US claims Russia tested satellite-launched weapon this monthNegotiators to meet in Vienna on MondayUS and Russian officials will meet in Vienna on Monday to discuss whether and how to regulate the militarisation of space, in the wake of an alleged Russian satellite-launched missile test.The two governments agreed to hold a “space security exchange” in January, but the meeting was put off as a...

Facts and data are desperately required so that musicians can get back to entertaining the worldWhile the tentative resumption of the performing arts is officially allowed in England, singing, along with the playing of woodwind and brass instruments, is deemed a special case. Some serious early outbreaks of Covid-19 were associated with choirs and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and...

Synairgen’s share price rises 540% on morning of news of successful drugs trialCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThree professors at the University of Southampton school of medicine have this week made a “major breakthrough” in the treatment of coronavirus patients and become paper millionaires at the same time.Almost two decades ago professors Ratko Djukanovic,...

Next time you have the urge to check your phone, or have a second cocktail, remember you might not enjoy it as much as you thinkAs anyone who counts a three-year-old among their acquaintances will know, there’s a fiery purity to the will of a small child that’s difficult to oppose. Once my son has figured out that there’s ice-cream in the freezer, and decided he wants some for dessert, my...

New reports cast doubt on early claims smoking offered protection from diseaseAt the beginning of the pandemic, smokers may have thought they had little to worry about, as there was a sliver of good news for them: a study circulating on social media suggested smoking could be associated with a lower risk of contracting Covid-19. That’s not the full story. Related: Biden predicts Trump will try...

Investigation shows rigorous testing at hospital trust led to rise in cases in ‘pariah town’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDuring the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Barrow-in-Furness was labelled a “pariah town” when it emerged the Cumbrian local authority had by far the highest number of positive cases per head of population in England.Now, analysis of...

More than 140 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccineResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 140 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue...

While it seems a likely culprit Tasmania’s infamous curried scallop pie is not to blame for the disappearance of the smooth handfishSign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are publishedGet all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue...