Deneb in Cygnus, Vera in Lyra and Altair in Aquila feature in Chinese folk story The Cowherd and the Weaver GirlThe summer triangle is a prominent pattern of stars that soars high in the northern summer sky. Marked out by Deneb in Cygnus, the swan; Vega in Lyra, the lyre; and Altair in Aquila, the eagle, these three stars feature in the Chinese folk story The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The girl...

Sir Paul Nurse says lack of openness fuelled poor decisions and put public trust at riskCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageOne of the country’s most senior scientists has criticised government for the “shroud of secrecy” drawn over major decisions in the coronavirus crisis and urged ministers to be more open about the reasons behind their policies.Sir Paul Nurse,...

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley land off Florida after two-month voyage that was Nasa’s first crewed mission from home in nine yearsUS astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, who flew to the International Space Station in SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon, splashed down in the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday after a two-month voyage that was Nasa’s first crewed mission from home soil in...

Government reportedly exploring range of measures to stop Covid-19 infections rising Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK government is reported to be exploring a range of measures to stop infections rising and keep Covid-19 in check in England – some of them for use in the event of regional spikes, such as those in Leicester and Oldham, and others that would...

Bollywood star idolised in India discharged three weeks after contracting ‘mild’ symptomsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has been discharged from hospital, three weeks after being admitted with coronavirus symptoms after testing positive for the disease.Bachchan’s actor-son, Abishek, who was admitted at the same time, remains...

University College London has removed the names of eugenicists from three of its buildings. How far this goes to address an abhorrent past is much contested The provost of University College London announced in June this year that its Galton Lecture Theatre, Pearson Lecture Theatre and Pearson Building had all been renamed. They are now known by the perfectly unmemorable names of, respectively,...

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...

What have resurgences around the world taught us about how local clusters emerge?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIt is not always possible to pinpoint the origin of a local spike in cases, particularly in countries like the UK, where the disease is still circulating at relatively significant levels.But in countries where overall caseloads are lower, and with rigorous...

Amy Lamé rejects criticism that she hasn’t done enough to save the capital’s night-time culture hit hard by the lockdownIf Amy Lamé feels bruised by calls for her to quit her job, she is determined not to show it. The UK’s first “night tsar” has faced brutal criticism ever since she was hired in 2016 to champion London’s night-time culture. Nightclubs and music venue owners have...

As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atom bomb on Japan, it must wake up to the new rearmamentRussia’s apparent test-firing of an anti-satellite weapon in outer space on 15 July, as alleged by the US and Britain, could be dismissed as another of Vladimir Putin’s annoying provocations. That would be a mistake. The alleged new space weapon should be seen in the broader...