An ingredient in its bark led to aspirin, now researchers are looking into the properties of another compound in the treeWillow trees are a pharmaceutical treasure trove. The ancient Egyptians used its bark for relieving pain, inflammation and fevers, and science has since shown these medical powers came from an ingredient called salicin, named after salix, the Latin name for the tree. That...

Eight-metre statue built in 5th century BC had been buried among ancient ruinsA colossal statue of Atlas, buried for centuries among ancient ruins, will soon take its rightful place among the ancient Greek temples of Agrigento on Sicily.The city’s archaeological park announced that the artwork, one of the most celebrated sculptures on the island, will be raised upright in front of the Temple of...

Greens deride $4.7m funding for technologies that may shade corals and make clouds more reflective as ‘Band-Aid solutions’ A government-backed research program to make the Great Barrier Reef more resilient to global heating will spend $4.7m this financial year developing technologies that could shade corals and make clouds more reflective during marine heatwaves.The announcement confirms the...

Exclusive: likelihood of UK homes being infected triples with every additional 20 bedsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCoronavirus outbreaks are up to 20 times more likely in large care homes, according to a major study seen by the Guardian, prompting calls to divide them into “bubbles” before any second wave hits.In research that will increase scrutiny of private...

Public urged to send in snaps of paintings to help unpick how produce has evolvedFrom the juicy grapes depicted by Clara Peeters to Cézanne’s colourful apples, fruit and vegetables have appeared on myriad canvases over the centuries. Now researchers want the public to send in their snaps of such paintings to help unpick how our produce has evolved.The duo behind the idea say harvesting such...

Wind-borne microplastics are a bigger source of ocean pollution than rivers, say scientistsMore than 200,000 tonnes of tiny plastic particles are blown from roads into the oceans every year, according to research.The study suggests wind-borne microplastics are a bigger source of ocean pollution than rivers, the route that has attracted most attention to date. The analysis focused on the tiny...

My friend and colleague Sheila Youngson, who has died aged 65 from a stroke, was a clinical psychologist in the NHS from 1981, focusing on children and young people. Her final clinical post, from 1998 to 2010, was as consultant clinical psychologist at St James’ hospital, in Leeds, where she was based at the paediatric renal unit. Within the medicalised environment of the hospital, she worked...

Some scientists believe there is growing evidence of airborne transmission of Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSome scientists are warning there is growing evidence of airborne transmission of coronavirus. But how does it affect the actions we should take to stay safe? Continue...

Premier Gladys Berejiklian details stricter regime for pubs as cluster linked to the Crossroads Hotel grows to 30 casesNew South Wales is on “extra high alert” for a widespread Covid-19 resurgence and will require so-called hygiene marshals to enforce social distancing at every pub in the state.The crackdown comes after patrons who visited a Sydney hotel at the centre of the state’s largest...

Officers have warned law to make coverings compulsory in stores will be unenforceableCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRetailers and police must both play a role in enforcing the use of face coverings by shoppers in England, a Cabinet minister has said after officers warned the law would be unenforceable.The environment secretary, George Eustice, also defended the...

French study is believed to be first such confirmed case but doctors say infant has made good recoveryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDoctors in France have reported what they believe to be the first proven case of Covid-19 being passed on from a pregnant woman to her baby in the womb.The newborn boy developed inflammation in the brain within days of being born, a...

Boris Johnson announces face coverings are to be mandatory in shops from 24 July with £100 fines for non-compliance Global coronavirus live: latest updates 9.42am BST The number of deaths in England and Wales when Covid-19 was citing on the death certificate has exceeded 50,000 according to the latest weekly statistics from the ONS.A total of 50,548 deaths involving coronavirus were registered...

Hong Kong, California and Manila tighten rules; WHO warns there are no shortcuts out of a pandemic; Australia passes 10,000 casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCities and states around the world returned to tighter coronavirus restrictions to battle recurring outbreaks, as global infections passed 13 million and the World Health Organization warned there were “no...

With antibodies having implications for both our understanding of previous coronavirus infections and potential future immunity, Nicola Davis talks to Prof Eleanor Riley about how best to test for them and asks whether antibodies are the only thing we should be looking for Continue...

Cases rise by 1m in five days; 5.4m Americans have lost their health insurance; Hong Kong reimposes social distancing measures. Follow the latest updatesGlobal cases pass 13mWHO chief warns against ‘shortcuts’California orders closure of bars and indoor operations of restaurants and theatres‘Compelling’ evidence air pollution worsens coronavirus – study Fauci sidelined as Trump’s White...