As Iran’s government buried its fallen heroes, its supporters came out in strength.

Senior security official Ali Larijani was killed in an airstrike two days ago, honoured today along with the crew of the Iranian navy ship sunk by the US at the start of the war.

Thousands of mourners gathered for the combined funeral. If you assassinate people whose religion embraces martyrdom, this can be expected.

Iran war – live updates

The funeral saw some of the biggest crowds since the war began.

Floats carrying coffins of the slain officials were driven down Revolution Square in Tehran, surrounded by grieving mourners. Women wept holding posters of the former and new supreme leaders.

As it loses leader after leader, Iran’s government still wants to maintain a sense that it can survive and outlast the enemy.

Holding a poster saying “Trump is humiliated”, one man had this message for the US president:

“Trump, soon we will kill you; Netanyahu is not our target anymore, our target is you. You killed our children to mock us and we will kill you to teach you a lesson in history.”

While Israel and America seek regime change in Iran, the scenes today suggest there is still considerable support for its government.

Mohammed and his wife, Hamideh, came with their children to show support. They told me people were united against the US and Israel’s actions.

“The method of our weak enemy martyring him [Ali Larijani] shows its weakness and impotence.

“The way he was killed was very unfair and is unacceptable anywhere in the world.” Mohammed told me.

Iran saw huge protests against the government before the war. Thousands of civilians were killed as well as hundreds of security forces, say authorities.

Opposition groups blamed the authorities for the crackdown, while the government insists the protests were stoked by foreign forces.

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Inside Iran’s children’s wards

Read more:
Inside Iran’s children’s wards
What we know about US official who resigned over the war

What is clear from today’s scenes in Tehran is many support the leadership still, not least because they depend on it for a livelihood.

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Israeli airstrike destroys apartment building in Beirut

Sepora, a protester holding a placard with a old Persian poem written on it, explained to me its meaning: “It says, ‘if we are killed, all of us one by one, it’s better than giving our country to the enemy’.

“It is our country, we will not surrender.”

The culture of resistance and no surrender on show in today’s events also highlights the limitations of a strategy aimed at bombing Iran into submission from the air.

The true crime documentary explores the murder of the 18-year-old from Skelmersdale

ITV are releasing their latest true crime documentary Murderer Unmasked, but what happened to Alex Davies and where is Brian Healless now?

The latest entry into the genre from the broadcaster is part of their True Crime Presents series. Airing its first series last year, it provides an extensive examination of real-life murder cases and other serious crimes.

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Launching its second series last month, the show is described as a ‘collection of true crime documentaries that cover a range of real-life offences and notorious offenders’. The series once again features additional investigations, featuring interviews with victims, witnesses and police.

Last week saw the series explore the 2005 murder of 27-year-old Emma Caldwell, and her killer, Iain Packer, a sign-installer with a violent past, who evaded justice for years. The case was one of Scotland’s most high-profile unsolved murders until a TV documentary helped shed new light on the case.

The synopsis for the ITV series’ latest episode, Murder Unmasked, which airs on Thursday night (March 19), reads: “The case of Alex, an 18-year-old from Lancashire who was murdered in 2019 by Brian Healless, a man he met on a dating app.”

Brian Healless, 18, murdered Alex Davies, who was also 18, on Parbold Hill, Lancashire, in 2019 after they agreed to meet through the dating app Grindr.

Mr Davies, who was from Skelmersdale and openly gay was told by Healless, who is from Chorley, that he was ‘not out yet’ and suggested a ‘discreet spot’ halfway between their two homes for their first meeting.

However, Healless stabbed Mr Davies 128 times at the remote woodland area before dragging his body through the mud and covering it with branches and leaves while he was still alive.

Healless was examined by psychiatrists, who agreed that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the killing. However, jurors rejected his defence that his responsibility for the killing was diminished by his mental state.

It emerged during the trial that Healless had tried to arrange similar outdoor meetings with four other men on Grindr in the days after he killed Mr Davies. According to the trial’s judge it was ‘extremely fortuitous’ that he was ‘arrested before anyone else suffered the same fate’.

Prior to his conviction, Healless received treatment at Guild Lodge Hospital in Preston and was returned there on the day of his sentencing, after a request from the doctor overseeing his care, who also gave evidence for the defence at the trial.

Healless was sentenced to a minimum term of 24 years in prison for Mr Davies’ murder but was taken to hospital on the day of his sentencing.

Mr Davies mother, Beverley Davies, received an apology from the Government for for not ‘promptly’ updating her on the development. She said in 2021: “I was told he was off to prison and it was only weeks after, when the Probation Service got in contact with me, I was told he was only in prison for two hours and then he was swept back to Guild Lodge….

“I will never be a grandmother. I am the one who has to live with the facts of my son’s brutal murder. He is so dangerous. Why is he not in a high secure hospital?

“I have asked for a general impression of what life is like in Guild Lodge, but there just seems to be a barrier where the public are not allowed to know about what the conditions are like in a medium secure hospital.”

True Crime Presents: Murderer Unmasked airs on Thursday, March 18, at 9pm on ITV1 and on ITVX

Life for the Driscolls won’t ever be the same again once they learn Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) has been sexually abusing Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) in Coronation Street.

The storyline began towards the end of last year, when Megan was introduced as a sports coach busy helping young athlete Will reach his full potential.

As Megan was welcomed into the Driscoll clan, they remained unaware that her role as coach was just a hideous cover up. Whenever the family thought Megan was training Will, she was actually busy letting the teen believe they were in a relationship.

Megan was faced with a problem a few weeks ago when it became apparent youngster Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) knew something inappropriate was going on. To keep him quiet, Megan has targeted Sam by completely destroying his self esteem.

It’s Sam’s poor mental health that has really pushed Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) to find some answers. After he collapsed, Sam was rushed to hospital, but struggled to open up to Leanne.

Her suspicions started to grow though when she caught Megan in Sam’s hospital room.

When the Driscolls eventually discover the truth about Megan, they also have to deal with the fact she is pregnant with Will’s baby. In upcoming episodes, Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) calls the family together to discuss her pregnancy and how Megan is currently refusing to take a DNA test.

When Will leaps to Megan’s defence, frustrated Maggie Driscoll (Pauline McLynn) cannot help but lose her rag.

In the week, Ben persuades Will to attend some counselling in the hope he might open up about Megan. A while later, Ben’s given more bad news when Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) points out that the contents of Will and Megan’s phones suggests nothing illegal has been going on.

How will the family navigate this if Will is in denial about what happened, and they cannot find any other proof right now? And when the news finally breaks that Will is the father of her unborn child, how will they cope?

This article was first published on March 18th 2026.

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MORE: Maggie explodes with rage in Coronation Street as Will refuses to take down Megan

MORE: Coronation Street abuser Megan arrested in early ITVX release as she is caught out at last

MORE: Eva’s blistering revenge in Coronation Street as desperate Megan plots escape

It was no surprise when Joe Kent showed up on Tucker Carlson’s podcast a day after quitting his counterterrorism job in President Donald Trump’s administration. Here was a top official who resigned to protest the war with Iran turning to right-wing media’s leading critic of the conflict.

“The Israelis drove the decision to take this action,” Kent said in Wednesday’s interview.

But before long, the conversation moved in a different direction as Kent nodded to conspiracy theories that pro-Israel forces were behind the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“I’m saying there are unanswered questions,” Kent said.

The conversation encapsulated two schisms within the Republican Party and the right-wing media system, both of which have reached high into the national security establishment of the Trump administration.

There’s a foreign policy debate over the wisdom of Trump’s war with Iran and the future of United States’ longstanding alliance with Israel.

But there also are fears that the focus on Israel is the leading edge of an antisemitic fringe that has gained ground by portraying Jews as shadowy manipulators, echoing some of history’s most hateful tropes.

Tucker Carlson is playing a central role

At the center of both issues is Carlson, a former Fox News host who remains influential among conservatives. He was previously denounced for hosting Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist and antisemite, on his podcast last year. During the interview, Fuentes complained about “organized Jewry in America.”

On Wednesday, Carlson was sharply critical about Israel, saying “its lobbying in the United States pressured the president.”

Matt Brooks, president of the Republican Jewish Coalition, described Kent’s appearance on Carlson’s podcast as “part of an ongoing problem.”

He noted that his group opposed Kent’s nomination as director of the National Counterterrorism Center because of ties to right-wing extremism. Trump ignored those concerns even though, as he said after Kent’s resignation, “I always thought he was weak on security” and “I didn’t know him well.”

Kent’s resignation letter trafficked in antisemitic conspiracy theories while raising concerns about the war with Iran.

He blamed “high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media” for encouraging conflict. Indeed, Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Trump to join forces in an attack on Iran.

But Kent also went further, saying it’s “the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war.” He also said his wife, a Navy cryptologist who was killed by a suicide bomber in Syria, died “in a war manufactured by Israel.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, described the letter as “virulent antisemitism.” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, said “scapegoating Israel isn’t just a tired antisemitic trope — it’s anti-American.”

Kent has previously rejected all forms of “racism and bigotry.”

Trump has said nothing about Kent’s remarks on Israel. He’s previously disputed the idea that Israel pushed him toward war, saying “I might might have forced their hand.”

Unified Republican support for Israel has fractured

Questions about Israeli influence are not unique to right-wing circles. Progressives have also faced accusations of antisemitism for their response to the war in Gaza, which began with an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

But it’s been a widening fault line within the Republican Party, which has been a bedrock of support for Israel over the years. Conservatives are still reckoning with the fallout from Carlson’s interview with Fuentes.

For example, board members and other staff resigned from the Heritage Foundation after the think tank’s president defended Carlson.

Trump tried to sidestep the issue, declining to criticize Fuentes and praising Carlson for having “said good things about me over the years.” The president previously dined with Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago in between his two terms, and Carlson has continued to visit the White House.

Mort Klein, president of the conservative Jewish Group Zionists for America, said Wednesday that he supports Trump but “I’d like him to do more” about antisemitism.

“I want him to be stronger on those issues,” Klein said.

Carlson has said that he is not antisemitic. But he has said anti-Jewish hate is less pervasive in society than bias against white people, and that some Christian politicians who were fervent supporters of Israel, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, were guilty of heresy.

Israel divide simmers in right-wing media

The Iran war is poised to continue fracturing right-wing media.

Ben Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, called Carlson’s Fuentes interview “an act of moral imbecility” and accused the host of misleading his audience with falsehoods and conspiracy theories.

He’s also feuded with Candace Owens, who has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories. Dennis Prager, a conservative commentator, wrote in an open letter to Owens that “I cannot think of anyone in public life engendering as much suspicion of Jews, Zionism and Israel as you.”

Megyn Kelly, like Carlson a former Fox News Channel anchor now helming her own independent media empire, said the war was sold to the American people by “Israel firsters, like Mark Levin.” Levin, a radio and Fox personality, has been among Trump’s most fervent supporters of the war.

Levin, for his part, called Kelly an “emotionally unhinged, lewd and petulant wreck.”

It promises to continue.

Levin posted on social media an invitation to Kent to appear on his show in the coming days.

“Sure,” Kent replied. “Let’s go.”

Coronation Street fans have been expressing their confusion as Megan Walsh’s pregnancy appeared to be forgotten as she was arrested on suspicion of grooming Will Driscoll.

Those who follow the ITV soap have been aware for months that Megan has been carrying out a secret relationship with schoolboy Will, with the pair recently seen sleeping together as he turned 16.

Shortly after, Megan discovered she was pregnant, and Eva Price and Leanne Battersby were seen showing her support when she claimed it was boyfriend Daniel Osbourne’s and that she couldn’t keep the unborn child.

Leanne accompanied her to the abortion clinic but it was then hinted that Megan hadn’t gone through with the abortion, and she was later seen telling Will, who isn’t her only victim, as viewers were also introduced to another teen who admitted to sleeping with Megan, that the baby is his.

Now, though, Megan’s world is tumbling down around her as her relationship with Will was revealed by Sam Blakeman, who cottoned on to what was going on between the pair and tried to expose Megan for the groomer she is, only for her to catch him and bully him into staying quiet.

As viewers saw earlier this week, Sam finally admitted the truth after he was rushed to the hospital after collapsing as a result of taking ADHD medication that wasn’t prescribed to him. While Sam tried to blame school stress for taking the medication, Leanne Battersby knew something wasn’t right and in Tuesday’s (March 17) episode of Corrie, fans saw Leanne eventually get the truth out of Sam, only for them to be joined by Will’s step-mother, Eva Price, who didn’t want to believe what the teen was saying.

Later, Leanne, Eva and Toyah Battersby gathered in the Rovers Return and when Megan joined her, they grilled her on her relationship with Will and what Sam had told them. Megan cried and claimed Will had a silly crush and that Sam had gotten the wrong end of the stick, but once she had gone, Eva confirmed she “didn’t believe a flamin’ word” of what the teacher told them.

It was then on Wednesday (March 18) in Corrie that Eva had to break the news to Will’s father, Ben, before Ollie and Maggie also discovered what had been going on. Ben tried speaking to his son, and in a particularly poignant scene, the pair were seen eating sweets as they sat on the swings at the Weatherfield Pricinct, as Ben told Will they loved him, and that he wasn’t in trouble as he asked him about his relationship with Megan.

Despite Will sticking with Megan’s story that he had a crush and that she rejected his pass at her, Ben, Eva, Toyah and Leanne were seen heading to the police to report Megan, before DC Kit Green later headed to Weatherfield High to arrest Megan, much to Daniel’s disbelief.

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But one question Corrie fans were left with as the scenes unfolded was over Megan’s pregnancy. @adlangford said: “I’m confused about something on #Corrie #CoronationStreet. Is Megan still pregnant or did she get an abortion? Because I was thinking she’ll try and use that baby to get the charges dropped or something.” @FairyMary56 questioned: “#corrie isn’t Megan pregnant? The dna will prove it’s Will’s if she is.”

@Fake_TV_Chef asked: “Do Eva, Toyah, and Leanne remember that Megan confided in them that she was pregnant? #Corrie.” @EileenCumi28050 posted: “Isn’t Megan pregnant or has everyone inconveniently forgotten that fact. #corrie.” @hughesjg74 added: “Isn’t she (Megan) supposed to be pregnant? Or have the producers/writers had another lapse of memory?”

Video game retailer GAME has confirmed all of its remaining standalone stores will close from April 2026

A major high street brand is shutting down all of its standalone stores. GAME has announced all three of its remaining stores will close their doors from April 2026.

The GAME website will carry on trading as normal, and the company will keep its presence on the high street through concession stands in Sports Direct and House of Fraser outlets, currently boasting over 200 locations. This follows GAME filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators earlier this year.

GAME has been scaling back for several years, shutting shops as leases expire, and last year it closed down its Basingstoke headquarters. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter

The final stores that will be closing are in Dudley, Lancaster and Sutton.

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In a 2023 interview with GamesIndustry.biz, the chain’s Managing Director, Nick Arran, rejected suggestions that the firm was shifting away from its gaming business to concentrate on other products like toys.

“Gaming is our core business, and we will be the last man standing selling physical video games,” he said, reports the Mirror.

“We see our place in the market as proving that there is a place for physical, whether that be the collector’s editions, which we see as the vinyl of video games, or the gifter who doesn’t want to wrap up a download code for Christmas. But we need to be realistic. We have a business to run, and the expectation is that this will decline. So we need to fill that gap.”

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City of York Council confirmed the canopy was removed last weekend (March 14 and 15) as part of the Station Gateway project taking place there.

As reported by The Press, the removal comes after cracks in part of the frontage were discovered to the canopy which is fixed to the station portico, a Grade II* listed structure in Station Road.

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An application was submitted to City of York Council in November for the emergency removal and the immediate area was fenced off.

An October 2023 structural report showed the canopy structure had deteriorated over time and reached a point of inadequacy.

A new pedestrian crossing opened this morning (March 19) (Image: Kevin Glenton)

A council spokesperson said yesterday: “Contractors worked carefully to safely remove the canopy and maintain the heritage of the portico and station façade.

“Further works will be happening around the station in the coming days.

“A new pedestrian crossing will be opening tomorrow (Thursday 19 March).

“This will be a wide and accessible crossing directly in front of the station entrance.

“This will also be a pedestrian diversion route while work takes place on the footpath near The Milner York hotel.

“The footpath outside the hotel will be closed from tomorrow morning (Thursday 19 March) for two weeks, and pedestrians will be diverted to use the new crossing point during this time.”

Emergency plans were submitted in October last year for the demolition of the canopy (Image: Kevin Glenton)

The arched portico will remain as part of York Station Gateway’s new ‘supercrossing’ over Station Road for pedestrians.

Cops were called to a crash on the major Scots motorway at around 12.30am, with rush hour traffic now affected.

The M80 has been closed in both directions between junctions 8 and 9 at Denny following a crash. The incident happened shortly before 12.30am on Thursday, March 19 when police were called to the major Scots motorway.

It remains unclear how many people or vehicles were involved in the smash, as well as if anyone was injured or requited hospital treatment as a result. The collision is causing significant disruption during rush hour, with drivers facing diversions of up to 17 miles.

Megabus also says around 909 services may be impacted due to the increase in traffic through Stirling. A spokesperson said: “The M80 is closed in both directions between Junctions 9 & 8. Our M8, M9 & M10 services will be subject to delays and diversions. 909 services may be impacted, due to the increase in traffic through Stirling.”

Traffic Scotland has been sharing updates with commuters on the “police incident” since the early hours of the morning. Cameras show heavy congestion at Banknock, where long lines of traffic can be seen building.

The latest, as of 7:45am, is that M80 southbound traffic on the M9 continue eastbound until Junction 7 (Kinnaird) and exit onto the M876 northbound.

They should then exit at Junction 3 (Bowtrees) then re-enter onto the M876 southbound onto the M9 westbound before exiting on the M876 southbound at Junction 8 (Hill of Kinnaird) and continue the M876 southbound before merging back onto the M80 southbound at Junction 8 (Bankhead). This is where the diversion ends.

Northbound traffic on the M80 should exit onto the M876 at Junction 8 (Bankhead) and continue before merging onto the M9, then at Junction 7 (Kinnaird) exit onto the M876. They should exit at Junction 3 (Bowtrees) then re-enter onto the M876 southbound and continue onto the M9 westbound towards Stirling.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The M80 is closed in both directions between junctions 8 and 9, following a report of a road crash which we were called to around 12.25am on Thursday, 19 March, 2026. Diversions are in place.”

Scottish Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.

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Race Across the World first launched back in 2019, with the new series in 2026 set to be the sixth installment.

The award-winning BBC One show sees two-person teams venture across countries with no smartphones, and no bank cards, only limited resources, and the cash equivalent it would cost to fly the route.

The popularity of Race Across the World has even led to a celebrity spin-off version, which first aired back in 2023, and has seen the likes of Roman Kemp, Scott Mills, and Molly Rainford take part.

Race Across the World (series 6) destinations

The latest series of the show will see the groups tasked with travelling more than 12,000km across Europe and Asia, as they hope to be the first to cross the finish line and snap up the £20,000 reward.

🗺️ Ready to Race Across the World?

We have an OFFICIAL start date for series 6 – and a first look at the teams!

Get all the info ➡️ https://t.co/N1ak4W7Z7m pic.twitter.com/NgAHhbVGSH

— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) March 18, 2026

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The pairs will travel across countries, including Italy, Greece, Turkey and Georgia on their journey, as they are pushed to their mental and physical limits.

They will also venture through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, with the final destination bringing them to the shores of Lake Khovsgol in northern Mongolia.

Meet the teams in the new series of Race Across the World

Series six of Race Across the World will feature five new pairs:

• Jo and Kush (best friends)
• Katie and Harrison (siblings)
• Andrew and Molly (father and daughter)
• Puja and Roshni (cousins)
• Mark and Margo (in-laws)

When does the new series of Race Across the World start?

The new series of Race Across the World begins on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday, April 2 at 8pm.

Will you be watching the new series of Race Across the World? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

Rory McIlroy returns to Augusta next month as defending Masters champion

Rory McIlroy anticipates feeling “free” upon his return to Augusta to defend his Masters crown, insisting he’s placing no expectations on himself to secure another green jacket.

The Holywood man’s play-off triumph over Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose last April ended an 11-year wait, making him just the sixth player in history to achieve the career Grand Slam.

Back-to-back Masters victories remain an exclusive feat, accomplished by only three individuals – Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods – whilst merely 18 golfers have claimed multiple titles across the tournament’s 91-year existence, with Scottie Scheffler the most recent addition to that elite group in 2024.

Following Phil Mickelson’s third green jacket triumph in 2010, only three multiple champions have emerged: Bubba Watson (2014), Woods (2019) and Scheffler, a statistic that underpins McIlroy’s relaxed approach to his title defence.

“This is going to be the first time I drive down Magnolia Lane and it’s all going to be about enjoying my week, enjoying the perks that come along with being a Masters champion,” the 36-year-old explained.

“The thing is I know I get to go back to the Masters tournament for the rest of my life and that’s quite a freeing feeling.

“I honestly think that I’ve done it once and it’s not as if I have to win it again to win the Grand Slam.

“I think it was sort of two things won; I obviously wanted to win the Masters so badly but then obviously at the same time knowing what the Masters would give me and the people that it would put me alongside.

“So I think now going to win the Masters just to win the Masters is a nice thing but I think that I’ve won it once and I feel like that will make it a bit easier for me to win again.”

McIlroy held a two-shot lead entering last year’s final round, though it vanished instantly after a double bogey on the opening hole. However, he rebuilt a three-stroke cushion by the time he reached the par-five 13th fairway.

Attempting to safeguard that advantage through conservative play, he instead sent a 90-yard pitch shot into Rae’s Creek for another double bogey, swiftly followed by a further dropped shot—which then sparked his memorable near-eagle approach on the par-five 15th during a turbulent conclusion.

Reflecting on the experience, McIlroy identified the importance of maintaining his attacking instincts throughout.

“When I look back at the round when I played aggressively I was rewarded and I played well and then the first time that my mindset or my tactics went a little bit defensive, like trying to protect the lead, that’s when I got into trouble,” he added.

“Obviously (that’s) what happened on 13 and on 14 and when I got to 15 again I needed to be aggressive. I needed to make a birdie again and I was able to do it.

“So there’s probably a lesson in there somewhere of not taking your foot off the gas. I thought I was sort of doing the smart thing by playing 13 as a three-shotter and trying to protect the lead that I built.

“But in hindsight, everything that went well for me that day and that week was when I played aggressively, when I went for my shots.”

As the reigning champion, McIlroy has the honour of selecting the menu for the champions dinner. Drawing inspiration from his mother Rosie, he’s chosen to include elk sliders and a date and goat’s cheese appetiser. For the main course, attendees can look forward to either Wagyu filet mignon or a fillet of seared salmon, accompanied by an Irish champ (mashed potatoes with spring onions).

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