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☆ India deports Myanmar refugees who fled 2021 coup
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Guwahati, India — India on Thursday deported the first group of Myanmar refugees who had sought shelter after a 2021 military coup, a top state minister said, following weeks of efforts that were hampered by fighting between Myanmar’s rebel forces and the ruling junta. Thousands of civilians and hundreds of troops from Myanmar have crossed the border to India after the coup. This has worried New Delhi, which has announced plans to fence its border with Myanmar and end a visa-free movement policy. “Without any discrimination, we have completed the first phase of deportation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar,” Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said in a social media post. “The state government is continuing the identification of illegal immigrants.”Thousands of people have crossed from Myanmar into India since the 2021 coup, like these civilians seen in India's border state of Mizoram on November 20, 2021.

Persons: Biren Singh, Rupak De Chowdhuri, Singh, Narendra Modi’s, Modi Organizations: “, Reuters, Indian, Refugee Convention, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party Locations: Guwahati, India, Myanmar, New Delhi, Manipur, India's, Mizoram

☆ Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway exits India's Paytm in $165 million deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) has exited India's Paytm (PAYT.NS) after selling its entire stake in the company for about 13.71 billion rupees ($164.70 million) through a bulk deal on Friday. Berkshire Hathaway's BH International Holdings has sold more than 15.6 million shares of the digital payments firm, with a weighted average price of 877.29 rupees per share, exchange data showed. Who the buyers of the Paytm shares are is not known. Paytm did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for additional details, while Berkshire was not available for comment. As of September 2023, BH International Holdings had a 2.46% stake in the company, as per exchange data.

Persons: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Paytm, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Hritam Mukherjee, Sonia Cheema, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ., Holdings, BH International Holdings, SoftBank, HK, Ant, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, . Berkshire, Berkshire, Bengaluru

☆ Myanmar rebels seek to control border with India after early wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of rebels battled the Myanmar military from dawn to dusk on Monday to overrun two camps abutting India's Mizoram state, as part of a widening offensive against the junta-led administration, Chin National Front (CNF) Vice Chairman Sui Khar said. Following the battle, 43 Myanmar soldiers surrendered to Indian police and are currently sheltering in Mizoram, local police official Lalmalsawma Hnamte said. "Whether they will be pushed back or not, we are waiting for further instructions from the central government," he told Reuters. Chin rebels will now look to consolidate their control along the India-Myanmar border, where the Myanmar military has two more camps, Sui Khar said. A Rathedaung resident told Reuters on Tuesday the area came under artillery fire overnight and that military soldiers had entered the town.

Persons: Sui Khar, Kyaw Naing, Lalmalsawma Hnamte, Chin, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Krishn Kaushik, Kanupriya Kapoor, Devjyot, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Chin, Myanmar's, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Reuters, Human Rights Organization, Myanmar, Arakan Army, Artillery, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, India, Farkawn, Mizoram, Myanmar's Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Rakhine's, Myanmar's Chin, India's Mizoram, China, Shan State, Sittwe, Rathedaung, Minbya, Suu, MIZORAM, DELHI

☆ India's Sahara conglomerate chief Subrata Roy dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Sahara Group Chairman Subrata Roy gestures as he speaks during a news conference in Kolkata November 29, 2013. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Embattled Sahara conglomerate chief Subrata Roy died on Tuesday due to cardiorespiratory arrest, the company said in a statement. Roy was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai on Sunday and died following complications arising from metastatic malignancy, hypertension and diabetes, according to the company. Roy, the founder and chairman of Sahara, was arrested in March 2014 for failing to attend a contempt of court hearing and was on bail since 2016. Reporting by Gursimran Kaur and Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Subrata Roy, Roy, Gursimran Kaur, Maria Ponnezhath, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: Sahara, REUTERS, national cricket team, New, Grosvenor, Force India, One, Bad, Netflix, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, Sahara, Mumbai, London, Bengaluru

The decline has been driven by weakness in producing fuels such as gasoline and naphtha, even as the margin on middle distillates has performed strongly. The trend for refining in Asia is increasingly characterised by strong margins for middle distillates, which are enough to offset weakness in gasoline and even losses for naphtha. Asia's total exports were 7.4 million metric tons in September, equivalent to about 1.85 million bpd, according to data from LSEG. Data from commodity analysts Kpler is also far from convincing, with just 660,000 metric tons of diesel shipments from China so far in October. Effectively, Asia's refiners are happy to suffer weak margins on fuels such as gasoline and naphtha because the profits on middle distillates are so high.

Persons: it's, refiners, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Asia, Singapore, Dubai, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, China, Beijing

☆ India's September wholesale price index falls 0.26% y/y
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A labourer carries a sack of onions at a wholesale market in Kolkata, India, December 14, 2021. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Oct 16 (Reuters) - India's wholesale price index (INWPI=ECI) in September fell 0.26% from a year earlier, according to government data released on Monday. Economists polled by Reuters had estimated the wholesale price index for September would rise 0.5%. In September, fuel and power prices fell 3.35% from a year earlier, compared with a 6.03% drop in August. Food prices rose 1.54% year-on-year compared with a rise of 5.62% in August and manufactured product prices fell 1.34% against a 2.37% fall the previous month.

Persons: Shivangi Acharya, Aftab Ahmed, Sohini Goswami Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Reserve Bank of India, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, DELHI

☆ India rupee to not react much to above expectations US inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Nimesh Vora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An attendant at a fuel station arranges Indian rupee notes in Kolkata, India, August 16, 2018. Non-deliverable forwards indicate the rupee will open around the same level as its previous close of 82.9850. The dollar index was at 104.78, roughly at the same level it was prior to the U.S. inflation data. U.S. Treasury yields jumped following the data, but retreated and are now at levels lower than before the inflation reading. FEDWATCHANZ said that the August inflation was not sufficient to prompt a re-pricing in Fed expectations.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Nimesh Vora, Mrigank Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Treasury, U.S . Federal, FEDWATCH ANZ, ANZ, European Central Bank, Brent, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, Rights MUMBAI, U.S, Asia

☆ India allots rice export quotas to Bhutan, Singapore, and Mauritius
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Children play with a ball after rice is spread for drying at a rice mill on the outskirts of Kolkata, India, January 31, 2019. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Aug 30 (Reuters) - India on Wednesday decided to allocate export quotas of non-basmati white rice to Bhutan, Mauritius and Singapore, the government said in a statement. Exports of 79,000 metric tons of non-basmati white rice would be allowed to Bhutan, while export quotas of 50,000 tons and 14,000 tons, respectively, would be allocated for Singapore and Mauritius, it said. Last month, India surprised buyers by imposing a ban on exports of widely consumed non-basmati white rice, following a ban on broken rice exports last year. Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rajendra Jadhav, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, Bhutan, Mauritius, Singapore

☆ India considers raising retirement age for state-owned bank bosses
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Nikunj Ohri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man checks his mobile phone in front of a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Kolkata, India, February 9, 2018. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Aug 26 (Reuters) - India is considering raising the retirement age for chairmen and managing directors of state-owned banks, which control over 60% of the banking system's assets, a government official said on Saturday. The age limit for state-run bank chiefs is much lower than their private sector peers, who retire at 70 and have longer tenors. Analysts have often cited this as a reason for a lack of continuity in strategy at state-owned lenders. Chiefs of state-run banks are generally appointed for three years and can be given an extension based on their performance.

Persons: Dinesh Khara, Aditi Shah, Christina Fincher Organizations: State Bank of India, REUTERS, DELHI, SBI, Chiefs, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India

India's annual retail inflation (INCPIY=ECI) rose sharply to 7.44% in July from 4.87% the previous month. Reuters Graphics"The spurt in CPI inflation in July 2023 was on expected lines, however, 7.44% retail inflation was totally unexpected," said Devendra Pant, economist at India Ratings. Food inflation, which accounts for nearly half of the overall consumer price basket, hit a staggering 11.51% in June as compared with 4.49% in June. Retail food inflation was at its highest since January 2020. Even a moderate rise in food inflation tends to anger voters and Dhiraj Nim, economist at ANZ Research, said further measures may be required from the government.

Persons: Devendra Pant, Research's Gaura Sen Gupta, Pant, Narendra Modi's, Dhiraj Nim, Nikunj Ohri, Chizu Nomiyama, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, DELHI, Reuters, Reserve Bank of India, ANZ Research, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India

☆ Domino effect: India rice export ban puts market on edge for copycat curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

New Delhi had already restricted lower quality broken rice supplies in 2022. In 2008, rice prices reached a record high above $1,000 per ton after India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Egypt, Brazil and other small producers restricted exports. CHAIN REACTIONGlobal prices have risen by around 20% since India's ban. This week, rice prices in Thailand and Vietnam soared to 15-year highs as buyers rushed to cover shipments to compensate for the decline in India's exports. Rao said only Indian supplies can restore equilibrium in the global rice market.

Persons: Nitin Gupta, Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Rice, B.V, Krishna Rao, Rao, Peter Clubb, Rajendra Jadhav, Naveen Thukral, Khanh Vu, Panarat, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Olam Agri, Reuters Graphics, Reuters, of Industry, Trade, Rice, Association of Pakistan, Association of India, International Grains Council, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, MUMBAI, New Delhi, Thailand, Vietnam, Delhi, Asia, Africa, Olam Agri India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Brazil, Pakistan, Philippines, China, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa, Malaysia, Cote d'Ivoire, El, London, Singapore, Hanoi, Bangkok

☆ Indian lenders’ earnings get credit reality check
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A man checks his mobile phones in front of State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Kolkata, India, February 9, 2018. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File PhotoMUMBAI, Aug 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A near three-fold jump in net profit did little to cheer State Bank of India (SBI.NS) investors. April to June is seasonally weak for farm credit, and Khara said some delinquent accounts have already bounced back. Granted, overall delinquencies remain low: gross non-performing assets are just 2.76% of SBI’s portfolio, and less than half that at HDFC Bank. The fear is, as one executive told Breakingviews, that this is worsening as pandemic-era support schemes wind down and interest rates rise.

Persons: Dinesh Khara, Khara, Breakingviews, Shritama Bose, headwinds, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: State Bank of India, REUTERS, Reuters, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finance, Services, Twitter, Adidas, InBev, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, MUMBAI

☆ State Bank of India first-quarter profit nearly triples to all-time high
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Siddhi Nayak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man checks his mobile phones in front of State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Kolkata, India, February 9, 2018. Net profit was at a record 168.84 billion rupees ($2.04 billion) for the quarter ended June 30, compared with 60.68 billion rupees a year earlier. Rivals HDFC Bank (HDBK.NS) and ICICI Bank (ICBK.NS) have reported double-digit net interest income growth for the fiscal first quarter. The net NPA ratio rose to 0.71% from 0.67% in the prior three months. The bank expects its net NPA ratio to fall to 0.5% in the next few quarters, Khara said.

Persons: Chowdhuri, Dinesh Kumar Khara, Khara, SBI's, Siddhi Nayak, Sonia Cheema Organizations: State Bank of India, REUTERS, Rivals HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Reserve Bank of India, Siddhi, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, MUMBAI, BENGALURU

BENGALURU, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will hold its key interest rate at 6.50% through end-March 2024, according to a Reuters poll of economists, who pushed back their expectations for the first rate cut to the second quarter of 2024 from the first quarter in a June survey. Few are forecasting a plunge in coming months, offering little reason for the RBI to change policy now. Indeed, inflation is expected to average above 5% this fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2024, above the RBI's 4% medium-term target. In a June survey, economists predicted the RBI to cut the repo rate by 25 basis points by end-March 2024 and another 25 basis points in the April-June quarter. Among those who offered forecasts until March 2024, a slim majority, 32 of 62, expected rates to hold at 6.50%, while 20 saw a cut to 6.25%, and 10 said 6.00% or lower.

Persons: Suman Chowdhuri, Anant Chandak, Veronica Khongwir, Susobhan Sarkar, Hari Kishan, Ross Finley, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Reserve Bank of India, U.S . Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU

☆ India cabinet approves $11 bln revival plan for state-owned BSNL
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Rama Venkat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A man speaks on his mobile phone as he walks past a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) advertisement painted on a wall outside its office in Kolkata, India, August 24, 2017. REUTERS/Rupak De ChowdhuriBENGALURU, June 7 (Reuters) - India's cabinet on Wednesday approved an 890.47 billion rupee ($10.79 billion) revival package for loss-making Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to help the state-owned telecom operator deploy 4G and 5G services in a market dominated by private players. "With this revival package, BSNL will emerge as a stable telecom service provider focused on providing connectivity to remotest parts of India," the cabinet said in a statement. Debt-laden BSNL, grappling with poor infrastructure, has been posting losses for the past 12 years. The losses narrowed to 69.82 billion rupees in the year ended March 2022 from 74.41 billion rupees a year ago.

Persons: Vivekanand Subbaraman, Sakshi Dayal, Rama Venkat, Krishna N, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Nigam Ltd, REUTERS, Sanchar Nigam Ltd, BSNL, Tata Consultancy Services, 5G, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Das, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, Chowdhuri BENGALURU, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ Borrell urges EU to crack down on imports of Indian fuels made with Russian oil -FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

India has emerged in the past year as a top buyer of Russian oil following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and top Indian refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS) have also signed a term deal to substantially increase and diversify oil grades delivered to India. According to ship-tracking data from Kpler, Reliance Industries (RELI.NS) and Nayara Energy were the key exporters of refined fuels and buyers of Russian oil. However, that has increased to 200,000 bpd after the EU banned Russian oil products imports from Feb. 5 this year, data from Kpler shows. Any mechanism to stem the flow of Russian oil would need to be implemented by the national authorities, Borrell told the FT, suggesting that the EU could target buyers of Indian refined fuels which it believes are derived from Russian crude.

So how did India’s population get so big, and how long will it last? The rise in population despite a drop in the fertility rate can be explained by “demographic momentum.”“When the fertility rate drops, the population continues to grow for several decades. So, even with a replacement or sub-replacement fertility rate, India’s population will continue to grow slowly because of the considerable number of women entering their reproductive years. India’s population growth is slowing downIndia may have overtaken China in total population, but UN data also shows that its growth rate has slowed. Uttar Pradesh, for instance, is home to 17% of India’s population but has only 9% of its industrial jobs.

☆ Alibaba sells out of India's Paytm - ANI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A QR code of Paytm is seen at a mobile repairing shop in Kolkata, India, November 9, 2021. REUTERS/Rupak De ChowdhuriBENGALURU, Feb 10 (Reuters) - China's Alibaba Group (9988.HK) has sold its remaining stake in Indian digital payments firm Paytm (PAYT.NS) through a block deal, India's ANI reportedon Friday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. Paytm and Alibaba did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. In January, Alibaba sold a 3.1% stake in the company through a block deal worth $125 million, a source with direct knowledge of the matter had told Reuters. Before that, the Chinese firm had a 6.26% stake in Paytm.

Adani Transmission (ADAI.NS), Adani Total Gas (ADAG.NS), Adani Green Energy (ADNA.NS), Adani Power (ADAN.NS) and Adani Wilmar (ADAW.NS) fell between 5% and 20% on Monday. It stayed well below the offer price of the issue, which if successful will be largest such share offering ever in India. Adani Enterprises' $2.5 billion secondary share sale closed its second day amid weak investor sentiment. The stock closed at 2,892.85 rupees, 7% below the 3,112 rupees lower end of the offer price band. "While there is a risk that the share sale does not go through, it will be crucial today to wait and see how institutional investors participate."

Lower imports by the world's second-biggest consumer of the precious metal could limit gains in global prices trading near their highest in eight months. The drop in imports could help in bringing down India's trade deficit and support the rupee . In value terms, December imports plunged to $1.18 billion from $4.73 billion a year ago, he said. The country's gold imports in 2022 dropped to 706 tonnes from 1,068 tonnes a year ago, another government official said. Local gold prices hit a high of 55,365 rupees ($677.72) per 10 grams in December, not far from the all-time peak of 56,191 rupees hit in August 2020.

☆ India's services growth at 6-month high on robust demand - PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Anant Chandak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Rupak De ChowdhuriBENGALURU, Jan 4 (Reuters) - India's services industry saw activity increase at the fastest pace in six months during the final month of 2022 amid robust demand, fuelling business optimism despite high costs, a private-sector survey showed. The S&P Global India services purchasing managers' index (PMI) (INPMIS=ECI) rose to 58.5 in December from 56.4 in the previous month, confounding expectation in a Reuters poll for a fall to 55.5. The index was above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction for the 17th straight month - the longest stretch of growth since June 2013. Hiring hit a five-month low, albeit in expansionary territory, even though the new business sub-index rose to a four-month high due to strong demand. Thanks to the growth in services as well as in manufacturing, the composite index rose to 59.4 in December, the highest since January 2012, from 56.7 in November.

☆ World Bank sees India's growth at 6.9% this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/FilesNEW DELHI, Dec 6 (Reuters) - India's economy is expected to grow 6.9% in the current fiscal year, the World Bank said on Tuesday, adding that it is well positioned to tackle global headwinds. The World Bank raised its forecast for India's growth to 6.9% for the current fiscal year from 6.5% earlier. However, the World Bank is confident that the global slowdown has a much lower impact on India, compared to other emerging economies. "We have no concerns about India's debt sustainability at this stage," World Bank economist Dhruv Sharma said, adding that public debt had declined. The report sees average retail inflation at 7.1% this year and warns that the fall in commodity prices could dampen inflationary pressures.

☆ EXCLUSIVE India mills renegotiate, default on sugar export deals to catch rising prices -dealers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The renegotiations and defaults by mills in India, the world's second biggest sugar exporter, could support global prices . Mills started selling sugar to trade houses in late August and signed deals to supply around 2 million tonnes of sugar for export even before New Delhi approved an export quota of 6 million tonnes earlier this month. They are threatening to default unless buyers are ready to renegotiate at higher prices," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house. The defaults by mills in Maharashtra are forcing trade houses to make purchases from mills in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, dealers said. Indian mills have so far signed contracts to export 4 million tonnes of sugar during November to February, they said.

☆ Indian bank stocks' record rally to continue as balance sheets strengthen
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Nupur Anand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A man checks his mobile phones in front of State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Kolkata, India, February 9, 2018. This comes at a time when credit growth is at a multi-year high and bad loans across lenders have reduced significantly. The brokerage said private and state-owned lenders that remained better placed to grow include ICICI Bank Ltd (ICBK.NS), HDFC Bank Ltd (HDBK.NS), Axis Bank Ltd (AXBK.NS), IndusInd Bank Ltd (INBK.NS), Bank of Baroda Ltd (BOB.NS) and State Bank of India (SBI) (SBI.NS). Credit growth is at a multi-year high, with an uptick both in retail and corporate loans. "One key concern going ahead remains how the rising interest rate scenario will impact credit growth."

☆ Indian billionaire Gautam Adani was a college dropout. Now he may be too big to fail
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate had just launched a hostile bid to take over an influential broadcaster in the capital. Rupak De Chowdhuri/ReutersMuch of his fortune is tied up in the sprawling Adani Group, which he founded over 30 years ago. Most of the companies in the Adani empire are held closely by the billionaire, his family and associated firms, including nearly 75% stakes in AEL, Adani Power, and Adani Transmissions. Yet, the Adani Group has continued to raise billions from Indian and foreign banks. CreditSights, a research firm owned by Fitch Group, in August published a report about Adani Group titled “Deeply Overleveraged” in which it expressed strong concerns.

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