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Israel's military said Wednesday that its forces killed more than 15 Hamas militants in northern Gaza over the past day and targeted militant infrastructure in a school. The latest deaths bring the Palestinian death toll from Israel’s offensive to 26,900, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. Here's the latest:150 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN GAZA IN THE PAST 24 HOURS, HEALTH MINISTRY SAYSRAFAH, Gaza Strip — Gaza’s Health Ministry says 150 people have been killed in the last 24 hours and another 313 were wounded. The nearly four-month war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted another 250. The military said Wednesday that its forces killed more than 15 Hamas militants in northern Gaza over the past day and targeted militant infrastructure in a school.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ‘, Biden, Jordan, — Biden, he’s, —, Khan Younis, “, Joe Biden’s, Jordan that’s, Yemen’s Houthi, U.N, Israel ”, Antonio Guterres, Houthi, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Arleigh Burke, Yahya Saree, ” Saree Organizations: Gaza’s Health Ministry, Gaza, Health Ministry, West Bank, MINISTRY, AS BIDEN, U.S . Navy, UN, GENEVA, UNRWA, Israel, World Health Organization, UNICEF, International Organization for Migration, Food, U.S . State Department, EU AIMS, The European Union, ’, SEA, U.S . military’s, Command Locations: Gaza, Israel, Iran, EU, Jordan, israel, GAZA, RAFAH, Hama, Gaza City, Khan, IRAN, JERUSALEM, Islamic Republic, Tehran, The U.S, Syria, Red, U.S, United States, ”, U.N, BRUSSELS, Yemen, Belgium, Germany, Iranian, British

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Palestinian death toll in Gaza from over three months of war between Israel and the territory's Hamas rulers has soared past 25,000, the Gaza Health Ministry said Sunday. At least 178 bodies were brought to Gaza's hospitals in 24 hours along with nearly 300 wounded people, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra. Gaza’s Health Ministry says a total of 25,105 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Oct. 7, and another 62,681 have been wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death toll but says around two-thirds of those killed were women and minors. The Israeli military says it has killed around 9,000 militants, without providing evidence, and blames the high civilian death toll on Hamas because it fights in dense, residential neighborhoods.

Persons: Ashraf al, Israel, Khan Younis, Qidra, Benjamin Netanyahu, ___ Magdy Organizations: Gaza Health Ministry, Health, United Nations, Health Ministry, Israeli Locations: RAFAH, Gaza, Israel, U.N, Cairo, israel, hama

☆ House Republicans unveil their plan to avert a government shutdown next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Scott Wong | Julie Tsirkin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Saturday unveiled their stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown set to begin next weekend. GOP hardliners had been pushing Johnson to include budget cuts as part of his two-tiered CR plan, a source involved in discussions told NBC News. "My opposition to the clean CR just announced by the Speaker to the @HouseGOP cannot be overstated. The laddered plan has the backing of Congress' most conservative members, including Republicans who normally never vote for stopgap bills. "I want a clean CR," declared Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Chip Roy, Texas, Roy, Pelosi, Ken Buck, Rosa DeLauro, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Dan Bishop, you've, that's, Bishop Organizations: U.S, Capitol, WASHINGTON —, Republicans, Saturday, Israel, GOP, NBC News, One, Republican, House Republicans, Democratic, Caucus, CR, Senate, Connecticut Rep, House Republican, North Locations: Hama, Gaza, Washington , DC, Ukraine, Southern, Connecticut, New York, Israel, North Carolina

Israel’s military is intensifying its ground operations in Gaza in another step that likely moves the country closer to its widely expected, larger ground invasion of the Hama-ruled territory. An Israeli military spokesman on Friday said ground forces were “expanding” their activities in Gaza, distinguishing the uptick from a series of ground raids that Israeli forces have conducted. It’s been more than two weeks since Israel’s military directed the evacuation of northern Gaza within 24 hours. "Simultaneously, we are preparing for a ground invasion. The White House on Thursday declined to comment on what Israel’s military is doing on the ground in Gaza.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, Israel, It’s, Benjamin Netanyahu Locations: Gaza, Hama, Israeli, “, Israel, U.S

☆ Israel-Hamas war live updates: UN warns fuel in Gaza will run out by tonight; Israel says Hamas is stockpiling existing supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache Matt Clinch | Ruxandra Iordache | Matt Clinch | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Hospitals in Gaza have been warning that they would have to shut down if they don't receive more fuel. Other supplies, such as water, medicine and food, continue to run low. The Israel Defense Forces insist that fuel is present in Gaza but monopolized by Hama. "The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas. Those horrendous attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he said on the X social media platform, previously known as Twitter.

Persons: Antonio Guterres Organizations: United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Israel Defense Forces, Twitter Locations: Gaza, Hama, U.N

☆ Israeli parents have been warned to take social media off of children's phones over fears of broadcasted hostage videos from Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Israeli parents are being warned to delete apps from their kids' phones over hostage video fears. A Tel Aviv school's parents association warned parents to remove apps like TikTok, CNN reported. Fears that fighters from the Palestinian militant group Hamas will broadcast videos of hostages taken from Israel have prompted warnings to Israeli parents to delete social media from their children's cell phones. The association asked parents to remove social media apps, including TikTok and Instagram, from their children's phones, according to the news outlet. Israel declared war on Hamas after the attacks, launching retaliatory strikes in Gaza, where hundreds more people have been killed.

Persons: —, Hama, Joe Biden, Eli Cohen, Israel Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Service, The New York Times, Israel Defense Forces, Israeli, Associated Press Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza

☆ An Israeli family found out 5 relatives were likely kidnapped by Hamas after video showing one of the kids being grabbed by armed militants appeared online
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An Israeli family believes that five relatives, including three kids, have been taken hostage by Hamas militants. They say a video emerged online showing one of the kids being grabbed by gunmen. The family is now pleading for the safe return of their missing relatives from the village of Nir Oz. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn Israeli family believes that five relatives, including three children, were taken hostage by Hamas fighters amid the Palestinian militant group's attacks on Israel after seeing a video showing one of the kids being grabbed by gunmen appear online. The assault by the Hamas militant group has already left more than 900 dead in Israel, with many more injured.

Persons: Nir Oz, —, Carmela Dan, Erez Kalderon, Sahar Kalderon, Noya Dan, Ofer Kalderon, Noam Dan, Sabrina Belhassen, Nimtzovitch, Hama, Israel, Alisa Shodiyev Kaff Organizations: Service, Hamas, The New York Times Locations: Israel, Nir, Gaza, Belhassen

☆ Bill Ackman calls on Harvard to release the names of students in groups holding Israel responsible for Hamas violence — so CEOs don't 'inadvertently hire' them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bill Ackman is calling on Harvard to release the names of students who are part of groups that signed a letter solely blaming Israel for the crisis in Gaza. The billionaire says he and other CEOs want to know so they don't "inadvertently hire any of their members." The letter has drawn backlash from many Harvard alums, including Ackman, for its staunch position. AdvertisementAdvertisementBillionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has called on Harvard University to release the names of students who are members of organizations that signed a letter saying Israel is "entirely responsible" for the violence unfolding in the region. His request to release students' names has received a mixed response on Twitter — certainly not everyone agreed.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Israel, —, Ackman, Ian Bremmer, Larry Summers, Seth Moulton, Ted Cruz, Hama, Claudine Gay Organizations: Harvard, Service, Harvard University, Eurasia Group, Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups, Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee, US, Pershing, Capital Management, Pershing Square Foundation, Center for Jewish, Rights Watch, America, Twitter Locations: Gaza, Israel, Harvard Palestine, Harvard

Cord Jefferson's “American Fiction,” a biting satire starring Jeffrey Wright as a disillusioned academic, has won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, a much-watched bellwether in the Oscar race. Toronto's audience award winner, voted on by festival attendees, has historically nearly always signified a best-picture contender at the Academy Awards. Why is this the only thing we have to offer to culture?”The Toronto International Film Festival, which wraps Sunday, was diminished this year due to the ongoing actors and writers strikes. Red-carpet premieres were mostly without movie stars, detracting from some of the buzz that the largest film festival in North American typically generates. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe” and the midnight madness award went to Larry Charles' “Dicks: The Musical."

Persons: Cord Jefferson's, Jeffrey Wright, Jefferson, Percival Everett’s, “, Peter Farrelly's, Steven Spielberg's “, ”, Alexander Payne's “, Paul Giamatti, Hayao Miyazaki's, Sterling K, Brown, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Black, Yorgos, Robert McCallum’s “, Larry Charles, Tarsem Singh Dhandwar's, Meredith Hama, Jeffrey Wright’s, Jake Coyle Organizations: Toronto, Academy, MGM, Venice Film, Lion, FIPRESCI, Twitter Locations: North, Venice

When mutinous soldiers seized power in the West African nation of Burkina Faso early last year, the president of neighboring Niger struck a dismissive note. “This is nonsense,” President Mohamed Bazoum told two Western diplomats who sat in his office as news of the coup came through. How cynical was it, Mr. Bazoum remarked, that the soldiers responsible for securing Burkina Faso had overthrown the government in the name of restoring security. Now Mr. Bazoum faces the same fate. Mr. Bazoum’s Western and African allies are trying to negotiate his release, and West African army chiefs on Friday were set to finalize a possible military intervention in Niger.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Burkina Faso, Bazoum’s Organizations: Burkina, West Locations: West African, Burkina Faso, Niger

☆ West African nations mull troop contributions for possible Niger intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Boureima Balima | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

West African leaders gather for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Head of States and Government meeting in Abuja, Nigeria August 10, 2023. ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) said all options were on the table and they still hoped for a peaceful resolution to the Niger crisis. Security analysts said an ECOWAS force could take weeks or longer to assemble, potentially leaving room for negotiations. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara on Thursday promised to supply a battalion of troops to the standby force. The African Union welcomed ECOWAS' decision to activate a regional force and continue to seek a diplomatic solution.

Persons: Abraham Achirga, Mohamed Bazoum, Alassane Ouattara, Sering Modou, Ledgerhood Rennie, Ikemesit Effiong, Hama Moussa, Issa Seydou, Antony Blinken, Bazoum, They’ve, Pap, Ange Aboa, Alberto Dabo, Alphonso Toweh, Diadie, Edward McAllister, Anait Miridzhanian, Nellie Peyton, David Lewis, Ingrid Melander, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Economic Community, West African States, REUTERS, ECOWAS, Economic, West, Ivory, SBM Intelligence, African Union, Military, EU, Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, NIAMEY, Niger, West, Central Africa, West African States, Ivory Coast, Ivorian, Senegal, Sahel, U.S, Niamey, Russia, France, United States, Mali, Burkina Faso, Banjul, Abidjan, Bissau, Monrivia, Diadie Ba, Dakar

Stocking up on rice, fleeing the capital by bus or vowing to defend their new military leaders, many in Niger braced this weekend for a deadline imposed by a 15-member bloc of West African nations for the country’s junta to relinquish power. But that deadline to restore democracy or face military action expired on Sunday. But the ultimatum also rallied many Nigeriens behind their new military leaders. West African officials said that they would employ force only as a last resort, and most analysts said that a conflict appeared unlikely, at least in the near term. But ECOWAS military officials said that they did have a plan for an intervention, if needed.

Persons: Niger’s, insurgencies, Abdourahmane Tchiani Organizations: West, Economic Locations: Niger, West African States, Africa, Niamey

It left us with nothing," Zuhaira told Reuters. The speed of the wind was a factor in the excessive spread of the fires," Qatna told Reuters during a tour of the area. [1/5]A firefighter attempts to extinguish a wildfire, in the northern countryside of Latakia, Syria July 29, 2023. Syria has been severely impacted climate change in recent years, including rising temperatures and erratic rainfall which have led to forest fires and poor harvests. "Syrians were already especially vulnerable because of the impacts of more than 12 years of conflict, which makes it even harder for them to deal with the impacts of climate change," Zakkout told Reuters.

Persons: Izzadin Zuhaira, I've, Zuhaira, Mohammad Hassaan Qatna, Qatna, Suhair Zakkout, Zakkout, Firas Makdesi, Maya Gebeily, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Reuters, Firefighters, REUTERS, International Committee, Thomson Locations: Syria, Latakia, Homs, Hama, Damascus, Beirut

☆ Protesters descend on French Embassy in Niger shouting 'long live Putin'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Omar Hama Saley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Niamey, Niger CNN —Tense and sometimes violent scenes played out in front of the French Embassy in Niger Sunday as thousands of people who support a military coup voiced anger over France’s influence in its former colony. Some protesters tore down a plaque identifying the Embassy, stomped on it and then replaced it with Russian and Nigerien flags. Shouts of “long live Putin,” “long live Russia” and “down with France” could be heard among the crowds. President Emmanuel Macron’s office said France would immediately retaliate against anyone who attacks French nationals or facilities in Niger. Niger’s military leaders may have found one potential ally: the country’s eastern neighbor, Chad.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mohamed Bazoum, Putin, ”, Emmanuel Macron’s, Bazoum, Stringer, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, ‘ We’re, I’ve, Karimou Sidi, “ Organizations: Niger CNN, Embassy, Kremlin, Russian, Nigerien, Niger, National Council for, Homeland, Reuters, West African States, Sunday, ECOWAS, European Union, ” Locations: Niamey, Niger, stomped, Nigerien, Russia, France, Reuters Niger, Republic of Niger, ”, Chad, Niger’s, Africa ’ Niger, French, Kanto, Africa, ” Kanto, St, Petersburg, Ukraine, Sahel, Burkina Faso

Soldiers from the presidential guard in the West African nation of Niger barricaded the president in his palace in an apparent mutiny on Wednesday, according to the president’s office and the regional bloc of neighboring states. The standoff raised fears of a coup in a region that has lately been jolted by many. Militant groups linked to both Al Qaeda and Islamic State operate there. Mr. Bazoum was elected in 2021 in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power. He has been one of the West’s most reliable partners in a volatile region filled with aging presidents clinging to power and young military officers who have seized control by force.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Al, Bazoum Organizations: Militant, Islamic Locations: West African, Niger, Niamey, Africa, France, Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Niger’s

CNN —The leader of Niger has reportedly been seized by members of the presidential guard, triggering warnings from regional powers a coup is underway. They said heavily armed members of the Presidential Guard began assembling outside the Presidential Palace early on Wednesday morning. The journalist observed roughly twenty members of the Presidential Guard outside the palace complex later in the day. A statement on the presidency’s social media channels said President Mohamed Bazoum is “doing well.” CNN cannot verify the statement. Boureima Hama/AFP/Getty ImagesNigerian president Bola Tinubu – the current chair of ECOWAS – has also issued a statement condemning “unpleasant developments” in Niger.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, ”, Boureima, Bola Tinubu, –, Tinbu, Bazoum Organizations: CNN, West African States, “, Presidential Guard, Republic, Army, National Guard, “ ECOWAS, United States Africa Command, Reuters, Agence France, Presse, country’s Ministry of Defence, Ministry, Interior, la Republique, Agency, Getty Images, ECOWAS Locations: Niger, Niamey, ”, West, Republic, United, AFP, “, Rue, Boureima Hama, Republic of Niger, West Africa, France

Military officers in the West African nation of Niger ousted the country’s president on Wednesday, they said in an address on national television, throwing into uncertainty the future of one of the West’s few reliable partners in a region marred by coups and widespread insecurity. Army officials representing different branches of Niger’s military, which has received support from the United States and France, among others, said they had “put an end to the regime” of President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger, following a day of stalled negotiations where members of the presidential guard held him hostage in the presidential palace. The officers removed Mr. Bazoum “due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance,” Col. Amadou Abdramane, an official of the Nigerien air force, said in a statement read on television. The statement also said the officers were closing the country’s borders.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Col, Amadou Abdramane Organizations: Nigerien Locations: West African, Niger, United States, France

☆ Syria struggles to contain wildfires as temperatures rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A wildfire burns near buildings in the countryside, causing some residents to evacuate, in al-Marana village, Homs, Syria July 18, 2023 in this handout image. SHAM FM/Handout via REUTERSDAMASCUS, July 18 (Reuters) - Firefighters were battling on Tuesday to extinguish multiple wildfires raging across the central Syrian countryside, local civil defence officials said, as temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country. Another was raging across agricultural zones in the adjacent province of Homs, the head of civil defence there told SANA, saying civil defence teams were struggling to contain it due to "the mountainous and rugged terrain". Local outlet Sham FM reported that families from the village of al-Marana had fled their homes as the wildfire approached. They have shrunk Syria's wheat crop in recent years down some 75% from around 4 million tonnes annually pre-war.

Persons: Amjad Hammad, SANA, Marana, Mounira, Kinda Makieh, Maya Gebeily, Alex Richardson Organizations: Firefighters, Sham, Thomson Locations: al, Homs, Syria, DAMASCUS, Hama, Palmyra, Damascus, Maldives

☆ Israel hits areas in Syria's Hama and Tartous countryside - Syrian state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMMAN, March 12 (Reuters) - Israel launched several rocket strikes on areas in Syria's Hama province and the coastal Tartous countryside on Sunday, Syrian state media reported. Rockets flew from across northern Lebanon towards their targets, with three military personnel injured according to the report, which gave no further details. An Israeli military spokesperson declined comment. An Israeli air strike knocked Aleppo airport out of service on Tuesday and caused "material damage" to the airport, according to Syrian state media. Iran's proxy militias, led by Hezbollah, now hold sway in vast areas in eastern, southern and northwestern Syria and in several suburbs around the capital.

[1/4] Survivors rest while a woman reacts at a hospital in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem 1 2 3 4Authorities say some 6,500 buildings in Turkey collapsed and countless more were damaged. The U.S. Agency for International Development will provide $85 million in urgent humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria. SYRIA OVERWHELMEDIn Syria, relief efforts are complicated by a conflict that has partitioned the country and wrecked its infrastructure. The Syrian government views the delivery of aid to rebel-held areas from Turkey as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

☆ Plight of homeless deepens as Turkey-Syria earthquake toll passes 17,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The death toll from Monday's quakes, which struck in the early morning, passed 17,000 on Thursday across both countries. It was the biggest natural disaster to strike the region since 1999, when a similarly powerful quake killed more than 17,000 people in Turkey. People, whose relatives are trapped under the rubble, react in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. An aerial view shows tents placed at a stadium in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras , Turkey, February 9, 2023. Syria overwhelmed In Syria, relief efforts are complicated by a conflict that has partitioned the country and wrecked its infrastructure.

☆ Earthquake leaves Syrians across frontlines with shared catastrophe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That’s humanity," said Suleiman, who was displaced to Idlib from Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria during the war. State media say at least 812 people perished in government-held areas including Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartous. It's a country that is inhabited by death," said Hassan Hussein, from the coastal city and government stronghold of Tartous. In the rebel-held city of Atareb, Yousef Haboush lamented how the quake had forced many from their homes yet again. One of the residents, Abu Hamid, said he felt a sense of "proximity" to other Syrians, including those in rebel-held areas.

[1/2] A man stands near a damaged vehicle, following an earthquake, in rebel-held Azaz, Syria February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Mahmoud HassanoSummary Quake strikes central Turkey, northwest SyriaHundreds of buildings across the region brought downRescuers begin hunt for untold numbers trapped in rubbleDIYARBAKIR/ANKARA, Turkey, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A major earthquake of magnitude 7.9 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, killing about 200 people as buildings collapsed across the snowy region, and triggering a search for survivors trapped in rubble. "I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I've lived," said Erdem, a resident of the Turkish city of Gaziantep, near the quake's epicentre, who declined to give his surname. The United States was "profoundly concerned" about the quake in Turkey and Syria and was monitoring events closely, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter. More than 17,000 people were killed in 1999 when a 7.6-magnitude quake struck Izmit, a city southeast of Istanbul.

☆ Powerful quake rocks Turkey and Syria, kills more than 3,400
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A man carries a girl following an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria February 6, 2023. People search through rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. Rescuers carry out a girl from a collapsed building following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. He said their shared four-story building collapsed just as he, his wife and three children ran toward the exit. Rescuers stand on rubble of a collapsed building, following an earthquake, in Latakia, Syria, February 6, 2023 in this handout image.

☆ Powerful earthquake kills at least 200 in Turkey and Syria, toll expected to rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Rescuers search for victims of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Diyarbakir, Turkey, in this video grab from AFP TV taken Feb. 6, 2023. A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and triggering a frantic search for survivors in the rubble in cities and towns across the area. At least 207 were killed and hundreds injured, and the toll was expected to rise. On both sides of the border, residents were jolted out of sleep by the tremors several hours before dawn and rushed outside in a cold, rainy and snowy winter night. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed to 111 with at least 516 injured, according to Syrian state media.

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