Captain Kirk’s profound reflection on our home planet was an ironic outcome for a trip that was meant to boost space travelThere’s nothing like a vacation to make you appreciate home.That seemed to be the sentiment behind William Shatner’s words as he returned from a brief journey to space on Wednesday. In remarks filmed after he landed, the actor described having had “the most profound...

Experts warn findings do not prove cholesterol-lowering drugs can reduce death ratesMillions of people who take statins may be less likely to die from Covid, research suggests.The cholesterol-lowering drugs are one of the world’s most popular medications. They can also reduce inflammation in blood vessels, which has prompted questions over whether they could help with outcomes in coronavirus...

Space travel | Books | Duels in filmAmazing though William Shatner’s short journey into near space was, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to call him an astronaut (William Shatner in tears after historic space flight: ‘I’m so filled with emotion, 13 October). You’ll be calling us letter writers journalists next.David Edwards Hulme Stockport, Greater Manchester• As we seem to...

Drug’s potential as Covid treatment, since dispelled, affected availability for people with proven medical needGet our free news app; get our morning email briefingLupus sufferers pleaded for more supplies of hydroxychloroquine two months before the federal government told billionaire Clive Palmer it didn’t want more of the 33m doses he wanted to donate as a potential Covid-19 treatment.One...

‘I’ve never been so scared in my life,’ says Ruth Hamilton after meteorite shower above a western Canadian regionA woman in Canada awoke in shock earlier this week when a rock crashed through the ceiling of her home and landed on her bed, narrowly missing her but spraying grit and other debris on her face, as her dog barked frantically.Police were called and the culprit was initially...

Last week, the World Health Organization approved the world’s first malaria vaccine. It’s been hailed as a historic breakthrough and it could save tens of thousands of lives each year. But researchers have been trying to create one for over a century – so why has it taken so long? Anand Jagatia speaks to Dr Latif Ndeketa and Prof Chris Drakeley about how the new RTS,S vaccine works and why...

The Duke of Cambridge has criticised the space race and space tourism, saying the world’s greatest minds need to focus on fixing the Earth instead. In an interview with Newscast on BBC Sounds before his Earthshot prize awards, Prince William also warned about a rise in ‘climate anxiety’ among younger generations. His comments come the day after William Shatner, 90, made...

Duke of Cambridge says world’s greatest minds need to focus on trying to fix the Earth insteadThe Duke of Cambridge has criticised the space race and space tourism, saying the world’s greatest minds need to focus on trying to fix the Earth instead.Prince William’s comments, in an interview with Newscast on BBC Sounds, will be aired the day after William Shatner made history by becoming the...

Only one in five people sought medical attention but half reported anxiety, depression and sleep lossGet our free news app; get our morning email briefingThe film-maker Shaun Humphreys vividly remembers the miserable summer of the 2019-20 bushfires.His house, in a north Canberra suburb, was far from the burning fires, but the surrounding smoke was thick and stifling. Continue...

Study shows protection against Covid starts to wane several months after full vaccination Scientists have urged eligible people to have Covid booster shots after a major survey in England found evidence of “breakthrough infections” more than three months after full vaccination.Researchers at Imperial College London analysed more than 100,000 swabs from a random sample of the population and...

Austrian Alps salt miners had a ‘balanced diet’, with an analysis of bronze and iron age excrement finding the earliest evidence of cheese ripening in EuropeIt’s no secret that beer and blue cheese go hand in hand – but a new study reveals how deep their roots run in Europe, where workers at a salt mine in Austria were gorging on both up to 2,700 years ago.Scientists made the discovery by...