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City of millions on edge as rival protests take over the streets

A massive police presence has swarmed on the streets of London to ensure that two rival marches, attended by tens of thousands, and the climax of the FA Cup unfolded without major incident.

In what's been described as a "significant public order policing operation," London's Metropolitan Police deployed at least 4000 officers, armoured vehicles, horses, dogs, drones and helicopters.

Most concerns focused on central London, where police sought to prevent any interaction between the two major demonstrations.

Watch the video above.

READ MORE: Beaches remain open on Rottnest Island after man killed in shark attack

One march was organised by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson.

The other was the annual Nakba Day demonstration, which commemorates the 1948 exodus of around 700,000 Palestinians from what is now Israel.

Police remain on guard for any splinter groups coming into contact, and for any trouble following the conclusion of the FA Cup final, which was attended by more than 83,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.

LONDON, ENGLAND -MAY 15: People take part in the 78th Nakba Anniversary March on May 16, 2026 in London, England. Today is the 78th Nakba anniversary, demanding an end to British support for Israel. The Metropolitan Police have imposed Public Order Act conditions, restricting the protest to Pall Mall to separate it from a concurrent far-right rally on Whitehall. (Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

As of this morning, police said 43 people were arrested for a variety of offences. A further 22 were arrested at the FA Cup final, where Manchester City beat Chelsea.

Police said four officers were assaulted, none seriously, while a further six were subjected to hate crime offences.

The marches took place at a particularly radicalised time in British politics, with the extremes on the right and the left advancing across the UK in last week's elections.

Protesters are driven by a range of grievances. Many are angry about the number of would-be asylum-seekers making the dangerous crossing across the English Channel from the French coast to the UK in small boats.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 16: People take part in the "Unite the Kingdom" rally on May 16, 2026 in London, England. The far-right "Unite the Kingdom" rally, organised by Tommy Robinson is to be held under strict Public Order Act conditions with demonstrators legally confined to a specific south-bound corridor from Kingsway to Parliament Square between late morning and early evening. To prevent clashes with a concurrent counter-protest, the Metropolitan Police has launched an unprecedented £4.5 milli

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Others are protesting Israel's actions in Gaza, which have devastated the Palestinian enclave and, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, killed more than 72,700 people.

Prosecutors have been told to consider whether protest placards, banners and chants viewed on social media may amount to offences of stirring up hatred during the rallies.

"This is not about restricting free speech," said the Crown Prosecution Service's director, Stephen Parkinson. "It is about preventing hate crime and protecting the public, particularly at a time of heightened tensions."

The British government also blocked 11 foreign nationals from entering the country for the "Unite the Kingdom" rally.

Right-wing figures claiming to have been barred include Polish politician Dominik Tarczynski, Belgian politician Filip Dewinter, anti-Islam commentator Valentina Gomez and Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek.

Manchester City players pose with the winner's trophy after the English FA Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester City in London, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Pelham)

"We will block those coming into the UK who seek to incite hatred and violence," said Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is fighting for his political life following those disastrous election results earlier this month.

"For anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone, you can expect to face the full force of the law."

On Friday, Starmer visited the Metropolitan Police command centre to discuss policing arrangements for the rallies alongside Met Commissioner Mark Rowley and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Live facial recognition will be used for the first time in a protest policing operation.

Cameras have been set up in the north London neighbourhood of Camden, which is not on the route of the "Unite the Kingdom" march but is expected to be used by many people attending the event.

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Suspects on the run as bus crashes after being pelted with rocks

Several suspects are still on the run after pelting rocks at a bus on the Gold Coast, causing it to crash into a tree.

The passenger bus, which had a driver and five people on board, was the target of several people on e-bikes who threw rocks at it just before 11.30pm last night on Teemangum Street in Currumbin.

This caused the driver to lose control, and the bus left the road and collided head on with a tree.

READ MORE: Friends witness 'horrific event' as man dies after shark attack

The bus driver lost control after being confronted by several e-bike riders.Police are still searching for the people who threw the rocks at the bus.

None of the passengers were injured, but the female bus driver was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Police are investigating the incident and are still searching for the people involved.

The company that runs the bus said it was appalled by the act of violence, and that drivers did not deserve the kind of abuse they faced.

"This was a deeply distressing incident for the bus driver and passengers involved, and we are in contact with those affected to offer our support," Kinetic executive general manager for south-east Queensland Tom Kinsey said in a statement.

"Attacks on our drivers and passengers are completely unacceptable. We strongly condemn any behaviour that puts the safety of our drivers, the passengers on board and the community at risk."

Anyone who witnessed the crash, or has any CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to come forward.

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Suspicious death probe after man falls from Sydney balcony

A man has died after falling from the balcony of a unit complex in Sydney's north-west, with police treating the death as suspicious.

Emergency services were told shouting was coming from the balcony of a unit on Crane Road in Castle Hill at around 2.40am.

When paramedics arrived, they found a 44-year-old man with serious injuries in a garden outside the unit.

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They started treating him straight away, but he died at the scene.

Police have begun an investigation and set up a crime scene.

They are treating the death as suspicious.

A report will be prepared for the coroner, and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

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Trump’s Beijing visit was more vibes than details. And Xi set the tone

US President Donald Trump's visit to China this week may have been short on immediate deals addressing frictions over tech and trade. But there's little question that Chinese leader Xi Jinping will be viewing it as a resounding success.

Beijing didn't need big tangible outcomes to achieve major wins, like projecting China as an equal to the US on the global stage, and directing the tone of the relationship – including around Taiwan.

Trump's visit appears to have delivered on both.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday, May 14, 2026.

The hours the two leaders spent together over Trump's three-day stay were full of great-power bonhomie and effusive praise from the American president, who called the US-China relationship one of the "most consequential" in world history.

Even before the two sat down for talks, Trump told Xi he was sure the countries would have a "fantastic future". Later over a state banquet, the US president said good relations between the two could create a "future of greater prosperity" for the world – a sentiment that jibed with Xi's own toast.

All those soundbites and pats on the back created a fitting backdrop for China's announcement of a new era of "constructive strategic stability" between the two powers – one focused on co-operation and managed competition, rather than the volatile rivalry of last year.

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BEIJING, CHINA - MAY 15: Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a meeting on the sidelines during a tour of the Zhongnanhai Garden on May 15, 2026 in Beijing, China. Trump and other U.S. officials are finishing up a visit intended to address the Iran conflict, trade imbalances, and the Taiwan situation while establishing new bilateral boards for economic and AI oversight.

And the Chinese leader used his face time with Trump to make one thing very clear: the main thing that could derail a good rapport was Taiwan — China's most important "red line" issue.

If Washington doesn't handle that issue well, Xi told Trump on the visit's first day, the entire US-China relationship will be put in "great jeopardy". Beijing claims the self-ruling democracy as its own territory and opposes the US' robust unofficial ties with Taipei.

Comments Trump gave reporters on his return trip aboard Air Force One suggest the president at the very least heard out Xi's concerns, including over the US' regular arms sales to Taiwan. They discussed the subject in "great detail," Trump said, adding that he would "make a determination" on arms sales to the island soon.

Optics as outcome

China's diplomats were well aware of the opportunity the trip afforded them.

They carefully crafted a spectacle of pomp and pageantry, calibrated to impress Trump, from a military gun salute to a rare trip inside the secretive Communist Party leadership compound known as Zhongnanhai.

And the US president reflected back just the kind of optics that China's foreign policy establishment will relish. Trump arrived in Beijing with a phalanx of top American CEOs, who Trump told Xi were there to "pay their respect" to Xi and to China.

Being granted such deference by the leader of the world's most powerful country speaks volumes about Beijing's own status. That plays well for Xi domestically and abroad, where he aims to project China as an alternative leader to the US.

Xi is also expected to remain in the headlines next week as Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit China in the coming days.

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Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing.

A predictable relationship with the US also buys Beijing time to continue its rise across technological, military and geopolitical fronts. US tech controls and tariffs – like those at the center of a tit-for-tat US-China trade war last year – can upend supply chains and hurt companies, slowing that momentum.

That's true for the US too, which learned just how powerful China's leverage is over the world's supply of processed rare earths, when Beijing tightened its grip on these strategically critical materials to fight US tariffs last year.

While the White House's official readout didn't repeat Xi's "constructive, strategic stability" phraseology, top American diplomat Marco Rubio told NBC News in an interview from Beijing that the US agreed with China's emphasis on this "so that we don't have misunderstandings that can lead to broader conflict."

To be sure, a stable US-China relationship can have positive effects for the global economy, just as its frictions can upend trade.

But how that "strategic stability" is defined could also give China license to dispute US actions that it doesn't see as supporting that stability, especially when it comes to the trade and tech issues that raised tensions last year.

Taiwan talk

The takeaway that Beijing is sure to be most focused on in the wake of the trip is around Taiwan.

China's Communist Party has never controlled Taiwan but views the island as an integral part of its territory. Absorbing it into China, by force if necessary, is central to Beijing's vision for its "national rejuvenation" by 2049.

Xi didn't appear to miss a beat in making this point, even subtly. In his toast welcoming Trump to the banquet, the Chinese leader didn't mention Taiwan but drew a parallel between Trump's "Make America Great Again" ethos and his own vision of a "great rejuvenation".

Trump told Fox News' Bret Baier in an interview that aired Friday night that "nothing has changed" about the United States' policy toward Taiwan during the trip. He also said, however, that the two had "talked the whole night about that issue" – and he leaned into China's view that Taiwan's ruling party seeks independence.

"I will say this: I'm not looking to have somebody go independent, and you know we're supposed to travel 9500 miles to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down," Trump said.

The current ruling party in Taipei backs Taiwan's sovereignty, but its policy does not seek to change the status quo by declaring independence.

Under the "One China" policy, the US acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of China but has never officially recognized the Communist Party's claim to the island.

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How the US handles its unofficial relationship with Taiwan has long been a sticking point for Beijing, which is now watching closely whether Trump advances a US$14 billion ($19.5 billion) arms deal with the island. Congress approved the deal back in January.

In the Fox News interview, Trump said he was holding that deal "in abeyance" and that it "depends on China … it's a very good negotiating chip."

As he flew back to the US, Trump also told reporters aboard Air Force One that he and Xi discussed arms sales to Taiwan "in great detail" and that he would make a decision about arms sales "over the next early short period of time."

A pause on this deal would mark a significant win for China.

The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with weapons for its defence. A 1982 US assurance to Taiwan says the US does not have a policy of consulting with Beijing on arms sales. When asked about that stance on Friday, Trump quipped that the 1980s was "a long way."

In the hours after Trump left Beijing, China too weighed in with its own read on the situation.

"We sensed during the meeting that the US side understands China's position and attaches importance to China's concerns, and … does not support or accept Taiwan moving toward independence," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters, according to state media.

His statement also made another announcement: confirmation that Xi had accepted Trump's invitation to visit the US in the fall – opening up the next major touchpoint, potentially, for the two leaders to extend their period of goodwill.

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Mum who lost son to deadly infection says NSW is now the outlier on vaccines

The Victorian government's announcement this week that it will fund free meningococcal B vaccines for teenagers has been met with conflicted emotions from families who have lost loved ones to the deadly disease.

The state will set aside $9 million to add the B strain to the existing meningococcal A,C,W and Y vaccines available for Year 10 students under the National Immunisation Program.

Meningococcal B is a contagious bacterial infection that can cause serious injury or death, sometimes in as little as 24 hours. 

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Levi died less than 24 hours after falling ill. Tests showed he had a meningoccal B infection.

With all other strains routinely vaccinated against, B is now the dominant form of meningococcal disease in Australia and is responsible for around 80 per cent of cases, according to data from the Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme

Three other Australian states and territories offer free meningococcal B vaccines for teenagers and infants – Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory – while Tasmania will also follow suit from July this year.

With the addition of Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia are the only jurisdictions yet to provide state-funded access to the vaccine. 

Meningococcal B vaccines are available via private script for infants and teenagers, but protection requires multiple doses at $140 per jab.

While the Victorian announcement is a breakthrough for local families, the plan has already drawn criticism for its limited scope. 

The $9 million commitment is currently only funded for a single year, and unlike programs in South Australia and Queensland, it does not yet include infants, who remain one of the most at-risk demographics.

Melbourne mother Norliah Syer-Peterson has been a tireless advocate for the vaccine since her 16-year-old son, Levi, died last September. 

Levi was a healthy Year 10 student who went from having gastro-like symptoms in the morning to being gone within 12 hours.

Levi had just turned 16 and gotten his learner driver's licence.

In December, Syer-Peterson presented a petition with more than 41,000 signatures to parliament calling for the government to fund the meningococcal B vaccine. 

Syer-Peterson said that although it was too late for her son, she felt relieved that other teenagers might now be spared.

The legacy of her "beautiful, caring, fun-loving, sporty, funny, and kind-hearted boy" would continue as a result of the Victorian Government's decision, she said. 

However, Syer-Peterson said the need for free vaccines for infants remained in Victoria. The mother also vowed to continue campaigning for the vaccine to be funded in all states.

The push for a national solution hit a significant roadblock in March this year when the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) rejected a proposal to include the B strain vaccine on the National Immunisation Program for all infants and teens.

While the PBAC acknowledged the clinical need and effectiveness of the vaccine, it maintained that the evidence did not yet justify the cost of a nationwide rollout, describing the disease as catastrophic but rare.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is now calling on the NSW Government to urgently fund meningococcal B (MenB) vaccines as part of its immunisation program, warning that children and young people are being put at unnecessary risk.

RACGP NSW Chair Dr Rebekah Hoffman said protecting children should not depend on a family's income or postcode.

"Vaccination saves lives," Hoffman said.

"Patients in New South Wales deserve a strong response, as we've seen in Queensland, South Australia, the NT, and recently, Victoria. We've delayed free MenB vaccination for too long already."

New South Wales mum Stacey Chater lost her son Brayden to a meningococcal B infection in November 2022. 

Brayden Chater, 23, was fit and healthy before being diagnosed with meningococcal B.

Brayden was a fit 23-year-old from Dapto who "lit up a room," but his life was cut short when he arrived at Wollongong Hospital already brain-dead from the infection.

Chater has spent three years campaigning for NSW Health Minister Ryan Park to fund the B strain vaccine, but she said her pleas had fallen on deaf ears.

"It's so infuriating," she said. "I just feel like I'm being ignored and it doesn't make sense to me. It's really a no-brainer." 

Despite meeting with the minister and delivering thousands of signed letters to his office, Chater said there had been no progress in NSW.

"New South Wales is looked upon as probably the leading state of Australia, so it's very, very disappointing," she said. 

"It's encouraging to see all these other states making change, but when's it going to be our turn? It just feels like I'm beating my head against a brick wall."

Chater said her message for Park was simple: "Get on board, save our kids lives and just come in line with the rest of Australia."

A NSW Health spokesperson said the rate of invasive meningococcal disease remained low.

"NSW Health continues to closely monitor the pattern of meningococcal B disease in NSW and respond based on the best available evidence, and emerging program developments in other jurisdictions," the spokesperson said.

People who are at increased risk because they have certain medical conditions, as well as Aboriginal babies, are eligible for free meningococcal B vaccines under the National Immunisation Program.

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Two girls charged after Woolies store put into lockdown

Two teenagers have been charged after allegedly sending a Brisbane Woolworths store into lockdown.

The girls, aged 14 and 15, allegedly caused chaos at the Woolworths Keperra store at about 3pm yesterday afternoon.

Witnesses claim a manager was allegedly hit with a bottle and an innocent shopper was also caught up in the scuffle. 

READ MORE: Man dies after shark attack on popular Australian island

Two teenagers have been charged after allegedly sending a Brisbane Woolworths store into lockdown.

Both girls were taken into custody and charged with multiple offences, including common assault.

A heavily pregnant woman told 9News a glass bottle was allegedly thrown off a shelf and smashed near her.

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Woolworths told 9News it did not tolerate violence or dangerous behaviour in stores.

Footage from the scene captured alarms sounding and a warning to evacuate the store.

The Keperra store re-opened today after a massive clean-up last night. 

Both teens had their matters heard in a children's court today. 

The 15-year-old is set to face court again on Wednesday.

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Negative gearing change put to test in Saturday auctions

Today marked the first test of the federal government's negative gearing overhaul at auctions across the country.

Hopes were a little higher this morning among those looking to break into the property market after the federal budget.

First home buyer Matt Beck said: "In the past we may have been competing with a lot of investors, but now with everything that's happened, that may change, slightly."

READ MORE: Man dies after shark attack on WA's Rottnest Island

Annie Ird said things seemed to have changed already.

"Places that were up for auction are now going for sale, so I feel like people are freaking out a little bit," she said.

Matt and Annie weren't lucky enough today in their bid for an Inner West Sydney home.

The federal government's negative gearing overhaul could now change how buyers behave.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's overhaul of negative gearing is expected to put off investors.

"The investor who is bidding against someone who wants to live in that home as their first home won't have the taxpayer by their side," he said.

Andrew Wilson, chief economist at My Housing Market, said: "I think we'll see fewer buyers. And there should be a transition period between fewer investors and more first home buyers."

New rules mean any property purchased after 7.30pm on Tuesday can only be negatively geared until July 1 next year.

After that, it's for new builds or property purchased before budget night only.

"They are aimed fairly and squarely at providing additional opportunity for young people," Albanese said.

However there has been backlash with claims it won't do much.

Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson said: "They're going to increase rents, build fewer homes and kneecap young Australians by taxing their first home deposit when it's invested."

Treasury modelling predicts the changes will slow house price growth by 2 per cent over the next two years but it also warns it could push rents up, adding an average $2 per week.

"I think in the shorter term it will put house prices under pressure. There's no doubt about that," Wilson said.

Man dies after shark attack off WA’s Rottnest Island

A man has died after a shark attack off Rottnest Island near Perth, Western Australia.

The 38-year-old man had been out on a boat with other people at Horseshoe Reef, about 1 kilometre offshore, when he was attacked about 10am today (12pm AEST).

The man was brought to a jetty at Geordie Bay, where emergency services worked on him for about half an hour, but he could not be saved.

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A rescue helicopter on standby in Geordie Bay on Rottnest Island.

He has not yet been named.

Surf Life Saving WA said on social media a five-metre white shark was seen about 80 metres offshore this morning.

Residents and tourists were left shocked by the news of the man's death.

Witness Jarrad Young told 9News onlookers hoped the man would be OK.

Boyd Fraser said the man's death was a "terrible tragedy".

"I've been surfing for over 50 years and I've seen a lot of sharks and I couldn't think of anything worse, so I just walked here to pay my respects to him and his family," Fraser said.

Shark patrols have been taking place and people are being told to avoid the area.

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St John WA ambulance paramedics and police were called at about 10am (local time) today.

Rottnest Island is a popular tourist destination off the Perth coast and can be reached by ferry.

The area is a protected nature reserve known for its quokka population, white sand beaches and secluded coves.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has been notified of the incident.

Earlier today a spokesperson for DPIRD said the department was working with local authorities.

A police boat was also sent to the scene.

String of shark attacks across Australia

There have been several shark attacks reported in Australia this year.

Andre de Ruyter, 27, was one of several victims attacked by sharks over the course of 48 hours in NSW in January.

He lost a leg in the attack on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

Nico Antic was first to be attacked by a suspected bull shark after jumping off rocks at Neilson Park, near Shark Beach, in Vaucluse on January 18.

The 12-year-old junior lifesaver later died in hospital. 

Also, 39-year-old Paul Zvirzdinas received minor injuries after his board and wetsuit were bitten by a shark at Point Plomer near Port Macquarie.

An 11-year-old boy had a lucky escape at Dee Why Beach after a shark bit his board but otherwise left him unscathed.

The attacks were attributed to previous wild weather considered a "once-in-a-500-year event", which created the perfect environment for bull sharks to lurk in coastal waters around Sydney and wider NSW.

Last month 16-year-old surfer Oliver Tokic-Bensley had a close call with a shark in South Australia.

A man in his 30s is in a critical condition after a suspected white shark attack on Rottnest Island near Perth. A St John WA ambulance spokesperson said emergency services were called to the scene off Geordie Bay at 10am (local time) today.A rescue helicopter, paramedics and police are at the scene.

He told 9News he was surfing by himself in murky water off the tourist town of Middleton when the shark "grabbed" his foot and knocked him off his board.

He was about 100 metres offshore and frantically paddled back to land.

Back in March, a man was bitten by a shark while snorkelling around the Great Barrier Reef.

He and two other men were swimming from a private vessel on the western side of Lady Elliot Island in Queensland when the attack took place about 8am.

He was bitten on the elbow and helped to shore by the other two men.

Australia heads world table for shark attacks

Australia recorded the world's highest total of fatal shark attacks on humans last year, with more great whites gathering in waters popular with surfers, research released earlier this year found.

The International Shark Attack File released in February confirmed there were 12 fatalities (nine of which were classified unprovoked) worldwide, with Australia accounting for five.

Other countries to record deaths last year included the United States, Mozambique, South Africa and Vanuatu.

The global total of 12 fatalities was up from the previous year's seven.

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Australia recorded the world's highest total of fatal shark attacks on humans last year.

There were 65 confirmed unprovoked attacks globally, a jump from the 47 in 2024 and above the five-year average of 61.

Last year US waters had the most incidents at 25, with 11 off the coast of Florida.

Australia was in second spot recording 21 unprovoked attacks.

Researchers from the University of Florida who drew up the report noted an increase in fatalities from great whites.

Bigger numbers of the species at "aggregation sites", beaches favoured by surfers, especially in Australia, may be behind this, they suggested.

The Australian coastline is also home to the bull and tiger sharks, which along with great whites make up the "big three" predators.

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