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F1's return will be empty but beneficial, says Lewis Hamilton

  • World champion not relishing racing without fans
  • Hamilton appreciates sport’s importance to many

Lewis Hamilton believes returning to grand prix racing without fans will be an “empty” experience as Formula One prepares to launch the new season behind closed doors.

F1 expects to hold its first race on 5 July in Austria as a double header followed by two meetings at Silverstone, all without spectators. However, there remains the possibility that government quarantine restrictions may make travel for F1 teams unfeasible.

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John Crace's big bank holiday quiz

Have you been keeping up with the news?

What reason did the government give for not joining the EU procurement scheme on four separate occasions?

Brussels had the wrong address so we never got the email

We weren’t allowed to because we had left the EU.

All the European ventilators had the wrong plugs.

In her evidence to the home affairs select committee, did Priti Patel say that the reason passengers weren’t tested on arrival at airports was because...

The UK had too many international air passengers

The UK had too few international air passengers

The UK had both too many and too few international air passengers

The communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, owns three homes, two of which are in London. Where is the third which he visited in contravention of lockdown rules?

Exmoor

His constituency of Newark

Herefordshire

What did the Daily Mail think VE Day stood for in its readers’ offer for a 75th Anniversary Celebration coin?

Victory in Europe

Victory for Europe

Victory over Europe

Who was visited by the police after breaking lockdown to go to Dover to make a video about his failure to find any illegal immigrants?

Richard Tice

John Redwood

Nigel Farage

How many people in South Korea (population 52 million) have died from the coronavirus?

256

2,560

25,600

What did Donald Trump suggest people should think about using to help them beat coronavirus?

Sunbed courses

Dettol

Chloroquine

What is France selling to help pay for the coronavirus crisis?

The Arc de Triomphe

The wine cellar of the Elysee Palace

Its national collection of antique furniture

How long do you get on a free Zoom conference call?

30 minutes

40 minutes

60 minutes

What was Boris Johnson doing when he took 10 days off in Chequers in February during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic?

Recovering from his 10-day break to Mustique at the New Year.

Sorting out his complicated private life.

Helping Carrie Symonds arrange a baby shower for her friends.

What was the name of the two doctors who cared for Boris Johnson in St Thomas’ after whom he named his son?

Imran

Ranjit

Nicholas

What aliases did the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, use for his second job as an internet marketeer when first elected as an MP?

Maurice Blue and Archie Stoat

Mostyn Orange and Torquil Beaver

Michael Green and Sebastian Fox

How many coronavirus tests did Priti Patel tell a Downing Street press conference had been carried out?

300,034,974,000

3,000,349,740,000

30,034,974,000

Who is being lined up to take the blame for the inevitable public inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic?

The EU

Matt Hancock

Meghan and Harry

How much will a mug of coronavirus breakout star, Chris Whitty, cost you from the ‘Chris Whitty Appreciation Society’?

£8

£10

£12

What did deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries, tell a Downing Street press conference in March that couples should do?

Separate

Stop being so needy

Move in together

Banksy has donated a new artwork to Southampton general hospital. It depicts a boy holding up

A testing kit

A Boris Action man

A nurse doll

Where is Tom Cruise’s new film set to be shot?

The International Space Station

Richard Branson’s Necker Island

The Nightingale Hospital in London

What was Meghan reading to her son Archie in his first birthday video

Lights! Camera! Action!

Duck! Rabbit!

Duck! Never!

15 and above.

Excellent: give yourself a round of applause

11 and above.

Well done: you seem to have been paying attention to the news

7 and above.

Not bad: you appear to have been trying to keep with events

0 and above.

Risible: were you trying to get the answers wrong?

3 and above.

Very poor: do you follow the news at all?

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VE Day: coronavirus lessons from 75 years ago

This week the Upside reflects on the community spirit felt in our current crisis and the one that ended in 1945

Guardian colleagues have been up to all sorts during lockdown – when they’ve not been working hard that is. At least three have acquired pets and many are digging up the garden or allotment. Potato printing, street chalk drawing, spring cleaning, DIY, it’s all going on. One particularly ingenious staffer is knitting woollen hats for boiled eggs.

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Coronavirus app has changed the way the Isle of Wight sees itself

Islanders are coming to terms with unexpected publicity from the contact-tracing pilot project


Last Sunday, we woke to the news that the Isle of Wight really had been chosen as the pilot location for the NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app, the idea having been floated by the leader of the council at the start of the previous week.

Thus a manic week began here at News OnTheWight, where we’ve been pumping out stories as usual, taking part in national media briefings, delving into details of the app and exploring privacy issues while dealing with queries from media outlets from around the world. All sorts of organisations started pushing press releases supporting the app – the most unexpected being the Church of England.

When Matt Hancock, the health secretary, announced at last Monday’s press conference, “Where the Isle of Wight goes, Britain follows”, there was a collective spitting out of tea on the island and beyond. Of course there were the predictable jibes – “How do I install the app on my fax machine?” was one of the best we heard, and once again, creativity was ignited with memes and T-shirts.

With such attention, locally it felt like little else but the app was discussed.

How has the app gone down? Lots of people seem to be jumping on board, claiming any perceived privacy downsides as a small price to pay. Others, with earlier smartphones, were excluded. Older residents overheard in the post office said they really wanted to use the app but their steam-powered mobile phones weren’t capable.

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Thousands turn out for VE Day parade in Belarus despite Covid-19 concerns

Country’s leader Alexander Lukashenko boasts of holding only parade in former Soviet Union

Thousands of people, including elderly veterans of the second world war, turned out for Belarus’s Victory Day military parade despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Images from the parade showed crowds packed on to parade bleachers as the country’s leader, Alexander Lukashenko, boasted of holding the only parade in the former Soviet Union to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany.

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Coronavirus live news: thousands turn out for Belarus VE Day parade, as Russia infections near 200,000

Belarus leader holds parade prompting safety concerns as other nations curb WW2 events; Russia records 10,000 new Covid-19 cases; Spain’s daily death toll continues to fall. Follow the latest updates

A child was among sixteen migrants rescued four miles off the coast of France when their makeshift vessel bound for Britain ran into difficulties in the middle of the night, authorities said.

The group was picked up 3.8 miles off the French port of Calais after calling for help, French maritime authorities confirmed to AFP. A French maritime surveillance vessel rescued the migrants at around 5am and transported them to the Channel port of Dunkirk, where they were handed over to border police.

Vladimir Putin has told Russians they are invincible when they stand together, as he sought to send a message of unity after the country’s tally of Covid-19 cases reached the fifth highest in the world.

Addressing the nation in a speech as he presided over Victory Day celebrations, a sombre Putin invoked the memory of the country’s veterans who fought in the second world war.

We are united by our shared memory, hopes and aspirations, as well as a sense of shared responsibility for the present and the future. We know and strongly believe that when we stand together, we are invincible.”

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Global report: Trump says Covid-19 will 'go away without vaccine', expects US death toll to top 95,000

Mike Pence’s press secretary tests positive to coronavirus; China reports one new case; Russia reports 10,000 new cases for sixth day in a row

Donald Trump has said coronavirus will “go away without a vaccine” and is expecting 95,000 or more deaths in the US, as Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive for coronavirus.

The president’s comments, at an event with Republican lawmakers, capped a horror week in the US, in which it was revealed unemployment had risen to 14.7%, up from 3.5% in February, with 20 million people losing their jobs in April.

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Покончил с собой Дмитрий Босов — владелец Artplay, денег на выкуп «Ведомостей» и просто миллиардер-сырьевик

Состояние предпринимателя составляло по Forbes $1,1 млрд — по итогам рейтинга 2020 года он занял 86-е место среди богатейших людей страны..




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Photos That Say More Than Just a Thousand Words

Ready for your weekly dose of amazing animal photos?

These are sure worth your time.

Here's a link to our previous list, in case you missed it.




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Animal Sanctuary Farm Invites Puppies For a Pawsome Playdate

The Gentle Barn is an animal sanctuary in California that is currently closed to human visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to allow their lonely animals some companion and fun, the farm invited five adorable puppies from a nearby pet shelter for a day of playtime, just before they go to their forever homes. 

Too cute to handle. 




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Interesting Facts About Donkeys On Their Special World Day

Found on every continent except Antarctica, donkeys are some of the most well-bred and well-known animals in the world. 

World Donkey Day is a show of respect for one of the most enduring and respectable animals in the Equidae family. 

Throughout history, it has served throughout the world as both a mount and a beast of burden in some of the most challenging terrains and forbidding climates, and has done so with pride and endurance. 

But how much do you know about these surprisingly deep and intelligent creatures? 

Here are some fun facts you probably didn't know. 






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Caturday Is Here In A Major Way (50 Cat Memes)

These past few weeks months have been weird but luckily we can always rely on Caturday to deliver the smiles! 

Welcome, everyone! Another blessed Caturday is upon us and we all know what that means! Naps! Wait, no -- memes! 

Actually, why not both? Enjoy these purrfect Caturday memes and then treat yourself to a nice long catnap! 




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Birthdays

hhhuhauap

its my little sisters birthday today, and everytime i hear the word "two" im like "rhYmEs WiTh HaIkYUU!!"

my birhtday is in 12 days i think nt including today,, , but ye

how are yall today??




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Touken Ranbu's 8th Stage Play Casts Former Takarazuka Actress as 1st Female Cast Member

Ryō Tsukamoto, Yuzuki Hoshimoto also join cast




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Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Switch Game's Trailer Previews Story, Gameplay, New Epilogue

Remake of Monolith Software's Wii game launches on May 29




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Mamoru Oshii's VladLove Anime Delayed Due to COVID-19

12-episode series previously set to premiere this fall




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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Anime Wins Japan Character Award's Top Prize

Butt Detective also wins judges committee award




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My Hero Academia Ranks #15 on New York Times' Graphic Books Bestseller's May List




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Shout! Factory Delays Release of Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna Anime Film

New release date yet to be announced




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Richard Hammond And James May Secretly Turn Each Other's Seat Heaters Up

Can't think of a better way to keep oneself entertained while on a road trip, with a buddy. This is just a great portrayal of the friendship between Richard Hammond and James May. 




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Vegan Learns That Mayo Isn't Vegan

The Subway employee served up the knowledge free of charge. Love to picture the look of grim acceptance on the vegan's face when they learned that mayo was in fact not vegan. The fact they went through with the original sandwich order anyways is pretty great. 




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Plumber's Customer Won't Pay In Full, Sweet Grout Revenge Ensues

Man, this is a fine example of why it pays to be a reasonable, good human being, and not mess with your servicemen. This plumber was just doing his job, to the requirements asked of him, and the clients decided to make a mess of the whole peaceful operation. Clearly, they were trying to skip out on paying the whole bill. So, the plumber was extra sweet with finishing up the job. What might seem like a petty revenge on the surface, really evolves to be more of a cold and calculated pro revenge that likely haunted the folks for a long while after the job was "done."





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PostSecret on NBC Today (4/18/20)




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Sunday Secrets

Live May 3rd – May 10th  




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Cosplay Contest Announced, Plus Dresden Coloring Pages!

The headline says it all! Let’s dive right in. Costume Contest We had such fun with our Fanart Contest that we want to honor another section of the Dresden fandom’s creatives: cosplayers and cosplay photographers! Read all the rules, then submit your Cosplay Contest entries to yearofdresden@gmail.com by May 12th. Coloring Pages Running low on [...]






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News: Pawnz and Bookmarks through May2020

A news post has been posted at Sluggy.com!




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Earth Day at 50: How an idea changed the world and still inspires now

Coronavirus will overshadow Earth Day's golden anniversary, but the movement's successes are worth celebrating, says Gary Paul Nabhan




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Earth Day: How a pillar of the green movement was born 50 years ago

Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, often spoken of as the birth of the green movement. Denis Hayes helped coordinate the first event, and speaks to New Scientist about its impact




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A giant raft of rock may once have floated across Mars’s ancient ocean

Mars could have had an ancient ocean in its northern hemisphere, and a large raft of volcanic rock may have floated across it to settle into mounds we can see today




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Mysterious ‘Planet Nine’ on the solar system’s edge may not be real

Strange orbits of distant space rocks have been used to infer that the solar system has an unseen ninth planet, but those orbits may be less strange than we thought, meaning there is no need for a new planet




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Toddlers born with Zika virus seem to be affected in multiple ways

Thousands of babies were born with severe brain damage after the 2015 Zika outbreak. New findings could tell us which therapies could help them most




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Our nearest star system may have a planet with a colossal set of rings

We know that there is at least one planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system, and now astronomers may have taken the first picture of a second world




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Not getting enough sleep may make you misread emotions on Zoom calls

Getting less sleep for five nights in a row can make you view other people’s expressions more negatively, including facial reactions seen over video calls




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Plate tectonics may have started on Earth 3.2 billion years ago

Rocks from a 3.2-billion-year-old formation in Australia show changes in the direction of their magnetism over time that suggest plate tectonics started earlier than we thought




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We may have found 19 more interstellar asteroids in our solar system

A bunch of asteroids near Jupiter and Neptune with orbits perpendicular to the plane of the solar system may have come here from a different star system




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Pet food can contain drug-resistant bacteria that may pass to humans

Some dogs and cats may be passing gut microbes to their owners that withstand last-resort antibiotics, which can be needed to fight off pneumonia from a coronavirus infection




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Electrical devices implanted in the brain may help treat anorexia

In a small trial, implanting electrodes into the brain helped women with severe anorexia gain weight and feel less anxious and depressed




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Frozen bull semen may have unleashed bluetongue virus on farm animals

The ongoing spread of bluetongue virus among European farm animals may have started when a cow was inseminated with infected bull semen stored from an earlier outbreak




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UK sets new target to recruit 18,000 contact tracers by mid-May

The UK government has set a new target of recruiting an army of 18,000 coronavirus contact tracers by the middle of May, to be in place for the launch of the NHS contact tracing app




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Coronavirus: What does evidence say about schools reopening?

Many studies suggest coronavirus has low transmission rates among children, but there are still risks to reopening schools that were closed due to social distancing policies




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UK government won't say how many covid-19 contact tracers it has hired

The UK government has refused to say how many covid-19 contact tracers it has employed, with less than three weeks to go until its target of recruiting 18,000 of them by mid-May




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People put on ventilators for covid-19 may need lengthy rehabilitation

Healthcare systems need to prepare for the extensive physiotherapy and mental rehabilitation that people put on ventilators for covid-19 will need as they recover




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The sun is too quiet, which may mean dangerous solar storms in future

Stars that are similar to the sun in every way we can measure are mostly more active than the sun, which hints that the sun’s activity may ramp up someday, risking solar eruptions




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Fossil ‘monster’ looks alien but may be related to primitive fish

The Tully Monster is a famously odd 300-million-year-old fossil that looks like an alien, but a new analysis suggests it was a backboned animal like a hagfish or lamprey




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An ancient river on Mars may have flowed for 100,000 years

We’ve found a 200-metre cliff in Mars's Hellas basin, the first evidence of a river that flowed on the planet for more than 100,000 years




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A large chunk of Mercury may have been blown away by the sun

Mercury is much denser than the other rocky planets in the solar system, and that may be because a collision vaporised its surface and the debris was blown away by the sun




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Stars in the Milky Way's centre often get dangerously close together

About 80 per cent of stars in the Milky Way’s central bulge have relatively close encounters with another star, which can fling off any planets orbiting them