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Boko Haram/ISWAP: Nigerian military arrests 28 local, foreign spies

The Nigerian military has arrested 28 suspected spies leaking operational secrets to the Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists. The suspects, both local and foreign nationals are currently under investigation. The arrest followed attacks this week by ISWAP on the military post in Diffa, Niger Republic, located along a border […]

Boko Haram/ISWAP: Nigerian military arrests 28 local, foreign spies




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Fatal crash: Police release name after Napier tragedy

Police have released the name of the man who died following a crash on State Highway 51, Napier, on Thursday.He was David Allan Trousdell, 37, of Napier.It's understood Mr Trousdell's car collided with a truck at Te Awa. The crash...




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‘Breasts and Eggs’: Not just some elevated piece of literary chick-lit

“Breasts and Eggs” emerges as a triumph of storytelling that champions the power of storge (Greek for familial love) — between sisters, between father and ...




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Disha Patani's dance routines and pets keep her occupied at home during lockdown

Disha Patani opened up about how her filming schedule and professional life has come to a halt




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Megan Fox was fired by Steven Spielberg from 'Transformers' after she insulted the director

Michael Bay clarified that it wasn’t his decision to lay off Megan Fox




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50 Labour MPs oppose Starmer's new stance on occupied Kashmir

LONDON: Fifty Labour Party parliamentarians have told the new Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, that his recent statement on Indian-occupied Kashmir after a meeting with the Labour Friends of India is unacceptable, illegal, and historically wrong and he must clarify his position or face open...




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It’s time to stand up for happier workplaces. Here’s how. -- by Haidy Ear-Dupuy

A landmark international agreement designed to eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace has been passed. Now comes the hard part.




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Kim Jong-un Did Not Have Heart Treatment, Say Spies

The National Intelligence Service here said Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not have any heart treatment as widely rumored before he resurfaced last week.In a closed-door briefing to lawmakers, the NIS said Kim is believed to have conducted state affairs even when he was out of th...




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Clashes continue to rock occupied Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Anti-India protests and clashes continued for a third day in occupied Kashmir on Friday, following the killing of a top resistance leader by Indian forces.

Kashmiri leader Riyaz Naikoo and his aide were killed in a gunfight with Indian troops on Wednesday in the southern Awantipora area, leading to massive clashes at several places.

The clashes continued on Friday as anti-India protesters threw stones at government forces, who fired shotgun pellets and tear gas to quell the spiralling protests.

At least one man was killed and 50 others were injured in the three days of clashes, residents and medics said. Most of the injured were treated locally.

However, at least a dozen people with bullet and pellet injuries were taken to a hospital in Srinagar for treatment, a doctor said on condition of anonymity. She said most of the injured had been hit by pellets in one or both eyes.

Residents said Indian troops swooped into the Kashmiri leader’s native village on Thursday, and accused them of vandalising a tent which villagers had set up for mourning his death, triggering large protests and clashes in the area.

Authorities did not hand over the bodies of the two slain fighters to their families under a new Indian policy designed to thwart large-scale funerals. Instead, police buried the bodies in a mountainous graveyard about 100 kilometres from the village.

Authorities have shut down mobile phone and internet services since Wednesday, a common Indian tactic in the disputed region when such protests erupt. They also imposed a near total information blackout and refused to brief media about the situation.

India imposed similar measures in 2019 when it revoked the disputed region’s semi-autonomous status and statehood and imposed direct federal rule.

Indian security officials and some members of the ruling party called Naikoo’s killing a victory against the Kashmiri fighters. Naikoo, 35, was the chief of operations of the region’s largest indigenous armed group, Hizbul Mujahideen, which has spearheaded a rebellion against Indian rule.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2020




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Pies fly in Russia with pizza delivering drones

A pizza chain in northern Russia begins to deliver pizza by Russian-made drones. Elly Park reports.




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Weird rocks in Australia are a missing piece of the Grand Canyon

Some rocks in Tasmania, Australia, look out of place. Now an analysis suggests they were once part of the rocks that form the Grand Canyon in the US




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Oldest ever piece of string was made by Neanderthals 50,000 years ago

A piece of string found in a cave in France is the oldest ever discovered and shows that Neanderthals knew how to twist fibres together to make cords




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Banksy's 'Girl with a Pierced Eardrum' gains a coronavirus face mask

Banksy's "Girl with a Pierced Eardrum" has been updated for the coronavirus era with the addition of a blue surgical face mask.




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Happiest States Have Most Suicides

Title: Happiest States Have Most Suicides
Category: Health News
Created: 4/23/2011 11:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/25/2011 12:00:00 AM




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Allergies: As American as Apple Pie?

Title: Allergies: As American as Apple Pie?
Category: Health News
Created: 4/29/2013 4:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM




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Genomics, Morphoproteomics, and Treatment Patterns of Patients with Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma and Response to Multiple Experimental Therapies

Overexpression of transcription factor 3 in alveolar soft part sarcoma(ASPS) results in upregulation of cell proliferation pathways. No standard treatment algorithm exists for ASPS; multikinase inhibitors[tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)] and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have shown clinical benefit. To date, no studies have reported on management strategies or sequencing of therapy. We evaluated ASPS treatment patterns and responses in an experimental therapeutics clinic. Genomic and morphoproteomic analysis was performed to further elucidate novel targets. We retrospectively reviewed patients with ASPS treated on clinical trials. Demographic and clinical next-generation sequencing (NGS) profiles were collected. AACR GENIE database was queried to further evaluate aberrations in ASPS. Morphoproteomic analysis was carried out to better define the biology of ASPS with integration of genomic and proteomic findings. Eleven patients with ASPS were identified; 7 received NGS testing and mutations in CDKN2A (n = 1) and hepatocyte growth factor (n = 1) were present. Ten patients were treated with TKIs with stable disease as best response and 4 patients with ICI (three partial responses). Within GENIE, 20 patients were identified harboring 3 called pathogenic mutations. Tumor mutation burden was low in all samples. Morphoproteomic analysis confirmed the expression of phosphorylated c-Met. In addition, fatty acid synthase and phosphorylated-STAT3 were detected in tumor cell cytoplasm and nuclei. Patients with ASPS have a quiescent genome and derive clinical benefit from VEGF-targeting TKIs. Morphoproteomic analysis has provided both additional correlative pathways and angiogenic mechanisms that are targetable for patients with ASPS. Our study suggests that sequential therapy with TKIs and immune checkpoint inhibitors is a reasonable management strategy.




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Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as Organ Transplantation Recipients

The demand for transplantable solid organs far exceeds the supply of deceased donor organs. Patient selection criteria are determined by individual transplant programs; given the scarcity of solid organs for transplant, allocation to those most likely to benefit takes into consideration both medical and psychosocial factors. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities have historically been excluded as potential recipients of organ transplants. When a transplant is likely to provide significant health benefits, denying a transplant to otherwise eligible children with disabilities may constitute illegal and unjustified discrimination. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities should not be excluded from the potential pool of recipients and should be referred for evaluation as recipients of solid organ transplants.




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Seismic imaging of melanges; Pieniny Klippen Belt case study

The authors present results of the first high-resolution deep seismic reflection survey in the Pieniny Klippen Belt (PKB) in Poland. This survey sheds new light on the matter of olistostromes and the mélange character of the PKB. The sedimentary mass-transport deposits represented by olistoliths and olistostromes manifest themselves by different petrophysical parameters of rocks (velocity, density and resistivity) and seismic attributes. Seismic attributes are very effective in the interpretation of the geology of complex mélanges. The authors used selected attributes: low-pass filter, energy, energy gradient, dip-steered median filter, Prewitt filter, Laplacian edge enhancing filter and square root of the energy gradient. These attributes emphasize changes of the seismic image inside mélange zones. The distinguished olistoliths are now inside imbricated thrust structures and they are tectonically rearranged. Polygenetic mélanges in the PKB originated as a result of sedimentary and tectonic processes. The PKB in the investigated area forms several north-vergent thrust sheets belonging to the Złatne and Hulina nappes. Both nappes contain large chaotic, non-reflective olistoliths as well as the smaller mainly high-reflective olistoliths. Olistoliths are arranged parallel to the flysch layering and thrusts. The results presented confirm the postulated two olistostrome belts within the PKB structure.

Thematic collection: This article is part of the Polygenetic mélanges collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/polygenetic-melanges




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Guillain-Barre syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy after alemtuzumab therapy in kidney transplant recipients

Alemtuzumab is approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting MS and is used off-label for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and as induction and antirejection therapy in kidney transplant recipients.1 Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) complicating alemtuzumab treatment was reported in 9 patients with hematologic malignancy or MS.1–3 The risk of GBS or CIDP in solid organ transplant recipients treated with alemtuzumab is unknown.




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More than Smoke and Patches: The Quest for Pharmacotherapies to Treat Tobacco Use Disorder [Review Articles]

Tobacco use is a persistent public health issue. It kills up to half its users and is the cause of nearly 90% of all lung cancers. The main psychoactive component of tobacco is nicotine, primarily responsible for its abuse-related effects. Accordingly, most pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), nicotine’s major site of action in the brain. The goal of the current review is twofold: first, to provide a brief overview of the most commonly used behavioral procedures for evaluating smoking cessation pharmacotherapies and an introduction to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of nicotine important for consideration in the development of new pharmacotherapies; and second, to discuss current and potential future pharmacological interventions aimed at decreasing tobacco use. Attention will focus on the potential for allosteric modulators of nAChRs to offer an improvement over currently approved pharmacotherapies. Additionally, given increasing public concern for the potential health consequences of using electronic nicotine delivery systems, which allow users to inhale aerosolized solutions as an alternative to smoking tobacco, an effort will be made throughout this review to address the implications of this relatively new form of nicotine delivery, specifically as it relates to smoking cessation.

Significance Statement

Despite decades of research that have vastly improved our understanding of nicotine and its effects on the body, only a handful of pharmacotherapies have been successfully developed for use in smoking cessation. Thus, investigation of alternative pharmacological strategies for treating tobacco use disorder remains active; allosteric modulators of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors represent one class of compounds currently under development for this purpose.




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Managing Excipient Supplier Name and Address Changes in the Pharmaceutical Quality System

It is important to identify, assess, and address current barriers to implementation of post-approval changes that are intended to ensure continued (uninterrupted) operations and drive innovation and continual improvement in a maximally efficient, agile, and flexible pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. Leveraging the International Conference for Harmonisation Quality Guideline Q10 provides regulatory relief when it comes to addressing changes related to excipients, specifically excipient supplier's name and address changes, which will ensure a sustainable, reliable global supply and the availability of high quality product to patients through the entire commercial lifecycle of a product without extensive regulatory oversight.




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Risk Assessment Approach to Microbiological Controls of Cell Therapies

This technology review, written by a small group of pharmaceutical microbiologists experienced in cell therapies, discussed a risk-based approach to microbiological contamination detection and control during gene and cell therapy production. Topics discussed include a brief overview of cell therapies, a risk analysis related to donor selection, cell collection and infectious agent testing, cell transformation and expansion, packaging, storage, and administration, and cell therapy microbial contamination testing and release.




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Proportion of female recipients of resident-selected awards across Canada from 2000 to 2018: a retrospective observational study

Background:

Female physicians have been shown to receive fewer awards from medical societies than their male colleagues. We examined the sex distribution of recipients of Canadian residency association awards.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective observational study of the sex of staff and resident physician recipients of resident-selected awards from provincial and national residency associations using data from 2000–2018. We classified awards into professionalism, advocacy and wellness awards, and education and teaching awards based on award names and descriptions, and compared the proportion of male and female recipients in these categories.

Results:

We identified 314 recipients of staff physician awards and 129 recipients of resident physician awards. Male staff and resident physicians had higher odds of receiving awards than their female counterparts (odds ratio [OR] 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–1.89 and OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.18–2.46, respectively). There was a reduction in the odds of male residents’ receiving an award over the study period (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.90–0.98). Male physicians had higher odds of receiving education and teaching awards than female physicians as staff but not as residents (OR 3.21, 95% CI 1.72–5.95 and OR 1.96, 95% CI 0.84–4.60, respectively).

Interpretation:

Male staff and resident physicians in Canada had higher odds of receiving awards from provincial and national residency associations between 2000 and 2018 than their female counterparts. Given this disparity, it would be prudent for organizations that distribute awards to physicians, residents and medical students to examine their nomination criteria and processes for potential bias.




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Intrathecal Antibacterial and Antifungal Therapies [Reviews]

Intrathecal administration of anti-infectives is indicated in central nervous system infections by multiresistant pathogens when drugs that can reach adequate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations by systemic therapy are not available. Antibiotics that readily pass the blood-brain and blood-CSF barriers and/or that have low toxicity allowing an increase in the daily dosage should not be used for intrathecal therapy. Intrathecal therapy is accompanied by systemic treatment. Antibacterials indispensable for intrathecal therapy include aminoglycosides, colistin, daptomycin, tigecycline, and vancomycin. Limited experience suggests the utility of the antifungals amphotericin B and caspofungin. Intraventricular administration ensures distribution throughout the CSF compartment, whereas intralumbar dosing often fails to attain adequate antibiotic concentrations in the ventricles. The individual dose is determined by the estimated size of the CSF space and by the estimated clearance from CSF. For moderately lipophilic anti-infectives with a molecular weight above approximately 1,000 g/mol, as well as for hydrophilic drugs with a molecular weight above approximately 400 g/mol, one daily dose is normally adequate. The ventricular drain should be clamped for 15 to 120 min to facilitate the distribution of the anti-infective in the CSF space. Therapeutic drug monitoring of the trough levels is necessary only in cases of therapeutic failure.




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Identification of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Sensitive to Systemic Cancer Therapies Using Radiomics

Purpose:

Using standard-of-care CT images obtained from patients with a diagnosis of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we defined radiomics signatures predicting the sensitivity of tumors to nivolumab, docetaxel, and gefitinib.

Experimental Design:

Data were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively across multicenter clinical trials [nivolumab, n = 92, CheckMate017 (NCT01642004), CheckMate063 (NCT01721759); docetaxel, n = 50, CheckMate017; gefitinib, n = 46, (NCT00588445)]. Patients were randomized to training or validation cohorts using either a 4:1 ratio (nivolumab: 72T:20V) or a 2:1 ratio (docetaxel: 32T:18V; gefitinib: 31T:15V) to ensure an adequate sample size in the validation set. Radiomics signatures were derived from quantitative analysis of early tumor changes from baseline to first on-treatment assessment. For each patient, 1,160 radiomics features were extracted from the largest measurable lung lesion. Tumors were classified as treatment sensitive or insensitive; reference standard was median progression-free survival (NCT01642004, NCT01721759) or surgery (NCT00588445). Machine learning was implemented to select up to four features to develop a radiomics signature in the training datasets and applied to each patient in the validation datasets to classify treatment sensitivity.

Results:

The radiomics signatures predicted treatment sensitivity in the validation dataset of each study group with AUC (95 confidence interval): nivolumab, 0.77 (0.55–1.00); docetaxel, 0.67 (0.37–0.96); and gefitinib, 0.82 (0.53–0.97). Using serial radiographic measurements, the magnitude of exponential increase in signature features deciphering tumor volume, invasion of tumor boundaries, or tumor spatial heterogeneity was associated with shorter overall survival.

Conclusions:

Radiomics signatures predicted tumor sensitivity to treatment in patients with NSCLC, offering an approach that could enhance clinical decision-making to continue systemic therapies and forecast overall survival.




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Multiple Copies of blaNDM-5 Located on Conjugative Megaplasmids from Porcine Escherichia coli Sequence Type 218 Isolates [Letters]




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Systemic Immune Response and Cancer Risk: Filling the Missing Piece of Immuno-Oncology

While immuno-oncology has made significant advances in activating local tumor immune responses, leading to improved outcomes, the role of systemic immunity in cancer incidence remains poorly understood. Le Cornet and colleagues prospectively studied circulating immune cells quantified by DNA methylation markers in relation to incidence of breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer among initially healthy individuals. A positive association with cancer risk was observed for higher FOXP3+ T-cell–mediated immune tolerance and lower CD8+ T-cell–mediated cytotoxicity. Further studies of systemic immunity in cancer development are crucial to identify novel prediction markers and interventional targets for cancer immunoprevention.See related article by Le Cornet et al., p. 1885




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Ironbark: Did two spies really prevent all-out nuclear war?

Ironbark is one of 2020’s anticipated movies. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the MI6 handler of a Russian spy who may have helped prevent nuclear war




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Spies to use Twitter as crystal ball

US intelligence agency aims to forecast unrest by reading the runes of social media.




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RPGCast – Episode 411: “Pokémon Photocopier”

This week we’re old and complainy. Chris is down on the Switch. Then he’s down on FFXI’s endgame loot. Then he’s down on Pokémon’s postgame....





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Astronomer Files Trademark Lawsuit Against American Girl, Alleging Astronaut Doll Copies Her Likeness

Lucianne Walkowicz says the American Girl doll 'Luciana Vega' stole her name and likeness




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Piers Morgan savages Boris Johnson over coronavirus leaks - 'how many lives will it cost?'



PIERS MORGAN launched another blistering attack on Boris Johnson, accusing the prime minister of encouraging the public to break the lockdown through "absurdly reckless" leaks to the media.




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Piers Morgan slams minister Helen Whately for 'laughing' in heated debate about care home death toll

Follow our live coronavirus updates here Coronavirus: the symptoms




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Piers Morgan donates £10,000 to war veteran, 99, walking to fundraise for NHS during coronavirus pandemic

Follow our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: the symptoms




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Piers Morgan tears into Oliver Dowden in heated GMB interview as he accuses Government of 'sending people out to get infected'

Piers Morgan has accused the Government of "actively sending people out to get infected" at the start of the coronavirus outbreak during a heated interview with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.




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MI5 chief: Medically trained spies have switched to coronavirus fight

Spies with medical qualifications have been switched from fighting terrorism to join the national fight against coronavirus, the head of MI5 revealed today.




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Banksy's Girl with a Pierced Eardrum given face mask in nod to coronavirus pandemic

A Banksy mural in Bristol has been given a face mask in a coronavirus-themed makeover.




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Piers Morgan accuses Government of 'spectacular failure' over testing rates as he quizzes Helen Whately on GMB

Piers Morgan today hit out at the Government's "spectacular failure" for doing fewer coronavirus tests than 12 days ago.




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Burberry donates more than 100,000 pieces of PPE after transforming Yorkshire trench coat factory

Burberry said it has donated more than 100,000 pieces of PPE in line with its commitments to support relief efforts during the global health emergency.




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Piers Morgan takes Government to task over VAT charges on PPE for care homes during coronavirus crisis

Read our live updates on coronavirus HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms




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Piers Morgan slams minister Victoria Atkins and calls PPE crisis a 'national disgrace' in heated exchange

Piers Morgan slammed a Home Office minister and accused her of laughing as he branded PPE shortages a "national disgrace" in a furious exchange on Good Morning Britain.




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Boris Johnson thanks NHS for 'happier' hospital visit after birth of first son with Carrie Symonds

Boris Johnson has thanked the NHS for saving his life and delivering his new son into the world just one day ago.




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US spies say Covid-19 not man-made but do not rule out Chinese lab accident

Coronavirus was "not man-made or genetically modified," US intelligence agencies have said.




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Piers Morgan forced to step back from Good Morning Britain after developing 'mild' coronavirus symptom

Piers Morgan has said he will temporarily step back from presenting ITV's Good Morning Britain after developing a "mild" coronavirus symptom.





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Comet Atlas: Nasa shares new images of 'doomed' space object as it breaks into pieces

Nasa and the European Space Agency have shared new images of Comet Atlas as it flies towards Earth.





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Stream 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on VE Day to raise money for the NHS

Celebrate VE Day with Mike Newell's 2018 WW2 film.




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Lowe: Five NBA things I like and don't like, including Michael Jordan's 63-point masterpiece

Let's spotlight a new appreciation for Jordan's greatness, the art of rebounding and the Trae Young-John Collins duo.