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The Lloyds banking app went down for some users in the UK this afternoon, with hundreds reporting issues on DownDetector – there were also issues reported with Halifax

Social media giant Meta will pay almost $17 billion to settle a lawsuit that claimed its products Instagram and Facebook harmed young users.

Wednesday’s settlement resolves a lawsuit brought against Meta by 29 states over claims Instagram and Facebook were deliberately designed to get children hooked.

Meta was also accused of misleading users about how safe minors were on its platforms, and of improperly collecting personal data of children under 13 while they used its platforms.

As part of the settlement, Meta will impose daily usage limits on users under the age of 18, and also make it harder for minors to access its platforms at night.

‘Today, we have secured a settlement with Meta that will make social media less dangerous for our kids and make a world of a difference for children and their families,’ California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement celebrating the development.

He maintained that Meta will enact the ‘massive transformations’ on its platforms ‘within months.’

The trial was co-led by Bonta and AGs from Colorado, New Jersey and Kentucky. 

Meta owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who co-led the 29-state effort to sue the social media company, said in a statement that changes would be seen on platforms like Facebook and Instagram ‘within months’

Proceedings for the landmark federal trial began in Oakland, California, last week. It had originally been scheduled to run through early October. 

‘I am proud to deliver this settlement that addresses the concerns at the core of our lawsuit and institutes real change, real transparency, and real enforceable protections for children on Facebook and Instagram – right now, no more waiting,’ Bonta’s office said in its statement.

The AG specifically said Meta had agreed to install a default time limit of two hours for users under the age of 18, as well as a nighttime block between the hours of midnight and 6am. Parents can lift both settings.

Other mandated defaults include restrictions on the notifications youngsters and teens receive during school and nighttime hours, and a ban on showing the numbers of ‘likes’ or reactions to posts published by minors.

A ban on cosmetic surgery image filters for young users was agreed upon as well, Bonta said.

Also included in the settlement but not required is an option for young users to elect for a ‘non-personalized feed,’ rather than one fueled by an algorithm.

Meta must also hire an independent auditor to ensure the company adheres to another provision- that the company no longer peddles ‘further false, misleading, or deceptive statements around its safety features,’ Bonta said.

The settlement is set to be paid to the states who participated in the 2023 lawsuit over the next ten years.

Proceedings began last week at  the Oakland federal courthouse in California and had been scheduled to run another few months

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Key testimony came from former Meta staffers like Arturo Béjar, a former Meta and Facebook safety engineer and Instagram consultant who said his job often included briefing Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, personally

The amount is one of the highest ever to be paid by a tech firm to US states. Meta said that ‘participating states’ will receive about $12.7 billion in a statement after the states filed their agreement Wednesday morning in the US Northern District of California.

The state of California is set to receive somewhere between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion when the settlement is officially approved, according to Bonta’s office.

The state and other ‘participating states’ represented by the AGs will receive about $12.7 billion, or 70 percent, of the total settlement over the next decade according to Meta – with the other $5.3 billion hinging on whether its rivals, namely Google’s YouTube and TikTok, implement certain app changes as well.

This includes daily time limits for youth and a ‘night mode.’

Key testimony came from former Meta staffers like Arturo Béjar, a longtime Facebook safety engineer and Instagram consultant who said his job often included briefing Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

In his testimony, Béjar said he repeatedly raised issues about the type of content being pushed on to Zuckerberg and other Facebook and Instagram executive, but was rebuffed due to a culture obsessed with increasing user numbers at any cost.

Meta’s internal studies showed young users were exposed to harmful experiences at much higher rates than what the company acknowledged publicly, Béjar said.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri was also brought to the stand to speak about the effectiveness of some features that have been added to Instagram over the years to address those concerns.

Meta’s internal studies showed young users were exposed to harmful experiences at much higher rates than what the company acknowledged publicly, Béjar – seen here outside the Oakland court last Wednesday – said during his bombshell testimony 

Instagram head Adam Mosseri was grilled about the effectiveness of recent features added to Instagram meant to address those concerns

‘Most people don’t turn it on, but I don’t think we knew that yet because this was still under development,’ Mosseri admitted last week, referring to the platform’s ‘Take a Break’ feature.

‘Actually, we found out that a lot of people didn’t turn it on, and we’ve had to make a lot of changes over the last few years in order to have it be more adopted. This was back in 2021.’

Instagram Director of Product Design ​Francesco Fogu ​testified that Instagram knew that fewer people would use ‘Take a Break’ by not making it a default setting.

He also acknowledged the company allowed the removal of data from a presentation slide that showed that teenage Instagram users saw 1.5 times the rate of bullying-, suicide-, nudity- and violence-related content than their adult counterparts.

Brian Schwalb, the attorney general of the District of Columbia, said in a statement: ‘This is a monumental public health victory for young people in DC and across the country, and the safety features Meta is required to install will fundamentally and immediately change how young people use Instagram and Facebook.’

Schwalb added that while Meta was the first social media outfit to settle ‘but it will not be the last,’ with Snap, TikTok and YouTube also facing state enforcement actions and investigations from the consortium of states.

The Mata settlement is still subject to the approval of United States District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. She is expected to sign off on the agreement.

‘Meta wouldn’t settle unless it sees the writing on the wall and feels really exposed,’ Standford law progressor Nora Freeman Engstrom told the New York Times on Wednesday.

Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma says the gaming giant needs to be “thinking about” affordability for its next-generation console, amid a “crisis” in computing prices.

In an interview with the BBC, she said rising hardware costs partly driven by AI spending mean firms need to find ways to make gaming affordable.

She also revealed gamers will soon be able to get digital versions of many of the physical games they currently own, potentially meaning their old games can be played on future Xbox consoles without having to put a disc in a drive.

“I know players love physical media, and I know there’s a lot of benefits in digital media, and I want to make sure people have a choice,” Sharma said.

Currently, digital games can be downloaded online and played across Xbox consoles or PCs.

But some players prefer discs, with one of the main benefits being they can be bought and sold second-hand.

The topic has proven controversial, with Sony announcing new PlayStation games will no longer be released on discs from January 2028, and the hotly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI similarly launching without a physical disc.

“There are stacks of games on everybody’s shelves,” Sharma said.

“We’re announcing the ability for players for 1,000 titles with physical discs to be able to have a digital entitlement.”

If a disc is sold second-hand, the digital rights would transfer over to the new owner.

Players will be able to access the feature by inserting one of the supported games into their Xbox console. And Sharma hinted it meant gamers would be able to play their old titles on future hardware.

“We’ve long pioneered backwards compatibility and so you’ll continue to see that as we go forward in the generations,” she said.

But she would not reveal whether Xbox’s next-generation console – currently codenamed Project Helix – will have a disc drive at all.

“This next generation, we have to be thinking about efficiency and affordability alongside performance,” she added.

At least 33 British nationals are missing along with hundreds of foreign tourists after severe flash floods swept through villages along the Nepal-Tibet border.

Police confirmed that the bodies of at least 95 victims have been recovered following the disaster.

Dramatic footage captured a torrent of water breaking riverbanks, destroying bridges, houses and infrastructure across communities situated beside the Bhotekoshi River.

Here is a look at what caused the calamity, and where things stand now.

What happened?

Torrential floods swallowed roads, bridges, houses, ⁠and power projects in the border areas of Nepal, and triggered a mudslide that hit Gyirong Port, a major land crossing with neighbouring Tibet, cutting roads, communications, and power links to the area.

Dozens of people have also been injured.

What caused the calamity?

It is suspected that an earthquake ​struck ⁠the region and triggered an ice-rock avalanche on the Lhende Khola river in Nepal, causing the floods.

The river runs through both Nepal and Tibet.

Are any foreigners missing?

Officials in Nepal said 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals were reported missing.

Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesperson, said 133 were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus. Also missing were 47 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from the Britain and 24 from Canada, he said.

Eight South Koreans working on a hydropower plant were also unaccounted for. The other missing included 17 Malaysian nationals, four South ‌Africans, and one person from the Netherlands.

At least 62 missing Nepali citizens were among hundreds of locals trekking in the Gosaikunda lake in Rasuwa, coinciding with the local festival of Janai Purnima on Friday, Sharma added. Nepal police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle told The Associated Press that at least 28 police officials were missing.

Has the danger passed?

Authorities have warned that a second flood may occur since a blockage is still lodged upstream on the Lhende Khola river.

Flood alerts have also been issued in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which border Nepal, since several rivers flow down the Himalayas into their plains.

What is the situation now?

Police and military personnel were engaged in rescue efforts, although officials have said rescue helicopters would not be able to land in the affected areas until the waters recede.

People living in low-lying regions were being moved to safer places, and those along the river have been advised to remain alert.

How is the rescue effort progressing?

China has ‌deployed at least 574 rescuers ⁠to the land crossing but the flood sediment is posing a ⁠challenge.

Other countries have also offered to help. Giant neighbour India said it was coordinating closely ‌with Kathmandu on rescue ​and relief efforts. South Korea plans ‌to send a rapid-response team comprising government ​officials and fire and police personnel.

Additional reporting by AP.

BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai woman accused of killing her ex-husband, a U.S. diplomat, has been sentenced to one year in prison for violating Myanmar’s immigration laws, but she still might go to trial for murder, a lawyer familiar with her case said Wednesday.

The court in Yangon’s Kamayut township on Tuesday found Pavinee Supasirivisan guilty under a provision applying to any foreign national who commits a crime in the country, according to the lawyer.

The charge carries a sentence ranging from six months to five years, the lawyer said on condition of anonymity to avoid possible repercussions from Myanmar’s military-backed government, which exercises tight control over information.

Neither U.S. nor Myanmar officials have publicly named the dead man, but the New York Post and other Western media have identified him as 43-year-old Daniel Paul Riva, who served as a U.S. State Department assistant regional security officer. An online obituary for someone of that name has details including the same day of death as the victim and recollections of him having worked in several U.S. diplomatic missions.

The U.S. State Department had confirmed the death of a U.S. government employee, but refused to provide further information, including the victim’s name, citing privacy reasons.

Pavinee was arrested after the diplomat was found dead with stab wounds to the head and neck on May 11 at the Sakura Residence & Hotel, a facility popular with diplomats, business people, and other international visitors that is about 1½ kilometers (a mile) from the U.S. Embassy.

Police have opened a case at the township’s police station under the relevant murder provision, which carries a sentence ranging from 10 years in prison to the death penalty. But it’s not clear whether she has been formally charged with murder, or even whether a murder investigation is still ongoing, the lawyer said.

An official from Kamayut township’s immigration and population department confirmed her sentence for violating immigration law, but wouldn’t provide further details. He spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn’t authorized to speak with the media.

The military seized power from democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, giving rise to widespread protests that have expanded into a civil war in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

An application to keep 73 self-storage containers at Lambs Hill Farm, in Strensall, and remove 31 more has been refused by York Council.

BHE Self-Storage’s plans stated the containers were part of the farm’s important diversification efforts as agriculture continues to struggle with the impact of Brexit, coronavirus and the Ukraine war.

But council planning officers ruled the site was inappropriate in the green belt and there were no benefits which outweighed the harm.

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It comes after 22 self-storage containers were first installed in 2017 after plans were given the go ahead, with the amount on site varying depending on demand since.

Storage for individuals, families and businesses is offered at the site in around 2.4m by 6m-large containers on the site.

Access is off Towthorpe Moor Lane and it is open to customers from 8am to 6pm daily.

Planning permission was previously refused to put 118 and 104 containers on the site in 2022 and 2024 respectively.

The amount of storage containers on site numbered 104 as of June.

Plans stated the containers had been installed on existing, lawful hard-standing on the farm which could be classed as ‘grey belt’ land.

An aerial view of the BHE Self Storage site at Lambs Hill Farm, in Towthorpe Moor Lane, Strensall, York (Image: BHE Self Storage)

Grey belt land refers to sites in the green belt which have already been developed.

The application added income from the storage business helped to subsidise the cost of the farm’s management of cattle on Strensall’s Common and Stray.

Plans stated: “Farm diversification projects draw substantial support from both national and local policy and have become increasingly important for the farming industry nationwide.

“Self-storage which meets the needs of a local demographic is a growth sector, it reduces the need for local people and businesses to travel.

“BHE Self Storage has created one full-time job and one part-time job since it commenced operations several years ago, thus making a contribution to the local economy.”

But council planning officers stated the previous planning decisions for the site had already ruled the harm to the green belt had not been outweighed by the farm’s diversification efforts.

Officers stated: “It is considered that the proposed development does not form grey belt development and therefore very special circumstances would be needed to justify it.

“There is no clearly demonstrable unmet need for the proposed development and the development is not in a sustainable location, as it would require car journeys from across a significant area.

“The harm to the green belt is added to by the harm to visual amenity
and character of the landscape.”

Two fires that destroyed 19 homes in Stourbridge were started accidentally in fields where farming machinery was in use, according to West Midlands Fire Service.

Investigators established farming equipment was being used in the vicinity of fields immediately before the fires were first reported.

The first fire started in a field near Racecourse Lane at about 13:27 BST on 13 August, while a second began shortly afterwards in a field near Quarry Park Road.

Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said so many people had been affected he wanted to confirm both fires were not started deliberately. They were accidental, he said.

“While investigations continue into the full circumstances of what happened, we wanted to share this latest update as soon as possible,”Tuhill continued.

“I hope it will go some way towards helping people understand what happened on that exceptionally hot and challenging day.”

As well as the properties that were completely destroyed, a further 18 were damaged as the flames spread rapidly through grass and woodland.

The incident in Stourbridge happened on the UK’s hottest day of the year as temperatures peaked at 38.1C in some parts of the country, the Met Office said.

Several other fires were reported in the West Midlands on the same day as a total of 54 patients were treated by paramedics and 19 were taken to hospital.

Other incidents saw about a dozen homes lost in Birmingham, four in Stoke-on-Trent, three in Pershore, Worcestershire and three in Willenhall, near Wolverhampton.

The causes of most are still under investigation, although it was confirmed a barbecue started the one in Stoke on Trent.

It’s perhaps the most versatile product sitting in your fridge – used in everything from soups, to curries and puddings.

 Yoghurt is a staple in 90 per cent of UK households, bought 2.7 billion times a year across the country.  But the low-calorie dessert has attracted somewhat of a bad rap over the last decade. 

Diet gurus regularly attack yoghurts – particularly those marketed at children – for being packed full of ‘hidden’ sugar. 

Even ministers are cracking down on some types, with the sugar tax extended to cover sweet yoghurt drinks from January 2028. 

But experts, like dietitian Laura Perez, insist that yoghurts are a nutritious addition to a daily diet – providing you pick the right type.

‘Yoghurt is generally great for breakfast because it’s high in protein, which will keep you full until lunchtime, and it also contains calcium and other important nutrients,’ she says.

With so many varieties to choose from, it can be tough to know which to pick – especially when we’re told low-fat kinds are teeming with sugar. 

Here, diet expert Ms Perez – Nutrition Lead at Simple Online Pharmacy – reveals the healthiest type to pick, and which to avoid. 

Greek yoghurt

 All nutritional analyses are per 100g (or six tablespoons)

Tesco Finest Greek Yoghurt: 132 calories, 3.3g sugar, 6.1g protein, 7.2g sat fat, roughly 110mg calcium

Greek yoghurt is generally heavily strained to remove more of the whey – the yellowish liquid that naturally separates and pools on top of the yoghurt.

This often results in a higher protein content, which can boost muscle growth and strength, and satisfy hunger pangs. 

This version has almost twice the protein of some others but, for this, you’re also getting more than a third of your recommended intake of saturated fat – the type that increases heart attack risk.

Greek yoghurts can also fall flat on their calcium content, dietitian Laura Perez says.

That’s because the whey is the part that contains the bulk of the bone-boosting nutrient. 

While this version is relatively low in sugar – boasting less than a teaspoon – Ms Perez warns against ‘Greek style’ varieties, which are often sugary and high in fat, without the impressive protein count. 

Verdict: 2.5/5 

Yeo Valley natural yoghurt 

Yeo Valley Bio Live Organic Natural Yoghurt: 72 calories, 4.9g sugar, 4.2g protein, 2.5g saturated fat, 166mg calcium

Yeo Valley’s full-fat natural yoghurt sits somewhere in the middle of the pack, with 72 calories and three times less saturated fat than Greek yoghurt. 

It has slightly less protein than the Greek-style Tesco option – but about the same as half an egg – and considerably more calcium, providing 166mg per portion and nearly a third of the recommended daily intake.

Calcium content tends to be lower in Greek yoghurt varieties, experts say

There’s marginally more sugar than Greek yoghurt, but only just, and it’s still only roughly a teaspoon, which is worth it for the protein and calcium boost, Ms Perez says. 

But don’t be swayed by labels advertising products as ‘live’.

‘Live or bio’ generally indicates that live cultures are present,’ says Ms Perez. 

‘But this does not guarantee a beneficial probiotic effect.’ Probiotics are live bacteria that feed the trillions of health-boosting bacteria in our gut. 

Diets high in foods with probiotic qualities have been linked to a lower risk of a host of conditions, including dementia, cancer and depression. 

‘Yoghurt is not something that is inherently good for the gut,’ Perez says. 

‘The effects of fermented foods and live cultures are not universal, and people respond differently.’

Verdict: 3/5

Low-fat natural yoghurt 

M&S Low Fat Natural Yoghurt: 66 calories, 6.5g sugar, 5.4g protein, 1.2g saturated fat, 183mg calcium

This is a classic example of manufacturers using extra sugar to account for the reduction in flavour that comes with removing most of the fat. 

There’s almost twice as much sugar here compared to Greek yoghurt, and more than a quarter of your daily limit of free sugars (the type that’s added to food). 

Kefir is a fermented milk, similar to a thin yoghurt, that is rising in popularity thanks to its gut health benefits. Just 250ml supplies around 40 per cent of your daily calcium needs

You’re only saving a very small amount of saturated fat and calories, compared to the full-fat version of natural yoghurt, and gaining not even a full gram of extra protein.

The one plus is that there’s nearly 200mg of calcium here – a little less than you’ll find in a 200ml glass of semi-skimmed milk – and the second highest of all the yoghurts tested. 

 Verdict: 1/5

0 per cent fat Greek yoghurt

FAGE Total 0 per cent: 54 calories, 3g sugar, 10.3g protein, 0g saturated fat, 120mg calcium

If protein is your priority, FAGE Total 0 per cent is the standout winner.

It packs 10.3g of protein into every 100g – more than twice as much as the natural yoghurt.

It is also the least calorific of the six products, has the lowest sugar content and contains no saturated fat.

Ms Perez says: ‘FAGE Total 0% is the strongest all-round option for someone prioritising protein and lower saturated fat, which would apply to most of us.

‘The high protein content is likely to make you feel full, but it can also be less creamy, which might make some people less likely to prefer it.’

However, there’s one flaw in a totally fat free yoghurt. ‘Removing fat may reduce the amount of naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A and D,’ says Ms Perez. 

Verdict: 4/5 

Kefir yoghurt 

Biotiful Kefir Yoghurt Original: 75 calories, 7.4g sugar, 6g protein, 1.4g saturated fat, 190mg calcium 

Often hailed as a gut-health hero, kefir differs from conventional yoghurt because it is fermented using a more diverse collection of microorganisms, said to offer greater digestive benefits.

‘Kefir is interesting because it contains a mixture of bacteria and yeasts, whereas yoghurt is generally made using a smaller number of bacterial cultures,’ explains Ms Perez.

‘There is promising evidence for potential benefits, including improved lactose digestion for some people, but the research is still developing and products vary considerably.’ 

While kefir is high in protein and calcium, there’s almost two teaspoons of sugar per portion – three digestive biscuits worth – which cancels out any slight appetite-satisfying benefit.

Ms Perez adds: ‘Claims that kefir will “reset” or “heal” the gut should be treated cautiously. While there may be some benefits to eating kefir, it also depends on what your individual gut bacteria require.’

Verdict: 2/5 

Flavoured yoghurt 

Onken Mango, Papaya and Passionfruit Biopot Yoghurt: 102 calories, 15g sugar, 3.7g protein, 1.7g saturated fat, 111mg calcium 

Onken’s tropical fruit yoghurt tastes more like a pudding – and that’s because it basically is, thanks to the considerable sugar hit.

It contains five times the sugar as the FAGE 0 per cent and a teaspoon more than in a small KitKat. 

It is among the most calorific options overall at 102 calories, while its 3.7g of protein and 111mg of calcium are the joint-lowest.

‘Onken mango, papaya and passionfruit yoghurt would be my least preferred choice for regular use,’ says Ms Perez.

‘It still provides protein, calcium and live cultures, but given its higher sugar and lower protein content, I’d personally favour other options for eating regularly.

‘It doesn’t make the yoghurt a ‘bad’ food – it’s simply one factor to consider alongside protein, calcium, taste, preference and the rest of your diet.

‘Plain yoghurt with fresh fruit gives you more control over sweetness. You can adapt it to your personal preference, while the fruit provides added fibre, vitamins and minerals.’

Verdict: 1/5

Celtic’s 5-1 defeat to LASK has cost the club an estimated £25 million in Champions League revenue, forcing them into the Europa League with significantly reduced prize money and broadcast income.

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Celtic are facing a potential loss of around £25million following their exit from the Champions League.

The Scottish champions have an opportunity to claw back some of those losses with a solid Europa League campaign, though they fell short of reaching the last 16 of that competition last season.

Here, we break down the financial impact of their 5-1 defeat by LASK .

Entry fee

Champions League qualification carries a flat fee of £15.9m, compared with the Europa League entry fee of £3.7m. Celtic will also pocket a similar sum for taking part in the Champions League play-offs, leaving them roughly £8.5m worse off from the outset.

Performance bonuses

Generally speaking, Champions League teams have access to around four-and-a-half times more performance-related payments than their Europa League counterparts. A Champions League victory is worth £1.8m, while a draw brings in £600,000.

The corresponding figures in the Europa League stand at approximately £390,000 and £130,000. There is a difference of 300,000 euros per place above the bottom in the table.

Celtic finished 21st in their respective tables across the past two seasons, in both the Champions League and Europa League. Based on recent performances and another 21st-placed finish, the Hoops are looking at missing out on roughly £5m in results bonuses and £4m in league-table bonuses.

Celtic have been eliminated by German opposition in the knockout round play-offs for the past two consecutive seasons. The gap in bonuses for reaching that stage amounts to approximately £600,000.

In total, Celtic could realistically forfeit around £10m in performance-related income, though they have the opportunity to claw back some of that shortfall with a strong showing in the Europa League.

Broadcasting and ranking income

Once again, the Champions League offers four-and-a-half times the pool of money available than the Europa League. Income is determined by the country’s broadcasting value, the number of clubs competing from each nation, and clubs’ recent European performances.

Each place above the bottom in the Champions League is worth £830,000 more than the Europa League. However, Celtic will be higher up the table in the Europa League than the Champions League, and the gap from the previous two campaigns was only around £2million less in the lower competition.

Gate receipts

Celtic charged £44 more for an adult four-match Champions League package two years ago than they did for the subsequent Europa League campaign. The disparity in hospitality packages was even more pronounced.

The overall difference across the stadium would amount to approximately £3.3m, based on another five-game campaign.

Conclusion

Based on performances over the past two years, Celtic stand to lose out on close to £25m following Tuesday’s defeat, and they have also missed the opportunity to unlock further financial rewards. The difference in reaching the last 16 in each competition is more than £8m.

However, there’s potential to narrow the deficit with a successful Europa League run. When they were knocked out by Basel in the Champions League play-offs under Martin O’Neill 24 years ago, they progressed all the way to the UEFA Cup final.

Reaching the Europa League final is worth approximately £6m this season, while additional matchday revenue from another extended campaign would add up.

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