The new HBO show is a spin-off of Game of Thrones and it is set almost 300 years before the events of the flagship show, but how necessary is it to have seen the original to watch House of the Dragon? Here is everything you need to know: Do You Need to Watch ‘Game of Thrones’ Before ‘House of the Dragon’? House of the Dragon explores the beginnings of the bloody civil war that broke out between the Targaryen family during their reign over Westeros....

Maradona became the first player suspended for drug use from World Cup play in 16 years after a drug test found a “cocktail” of ephedrine-a stimulant found in over-the-counter cold and asthma remedies-and four other forbidden substances. FIFA, soccer’s governing body, will investigate the flashy forward, already on thin grass after a 15-month suspension for cocaine use, and could opt to banish him for life. Despite the test, Maradona denied doping: “I did not take drugs,” he said, “and above all, I did not let down those who love me....

How much longer did Rivers want to do this? And was he to blame for the Clippers’ string of defeats in November? Rivers already left town before one rebuild in Boston, and Los Angeles seemed to be on the verge of doing the same. Flash forward to January. The Clippers have won 10 of their last 14 games and find themselves right behind the Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference....

Thanks to the mass of evidence available to the police from the failed bombings and to forthcoming information from those who have been arrested, the investigation into the two linked terror plots is proceeding apace—and spreading well beyond Britain. The latest arrest was at Brisbane Airport in Australia. The man being held has been named by the Queensland Medical Board as Mohammed Haneef, 27, an Indian doctor who had been working in the emergency department at the Gold Coast Hospital in Southport, in the eastern Australian state of Queensland, since leaving a job in Liverpool, England, last year....

The Dodgers and the Angels now know they will not have Cole, who signed with the Yankees, at the head of their pitching staffs next year. Neither will they have Stephen Strasburg, who returned to the Nationals earlier this week. They must now search beyond the two best free-agent starters to bolster incomplete rotations. Of course, the SoCal teams are coming off very different 2019 seasons: The Dodgers reached the playoffs for a seventh straight time, while the Angels missed out for a fifth straight campaign....

Anderson felt a “tweak” at the end of throwing live batting practice Tuesday. By Wednesday, it had gotten worse. The team said it was concerned in part because Anderson had lower-back surgery in 2014. MORE: 10 worst MLB contracts | The dangers of spring training It’s another blow for the oft-injured Anderson, who has started just 112 games over his seven-year career. The left-hander began the offseason as the team’s No....

Reno herself wasn’t talking. But Republicans were outraged, and The New York Times, from its editorial page, succinctly voiced the disparaging notion that she had ““fumbled’’ her duty as the nation’s chief law-enforcement officer. Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who twice asked Reno to appoint an independent counsel, expressed deep disappointment at her decision. Rep. Gerald Solomon of New York, also a Republican, said Reno’s refusal threw Indogate “right into the lap” of Congress, where 11 separate committees are preparing to dissect the scandal–and, they hope, get on TV....

Jones’ lawyer made the statement in a motion for a defamation lawsuit brought against the conspiracy theorist by Sandy Hook victims’ families. According to Jones’ attorney Jay M. Wolman, while Jones initially questioned its legitimacy, he does not believe that the shooting was a hoax. “The assassination of President Kennedy. The lunar landings. The September 11 attacks. Sandy Hook. From these shocking events emerged some people who thought them so disruptive that they questioned whether they even happened, scouring records in support of evidence that might prove them hoaxes....

Cracking your knuckles does not cause arthritis. Understanding what physically occurs when you crack your knuckles will help you realize that the “knuckle cracking causes arthritis” theory is actually just a popular myth. That’s good news if you like to crack your knuckles, but it’s bad news for those of us who can’t stand it when you do it. We’ll have to come up with some other reason to get you to stop....

Does Nowitzki run like a baby giraffe? Yes, that’s the important one. NBA DRAFT: Winners and losers | Pick-by-pick grades The issue of running form came up during Nowitzki’s annual charity baseball game Saturday. Ezekiel Elliott, one of several Cowboys to participate in the event, told the “Big German” he runs like a lot like the tall mammal. So, is Elliott correct in his comparison? Let’s take a look at Dirk making solid contact and running out a single during the game....

While TasP was initially seen as a means of reducing individual risk when the concept was first introduced in 2006, it was only in 2010 that evidence from the HTPN 052 study suggested that it could be implemented as a population-based prevention tool. Research Breakthrough The HTPN 052 trial—which studied the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on transmission rates in serodiscordant heterosexual couples—was stopped nearly four years early when it was shown that individuals on treatment were 96 percent less likely to infect their partners than participants who weren’t....

It’s important to screen for breast cancer at regular intervals to detect cancer when it is most treatable. That’s why Medicare covers mammograms. How much you will pay depends on how often the test is ordered, why it’s ordered, and whether it’s labeled as screening or diagnostic. What Is a Mammogram? A mammogram is an imaging study that looks at breast tissue using a low-dose X-ray. The radiation exposure is far less than what you would receive from standard X-rays, making it a relatively safe test....

Traveling somewhere new for the weekend Taking a class together Exploring new parts of your town or city Going to new restaurants together Trying new hobbies as a couple

The NHL rule book does not specifically address player etiquette and requires only that an anthem — the “Star-Spangled Banner” and, in some arenas around the league, “O Canada” — must be played before games. It does not mention standing or being on the ice during the performance. Despite commissioner Gary Bettman’s stated preference for players to remain “apolitical” at the rink, the NHL hasn’t suggested it would consider enacting a formal policy similar to the NFL’s, which comes in response to players kneeling or participating in other demonstrations during anthems in the 2017 football season....

[Spoiler alert] Episode 5, “The Fangs of Freedom” proved to be a monumental episode for the Dutton daughter as her new boyfriend Ennis (Eric Nelsen) was shot dead. The night before this happened though, Elsa lost her virginity to Ennis which was followed by conversations of pregnancy and raising a baby. Since Ennis will no longer feature, fans want to know if his legacy will live on in the form of a child....

The measures are part of a new Telecommunications Security Bill which aims to ban the involvement of Chinese firm Huawei. The bill is the first to enshrine the banning of the Chinese company’s involvement in the UK’s 5G network into law. The government says that the bill will boost the security standards of the UK’s telecoms networks and remove the threat of high-risk vendors. In July, after pressure from the Trump administration, the U....

Maitiu O Tuathail, a doctor in Dublin, posted the video and said: “Getting asked ‘Does wearing a face mask lower your oxygen levels’ repeatedly by patients today! Based on what they are reading on social media. “Face coverings/masks don’t reduce your oxygen levels! I managed to get six face masks on + it had no effect on my oxygen levels!” In the video, the doctor can be seen placing six masks on his face while his oxygen levels remain at 99....

Owner Sarah Hopkins shared a clip to her TikTok account, @sarahhopkins06, after filming her Boston Terrier pleading to go for a walk, as he whined at her while in the car. Hopkins, from Wales, captioned his pleas “before,” as she recorded the treacherous weather outside, telling him: “But it’s raining. You okay to get wet? You’re going to get wet mind, and it’s really windy.” He continued his protests, as Hopkins asks tells him: “It’s absolutely hammering it down mind, it’s cold....

And, as it turns out, dogs can get just as lost in stunning scenery too, as a recent viral video has shown. In footage shared to TikTok by Mallory Bartow, known on the app as mal_lo_ry_, we can see a brown fluffy dog standing on a rock looking out on a stunning view down a river. The wind is blowing throw his fur as he watches the sunset. Text overlaying the footage, which can be watched here, reads: “My dog had a moment on our hike I wonder what he was thinking and then the moment was over....

French bulldog Apollo’s owner described him as “toxic” after being lumped with a vet bill after an emergency visit last week. “Don’t forget to surprise your human with an emergency vet bill today,” she wrote on screen in a now viral video on the bluefrenchieapollo TikTok. “They need a reminder that you can ruin their day anytime you want.” Apollo was sitting somewhat smug by his vet bill, marked as $221....