Political news

• Theresa May's Robotic Style Is Now Being Mocked In America On 'Saturday Night Live'

  03-12-2017 23:17
  Hopes Theresa May had of shedding her “Maybot” reputation seem to have been dashed after her mechanical style was mocked on US comedy show, Saturday Night Live.The British prime minister, who was ridiculed during the election campaign for her robotic answers to questions, was lampooned following her Twitter spat with Donald Trump.Last week, May said the US president was “wrong” to retweet video propaganda produced by the UK’s far-right fringe ‘Britai
  
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• Theresa May’s Robotic Style Used To Mock Donald Trump In America On 'Saturday Night Live'

  03-12-2017 23:17
  Theresa May’s “Maybot” reputation seem to have crossed the Atlantic as her mechanical style was used to mock Donald Trump on US comedy show, Saturday Night Live.The British prime minister, who was ridiculed during the election campaign for her robotic answers to questions, featured following her Twitter spat with Donald Trump - though the joke still seemed to be on the US President.Last week, May said the US president was “wrong” to retweet video prop
  
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• Riot Police Sent To HMP Swaleside After Prison Disturbance

  03-12-2017 22:21
  One inmate has been injured during a disturbance at a prison in Kent.Specialist riot-trained “Tornado” squad officers were called to the incident involving a small number of prisoners in one wing of HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey.One prisoner suffered a minor self-inflicted injury and had to be taken to hospital, the Prison Service said.A spokesman said: “Specially trained prison staff successfully resolved an incident at HMP Swaleside on December 3.“We do not toler
  
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• ‘Strictly Come Dancing’: Davood Ghadami Leaves The Competition As Alexandra Burke Survives A Second Dance-Off

  03-12-2017 21:03
  After topping the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ leaderboard on Saturday (2 December) night, Alexandra Burke found herself in the dance-off for a second time this series on Sunday (3 December) evening. Having survived being in the bottom two last week, Alexandra had impressed the judges with her ‘Mary Poppins’-themed Charleston, but it seems viewers weren’t enthralled by her performance. Davood Ghadami also failed to pick up enough votes from viewers and once the couples h
  
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• Nigel Farage criticised for saying he will keep EU pension

  03-12-2017 20:55
  Anti-EU MEP called ‘shameless hypocrite’ after asking Andrew Marr: ‘Why should my family suffer?’Nigel Farage has sparked outrage by refusing to give up his taxpayer-funded EU pension after Brexit, asking: “Why should my family suffer?”It is understood the 53-year-old former Ukip leader will be entitled to an annual pension of £73,000 when he reaches the age of 63.Continue reading...
  
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• Britain and EU on brink of Brexit divorce deal

  03-12-2017 20:52
  Solutions in sight on Northern Ireland and future role of European courts in UK
  
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• Tony Blair Says He's Working To Reverse Brexit: 'It’s Not Done Until It’s Done'

  03-12-2017 20:45
  Tony Blair is attempting to reverse Brexit and thinks voters being misled over an extra £350m per week for the NHS justifies a fresh vote, the ex-Prime Minister has said.Blair, a long-term opponent of quitting the EU, cited the controversial NHS pledge when arguing “people can change their mind if the circumstances change”.He suggested on BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend that the Brexit deal being negotiated by Theresa May would, at best, mirror existing rel
  
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• UK government to bolster support for nuclear power

  03-12-2017 20:20
  Package of measures to include details of plans to develop ‘mini’ reactors
  
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• Should Robots Look After Your Children?

  03-12-2017 19:59
  Your new care robot has a dilemma. You’re worried about the side effects your medication is having, and decide you can’t take the pills anymore. The robot knows that according to the drug instructions this is going to harm your health. It could a) respect your wishes and await developments b) insist you take them and pressurise you by emphasising the dangers c) find a way to get the medication into you without your knowledge, in food or drink, or by taking you by surprise.So what mak
  
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• Flatsharing In London: The Hope, The Horror, The Hell

  03-12-2017 19:36
  Over the past 7 years, I’ve been lucky to have found some great flatshares in London with some really lovely people. I’ve also been unlucky enough to have lived with some unstoppable lunatics, the odd drug-addled thief, a suspected nymphomaniac and on one occasion, a really whiffy-but-adorable dog called Ruby. But before you can even get to this stage, there’s the unpredictable, confidence-crippling gauntlet of the Housemate Interviews to get through.I admit, I had a good run o
  
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• Why Everybody Else's Baby Sleeps - And Yours Doesn't

  03-12-2017 19:21
  When you have a non-sleeping baby, it often feels as if you are alone in a world where all the other babies ‘sleep through’. Naturally this leaves you questioning your methods and parenting style and wondering what on earth you did wrong to create such a ‘sleep problem’. I often get emails from parents telling me “I know I’ve created bad sleep habits, so I know it’s my fault”, or “I know I shouldn’t feed him to sleep, that’s
  
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• Nigel Farage Says He's 'Done More Than Anyone' To Tackle Far-Right Extremism, And People Don't Know Where To Begin

  03-12-2017 19:11
  Nigel Farage has claimed he has done “more than anyone else” to halt the rise of the far-right in the UK, a comment which prompted critics to point to a series of occasions where the former Ukip leader has divided the country.Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, Farage defended Donald Trump re-tweeting videos by the extremist Britain First group before claiming credit for curbing the rise of the British National Party (BNP).Questioned about violent clashes that marked
  
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• France open to helping UK marines if landing fleet scrapped

  03-12-2017 19:07
  French navy ready to support Britain’s rapid response unit
  
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• France offers to help UK marines if landing fleet scrapped

  03-12-2017 19:07
  French navy ready to support Britain’s rapid response unit
  
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• A ‘Watershed’ Moment: Why It’s Prime Time To Protect Children From Junk Food Adverts

  03-12-2017 19:06
  Advertising works. At this time of year, most parents can confirm there is a direct correlation between the toy adverts on TV and their child’s Christmas list. This is why brands invest over £20 billion on advertising their products to us every year.Little surprise then, that there is a wealth of evidence showing that watching food adverts influences children’s food choices, both in terms of what they choose to eat and how much they eat. Over 1 in 3 children in England are over
  
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• Innocent Entertainment Or A Negative Introduction To Work? The Portrayal Of Working Life In Disney Films

  03-12-2017 18:57
  How much could Disney’s portrayals of work be impacting your children’s perspectives and future choices?From Pinocchio and Cinderella to today’s Frozen and Moana, Disney films are familiar to us all. Children welcome characters into their minds and lives from a very young age, soaking up the characters’ experiences. Working life appears often in a large proportion of scenes in Disney films, and can significantly influence and shape many children’s early ideas of wor
  
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• Tony Blair confirms he is working to reverse Brexit

  03-12-2017 17:32
  Former PM argues claims made by leave campaign now clearly untrue and so British voters deserve second referendum Tony Blair has confirmed that he is trying to reverse Brexit, arguing that voters deserve a second referendum because the “£350m per week for the NHS” promise has now been exposed as untrue.In an interview with the BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend on Sunday, the former prime minister said that what was happening to the “crumbling” NHS was a &ld
  
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• Britain First Conference Hotel ‘Unhappy’ To Be Connected With Far-Right Group

  03-12-2017 17:17
  A hotel where Britain First held a conference has said it is unhappy to have been associated with the far-right group.The Wyboston Lakes resort in Bedfordshire, which was criticised online for allowing the controversial organisation to hold a meeting there, said the meeting room was not booked under the group’s name.Pictures posted online by the fringe political group’s leader Paul Golding appeared to show dozens of people sitting in a room decked with banners declaring “Taking
  
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• John McDonnell Claims Labour's Plan To Re-Nationalise Britain's Railways Would 'Pay For Itself'

  03-12-2017 16:23
  Labour’s plan to re-nationalise the railways will pay for itself by delivering a more efficient service, John McDonnell has claimed.The shadow chancellor dismissed claims Labour’s nationalisation programme – including taking back the rail operating companies into public ownership as the current franchises end – represented a big hole in the party’s tax and spending plans.“There isn’t a big hole in it. When you acquire an asset that is a valued asset
  
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• Ireland urges Theresa May to steer clear of hard border

  03-12-2017 15:02
  Varadkar calls for assurances as Britain’s prime minister heads to Brussels for key talks
  
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• Sunday Show Round-Up: Mental Health Cash, Brexit Warnings and Nigel Farage's Pension

  03-12-2017 14:10
  The government’s well-planned Sunday story about more investment in children’s mental health was thrown slightly off-course by the resignation of the entire board of the Social Mobility Commission.As a result, Labour’s Hillary Benn lost his place on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, in favour of Alan Milburn, the former Labour minister who heads the commission.  He said he had “little hope” the current government was capable of making the changes necessary
  
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• Education Secretary Justine Greening Ramps Up Pressure On Damian Green Over Computer Porn Allegations

  03-12-2017 13:15
  Cabinet minister Justine Greening has piled pressure on beleaguered Damian Green saying it was “not acceptable” if he used a workplace computer to watch pornography.Education Secretary Greening said it was important to have “high standards” in public life.Tory MPs have been rallying round First Secretary Green following claims by two retired police officers that pornographic images were found on his Commons computer during a 2008 investigation into Home Office leaks, the
  
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• Nigel Farage Claims Donald Trump Had No Idea Who Britain First Were When He Retweeted Them

  03-12-2017 12:12
  Nigel Farage says Donald Trump didn't have an "earthly clue" who Britain First were when he retweeted them https://t.co/uTuust7cYNpic.twitter.com/wiIPawHpxW— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 3, 2017Nigel Farage has launched a staunch defence of Donald Trump’s online activity, claiming the president had no “earthly clue” who Britian First were when he retweeted them.The former Ukip leader said the issue had been blown up “out of all proportion” and that a plan
  
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• Social mobility board quits over lack of progress

  03-12-2017 11:44 via bbc.co.uk
  Chairman Alan Milburn criticises the government, which says it had decided not to renew his term.
  
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• Tony Blair: Brexit puts NI peace process at risk

  03-12-2017 11:39 via bbc.co.uk
  Free movement across the Irish border is central to the Good Friday Agreement, former PM tells BBC.
  
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• Ireland has 'no desire' to delay Brexit, deputy PM says

  03-12-2017 11:32 via bbc.co.uk
  Deputy PM says Ireland is "uniquely vulnerable" and needs to see more progress on the border.
  
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• UK seeks a step change in productivity growth via £31bn fund

  03-12-2017 11:30
  Chancellor Philip Hammond is promising money for housing, research and infrastructure
  
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• London Euston Rail Passengers Urged 'Not To Travel' After Emergency Repairs Close All Lines At Station

  03-12-2017 11:22
  Rail passengers journeying to and from London Euston have been advised not to travel amid warnings of a day of major disruptions after all lines were closed on Sunday.There will be no services to or from the station on Sunday morning until at least midday due to emergency repairs on downed overhead wires, Network Rail said.Trains operated by Virgin, London Midlands and London Overground will be affected and delays are expected throughout the day, the Press Association reported.A message on the N
  
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• ‘Strictly Come Dancing’: Russell Grant Makes Surprise Return For Musicals Week

  03-12-2017 11:06
  While most shows deliver their voting terms and conditions rather swiftly, they’re an entirely different ballgame in the world of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Every week, Claudia Winkleman introduces something, or someone, rather unexpected to deliver the rules on the phone vote and on Saturday (2 December) night, viewers got a special treat in the form of a return from Russell Grant. When competing in the 2011 series, the astrologer delivered a number of memorable - thought not ne
  
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• On International Day Of Persons With Disabilities, Let's Ensure That Barriers To Work Are Broken Down

  03-12-2017 11:04
  Today marks the UN’s International Day of Persons With Disabilities, a day on which the UN hopes to inspire a “transformation towards a sustainable and resilient society for all”. This ‘society that works for all’ has been echoed by the Government’s promise – just this week they announced a new approach to tackling the disability employment gap in an effort to “build country that works for everyone”.Personally, I feel like the whole process o
  
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• Can Harry and Meghan make Britain whole again? | Stewart Lee

  03-12-2017 11:00
  Meghan Markle’s name even sounds like ‘Mrs Merkel’, and she symbolises an America far better than Trump’sIn 2005, the then 20-year-old Prince Harry appeared as a Nazi at a fancy dress party. Perhaps the uniform had been inherited from his great-great-uncle, Edward VIII, who was not averse to a spot of recreational sieg heiling.But next year Prince Harry is to marry the mixed-race descendant of a black American slave, his wedding garments scrupulou
  
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• Nigel Farage: It's not hypocrisy to take EU pension

  03-12-2017 10:55 via bbc.co.uk
  Nigel Farage told the Andrew Marr Show it would not be hypocritical to accept a £73,000 EU pension.
  
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• Theresa May’s Social Mobility Commission walks out

  03-12-2017 10:45
  Brexit focus leaves ‘little hope’ for prime minister’s promise of a fairer Britain
  
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• Brexit puts special rights for Irish citizens in UK ‘at risk’

  03-12-2017 10:44
  ‘Patchwork’ laws threaten ability to live and work in Britain, says reportIrish citizens in Britain could lose their right to live, work and get NHS services in the country after Brexit, according to a new report that warns that the special status enjoyed by thousands of Irish in the UK is far from secure.Laws governing their status are a “patchwork” that could fall apart under post-Brexit political and practical pressures, says the report, which comes before Monday&rsquo
  
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• Social Mobility Commission Board Quits 'Due To Little Hope Of Fairer Britain'

  03-12-2017 10:32
  The entire board of the Government’s Social Mobility Commission has quit in protest at the lack of progress towards a “fairer Britain”, dealing a fresh blow for Theresa May.Alan Milburn, the former Labour minister who heads the commission, said he had “little hope” the current Government was capable of making the changes necessary to deliver a more equal society.He was joined in walking out by his three fellow commissioners, including the Conservative former cabinet
  
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• ‘X Factor’ Winner’s Singles Revealed As Final Two Prepare To Do Battle

  03-12-2017 10:24
  ‘X Factor’ bosses have revealed the plan for this year’s winner’s single, stating that the track will be a duet for the first time ever.The news came on Saturday (2 December) night, as Kevin Davy White fell at the final hurdle, leaving Grace Davies and Rak-Su to battle it out in Sunday’s (3 December) Grand Final.Saturday’s show saw the hopefuls perform duets with famous faces and it was revealed that this year’s winner’s single will be a recording
  
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• ‘I’m A Celebrity’: Shappi Khorsandi Reveals The Political Chats Bosses Chose Not To Broadcast

  03-12-2017 09:56
  After 24 hours back in the “real” world, Shappi Khorsandi has opened up about what it’s really like in the ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ jungle, revealing that - despite the fact viewers haven’t seen them - political chats have been taking place.So far this series, ITV have broadcast very little in the way of conversations about politics but Shappi has now claimed that there were a few notable scenes not shown by bosses.But while Shappi,
  
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• Why The Great Gatsby Remains The Best Reflection Of The American Dream

  03-12-2017 09:55
  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925, before its author was even thirty years old. In the book, Fitzgerald more or less predicts the Stock Market Crash of 1929. After a summer of wild parties and booze-soaked soirées, a drunken Daisy runs down Myrtle killing her in the road, and on that night Gatsby’s dream dies too. Fitzgerald once said of the 1920s that he was pretty sure “living wasn’t the reckless, careless business these people thought.&rdqu
  
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• Revealed: Universal Credit Requires The Terminally Ill To Meet ‘Work Coaches’

  03-12-2017 09:08
  Furious campaigners have accused the government of “cruelty” amid revelations that terminally ill people are assigned “work coaches” under Universal Credit.The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been forced to defend the situation, described as “outrageous” and “beyond the pale” by end of life charity Marie Curie.SNP MP Drew Hendry is now leading calls for changes to the way Universal Credit handles the claims of terminally ill pe
  
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• Brexit: EU and UK battle over ‘an accession in reverse’

  03-12-2017 09:00
  Britain imagines it is an equal partner in the exit talks. But negotiations over its 1973 entry illustrate who has the upper hand
  
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• Theresa May faces new crisis after mass walkout over social policy

  03-12-2017 08:32
  Alan Milburn and entire social mobility team quit citing ‘lack of political leadership’Alan Milburn: The government is unable to commit to the social mobility challenge
  Theresa May was plunged into a new crisis on Saturday night after the government’s social mobility adviser revealed he and his team were quitting, warning that the prime minister was failing in her pledge to build a “fairer Britain”.In a major blow to No 10, Alan Milburn, the former Labour cabinet mi
  
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• Labour peer Lord Bassam to repay travel expenses

  03-12-2017 08:16 via bbc.co.uk
  The party's chief whip in the Lords says he has not been told he broke the rules but will repay.
  
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• The Brexit ‘patriots’ care little for British history or influence

  03-12-2017 08:00
  Those who seek a hard exit from the EU do so in defiance of old allies in Europe and beyond, and of long-held principles of UK foreign policyPhilip Hammond’s recent budget – are you old enough to remember it? – was completely overshadowed by the gloomy analysis of our economy, present and future, presented by the Office for Budget Responsibility on the same day.Politically, the chancellor was constrained by the knowledge that the minority of deranged Brexiters who seem to be ru
  
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• Brexit supporters list demands for 'divorce bill' talks

  03-12-2017 07:28 via bbc.co.uk
  Ex-cabinet ministers are among a group listing demands to PM before Brexit payment talks resume.
  
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• Trump’s contempt illuminates Britain’s fragile place in the world | Andrew Rawnsley

  03-12-2017 01:05
  We are rupturing the relationship with Europe just as our traditional ally across the Atlantic has gone rogueRemember the Taming of the Trump? When his election stunned the planet, there were quite a lot of cool voices on both sides of the Atlantic who contended that the 45th president of the United States would be tempered by power. Appearing to mistake him for a fine wine, they argued that he could be “matured”. Encumbered by the great responsibilities of the office, contained by t
  
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• Trump dumps: the not so special relationship - cartoon

  03-12-2017 01:05
  Chris Riddell on the US president’s retweeting of Britain First extremist videos Continue reading...
  
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• Tony Blair backs Labour’s ‘land value tax’ to tackle housing crisis

  03-12-2017 01:05
  Endorsement of controversial measure is seen as attempt by former prime minister to re-engage with British politicsTony Blair is backing one of the most controversial measures raised in Labour’s last manifesto, by supporting a new “land value tax” designed to help solve the housing crisis.The former prime minister said the new tax, which sees the value of underlying land taxed rather than property, should replace council tax and business rates to create a “fairer and more
  
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• Politicians ignore the poor but love saving foxes | Kevin McKenna

  03-12-2017 01:05
  Instead of addressing deprivation and inequality, they prefer to focus on self-indulgent capricesIn modern and progressive Scotland, very few months are allowed to pass before something beastly and disreputable catches the eye of the political elite and thus must quickly be eradicated. With each new piece of hastily drafted legislation, the cultural arbiters who make up this social junta convince themselves that they have made this country just a little bit more enlightened.That none of these se
  
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• Finally, the suburbs might have a starring role | Rowan Moore

  03-12-2017 01:05
  The mayor of London’s plan to solve the housing crisis could benefit everyoneSuburbia, depending how you measure it, is where most people live. It is the most pervasive urban invention of modern times, one in which Britain played a leading role.Often, it stays under the radar of urban theorists and policymakers. But it is emerging as a major untapped resource and, therefore, a battleground in the struggle to find somewhere, anywhere, to put new housing. Last week, the mayor, Sadiq Khan, re
  
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• Fears grow over EU university funding as grants decline even before Brexit

  03-12-2017 01:05
  Participation in Horizon 2020 project ‘already shows downward trend’Britain’s universities are already seeing a fall in their share of a crucial pot of European Union funding, with vice-chancellors fearing that UK projects are losing out even before Brexit has taken place.Millions of pounds to pay for crucial research has been lost as a result of a fall overall in Britain’s share of the flagship Horizon 2020 project, a £70bn fund aimed at cutting-edge science. Conti
  
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