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...

Overblown talk of a scientific rift is a dangerous distraction in the fight against Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe cardinal rule of coronavirus policy is that you must follow “the science”. Or, at the very least, you must say that you are. After the US’s disastrous response to the pandemic, Donald Trump still insists he is “guided by science”....

We don’t know yet how many of the ongoing symptoms could translate to chronic ill health in the future, and that’s worryingAs Covid-19 infection numbers show a welcome downward trend in Melbourne and the city’s residents look forward to some easing of restrictions, it’s time to consider the longer-term health consequences of the pandemic.More than 27,000 Australians – including some...