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☆ Navalny is the latest in a long line of Putin critics who met an early death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

CNN —When Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny returned to Russia in 2021, there were many who feared he would face an untimely end. The Kremlin has said it is investigating the critic’s death, the circumstances of which were not immediately clear. After his death, opposition leader Ilya Yashin said his friend had been working on a report about Russian troops and their involvement in Ukraine. Nemtsov’s death came two days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. Alexander PerepilichnyyOver the years, suggestions have emerged of the possible use of a rare plant poison in the death of Russian financier Alexander Perepilichnyy.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Navalny, Yegveny Prigozhin Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Reuters Yevgeny Prigozhin, –, Bill Browder, “ Putin, ” Boris Nemtsov, Boris Nemtsov, Dmitry Korotayev, Boris Yeltsin, Ilya Yashin, Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin, Nemtsov’s, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Yelena Gorbunova, Peter Macdiarmid, Boris Berezovsky, Putin, Berezovsky, Alexander Perepilichnyy, CNN Alexander Perepilichnyy, Perepilichnyy, Sergei Magnitsky, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Magnitsky, Browder, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Natasja Weitsz, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko –, Robert Owen, Putin “, Litvinenko, Marina Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, JENS SCHLUETER, Lom, Ali Gaitukayev, Politkovskaya, Chechen Republic …, ” Drownings, Prigozhin, Gennady Lopyrev –, “, Lopyrev, Pyotr Kucherenko, Pavel Antov, Vladimir Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Buzakov, Anatoly Gerashchenko, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Maganov “, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CNN, Putin’s United, “, Kremlin, PMC Wagner, Reuters, Republican Party of Russia, Party, Newsweek, Royal Botanic, Getty Images, Hermitage Capital, KGB, Getty, Authorities, The, Protect Journalists, RIA Novosti, Russia’s, Science, Higher Education, Gazprom, Lukoil, Moscow Aviation Institute, TASS Locations: Russia, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Putin’s United Russia, Ukraine, ” Boris Nemtsov Russian, Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, London's, England, Soviet Union, Britain, Surrey, London, Kew, American, Chechnya, Leipzig, Germany, AFP, The New York, Chechen Republic, Washington, Gelendzhik, ”, Cuba, India, United States

☆ Russia's Wagner Group expands into Africa's Sahel with a new brand
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty ImagesWagner Group has been replaced by a new entity known as Russia's Africa Corps across its key strongholds in the continent, its new leader has confirmed. The new entity has been subsuming operations in Mali and Libya for several months, and negotiations to establish a Russian military base in the CAR are reportedly underway. watch now"The Africa Corps consists of mercenaries and volunteers, and does not form part of the Russian Armed Forces. It began recruiting in December 2023, and has also included job offers for former Wagner Group mercenaries; it may also recruit local residents," they explained. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov oversaw the creation of the Africa Corps, which is expected to be fully completed by this summer.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Utkin, Anton Yelizarov, Ibrahim Traoré, Piotr Żochowski, Miłosz Bartosiewicz, Yunus, bek Yevkurov, Yevkurov Organizations: Afp, Getty, Wagner, Africa Corps, Central African, Russian National Guard, Russian Federation, Telegram, Centre, Eastern Studies, CAR, Africa, Russian Armed Forces, Wagner Group, CES Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Belarus, Russia, Cossack, Sahel, Russian, Warsaw, Algeria, Africa, Ouagadougou

☆ What I got wrong about loyalty at work
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Aki Ito | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In the story, I wrote that people seem to divide into two groups when it comes to the decline of workplace loyalty . To my surprise, a lot of older readers took issue with getting lumped into the pro-loyalty camp. Someone else wrote, more gently, "While I feel you're spot on with most of your facts you've got gen x all wrong." They added: "My generation leads in workplace dissatisfaction and realized 2 decades ago that there was no more corporate loyalty." There isn't a generational divide over workplace loyalty, these readers were telling me.

Persons: Gen Xers, Gen Zers, I'd, Readers, X, Gabriel, he'd, I'm, they've, I've, —, Gen, isn't, Aki Ito Organizations: Business Locations: American, America, TikTok

“The Russian government must have the data of how many foreign fighters have joined the Russian army and how many Nepalis are fighting for Russia,” she said. The Russian foreign ministry has not responded to CNN’s questions about the number of Nepalis recruited by the Russian army and how many of them have died so far. She thought her husband, Shukra Tamang – a retired Nepali army soldier fighting for Russia – was the person calling. A photo shows Shukra Tamang, a retired Nepali army soldier, training in Russia. Bonuses paidNepali men who want to join the Russian army first travel to Russia on a tourist visa.

Persons: Nepal CNN — Ramchandra Khadka, Khadka, “, ” Khadka, Ramchandra Khadka, ”, Bimala Rai Paudyal, Nepalis, Kritu Bhandari, Russia haven’t, Bhandari, ‘, Januka Sunar’s, hasn’t, Sunar, …, Januka Sunar, it’ll, Tamang, Shukra Tamang, Shukra, –, Russia –, Shishir Bishwokarma, Avangard, Suman Tamang, ” Tamang, “ It’s, It’s, Binoj Basnyat, Ram Sharma, Sharma, ” Sharma, Saud, Nepalis haven’t, Bhupendra Bahadur Khatri, hadn’t, ” Khatri, Basnyat Organizations: Nepal CNN, Russia, Ukraine, CNN, Russian, Henley & Partners, Bank, Communist Party of Nepal, Maoist, CNN CNN, YouTube, AK, Moscow Oblast, Avangard, United Arab, Agents, Moscow, CNN Kathmandu, World Bank Locations: Kathmandu, Nepal, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Bakhmut –, Bakhmut, North Korea, Januka, Nepali, Avangard, Indian, United Arab Emirates, India, Dubai, UAE

☆ Coup juntas threaten to quit West Africa bloc: Here’s what it means for the region — and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

ACCRA, Ghana - ECOWAS flag with member flags at the second extraordinary summit on the political situation in Burkina Faso, in Accra, Ghana, on February 3, 2022. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - Jan. 20, 2023: A banner of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a protest to support the Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore and to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces. Mali has ruled out leaving WAEMU, while Burkina Faso is considering it. "Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will likely draw on the extractive sector to improve their weak economies. A recent UN Development Programme report surveyed 5,000 people who had directly experienced a recent coup or unconstitutional change of government, including citizens of Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan.

Persons: NIPAH DENNIS, Bola Tinubu, Vladimir Putin, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Alex Vines, there'd, Tinubu, Ouattara, —, Vines, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk Maplecroft, Durmaz, Balima Boureima, insurgencies, Wagner, Niger, specter, Mohamed Bazoum, Rey Byhre Organizations: Getty, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Nigerian, Africa, Chatham House, CNBC, Algeria —, West, Cote D'Ivoire, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Wagner Group, West African Economic, Monetary Union, CFA, National Council for, UN Locations: ACCRA, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Accra, AFP, Mali, Niger, Sahel, Mauritania, OUAGADOUGOU, Chatham, France, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Malian, Russia, Bamako, Mucahid, West Africa, Togo, Benin, Cote, NIAMEY, NIGER, Niamey, West, U.S, Moscow, WAEMU, Seme, Chad, Guinea, Sudan, The Gambia, Tanzania, Kati

☆ Russian prisoners sent to Ukraine must now fight until the end of the war rather than for 6 months, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRussian prisoners who are sent to fight in Ukraine are now being made to serve until the war ends instead of just for six months, the BBC reported. Russia has sent tens of thousands of prisoners to fight in Ukraine since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. AdvertisementOthers who have family members in Storm V units also say their relatives will have to stay until the war is over, the report said. AdvertisementSome of the recruited prisoners were convicted of violent crimes, and some of those pardoned have been accused of crimes since returning to Russia. Some Storm V soldiers get just three to five days of training before they are despatched to Ukraine, the BBC reported.

Persons: —, Sergei, Storm, SERGEY SHESTAK, Wagner, I've Organizations: Service, BBC, Business, Storm, Getty Images, Russia's Ministry of Defence Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Transbaikal, Russian, Bakhmut, AFP, Getty Images Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Ex-Wagner mercenaries may be heading back to Ukraine, but this time with Russia's National Guard, intel says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewFormer Wagner Group fighters are being absorbed into Russia's national guard and may soon be deployed to Ukraine, according to Western intelligence, as Moscow continues to assume control over the ruthless mercenary organization. Russian President Vladimir Putin in late-December authorized the country's National Guard, also known as Rosgvardia, to create its own volunteer arrangements. AdvertisementMembers of the Wagner Group prepare to depart from the Southern Military District's headquarters and return to their base in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24, 2023. Some in the West observed this as an effort to strengthen the national guard. AdvertisementRussian police and National Guard (Rosgvardia) servicemen patrol Red Square in central Moscow on Oct. 20, 2021.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Arkady Budnitsky, Vladimir Putin's, Viktor Zolotov, Rosgvardia, Putin, ALEXANDER NEMENOV, Moscow, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, country's National Guard, Volunteer Corps, Business, Southern Military, Anadolu Agency, Getty, National Guard, Institute for, Bakhmut, Kremlin, Africa Corps, Nazi Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Africa, Russia, Rostov, Don, Red, AFP, Africa —

☆ Analysis-West Africa's 'Brexit' Moment Spells Trouble for the Region
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Ivory Coast alone is home to more than 5 million people from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Earlier this month, Russia and Niger, ruled by a junta since a coup last year, agreed to develop military ties. Russian military personnel flew into Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou last week to ensure the safety of the country's military leader. EMPTY THREATECOWAS has responded to a wave of coups in the region since 2020 with sanctions that the juntas have called "illegal and inhumane." "The departure from ECOWAS will have catastrophic consequences for the ability to respond to the many security challenges facing this region," said Abba.

Persons: Bate Felix, David Lewis, Giulia Paravicini, Seidik Abba, Russia's Wagner, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk Maplecroft, Charlie Robertson, Kwesi Aning, Gilles Yabi, Adama Coulibaly, Nagnouma Keita, Abba, Tiemoko Diallo, Boureima, Silvia Aloisi, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Giulia Paravicini DAKAR, West, West African States, Reuters, Islamic, FIM Partners, European Union, ECOWAS, CFA Locations: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Russia, Ivory Coast, Niger . Niger, Nigeria, Paris, Ghana, Togo, Benin, France, United States, Burkina Faso's, Ouagadougou, West Africa, United, London, Bamako, Guinea, China

☆ Russian Parliament to Ask French Counterpart if It Knew of 'French Mercenaries' in Ukraine - Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, plans to formally ask France's National Assembly if it is aware that French mercenaries have been fighting on Ukraine's side, Vyacheslav Volodin, the Duma's chairman, said on Friday. France rejected the allegations, saying it was helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity but had no mercenaries in Ukraine "unlike certain others". "In France, the mercenary trade is forbidden by law," Volodin wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The Duma would consider its address to the French parliament at the next meeting of the lower chamber of parliament which is scheduled for Jan. 23, he said. Russia announced on Thursday it had summoned the French ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over the mercenary allegations.

Persons: Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Vladimir Putin, Andrew Osborn Organizations: State Duma, Russian Defence Ministry, Duma, Foreign Ministry, Reuters Locations: MOSCOW, Kharkiv, France, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Russia will be scared to deploy its precious command planes after the 'embarrassing' loss of 2 of them, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine said it damaged two Russian command aircraft — a Russian A-50 radar early-warning plane and Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post — on Sunday, hitting the planes with its air defense systems. A photo that purports to show the wing of a Russian Il-22 aircraft shared by pro-war Russian milblogger Fighterbomber. Considering those losses together, Manon said: "For the Russian Air Force, it's kind of embarrassing." Given the limited supply, the latest developments are "a pretty big loss" for Russia, Manon said, adding that these aircraft are a key resource for Russia. Ukraine says it needs more air defense equipment, with Russia trying to erode Ukraine's stockpiles to clear the way for unobstructed attacks.

Persons: —, Rajan Manon, Manon, Gustav Gressel, Wagner, Sefa, shootdowns Organizations: Service, Business, Ilyushin, European Council, Foreign Relations, UK Ministry of Defence, Russian Air Force, Wagner Group, Anadolu Agency, Getty, NATO, Ukrainian Air Force Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Belarus, Minsk .

☆ Ukraine says it hit 2 prized Russian command aircraft in just one day
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewUkraine said it hit two Russian command aircraft in a single day over the weekend. And opposition activists in Belarus said they destroyed a Russian A-50 in their country last February. AdvertisementNeither Ukraine nor Russia release figures for how many of their aircraft have been destroyed, and no fully verified figures exist. But Ukraine has destroyed multiple Russian aircraft in the conflict. Even so, Ukraine is warning that it needs to boost its air defense arsenal to stop Russian aircraft and the drones and missiles that have hit its towns and cities.

Persons: —, HUR, Jake Epstein, Wagner Organizations: Service, Kyiv Post, Ilyushin, Business, Forbes, UK Ministry of Defence, Ilyushin Il, Wagner Group Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Zaporizhzhia, Russia, Belarus

I don’t know. ross douthatIt’s true that he didn’t want the vice president to have a sort of separate political agenda. I don’t think that it was a fait accompli —ross douthatThat’s true. He would legitimately sabotage, kneecap his own vice president, just to prove no one else could do it. carlos lozadaLet’s just say, I will be your vice president, Michelle, anytime.

Persons: michelle cottle, I’m Michelle Cottle, ross douthat I’m Ross Douthat, carlos lozada I’m Carlos Lozada, lydia polgreen, Lydia Polgreen, ross douthat, carlos lozada, That’s, Ross, Michelle, what’s, — carlos lozada Oh, ”, Donald John Trump, it’s, Lozada, LYDIA, — carlos lozada Selena, michelle cottle We’re, they’re, Selena Meyer, michelle cottle Ross, Carlos, ross, Joe Biden, Biden, Obama, — carlos lozada Super, haven’t, Dick Cheney, carlos lozada Pence, Pence, Cheney, Kamala Harris, — carlos lozada, carlos lozada Weirdly, won’t, Richard Nixon, Al Gore, — ross douthat, lydia polgreen —, Kamala Harris —, Mike Pence, ross douthat They’re, Harris, George H.W Bush, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller, Gerald Ford, Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Lieberman, — carlos lozada Joementum, michelle cottle Joementum, Gore, Trump, Newt Gingrich, It’s, michelle cottle Let’s, carlos lozada Well, Elaine Kamarck, J.F.K, Southern L.B.J, Carter, Mondale, Bush, Jules Witcover, lydia polgreen Scintillating, Quayle, Jesus, carlos lozada Right, Dan Quayle, George H.W, lydia polgreen Hah, V.P.s, Truman, — ross, ross douthat Really, — Yup, carlos lozada Biden, lydia polgreen Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, George H.W . Bush, Dan, John McCain, Sarah Palin, — michelle cottle, gosh, Palin, lydia polgreen “, Tina Fey, carlos lozada The Palin, We’ve, John the Baptist, Donald Trump’s, lydia polgreen Wow, michelle cottle Oh, ross douthat Sarah, Jimmy Carter, White, carlos lozada Jimmy Carter, michelle cottle Fine, polgreen, michelle cottle Alrighty, hasn’t, CARLOS SIGHS, lydia polgreen Boy, michelle cottle Carlos, Donald Trump, who’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kari Lake, carlos lozada I, michelle cottle He’s, he’s, —, lydia polgreen That’s, lydia polgreen MAGA King, Lydia, — michelle cottle That’s, let’s, there’s, Nikki Haley, MICHELLE, Haley, There’s, carlos lozada Doesn’t, George W, Bush’s, michelle cottle Dick Cheney, ross douthat I’m, — michelle cottle You’re, Vivek, Nikki Haley’s, I’m, Ron DeSantis, Kristi Noem — lydia polgreen, Michelle — michelle cottle —, Kristi Noem, Rushmore, CARLOS, it’ll, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, MAGA, Vance, michelle cottle There’s, Elise Stefanik, doesn’t, ross douthat Trump, we’ll, — lydia polgreen, ross douthat —, carlos lozada —, Mueller, Nikki doesn’t, ROSS, don’t, can’t, Nikki, Nikki —, Peter Baker, Susan Glasser — michelle cottle, carlos lozada It’s, michelle cottle Hey, carlos lozada There’s, Walter Mondale, michelle cottle Can’t, carlos lozada Oh, carlos lozada Whoa, michelle cottle Woohoohoo, carlos lozada Potato, lydia polgreen Oh, MICHELLE GASPS, lydia polgreen Oooh, I’ve, michelle cottle That’s, michelle cottle I’d, michelle cottle Don’t, carlos lozada Let’s, Phoebe Lett, Sophia Alvarez Boyd, Derek Arthur, Alison Bruzek, Kate Sinclair, Mary Marge Locker, Michelle Harris, Efim Shapiro, Carole Sabouraud, Pat McCusker, Shannon Busta, Kristina Samulewski, Rose Strasser, carlos lozada — “, ” Jimmy Carter’s, lydia polgreen Woo, Frank Church, Scoop Jackson, John Glenn, Ed Muskie, Adlai Stevenson, Pete Rodino, Muskie, ross douthat We’re, — carlos lozada It’s, — carlos lozada Yes, Lord Jesus Organizations: New York, Iowa Republicans, ross douthat Real, HBO, Hollywood, Bush, Republican, Trump, Biden, Republicans, Southern, Conservative, Democratic, “, carlos lozada Central, Heritage Foundation, Supreme, State, New Hampshire, Michigan, University of Notre Dame, Irish, Associated Press, Notre Dame, hashtag Locations: Iowa, Minnesota, California, ‘, Massachusetts, Clinton, Gore, Cheney, America, George H.W ., Russia, —, New Spain, South Dakota, New, American, Michigan, Washington, Plains

☆ Russia likely doesn't know how many troops it's lost because its military has a 'culture of dishonest reporting': UK intel
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has likely seen up to 350,000 casualties since its invasion of Ukraine, the UK MOD said. But that figure is an estimate, and Russia probably doesn't even know the real figure, it said. Russia has "a long-established culture of dishonest reporting within the military," the MOD said. The UK MOD said in an intelligence update on Monday that Russia has likely seen up to 350,000 casualties since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia likely doesn't have an accurate count itself, the MOD said.

Persons: — Organizations: MOD, Service, UK Ministry of Defence, UK, Wagner, NATO, UN Locations: Russia, Ukraine

There’s a genocide in the making in Darfur, Sudan — for the second time in 20 years. This time, the violence is happening on President Biden’s watch, and he and his administration have not done enough to stop it. In recent weeks, Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a mercenary-commercial enterprise, has overrun four of the five main cities in Darfur, a region in western Sudan. After the Rapid Support Forces seized the town of Ardamata on Nov. 4, some 1,500 people were slaughtered, according to a Darfur human rights group. The paramilitaries are mobile and ferocious, and their adversaries in the regular army, the Sudan Armed Forces in Darfur are demoralized and outgunned.

Persons: Sudan —, Biden’s, Biden, El Fasher, Omar al, Bashir, Darfuri Organizations: Kenyan, Sudan’s, Rapid Support Forces, Sudan Armed Forces Locations: Darfur, Sudan, Ardamata, North Darfur, El

The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesAnother political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Fred White, 67. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin’s, Henry Kissinger, Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter, Silvio Berlusconi, Dianne Feinstein, James Buckley, James Abourezk, Nigel Lawson, Pervez Musharraf, Sandra Day O’Connor, Li Keqiang, Martti Ahtisaari, United Nations Bill Richardson, Gov, Sheila Oliver, Theodoros Pangalos, Tina Turner, Ike Turner, Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree, Tom Sizemore, Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Cormac McCarthy, William Friedkin, Bob Barker, Jerry Springer, Louise Glück, Jeff Beck, Mary Quant, Kaija Saariaho, Lloyd Morrisett, Fred White, Maurice, Verdine White, Ken Block, Walter Cunningham, Fay Weldon, ” Jan, Russell Pearce, Charles Simic, Lynette “ Diamond ” Hardaway, Donald Trump, Diamond, Constantine, Jan, Tatjana Patitz, George Michael’s, Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley, Robbie Knievel, Evel Knievel, Ray Cordeiro, Elmo, Cookie, Gina Lollobrigida, Chris Ford, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Cindy Williams, Shirley, “ Laverne, Billy Packer, Sylvia Syms, Alex ”, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, “ Papa, Rollin ’ Stone, Tom Verlaine, Patti Smith, Bobby Hull, Paco Rabanne, Harry Whittington, Dick Cheney, Hsing Yun, ”, San Jose ”, Carlos Saura, Spain’s, Hugh Hudson, Oscar, “ Greystroke, Hans Modrow, David Jude Jolicoeur, Huey “, ” Smith, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, “, Leiji Matsumoto, Yamato ”, Tim McCarver, Stella Stevens, Jerry Lewis’s, John Munch, Ahmed Qureia, Betty Boothroyd, Ricou Browning, Gill, Gérard Latortue, Fontaine, Barbara Everitt Bryant, Ryan ”, Kenzaburo Oe, Judy Heumann, Gary Rossington, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Georgina Beyer, Traute Lafrenz, Rose, Peterson Zah, Tevye, Robert Blake, Jiang Yanyong, Bud Grant, Dick Fosbury, Pat Schroeder, Gloria Bosman, Jacqueline Gold, Britain’s Ann Summers, John Wick ”, John Jenrette, Juana La, Willis Reed, Darcelle, Paul O’Grady, Lily Savage, Emperor ”, Hedda Kleinfeld Schachter, Margaret Thatcher, Ben Ferencz, Nuremberg, Elisabeth Kopp, Michael Lerner, Jack Lipnick, “ Barton Fink, Bugsy Calhoun, Anne Perry, Thomas Pitt, William Monk, Al Jaffee, magazine’s, Charles Stanley, Richard Riordan, Todd Haimes, Tony Awards, Barry Humphries, Tony, Dame Edna Everage, Len Goodman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, Emmett Till, LeRoy “ Lee ” Carhart, Larry “, ___ Gordon Lightfoot, Tori Bowie, Vida, Grace Bumbry, Rock ”, Ovelha, Denny Crum, Heather Armstrong, Bobbie Spencer, Rolf Harris, Kenneth Anger, Doyle Brunson, Jim Brown, Timothy Keller, Andy Rourke, Ray Stevenson, Thor ”, Ed Ames, George Maharis, Carroll Cooley, Miranda, John Beasley, Kaija, George Winston, Ipanema ”, Robert Hanssen, Richard Snyder, Simon & Schuster, Françoise Gilot, Pablo Picasso —, Pat Robertson, Theodore “ Ted ” Kaczynski, Roger Payne, Treat Williams, Glenda Jackson, Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Nixon, Big, George Frazier, Lee Sarokin, Rubin “, ” Carter, Winnie Ewing, Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock, “ Fiorello, John Goodenough, Peg Yorkin, Sue Johanson, Yan Mingfu, John Berylson, James Lewis, poisonings, Mikala Jones, André Watts, Jane Birkin, Kevin Mitnick, San Francisco ”, Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Hugh “ Sonny ” Carter Jr, Jimmy, Randy Meisner, Herman, Angus Cloud, Fezco, ” O’Neill, ___, Mark Margolis, Hector Salamanca, Saul, Sixto Rodriguez, flamed, Robbie Robertson, Tom Jones, Magoo, Timbaland, Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Clarence Avant, Quincy Jones, Bill Withers, Ada Deer, Jerry Moss, Herb Alpert, Alpert, Michael Parkinson, Muhammad Ali, Miss Piggy, Jiri Cerny, Betty Tyson, Richard Nixon’s, John Warnock, Ron Cephas Jones, Howard Hubbard, Samuel “ Joe ” Wurzelbacher, Joe, Barack Obama, Gil Brandt, Tom Landry, Tex Schramm, Bill Richardson, Steve Harwell, Shabtai Shavit, Jordan, Ian Wilmut, Dolly, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Roy Kidd, Eno Ichikawa, Michael McGrath, Fernando Botero, Giorgio Napolitano, Matteo Messina Denaro, Michael Gambon, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter ”, Mankombu Sambasivan, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Hosni Mubarak, Tim Wakefield, Dick Butkus, Michael Chiarello, Michael Chiarello ”, Masters, Burt Young, Paulie, Sylvester Stallone, Hughes Van Ellis, Kevin Phillips, Louise Meriwether, Mark Goddard, Major Don West, Rudolph Isley, Isley, unblinking, Piper Laurie, Chrissy Snow, Bobby Charlton, Bishan Bedi, Richard Moll, Xi Jinping, Wu Zunyou, Chandler Bing, Ken Mattingly, Bob Knight, Frank Borman, Steve Norton, Don Walsh, Mariana Trench, Terry R, Taylor, Daisaku Ikeda, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Ussery, George “ Funky ” Brown, Joanna ”, Marty Krofft, Pufnstuf, Donny, Marie ”, Terry Venables, Tim Dorsey, Serge A, Frances Sternhagen, ” “, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Gerald Ford, Shane MacGowan, Bernard McGhee Organizations: Wagner Group, Russian, White House, U.S, Supreme, United Nations, Greek Foreign, Republican, Hong, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBC, CBS, Television, Fame, Chicago Blackhawks, ”, New, of Fame, Louis Cardinals, “, Palestinian, Israel, South Dakota Democrat, Arab, Arab American U.S, Britain’s, Commons, . Census Bureau, Alabama ”, Zealand, Navajo, Minnesota Vikings, People, Playboy, Capitol, Juana La Cubana, New York Knicks, Guinness, World Records, Hollywood, Treasury, Southern Baptist Convention, Los Angeles, Roundabout Theatre Company, Air Force, Harlem Globetrotters, Janeiro Games, baseball’s, Germany’s Bayreuth, NCAA, Hall of Famer, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Legion, Ames, Phoenix, FBI, Simon &, Christian Broadcasting Network, Republican Party, Christian Coalition, Harvard, Feminist Majority Foundation, “ Little, Communist Party, Millwall, New York Philharmonic, San, Brigade, Wing, Eagles, HBO, of Indian Affairs, M, Police, Carpenters, Adobe Systems, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, escapist, Democratic, Zulu, Eastern, AA, Broadway, Communist, U.S . Senate, Red Sox, Yankees, Boston, Chicago Bears, Major, Isley Brothers, New York Times, Manchester United, India, Indiana, Nevada — Resorts, Atlantic City —, Navy, Associated Press, Soka Gakkai, Kentucky Derby, Kool, The, European, Barcelona, Tottenham, City Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Russian, U.S, Finnish, New Mexico, New Jersey, British, Greece, American, Hong Kong, Italian, America, New York, Spanish, catwalks, Texas, Taiwan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, San, New Orleans, Rosebud, Arab American, Haiti, “, African, Brooklyn, London, Los, Mississippi, United States, Rivers, Georgia, Savannah, Louisville, New York City, Irish, HBO’s “ Rome, Brazilian, Ipanema, Moscow, Virginia, Montana, Vietnam, Canada, Asia, Chicago, Hawaii, France, South Africa, Wisconsin, Los Angeles, Czech, Eastern Kentucky, Colombian, ”, California, Tulsa, Finland, China, Nevada, Atlantic City, Florida, Berkshire

The fighting is reminiscent of a battle for another eastern city, Bakhmut, which fell to Russian forces last May after months of brutal urban combat. Since Moscow launched its renewed offensive around Avdiivka in October, Ukraine's top general and Western military experts have made downbeat assessments of Ukraine's ability to break Russian lines. Located just north of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk in the industrial Donbas region, Avdiivka hosts deeply entrenched Ukrainian defences. Pushing Ukrainian forces out of Avdiivka would be seen as enlarging the amount of territory Russia controls and making Donetsk city safer. Seizing Avdiivka could boost Russian morale and deal a psychological blow to Ukrainian forces, which have made only incremental gains in a counteroffensive launched in June.

Persons: Nuzhnenko, Ukraine's, Russia's, Andrei Gurulyov, Semyon Pegov, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mykola Bielieskov, Bielieskov, Dan Peleschuk, Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett, White Organizations: Ukraine's National Guard Omega, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, REUTERS Acquire, Mechanized Brigade, Avdiivka, National Institute for Strategic Studies, Kyiv, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Donetsk region, Radio Free Europe, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv, Soviet, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russia

☆ Trump’s avalanche of dishonesty: Fact-checking 102 of his false claims from this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +111 min

Below is a fact check of 102 of Trump’s false claims from the 12 speeches. But contrary to Trump’s claim, it’s not true that people had been attempting for decades to create such an initiative. Trump’s aid to farmersIn speech after speech, Trump claimed that he had given US farmers $28 billion from China. Even if the poll result is off, it’s clear that Trump’s claim that “nobody wants them” is not true. He said he was an airline pilot.”Facts First: Trump made a false claim while mocking Biden for making false claims.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, “, ”, Mexico’s, ‘ Trump, Defense Department –, ” Theresa Cardinal Brown, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, ” Trump, I’ve, Todd Harrison, Harrison, It’s, Trump’s, ” Ben Cahill, Nobody, Jimmy Carter’s, Barack Obama, isn’t, El Salvador –, Obama, we’d, Obama’s, Webster, Covid, Wuhan ”, They’d, they’d, you’d, Scott Gottlieb, ” Gottlieb, Trump Trump, it’s, Abraham, Aaron David Miller, Miller, Dana El Kurd, Qasem Soleimani, they’ve, we’re, We’re, ’, Iran haven’t, ” Matt Smith, Biden’s, Smith, Ali Vaez, Kpler, Biden Trump, Iran “, Democrats ”, that’s, Jimmy Carter, Carter “, Carter, ‘, Hillary Clinton, Kari Lake, Bill Gates, Gates, ” Chris Wallace, Chris Wallace, Hunter Biden, “ Chris Wallace, ‘ He’s, ‘ ” Trump, Wallace, “ you’re, “ Biden, ‘ You’re, Wallace interjected, Rather, you’ve, ’ ” Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James &, ” Molchanov, Tim Woody, Woody, autoworkers, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Joe Biden’s, Erin Mellon, Gavin Newsom, Mellon, ” Vonette Fontaine, Biden “, CNN’s Matt Egan, Egan, ” Biden, Europe Trump, United Kingdom “, Brent, Pavel Molchanov, Raymond James, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy, De Haan, Matt Smith, Matt Egan, Afghanistan Trump, we’ve, Krista Wiegand, Wiegand, ” Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Qasem, Bibi, Netanyahu, Soleimani, Asad, Mark Milley, Hezbollah Trump, Steven Cheung, John Kirby, Cheung, Kirby, Iran’s, ” Ali Vaez, Joseph Amon, Washington –, Faiq Zidan, Zidan’s, Zidan, Abu Mahdi al, China Trump, Ukraine Trump, Letitia James, James, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, You’re, Bragg, Colangelo, Tanya Chutkan, I’m, Jack Smith, Bill Clinton, That’s, everybody’s, Letitia James –, Al Capone’s, Al Capone, Capone, Brad Schwartz, CNN couldn’t, Schwartz, Eliot Ness, MAGA, “ MAGA, …, White, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Inflation Trump, Bacon, Joe, PolitiFact, Trump . Howard Gleckman Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Republican, Trump Trump, Republican Jewish Coalition, Department, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congress, Defense Department, former Defense Department, Center, US Customs, Trump, American Enterprise Institute, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Energy Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, IHS, Islamic, The State Department, Customs Enforcement, Policy Institute, ICE, El Salvador, ”, Merriam, The New York Times, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Hezbollah, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arab Center Washington DC, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Obama, US International Trade Commission, Washington Post, U.S . International Trade Commission, New England lobstermen, England lobstermen, Americas, Crisis, government’s Energy, Administration, Washington Free Beacon, Energy Information Administration, Democrats, Biden, Electoral, Georgia, Michigan, Carter, Democrats can’t, Republicans, Alabama, Arizona, Fox News, ” Energy, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Wildlife, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Raymond James & Associates, Wilderness Society, Cox Automotive, Pew Research Center, New York Times, National Oceanic, California Gov, California, American Petroleum Institute, Union, West, Energy, American Automobile Association, AAA, GasBuddy, New Hampshire, Houston, Keystone XL, Obama administration’s State Department, –, Foreign, Military, DoD, Afghan, Defense, Policy, Taiwan News, “, University of Tennessee’s Center for National Security, Foreign Affairs, Israeli, NBC, Jerusalem Post, Yahoo, Pentagon, ” CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Post, National Security, Group, US government’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Narcotics Bureau, Global Health, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Justice Department, Washington, Judicial, Popular Mobilization Forces, Customs and, Middle East, Customs, Protection, CBP, Border Protection, Kiel Institute, European Union, New York, New, ExxonMobil, Trump University, Trump Foundation, Manhattan, Attorney, federal Justice Department, Department of Justice, Washington DC, Presidential Records, Presidential, Mar, Biden White, MAGA Republicans, Inflation, Heritage Foundation, Trump ., Brookings Tax, Urban Institute Locations: New Hampshire, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Iowa, Mexico, “, U.S, Houston, Iraq, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nord, Germany, Russian, Trump’s, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, El, Washington, ”, ” In Texas, Covid, China, Wuhan, Italy, France, Abraham, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, New England, England, Kpler, Malaysia, Oregon, Alabama, Maricopa County, Arizona, Arizona’s, Moscow, Alaska, East, South Carolina, California, “ California, West Virginia, Virginia, United Kingdom, West Texas, “ U.S, Los Angeles, Venezuela, Mississippi , Louisiana, Canada, United States, Paris, Taiwan, “ China, Iranian, that’s, –, Singapore, Iraqi, San Diego, Kiel, York, Manhattan, York’s, Chicago, Philadelphia, Georgia, Qaeda

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A cyber extortion gang suspected of being an offshoot of the notorious Russian Conti group of hackers has raked in more than $100 million since it emerged last year, researchers said in a report published on Wednesday. An attempt to reach Black Basta via its darkweb site was not immediately successful. Elliptic cofounder Tom Robinson said the massive haul made Black Basta "one of the most profitable ransomware strains of all time." "Conti was perhaps the most successful ransomware gang we've seen," Robinson said. The latest findings suggest "some of the individuals responsible are replicating its success with the Black Basta ransomware."

Persons: Kacper, Russian Conti, Tom Robinson, Robinson, Conti, Black Basta, we've, Basta, Raphael Satter, James Pearson, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Insurance, U.S . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Russian, bitcoin, Black, Russia, Ukraine, London

☆ ‘Fargo’ Season 5, Episode 3 Recap: Preparing for a Blood Bath
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Scott Tobias | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

We have seen these types in Noah Hawley’s TV “Fargo,” too, like David Thewlis as a mirthless, ruthless British business V.M. Varga in the third season or Billy Bob Thornton as the hit man Lorne Malvo in the first season, a satanic figure who believes people are primal beasts and acts accordingly. His clients are now his targets and it is safe to say they don’t know much about him. Neither do we, frankly, even after the episode makes an unexpected leap to early 16th-century Wales, when Munch or a Munch-like ancestor takes part in a sin-eating ritual. That has turned Munch into a 21st-century debt collector, owed much more than money.

Persons: Coen, Leonard Smalls, Randall “ Tex ” Cobb, Charlie Meadows, John Goodman, “ Barton Fink, ”, Anton Chigurh, Javier Bardem, Noah Hawley’s, David Thewlis, V.M, Varga, Billy Bob Thornton, Lorne Malvo, Hawley, Sam Spruell, Ole Munch, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, Munch, He’s, “, Roy Tillman Locations: “ Raising, “, ”, Wales

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken, June 23, 2023. The agreement is non-binding and carries mostly general recommendations such as monitoring AI systems for abuse, protecting data from tampering and vetting software suppliers. In addition to the United States and Britain, the 18 countries that signed on to the new guidelines include Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Australia, Chile, Israel, Nigeria and Singapore. It does not tackle thorny questions around the appropriate uses of AI, or how the data that feeds these models is gathered. Europe is ahead of the United States on regulations around AI, with lawmakers there drafting AI rules.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Biden, Raphael Satter, Diane Bartz, Alexandra Alper, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Congress, White, Thomson Locations: United States, Britain, U.S, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Australia, Chile, Israel, Nigeria, Singapore, Europe, France

In palmier times, the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, appeared at a Russian cultural center in the capital of the Central African Republic, sitting with schoolchildren and promising them free laptops. But Mr. Prigozhin’s death in August has rattled the mercenary group’s once-cozy relations with the Central African Republic, which is now weighing offers from Russia and Western countries, including the United States, to replace Wagner as its primary security guarantor. The outcome of this struggle could be a bellwether for the group’s future on the continent, where the Central African Republic is perhaps the most deeply enmeshed among the handful of African nations partnering with Wagner. The Russian Defense Ministry has sought to absorb some of Wagner’s activities, while preserving its influence and maintaining its wealth of knowledge about the continent. But a senior Western diplomat said that the uncertainty around Wagner in the Central African Republic provided a “window of opportunity” for the United States and France to counter Russian influence.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin’s, group’s, ” Organizations: Central African, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Central African Republic, Russia, Western, United States, France

☆ Ukraine's risky decision to stay and let Russia bash its forces against Bakhmut came with costs but was worth it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementUkraine fought tooth and nail for months to defend the eastern city of Bakhmut from a never-ending onslaught of Russian soldiers and Wagner Group mercenaries. The risky decision to stay there came with significant costs, and Moscow eventually captured the city in May. AdvertisementThe Bakhmut fight also greatly contributed to the ultimate downfall of the notorious Wagner Group, Barros and Cancian said. Members of Wagner group sit atop of a tank in a street in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023. AdvertisementAn aerial view of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on April 26, 2023.

Persons: —, Bakhmut, George Barros, Mark Cancian, Wagner, Cancian, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, STRINGER, Barros, it's Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Institute for, Kyiv, ARIS MESSINIS, Getty, US Marine Corps, Center, Strategic International Studies, Barros, Russian, Kremlin, Wagner, AP, Fleet Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, AFP, Russian, Rostov, AP Ukraine, Kyiv, Crimean

☆ 2 Russians convicted of murdering and eating victims have been released after fighting in Ukraine: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two men convicted of murder were released after fighting in Ukraine, per Russian media. AdvertisementRussia released two prisoners convicted of murder, who then ate parts of their victims, after they fought in Ukraine, according to multiple Russian reports. He's now recovering from moderate injuries at a military hospital in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, his neighbor Dmitry told Russian news outlet Siberia Realities . "He's basically free, pardoned, and half his [prison] sentence has been wiped out," Dmitry told the outlet, according to a translation by Ukrainska Pravda . AdvertisementOgolobya stabbed two other victims to death, penetrating their bodies 666 times and counting the blows out loud, witnesses said.

Persons: Denis Gorin, Nikolai Ogolobyak, —, Meduza, He's, Dmitry, Ukrainska, Ogolobyak, Ogolobya, Wagner, Marx Organizations: Service, Ukrainska Pravda, Storm, Moscow Times Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russia's Sakhalin, Sakhalin, Yuzhno, Russian, Siberia, Russia's Yaroslavl

☆ Russian Attacks on Key City Are Like Zombie Movie: Ukrainian Soldier
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian and Ukrainian forces are deadlocked across a broad front line. Russia has tried to take the city, hoping to break the stalemate with Ukrainian forces in east Ukraine. They were repelled by Ukrainian forces using artillery, mortars, grenades, drones and cannons fired from US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. The soldier told the AFP that Russian units advance overnight in units of five to seven then attack in the morning. AdvertisementFor months, Ukrainian and Russian forces have been deadlocked in a front line stretching from east to south Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces seeking to make advances in the south, and Russian forces in Avdiivka.

Persons: —, Wagner, Yevgenvy Prigozhin Organizations: AFP, Service, Ukrainian, Bradley Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Ukraine, AFP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House voiced concern Tuesday that Iran may provide Russia with ballistic missiles for use in its war against Ukraine, a development that likely would be disastrous for the Ukrainian people, a U.S. national security official said. “We are therefore concerned that Iran is considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles now for use in Ukraine,” Kirby told reporters during a conference call. “In total, Iran is seeking billions of dollars worth of military equipment from Russia to strengthen its military capabilities," Kirby said. The White House has said Russia has turned to North Korea for artillery. U.S. officials say Iran has also provided Russia with artillery and tank rounds for its invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: John Kirby, ” Kirby, Sergei Shoigu, Joe Biden's, Kirby, Wagner Organizations: WASHINGTON, National Security, Russia, Russian Defense, Democratic, Republican Party, “, ”, Iranian Locations: Iran, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Tehran, Israel, Taiwan, Mexico, North Korea, The U.S, Tehran ., Moscow

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