Political news

• May to warn EU on security co-operation

  16-02-2018 23:36 via ft.com
  European spy chiefs support ‘indispensable’ intelligence-sharing deal
  
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• Theresa May to warn EU not to put ideology before citizens' safety

  16-02-2018 23:30 via theguardian.com
  PM to propose new UK-EU security treaty to close gaps that terrorists could exploitThe EU could put its citizens at risk if it allows ideology or rigid institutions to blind its leaders to the need to cooperate against terror threats, Theresa May will say on Saturday, proposing a new UK-EU treaty on intelligence and security.The prime minister risks a rift with Europe in a speech in which she will say the UK wants to stay closely aligned with Europe on security policy, but that “rigid inst
  
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• The Guardian view on Theresa May’s Munich speech: partnership should be indivisible | Editorial

  16-02-2018 23:30 via theguardian.com
  Britain is offering commitment and cooperation to Europe on security and intelligence. It should do the same in its Brexit strategyA year ago, the annual Munich security conference – the most important gathering of international defence chiefs and ministers in the calendar – met to debate the proposition: “Post-truth, post-West, post-Order?” A year on, this weekend’s Munich conference has a new theme: “To the Brink – and Back?” The sense of relief
  
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• Oxfam government funding cut off after Haiti scandal

  16-02-2018 22:02 via theguardian.com
  Charity agrees to demand from development department to stop bidding for grants until ‘high standards’ met
  Oxfam has agreed to withdraw from bidding for government funding until the Department for International Development is satisfied that it can meet the “high standards” expected.In a statement, the international development secretary, Penny Mordaunt, said she had made a set of demands in light of the sexual exploitation scandal in Haiti and had received a formal respon
  
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• Oxfam to suspend bids for state cash in wake of Haiti scandal

  16-02-2018 20:48 via ft.com
  Charity will wait until it meets standards expected by ministers
  
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• Is the NHS still suffering ‘permanent winter’?

  16-02-2018 20:18 via ft.com
  FT data show struggling health service with glimmers of hope
  
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• Martin Rowson on the stretching property ladder – cartoon

  16-02-2018 19:56 via theguardian.com
  Continue reading...
  
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• Blocking takeovers is not an industrial strategy

  16-02-2018 19:37 via ft.com
  Anxiety about the bid for the engineer GKN is understandable but wrong headed
  
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• Angela Merkel 'curious' about UK's Brexit plan, but not 'frustrated'

  16-02-2018 19:34 via theguardian.com
  German leader conciliatory as Theresa May prepares to outline her security ideas in MunichAngela Merkel told Theresa May on Friday that she was “curious” about, but “not frustrated” with the British government’s slow progress in outlining its vision of the future relationship with the European Union.Speaking in conciliatory terms as Britain’s prime minister prepares to present her ideas on security cooperation in Munich on Saturday, the German chancellor said
  
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• Oxfam Scandal: Charity To Stop Bidding For Government Funding

  16-02-2018 19:26
  Oxfam has said it will stop bids for Government funding until ministers are satisfied it can meet the “high standards” they expect.The charity received £176m in government support last year.International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said on Friday: “Oxfam has agreed to withdraw from bidding for any new UK Government funding until [the Department for International Development] is satisfied that they can meet the high standards we expect of our partne
  
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• 13 Russians Indicted In Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Trump/Russia Probe

  16-02-2018 19:11
  A Russian Internet agency and more than a dozen Russians interfered in the US election campaign from 2014 through 2016 in a multi-pronged effort with the aim of supporting then-businessman Donald Trump and disparaging his rival Hillary Clinton, the US Special Counsel said in an indictment on Friday.The 37-page indictment filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller described a conspiracy to disrupt the US election by people who adopted false online personas to push divisive messages; traveled to the
  
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• London Fashion Week Looks We Love: Layered Chunky Earrings

  16-02-2018 18:50
  We Love...Marta Jakubowski’s use of multiple earrings this London Fashion Week makes us weep with joy. Layered chunky earrings truly equals embellished ears to the max.Why It WorksRecent jewellery trends consist of layering all that you have at once. However, until now this has usually involved delicate accessories. That’s changed this season as chunky jewellery which envelopes entire ear lobes is here to make sure your ears will blind those in close proximity. More is simp
  
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• Behind the famous door

  16-02-2018 18:49 via bbc.co.uk
  Five former cabinet secretaries, the most powerful civil servants in the UK, speak to BBC Parliament.
  
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• When It Comes To ESA, I'm Another Person That's Been Failed By The System

  16-02-2018 18:42
  I need my daughters’ help to cut up my food and get out of the bath, but my disability benefits assessment says the fact that I can hold a cup of water counts as evidence that I’m fit for work. The government must take notice of the latest recommendations on how these benefits are assessed.Over the last year, my life has changed beyond recognition. For 19 years I worked as a nurse, most recently in a hospice. I’d do long shifts on my feet for 11 hours a day.I’ve never had
  
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• I’ve never known my times tables. Frankly, who needs them? | Peter Bradshaw

  16-02-2018 18:41 via theguardian.com
  The ministerial diktat to make children learn multiplication by rote is silly. Surely there are more important thingsWhat’s nine sevens? Quick, quick! Nine sevens. Now, some people can answer that straight away, with a querulous little singsong intonation in their voice, as if to say: “Sixty-three, of course, how dare you insinuate that my basic education is somehow lacking?” And then they will often – in a jokey but deadly serious way – challenge you to one in retu
  
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• David Cameron fake ID gang jailed for £1m online scam

  16-02-2018 18:02 via bbc.co.uk
  A fake driving licence used the former prime minister's photo with 10 Downing Street as his address.
  
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• European intelligence chiefs combine to warn politicians on Brexit

  16-02-2018 18:00 via ft.com
  French, German and UK spy heads say information sharing must continue
  
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• On Coming Out As Bisexual

  16-02-2018 17:44
  One afternoon in December of last year I went to a café in town and sat for about an hour thinking about things. Whilst I was there I made an important life choice: I decided to come out as bisexual.I had gone over the topic many times in my mind throughout the previous months, and now at last I’d come to the conclusion that this was the right thing for me to do at this moment in my life.When I finally resolved to go through with it, coming out proved to be the most terrifying thing
  
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• The End Of A Tainted Presidency In South Africa

  16-02-2018 17:43
  Imagine a ruling political party whose leader has become both a national and an international embarrassment.He is mired in corruption allegations, involving nepotism, influence-peddling, and conflicts of interest. His administration is woefully ineffective, and his country suffers from eye-wateringly high levels of violence.He has also been accused of serious sexual misbehaviour going back over several years.If you’re thinking Donald Trump, think again. Because I’m thinking Jacob Zum
  
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• We Need To Acknowledge The Talent That Disabled People Can Bring To Our Workforce

  16-02-2018 17:38
  Next week in Parliament, MPs from all different parties will be debating the role of disabled people in growing our economy. Whilst not the most glamorous or wide-reaching topic, I consider this small backbench debate to be a milestone on the path to developing an inclusive economy.Why? Because this will be the first time that disabled people will be debated in Parliament as contributors to our economy; as employees, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Whilst disability right is frequently debat
  
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• Unlucky For Hunts As Hunting Ban Turns 13

  16-02-2018 17:34
  Hunting was banned in England and Wales 13 years ago – so it’s about time hunts stopped killing animals.The sight of riders in red coats following a pack of baying hounds across the countryside is one that has been seen across the UK for hundreds of years. The less glamorous denouement – that of the fox, stag or hare being ripped to shreds – was in theory banned by the Hunting Act 2004. But sadly, these deaths continue.More than eight out of 10 people want hunting to rema
  
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• Xanax Use Among Young People Needs To Be Treated As A Public Mental Health Issue

  16-02-2018 17:32
  Until the Government acts, we won’t know exactly why our young people are using the powerful sedative ‘Xanax’. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the mental health crisis in our classrooms is causing teens to self-medicate to deal with anxiety. But a mother from Enfield Southgate, who asked for my help with her daughter, had a far more sinister story to tell about Xanax.Zoey, her 14-year-old daughter, was going missing at weekends and coming home with no recollection of what had
  
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• Police Called To Event For Young Tory Supporters After Fight Breaks Out

  16-02-2018 17:31
  Police were called to a night out for young Conservative supporters after a fight broke out following the arrival of a party member who had claimed “Islam poisons the mind”.HuffPost UK has been told the networking event descended into violence after Tory member Hebing Wang joined more than 100 other Conservative activists at the Walkers of Whitehall pub on Thursday.A woman threw a glass of wine over Wang, prompting punches to be thrown and a glass to be smashed before a member of the
  
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• The Opportunity To Share My Story Of Transition On 'First Dates Hotel' Outweighed Any Nerves

  16-02-2018 17:22
  Hey, I’m Nick, I’m 25 years old and recently I shared my story of transition on First Dates Hotel on Channel 4. The overwhelming reaction by viewers who either related to my story or shared supportive, loving and encouraging remarks on social media was extremely moving and I’m excited for the opportunity to share more of my story here with you.I’m a BA (Hons) Music Student from Glasgow but also work part time in a bingo hall to earn my keep. I was born in Glasgow and have
  
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• London Fashion Week Looks We Love: Richard Malone Reinventing The Stripe

  16-02-2018 16:56
  We Love... Richard Malone’s autumn winter 2018 fashion show at London Fashion Week moved away from conventional horizontal or vertical stripes. Instead lines ran in a variety of directions, intersecting and blurring into each other in a psychedelic fashion.Why It WorksStripes have been reinvented countless times - from interweaving them with flowers to rainbow colour-scapes - but now millennial designer Malone has given us a fresh way to wear this staple, and we love the optical
  
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• Brexit deal delay could put NHS patients at risk, Tory MP warns

  16-02-2018 16:45 via theguardian.com
  Sarah Wollaston tells health secretary medical businesses and services ‘remain in dark’A delay in agreeing a Brexit transition deal could harm NHS patients, a senior MP has warned.
  In a letter to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the chair of the Commons health committee, Sarah Wollaston, said that any holdups could put patient care at risk. Continue reading...
  
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• How language duped us into austerity | Zoe Williams

  16-02-2018 16:32 via theguardian.com
  The same misleading metaphors are used again and again to talk about economic policy. We need a new frameWhat do people think the economy is? How do they think it works? How do you think it works, if you think it works at all? The New Economics Foundation, in its report, Framing the Economy, conducted 40 in-depth interviews in London, Newport, Glasgow, Wolverhampton and Hull, with the aim of finding points of common understanding. Though 40 is a relatively small number, the researchers were look
  
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• From Scotland To The Seychelles: Where The Royals Honeymoon

  16-02-2018 16:16
  It’s still a mystery where Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle – who are set to tie the knot at Windsor Castle in May – will go on honeymoon after their wedding.But one thing is clear. “A royal honeymoon takes a lot of planning,” former royal butler Grant Harrold explains. “Not for the obvious reasons, but from the point of view of privacy and security, which is paramount to the royal family. “The location needs to be private enou
  
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• We Put Three Billboards Outside Grenfell To Show We'll Not Stop Fighting For Justice

  16-02-2018 16:07
  In the early hours of June 14th 2017, I received a phone call from a friend that changed my life. Myself and my daughter (10-years-old at the time) joined members of our community outside Grenfell Tower and watched the worst fire since world war two.For the 60 hours that Grenfell continued to burn, I volunteered in one of the many relief centres talking and listening to a range of voices. Three consistent questions kept arising; 1. How could this have happened?  2. Who was responsible? 3. W
  
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• Year-round meals plan to tackle 'holiday hunger' of school pupils

  16-02-2018 15:58 via bbc.co.uk
  North Lanarkshire says it could be the first UK local authority to offer meals to school pupils during holidays and weekends.
  
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• Theresa May to reveal details of tuition fee overhaul on Monday

  16-02-2018 15:54 via theguardian.com
  Options being considered include cutting fees to £6,000 and changing interest rateTheresa May is to set out details of her government’s long-promised major review of higher education funding in England – with the current structure of £9,000 undergraduate tuition fees up for scrutiny.In her speech on Monday, May will outline the delayed review of university funding, with vice-chancellors nervously awaiting the small print of the overhaul that is expected to take up to a ye
  
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• This Guy Proposed In Greggs On Valentine’s Day

  16-02-2018 15:48
  A Greggs superfan decided a London branch of the chain would be the perfect location to propose to his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. Graphic designer Joe Callingham, 25, from Hertfordshire, popped the question to his girlfriend Pineapple Featonby at a special event the high street bakery hosted earlier this week.To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Greggs held candlelit dinners in five locations around the country. Couples bought a four-course set menu made entirely of Greggs pro
  
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• We Must End The Sexual Exploitation Of Children Online

  16-02-2018 15:24
  The Global Threat Assessment, a landmark report released today by the WePROTECT Global Alliance, is an alarming assessment of child sexual exploitation, laying bare toxic truths about the state of child sexual abuse online. It illustrates in the starkest terms how criminals with a sexual interest in children are interacting with, abusing and exploiting victims at all stages of child development. It’s a call to arms to end this unprecedented crime.The Global Threat Assessment examines the i
  
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• The Moral Imperative To Act - We Must End The Sexual Exploitation Of Children Online

  16-02-2018 15:24
  The Global Threat Assessment, a landmark report released today by the WePROTECT Global Alliance, is an alarming assessment of child sexual exploitation, laying bare toxic truths about the state of child sexual abuse online. It illustrates in the starkest terms how criminals with a sexual interest in children are interacting with, abusing and exploiting victims at all stages of child development. It’s a call to arms to end this unprecedented crime.The Global Threat Assessment examines the i
  
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• Northern Ireland secretary says power-sharing deal still possible

  16-02-2018 15:13 via theguardian.com
  Karen Bradley pledges to ‘do all I can’ to get talks between DUP and Sinn Féin back on trackThe UK government still believes a deal can be done between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist party aimed at restoring power-sharing to Stormont, the Northern Ireland secretary has said.Karen Bradley insisted she and her colleagues in the Irish government wanted to get the talks between the two main parties represented in the deadlocked Northern Ireland assembly back on track
  
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• Police Called To Young Tory Event After Fight Breaks Out

  16-02-2018 15:12
  Police were called to a ‘Young Conservative’ event in the heart of Westminster on Thursday evening after a fight broke out among young party members.HuffPost UK has been told the event descended into violence after one female member threw a glass of wine over a woman in full view of around 100 young Conservatives at the Walkers of Whitehall pub.A scuffle broke out, leading one activist, 22-year-old Marina Muttik to call the police.Speaking to HuffPost UK, Muttik said: “It was a
  
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• Pip And ESA Assessments Are Failing And It Is Time To Assess All Public Service Outsourcing

  16-02-2018 15:10
  The report from the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee on the operation of the outsourced PIP and ESA assessments is yet another significant blow public service outsourcing. Though in reality, these blows are being inflicted not by the Select Committee but by poor contractual arrangements, poor contractor performance and, as in the case of Carillion, poor contractor governance and resilience.The litany of failure and other reasons to question public service outsourcing grows by
  
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• Why hasn’t the UK banned this far-right purveyor of hate speech? | Rupa Huq

  16-02-2018 15:08 via theguardian.com
  Theresa May has a record of barring entry to extremists. But Rafał Ziemkiewicz’s brand of hate seems not to qualifyAs a child in the west London borough of Ealing, I grew up around Polish people. A family a few doors away gave my sister and me a lift to school every morning; I walked home with a pal called Dorota most days; our teachers included Mrs Picheta and Miss Jolowicz. I thought it was fairly standard for children to attend Polish school on Saturdays, because so many in my clas
  
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• Southbank Centre Pulls Advertising From Daily Mail After ‘Homophobic’ Column About Tom Daley

  16-02-2018 15:08
  London arts hub the Southbank Centre has pulled its advertising from the Daily Mail after a Richard Littlejohn column urged readers: “Please don’t pretend two dads is the new normal.”The piece, which was described by many readers on Twitter as “homophobic”,  was in response to the news that Olympic diver Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Black are having a child via a surrogate.“Before the usual suspects start bouncing up and down, squealing ‘homopho
  
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• MP denies linking being a parent to taking child abuse seriously

  16-02-2018 14:57 via theguardian.com
  Sarah Champion denies suggesting Theresa May doesn’t ‘get’ issue because she doesn’t have childrenA Labour MP has angrily denied suggesting David Cameron took the issue of child exploitation more seriously than Theresa May because he is a father.Sarah Champion said in an interview that she was concerned May had allowed the issue to fall off the agenda since she became prime minister, having been committed to it as home secretary. Champion has campaigned on child abuse sin
  
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• UK Air Pollution From Cars Has Actually Dropped

  16-02-2018 14:52
  New figures from the Office of National Statistics have shown that emissions from motor vehicles have actually dropped 12% in the four years between 2012 and 2016.The drop comes as governments around the world, including the UK, have started to impose stricter regulations on the emissions being produced by cars including tougher penalties on older cars, especially diesel vehicles.While the figures have been welcomed, some have warned that it fails to tell the bigger picture.One of the main sourc
  
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• Homelessness In The UK Needs To Be Tackled Now

  16-02-2018 14:40
  Homelessness in the UK is an issue that has been left without enough attention or time being devoted to significantly combat it, which is why on February 14th a homeless man who was seen frequently at the tube entrance of Westminster, died near the Houses of Parliament. This is not the first time that a homeless person has died, sleeping out in the cold overnight and I wish I could say that this death would be the last for those who are homeless. However, the facts remain that the lack of action
  
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• Is it possible to reverse Brexit? | Anand Menon

  16-02-2018 14:32 via theguardian.com
  Even if all the hurdles to a second referendum and a remain vote were overcome, a huge number of problems would ariseIt’s all kicking off. A poll carried out by ICM for the Guardian showed that, excluding those with no opinion, voters support the idea of a second referendum by a 16-point margin.Simultaneously, there are signs that the parliamentary battle over Brexit is about to become more joined up. The main groups opposed to Brexit have agreed to pull together under the banner of the gr
  
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• Bradley mulls next step after talks failure

  16-02-2018 14:24 via bbc.co.uk
  NI Secretary Karen Bradley says she believes the political will still exists to restore devolution.
  
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• Southbank Centre Pulls Future Advertising From Daily Mail After ‘Homophobic’ Column About Tom Daley

  16-02-2018 14:15
  London arts hub, the Southbank Centre, has pulled its advertising from the Daily Mail after a Richard Littlejohn column urged readers: “Please don’t pretend two dads is the new normal.”The piece, which was described by many readers on Twitter as “homophobic”,  was in response to the news that Olympic diver Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Black are having a child via a surrogate.“Before the usual suspects start bouncing up and down, squealing ‘homop
  
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• Mid-earners 'locked out of buying a home'

  16-02-2018 14:15 via bbc.co.uk
  The biggest decline in home ownership in the last 20 years has been among middle-income 25 to 34-year-olds.
  
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• Portugal mourns Westminster man's death

  16-02-2018 13:59 via bbc.co.uk
  Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa says the way man died near the Houses of Parliament was "inhumane".
  
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• Elon Musk’s Tesla Could Eventually Be On A Collision Course With Earth

  16-02-2018 13:33
  Having missed its initial destination of Mars, Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster could eventually end up being on a collision course with the very planet it came from: Earth.Following its launch from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, the Tesla was supposed to be placed into a heliocentric orbit that would see it pass both Earth and Mars as it went around the Sun.Unfortunately that didn’t go as planned, with the Falcon Heavy’s rocket burning just a bit more than predicted.While initially
  
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• Week in review: Oxfam could be charity world's MP expenses scandal

  16-02-2018 13:28
  
  If it isn't this scandal that blows apart public trust in the sector, it'll be the next one
  
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• Japan’s worries over Brexit

  16-02-2018 13:22 via ft.com
  As a vital trading partner, the Asian country’s warning ought to alarm UK ministers  
  
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