Indian troika clinches team Gold in men’s 50m pistol

The Indian troika of Ravinder Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary and Amanpreet Singh clinched the team gold in the men’s 50 metre pistol competition of the ongoing ISSF World Championships in Doha today. Ravinder also won the silver medal in the individual competition of the shooting event that is not on the Olympic roster. Indian trio of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Uttam Maskar, and Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar bagged the silver medal in the women’s 10 metre air rifle team event.

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Indian troika clinches team Gold in men’s 50m pistol

Ravinder was India’s top scorer with 559 points. Saurabh, a multiple-time World Cup gold-medallist, scored 551, while Amanpreet added 549 to the tally, the Indian combined score of 1659. China’s Zhang Bingchen, Lyu Junyi and Feng Linlang totalled 1648 for the silver medal, five points clear of the bronze-winning Korean combination of Hong Suhyeon, Choe Boram and So Seung Seob. In the individual event, the gold went to Russia’s Anton Aristarkhov, who shot 561. Roumania’ Luca Joldea claimed the bronze.

India are currently placed second in the table with one gold and two silvers. China are at the top with five medals, including three golds.

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RBI simplifies forex reporting rules for small-value service exports and imports

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has simplified foreign exchange reporting rules for service exporters and importers, easing compliance requirements for individuals and small-value transactions.

Under the revised regulations, resident individuals exporting services will no longer need to submit a separate Export Declaration Form. Providing payment details to their authorised dealer bank will be sufficient. The same facility will apply to other exporters for inward remittances of up to ten lakh rupees.

For imports of services, banks will be required to report transactions in the Import Data Processing and Monitoring System only when the importer is not a resident individual and the invoice or contract value exceeds ten lakh rupees. The amendments, notified on 2nd November, came into effect from 1st October 2026.

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Rajkumari Chanu wins bronze in Women’s Wushu event at Youth Olympic Games

Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu has won a bronze medal in the Women’s Wushu event at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. Chanu secured third place in the Changquan combined category final with a total score of 18.39. Earlier , Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won a silver medal in the women’s 63-kilogram Judo event, while Dhinidhi Desinghu bagged bronze in the 100-metre freestyle swimming event.

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Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell announces retirement from international cricket

Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable 14-year career. One of the most destructive and unconventional batters of his generation, Maxwell leaves behind a legacy built on breathtaking strokeplay, match-winning performances and an ability to turn games around almost single-handedly.

The 38-year-old represented Australia across all three formats, playing seven Tests, 149 One-Day Internationals and 130 T20 Internationals. He scored 3,990 runs in ODIs, 2,897 in T20Is and 339 in Test cricket. He also claimed 136 international wickets, establishing himself as a valuable all-round option in Australia’s white-ball teams. Maxwell’s international journey began with his ODI debut against Afghanistan in Sharjah in 2012. He made his T201 debut against Pakistan in Dubai in September that year before earning his Test cap against India in Hyderabad in March 2013.

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Dr. Padma Gurmet, Director, National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa, Conferred ‘Wellness Visionary Award’ for Holistic Healing

Dr. Padma Gurmet, Director, National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR), Leh, has been conferred the prestigious ‘Wellness Visionary Award’ for Holistic Healing by Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU), Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of traditional medicine and holistic healthcare. The award was presented during the 3rd International Conference on Wellness, held at the university from October 30 to November 1, 2026. The conference provided an important international platform for showcasing the Sowa-Rigpa system of medicine and its rich traditional knowledge. Participants showed keen interest in understanding the fundamental principles, theories and practices of Sowa-Rigpa, reflecting the growing interest in traditional systems of medicine and their contribution to holistic healthcare.

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APEDA facilitates export of 1.3 MT of Kullu pomegranates to Dubai, links 600 farmers to global markets

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has facilitated the export of 1.3 metric tonnes (MT) of Sinduri variety pomegranates from Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), connecting local growers and the Bhuntar Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) with international markets. The Kullu district horticulture administration supported the initiative by facilitating procurement and coordination, according to a press release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The initiative highlights the role of direct procurement and collective participation through FPOs in strengthening market linkages for farmers. Participating farmers achieved 50 per cent higher price realisation through the export compared with the prevailing domestic market benchmark.

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APEDA facilitates export of 1.3 MT of Kullu pomegranates to Dubai, links 600 farmers to global markets

During FY 2025-26, India exported APEDA-scheduled agricultural and processed food products worth approximately USD 2.59 billion, with a total volume of around 3.81 million MT, to the UAE. The consignment was officially flagged off by APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev. The export of Kullu pomegranates to Dubai adds to efforts to diversify Himachal Pradesh’s agricultural export basket beyond its established apple trade.

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India, Poland moving decisively to strengthen bilateral economic ties

India and Poland are moving decisively and effectively in the direction to strengthen bilateral economic ties amid the negotiations to implement the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). PM Modi and his Polish counterpart Tusk set a target of doubling bilateral trade between the two countries by 2030. The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in agriculture by resuming the activities of the bilateral working group, aimed at intensifying bilateral trade and cooperation. PM Modi invited Polish companies to expand their investments and operations in India and to benefit from India’s large market, skilled workforce and growing manufacturing and innovation ecosystem.

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Indian, Sri Lanka Coast Guards hold 9th High-Level Meeting to strengthen maritime cooperation

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) held their 9th High-Level Meeting (HLM) at Mirissa, Sri Lanka, on November 3, with a focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in maritime safety, security and environmental protection.

The Indian delegation was led by Paramesh Sivamani, Director General, Indian Coast Guard, while the Sri Lankan delegation was headed by Rear Admiral Ruwan Rupasena, Director General, Sri Lanka Coast Guard. The meeting focused on key areas of mutual interest, including Marine Pollution Response, Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR), and Maritime Law Enforcement.

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Geothermal Energy

The intense heat in the Earth's interior is a powerful source of clean energy called geothermal energy. The National Policy on Geothermal Energy aims to harness this potential. It seeks to make geothermal energy a key part of the nation's renewable energy story as India drives towards Net Zero by 2070. The Government notified the National Policy on Geothermal Energyin September 2025. The policy charts a clear roadmap for exploring and developing India's geothermal resources. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)is the nodal ministry for its implementation.

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Geothermal Energy

Building on this framework, India achieved a historic milestone in July 2026. The ONGC Energy Centre commissioned the country's first two geothermal wells in Puga Valley, Ladakh. At a height of over 14,000 feet above sea level, Puga Valley is among India's most promising geothermal sites, known for its hot springs and underground heat reserves. The two 1,000-metre-deep wells will support reservoir evaluation. They also pave the way for India's first 1-megawatt demonstration geothermal power project, marking the country's entry into geothermal power generation.

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IndiaAI Mission Released Indigenous Foundation Models EKA-1 by Soket and Dhīr 2B & Dhīr 5B by ZenteiQ

The IndiaAI Mission, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), released the indigenous foundation models EKA-1 and Dhīr (Dhīr 2B & Dhīr 5B) developed by Soket Labs Technology and Research Private Limited and ZenteiQ AiTech Innovations respectively. Soket AI and ZenteiQ are among the teams selected under the IndiaAI Innovation Centre (Foundation Models) pillar of the IndiaAI Mission to build indigenous foundation AI capabilities and Large Language Models.

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IndiaAI Mission Released Indigenous Foundation Models EKA-1 by Soket and Dhīr 2B & Dhīr 5B by ZenteiQ

EKA-1 by Soket: Open, Sparse Hybrid Language Model Across All 22 Scheduled Indian Languages -

Soket Labs Technology and Research Private Limited has developed EKA-1, a powerful Foundation Model featuring 26.3 billion parameters and trained on approximately 7.5 trillion tokens. EKA-1 demonstrates advanced capabilities, spanning all 22 scheduled Indian languages alongside English. Built as an open, sparse hybrid language model, EKA-1 is designed for math, code, reasoning, and agentic use.

Dhīr 2B & Dhīr 5B by ZenteiQ: Secure, On-Premise Multilingual Assistants for Critical Sectors -

ZenteiQ AiTech Innovations has introduced the Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B open-source models. These models can be deployed as secure, on-premise, multilingual assistants supporting English and 10 Indian languages.

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Agri-Voltaics

Agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy, serving as a key source of livelihood for approximately 46.1 per cent of the population. The Gross Value Added (GVA) of the Agriculture and Allied Sector is estimated to reach Rs. 52.08 lakh crore in 2025-26. India’s vast agricultural land offers significant prospects to integrate solar energy with farming. According to Land Use Statistics for 2023-24, the country’s reported area covers 306.96 million hectares, of which approximately 55 per cent is agricultural land. The net sown area stands at 138.99 million hectares, while the gross cropped area covers 217.88 million hectares. This extensive land base offers opportunities to generate solar electricity alongside agricultural production.

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Agri-Voltaics

Agrivoltaics takes this integration further by bringing together crop cultivation and solar electricity generation on the same land.

As of August 2025, India had 36 operational agrivoltaics projects with an installed capacity of 37.54 megawatts, alongside 10 pilot projects under development. India holds significant potential for agrivoltaics. Estimates place the country’s agrivoltaic potential between 3,000 GW and nearly 14,000 GW, highlighting the scale of opportunity at the intersection of agriculture and renewable energy. The GIS-based national screening identified 47.35 million hectares of “restricted cropland” suitable for AgriPV after applying environmental, agronomic, and technical filters, reflecting a conservative, climate-resilient land base.

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NITI Aayog and TEXMiN Sign Joint Statement of Intent to Strengthen India’s Critical Minerals Ecosystem

NITI Aayog and TEXMiN (Technology Translation Research Park), an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, signed a Joint Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen collaboration in the critical and strategic minerals sector. The collaboration aims to advance indigenous technological capabilities, promote research & innovation and support the development of resilient and sustainable critical mineral value chains in India. It aligns with the objectives of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) and the vision of an Aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.

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NITI Aayog and TEXMiN Sign Joint Statement of Intent to Strengthen India’s Critical Minerals Ecosystem

The Joint Statement of Intent between NITI Aayog and TEXMiN envisages cooperation in four key areas: collaborative research and technology development; technical and strategic studies; policy and institutional support; and capacity building and knowledge exchange.

The collaboration aims to strengthen indigenous capabilities, facilitate technology translation and promote stronger linkages among government, academia, research institutions and industry.

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IRDAI mandates four-layer motor insurance structure from December 15

In line with the directions of the Supreme Court, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has directed general insurers to implement a four-layer motor insurance policy structure for private cars and two-wheelers from December 15, 2026. Under the new framework, motor insurance policies will have four distinct sections covering third-party liability, legal liability to occupants or pillion riders, personal accident cover and loss of or damage to the insured vehicle (own damage). While third-party liability cover will remain mandatory, the other covers will be optional, subject to the applicable provisions governing mandatory personal accident insurance for owner-insured persons.

All general insurers undertaking motor insurance business would have to adopt uniform policy wordings, along with a mandatory customer option form and Customer Information Sheet (CIS), for all private vehicles, including new cars and two-wheelers.

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IRDAI mandates four-layer motor insurance structure from December 15

The circular was issued in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order in the case of National Insurance Company Ltd vs Thungala Dhana Laxmi & Others. Insurers will have to obtain a duly completed option form from every customer purchasing a policy. Customers will be required to indicate their choice of covers by ticking the relevant options, either offline or online. Issuance of the CIS at the point of sale will also be mandatory, clearly stating the actual coverage offered and the premium charged against each section, ensuring transparency in the components of the motor insurance policy. The insurers are directed to ensure the integration of the four-layer motor insurance policy structure with Bima Sugam is completed simultaneously so that their policies are available from Bima Sugam from the same date (December 15, 2026)

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ICICI Life EzyGrow launched with 2X and 3X Premium Funding Benefits to Keep Family Goals on Track

ICICI Life Insurance announced the launch of ICICI Life EzyGrow, a unit-linked insurance plan (ULIP) with enhanced Waiver of Premium (WOP) where in case of an unforeseen event the company will invest two or three times (2X and 3X) of future pending premiums on customer's behalf. The benefit is designed to help families stay on track with their long-term goals such as a child's education or a spouse's retirement, while building an additional financial cushion to help meet unforeseen needs. This plan will be distributed online through exclusive partnership with Policybazaar. ICICI Life EzyGrow simplifies the journey towards achieving long-term financial goals. It enables customers to plan for their aspirations, protect their loved ones and secure their family's future through one integrated solution, offering greater convenience, confidence and peace of mind, representing our endeavour towards making their Har Kal Aasaan.

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ICICI Life EzyGrow launched with 2X and 3X Premium Funding Benefits to Keep Family Goals on Track

ICICI Life EzyGrow offers funding of premium options with 1X, 2X and 3X multipliers. Under the enhanced 2X and 3X variants, upon death of the Life Assured, future premiums are funded by ICICI Life at two or three times the premium, depending on the option selected. ICICI Life EzyGrow also includes a Family Income Benefit, providing dependents with additional yearly income to help meet day-to-day expenses and maintain financial stability. For customers planning their post-retirement years, the Retirement/Whole Life option supports the creation of a retirement corpus and offers a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (SWP) from any age. Customers can receive withdrawals as a fixed amount or as a percentage of the fund value. Additional flexibility is available through partial withdrawals facility, enabling access to funds when required.

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IndiaAI Mission releases indigenous foundation models EKA-1, Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B

The IndiaAI Mission, under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) released indigenous foundation models EKA-1, developed by Soket Labs Technology and Research, and Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B, developed by ZenteiQ AiTech Innovations, marking another step in the country's push to build homegrown AI capabilities. The models were unveiled at an event attended by IT Secretary S Krishnan, senior officials from the ministry and IndiaAI, as well as the leadership of both companies.

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IndiaAI Mission releases indigenous foundation models EKA-1, Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B

Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B enable offline-capable, document-grounded automation, knowledge retrieval and citizen or enterprise services across defence, government, industrial and educational sectors, particularly in low-connectivity or sensitive environments.

Both firms are among the teams selected under the IndiaAI Innovation Centre (Foundation Models) pillar, which aims to build indigenous AI capabilities and large language models.

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IndiaAI Mission releases indigenous foundation models EKA-1, Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B

Built for Indian languages, banking and cybersecurity, the EKA-1 has 26.3 billion parameters and was trained on about 7.5 trillion tokens. It covers all 22 scheduled Indian languages along with English. Soket describes it as an open, sparse hybrid language model designed for math, code, reasoning and agentic use. ZenteiQ's Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B are open-source models that support English and 10 Indian languages. They can be deployed as secure, on-premise multilingual assistants.

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IndiaAI Mission releases indigenous foundation models EKA-1, Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B

EKA-1 can be used even without a mobile data or WiFi connection, as it has the capability to do certain inferencing on the local device, say a smartphone. ZenteiQ's Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B are open-source models that support English and 10 Indian languages. They can be deployed as secure, on-premise multilingual assistants. ZenteiQ's Dhīr 2B and Dhīr 5B are open-source models that support English and 10 Indian languages. They can be deployed as secure, on-premise multilingual assistants.

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Gopal Vittal re-elected GSMA Chair for second term until December 2028

The GSMA Board of Directors has re-elected Bharti Airtel Executive Vice-Chairman Gopal Vittal as its Chair for a second term, extending his leadership of the global telecom industry body until December 2028. Vittal, who has served on the GSMA Board for 10 years, including as Chair since 2025, will lead the organisation during its 2027-2028 Board term. The GSMA represents mobile network operators and companies across the broader mobile ecosystem.

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Gopal Vittal re-elected GSMA Chair for second term until December 2028

As executive vice-chairman of Bharti Airtel, Vittal oversees the company and its subsidiaries, driving group strategy and synergies across digital technology, network strategy, procurement and talent. He also serves as non-executive Chair of Airtel Africa and Airtel Payments Bank, besides being a non-executive director on the BT Group Board.

The Board has also elected Vodafone Group Chief Executive Officer Margherita Della Valle as co-Deputy Chair, alongside MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita, who has been re-elected to the position.

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Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms Makes History, Becomes 1st Black Woman Governor

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected governor of Georgia on 3rd Oct, making history as the first Black woman to be elected governor in the United States, defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson and flipping the top job in a key swing state.

A former Atlanta mayor, Bottoms becomes the first Democrat to prevail in a Georgia governor's race since 1998.In addition to electing a Black woman as governor, the state also reelected its first Jewish senator, Democrat Jon Ossoff, to serve alongside its first Black senator, Raphael Warnock.

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Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms Makes History, Becomes 1st Black Woman Governor

Bottoms will succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was barred by law from seeking a third term. It was the third Georgia gubernatorial election in a row with a Black woman leading the ticket. Kemp twice defeated Stacey Abrams, who remains a prominent voting rights advocate and Democratic fundraiser but opted against a third run for governor.

Bottoms was among eight Black major party nominees for governor on the ballot on 3rd Oct. There have been just three Black governors elected in U.S. history, all of them Democratic men. This year, two Black women were vying for governor: Bottoms and Republican Lisa Demuth of Minnesota.

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India wins 14 medals at 46th International Tammer Boxing Tournament in Finland

India has won 14 medals, including four gold, two silver and eight bronze, at the 46th International Tammer Boxing Tournament held in Tampere, Finland. Aarti Dhariyal in the women’s 54-kilogram category, Ankushita Boro in the women’s 65-kilogram category, Arundhati Chaudhary in the women’s 70-kilogram category and Pawan Bartwal in the men’s 55-kilogram category clinched gold medals for the country. Mohammed Hussamuddin in the men’s 60-kilogram category and Jaismine in the women’s 57-kilogram category secured silver medals. The eight bronze medallists for India included Vivek Meena (men’s 65kg), Hitesh (men’s 70kg), Akshay (men’s 80kg), Bobin Chauhan (men’s 90kg), Chetan Choudhary (men’s 90+kg), Tanu (women’s 51kg), Disha Patil (women’s 60kg) and Imroz Khan (women’s 75kg).

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Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell announces retirement from international cricket

Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable 14-year career. The 38-year-old represented Australia across all three formats, playing seven Tests, 149 One-Day Internationals and 130 T20 Internationals. He scored 3,990 runs in ODIs, 2,897 in T20Is and 339 in Test cricket. He also claimed 136 international wickets, establishing himself as a valuable all-round option in Australia’s white-ball teams.

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Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell announces retirement from international cricket

Maxwell’s international journey began with his ODI debut against Afghanistan in Sharjah in 2012. He made his T201 debut against Pakistan in Dubai in September that year before earning his Test cap against India in Hyderabad in March 2013.

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‘Mothers of Courage,’ documentary on girls’ education in Bihar, wins UN SDG Action Award.

Mother of Courage, a documentary on a grassroots movement led by women to promote girls’ education in Bihar, has won the 2026 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Award in the Creativity category. The documentary, part of Shikshagraha, a public education movement championed by Infosys cofounder SD Shibulal, was selected from more than 7,000 applications received from 190 countries and territories.

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‘Mothers of Courage,’ documentary on girls’ education in Bihar, wins UN SDG Action Award.

The award was presented at a ceremony in Rome.The initiative has mobilised over 1.19 million citizens across 14 districts in Bihar, where mothers and other women are challenging social norms that often prevent girls from completing their education. The film documents how some women are working to keep their daughters in school, while others are supporting their daughters-in-law in resuming their studies. Sniksnagraha, supported by Bengaluru-based non-profits ShikshaLokam and Mantra4Change, brings together more than 40 partner organisations across 16 states and Union Territories to strengthen public education and improve learning outcomes in government schools.

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