Prosecutions for crimes against female victims in UK dropped amid referral rise

Figures for first three months of pandemic reflect growing court backlog exacerbated by Covid lockdowns and social distancingCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageProsecutions for crimes against women and girls plummeted in the first three months of the coronavirus pandemic,...

Senate judiciary committee approves Amy Coney Barrett as Democrats boycott – live

Committee votes to report the nomination to the full SenateKamala Harris: supreme court nomination a ‘sham’Trump’s Twitter hacked after password guessed: ‘maga2020!’Trump and Biden to have second TV debate in NashvilleSign up for Fight to Vote – our weekly US election newsletter 4.51pm BST...

US retailer Gap set to close all Europe stores and UK warehouse

Company plans to operate in Europe through ‘partnerships’ amid fashion chains crisisCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe American fashion chain Gap is considering closing all its 129 company-owned stores in Europe and a distribution centre in Rugby next year, potentially...

WHO Africa: New rapid tests a ‘game changer’ against COVID

Health officials in Africa say the rollout of rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 could be a “game changer” for their fight against the coronavirus

Puerto Rico closes 911 centers after employees test positive for Covid-19

Rishi Sunak's ex-Goldman Sachs boss emerges as next possible BBC chair

Former Conservative party donor Richard Sharp was appointed as chancellor’s advisor in AprilA former Conservative party donor who was Rishi Sunak’s boss at Goldman Sachs has emerged as a contender for the next chairman of the BBC.Richard Sharp, who in April was appointed as Sunak’s adviser on...

'Covid parties' could become the norm, immunology expert says

Suggestion prompts warning that long-term effects of virus are not yet knownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageParties in which young people try to catch Covid-19 to gain immunity could become the norm if the virus is not eradicated, a Cambridge professor has suggested, prompting...

Joe Biden plans special commission to suggest supreme court reforms

Democrat says court system is ‘getting out of whack’ and says commission would have 180 days to make recommendations Joe Biden has confirmed he would appoint a special commission to study the US court system over 180 days, if he is elected next month, to provide reform recommendations relating to...

Six California firefighters lost their homes while battling the flames. Days later, a CNN Hero provided RVs for them to shelter them

As wildfire tore through Berry Creek, California last month, it destroyed the homes of six of the community's seven volunteer firefighters along with the department's fire station.

‘The enemy’ in the covid ward: Some Israelis oppose treating a Palestinian leader

The presence of Saeb Erekat in a Jerusalem hospital has sparked a debate.

Spanish People's party lashes out at 'revenge' politics of far-right Vox

PP furiously accuses sometime ally of ‘fraudulent motion’ in calling no-confidence voteSpain’s conservative People’s party (PP) has turned on its sometime allies in the far-right Vox party, accusing them of practising a politics based on “fear, anger, resentment and revenge”.The PP’s unexpectedly...

CDC rewrites definition for coronavirus 'close contact'

New definition includes people who come into close contact with infected individuals in multiple short bursts over 24-hour periodThe leading US federal public health agency has rewritten its definition of who is at risk of contracting coronavirus to include people who come into close contact with infected...

2020 Hess holiday truck honors first responders

The first Hess ambulance was designed before the coronavirus pandemic, but the company is using it to salute first responders.

First large-scale US Covid-19 vaccine trial reaches target enrollment of 30,000 participants

Moderna, the first company to start US clinical trials of a Covid-19 vaccine, on Thursday finished enrolling all 30,000 of its participants.

CDC redefines coronavirus 'close contact' to include multiple brief exposures to virus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its definition of "close contact" to an individual infected with the coronavirus on Wednesday to include multiple, brief exposures adding up to over 15 minutes within 24 hours.

Fight to Vote: why early voting history is being made right now

Covid-19 is partly driving people to be more proactive, but there are signs that the turnout signals a swell of civic engagementHello Fight to Vote friends,The election is extremely under way, with a record number of Americans casting their ballot via mail or in-person during early voting hours across...

'We want a Bafta this time': Krept and Konan on TV hit The Rap Game UK

At a time when talent shows feel passé, the BBC Three series has revived the genre for a younger audience. Now its rap star hosts just have to find a star ... “We wanted to win, to be honest. The nomination thing is sick, but we’re not really the nomination dons – we’re the winner dons.”...

Stoke, Slough and Coventry moved into tier 2 Covid measures

Hundreds of thousands more people face tougher restrictions from this weekendCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHundreds of thousands of people in Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Slough are facing tougher Covid-19 restrictions including a band on households mixing socially indoors...

As another wave of the pandemic approaches, the nation's food banks are being hit on three fronts

With Covid-19 cases expected to surge in the colder months, a critical line of defense against hunger hangs in the balance.

One in six children aged 5-16 in England 'likely to have a mental disorder'

Survey published by NHS Digital shows increase of almost half since 2017Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe probable rates of mental disorders among children and young people has increased by almost half since 2017, England’s official survey into child mental health has...