Britain’s Covid hope, Beirut’s blast lingers, why insects are crucial

Last month we reported on how Britain – trusting in its high vaccination rate to lift Covid restrictions despite surging Delta variant cases – was increasingly seen by the world as a test case for pandemic control. It’s early days and the data is not yet full enough to paint a clear picture, but as cases suddenly began to fall last week, scientists and politicians were asking if the country might have made a significant breakthrough.

Observer science editor Robin McKie examines what is happening, looks at what the coming months might hold and hears cautionary warnings from many experts. Then, for another perspective, Helen Sullivan reports from Australia, faced with many more weeks of tough restrictions as the country seemingly pays a price for its sluggish vaccination programme.