Strand of DNA inherited by modern humans is linked to likelihood of falling severely illCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageModern humans and Neanderthals could be forgiven for having other issues on their minds when they interbred in the stone age. But according to researchers, those ancient couplings laid a grim foundation for deaths around the world today.Scientists...

Angela Merkel says ventilation may be one of cheapest and most effective ways of containing virusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageVentilating rooms has been added to the German government’s formula for tackling coronavirus, in refreshing news for the country’s air hygiene experts who have been calling for it to become official for months.The custom is something of...

Campaign scoring countries for global access efforts calls for more British transparency Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK is doing more than most countries to support access to Covid vaccines for the poorest populations in the world, but it is not transparent enough about the deals it is doing at home, according to an international aid organisation launching a...

Nick Forbes says even council enforcement officers do not know how to interpret rulesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK government’s “confusing and contradictory” Covid restrictions for the north-east of England have left space for “dangerous” conspiracy theories to fill the void, the leader of Newcastle city council has warned.Nick Forbes, the city’s...

Local leaders say financial support needed when new restrictions are imposedCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Merseyside economy may collapse and leave a legacy of poverty “for generations to come” without urgent financial support tied to new coronavirus restrictions, according to the region’s political leaders.Steve Rotheram, the metro mayor of the Liverpool...

Trial shows ‘robust’ immune response; warning over global impact of travel collapse; Belgium death toll exceeds 10,000World Bank announces $12bn plan for vaccines for poor countries‘Only time will tell’: Russia places huge bet on Covid vaccineWalt Disney sheds 28,000 jobs at theme parks as pandemic bitesIsrael bans mass protests as Covid lockdown tightensUK coronavirus updates – live...

Policy could be fine-tuned to help different groups, such as young people, whose lives are currently on holdCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDuring a pandemic, the virus and the economy feed back in a continuous circular loop of causality. You don’t need to be a trained economist or epidemiologist to see that.As the virus progresses, consumers respond to the risk to...

Fever, runny nose, headache? Lost your sense of taste or smell? Your guide to differentiating between the three illnessesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWith winter approaching, the UK is entering the traditional seasons for colds and flu, with the additional complication this year that symptoms of those two illnesses can be broadly similar to those experienced by...

Just like every emergency, Covid-19 is racist, ageist, classist and sexist. The world response to the pandemic must reflect thisIn the early days of coronavirus, there was a view that a global pandemic would act as a great equaliser. “A virus doesn’t discriminate,” they said. “We’re all in this together.” It didn’t take long for such a credulous perspective to vanish.Just like every...

Nasa officials stress that the leak on ISS remains small and poses no danger but will send extra air supply on the next deliveryA small air leak at the International Space Station finally has been traced to the Russian side, following a middle-of-the-night search by astronauts.Nasa said on Tuesday that the two Russians and one American on board were awakened late Monday to hurriedly seal hatches...

LSE finds country’s sex-segregated distancing rules may have reproduced inequalities and injustices for trans peopleEach day when Pau González wakes and looks at his phone, he feels as if he is running a call centre. As the founder of the activist group Hombres Trans Panama, he has been inundated by members of the transgender community seeking advice on how to navigate Panama’s sex-segregated...

Race against time to save plants and fungi that underpin life on Earth, global data showsTwo in five of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction as a result of the destruction of the natural world, according to an international report.Plants and fungi underpin life on Earth, but the scientists said they were now in a race against time to find and identify species before they were...

Adalimumab could counter hyper-inflammation seen in severe coronavirus casesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA commonly used arthritis drug is to be trialled with care home residents who have Covid, after it was observed that those taking it for their joint pains were less likely to end up in hospital with the virus.Older people in care homes, who often have some...

Research shows Zambian species with surgically removed eyes change nest-building habits but other behaviours remain intact Near-blind, underground-burrowing, African Ansell’s mole-rats can sense magnetic fields with their eyes, a study has found.Native to Zambia, the animals have eyes that span just 1.5mm in diameter, live in elaborate underground tunnel systems of up to 1.7 miles (2.8km) long...

Initiative aims to ensure low-income countries are not frozen out by rich nationsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe World Bank has announced plans for a $12bn (£9.3bn) initiative that will allow poor countries to purchase Covid-19 vaccines to treat up to 2 billion people as soon as effective drugs become available.In an attempt to ensure that low-income countries...

Only one in five Americans with right-wing outlook said they had a lot of trust in scientistsPeople in the US are more sharply divided along political lines when it comes to science and environmental issues than in other parts of the world, new research shows.Globally, people who see themselves on the left side of politics are more likely to be concerned about the environment than those who see...

Record comes amid large increase in testing; Williamson says students can go home for Christmas – but might have to self-isolate firstBoris Johnson apologises for getting lockdown rules wrongCovid lockdowns in north-east England: new rules explainedIs Boris Johnson really ‘fit as a butcher’s dog’?UK economy faltering before second Covid-19 waveCoronavirus – latest global updates 5.23pm...

My friend Paul McDonald, who has died aged 74, was a physicist and expert in cryogenics whose work advanced a variety of technologies, including satellite tracking, superconducting magnets and cryostat thermometers. He was also a keen supporter of Cruisewatch, the protest group that tracked cruise missile convoys at Greenham Common, Berkshire, in the 1980s.Born in Salford, Paul was the eldest son...

Many nations lack access to affordable testing. Now 120m antigen tests will help tackle this dangerous inequalityCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe principles of managing infectious disease outbreaks, whether of measles, tuberculosis or Covid-19, are similar. You identify who has been infected by testing for the disease, discover where they acquired the infection and...

PM says young people need new skills to compete as Covid-19 has accelerated changes in economy Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has promised to end the “pointless, nonsensical gulf” between university and vocational education, in what he called a “radical” shakeup of funding for post-18 education.Giving an upbeat speech at Exeter college, Johnson...

Stricter measures will come into force in areas of the region from midnight on WednesdayLockdown tightened in north-east EnglandCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA swathe of north-east England has been put under enhanced lockdown measures by the government. Continue...

From Rosie the Robot in the 1960s animated sitcom The Jetsons to Siri and Alexa today, technologies that perform the roles of housekeeper and secretary are often presented as female. What does the gendering of these machines say about our expectations of who should be doing this kind of work? In the first of two episodes exploring the world of fembots and female AI assistants, the Guardian’s UK...

Wages should rise to make jobs more attractive to UK staff, say government advisersThe end of freedom of movement after Brexit will increase pressure on the social care sector in the midst of a pandemic unless ministers make jobs more attractive to UK workers by increasing salaries, government advisers have said.The migration advisory committee (Mac) warned of the “stark consequences” of low...

More than 170 teams of researchers are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine. Here is their progressResearchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Continue...