SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president said Tuesday a solid alliance with the U.S. strengthens the foundation of national security, as many South Koreans were baffled and concerned about U.S. President Donald Trump’s abrupt order to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises.
Trump made the surprise announcement in a social media post just before U.S. and South Korean soldiers began Monday’s annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which are largely designed to sharpen readiness against North Korean threats.
Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s refusal to join the U.S. war against Iran.
Trump’s move was apparently taken without consultations with South Korea and meant to reach out to Kim, deepening concerns about the reliability of the U.S.-South Korean alliance forged in the turmoil of the 1950-53 Korean War.
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Confidence in the U.S. has already eroded among many South Koreans because of Trump’s tariff war and last year’s immigration raid in the U.S. state of Georgia that led to the detainment of hundreds of South Korean workers.
Trump’s announcement “reveals the stark reality of a faltering Korea-U.S. alliance, fueling public anxiety,” South Korea’s Hankook Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday. “It’s absurd that the U.S. appears to treat North Korea more respectfully than its ally South Korea.”
South Korean leader calls for solid US alliance
In a regular Cabinet meeting, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stressed the importance of a firm military alliance with the U.S., saying that “national security will be further strengthened when the alliance is solid.”
“When we build up our strengths, our value and importance as an ally will further grow,” said Lee, a liberal who has called for a stronger, self-reliant defense posture.
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It was unclear which parts of the 11-day South Korea-U.S. exercises were being downsized. The South Korean and U.S. militaries earlier said their drills this year would be similar in scale to previous years and incorporate lessons from recent conflicts such as North Korea’s battlefield experiences in the Russia-Ukraine front. They also said the drills are defensive in nature.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry accused South Korea and the U.S. of plotting more provocative drills this year and vowed to respond with “a new level of a deterrent.”
Prospects unclear for reengagement between Trump and Kim
Kim has shunned any talks with the U.S. and South Korea since his earlier high-profile diplomacy with Trump fell apart in 2019.
Experts say Kim won’t likely embrace Trump’s overture and return to talks anytime soon unless he is promised bigger U.S. concessions. Kim has boosted his military and diplomatic credentials in recent years by enlarging his nuclear arsenal and aligning with Russia over its war against Ukraine.
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Lee’s presidential office on Monday expressed hopes that a “friendly relationship” between Trump and Kim would lead to “meaningful dialogue” between their countries to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. That invited a backlash from conservatives, who criticized Lee’s government for allegedly prioritizing resumption of Kim-Trump diplomacy over security concerns.
“South Korea’s security bulwark is being shaken to its very foundations,” Park Chung-kwon, a spokesperson for the main conservative opposition People Power Party, said in a statement.
A weakening of the U.S. defense commitment could shake South Korea’s national security as it has no nuclear weapons and is under the so-called U.S. “nuclear umbrella” protection, which guarantees a devastating American response in the event of an attack on its ally by nuclear-armed North Korea. The U.S. has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.
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Doubts about US alliance grow in South Korea
In his social media post, Trump said the military exercises with South Korea are not only costly but “send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile” to North Korea, which he said “has been unthreatening and respectful” during his time in the White House. Trump said he asked Lee if South Korea would join the U.S. in the “denuclearization” of Iran, “and they said, ‘No thanks!’”
Lee’s office said South Korea and the U.S. are closely discussing practical and military contributions that South Korea can make to help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Trump thinks of an alliance as an investment that should pay regular dividends, or a rainy-day fund he can withdraw from when another project isn’t going well,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
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“South Korean leaders understand that relations with the Trump administration will be a constant renegotiation linking economic and security issues. Seoul is thus cautiously responding to recent developments within that framework,” Easley said.
A recent survey jointly conducted by South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper and the East Asia Institute, a Seoul-based research group, showed 46.4% of respondents in South Korea viewed the U.S. as “not a trustworthy partner” while 45.4% called it “trustworthy.”
It was the first time that more Koreans said they could not trust the U.S. than said they could since the East Asia Institute began asking the question in 2017, JoongAng Ilbo reported.
Witnesses reportedly heard strange sounds from the aircraft before it went down
Zahra Khaliq News Reporter and Olivia Bridge Reporter in Live News Network
09:31, 18 Aug 2026
Three people have perished in a horror helicopter crash in Greece, according to local reports.
The crash, which unfolded on the Greek island of Sifnos at around 6pm local time (4pm UK time) on Monday (August 17), saw the helicopter erupt into a giant fireball.
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Local news reports a British couple visiting the island on their honeymoon are among the three dead. The third is reportedly an experienced military pilot and dad-of-three.
After the flames were extinguished, the bodies of all three people were sadly pulled from the wreckage, The Mirror reports.
The crash occurred near to homes in the Tholos neighbourhood. The fire department said the bodies of three people were recovered once the flames have been put out.
The helicopter, operated by Bellavia Aviation Services, crashed just before it was due to land at Sifnos heliport. Witnesses claimed they heard a strange noise as the aircraft approached, Proto Thema reported.
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A photograph taken of the crash in the aftermath showed plumed of thick black smoke billowing from a fireball at the site.
A ship was hit by a projectile early Tuesday as it was sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the attack highlights the ongoing danger of attempting to transit the waterway as Iran continues to throttle shipping traffic, even as it finalizes negotiations with Oman on a plan to manage the critical passage.
Here’s a look at the latest developments Monday in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.
Ship hit on way through Strait of Hormuz
An unidentified projectile damaged the engine room of a ship and “resulted in a crew casualty” early Tuesday morning as the vessel was trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, the UKMTO said, citing a report from the company’s security office.
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The maritime monitoring agency did not release any details about the ship or its cargo, and it was not clear whether the crew member was killed in the attack or wounded. It said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members and that authorities were investigating.
There has been growing concern about oil spilling into the Persian Gulf and other area waters from vessels damaged as they have attempted to transit the strait, but the UKMTO said no environmental damage had been reported in the latest attack.
Iran effectively closed the strait — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil supplies passed before the war — after Israel and the U.S. attacked the country on Feb. 28.
The U.S. also is currently blockading all Iranian shipping traffic through the strait.
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With negotiations between the U.S. and Iran stalled, Iran has been holding separate talks with Oman on a plan to manage ships transiting the strait, and said Monday it was in the process of finalizing details for a joint statement.
U.S. President Donald Trump reacted angrily, reportedly threatening to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst in a telephone interview that the U.S. would bomb Oman if it “gets in the way.”
Turkey urges Trump to seek diplomatic solution to war
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged U.S. President Donald Trump in a telephone call to continue to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iran.
The call between the two presidents came late Monday as the 60-day negotiating period to find a peace deal between the United States and Iran was expiring, with no word of an extension and both sides seemingly as far apart as they were at the start.
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“President Erdogan said it is important to make maximum use of diplomacy amid tensions between Iran and the United States, expressed our hope that talks will continue, and noted that Turkey will keep supporting efforts toward peace,” according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications office.
Erdogan also expressed concerns over intensified Israeli actions targeting Palestinians at a time when efforts are underway to move to the second phase of the Gaza agreement, the statement said.
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Turkey, a NATO member that borders Iran, earlier this month signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which stipulates “that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all.”
Trump praised the agreement, saying in a social media post that “it shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way.”
During their conversation, Erdogan told Trump the deal reflected “a strong stance to ensure regional stability and security.”
Shares in the former high street giant, which now operates as an international franchise business, fell by 17% to 0.75p on Friday, after it revealed a sharp drop in revenues and ongoing financial pressures.
The latest annual accounts showed that the company would “have insufficient cash” at certain time periods if “trading conditions were to deteriorate” or it was unable to improve its cost and cash management sufficiently.
Auditors concluded there is “is a material uncertainty that casts significant doubt that the group will be able to operate as a going concern” without new funds, the accounts revealed.
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UK High Street shops that no longer exist
Mothercare reported a 42% fall in revenue to £22.4 million for the year to March 28, compared with a year earlier.
This was driven by a steep decline in global sales from its international franchise partners, largely due to conflict in the Middle East.
Sales also suffered from the termination of its exclusive distribution agreement with Boots at the end of 2025.
The company posted a pre-tax loss of £4.3 million for the year, compared to an £11.9 million profit the previous year.
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Net debt also rose to £6.4 million, up from £4.5 million.
Why are so many UK pubs closing?
Mothercare closed its final 79 UK stores in 2020, bringing an end to its 59-year presence on the high street.
Since then, the brand has focused on its international franchise model and supplying products to other retailers.
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UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026
While Mothercare hasn’t announced that it has entered either administration or liquidation, it has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration or liquidation and others announcing widespread store closures.
Major high street brands LK Bennett, Claire’s and Quiz have been forced to close all their remaining stores after falling into administration.
UK fashion retailer Leading Labels is also set to close its remaining 15 stores after falling into liquidation.
Read more:
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Whitbread recently confirmed it will be closing all its UK restaurants in September:
Brewers Fayre (89 locations) – September 7
Beefeater (106) – September 10
Bar + Block – September 3
Table Table – September 3
Cookhouse + Pub – September 3
TG Jones and the British Heart Foundation will also both be closing around 150 stores across the UK.
A variety of other businesses have entered administration or liquidation this year, including construction firms and travel companies.
Do you miss Mothercare on our high streets? Tell us in the comments below.
Tyson Fury, Jeremy Clarkson, Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash are also among those going head-to-head at the NTAs this year
The National Television Awards 2026 nominations have been revealed, and one of the categories features an all-female shortlist for the first time.
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This year marks the 31st NTAs, with the public able to vote for who they want to win in each category by visiting the National Television Awards website.
Votes must be cast by midday on Tuesday, September 8, just hours before the ceremony takes place. It will be hosted for the sixth time by comedian Joel Dommett at The O2 in London, and will be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX from 8pm.
This year, the NTAs are celebrating their first all-female drama performance shortlist – with Gavin And Stacey star Ruth Jones to compete with Ella Bruccoleri, Judy Parfitt, Sheridan Smith and Vicky McClure for the prize.
Meanwhile, reality documentaries starring Tyson Fury, Jeremy Clarkson, Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash are also among the shows competing for a prize. They have been nominated in a new category recognising the rise of fly-on-the-wall celebrity-led shows, with At Home With The Furys, Clarkson’s Farm and Stacey & Joe to go head-to-head for the inaugural award.
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Their competition includes Fletchers’ Family Farm, in which Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher turns to rural life, and the fishing programme led by comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse – Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
Other shows nominated include I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and The Traitors, dominating the reality competition category along with their all-star spin-off series – I’m A Celebrity… South Africa and The Celebrity Traitors. They are joined in the category by Race Across The World.
Meanwhile, breakout romance series Heated Rivalry has been nominated for the new drama prize. The show, starring Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as two rival hockey players who fall in love, will battle it out against A Woman Of Substance, Believe Me, I Fought The Law and The Other Bennet Sister.
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In the year he celebrated his 100th birthday, beloved naturalist Sir David Attenborough has been recognised for his nature documentary Secret Garden, and he is also up for the TV presenter prize.
In the latter category, Sir David is up against This Morning host Alison Hammond, Sort Your Life Out star Solomon and former Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman, who is the current face of The Traitors. TV presenting duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are also in the running, after their 23-year winning streak was ended by former Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker at the 2025 ceremony.
Ant and Dec have also been recognised in the quiz show section for Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win, which is up against Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, Richard Osman’s House of Games, The 1% Club and The Chase.
Meanwhile, comedy sees nods for Amandaland, Changing Ends, Last One Laughing and Not Going Out, as well as Mrs Brown’s Boys – which recently announced it would be cancelling its Christmas and New Year specials as creator and star Brendan O’Carroll faces an “unexpected medical issue”.
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Another category, authored documentary, sees nominations for shows that include posthumous appearances from Caroline Flack and Ozzy Osbourne, in Caroline Flack: Search For The Truth and Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home, respectively. Also nominated in the category are Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, Our Girls: The Southport Families and Sir Chris Hoy: Cancer, Courage And Me.
Serial drama sees nominations for Casualty, Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks – while EastEnders’ Aaron Thiara, Emmerdale’s Jeff Hordley and Coronation Street’s Gareth Pierce are among those up for serial drama performance.
Other categories include factual entertainment, daytime, talent show, returning drama and The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award – with the latter having Gladiators, The Masked Singer, The Graham Norton Show, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show and Would I Lie To You? in the running.
Morrisons, headquartered in Bradford, reported the reductions in its latest financial accounts, which show that its average monthly workforce fell from 101,144 to 96,232 in the year to October last year.
This marks a loss of 4,912 jobs across the business.
The job losses included more than 4,200 store positions, with additional cuts in food manufacturing and distribution.
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Nearly 5,000 jobs were lost at Morrisons last year
A spokesman for Morrisons said: “Colleague numbers in the year ending October 2025 primarily reflect the impact of the closure of the newspaper home delivery service in convenience, the restructuring of the retail people team and the downsizing of the Rathbones bakery business.
“There was no additional redundancy programme in stores, where numbers were only reduced by not replacing those who had chosen to leave.”
The cuts come as the company continues a turnaround plan under chief executive Rami Baitieh, following a decline in market share to rivals Aldi and Lidl.
Despite the staff reductions, revenue grew by 2.8% to £15.7 billion.
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However, the retailer reported a pre-tax loss of £629 million before exceptional items.
Morrisons also revealed that its reported net debt rose to £7.52 billion, up from £7.07 billion the previous year.
The figure includes lease liabilities and preference shares.
Net debt excluding these items stood at £3.2 billion.
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The company said its underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) remained steady at £835 million, despite higher costs linked to the autumn budget.
The spokesman said: “In our 2025 full year we grew like-for-like sales every quarter, maintained EBITDA and our market share, and demonstrated our resilience in the face of some tough external headwinds, from the cyber incident, rising inflation and government cost increases, which we worked hard to offset.”
Morrisons is currently the UK’s sixth-largest supermarket group and is owned by US private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
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What is your favourite UK supermarket to shop in? Let us know in the comments.
Alicia Moss’ post went viral, and a kind stranger took pity on her
A woman who posted a plea on Facebook to trade her horse for a car has ended up with a free Range Rover. Alicia Moss, 27, was devastated when her silver Volkswagen Golf broke down unexpectedly.
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She could not afford a new car so put a cheeky post on social media offering to trade in the one asset she did have – her mare called Pizza. The post read: “Unlike Roger, Pizza starts every morning, doesn’t have an engine warning light, and has only ever left me stranded because she fancied grass.
“This is either the world ’s worst sales advert or the start of a very questionable deal… either way, my inbox is open.”
Her post went viral – reaching nearly one million accounts – and received over 170 comments from people with several offers. But one offer stood out: a kind stranger called Pete Wood who was willing to gift her a grey 2008 Range Rover HSE TDV8 – for free.
Alicia, a dock worker, said yes gratefully and is now the proud owner. And she says that Pete had loved her post and didn’t want her to have to part with her homebred mare.
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She said: “I put the post up on a whim really. It was a bit of a laugh but also serious at the same time. I thought it could work as a good swap.
“I had nothing to lose at the time. Either way I needed some money or a car. On the post a guy commented saying he had a Range Rover that I could have free of charge so that I could keep my horse.
“I thought it couldn’t be real, but I messaged him. He didn’t want a swap, he wanted me to keep my horse and to see his car go to good use.”
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The car, which the owner bought new 18 years ago, was an hour from Alicia and she went to pick it up a week later. It passed its MOT, and she says is working perfectly. It has around 95,000 miles on the clock.
Alicia says getting a 4×4 was also ideal as she can now start towing a trailer for her horses. She added: “That was a really happy ending. It has worked out really nicely for me and him and my horse.
“When we went and picked it up he was the loveliest guy ever. I am so grateful for what he offered. He just said that he absolutely loved my post. He was so genuine. He will definitely be on my Christmas card list. It is really crazy. Things like that don’t really happen to anyone let alone me.”
Alicia has four horses and says she decided to try selling Pizza as she was the only one old enough to be of value. However, she had not wanted to part with the beloved mare, who was her first ever homebred horse.
She is called Pizza as it was a running joke when the mum was pregnant that the ‘pizza was in the oven’ rather than a bun. Alicia says she is like an “overgrown Labrador” and is very sweet.
She added: “I have no money and the only other asset I had to sell was my horse, Pizza.
“I didn’t want to ship her off but needs must. Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to. But luckily thanks to this lovely guy I didn’t need to. I am so glad that she is safe. She is like my first child.”
Alicia says she intends to keep in touch with her heroic stranger and give him updates on the car, which hasn’t broken down yet.
She said: “In a time where there is so much going on in the world there is always someone out there just trying to do a nice thing, and it goes a long way. He has done a lot for me without probably even realising what he has done.”
Man United are aware of interest in Bruno Guimaraes, amid reports of a £43million bid from Galatasaray, and are said to be interested in Adam Wharton and Kim Min-jae. Meanwhile, Liverpool have agreed personal terms with Ibrahim Mbaye as they take another huge step towards a double deal including Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola.
A man will appear in court today after being charged over the death of another man who was bitten by a dog on a footpath.
Lee Ellis, 55, has been charged with manslaughter and being the owner or person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death.
West Yorkshire Police were called to an altercation on the old train line footpath off Blacker Lane in the Calder Grove area of Wakefield on Saturday afternoon.
The force said a 55-year-old man was bitten by a dog, believed to be a German Shepherd, during the altercation and later died in hospital.
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Ellis, of Wakefield, was remanded in custody to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court today. The dog seized during the investigation continues to be held in police kennels.
Detectives said they had identified and spoken to two other people who stopped to help the injured man at the scene.
The force added that the family of the man who died are being supported by specially trained officers.
More to follow
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Lee Ellis, 55, has been charged with manslaughter and will appear in court today
Police attend the scene of the dog attack in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, on Saturday afternoon
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‘Dog owner’, 55, charged with manslaughter after man, 55, died from ‘being bitten by German Shepherd on footpath’
Vacancies in the UK jobs market have fallen to the lowest level since 2014, other than during Covid, with 6,000 fewer openings between May and July compared to the three months to April.
While the overall unemployment picture remains steady at 4.9 per cent, private sector pay growth has also fallen to a six-year low as the British economy struggles to escape concerns over the increase in cost of labour.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its early estimates brings the level of job vacancies down to the lowest in more than five years, having slumped earlier in the year.
The ONS said its survey found that small firms may not be recruiting because of increased labour costs and other business expenses.
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The data also revealed that regular average wage growth in the UK’s private sector fell to 2.8% in the three months to June – the lowest level since the three months to October 2020.
This is despite overall regular wage growth rising to 3.5% in the same period, from 3.4% in the three months to April.
ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: “Vacancies remain broadly flat, though a small fall in the latest period puts them at the lowest level in more than five years.
“The latest decrease was driven mainly by smaller businesses, which cite labour and operating costs as reasons for not hiring new staff or replacing leavers.
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“Regular wage growth has remained broadly stable in recent months.
“However, private sector pay growth has continued to ease, while public sector pay growth remains elevated due to the timing of the latest NHS pay awards.”
Drivers are facing delays on a stretch of the M60 this morning (Tuesday, August 18) amid a crash.
One lane has been closed off on the anticlockwise side of the motorway during this morning’s rush-hour. A vehicle has ‘overturned’ in the crash, according to traffic alert service Inrix.
The lane is shut from junction 13 for Worsley to junction 12 for the Eccles Interchange. Motorway cameras show long queues building.
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Congestion is back to junction 17 for Whitefield. Traffic is also slow on the clockwise side of the motorway at the same stretch due to onlookers.
Follow our live blog below for the latest traffic updates.
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