British mobile network providers have been forced to debunk 'baseless' theories circulating online that 5G masts are linked to coronavirus after several were set on fire. MobileUK, the trade organisation representing Three, O2, EE and Vodafone, added it was concerning the pandemic was being used to further such untruths and said some of the industry's key workers are being abused over the unfounded 5G myths. It comes after videos emerged online of phone masts ablaze, including one in Birmingham and one in Coventry. Shocking footage posted to Facebook captured the moment the 70ft (21m) masts erupted in flames, with firefighters…

Around the world, coronavirus lockdowns have driven professional and social life out of the physical world and into the virtual realm. Though self-isolation means no longer seeing friends and colleagues in person, it has opened a sudden and alarming window on their private, domestic selves. Many readers, videoconferencing for hours every day, will find themselves unexpectedly familiar with other people’s kitchen layouts, wall decorations and interior design—depending, that is, on how they position their devices. (Never have so many ceilings been broadcast to so many for so long.) For those unused to working from home, the sudden disappearance of boundaries…

The world's biggest pharmaceutical company is confident it has a COVID-19 vaccine and has told reporters it wants to make it available on a not-for-profit basis. Johnson & Johnson says it hopes to begin human trials of the vaccine in September, which could mean mass production by early next year. It is a significant development for a world struggling to deal with the virus, which has infected more than 800,000 people, killing almost 40,000, according to figures compiled by US university Johns Hopkins. Johnson & Johnson's chief scientific officer, Mr Paul Stoffels, who is also a medical doctor told Sky's…

A simple blood test can check for more than 50 types of cancer, often before any signs or symptoms, scientists say. It could help diagnose tumours sooner, when they are easier to treat and, ideally, cure, experts hope. More than 99% of positive results are accurate, the team says, but it will be crucial to check it does not miss cases and provide false assurance. Doctors are using it in trials with patients but more studies are needed, they say in Annals of Oncology. Trial data suggests it is better at detecting more advanced disease rather than the beginnings of…