Cancer charity reels from coronavirus has had on fundraising as it cuts sixth of workforceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMacmillan Cancer Support has announced major cuts as it struggles with a coronavirus funding crisis, announcing plans to axe 310 jobs – around a sixth of its workforce – from next month.The charity, which had already furloughed approximately...

Company has had ‘more people than ever’ seeking vaccination after government campaign Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoots has stopped taking bookings from under-65s who want the flu jab after stocks ran low following a record number of requests.The company said “more people than ever” had been booking early to get their flu vaccinations, following a...

Exclusive: Figures show big rise in number of women aged 20 to 40 admitted to hospitalCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageYounger women are “bearing the brunt” of the UK’s second wave of coronavirus infections, according to a fresh analysis of hospital admissions prepared by government science advisers.Hospital records reveal a substantial rise in the number of...

Announcement comes as Covid deaths increased by 27% in Europe week on weekCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe weekly number of new recorded coronavirus infections worldwide was last week at its highest level to date, the World Health Organization has announced, as deaths from Covid-19 in Europe increased by more than a quarter week on week.Almost 1 million people have...

Just as world leaders came together after the second world war at Bretton Woods, now we need to create a new framework for health securityThe scale of the coronavirus crisis is hard to fully comprehend: globally, more than 30 million people have contracted the virus and nearly 1 million have died. The UN estimates that the pandemic will mean $8.5tn in lost output for the world this year and next....

Scientists found weekly ‘awe walks’ led to more positive emotions among study participants - here are some of the nation’s most wondrous locationsShare your awe-inspiring walks with us The Romantics first drew our attention to “awe” in the natural world and now scientists have confirmed its value.Older adults who took weekly “awe walks” reported increased positive emotions and less...

Minister announces ‘shift in emphasis’ in England as coronavirus infections soarCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe public in England will once again be asked to work from home if they can, Michael Gove has said, signalling a U-turn in government advice to combat the spread of coronavirus that he said could help “avert the need for more serious action in the...

Two groups of prominent scientists write open letters with conflicting advice on how to tackle virus Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRival groups of scientists are at loggerheads over how government should handle the Covid pandemic, with one advising that only over-65s and the vulnerable should be shielded, while the other backs nationwide measures.The conflicting...

Simulation using world’s fastest supercomputer casts doubt on effectiveness in preventing spread of coronavirusCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePlastic face shields are almost totally ineffective at trapping respiratory aerosols, according to modelling in Japan, casting doubt on their effectiveness in preventing the spread of coronavirus.A simulation using Fugaku,...

Our responses to coronavirus are not us-and-them, like Brexit. We have fractured into many different groups. From the graph fetishists to the snoops, which one are you?It’s easy to say that Covid has divided us. But this is not a simple us-and-them split like Brexit, however much that percolates through our collective unconscious. We are now all members of ever-shifting tribes. Here are some...

Former real estate mogul was investigated after criticising Xi Jinping over his handling of the coronavirus pandemicChina has sentenced an influential former property executive and critic of President Xi Jinping to 18 years in prison for corruption.Ren Zhiqiang, the former chairman of Huayuan, a state-owned real estate group, was also fined 4.2m yuan, Beijing No. 2 Intermediate Court said on its...

Ketton Quarry, Rutland: Pliny the Elder believed that hawks sprinkled sap from hawkweeds into their eyes. But the plant’s true hawkish behaviour was only recently discoveredOld limestone quarries are fantastic places for nature, and here at Ketton the Wildlife Trust reserve fills the space left by stone extracted in the 1930s. Next door there is light industry, on what would have been the quarry...

Is it possible to define the biological, chemical and physical functions that separate cells, plants and even humans from inanimate objects? In his new book, Paul Nurse, Nobel prize winner and director of the Francis Crick Institute, addresses a question that has long plagued both philosophers and scientists – what does it really mean to be alive? Speaking to Madeleine Finlay, Paul delves into...