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Erdan calls John Kerry's upcoming Middle East peace speech 'pathetic'
"It's pathetic to present a plan at the last minute when he hasn't managed to change anything for his entire time in office," Erdan said late on Tuesday night. "It's unfortunate that the Obama Administration, that erred for years in the Middle East, is trying to make sure that the chaos will last far past its tenure,"

Magnitude 6.3 quake hits Japan, no tsunami warning
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 hit eastern Japan on Wednesday, but no tsunami warning was issued, public broadcaster NHK said. There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.

What the hack? The leaks that shaped 2016
The past 12 months could be defined as the year of leaks, with hackers and whistleblowers revealing a massive trove of information, affecting entities around the world. The effects of 2016's leaks range from allegedly swaying the results of the US elections to exposing the inner workings of governments over decades.

YESHA Council Envoy: Kerry is a liar, he's not saying the truth
"When I met with Kerry a few weeks ago, I understood that we're talking about a person who is disconnected from reality and looking to make headlines. He's a person who takes sides in an argument and confuses facts with wishes.

Federal Appeals Court Invites Trump’s AG To Enter Clinton Email Scandal
A federal court ruled Tuesday the U.S. attorney general can still get involved in supervising the release of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s emails, offering President-elect Donald Trump an opportunity to intervene in the controversial case.

2 earthquakes struck near Lake Tahoe, rumblings felt across region
Two earthquakes struck early Wednesday near Lake Tahoe, and their rumblings were felt across areas of two states. There were no immediate reports of problems. The U.S. Geological Surveys says the two magnitude 5.7 temblors were both centered in a remote area of Nevada near the California line, about 70 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe.

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake Registered Off Central Oregon Coast
An earthquake has been recorded off Oregon’s central coast. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 4.1 magnitude earthquake hit Tuesday at 7:51 a.m. Pacific. It struck about 269 miles west of Corvallis.

European Union chief says open borders are the best way to fight terrorism
Europe’s governing body is doubling down on its immigration “values” — even after three of its member countries have been attacked by terrorists in just the last year. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, which serves as the executive body of the European Union, said Monday that open borders are still the best way to combat international terrorism, the Berlin Morning Post reported.

Mexico eyes border, migration as leverage in talks with Trump
Mexico aims to defend free trade with the United States by using border security and immigration policy to gain leverage in talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump... To defuse Trump's threats to disrupt trade and investment, policymakers say Mexico aims to strike a balance between hearing out his concerns over illegal immigration and U.S. jobs, and adopting a firm posture to protect its own economic interests.

US says claim it supported IS in Syria is 'ludicrous'
The US has described as "ludicrous" a claim by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that it supported so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said there was no basis for such an accusation. The Turkish leader earlier said he had evidence and also said the US had supported the Kurdish YPG and PYD groups.

Syria conflict: Turkey and Russia 'agree ceasefire plan'
Turkey and Russia have agreed on the terms of a proposed ceasefire in Syria, where they back opposing sides in the civil war, Turkish state media report. The Anadolu news agency cited an unnamed source as saying the two states were working to ensure the ceasefire would start after midnight (22:00 GMT). "Terrorist organisations" would be excluded from the deal, the source added, without giving further details.

Seven charged with attempted murder of Berlin homeless man
Seven young migrants have been charged with attempted murder in Germany after they allegedly tried to set a homeless man alight on Christmas Day. Six of the suspects, aged between 15 and 18, surrendered to police immediately after CCTV pictures of the incident in Berlin were released. The victim, who was attacked in an underground station, was unharmed.

Nigeria's Sultan of Sokoto rejects gender equality bill
Nigeria's most senior Muslim cleric has rejected a new gender equality bill, which proposes that women and men inherit an equal share. The Sultan of Sokoto, Mohamed Sa'ad Abubakar, said Muslims would not accept the violation of Islamic law guaranteeing men a greater share. Nigeria's main Christian body has welcomed the bill, saying its religion permitted equal inheritance.

Mumps spreads on college campuses
..."Mumps kind of sounds like this archaic thing," Brown said. "We get vaccinated for it...I just didn't think that it was possible that I would get it." But mumps is back...fueled in part by its spread on college campuses. Since classes began at the University of Missouri in August, school officials have identified 193 mumps cases on campus. Nationwide, more than 4,000 cases have been reported...

Leaked documents claim UN anti-settlement resolution orchestrated by US, PA co-op
Prior to the UN Security Council vote on anti-Israeli settlement resolution 2334, US Secretary of State John Kerry met with a Palestinian delegation in early December in Washington to discuss the draft, agreeing to cooperate... According to the report, Kerry along with US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, met with Secretary General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erkat and Majed Faraj, head of the Palestinian Authority's General Intelligence Service.

Vote on new Israeli homes in east Jerusalem said canceled ahead of Kerry speech
Amid heightened tensions between Jerusalem and Washington over the US’s abstention in last week’s UN resolution, the Jerusalem Municipality will reportedly cancel a Wednesday meeting to approve hundreds of Jewish residential units beyond the 1949 Armistice Line. ...the municipality contended that the resolution had no bearing on the city’s master plan for Jewish or Arab construction.

Erdogan accuses West of backing IS, breaking promises in Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said the West was breaking promises in Syria, accusing Ankara's partners of backing "terror groups" including IS jihadists in the country.

U.S. appeals court revives Clinton email suit
In a new legal development on the controversy over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails, an appeals court on Tuesday reversed a lower court ruling and said two U.S. government agencies should have done more to recover the emails.

CNBC's John Harwood Blames "White Fear" For Democrat Losses Under Obama
As the latest testament to his extreme impartiality as CNBC's chief Washington Correspondent, Harwood sent out the following tweet storm aimed at all of "those making [the] silly argument that Obama hurt [the] Democratic Party" to confirm, once and for all, that "white fear" (aka racism) was responsible for democratic losses in Congress under Obama's leadership and not his failed policies.

India's Prime Minister Has Singlehandedly Crushed The Economy With His Reckless Cash Ban
oday’s piece should be seen as a bit of a followup to yesterday’s post, India’s Demonetization Debacle Highlights the Dangers of Monetary Monopoly. While yesterday’s piece was more philosophical/strategic in nature, today’s zeroes in on some of the devastating real world impacts of Narendra Modi’s insane and inhumane cash ban. It’s hard to overstate the damage this policy has done to India’s economy. Modi is quickly solidifying his place as one of monetary history’s biggest idiots.



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With the two-state solution a distant dream, Palestinians ask if it's time to push for a one-state solution
Palestinians see prospects for the so-called two-state solution disintegrating, a growing number are mulling over a provocative alternative: a single binational state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean.

Israeli TV Reports Netanyahu Probe Expected Within Days
An Israeli TV channel reported Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is suspected of receiving valuable gifts from two businessmen. The Channel 2 segment was the latest in a series of reports in Israeli media saying that police are close to opening a criminal investigation against the prime minister.

Russian Embassy in UK responds to sanctions with 'lame duck tweet'
The Russian response to Barack Obama’s announcement that he was expelling 35 diplomats over the alleged cyber attack on the US election, was fast, and in some cases, rather amusing.

Modi Set to Face Fallout From His 50-Day Cash Promise to India
Short of a miracle, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi will fail to meet his own 50-day deadline to restore order to the country’s economy and ease the hardship faced by ordinary citizens following the chaos of his sudden currency ban.

Obama’s Treachery Exposed
After watching all the pomp and circumstance of the presidential inauguration of January 20, 2009, I remember turning to my husband Steve and saying: “The sole mission of Barack Obama and his henchmen is to destroy Israel.”

It’s Pretty Clear Why Obama Wouldn’t Have Fared So Well Against Donald Trump
Politico’s Bill Scher unceremoniously yanked the one remaining leg out of President Barack Obama’s stool in a Wednesday op-ed that described Obama’s prospects had he run against President-elect Donald Trump.

Chief rabbi: US has forsaken Israel, we can trust only in the Lord
“Sometimes, we need to be reminded from above that we can count on no one but our Father who art in heaven,” Yosef told followers at the Western Wall. “Even America… forsook us last week at the UN.” He added: “We mustn’t forget that the hearts of kings and captains are in the hands of the Lord, and we can count on no one but (the Lord).”

Europe elections in 2017 that could DESTROY EU: Votes in France, Germany and Netherlands
A SERIES of elections and referendums across Europe in the new year could plunge the EU into chaos as a wave of populism sweeps the continent. Victories for parties such as Le Pen’s Front National and the German AfD could spark a slate of Brexit-style referendums which might spell the end of the EU

White House On Defense After Being Exposed as Architect of Anti-Israel U.N. Action
Senior Obama administration officials are scrambling to provide explanations after multiple reports, including in the Washington Free Beacon, identified the White House as being a chief architect of a recent United Nations resolution condemning the state of Israel, according to conversations with multiple former and current U.S. officials.

Jimmy Carter to Obama: Grant Recognition to ‘State of Palestine’ at UN
Jimmy Carter is urging incumbent President Barack Obama to support an anti-Israel resolution at the United Nations Security Council that would allow the Palestinian Authority to evade its obligation to negotiate a final status agreement and skip directly to independent statehood.

Aiming for Technological Superpower Status, China Buys Up German Companies Read more: https://sputniknews.com/business/201612291049104618-china-germa
The acquisition of German companies by Chinese investors has reached record levels. According to financial consulting firm Ernst & Young, investors from mainland China and its financial hub Hong Kong have purchased 58 German companies in the first ten months of 2016, which is 19 more than the total purchased a year earlier.

'War' coming between U.S., U.N.
He explained that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., already has started work on ways to keep U.S. money away from the U.N., because “the U.N. has made it impossible for us to continue with business as usual.” The senator said Republicans in Congress likely “will feel like this is a betrayal of Israel and the only response that we have is the power of the purse.”

Netanyahu tells Kerry: Israel doesn't need to be lectured about peace by foreign leaders
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a fiery retort, both in Hebrew and in English, to US State Secretary John Kerry's speech on Wednesday, telling the American diplomat: "Israel does not need to be lectured about peace by foreign leaders."

Trump: The UN doesn't solve problems, it causes them
“When do you see the United Nations solving problems?” he added. “They don’t. They cause problems. So, if it lives up to the potential, it’s a great thing, and if it doesn’t, it’s a waste of time and money.” The remarks are a continuation of a tweet posted earlier this week by Trump, in which he said the UN is simply “a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time”.

U.S. appeals court rejects SEC's use of administrative law judges
A divided federal appeals court has ruled that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's in-house administrative judges are not constitutionally appointed, raising the prospect that the U.S. Supreme Court may need to address the issue.

POWERFUL QUAKE ‘Severe’ 5.5 earthquake rocks New Zealand’s South Island close to where 7.8 quake killed two last month
A SEVERE earthquake has hit New Zealand’s South Island. The 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit near Kaikoura at around 3.30pm which is the same place which experience a 7.8 magnitude quake in November.

Trump Said to Discuss Veterans’ Care Overhaul With Hospital CEOs
President-elect Donald Trump met...with leaders of top U.S. nonprofit hospital systems to discuss overhauling health care for veterans, including by allowing them to more readily visit hospitals outside the Veterans Affairs system. The group weighed public-private partnerships and other options that would make it possible for veterans to go to any hospital for care, inside the VA system or outside of it...

Satellite spots MASSIVE object hidden under the frozen wastes of Antarctica
SCIENTISTS believe a massive object which could change our understanding of history is hidden beneath the Antarctic ice. The huge and mysterious “anomaly” is thought to be lurking beneath the frozen wastes of an area called Wilkes Land. It stretches for a distance of 151 miles across and has a maximum depth of about 848 metres.

Over two dozen earthquakes hit near Lake Tahoe within four hours
Over two dozen earthquakes have been reported to hit the California-Nevada frontier early Wednesday morning, with tremors being felt as far north as Sacramento as well as San Francisco and Las Vegas. The earthquakes struck near Lake Tahoe, and their rumblings were felt across areas of both states, KTVN reported. There were no immediate reports of problems.

Israel-Palestinians: Netanyahu condemns John Kerry speech
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned as biased a speech by outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry on Israeli-Palestinian issues. Mr Kerry said the prospect of a peace deal based on a two-state solution was in grave jeopardy. ...Mr Netanyahu said he was disappointed with the speech, which he said was "unbalanced" and "obsessively focused" on settlements.

Syria conflict: Government agrees truce with rebels - Putin
The Syrian government and rebel groups have agreed a ceasefire and to begin peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced. The ceasefire is due to come into force at midnight (22:00 GMT) Thursday. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier that Turkey and Russia would act as guarantors under the plan.

DR Congo floods leave 50 dead in Boma
At least 50 people have died and thousands have been left homeless after severe flooding in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Torrential rain caused the Kalamu river, which flows through the city of Boma, to burst its banks on Tuesday. The bodies of some of the victims had ended up in neighbouring Angola, after being carried away by the surge, a local governor said.

Trump on Kerry speech: Something's going on and it's 'very unfair' to Israel
US president-elect Donald Trump commented on US Secretary of State John Kerry's Middle East speech on Middle East peace late on Wednesday, saying that it "speaks for itself." Speaking to press outside of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said that he and Kerry "have different views." Later on during the conference, the president-elect said that "Israel has been treated very, very unfairly by a lot of different people."

Abbas: I will renew negotiations, if Israel halts settlements, abides by agreements
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas responded to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech late Wednesday night, saying he is prepared to resume negotiations if Israel halts settlement construction and abides by signed agreements. “The minute the Israeli government agrees to cease all settlement activities....the Palestinian leadership stands ready to resume permanent status negotiations...

MKs warn: Shas Western Wall bill will drive away American Jews
Shas’ proposal to criminalize non-Orthodox worship at the Western Wall will divide the Jewish People, MK Nachman Shai (Zionist Union) warned in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed by 30 lawmakers from the coalition and opposition. “American Jews are angry and so is their leadership,” Shai said Thursday, calling the Shas proposal “poison.”

U.S. records fewest tornado deaths in 30 years
From floods to wildfires, 2016 featured several weather disasters, but a big, deadly tornado outbreak was not one of them. Tornadoes killed only 17 Americans this year, the fewest in 30 years and the second fewest since accurate records began in 1950. In 1986, 15 died, which is the least on record, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Mysterious illness tied to marijuana use on the rise in states with legal weed
For more than two years, Lance Crowder was having severe abdominal pain and vomiting, and no local doctor could figure out why. Finally, an emergency room physician in Indianapolis had an idea.

Philippines president claims he dropped kidnapper from helicopter
The foul-mouthed president of the Philippines, who earlier this month admitted to personally shooting and killing three men and using a powerful painkiller in excess of a doctor’s order, said Tuesday he also had dropped a kidnapping suspect from a helicopter – and he would do it again.

On Dec. 31, an extra ‘leap second’ will be added to our universal clocks — because of waves
The year 2016 will last a little longer. You’ll need to wait a second! As massive as our planet is, the Earth still “brakes” for ocean waves. Remarkably, this pale blue dot decelerates thanks to the braking action of ocean tides. In fact, our planet decelerates 2 milliseconds per day per century, according to the Naval Observatory. The final effect is that the planet’s rotation slows compared to atomic clocks.

Apparently driving while caffeinated is now a crime
If you picked up a coffee this morning on your way to work you were driving in the same condition that Joseph Schwab was when he was pulled over and arrested for “driving under the influence.” Schwab, a California man who was pulled over by an agent of the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control department, is now fighting back.

Turkey’s Erdogan Drops Bombshell Claim: 'Confirmed Evidence' US-Led Coalition Forces Supported ISIS
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday made the bombshell claim that he has “confirmed evidence” that U.S.-led coalition forces provided support to terrorist groups in Syria, including ISIS.

TX Rep Drafting Bill to Defund UN: 'They Don't Need Our Money to Be Anti-Semitic'
Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert (R) told Kimberly Guilfoyle he is drafting a bill that will halt all US funds to the United Nations until they rescind a resolution condemning Israeli settlements.

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Obama’s petty attempts to sabotage Trump are bound to fail
It’s easy to come up with several different reasons for the Obama administration’s moves against Russia and Israel. The repudiation of his policies in last month’s election would have wounded a normal person’s ego, to say nothing of someone as vain as Obama. To rub it in, the press has left the setting to follow the rising sun, reporting so much about Trump that Obama had seemed quite forgotten.

Anthony Bourdain slams ‘privileged’ liberals for ‘utter contempt’ of working class
Celebrity chef and self-described “privileged Eastern liberal” Anthony Bourdain slammed his fellow leftist elites this week, arguing that their disdain for working-class Americans helped create “the upswell of rage and contempt” that propelled Donald Trump to the presidency.

Israel issues travel warning for its citizens in India
Israel has issued a warning for its citizens travelling to India ahead of the new year celebrations citing a "concrete basic threat" and advised to avoid parties and gatherings particularly in south-west part of the country.

British leader Theresa May breaks with John Kerry’s condemnation of Israel
British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned a blunt speech this week by Secretary of State John F. Kerry on the state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an unusual move that boosted Britain’s relations with the incoming Trump administration at the expense of President Obama.

5.5-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Japan's East Coast: US Geological Survey
A 5.5-magnitude earthquake hit near Japan's east coast on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said. The moderate quake hit at a shallow depth of 11 kilometres (6.8 miles), 244 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, just after 5:00 am (2000 GMT).

Morici: 'Smarter' Trump Needs Time to Undo 8 Years of Obama Damage
"I have no doubt that Mr. Trump's a heck of a lot smarter than Barack Obama but Barack Obama had eight years to do this damage so it's going to take a lot of time to undo it," Morici told Bill Tucker on "The Steve Malzberg Show." "Executive orders can generally be reversed but not all,"

Top Bible Prophecy Stories of 2016 By Jan Markell
Zechariah 12:3 became a blunt reality on December 23. This was the day the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to come against Israel. America abstained which is essentially voting with the other members. She symbolically became the world's burdensome stone. This was initiated and instigated by the President of the United States which means terrible repercussions are coming to this land.

Christians, Jews Vow to Stand Together at Trump’s Inauguration
In the wake of deteriorating relations between Israel and the US culminating in the disastrous UN vote last Friday, Tommy Waller, a Christian from Tennessee, is bringing a delegation of Israeli Knesset members to Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20th.

Coast Guard search launched after plane vanishes in Ohio
The Columbus-bound Cessna Citation 525 departed Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland late Thursday night and disappeared from radar about two miles over Lake Erie. Why remains unclear. The group on the plane apparently had just left the Cleveland Cavaliers game,

Canadian MP: As PM, I will move Canadian embassy to Jerusalem
Candidate for leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada Kellie Leitch vowed to move the Canadian Embassy to Jerusalem if elected PM.

Syrian blood isn't red enough for Obama
Ezri Tubi points out the hypocrisy in the American administration's fixation on Israel while ignoring carnage in Syria. (video)

Britain, edging towards Trump, scolds Kerry over Israel
Britain scolded U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for describing the Israeli government as the most right-wing in Israeli history, a move that aligns Prime Minister Theresa May more closely with President-elect Donald Trump. Kerry's public rebuke of Israel has unsettled some allies such as Britain.

HERE COMES THE SOLAR WIND (AGAIN)
2016 might get one more blast of auroras before the year is over. Another stream of solar wind is heading for Earth, and it could arrive before New Year's Eve. The wind is flowing from a coronal hole (CH) in the sun's atmosphere...

Barack Obama has turned his back on America’s staunchest allies, writes STEPHEN POLLARD
THERE could be no more fitting ending to Barack Obama’s disastrous presidency than the two set-piece foreign policy events that took place in the US on Wednesday.In their own ways each demonstrated just why the day cannot come too soon when this most overrated and inept president disappears from public office.

Russia to eject US diplomats in response to sanctions
Russia on Friday announced plans to expel 35 US diplomats and ban US diplomatic staff from using a dacha and a warehouse in Moscow in retaliation to Washington's sanctions, Russian news agencies reported. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by the agencies as saying he had proposed the measures to President Vladimir Putin.

Earthquakes, bushfires, floods and thunderstorm asthma wreaking havoc in 2016
Earthquakes, bush fires, floods and, in Australia, previously little-known thunderstorm asthma were among the natural disasters that made headlines around the world in 2016. It seemed like a year of earthquakes.

RING OF FIRE FEARS: Indonesia struck by HUGE earthquake - villagers flee their homes
AN earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck today off the island of Sumbawa in eastern Indonesia, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. There was no tsunami warning issued.

Over 6,500 earthquakes rocked Japan in 2016
The number of noticeable earthquakes that struck Japan in 2016 exceeded 6,500, three times more than in the previous year, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Friday.

Netanyahu responds to UN by tweeting this video clip of Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t thrilled with the United Nations’ 14-0 vote...which bars the Jewish state from establishing settlements in Palestine-claimed lands — and he made that clear with a tweet Thursday afternoon. In the tweet, the Israeli prime minister shared a short reel of clips featuring President-elect Donald Trump criticizing the U.N., adding: “I could not have said it better myself.”

Look to the sky for New Year's Eve comet
Apart from the traditional fireworks and illuminated ball in Times Square, look for a blazing comet to light the night sky on New Year’s Eve. The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory said a comet may be visible as people welcome in 2017 on Saturday. “Say farewell to 2016 in cosmic style by looking up to see the #NewYearsEve #comet on December 31,” the laboratory said in a Wednesday Instagram post.

Bears Ears and Gold Butte: Obama creates two nature preserves
President Barack Obama has unilaterally designated two new "national monument" nature preserves in the western US states of Nevada and Utah. The Bears Ears National Monument and the Gold Butte National Monument will protect areas rich in Native American artefacts from energy drilling. Some Republicans in those states are opposed to the move and say it amounts to a federal land-grab.

Venezuela: President Maduro extends money swap deadline
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has again extended the deadline to withdraw from circulation the country's most common currency note. The deadline had been set for 2 January but will now be on 20 January. Mr Maduro said he did not want Venezuelans to worry about exchanging the currency near the New Year festivities.

In strong attack on Israel, German foreign minister says settlements jeopardize peace
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a staunch proponent of the Iran nuclear deal, has slammed Israel in a series of tweets and statements since last Friday’s Security Council resolution condemning Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. In a statement issued to Germany’s largest circulation daily...the Foreign Ministry claimed that “a democratic Israel is only achievable through a two-state-solution.”

Russia moves to expel US diplomats in response to sanctions
The Russian foreign ministry has called for the expulsion of 35 US diplomats in response to a similar move by Washington. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev accused the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama of ending in "anti-Russian death throes".


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