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Manipur: Meitei woman, her injured son, and a relative killed after mob sets ambulance on fire in West Imphal

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur: Meitei woman, her injured son, and a relative killed after mob sets ambulance on fire in West Imphal

On Sunday, June 4, an ambulance escorting an injured child along with his mother and a relative was set ablaze by a mob in West Imphal of Manipur. The fire resulted in the death of the eight-year-old boy, his mother and a relative. 

The incident transpired on Sunday evening in Iroisemba, while the child was being taken to a hospital by his mother and a relative in Imphal after sustaining a bullet wound in his head during a shoot-out.

The police have identified the three deceased persons as eight-year-old Tonsing Hangsing, his 45-year-old mother Meena Hangsing, and Lydia Lourembam, aged 37.

An Assam Rifles officer confirmed the incident, stating that security had been tightened in and around the camp.

Tonsing, the son of a tribal man, and his Meitei mother were reportedly sheltering at an Assam Rifles relief camp at Kangchup. A gunfight broke out in the area on the evening of June 4, and although Tonsing was inside the camp, he was injured by a bullet.

A senior Assam Rifles officer immediately contacted Imphal police and arranged for an ambulance. “Because the mother was from the majority community, it was decided to take the child by road to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal”, he said.

The ambulance was escorted by the Assam Rifles for a few kilometres before being taken over by the local police. The ambulance was reportedly set ablaze by locals in Isoisemba at 6.30 PM. The three people in the vehicle were killed and the dead bodies have not been recovered so far.

According to an Indian Express report, the Meitei woman was married to a Kuki man. A senior official said that only some bones were recovered from the ambulance that was set on fire. An FIR has been registered in the matter with murder charges added. 

Gin Hangsing, a relative of the victims and a resident of the village said, “The women and children of our village had been staying at an Assam Rifles outpost nearby for the past month while the men have been doing village defence work. On Sunday, Tomshing was shot in the head from a distance, we don’t know if it was a stray bullet or if it was directed at him.”

Manipur saw massive ethnic violence earlier this month following a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised by tribal groups on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. They were also protesting against the eviction of Kuki villages from reserve forest land. According to the CM and Meitei groups, most of those Kuki people are from Myanmar.

Conditions becoming favourable for onset of monsoon in next 48 hours: India Meteorological Office

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Conditions becoming favourable for onset of monsoon in next 48 hours: India Meteorological Office

Meteorological conditions are becoming favourable for the onset of monsoon over Kerala during the next 48 hours, India’s weather office India Meteorological Office (IMD) said in a statement on Wednesday.

IMD had in May predicted arrival of monsoon on June 4. Southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1 with a standard deviation of about seven days.

The conditions are also favourable for further advance of monsoon into some more parts of South Arabian Sea, entire Lakshadweep, some more parts of Southwest, Central and Northeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of Northeastern states during the next 48 hours, the IMD said.

Monsoon is crucial specially for kharif crops dependent on rains. India has three cropping seasons — summer, kharif and rabi.

Crops sown during June-July and harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops that are sown during October and November and the produce harvested from January-March depending on maturity is Rabi. Crops produced between rabi and kharif are summer crops.

Meanwhile, severe cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’ over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea around Goa is likely to intensify into ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ during the next 12 hours.

“It is very likely to intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours. It would move nearly northwards during next 24 hours and then north-northwestwards during subsequent three days,” IMD said.

Fishermen are advised not to venture in such cyclone-hit areas in Arabian Sea and those who are out at sea are advised to return to coast.

In other forecast, IMD said heat wave conditions likely to continue over Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during next 4-5 days.

Heatwave is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to the human body when exposed, according to IMD.

The heat wave is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degree Celsius or more for plains and at least 30 degree Celsius or more for hilly regions. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

50,000 out of the 75,000 mosques in Iran are closed: Top Iranian cleric expresses concern over the lowering interest of people in religion

OpIndia Staff
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50,000 out of the 75,000 mosques in Iran are closed: Top Iranian cleric expresses concern over the lowering interest of people in religion

Recently, the Iranian woman’s anti-Hijab movement drew praise and support from all around the world while infuriating the country’s Islamic leadership. Now, according to Maulana Mohammad Abolghassem Doulabi, out of the 75,000 mosques in the country, 50,000 have been shuttered, reflecting a decline in the number of people who attend.

On June 1, he voiced concern about the alarming situation and stated that the statistics represent a troubling admission for a country based on Islamic beliefs.

Notably, Maulana Mohammad Abolghassem Doulabi serves as the liaison between the administration of Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati, commonly known as Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s seminaries as well as included in the Assembly of Experts a deliberative body charged with selecting Iran’s Supreme Leader.

He stressed that the society’s religiosity is waning, and pointed out that the legitimacy of a government driven by religious decree is undermined. He mentioned, “When people look at the output of the religion, they decide to enter the religion or leave the religion with reasons including ‘the humiliation of people in the name of religion,’ ‘falsification of religious concepts and teachings,’ and ‘depriving people of a decent life and creating poverty in the name of religion.’

The prominent Muslim cleric vocalised his distress as more Iranians of all ages grew weary of the government’s pretext of Islam as the cornerstone of its brutal dictatorship, as evidenced by months of violent protest since September of last year in response to Mahsa Amini’s untimely death while in the care of the morality police after being imprisoned for wearing her hijab inappropriately.

Iran has over 60% of its mosques closed due to a lack of devotees for prayer. He proclaimed people choose to quit or join a religion based on its repercussions when they are brought up.

It is crucial to remember that Iran is regulated by an extremely rigid Islamic law, and even the slightest deviance from it can lead to severe penalties.

ICC World Test Championship: Amid oil protest threats, two pitches prepared for the final between India and Australia

OpIndia Staff
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ICC World Test Championship: Amid oil protest threats, two pitches prepared for the final between India and Australia

The ICC has prepared two pitches for the World Test Championship final which is set to begin on June 7, 2023. The match will start at 3 PM IST. A reserve day has also been put in place in case of a weather intervention. The final will be held at the Oval Stadium in London.

As per reports, the decision to prepare two pitches was taken after oil protesters threatened to destroy the pitch. If the pitch gets damaged, the ICC experts will access it and see if it can be repaired for the match. In case it is beyond repair, the reserve pitch will be checked, and the match will be shifted accordingly.

Both team captains, Rohit Sharma for India and Pat Cummins for Australia have been informed about the update. As per reports, they both have agreed to shift to the reserve pitch in case of an incident so that match does not get called off and abandoned.

In a statement, Cummins said, “It’s something we got in the security briefing a couple of days ago. I’ve heard that they’re aware of it and keeping an eye out. But that’s as much as we’ve heard. So hopefully, it doesn’t happen, obviously. But yeah, I’ve heard there are a few different events that have been affected.”

Determining the pitch state

As per the ICC regulations, several sections will play a vital role in deciding whether the pitch needs to be shifted. First, the on-field umpires will check and determine if the pitch is safe to continue. If they feel it is unreasonable to continue, the ICC match referee will be called after halting the match under section 6.4.1.

Then under section 6.4.4, the on-field umpires will examine the pitch to determine if the pitch can be repaired and if the match can be resumed from the point it was stopped. The match referee will be consulted to make the final decision. It will be the referee’s responsibility to determine if the repair may give an unfair advantage to any side or not, as a portion of the game had already been played on the damaged pitch.

Under section 6.4.7, the referee will make sure to keep the captains and the head of the ground authority in the loop of the decision-making process. Timely public announcements about the situation will be the responsibility of the head of the ground authority.

Squads

India- Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, and Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper).

Suryakumar Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been placed on the list of standby players.

Australia – Pat Cummins (Captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wicket-keeper), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (Vice Captain), Mitchell Starc, and David Warner.

Mitch Marsh and Matthew Renshaw are on the standby list.

Watch: Director Om Raut emotionally requests Adipurush producers and distributors to keep one seat vacant for Lord Hanuman during every show

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Director Om Raut emotionally requests Adipurush producers and distributors to keep one seat vacant for Lord Hanuman during every show

The grand pre-release event of the film Adipurush was held in the sacred city of Tirupati on Tuesday, June 6, where the makers also unveiled its highly anticipated final trailer. The movie is produced by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series, written and directed by Om Raut, and stars Prabhas and Kriti Sanon in the lead roles of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.

During the event, Om Raut got emotional and teary-eyed as he requested the producers and distributors to dedicate one seat in every theatre to Lord Hanuman. The lead actor Prabhas comforted him by giving him a side hug as he sobbed.

“My mother says that wherever Ramayan is being played, Hanuman will be present there. I am requesting Bhushan sir, Anil sir, and all the producers to leave one seat vacant for Lord Hanuman. Everywhere in the world where Adipursh is being screened, I request to keep one seat. He (Lord Hanuman) will come. Please, sir,” the director implored.

It is believed that once Lord Hanuman asked Lord Ram how will he survive on the earth without him to which the latter replied that he will have to live and protect the devotees from the evil Kaliyuga, but whenever and wherever his name is chanted or Ramayana is recited with pure devotion, the former would be present there. Lord Hanuman is one of the eight Chiranjivis (immortals) who are to remain alive on this planet until the end of the current Kali Yuga.

In addition to praising Prabhas, Om Raut asserted that the movie would not have been feasible without the backing of the actor. “I have said this before, I would have been unable to make this without darling (Prabhas). If there is anything that makes Adipurush what it is, it is darling. I just want to tell everyone that this is not our film, this is your film, and this is everybody’s film. Adipurush is a film of India.”

Adipurush stars Prabhas as Raghava, Kriti Sanon as Janaki, Sunny Singh as Lakshmana, Devdatta Nage as Bajrang and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh. It is set to release in theatres on June 16 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

Om Raut, whose last venture Tanhaji with Ajay Devgn, which was released in 2020, was very successful and has been working on Adipurush for a few years now. It is made on a humongous budget of Rs 500 crore and has run into several hurdles ever since its inception. However, it is now all set for a grand release in multiple languages across the globe.

Uttar Pradesh: 11-year-old girl abducted from home, raped, and killed by one Sheel Kumar in Gilaula, reports claim his actual name is Muzzafar Khan

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: 11-year-old girl abducted from home, raped, and killed by one Sheel Kumar in Gilaula, reports claim his actual name is Muzzafar Khan

An 11-year-old Hindu Brahmin girl living in a small village in the Gilaula region of Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh was abducted, raped, and then murdered in a terrible episode that shocked the entire community in the state. The accused, Sheel Kumar, is known to the family and has been nabbed by the police.

It is being reported by a section of media that his actual name is Muzaffar Ali, and he had been residing in the area for around 20 years using the Hindu identity Sheel Kumar.

The Police have arrested the accused and charged him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder) and 376(A) (rape), along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The villagers suspect that the accused originally hails from Bangladesh.

According to the reports, the little girl was allegedly abducted on Saturday and taken to an isolated spot by the accused, where she was raped. After raping her, he brutally strangled the girl to death, trying to hide his crime. He then stuffed the dead body into a sack and then hid it in a bush close to the bank of a canal in Mirchiha village, which falls under the Payagpur police station.

The incident was discovered after the girl failed to get home for an extended period of time. After the girl was not found, the father of the victim filed a complaint against Sheel Kumar and his family at the Gilola police station, accusing them of abduction. The father said that the accused had come to their house at around 1-1.30 PM on Saturday and took the girl with him on some pretext. However, she didn’t return for a long time after that, and therefore it was suspected that Sheel Kumar abducted and did something with her.

The cops took began an investigation after filing a case based on the complaint. Police were able to track down and arrest the suspect in the Buddhist circuit, close to Parevpur. During questioning, the accused confessed to the crime. Based on his statement, police recovered the body of the minor girl.

Reportedly, after the arrest, it was also revealed in the police probe that Sheel Kumar’s actual name is Muzaffar Ali, and he had been living in the village for around 20 years using a Hindu identity. According to the villagers, Ram Pheran married a woman from West Bengal in 2005 after his first wife died. Sheel Kumar was the five-old son of that woman who came to the village along with her.

The Village Pradhan expressed shock and outrage about the occurrence, and after learning that the accused had been residing in the village for two decades, with a Hindu identity despite being a Muslim. The community was in disbelief when the accused’s actual identity was made public.

At present, the accused has been arrested and has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder) and 376(A) (rape), along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Coromandel Express set to resume operation today; CBI initiates a probe into the tragic train accident

OpIndia Staff
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Coromandel Express set to resume operation today; CBI initiates a probe into the tragic train accident

Days after the deadly triple train accident in Odisha, the Coromandel Express train is set to resume operation on Wednesday, June 7. “The Coromandel Express is ready to resume service on Wednesday,” said Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Aditya Kumar Chaudhary.

Chaudhary stated that the Coromandel Express train will start its journey from Shalimar station at 3:20 pm on Wednesday. In addition to this, the Railway chief PRO stated that an ex-gratia amount of Rs 16.10 crore has been given to over 536 people.

On June 2, the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express collided with a halted freight train, causing several coaches to derail onto the opposite track near Balasore’s Bahanaga Railway Station. Coromandel Express carriages derailed near Bahanaga Railway Station and ‘infringed’ on the opposing track.

Following that, the Howrah Express, which was running from Yesvantpur to Howrah, crashed into the affected carriages at high speed, leading to further derailment. The accident claimed 288 lives and injured over 1,000 people.

CBI takes over Odisha train accident probe

On Tuesday, June 6, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officially took over the investigation into the Odisha triple train accident after Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday announced that a CBI probe has been recommended in the matter.

The CBI team inspected the damaged coaches of the two passenger trains on Tuesday and inquired regarding the signalling system at the Bahanaga Bazar railway station since its initial findings suggested that a signalling malfunction may have caused the collision. The CBI officials reportedly looked for relevant documents and sought data-logger records. Officials also went to the Balasore railway station to gather evidence.

Meanwhile, the CBI has registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 337 (who causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others), 304 A (causing death by negligence), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

Following the announcement of the CBI investigation, the Railways announced a week-long nationwide safety push on signalling systems, with a special emphasis on the existing “double locking” arrangement of its signalling apparatus at stations.

Government willing to hold talks with protesting wrestlers as they resume their government duties

OpIndia Staff
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Government willing to hold talks with protesting wrestlers as they resume their government duties

The Government of India has agreed to hold talks with the protesting wrestlers after they resumed their government duties. The update came days after the three main protesters, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In a midnight tweet, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur said, “The government is willing to discuss with the wrestlers on their issues. I have once again invited them for the same.”

June 9 protest cancelled by Khap and Kisan leaders

After the reports that the wrestlers met HM Shah and resumed duties, Khap and Kisan leaders cancelled the scheduled protests on June 9. It was reported that the Khap and Kisan leaders were unaware of the meeting between the protesters and the Home Minister. Though the protest has been cancelled, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said they had not withdrawn their support to the protest. In a statement, Tikait told PTI, “Our June 9 demonstration in Delhi remains postponed at the moment. We will wait for the meeting outcome between government officials and protesting wrestlers. We (farmers’ union) support the wrestlers and will continue supporting them.”

Wrestlers protest against former WFI chief

The wrestlers have been protesting against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, demanding his arrest. Female wrestlers have alleged that Singh sexually harassed them. Two FIRs were registered against Singh on the complaint of seven female wrestlers, including one allegedly minor wrestler. Singh was booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and POCSO Act. However, recently it was reported the minor wrestler withdrew her statement in front of the magistrate and recorded a new one under Section 164 of the CrPC.

On June 6, Delhi Police recorded statements of Singh’s staff at his residences, including in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. Around 27 people, including servants, drivers, guards, gardeners and other staff members, were questioned as part of allegations against him.

Damoh Hijab Case: District Education Officer to be removed for giving clean chit to Ganga Jamuna School, action against Collector also confirmed

OpIndia Staff
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Damoh Hijab Case: District Education Officer to be removed for giving clean chit to Ganga Jamuna School, action against Collector also confirmed

In an update to the ongoing hijab controversy at the Ganga Jamuna School in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, School Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar revealed that Damoh Collector Mayank Agarwal is trying to save the District Education Officer (DEO) SK Mishra who is found guilty as per the prima facie information obtained. The Minister also confirmed that the state government would take action against the DEO and remove him from his post amid a comprehensive investigation that is being conducted against him.

This comes after a few enraged BJP leaders protested against the DEO and threw ink on him while the officer was leaving his office in his car. The protesters and the Hindu activists could be heard raising the slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in the video that has gone viral over the internet.

Confirming the DEO’s negative involvement in the case, Minister Inder Singh Parmar said, “Prima facie information that is coming out is that the District Education Officer (DEO) has given wrong information, that is why the DEO is guilty. He is supposed to visit the school continuously and inspect it, but that didn’t happen. Later, when the incident came to light through the press and social organizations, even then the DEO tried to give a clean chit.”

The Minister also said that after the investigation, it was found that the matter was not only about the controversial uniform but many more problems were uncovered. “It is quite clear that the DEO has deliberately done negligence. We are taking action against the DEO and removing him. Along with this, we are conducting a comprehensive investigation against him, it will also be ensured that he has been negligent, and will also take action against those who are guilty.”

Further, slamming Damoh Collector Mayank Agarwal over the issue, the Minister stated that timely action should have been taken by the collector because the matter is not only about the school, it is about spreading malice in society.

“What has been clarified by the Children’s Commission means that many illegal activities were happening there, topics like conversions have also come up, and the topic of terror funding has also come to the fore. District Administration should immediately investigate. Chief Minister and Home Minister have given instructions for the investigation, all the points will come to the fore. The collector is also trying to save him, but the facts will come out in the investigation and I understand that the Chief Minister is active in such developments, and will take strict action against the accused,” the minister added.

The controversy in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, erupted when Hindu and Jain girls were seen wearing hijabs on the posters of meritorious students from a private school named Ganga Jamuna School. The school administrator Haji Mohammad Idris then tried to mislead the matter calming that the students were wearing scarves and not hijabs. The DM also dismissed the assertions after a probe, claiming that they were simply rumours and that there was nothing untoward discovered during the initial enquiries.

Taking cognisance of the matter, NCPCR’s Priyank Kanoongo issued a notice on May 31 to the District Magistrate (DM) demanding an action report in a week. During the investigation, the SCPCR found that Ayats and lessons from the Quran were imprinted on every wall of the school. Every girl student was made to wear a hijab and they had been taught to greet the teachers with ‘Assalam Walikum..’ and not Good Morning.

The students at the school were also asked to recite three Islamic prayers followed by the National Anthem during the assembly every day. The prayer included ‘Lab pe aati hai dua..’ by Allama Muhammad Iqbal who had advocated the formation of a separate nation for Muslims in the form of Pakistan in 1930.

Several girl students have come to the fore after the investigation began in the case to confirm that the school authorities asked them to read Namaz on Fridays and pressurised them to learn Arabic and Urdu. “They asked us to pray to Allah. Even the Hindu students were asked to pray to Allah. We were also asked to recite Islamic prayers after Jana Gana Mana,” the girl could be heard saying in the video.

Further, not only the students but teachers were also mandated to follow the Islamic practices on the school premises. Three of the school teachers, 2 Hindus and 1 Jain have converted to Islam post their appointment for the job at the school. Further probe into the case is underway.

Quick thinking of Rajdhani pilot averts major train accident in Bokaro after a tractor trolley gets stuck at a Railway crossing

OpIndia Staff
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Quick thinking of Rajdhani pilot averts major train accident in Bokaro after a tractor trolley gets stuck at a Railway crossing

On Tuesday, June 6, a major train tragedy was averted in Bokaro, Jharkhand, days after the deadly triple train crash in Odisha, when a tractor collided with a railway gate close to the Santaldih railway crossing as the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was passing from there. 

The tractor got stuck between the railway track and the gate at the Santhaldih railway crossing. The major mishap was averted by the loco pilot’s fast thought and quick action, as he quickly applied the brakes, bringing the train to a stop at the right time.

“A tractor crashed the railway gate as it closed at the Santaldih railway crossing of the Bhojudih railway station in Bokaro district. However, the train’s driver timely applied the brakes and the train came to a stop, avoiding a serious accident,” said Manish Kumar, DRM, Adra Division, South Eastern Railway.

Kumar stated that the incident occurred at around 5 p.m. and that the train was delayed for around 45 minutes. He stated that the tractor has been seized and that an FIR was registered at the concerned police station. The tractor’s driver had fled the scene.

Meanwhile, Vikas Kumar, the senior divisional commercial manager of the Adra railway station stated that the gateman at the Santaldih crossing has been suspended and that an inquiry has been launched into the matter.

The gateman allegedly failed to lower the crossing gate as soon as he was informed of the approaching train. While the gate was open, the tractor attempted to cross the tracks. 

The incident took place just days after one of the country’s most terrible train disasters at the Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore district, which claimed 288 lives and injured over 1,000 people after a crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and an iron-laden goods train.

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