Wanderlust

Tag: France

  • Strasbourg capturing: France hunts gunman as alert degree raised

    Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Brand New alert degree heightens powers of the police

    The gunman exchanged hearth with officials who have been patrolling the realm as a part of anti-terror measures.

    It is thought he was once injured. in step with Mr Castaner, the person “fought two times with our security forces”.

    How did he break out?

    according to France’s BFM TELEVISION, he controlled to reach a taxi which drove him away from the scene and dropped him in the vicinity of the police station in Neudorf, the area the place he is understood to live.

    Strasbourg taking pictures: What we know so far

    It was the taxi motive force who told police the man used to be wounded in his left leg.

    Residents in Neudorf have been steered to stick indoors.

    What do we know about the gunman?

    an image is starting to emerge of the suspected attacker, despite the fact that a purpose continues to be now not recognized.

    He has now not been formally named, but French media are regarding him as Cherif C.

    in step with police, he used to be born in Strasbourg and used to be already identified to the protection products and services as a possible terrorist threat. He was once the subject of a “fiche S”, the same system underneath which Amedy Coulibaly – who attacked a grocery store in 2015 – used to be flagged.

    Symbol copyright Getty Pictures Symbol caption Armed police secure the area after the deadly shooting incident on Tuesday

    He is understood to have served prison sentences in each France and Germany, even as BFM TV described him as a “repeat culprit” and “delinquent”.

    However, even as Deputy Inside Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed he had served a few sentences, he said his crimes had never been terrorism-related.

    But, Mr Nuñez introduced, it used to be all through one period in jail that he was indentified as having change into radicalised.

    “the truth he used to be a ‘fiche S’ didn’t pre-judge his degree of dangerousness,” Mr Nuñez told France Inter.

    Stephane Morisse, from the FGP police union, said the person’s flat in the Neudorf district of the town were searched via police in connection with a robbery on Tuesday morning, however he was not there.

    Grenades have been discovered throughout the search, consistent with BFM TELEVISION.

    What about the sufferers?

    Nothing is understood of the sufferers yet.

    However, eyewitness Pater Fritz informed the BBC he heard gunfire and found an individual who have been shot, lying on a bridge. He mentioned he tried to resuscitate him but the person died.

    He stated no ambulance services and products had been able to enter the realm, including: “After 45 mins we stopped the resuscitation attempt, because a doctor instructed us at the telephone that it was mindless.”

    Another eyewitness, who gave his title as Fatih, informed AFP information agency that when the photographs have been fired there has been “pandemonium” at the streets.

    “People have been running in all places,” he mentioned.

    Local journalist Bruno Poussard wrote on Twitter that there were a dozen shots fired on his street in the city centre – one or two to start out with, then in bursts.

    The affect of the taking pictures used to be felt further away from the square as well.

    The Eu Parliament, that’s nearby, was once put on lockdown. The parliament’s president, Antonio Tajani, tweeted to say it might “now not be intimidated through terrorist or legal attacks”.

    Emmanuel Foulon, a press officer for the eu Parliament, wrote that there was “panic” in the centre following the sound of gunfire and that police with weapons were working through the streets.

    British MEP Richard Corbett tweeted that he used to be in a restaurant in the city and the doorways have been locked.

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  • Fears over sensitive US military data in commercial cloud

    Aerial view of the United States military headquarters, the Pentagon Image copyright Reuters Symbol caption The Pentagon – the world’s greatest administrative center building – is the U.s.a.’ army headquarters

    A generation corporate bidding for a Pentagon settlement to retailer sensitive information has close partnerships with a firm associated with a sanctioned Russian oligarch, the BBC has learned.

    The Jedi undertaking, a huge cyber-cloud which could in the end retailer nuclear codes, has already sparked safety fears.

    Viktor Vekselberg, who is close to the Kremlin, has links to the C5 Group, a cyber-investment firm which has labored closely with the top bidder, Amazon Internet Services And Products (AWS).

    Both C5 and AWS say C5 is not eager about the Jedi bid in any way.

    All bids for the cloud are sealed. The Pentagon refused to remark mentioning that details about companies concerned couldn’t be disclosed.

    Symbol copyright ALEKSEY NIKOLSKYI/AFP/Getty Symbol caption Viktor Vekselberg (L) has met Russian President Vladimir Putin on a lot of occasions

    what’s the Jedi contract?

    In a bid to compete with Russia and China, the Joint Undertaking Defence Infrastructure is one in all essentially the most formidable ventures the Pentagon has launched.

    Instead of military knowledge being stored on smaller servers throughout different departments throughout the Pentagon, the guidelines will probably be held in a cloud.

    The cloud is a time period used to explain a host of faraway servers, attached to the internet, which will retailer huge arrays of knowledge and can be accessed from anyplace in the international.

    Best army secrets shall be transferred to the Jedi cloud, together with classified information about guns programs, military group of workers, intelligence and operations.

    It will provide soldiers on the frontline with instant get right of entry to to all of the latest intelligence, making them more practical on the battlefield.

    the risks of cyber-struggle with Russia Staying one step sooner than the cyber-spies Good machines v hackers: How cyber-struggle is escalating

    US Brigadier General Krumm, who helped to plan the contract, defined at its launch that having such knowledge on the army’s fingertips would lend a hand the united states win wars.

    He mentioned: “the guidelines has to be available to an army platoon that a pleasant unit is simply across the block and can no longer open fire.

    “it has got to be to be had to a platoon of marines who are about to breach a door that an IED has been discovered.”

    There have been warnings that if the Pentagon’s IT gadget is not updated urgently then the us will “lose the long run conflict”.

    Huge, world generation corporations equivalent to Microsoft, Oracle and IBM have submitted bids, with a choice due in April 2019.

    Leading voices within the sector – including the other corporations vying for the settlement – say that Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the clear frontrunner.

    Why is the project so arguable?

    John Weiler, the director of the IT procurement workforce IT-AAC primarily based in Washington, advised the BBC: “I MIGHT not store my so much private information, nor could my fellow colleagues, in a business cloud, period, the top.”

    He says there are large dangers to storing such categorised data on a public, commercially-held cloud run by just one corporate.

    “we have our nuclear codes, the place our troops are going to be from in the future to the next. If the cloud’s safety is breached then our enemies may just use our knowledge in opposition to us. they could be looking forward to us.”

    The Pentagon needed to explain to Congress why it used to be most effective providing the settlement to a single corporate, with requires a cloud of this dimension to be run by means of a couple of service providers to unfold the danger of security breaches.

    It stated having just one cloud supplier may better serve troops at the ground and could speed up get admission to to necessary data.

    AWS also defended the u.s. govt’s place mentioning: “A single cloud can be more secure than a multi-cloud setting.”

    There have also been accusations that the bid has been written with only one company in mind, AWS, one thing the Pentagon denies, saying that the process has been transparent and impartial.

    Questions have additionally been raised about AWS’ links to the C5 Workforce.

    Most Sensible banks in cyber-attack ‘warfare game’ Children’s data uncovered on cloud server Is cyber-battle in reality that frightening?

    who are Amazon Web Products And Services and C5 Capital?

    Amazon Web Services And Products has grown to be the biggest cloud service provider in the world. A subsidiary of the net shopping corporate, it controls a 3rd of the cloud computing market.

    The C5 Staff is a relative newcomer but within a few years it has raised £100m to take a position in cyber-security.

    Despite AWS and C5 running together on a bunch of cloud computing initiatives in all places the arena, each companies have denied having an in depth relationship.

    One of the numerous cyber-firms in the C5 workforce, C5 Accelerate claims on its web site that it’s “growing a Cloud Accelerator Cluster in Europe, The Middle East, Africa, and the United States Of America, along Amazon Web Services”.

    C5 keeps it has never made a joint agreement bid with AWS of any kind in any us of a and has labored with different cloud carrier providers like IBM and Microsoft.

    Then Again, the vice-president of AWS, Teresa Carlson, and the man behind the C5 Staff, Andre Pienaar, have toured the sector selling their companies’ dating.

    Image copyright Reuters Symbol caption AWS already has the required safety clearances because of their involvement with the CIA’s computing cloud

    they have got also joined forces on a project in the Heart East. AWS secured a contract to develop cloud-computing systems for the kingdom of Bahrain, and C5 got here in emigrate govt websites to the cloud.

    Who is Andre Pienaar and how is he linked to Russia?

    Mr Pienaar, the man behind the C5 crew, is a smartly-attached South African with industry ties to a wealth of illustrious names.

    The board of considered one of his flagship firms, C5 Capital, includes a roll call of a few of probably the most influential and depended on figures in army and safety circles on each side of the Atlantic.

    He additionally has links to Viktor Vekselberg, who’s on the US sanctions checklist for his close ties to Vladimir Putin.

    When the BBC asked Viktor Vekselberg if he knew Mr Pienaar, he mentioned that for two-and-a-half years, Mr Pienaar was a paid portfolio supervisor for his businesses in South Africa. That position handiest came to an finish in advance this yr.

    in line with this version of occasions he will have to had been running for Mr Vekselberg at the same time as operating C5 and working on initiatives with Amazon Internet Services And Products.

    While the BBC positioned that to Mr Pienaar, he denied having ever labored for Mr Vekselberg’s company, and mentioned he had most effective advised them on a mining factor.

    Shortly afterwards, Viktor Vekselberg’s spokesman got here again to amend their in advance statement to check Mr Pienaar’s – which would recommend that they are nonetheless in contact.

    How is his business, the C5 Team, associated with Russia?

    Looking Through the labyrinthine structure of companies around C5, the BBC has discovered an injection of Russian money.

    One of C5’s subsidiaries, C5 Razor Bidco, introduced in an investment of £16.1m in 2015, simply as Vladmir Kuznetsov was a director and best shareholder of the company.

    AWS stressed out that it does not work with C5 Razor Bidco. On The Other Hand, C5 Razor Bidco is a component of the C5 Workforce and is owned by Andre Pienaar.

    Image copyright Keystone SDA Image caption Vladimir Kuznetsov was the executive strategy officer for one of Viktor Vekselberg’s key firms, the Renova Team

    what is Skolkovo?

    While the Skolkovo Innovation Centre used to be dependent through the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev again in 2009, when he was once Russia’s president, it used to be seen as the united states’s resolution to Silicon Valley.

    Viktor Vekselberg was once introduced in to run it and has remained on the helm ever since.

    It used to be described as an incubator of the most recent technologies which would create lots of jobs and lend a hand cut back Russia’s dependence on oil and fuel, and allow it to compete with the West.

    Alternatively, a few years after its inception, warnings of possible espionage got here from each the u.s. army and the FBI, an accusation that Skolkovo and Viktor Vekselberg strongly deny.

    Both the FBI and the u.s. army have warned that the innovation centre, designed to rival California’s Silicon Valley, may well be a entrance for “commercial espionage”.

    Image copyright Google Symbol caption Skolkovo is described as a “generation incubator”.

    Mr Vekselberg stated it was with “great feel sorry about” that Skolkovo have been the subject of such complaint and that the centre worked intently with the us and lots of international technology companies as a part of an “ecosystem” the place “innovation and entrepreneurship can thrive”.

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  • Strasbourg shooting eyewitness: ‘I heard gunshots’

    Video ‘I heard gunshots’

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  • France Gilets Jaunes: Macron promises divide protest leaders

    Symbol copyright AFP Symbol caption Dozens of roads have been nonetheless blocked on Tuesday as now not every protest leader was once impressed by Mr Macron’s comments

    Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was set to spell out the proposals to the National Assembly on Tuesday, every week after he first suspended the fuel tax upward push after which scrapped it altogether.

    France U-turn after gas tax upward thrust protests

    How have protesters spoke back?

    Police sources informed French TELEVISION news channel BFMTV that ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY protests have been still happening on Tuesday, regarding 45 highway blockades and fewer than 2,000 people.

    The most receptive reaction to Mr Macron’s speech got here from Jacline Mouraud, 51, whose viral video complaining approximately fuel taxes is believed to have kick-started the yellow-vest motion.

    “We now need to get out of this problem,” she mentioned.

    An anticipated 23 million French viewers watched Mr Macron’s TV look on Monday night.

    Other protest leaders were extra combative.

    Maxime Nicolle, whose videos had been shared by protesters, said it was once “too little, too overdue”.

    Another key voice, Benjamin Cauchy, complained of the president’s “part measures”. “€ONE HUNDRED is all rather well for minimal-wage sorts however what’s in it for all of the middle-earners struggling underneath monumental financial power?”

    Employers’ organisation Medef praised the measures, because they were interested in people’s purchasing power but did not aim companies themselves.

    One of the president’s key allies, Modem birthday party chief Francois Bayrou, praised Mr Macron’s proposals as a change of era, not merely for his presidency but in the context of the earlier 30 years. “you cannot have economic progress without social justice, if each and every citizen does not feel concerned,” he stated.

    How did protests start?

    The protesters started as a grassroots French provincial movement with people wearing prime-visibility yellow jackets, which by regulation need to be carried through every vehicle in France.

    who are the ‘gilets jaunes’? Will the surroundings be the actual sufferer of France’s riots? Who helps the protesters?

    Anger at deliberate gas tax rises then integrated broader issues related to families combat to make ends meet, with requires upper wages, lower taxes, better pensions and easier college entry requirements.

    Big protests in important Paris turned violent, and there are requires a 5th Saturday of protests on 15 December.

    Protest timeline

    Revolutionary Organization 17 November: 282,000 protesters – one lifeless, 409 wounded – 73 in custody 24 November: 166,000 protesters – EIGHTY FOUR wounded – 307 in custody 1 December: 136,000 protesters – one useless, 263 wounded – 630 in custody 8 December: 136,000 protesters – 118 wounded – 1,220 in custody

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  • France fuel protests: who’re the ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow vests)?

    Gilets jaunes protesters block the road leading to the Frontignan oil depot in the south of France on 3 December 2018 Symbol copyright AFP

    They’ve staged some of essentially the most comprehensive protests seen in France because 1968, however who’re the folk making up the “gilets jaunes” (yellow vest) motion?

    The protesters, therefore named as a result of they sport the unique yellow top-visibility jackets required to be carried in each and every car by French law, to start with got here in combination to illustrate towards a pointy increase in diesel taxes.

    The movement – born online – cuts throughout age, job and region, and contains members of the working and middle categories, all affected by the rise in gasoline taxes and the next value of residing.

    Its individuals vary from factory employees and the unemployed to the self-hired (particularly artisans) and retired other folks.

    Ball in Macron’s court docket after violent protests Will Macron face down French gasoline protesters?

    What are their grievances?

    What all of them appeared to have in not unusual at the outset was their reliance on automobiles to get round, regularly living in additional rural and less populated parts of the country.

    Mr Macron used to be elected on a platform of financial reform, which might, the French people were instructed, fortify their lot – with decrease unemployment and a kick-started economy.

    But many really feel that has no longer came about. An research of the 2018-19 budget performed through France’s public policy institute, for instance, discovered that the poorest quarter of households might largely see their income drop or stay the same under the plans.

    Center-source of revenue earners may see a modest bump – but the greatest beneficiaries could be the ones who’re already rich, within the top 1%. The trend is worse for retired folks – almost all of whom might be worse off.

    How are the protesters organised?

    Image copyright AFP Image caption Jacline Mouraud changed into a logo of the struggle towards the gas value increases

    Any Other feature of the motion is the reality that it’s leaderless, despite the fact that it does have a couple of spokespeople who act as figureheads.

    “we do not want somebody the use of our motion, and we don’t need leaders,” said Frank Buhler, a distinguished member of the gilets jaunes. “we now have to start everywhere once more, that is how a ways we have now come. The French Revolution began with flour wars; for us it is gasoline taxes.”

    Eric Drouet, a 33-12 months-vintage truck motive force from Seine-et-Marne, is credited with calling for the November protests in Paris by means of a Facebook page. His call used to be shared and replicated on-line, resulting in local protests being held, studies say.

    Some Other consultant is Jacline Mouraud, a FIFTY ONE-12 months-vintage accordion player, from Brittany. A video she published online denouncing the fuel price hikes and the opposite difficulties drivers faced garnered six million views.

    She was one in every of the spokespeople who stated she couldn’t attend the assembly on Tuesday with High Minister Edouard Philippe after receiving demise threats.

    Has the motion been hijacked?

    Symbol copyright EPA Symbol caption Statues were smashed on the Arc de Triomphe in violent clashes at the weekend

    dealing with a leaderless motion could have actual effects, Internal Minister Christophe Castaner said on Monday.

    Answering questions from a countrywide Meeting parliamentary committee on Monday in regards to the weekend’s destructive demonstration, he said there had been no previous dialogue with representatives from the movement to make sure a peaceful protest.

    As a end result, violent a ways-right and much-left teams had infiltrated the protest, and incited protesters into more violence, he said.

    “Those are troublemakers who got here, out of monetary opportunism with immoral intentions, who got here to make the most of the chaos to break up and steal from shops.”

    It now remains to be noticed whether the motion can maintain momentum in the longer term, after the government announced on Tuesday it was suspending the increase in gasoline taxes.

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  • France gas protests: who’re the folks in the yellow vests?

    Video France’s ‘yellow vests’

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  • France gas protests: Macron calls pressing security assembly

    A person takes a picture outside a vandalised restaurant the morning after Paris riots over fuel taxes, December 2, 2018 Symbol copyright Reuters Symbol caption Restaurants and stores had been burnt in the course of the riots

    French President Emmanuel Macron will lead an pressing security meeting on Sunday, following an afternoon of riots via hundreds of anti-government protesters in Paris.

    A govt spokesperson stated a state of emergency could be imposed to tackle the unrest.

    Protests over fuel tax have grown into common anger at upper residing costs.

    While a few demonstrators have remained non violent, others clashed violently with police and scaled the Arc de Triomphe.

    More than 100 people had been injured, including 23 individuals of the protection forces, on Saturday.

    Symbol copyright AFP / Getty Photographs

    Who’re the protesters?

    The protesters are known as the “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests), because they have got taken to the streets wearing the prime-visibility apparel that may be required to be carried in each vehicle by French law.

    Their core complaint is a hike in petrol taxes. President Macron says his motivation for the increase is environmental, however protesters name him out of touch – specifically with non-town dwellers who depend on their vehicles.

    Image copyright AFP / Getty Pictures Symbol caption Riot police had been splattered with yellow paint

    Nearly A HUNDRED NINETY fires had been placed out and 6 buildings have been set ablaze, the internal ministry said.

    Department retail outlets and metro stations were closed as a results of the violence.

    What has President Macron mentioned?

    On Saturday, Mr Macron mentioned the protests “had completely nothing to do with a relaxed demonstration of a legitimate sadness or discontent.”

    He stated the ones accountable did not want modification, but instead supposed to “wreak chaos”.

    Symbol copyright Getty Images / AFP Symbol caption The blank-up is under way. The graffiti here says: “The yellow vests will triumph”

    He has long maintained that his gasoline insurance policies are had to combat world warming and has accused his political combatants of hijacking the motion in order to block his reform programme.

    Earlier this week, Mr Macron attempted to strike a conciliatory tone, announcing he used to be open to ideas about how the gasoline tax might be applied.

    What has angered drivers?

    the associated fee of diesel, probably the most standard gas in French cars, has risen via around 23% over the prior one year to a typical of €1.51 (£1.32; $1.71) per litre, its perfect aspect because the early 2000s.

    Global oil costs did upward thrust earlier than falling back once more but the Macron govt raised its hydrocarbon tax this 12 months through 7.6 cents in step with litre on diesel and 3.9 cents on petrol, as a part of a marketing campaign for cleaner automobiles and gasoline.

    The choice to impose a further build up of 6.5 cents on diesel and 2.9 cents on petrol on 1 January 2019 used to be noticed as the ultimate straw.

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  • France gas protests: who are the folk in the yellow vests?

    Video Who Are France’s ‘yellow vests’?

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  • Benoît Quennedey: French legitimate charged with spying for N Korea

    Benoit Quennedey (file picture) Symbol copyright AFP Symbol caption Benoît Quennedey is president of the Franco-Korean Friendship Affiliation

    A French civil servant has been positioned below formal felony investigation on suspicion of spying for North Korea.

    Benoît Quennedey is suspected of treason and “offering data to a international power”. He faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

    Mr Quennedey holds a senior position in the French Senate’s department of structure, historical past and gardens.

    He is also president of the Franco-Korean Friendship Affiliation, which promotes nearer ties with North Korea.

    In latest years he has written books on the united states of america, together with North Korea’s Economy: Beginning Of Recent Asian Dragon (2013).

    Mr Quennedey has travelled a couple of instances to Pyongyang in latest years and met officers and teachers working within the structure and construction fields, in keeping with his association’s website.

    Following his arrest in Paris on Sunday, he was wondered for 96 hours by way of France’s counter-intelligence service.

    Investigations into Mr Quennedey began a yr ago, French media say.

    Reacting to his arrest, Senate President Gérard Larcher stated: “If the allegations in opposition to him were proven, this may severely undermine the picture of our institution.”

    Underneath France’s criminal gadget, an investigating pass judgement on is charged with reviewing the evidence and will choose to close the case.

  • France gasoline protests: Macron drives beforehand amid unrest

    Masked protesters wearing yellow vests, a symbol of a French drivers Image copyright Reuters Symbol caption Protests in Paris at the weekend attracted heaps

    Embattled French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will now not abandon a controversial fuel tax, as he set out France’s long term power strategy.

    The so-known as yellow vests protests have seen thousands take to the streets across France over fuel prices.

    However Mr Macron struck a conciliatory tone, saying he was once open to ideas and revising how the gas tax used to be applied.

    He also introduced that France may close all coal energy stations via 2022, along side a number of nuclear plants.

    In his speech on Tuesday, Mr Macron said: “I’m now not complicated the rioters with voters who wish to convey a message.

    Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Macron’s approval scores have dropped sharply this 12 months

    France is heavily dependent on nuclear power, which Mr Macron pledged to reduce to 50% of the national power mix through 2035 by means of ultimate 14 of the country’s FIFTY EIGHT reactors. None, alternatively, might be closed ahead of 2022 with the exception of Fessenheim at the German border.

    That is on most sensible of the closure of all four of France’s remaining coal-fired power plants and investment of billions of euros into renewable power.

    Mr Macron’s approval ranking has fallen continuously in latest months, together with his deeply unpopular fuel tax building up adding to his political woes.

    The gilets jaunes rallies had been at the start about gasoline tax increases. Protesters donned the yellow vest required to be carried in each car through legislation and blocked roads, causing well-liked site visitors jams.

    Media playback is unsupported for your instrument

    Media captionTear gas and water cannon fired on fuel price protesters by way of Paris police

    but the protests have now spread to encompass emerging anger at high taxes and dwelling prices, and span the entire political spectrum – even the a ways right, which the federal government blamed for violence in Paris on the weekend.

    Those protests noticed the famous Champs-Elysées jam-packed with FIVE,000 individuals with hundreds extra spread across the remainder of the capital.

    Tear fuel and a water cannon have been used to disperse crowds after barricades were erected at the capital’s streets and a small choice of protesters tried to wreck a safety cordon.

    Most demonstrators have remained peaceful, despite the fact that one individual died in the course of the protests after they have been struck via a panicked driver.

    However Mr Macron is also going through opposition from the political class.

    On Tuesday, 12 of France’s THIRTEEN nearby leaders referred to as on Mr Macron to rethink the fuel tax.

    In the letter, revealed in French newspaper L’Opinion, the neighborhood presidents referred to as for a moratorium on the tax, writing that it might be a “serious mistake” to characterise the in style protests as an extremist movement.

    Instead, they wrote, it used to be indicative of fashionable anger of voters pressured to reside additional and further from their position of work and spend more on travel.

    The amassed presidents also introduced that they were not towards environmental taxes, however moderately in favour of taking the time to enhance the proposals.

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