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Column: A century later, meatpacking plants still resemble Upton Sinclair's depiction in 'The Jungle'

Workers crammed virtually shoulder-to-shoulder to tend production lines moving at inexorable speeds, high rates of disease and injury, low pay and unforgiving rules on time off or meal and bathroom breaks. Descriptions of today's meatpacking industry sound lifted from Upton Sinclair.




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Flair Fashionary

We’re back! Hope you’re as excited as we are to do some learning! Let’s ease into things though, no one wants to learn about hems every week. So this week we’re gonna look at collection based words that describe how fashion is compiled! Dweek! Say...




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Michelle Sinclair GP - surgery buildings are not up to scratch

Michelle Sinclar, a GP in Hampshire who is concerned that GP premises aren't fit for purpose and limit her ability to provide fully rounded patient care. BMJ Voices is a collection of readers’ experiences of working in the NHS. For this, The BMJ is seeking short audio submissions from UK listeners. These submissions will be published on...




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Northrop Grumman awarded $123.5M to integrate Navy LAIRCM system

Northrop Grumman received a $123.5 million contract modification Friday to integrate the Department of Navy Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system onto aircraft for the U.S. military and two allied governments.




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A library miscellany / Claire Cock-Starkey.

Libraries.




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The big heat : Earth on the brink / Jeffrey St. Clair & Joshua Frank.

Climatic changes.




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The golden thread : how fabric changed history / Kassia St. Clair.

Textile fabrics.




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Des pressions centripetes (Epreuve de Gelle) etude de semeiologie auriculaire / par Le Docteur Georges Gelle.

Paris : Société d’éditions scientifiques, 1895.




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Du traitement des maladies du coeur par la méthode des Drs Schott, de Nauheim / par le docteur Moeller, médecin praticien à Bruxelles, membre titulaire de l'Académie royale de médecine de Belgique, etc / par la methode des drs

Bruxelles : A. Manceaux, 1893.




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Dystrophie papillaire et pigmentaire ou acanthosis nigricans : ses relations avec la carcinose abdominale / par Paul Couillaud.

Paris : Georges Carre, 1896.




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Essai sur l'appendiculite et la péritonite appendiculaire / par Émile Maurin.

Paris : G. Steinheil, 1890.




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george bush and tony blair- gay bar       [2m20s]


geaorge bush and tony blair sing gay bar (originally by electric 6)




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With extra year, Christine Sinclair aiming to change colour of Canada's Olympic medals

In isolation with dog Charlie, Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair recalls "dream come true" of 2012 Olympic bronze and "heartbreak" of repeat in Rio in an interview with CBC Sports.




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Behrend virtual cabaret: Claire Nicholson




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Governor Carney’s Statement on Senate Confirmation of Claire DeMatteis

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney on Wednesday issued the following statement on the Senate’s vote to confirm the Governor’s nomination of Claire DeMatteis to serve as the next Commissioner of the Delaware Department of Correction: “Thank you to the members of the Delaware Senate for confirming Claire DeMatteis as Commissioner of the Department of […]



  • Department of Correction
  • Governor John Carney
  • Office of the Governor

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Former PM Blair says Britain is a mess

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that Britain was in a mess, warning that neither his own Labour Party nor the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, deserved to win a Dec. 12 election.




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Tories and Labour 'peddling fantasies', says Blair

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair argued that the two major UK parties, Conservative and Labour, are 'peddling fantasies' ahead of the upcoming election.




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'No-deal Brexit not off the table' warns Blair

Former British Primer Minister Tony Blair cast doubt on that timetable for Brexit negotiations and said there was still a risk that Britain could exit the EU in a year's time without having struck a deal with its biggest trading partner.




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Britain must rebuild 'sensible politics' says Blair

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair called on the UK to 'rebuild sensible mainstream politics' in the future.




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'Revolutions always end badly' says Blair

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said his party was now controlled by its "Marxist-Leninist wing" and that its leader Jeremy Corbyn was promising a revolution, but warned 'revolutions always end badly'.




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Don't hold breath for UK-U.S. trade deal - Blair

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday that a UK-U.S. trade deal would be very difficult to agree, saying protectionist sentiment worldwide was making trade agreements harder to negotiate.




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Reuters Newsmaker: Tony Blair

Tony Blair Reuters Newsmaker event on 'The challenging state of British politics’.




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Drive-in Bavarian festival provides Oktoberfest flair

Not to be beaten by the virus, Landshut pub-owner Patrick Schmidt took his tent, rolled up the sides and condensed the annual Bavarian 'Dult' experience, where locals feast and drink on local specialities to their heart's content, into a drive-through culinary delight.




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Drive-in Bavarian festival provides Oktoberfest flair

Not to be beaten by the virus, Landshut pub-owner Patrick Schmidt took his tent, rolled up the sides and condensed the annual Bavarian 'Dult' experience, where locals feast and drink on local specialities to their heart's content, into a drive-through culinary delight.




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omalizumab (Xolair)

Title: omalizumab (Xolair)
Category: Medications
Created: 5/27/2004 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 11/15/2019 12:00:00 AM




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Allergy Med Singulair to Get 'Black Box' Warning Over Psych Side Effects: FDA

Title: Allergy Med Singulair to Get 'Black Box' Warning Over Psych Side Effects: FDA
Category: Health News
Created: 3/4/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/5/2020 12:00:00 AM




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Comparison of Enhancement of the Vestibular Perilymph between Variable and Constant Flip Angle-Delayed 3D-FLAIR Sequences in Meniere Disease [HEAD & NECK]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Endolymphatic hydrops in patients with Menière disease relies on delayed postcontrast 3D-FLAIR sequences. The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of perilymphatic enhancement and the detection rate of endolymphatic hydrops using constant and variable flip angles sequences.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This was a retrospective study performed in 16 patients with Menière disease who underwent 3T MR imaging 4 hours after gadolinium injection using two 3D-FLAIR sequences with a constant flip angle at 140° for the first and a heavily-T2 variable flip angle for the second. The signal intensity ratio was measured using the ROI method. We graded endolymphatic hydrops and evaluated the cochlear blood-labyrinth barrier impairment.

RESULTS:

Both for symptomatic and asymptomatic ears, the median signal intensity ratio was significantly higher with the constant flip angle than with the heavily-T2 variable flip angle (7.16 versus 1.54 and 7.00 versus 1.45, P < .001). Cochlear blood-labyrinth barrier impairment was observed in 4/18 symptomatic ears with the heavily-T2 variable flip angle versus 8/19 with constant flip angle sequences. With heavily-T2 variable flip angle sequences, endolymphatic hydrops was observed in 7–10/19 symptomatic ears versus 12/19 ears with constant flip angle sequences. We found a significant association between the clinical symptomatology and the presence of endolymphatic hydrops with constant flip angle but not with heavily-T2 variable flip angle sequences. Interreader agreement was always perfect with constant flip angle sequences while it was fair-to-moderate with heavily-T2 variable flip angle sequences.

CONCLUSIONS:

3D-FLAIR constant flip angle sequences provide a higher signal intensity ratio and are superior to heavily-T2 variable flip angle sequences in reliably evaluating the cochlear blood-labyrinth barrier impairment and the endolymphatic space.




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UK government must set out detailed lockdown exit strategy, Tony Blair think tank warns

Brits will be left in the lurch unless ministers set out a clear path for lifting the Covid-19 lockdown, a former prime minister's think tank said.




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Selma Blair reveals she cried with relief at MS diagnosis after being &#39;not taken seriously&#39; by doctors

The 46-year-old actress is now revealing the agony she went through before receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) last August."Ever since my son was born, I was in an MS flare-up and didn't know, and I was giving it everything to seem normal," Blair told Robin Roberts in an interview that aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America." "And I was self-medicating when he wasn't with me. Blair recalled that she would get so fatigued prior to her diagnosis that she would need to pull over to take a nap after dropping her son, now 7, off at his school one mile away from their home. During her interview with "GMA" at her Los Angeles home, Blair was in an "exacerbation" of MS, or an attack that causes new symptoms or the worsening of existing symptoms.





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Leonard French’s flair remembered

LEONARD French, the Australian artist who designed the stained glass ceiling for the National Gallery of Victoria’s Great Hall, has died aged 88.




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Tours cellulaires incendiées: un chanteur passera le week-end en prison

Il aurait incendié des tours de télécom avec sa blonde.




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Un laboratoire de santé mentale en milieu scolaire

Pour répondre aux inquiétudes liées au retour en classe imminent, la fondation Jasmin Roy a créé un groupe de 20 spécialistes.




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Firearms group launches charter challenge of weapons ban as Blair clarifies rules for shotguns

A firearms rights group is launching a constitutional challenge of the government's ban on 'assault-style' weapons, saying the regulatory change threatens a fundamental charter right.




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Le coronavirus attaque le système cardiovasculaire

Des observations indiquent qu’une forte proportion des patients touchés par la COVID-19 présentent des atteintes au cœur et aux vaisseaux sanguins.




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FCC slaps Sinclair Broadcast with a record $48-million fine for 'unacceptable' conduct

The Maryland-based TV station owner's tactics in an aborted takeover of Tribune Media drew FCC scrutiny.




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Justice Department Signs Agreement with St. Clair County, Illinois, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Department announced an agreement with St. Clair County, Ill., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Sinclair Oil to Pay $3.8 Million Penalty and Install Pollution Controls at Wyoming Refineries to Resolve Violations of 2008 Consent Decree

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a settlement with two subsidiaries of Sinclair Oil Corporation to resolve alleged violations of air pollution limits established in a 2008 consent decree at refineries in Casper and Sinclair, Wyo.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Blair County, Pa., Over Polling Place Access for Voters with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced a settlement under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Blair County, Pa., to greatly improve physical accessibility at the county’s polling places for individuals who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids and for individuals who are blind or have vision impairments.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Require Divestiture from Sinclair Broadcast Group in Order to Proceed with Its Acquisition of Perpetual Corp.

The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Sinclair Broadcast Group and Perpetual Corp. to divest their interests in WHTM-TV, an ABC affiliate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in order to proceed with Sinclair’s proposed $963 million acquisition of Perpetual



  • OPA Press Releases

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France’s and Italy’s New ‘Tony Blairs’: Third Way or No Way?


Thanks in large part to his decision to participate in the war in Iraq, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is a controversial figure in Europe. Yet, Blair’s legacy as a center-left reformer is alive and well in two of Europe’s ruling center-left forces, France’s Socialist Party (PS) and Italy’s Democratic Party (PD).

Both Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi from the PD and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls of the PS bear strong similarities to the former leader of Britain’s “New” Labour Party. As Blair was when he took office, they are young–Valls is 52 and Renzi is just 39; they are centrists; and they have excellent communication skills that allow them to present themselves as harbingers of change.

Taking a Page Out of Prime Minister Blair’s Book

Renzi and Valls will have to take three pages out of Blair’s book if they want to replicate his electoral achievements: 

  1. They must wrest control of their parties from the old guard; 
  2. They must take control of the political agenda by giving it a centrist thrust (along the lines of Blair’s ‘Third Way’ between conservatism and social democracy); 
  3. They must take control of the political center, even at the cost of shedding votes on the left.  

Renzi is far ahead of Valls in all three respects. He has taken over the PD (via an open primary election which he won resoundingly) after a bitter fight against the party’s old guard. Since taking office in early 2014, he has shown a remarkable ability to dictate the terms of the political debate. While he became prime minister via an inner party coup rather than a general election, he sailed triumphantly through his first electoral test: the European Parliament elections of May 2014. The PD won a larger share of the votes than any other Italian party since the 1950s (41 percent), tapping into constituencies such as entrepreneurs and businessmen who all have a long tradition of contempt for the left.

However, none of Renzi’s achievements rest on firm ground. The main reason is Italy’s appalling financial predicament. The economy has performed abysmally since the 2008 to 2009 recession. Unemployment is over 12 percent, the labor market is overly protective of certain categories and overly unfair to others (particularly the young), the public sector is costly and ineffective and the judicial system byzantine and not entirely reliable. Renzi continues to face harsh criticisms from within his party as his reform agenda flies in the face of traditionally left-leaning constituencies (a few weeks ago the main leftist trade union managed to get about a million people to the streets in protest against a labor market reform bill). Finally, Renzi’s room for maneuver is severely constrained by the tight fiscal rules imposed by the European Union (EU).

For Valls, the path to leadership is a more complicated matter. This is largely due to France’s constitutional set-up, in which the prime minister runs domestic policies but is second in authority to the president. This involves for Valls a variation from Blair’s three-step process—as prime minister, his most urgent priority is not leading the PS but pushing forward a political agenda capable of winning over the political center. He was appointed to the premiership by the current president, the socialist François Hollande, because his previous stint as a tough-talking interior minister and his profile as a business-friendly politician and skillful local manager made him fairly popular with the public. Hollande’s decision was a desperate attempt to revive his own popularity, which has plummeted to unprecedented lows only half-way into his 5-year term, by imparting a new, essentially more pro-market direction to his presidency. Since he stepped in, Valls has tried to change the political agenda by advocating reduced labor costs and lower taxes on businesses.

Like Renzi, Valls is confronted with both internal and external challenges. The first is of course that, although in charge of domestic policies, he is still second-in-command to a highly unpopular president. Because he does not control the PS, Valls faces stiffer opposition to his centrist agenda from within the party than does his Italian counterpart. His calls for a ‘common house’ for reform-oriented leftists and rightists have, unsurprisingly, met with acerbic criticism in the PS. France is in a better economic state than Italy and the government machine is as efficient as ever; yet the French have shown an idiosyncratic resistance to reform which Valls might lack the political authority to overcome. And Valls, just like Renzi, must also make decisions that both help France and comply with EU fiscal rules.

What to Make of Continental Europe’s New Blairs?

In spite of the huge challenges Renzi faces both at home and in the EU, he seems to be the better positioned. Realistically, the chances that he will successfully revive Italy’s economy are slim. Yet Italians do not dream of an era of prosperity, but one of action. Provided Renzi can show that he has begun to tackle the many roadblocks on the path towards growth, Italians are likely to see him as a safer bet than the opposition, which consists of Silvio Berlusconi’s much weakened center-right party and the comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo’s anti-establishment 5 Star Movement.

Valls has a harder road ahead. His approval ratings now hover at just around 36 percent (though no other center-left French politician fares much better). He certainly has a popularity problem in his own party during the last presidential campaign, he won only 5.5 percent of the votes in a PS primary contest. Yet Valls also stood out as a credible politician and is now in a position to attract more support. He encapsulates the second half of Hollande’s presidential term, which has made a decision to openly target centrist voters. If Valls manages to regain, at least in part, the favor of the public, the PS might in the end see him as a more appealing presidential candidate in 2017 than Hollande, whose credibility is in poor shape.

Appearing to the public the safer bet is the mark of shrewd politicians. But strong leadership requires one step further. Blair mapped out a course towards prosperity in the much more competitive world of globalization; this, the Iraq war notwithstanding, secured him three electoral victories in a row. For Renzi and Valls, the time to do something alike cannot come soon enough.

Image Source: © Jacky Naegelen / Reuters
      
 
 




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538 sq. ft. attic apartment renovated with industrial materials & cinematic flair

This revamp of an 1830s apartment mixes modern materials to create a modern space.




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Photo: Wood duck proves Mother Nature's flair for drama

Our photo of the day reveals the wonderful frippery of waterfowl.




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WWE's next hottest star Bianca Belair on how Mark Henry gave her the push she needed

Bianca Belair, WWE's NXT superstar, has now made it to the main roster on WWE Raw and is bringing the house down. Bianca Belair has performed for two matches on WWE Raw in the past 2 weeks and seems to be making her way to the top in the women's division. In an interview, she discusses how she was discovered, why she calls herself the 'EST', creating her own ring gear and more.

How did Mark Henry first discover you? And what is the most useful piece of advice he’s given you from your tryout and beyond?
“After my track career I wanted to find something I could still be competitive in, so I was doing Crossfit and I really stood out…all the other girls were just wearing regular shorts and t-shirts and I was coming out in tutu’s and big bows and just really standing out. At a lot of Crossfit competitions I was getting on the mic and, without even knowing it, cutting promos. Mark Henry came across a video of me at a Crossfit event on the internet and he contacted me and asked me if I’d ever thought of being in the WWE… He got me in the door but he made it very clear from the very beginning that “this is all going to be on you”… It gave me a lot of confidence and it really pushed me. Ever since then he has always been someone I can go to for advice”

You famously declared yourself the ‘EST of NXT’, and now the ‘EST of WWE’. Can you explain to people who don’t know, what that means?
“The ‘EST of WWE’ means that I am a hybrid athlete. I’m not just good in one area, I’m not just good at one thing, I’m not just strong, I’m not just someone who can go in there and do flips and be a showcase athlete. I’m someone who can do it all. I’m not just average in different areas, I’m the best in every single area. I’m the strongEST, the fastEST, the quickEST, the roughEST, the greatEST, the smartEST, I’m the bEST. All those end in EST. I just see myself as being the absolute best in every single area that you can think of.”

You’re a Superstar with a host of skills, one of which is making your own gear. Has that always been a passion for you? Which ring gear have you designed that means the most to you, and why?
“I have been pretty creative and pretty hands on my whole life. I get it from my dad who is always doing something, always making something. My mum is the same way. They are super creative and I just grew up in that environment. I used to sew when I was younger, my mum had this little Christmas cookie jar that had everything in it but cookies. At first I started sewing pillow cases together, I didn’t even know what I was doing, but it carried over into High School and I used to sew and make my own outfits… It carried over into WWE because I do everything the best and I do everything myself, it’s a huge part of my character. Probably my favourite gear is my Black History Month gear that I wore at NXT TakeOver: Portland. Black History Month is really important to me because I really feel that Black history is American history is World history, and I’m very passionate about that. So that’s probably my favourite gear that I’ve made and it has the most sentimental value to me.”

Do you see your position as a WWE Superstar carrying a responsibility to set an example for young girls and women around the world?
“The further along I get in my career the more I see that I do have a responsibility and I take that very seriously. Especially with women and young girls we are often taught to shrink ourselves, and that is a big part of my character is to never shrink yourself to soothe anyone’s insecurities, you never dim your light for anyone. You go out there and you shine bright, it’s even in my theme song: “watch me shine now”. It’s something that I really want to stress to young girls, especially within the community that I come from… Go out there and show them who you are and don’t hold back. I hold that responsibility very close to my heart and it’s not just for young girls or for women, it’s for everyone. You have to be your biggest supporter, you have to be your biggest cheerleader.”

What are Bianca Belair’s future WWE ambitions?
“The cliché answer is to be RAW Women’s Champion, or if I’m on SmackDown to be SmackDown Women’s Champion, or to eventually be NXT Women’s Champion. Of course, I want to be the Champion on all three brands at some particular time but, honestly, I just want to go out there and leave an impact no matter where I’m at. I feel like I did that with NXT, I left an impact. When people think back to this era in WWE history I want to be one of the names that pops up as one of the key players regardless of if I’ve won one match or one hundred matches. I want to leave a legacy, I want to leave an impact.”

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news




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Election: Tony Blair calls for tactical voting to deprive major parties of a majority — as it happened

Former prime minister intervenes with warning that both Tories and Labour ‘pose a risk’ to country, Conservative manifesto in the spotlight, Lib Dems change tune with calls to avert Johnson majority, Sterling rallies as Tories extend lead.

Read more




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Imelda Staunton is to take over from Claire Foy and Olivia Colman in The Crown

EXCLUSIVE: She has gone from working-class prisoner in Vera Drake to the aristocracy as Lady Bagshaw in the Downton Abbey movie. Now Imelda Staunton has achieved royal status in The Crown.




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The Crown's Matt Smith 'forms close friendship with co-star and on screen Queen Claire Foy'

Close friends say Claire Foy is providing a consoling shoulder for Matt Smith, whose relationship with girlfriend Lily James, has been the subject of increasing talk among showbiz insiders.




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Matt Smith and Claire Foy took convincing roles in The Crown as rumours swirl of off-screen romance

From tender looks to stony silences, viewers agreed that, as the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, Claire Foy and Matt Smith were a convincing couple.




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Who's who in the Royal Box: Claire Foy, Princess Michael of Kent, David Beckham and Richard Branson

Today marks the tenth day at Wimbledon, and with it came a particularly star-studded list of guests in the Royal Box, including politicians, actors and even a royal face.




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Jerome Sinclair was labelled the next Owen... so what happened to English football's next big thing?

Take a look at Jerome Sinclair's social media accounts, and you won't find out much. No tweets since 2017, and all of his profile pictures are black. In a way, it is a sad reflection of his struggles.




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Benedict Cumberbatch set to take on second project with Claire Foy

The Sherlock star, 43, is reportedly preparing for his next movie role where he will once again star alongside The Crown actress, 35, in the biopic about English artist Louis Wain.