90s, as the state tries to contain the second wave of the virus that...