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☆ See Anya Taylor-Joy’s stunning, unconventional wedding dress
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Gazing out from a 15th-century balcony overlooking Venice’s Grand Canal, actor Anya Taylor-Joy gave the world a first glimpse of her wedding dress this weekend — and it was far from expected. In lieu of a traditional ivory frock, Taylor-Joy opted for a blush-toned princess gown. Anya Taylor-Joy's custom Dior gown was a dusty rose color, decorated with intricate embroidered flowers and even a hummingbird. Cobra Team/Splash News/BACKGRIDPerhaps the least surprising element of the ethereally romantic gown was its label: custom Dior. Taylor-Joy wore a very different, leather-heavy Dior look for the brand's Spring-Summer 2024 show in Paris last week.

Persons: Anya Taylor, Joy, Dior, Taylor, Mario Brothers, lacy Dior, Jeremy Moeller, Malcolm McRae, —, Michelle Yeoh, Jean Todt, Schiaparelli Organizations: CNN, Globes, Venice Film, London, Getty Locations: Los Angeles, Paris, Venice, French, Geneva

But in an about turn, Macron announced on Sunday that the ambassador would return to Paris and French troops would leave. Two security sources in Niger said Itte had flown out of the country. Demonstrators hold placards and Niger's flags as they gather outside Niger's embassy in support of the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum in Paris, France, August 5, 2023. Crowds of junta supporters have spent days camping outside a French military base to demand the troops' departure. Some analysts have expressed concern that the withdrawal of French troops from Niger could further hamper Western efforts to stem the violence, which has risen since the coups, and bolster Russian influence in the region.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Sylvain Itte, Mohamed Bazoum, Macron, Itte, Catherine Colonna, Yucouba Abdou, Abdou, Niger Mohamed Bazoum, Stephanie Lecocq, Paris, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Moussa Aksar, Michel Rose, John Irish, Sofia Christensen, Anait, Toby Chopra, Estelle Shirbon, Philippa Fletcher, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Niger, Quai, French, Nigerien, Reuters, REUTERS, France, Thomson Locations: Niger French, NIAMEY, Niger, Paris, France, Niamey, French, N'Djamena, Niger's, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sahel

☆ Burkina Faso fashion designer weaves new life into ancient fabric
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Thiam Ndiaga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A collection of Burkina Faso fashion designer Francois Yameogo, who built a facility specializing in the production of Faso Danfani, the country's traditional fabric, is exhibited in his workshop in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ndiaga ThiamKOUDOUGOU, Burkina Faso, July 26 (Reuters) - Amid the rhythmic clatter of traditional wooden looms, artisans at a workshop in rural Burkina Faso spin indigo-dyed cotton into sprawling lengths of cloth, destined for modern suits designed by the nation's foremost couturier. Twenty years ago, Paris-based fashion designer François Yameogo returned to his native Burkina Faso to build a facility specialising in making Faso Danfani, the country's traditional fabric, for use in his signature indigo sport coats. This keeps domestic fabric prices artificially low, deters investment in modern technology and exacerbates poverty, according to the United Nations food agency. "The ruling junta's Faso Danfani mandate is already visible among officials sporting Yameogo's creations, including the prime minister.

Persons: Francois Yameogo, François Yameogo, Yameogo, Marc Jacobs, Cooper Inveen, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, United, Thomson Locations: Burkina Faso, Faso, Ouagadougou, Paris, United Nations, junta's Faso

☆ Exclusive: Airbus A321XLR jet faces range gap after design safeguards -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, July 21 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) is grappling with a growing shortfall in the range of its upcoming A321XLR passenger jet after reaching an agreement with European regulators on design safeguards needed to achieve certification, industry sources said. "Airbus expects no significant impact on the XLR’s unique range advantage in the single-aisle segment," an Airbus spokesperson said in response to a Reuters query. But the design raised concerns among regulators about the risk of fire and evacuation times in the event of an accident, prompting talks over design changes needed for certification. This would trim the maximum range, which Airbus officially pegs at 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km). Airbus aims to certify the A321XLR by end-year and deliver the first aircraft in the second quarter of 2024.

Persons: Philippe Mhun, FlightGlobal, Tim Hepher, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Louise Heavens Organizations: Airbus, Le, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Reuters, JetBlue, Thomson Locations: Boeing's, Le Bourget, Paris, New York, America, Europe

☆ Thousands of French Swifties have bad blood with Ticketmaster after it abruptly halted, then rescheduled the sale of the Eras Tour tickets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Swifties in France are furious after Ticketmaster abruptly halted Eras Tour ticket sales for Taylor Swift's Paris shows. The company abruptly suspended ticket sales for the star's Eras Tour in Paris and Lyon shortly after presales started on Tuesday, leaving thousands of fans hanging. "The Taylor Swift sale | The 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Eras Tour for Paris La Défense Arena has been put on hold. The Eras Tour ticketing situation got so bad that it even prompted a group of Swifties to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. In March, the Ticketmaster platform also crashed during the ticket sales for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

Persons: Taylor, Taylor Swift, presales Organizations: Ticketmaster, Taylor Swift's, Lyon, Paris, Twitter, Paris La Défense, Federal Trade Commission, Eurovision, Coldplay Locations: France, Taylor Swift's Paris, Paris, Lyon, Mexico City, Singapore

☆ World Bank names CEOs to help bring private funds to climate, development finance
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) - The World Bank on Monday named 15 chief executive officers including financiers and asset managers to a group launched by the lender's president, Ajay Banga, aiming to marshal more private capital to combat climate change and boost investment in developing countries. Banga announced the initiative at a global finance summit in Paris last month alongside Mark Carney, the U.N. special envoy on climate action, and Shriti Vadera, chair of Prudential Plc (PRU.L). The World Bank and the CEOs will work "to develop, test, implement and ultimately scale financing structures that can most effectively mobilize private capital," Carney said in a statement. He said in a statement that the Private Investment Lab CEOs were a "crucial piece of the puzzle" to devise ways to pull more private sector investment into the intertwined challenges of poverty, climate and fragility. Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Will Dunham and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Joe Biden, King Charles . Banga, Mark Carney, Shriti Vadera, Carney, Thomas Buberl, Larry Fink, BlackRock, Noel Quinn, Hendrik du Toit, Jessica Tan, Sim Tshabalala, Bill Winters, Dilhan, Mark Gallogly, Banga, David Lawder, Will Dunham, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Bank, Investment, U.S, Prudential Plc, World Bank, AXA, HSBC, Shemara, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Ping An, Royal Philips, Standard Bank, Standard Chartered, Sustainable Energy, Tata Sons, Temasek, Cairns, Mastercard, Private Investment, Thomson Locations: Britain, Paris, Macquarie, Banga

☆ France: Fund for killer cop dwarfs that of family of victim
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And what does it tell us about French politics? “Currently, this fund complies with our terms of use because the funds will be paid directly to the family in question. Le Pen also tempered her rhetoric in response to this crisis, in what Marliere said was an attempt to appeal to more middle-of-the-road voters. While Zemmour called the rioters “scum” and called for some of their requests for French nationality to be refused, Le Pen spoke more sympathetically about the victim. “The Meloni strategy is very much what Le Pen is trying to follow in France,” Marliere said.

Persons: Nahel, Jean Messiha, Messiha, Eric Zemmour, Pen’s, Eric Dupond, Moretti, “, GoFundMe, ”, Philippe Marliere, ” Marliere, Florian.M, Pen, Marliere, Zemmour, Le Pen, Le, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Georgia Meloni, Joseph Downing, Downing, that’s, ” Downing, Nahel Merzouk, Alexis Jumeau Organizations: CNN, National, Marine, ”, France Inter, BFMTV, Twitter, University College London, AP, Nanterre, Italian, Bois, Macron Locations: France, Paris, Marseille, Nanterre, Clichy

ISLAMABAD, June 25 (Reuters) - Pakistan's parliament on Sunday approved the government's 2023-24 budget which was revised to meet International Monetary Fund conditions in a last ditch effort to secure the release of more bailout funds. The IMF in mid-June expressed dissatisfaction with the country's initial budget, saying it was a missed opportunity to broaden the tax base in a more progressive way. The revised budget was approved a day after Finance Minister Ishaq Dar introduced new taxes and expenditure cuts. There are five days to go before the $6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreed in 2019 expires on June 30. The IMF has to review whether to release some of the $2.5 billion still pending to Pakistan before then.

Persons: Ishaq Dar, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Dar, Shehbaz Sharif, Kristalina Georgieva, Asif Shahzad, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Sunday, International, Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Paris

☆ Shipping tax could yield $100 bln climate windfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

TINOS, June 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The shipping industry emits 2.9% of the world's greenhouse gases. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsPOLLUTER PAYSThe shipping industry uses fossil fuels to power its boats. That said, industry leaders such as container giant Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) are moving into green shipping. This potentially large sum is attracting the attention of people outside the shipping industry, especially those focused on climate change. If a country refused to apply an agreed tax, the international shipping industry would effectively be unable to operate from its ports.

Persons: TINOS, Emmanuel Macron’s, Tristan Smith, Marshall, UCL’s Smith, Al Qaeda, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, International Maritime Organisation, United Nations, European Union, EU, Reuters Graphics Reuters, University College London, Shipping, Climate Fund, World Bank, International Chamber of Shipping, Marshall, Al, Trade Center, Thomson Locations: Paris, Danish, Marshall

☆ Grand Slam King Djokovic wins 23rd crown by conquering Ruud at French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On an historic day on Court Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic won his 21st consecutive Grand Slam tournament match to become the only man to capture each of the four majors - Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open - at least three times. "Obviously a Grand Slam is a Grand Slam," Djokovic said. "It's no coincidence that I won the 23rd Grand Slam here in Paris, because this tournament was really in my entire career the toughest to win. Victory meant Djokovic has won the first two Grand Slams in a year for a third time after similar runs in 2016 and 2021. "Another day, another record and another day you rewrite tennis history," Ruud said, addressing a beaming Djokovic.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Rafa Nadal, of Clay, Roland Garros, Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic, it's, Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Ruud, Alcaraz, Kylian, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ruud volleyed, ranted, I'm, Taiwan's Hsieh Su, China's Wang Xinyu, Taylor Townsend, Leylah Fernandez, Julien Pretot, Toby Davis Organizations: Wimbledon, Serbian, Nadal, U.S ., Djokovic, Soccer, Melbourne Park, Thomson Locations: Serbian, Paris, Kosovo

☆ Ruud, Swiatek gain momentum at French Open as Sinner punished
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

In a normal match I would have won 6-3 6-2, but here you have the chance to fight like he did. Up next for Andreeva is 19-year-old Coco Gauff - a player who knows all about negotiating instant stardom, with last year's runner-up having subdued Julia Grabher 6-2 6-3 to set up the third-round showdown. American Kayla Day made no secret of her success after a stunning 6-2 4-6 6-4 win over compatriot Madison Keys, thanking her Czech roots for enhancing her tennis skills. Next for the 22nd seed is American 12th seed Frances Tiafoe, who beat Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev 3-6 6-3 7-5 6-2. French presence in the singles' draws was ended altogether in the last match of the day when Arthur Rinderknech was knocked out by American ninth seed Taylor Fritz 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-4.

Persons: Roland Garros, Norway's Casper Ruud, Sweden's Elias Ymer, Gauff tames, Casper Ruud, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Linda Noskova, Ruud, Rafa Nadal, Giulio Zeppieri, Zhang Zhizhen, Thiago Agustin Tirante, Suzanne Lenglen, Claire Liu, Mirra Andreeva, Frenchwoman Diane Parry, Karatantcheva, Coco Gauff, Julia Grabher, Kayla Day, Madison Keys, Daniel Altmaier, Altmaier, We've, Alexander Zverev, Slovakian Alex Molcan, Frances Tiafoe, Aslan Karatsev, Coric, Pedro Cachin, Alex de Minaur, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Arthur Rinderknech, Taylor Fritz, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Julien Pretot, Pritha Sarkar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Sweden's Elias Ymer REUTERS, Wimbledon, Argentine, Croatian, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, PARIS, Czech, Prague, Slovakian, American, Tunisian

☆ Stephens puts down marker on 'favourite court in the world'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Karolos Grohmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2023 Sloane Stephens of the U.S. celebrates winning her first round match against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova REUTERS/Clodagh KilcoynePARIS, May 29 (Reuters) - Sloane Stephens relished every moment she spent on her favourite court in the world as the she cruised to a 6-0 6-4 first-round victory over former world number one Karolina Pliskova on Monday to put down an early marker at the French Open. "This is my favourite court in the world and I am super happy to be back," said Stephens, currently ranked 30th. Stephens came into the tournament in improving form on clay after winning her first WTA 125 event and reaching the semi-finals on clay in Rabat last week. "To start like that on your favourite court and favourite surface is great. I wanted to get matches under my belt this year (before the tournament) and I was feeling confident," Stephens said.

☆ Justice Department files criminal charges in cases of American tech stolen for Russia, China and Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Justice Department announced on Tuesday five criminal cases against people accused of stealing or illegally diverting American technology and materials for the Russian, Chinese and Iranian governments. The man, Xiangjiang Qiao, is at large in China, according to the Justice Department. “These charges demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to preventing sensitive technology from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Russia, China, and Iran,” said Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s national security division. In New York, a Greek national is charged with allegedly acquiring more than 10 different types of sensitive technologies on behalf of the Russian government. The man, Dr. Nikolaos “Nikos” Bogonikolos, was arrested in Paris last week and the US will move for his extradition, the Justice Department said.

☆ The world can cut plastic pollution by 80% by 2040, the UN says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Countries could slash plastic pollution by 80% in less than two decades, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme. Plastic pollution is a scourge that affects every part of the world, from the Arctic, to the oceans and the air we breathe. UNEP’s report aims to offer a roadmap to governments and businesses to dramatically cut levels of plastic pollution. This would be the most “powerful market shift,” reducing plastic pollution by 30% by 2040, the report said. Scaling up recycling levels could reduce plastic pollution by a further 20%, according to the report.

☆ We Flew Cheap Airlines to and From Europe to See if You Should, Too
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Dawn Gilbertson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

I flew to Paris last week from an out-of-the-way New York airport on an airline you probably haven’t heard of with Spirit -like fees, no seat-back screens and a predawn connection in Iceland. And I’d do it again to save money.

☆ Paris set to ban rented e-scooters after an overwhelming 90% vote for their removal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Lime and Dott electric scooters are parked on the pavement on March 29, 2023 in Paris, France. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo pledged to ban rented e-scooters from the French capital after a huge majority of residents backed the move. E-scooters launched in Paris in 2018, but in 2020 the number of firms with operating licenses was cut to just three: Lime, Dott and Tier. There were 459 accidents involving e-scooters or similar vehicles in Paris last year, including three fatalities, according to a Reuters report. In London, rental scooters are operating on a trial basis until the fall this year, also with Lime, Dott and Tier.

☆ France looks to AI-powered surveillance to secure Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Layli Foroudi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, March 23 (Reuters) - France's National Assembly on Thursday approved the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) video surveillance during the 2024 Paris Olympics, overlooking warnings from civil rights groups that the technology posed a threat to civil liberties. If formally adopted, France would become the first country in the European Union to legalise AI-powered surveillance. That would be setting a worrying surveillance precedent, a group of several dozen European lawmakers said last week. The plan to deploy AI surveillance has met strong resistance from rights groups such as Amnesty International and digital rights groups. Access Now's Leufer questioned the utility of AI in spotting would-be attackers because of the complexities in training algorithms on rare incidents.

☆ War in Ukraine Has Supercharged This German Weapons Maker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Bojan Pancevski | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rheinmetall says its Panther tank, on display near Paris last year, brings greater firepower and precision than current tanks. The war in Ukraine has made munitions maker Rheinmetall AG a key player in the global arms trade, catapulting the once low-profile German manufacturer into one of Europe’s most important weapons suppliers. Since Russia’s invasion last year, Rheinmetall’s shares have risen 150%, and the company has reported record earnings and orders, with the conflict’s artillery-heavy nature pointing to strong future demand for its shells. The company also has begun talks with German and Ukrainian officials about building a tank factory in Ukraine.

☆ Protests resume in France amid anger at Macron's pension age reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Dominique Vidalon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesPARIS, March 18 (Reuters) - Refinery strikes persisted on Saturday in France and more demonstrations were taking place throughout the country amid anger at the government pushing through a rise in the state pension age without a parliamentary vote. A further rally was planned in Paris later on Saturday while BFM television showed images of demonstrations already taking place in cities such as Compiegne in the north, Nantes in the west and Saint-Etienne in central France. A broad alliance of France's main unions has said it would continue to mobilise to try to force a U-turn on the changes. Macron's overhaul raises the pension age by two years to 64, which the government says is essential to ensure the system does not go bust. Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy bristles over Zelenskiy dinner snub in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks to the media as she attends the European leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Yves HermanBRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised France and Germany on Thursday after she was not invited to a dinner in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, adding to friction between the European Union allies. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met Zelenskiy on Wednesday evening ahead of an EU summit on Thursday. But unlike last year, when the then-Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi worked hand-in-hand with Macron and Scholz on Ukraine, Meloni was left out in the cold. However, things were different when Draghi, a former president of the European Central Bank, was prime minister.

☆ Google CEO issues rallying cry in internal memo: All hands on deck to test ChatGPT competitor Bard
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google Inc. speaks during an event in New Delhi on December 19, 2022. Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees Monday the company is going to need all hands on deck to test Bard, its new ChatGPT rival. He also said Google will soon be enlisting help from partners to test an application programming interface, or API, that would let others access the same underlying technology. Pichai's note to employees also said search boss Prabhakar Raghavan will be "sharing progress" at an event in Paris later this week. Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a version of its own search engine, Bing, that will use ChatGPT to answer users' search queries.

Paris/London CNN —French schools and transportation networks were heavily disrupted Tuesday for the second time this month, as unions staged another mass strike against government plans to raise the retirement age for most workers. Strikes that day brought the transportation network to a standstill and shuttered the Eiffel Tower to visitors. Air France (AFLYY) canceled 10% of short-haul flights but said strikes would not affect long-haul services. On Sunday, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne said raising the retirement age was “not negotiable,” during an interview on domestic television station France Info. Raising the retirement age to 64 will keep France below the norm in Europe and in many other developed economies, where the age at which full pension benefits vest is 65 and increasingly moving towards 67.

Protests in major French cities, including Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes and Nice, brought transport services to a standstill. Eight of the biggest unions had called for a “first day of strikes and protests” against pension reforms unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron’s government. Train lines across France were seeing “severe disruption,” according to French rail authority SNCF. Macron’s proposed pension reforms come as workers in France, as elsewhere, are being squeezed by rising food and energy bills. The French government has said that raising the retirement age is necessary to tackle a pension funding deficit.

From September this year, the regular retirement age will increase by three months a year until 2030. The higher retirement age should tackle a pension funding deficit, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne told reporters on Tuesday as she laid out the reforms. Revamping the pensions system has been a key element of French President Emmanuel Macron’s election campaigns. In the United States and the United Kingdom, the retirement age is between 66 and 67, depending on the year in which you were born. An earlier attempt by Macron to revamp the pensions system was met with nationwide strikes in 2019 before being abandoned during the Covid-19 pandemic.

WASHINGTON/PARIS, Dec 19 (Reuters) - For nearly two years the United States has tried and failed to negotiate a revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal yet Washington and its European allies refuse to close the door to diplomacy. Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action under which Tehran reined in its nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions. A U.S. intelligence estimate disclosed in late 2007 assessed with high confidence that Iran was working to develop nuclear weapons until the fall of 2003, when it halted the weapons work. "We will continue with the pressure while keeping the door open for a return to diplomacy," U.S. special envoy for Iran Robert Malley told reporters in Paris last month, adding that if Iran crossed "a new threshold in its nuclear program, obviously the response will be different." Even if the 2015 nuclear deal cannot be resurrected, the senior Biden administration official said other diplomatic solutions might be possible.

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