Picture of wild pig made at least 45,500 years ago provides earliest evidence of human settlementArchaeologists have discovered the world’s oldest known cave painting: a life-sized picture of a wild pig that was made at least 45,500 years ago in Indonesia.The finding, described in the journal Science Advances on Wednesday, provides the earliest evidence of human settlement of the region....

The prime minister is getting too comfortable with a pandemic regime that allows him to escape scrutiny and accountabilityEven in the most extreme emergency, the prime minister does not have the power to make law by himself, live on television. The pandemic has sometimes created the impression that something along those lines is happening when Boris Johnson announces new lockdown rules, but his...

Shannon Turner feels the stay at home message is unclear when so many shops remain open, while Eric Thomas says the government must not use the public as a scapegoat for soaring Covid cases. Plus letters from Dr Stephen Battersby and Dr Michael QuigleyPerhaps if there were fewer shops open, the stay at home message might be more effective (Police in England say they won’t enforce masks in...

Project using large beasts to help restore woodland offers unprecedented job opportunityCan you handle a beast as heavy as a small car, that can hurdle high fences from a standing start, and is a peaceful bulldozer for biodiversity?If you’re not intimidated by the weightiest wild land mammal in Europe, you could become Britain’s first ever bison ranger. Continue...

Evidence growing that spacing doses of Pfizer vaccine improves effectivenessCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSecond shots of coronavirus vaccine could be delayed even further amid growing evidence that spacing out the doses improves their effectiveness.The NHS vaccination programme aims to immunise about 14 million people at greatest risk of Covid by mid-February with...

I understand why some pregnant women are nervous about the vaccine. But I looked at the research and feel confident in my decisionI am a pregnant doctor who received the Covid-19 vaccine. Within hours of making my decision public on social media, scathing attacks from anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers ensued.I have been working in the heart of the pandemic as an emergency doctor since Covid hit New...

What data from the first wave suggests about how much longer cases and deaths will continue to riseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK is on course for record hospital admissions and deaths in the coming weeks, as coronavirus cases hit an all-time high following the loosening of restrictions in December and the rapid spread of the new variant.On Monday, the chief...

Scientists say temperatures likely to be increasing faster than at any time in past 2,000 yearsAnalysis: why are ocean warming records being broken year after year?The world’s oceans reached their hottest level in recorded history in 2020, supercharging the extreme weather impacts of the climate emergency, scientists have reported.More than 90% of the heat trapped by carbon emissions is absorbed...

We need a strong sense of self, to feel safe, to be loved. Reading Freud and others in the psychotherapeutic tradition can help, this genial study arguesAn old man with a shaggy white beard and matching hair stands in front of an audience of seekers and flower children. They are looking for ways of amplifying their human potential, of becoming more aware of their sense perceptions. It’s the tail...

Quarantine-free movement by April could still be on the cards, even amid extra caution over new variantCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe New Zealand government is standing by its plan to establish a trans-Tasman travel “bubble” by April, despite community transmission of coronavirus in several Australian states.In mid-December the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern,...