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Is the universe conscious? It seems impossible until you do the maths

The question of how the brain gives rise to subjective experience is the hardest of all. Mathematicians think they can help, but their first attempts have thrown up some eye-popping conclusions




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How the turtle got its shell: Amazing fossils are solving the mystery

For years, the oldest turtle fossils we could find had fully formed shells. Now, more primitive fossils are revealing the strange tale of how turtle shells evolved




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What four coronaviruses from history can tell us about covid-19

Four coronaviruses cause around a quarter of all common colds, but each was probably deadly when it first made the leap to humans. We can learn a lot from what happened next




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Why is coronavirus deadly for some, but harmless in others?

To figure out what makes some people more vulnerable to severe cases of covid-19, we need to rethink what we know about infection




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Can nudge theory really stop covid-19 by changing our behaviour?

Human behaviour is key to the spread of coronavirus, so government scientists are trying to control our decisions. Does it work, and what happens when they get it wrong?




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MIDI 2.0: The code that will define the future of sound has arrived

Four decades ago, we introduced a standard way of encoding digital sound. Its first ever upgrade could lead to new genres of music and ways of experiencing sound




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UPDATE 2-Auto production collapses by 99% in Mexico and Brazil due to coronavirus

Auto production in Mexico and Brazil, Latin America's top producers, plunged by an unprecedented 99% in April as a result of the coronavirus crisis, with the two countries building a total of just 5,569 vehicles.




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FDA approves Eli Lilly drug for thyroid, lung cancers driven by a genetic mutation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a drug to treat lung and thyroid cancers driven by a specific genetic mutation that Eli Lilly and Co acquired with its 2019 purchase of Loxo Oncology.




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Potbelly postpones quarterly filing due to COVID-19 crisis

Potbelly Corp said on Friday it is unable to file its quarterly report with the U.S. SEC by the May 8 deadline due to the COVID-19 crisis, adding to the restaurant chain's pandemic-led woes.




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Google announces company holiday on May 22 to stem virus burnout

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Friday it has asked employees to take a day off on May 22, to address work-from-home-related burnout during the coronavirus pandemic.




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UPDATE 1-Saudi, U.S. firms eye stakes in Reliance's Jio - Bloomberg

Two more firms are eyeing a share of Reliance Industries Ltd's $65-billion digital unit Jio Platforms, according to Bloomberg News, setting them up to be a part of a growing list of firms that have recently invested in the Indian company.




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Pfizer to outsource some drug production, focus on coronavirus vaccine

Pfizer Inc said on Friday it is in talks to shift more of its medicine production to outside contractors as it prepares for large-scale production of an experimental vaccine to prevent COVID-19, should it prove safe and effective.




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UPDATE 1-Union opposes reopening U.S. meat plants as more workers die

The largest union representing U.S. meatpacking workers said on Friday it opposed the reopening of plants as the Trump administration had failed to guarantee workers' safety.




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UPDATE 2-IMF's Georgieva downbeat on global economic forecast, warns against protectionism

The head of the International Monetary Fund on Friday signaled a possible downward revision of global economic forecasts, and warned the United States and China against rekindling a trade war that could weaken a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.




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UPDATE 1-Republicans urge Trump to bar banks from shunning fossil fuel loans

A group of Republican lawmakers from energy-producing states on Friday called on President Donald Trump to prevent banks from halting loans and investments with companies that produce oil and other fossil fuels while they have access to federal assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.




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UPDATE 3-Mexico to unveil economic restart next week after coronavirus lockdown

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday he aims to present plans next week to reopen the economy, as key sectors like carmaking look to begin business again after over a month of quarantine measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak.




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UPDATE 1-Pfizer to outsource some drug production, focus on coronavirus vaccine

Pfizer Inc said on Friday it is in talks to shift more of its medicine production to outside contractors as it prepares for large-scale production of an experimental vaccine to prevent COVID-19, should it prove safe and effective.




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BRIEF-Eli Lilly Receives U.S. FDA Approval For Retevmo

* LILLY RECEIVES U.S. FDA APPROVAL FOR RETEVMOâ„¢ (SELPERCATINIB), THE FIRST THERAPY SPECIFICALLY FOR PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED RET-DRIVEN LUNG AND THYROID CANCERS




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Bankruptcy court approves Neiman Marcus' plea to access financing

U.S. luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus Group said on Friday it received court approval to access $675 million of its debtor-in-possession financing, which will allow continuity of the company's business during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and enable it to pay employees and vendors.




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EU Commission calls for state guarantees for vouchers for cancelled travel

The European Commission will tell countries in the European Union to provide state guarantees for travel vouchers during the coronavirus pandemic, if they prefer people to accept the vouchers instead of cash refunds, according to a strategy document seen by Reuters.




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Nearly 90 coronavirus cases reported at Polyus unit in Siberia

Nearly 90 cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded among employees of Polyus Krasnoyarsk, a unit of Russia's largest gold producer Polyus , the regional branch of Russia's consumer health watchdog said on Saturday.




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UPDATE 1-"Europe needs a break": EU plots to restart travel and tourism despite COVID

* Tourism, travel, hospitality business hit the hardest by COVID




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UPDATE 1-Britain to quarantine travellers for 14 days, UK airlines association says

* Airports say it could be devastating for aviation industry (Adds details, changes sourcing)




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Protesters demand closure of LG Polymers plant in India after toxic gas leak

Villagers placed the bodies of three victims of a deadly gas leak from an LG Polymers plant in southern India at the gates of the site on Saturday, and demanded the factory be shut down immediately and its top management arrested.




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REFILE-South Africa suspends use of Land Bank debt as collateral after default

South Africa's central bank has temporarily prohibited the use of debt issued by the Land Bank as collateral after the state agricultural lender was downgraded deeper into junk status and missed $2.7 billion in loan repayments.




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U.S. FDA grants emergency use authorization to Quidel for first antigen test for COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday approved emergency use authorization (EUA) to Quidel Corp for the first COVID-19 antigen test.




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Schumer: Reopening states without more tests is 'dangerous'

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday said it was 'dangerous' for the Trump administration to pressure states and businesses to 'reopen without a plan for a dramatic increase in testing'.




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Trump will announce new members of task force soon

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would announce new members of his coronavirus task force by Monday, as its focus turns to medical treatments and easing restrictions on businesses and social life.




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Trump contradicts nurse who says PPE has been 'sporadic'

At a ceremony honoring nurses at the White House on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump contradicted a New Orleans nurse who said the availability of personal protective equipment has been 'sporadic.'




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Trump says coronavirus task force to shift focus, drawing criticism

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his White House coronavirus task force would remain in place but with a focus on medical treatments and easing restrictions on businesses and social life and perhaps with different advisers. This report produced by Chris Dignam.




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No right to praise healthcare workers and then ignore them: Pelosi takes aim at Trump

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday made an indirect dig at President Donald Trump's Navy Blue Angels flyover this weekend, saying that political leaders have 'no right to praise them and then ignore their needs.'




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Trump 'very happy for' Flynn on news DOJ dropping charges

U.S. President Donald Trump described his former national security adviser Michael Flynn as an 'innocent man' after learning that the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday abruptly sought to drop the criminal charges against Flynn.




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Trump had 'little' contact with valet who tested positive

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday described a valet of his reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus as "one of those things" and said that he and Vice President Mike Pence have since been tested and they are both negative.




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DOJ to drop case against Trump ex-advisor Flynn

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday abruptly asked a judge to drop criminal charges against President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn following mounting pressure from Trump and his political allies on the right. This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.




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Trump tests negative after valet contracts virus

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said it's "one of those things" after he learned that a White House valet tested positive for the coronavirus, noting contact with that person was limited. Gavino Garay has more.




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As U.S. states reopen, White House keeps CDC guidance on the shelf

The White House shelved a step-by-step guide prepared by U.S. health officials to help states safely reopen mass transit and businesses closed by the coronavirus pandemic, an administration official said on Thursday. This report produced by Chris Dignam.




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We had to put a 'stop' to the economy to save lives: WH

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany on Friday was asked about the U.S. economy that lost a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April, the steepest plunge in payrolls since the Great Depression, and she responded saying it was 'decided' by the president to 'stop the economy' to save lives.




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Key Pence aide diagnosed with coronavirus

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary, the wife of one of President Donald Trump's senior advisors, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the second White House staffer to be diagnosed with the illness. This report produced by Chris Dignam.




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Urban tennis conquers city squares in corona times

Tennis in the time of coronavirus serves up a new sort of court as World Club players take their game to Munich's now empty squares and boulevards.




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Trump contradicts nurse who says PPE has been 'sporadic'

At a ceremony honoring nurses at the White House on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump contradicted a New Orleans nurse who said the availability of personal protective equipment has been 'sporadic.'




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Artist Banksy pays superhero tribute to Britain's NHS staff

A young boy chooses a nurse as the superhero he wants to play with over Batman and Spiderman in a new artwork by Banksy that encapsulates the gratitude Britons have felt toward the country's National Health Service during the coronavirus crisis.




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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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Walk in the forest for two penguins on lockdown

Two Humboldt penguins, Nacho and Goat, went on a field trip in the forest accompanied by their keepers at Oregon Zoo on Friday (May 1) in Portland, United States.




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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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One sick family, many test results

After a week or so sick in bed in their New York City apartment in March, members of the Johnson-Baruch family were convinced they had been stricken by the novel coronavirus. Subsequent test results left them with more questions than answers. Lisa Bernhard has more.




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Trump had 'little' contact with valet who tested positive

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday described a valet of his reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus as "one of those things" and said that he and Vice President Mike Pence have since been tested and they are both negative.




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Free milk and potatoes in the U.S. to avoid waste

In Washington State and Boston, two initiatives are helping prevent potatoes from being thrown out and milk from being poured down the drain. Gavino Garay has more.




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Class of 2020 graduates with 'robot ceremony'

Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management utilizes robots to give its students a virtual graduation ceremony. Freddie Joyner has more.




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Brazil refuge welcomes eagle hatchling

Brazil's Bela Vista Biological Refuge Veterinarian Pedro Enrrique Ferreira says the Harpy Eagle hatchling born on April 26 only weighs 150 grams now but could one day grow to weigh some 20 pounds.




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No clowning around with masks on Mexico City metro

A campaign in Mexico City to get residents to wear face masks is now reinforced with a new secret weapon: clowns. They're telling metro riders, 'Wear a face mask -- don't be a clown!' as they spray riders' hands with disinfectant. Gavino Garay has more.