Samya Kullab
@samya_kullab
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@AP Ukraine Correspondent. Before: Iraq. Author. RTs ≠ endorsements. (selected writings: )
Ukraine
Joined January 2009
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UPDATE: I will be joining
@AP
's Kyiv bureau as Ukraine correspondent.
It's the most challenging assignment I've had so far, but I am lucky to be part of a dedicated and courageous team. A true privilege.
Our latest, the 1st since I assumed the new role:
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Takes my breath away every time. Hello again, Kabul. On assignment for a few weeks.
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Statement from
@AP
President and CEO Gary Pruitt on the Israeli attack against our bureau in Gaza:
"The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today."
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This was also
@AP
's bureau in Gaza. Colleagues had to rush out after receiving the warning. It housed other media orgs, private homes.
Israeli air strikes just destroyed the building housing Al Jazeera’s bureau, other media offices and people’s homes in Gaza
#gaza
#IsraelPalestine
@AJENews
@AJEnglish
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MUST READ: 1000s of Ukrainian civilians are being detained across Russia and the Ukrainian territories it occupies. Accounts confirm system of abuse, in violation of Geneva Conventions.
Important + meticulous work from
@lhinnant
@h_arhirova
@VasilisaUKR
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This story, I've wanted to do for a long time.
In
#Iraq
's south, a handful of women have become trailblazers in the country’s oil industry by taking up the grueling work at rig sites.
Often they are asked what — as women — they are doing there.
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Pleased to announce that I've joined the fantastic
@AP
Baghdad team as Iraq correspondent. Grateful to keep serving the Iraq story, especially during these uncertain times. Stakes are high, but I'm lucky to have so many brilliant journalists as colleagues.
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Corpses lie in the streets of Mariupol. Hungry people break into stores in search of food and melt snow for water. Thousands huddle in basements, trembling at the sound of Russian shells pounding this strategic port city.
“Why shouldn’t I cry?”
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In
#Iraq
’s Electricity Ministry tacit partnerships between parties, bureaucrats and businessmen are forged to siphon state funds allocated to companies contracted to improve services. They line party coffers.
But this story is about more than electricity.
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#IRAQ
latest:
Iraq's top Catholic official confirms Pope Francis to meet Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani in Najaf on March 6. Hugely symbolic for Christian minority.
Delegation traveling with pontiff to be vaccinated before trip. (w
@nwinfield
in Rome)
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There wasn't a single
#Iraq
watcher who hadn't crossed paths with
@hushamalhashimi
. I saw him just days ago. Shaking as I filed this. Terrible loss.
Family says he was assassinated by gunmen on motorbikes. Friends say he received threats from militias.
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And this is UR, lovely drone photos by AP's Nabil al-Jurani.
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We at the AP Baghdad Bureau are heartbroken over the passing of our dear colleague Khodeir Majid, who died of complications from COVID-19 this morning.
May he Rest In Peace.
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Incidentally, I've been
@AP
's Iraq correspondent now for 6 months. Time has flown by, the entire world has changed but I couldn't be prouder or more thankful to serve the Iraq story and work with the inimitable
@qabdulzahra
, and best editor and mentor
@zkaram
, every single day.
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Jasb Aboud Hattab, father of missing activist Ali Jasb, who's quest for justice we documented, was shot dead, prelim investigation shows.
Perpetrators not yet known.
Unlike other families of the missing, Jasb was outspoken, always ready to tell you about his son.
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Latest: One evening last year, the lawyer Ali Jasb vanished into the night. He was forced into an SUV by two men.
Since then, his father's quest for justice has run against one major obstacle: The limits of the state in the face of powerful militias.
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Latest:
In a
#Kabul
hospital, doctors and Taliban clash.
When a 22-year old fighter was appointed to supervise, doctors were dismayed.
They demand salaries amid shortages. Their new boss wants to build a mosque. The rest will follow, he tells them.
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I remember vividly, we were in the car on the way to meet his lawyer, and I asked him, aren't you afraid?
"I am afraid...But I lost what was most valuable to me, so I’ve got nothing else to lose.”
This was our story, I was honoured he let me tell it:
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Our story, about how an unlicensed ‘Starbucks’ in Baghdad is part of a growing IP problem in Iraq - the owner allegedly threatened lawyers after the coffee chain tried to take legal action.
More:
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Details from mtg:
- Actual face-to-face 40 min, Sistani spoke for most
- Pope took shoes off, Sistani rose to greet
- Pope served tea +water, drank latter
- Some COVID concern, as Pope has met many people. Sistani not vaccinated.
- When he left, Pope took one last look of room
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#SCOOP
:
Explosive-laden drones that targeted Saudi Arabia’s royal palace in the kingdom’s capital last month were launched from inside Iraq, senior Iran-backed militia official tells
@AP
(From the great
@qabdulzahra
, with
@robertburnsAP
)
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"Rosie the Riveter has an Iraqi flag on her cheek; Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” has the Turkish Restaurant building in place of a cypress tree."
Lovely story by
@Alissanyt
:
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#IRAQelections
today!
Follow these spectacular journalists on the ground + experts:
@janearraf
@SimonaFoltyn
@leloveluck
@JohnDrtrs
@haider_husseini
@WNlucile
@charliebruneau
@Rsherlock
@laure_khoury
@lcmporter
@SajadJiyad
@MarsinRA
@renadmansour
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A little late, but here’s our latest:
We follow one environmentalist on a 12-hour mission crisscrossing
#IRAQ
’s iconic wetlands in search Maxwell’s smooth-coated otter, an endangered and endemic species whose existence is vital to the wetlands.
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Latest: “Everyone is terrified,” said a protester in Tahrir. “We don’t want this to become a street war. That is why we are trying to stay peaceful. But day after day we find that we are alone.”
@AP
#IraqProtests
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#IRAQ
:
- Clashes in Sinjar between Iraqi army and PKK-affiliated YBS (comprised mostly of local Yazidis) have lead thousands to flee
- At least 646 families (+3,000 ppl) have entered Dohuk province from Sinjar per local officials.
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#Iraq
President
@BarhamSalih
responds to
#Trump
statement that US troops in Iraq to spy on Iran: “Don’t burden Iraq with issues that don’t represent a priority for my country.” Said US mil presence based on legal agreement to fight terror, anything beyond needs review.
#RCDForum
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“At first we were asking them. We had demands. But today we’re not asking any more, we are acting, we are taking back what is ours.” by
@LovedayM
@LizSly
and
@SarahDadouch
capturing the rage in
#Beirut
as thousands take to street in protest.
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Iraq is in the midst of a second wave of the coronavirus. Case numbers are climbing, Curfew was re-imposed Thursday. But doctors saw the flare up coming months ago.
“I am a doctor fighting public ignorance, not the pandemic,”
@Abdxeyad
's latest:
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#IRAQ
latest:
- Widespread outages impact Iraq. MoE data shows total generation now at 4,700 MW. Generation on average around 20,000.
- The cuts impacted even affluent areas of Baghdad where residents can have up to 24hrs of electricity.
- No immediate reason given for cut.
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#IRAQ
:
- Army says it now controls Sinjar, urges return of displaced
- In camps, internally displaced Yazidis reluctant to return citing ongoing hostilities between military and YBS.
- “We don’t know where to go, we don’t have a place to go..."
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He would often take the six-hour long bus from his rural town in Missan to Baghdad to meet his lawyer.
Always, he had in hand the documents he hoped would bring to account an Iran-backed militia suspected of kidnapping his son.
And always, he spoke of how much he missed Ali.
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A great read summarizing the complex dynamics at play in northern Iraq that could fuel an IS resurgence.
@JohnDrtrs
reports from Sinjar to Diyala where a similar pattern plays out:
"But as long as political disputes aren't solved, Daesh will come back."
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What a fantastic story by
@janearraf
:
Randa Abd Al-Aziz was making her friends laugh by reading aloud in formal Arabic at a Baghdad cafe. Overheard by a scout, she got a life-changing job offer: broadcasting the news in Iraq, whose Black citizens have little representation and even less power.
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This couple voted because "it's important for Kurds right now in Kirkuk"
#IraqiElections2018
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"The Afghans I met sincerely loved their country, even if it is now led by elderly men driven by tribal traditions offensive to a world that I am not sure ever really understood Afghanistan."
@Kathygannon
.
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#IRAQ
:
Water shortages strain wheat harvest.
“We need water to solve the problem of desertification, but we also need water to secure our food supplies... We don't have enough to do both,” - senior official at the Environment Ministry.
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Starkly different realities play out along the Tigris-Euphrates river basin.
Turkey + Iraq say they must cooperate to preserve the river system, among the most vulnerable.
But political failures and intransigence conspire to prevent a deal. (1/33)
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Our latest:
No beds, meds running low and hospitals prone to fire - Iraqi doctors say they are losing the battle against coronavirus amid a third wave.
And this was true well before the blaze that killed dozens in a COVID-19 isolation ward this week.
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#EXCLUSIVE
: In rare interview, commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada tells
@AP
they will retaliate against the US for the deaths of 4 of his men in an airstrike along the Iraq-Syria border last month.
“We want an operation that befits those martyrs,”
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@AP
@qabdulzahra
One official told
@AP
, al-Muhandis arrived to the airport in a convoy to receive Soleimani whose plane had arrived from either Lebanon or Syria. The airstrike occurred as soon as he descended from the plane to be greeted by al-Muhandis and his companions, killing them all.
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A very thorough piece here by
@lcmporter
and
@iraqoilreport
team on the impact of dust storms on Iraq's most vulnerable, and the political inaction and failures that are making matters worse.
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Elegant writing and great reporting by
@leloveluck
+
@Mustafa_salimb
here. Beautiful photos by
@emalfatto
:
"Buffaloes fell sick. Fish were found dead on the shore"
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Latest: Ahead of
@Pontifex
visit to Iraq, a survivor recalls the deadly militant attack on a Baghdad church in 2010. The carnage that day shook Iraq’s Christians to the core, fueled their exodus.
Why did he stay?
“Because this is my country,”
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.
@AP
#EXCLUSIVE
: Interview w
#Iraq
PM
@MAKadhimi
ahead US trip, where he meets
@realDonaldTrump
:
“In the end, we will still need cooperation and assistance at levels that today might not require direct and military support, and support on the ground,”
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Worked at the
@DailyStarLeb
for almost three years - no wages last six months of 2015. Never occurred to us then to protest, we just kept showing up everyday. Amazed by TDS journalists on strike today. They have worked tirelessly to produce important work. Solidarity.
A number of my Daily Star colleagues and I are on strike today over the non-payment of our wages (some for 6+ months) and what we see as the arbitrary dismissal of our colleague
@benredd
for his role in organizing a strike that most staff were planning together.
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#BREAKING
: The
#US
grants
#Iraq
another 90-day sanctions waiver, enabling energy imports critical for meeting domestic demand. Previous waiver set to expire Tuesday. New extension effective immediately. Follow
@iraqoilreport
for more updates.
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One by one, cement blast walls continue to come down in
#Baghdad
’s Green Zone, per PM
@AdilAbdAlMahdi
order.
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#SCOOP
: Iranian Gen. Esmail Ghaani, head of Quds Force, comes to
#Baghdad
with a message for Iran-backed militias:
Be calm and cease attacks for now against the American presence in
#Iraq
.
(With the great
@qabdulzahra
)
To allies in the Middle East, a message from Iran: Stand down, be on high alert and avoid giving the outgoing Trump administration the opportunity to strike.
By
@samya_kullab
and
@qabdulzahra
.
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Great work putting this trailer together
@FireflyBooks
team!
Journalist-author
@samya_kullab
discuss her new graphic novel, Escape from Syria
@FireflyBooks
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Latest:
From a bird’s eye view, the village of Salar is camouflaged against a mountain range in Wardak.
The community serves as a microcosm of the latest chapter in
#Afghanistan
’s history.
Changes are afoot, beginning with a girl's school.
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13
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Latest ahead of
@Pontifex
's visit:
Inside the meeting to take place between the Pope and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Details scrutinized, everything from shoes to seating.
The encounter will resonate across Iraq, even crossing borders into Iran.
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23
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Well, that was fun. Proud to represent
@iraqoilreport
and moderate the last panel of first day of
#IEF2019
, with distinguished speakers from Basra Gas Co, Dana Gas, the Oil Ministry and others. Fruitful discussion!
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#EXCLUSIVE
Ahead of Washington trip, PM
@MAKadhimi
tells
@AP
Iraq no longer in need of U.S. combat forces. Deadline for withdrawal depends on talks. Iraq will still ask for U.S. training, more.
Many expect deadline to be set for the end of year.
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.
@Pontifex
speaks from Ur, near the ziggurat, convenes inter-faith meeting.
“From this place, where faith was born, from the land of our father Abraham, let us affirm that God is merciful and that the greatest blasphemy is to profane his name by hating our brothers and sisters."
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At the height of the protests, I interviewed activists abducted and released by suspected militia groups. What were they asked? "Who is your leader? Who is Joker?"
In this documentary
@SimonaFoltyn
sets new standards for excellence, and answers this question. Superbly done.
We first met Iraq's Joker in Nov 2019.
He was the leader of "the armored division of Tahrir," young men who risked it all as they faced off with security forces.
We followed him for over a year.
This is his story, and the story of
#Iraq
's protests
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Terrible news of yet another year of water shortages in
#IRAQ
.
This story I spent months putting together last year explains why a water-sharing agreement with riparian neighbours is so important, key out of crisis.
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Last 24 hours in
#Iraq
:
- 3 killed, 10 wounded in Baghdad roadside bombing, 1st incident since start of protests.
- 3 killed in clashes in Baghdad square, tear gas and live rounds used.
- Sistani reiterates reform calls
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#IRAQ
latest:
100 Iraqi families living in Syria's al-Hol camp were returned to Iraq, transferred in nearly a dozen buses yesterday night to Jadah camp in Qayara.
Locals are concerned: “This decision will impact the community, people are very afraid”
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“General Strike!” Headline of
#IraqProtests
official newspaper “Tuk Tuk” published by a group of writers and printed nearby Tahrir Square. Named after powerful symbol of the protest movement, the tuk tuk drivers who ferry injured protesters from frontline to medical centers.
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#IRAQ
:
Second time this week, 100s of followers of
@Mu_AlSadr
have scaled and brought down cement barriers leading the Green Zone.
“We responded to al-Sadr's call. We will go to the Green Zone. No matter the cost.”
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If there’s one story you read today, let it be this stunning investigation by
@RenataBritoAP
+
@felipedana
tracing the tragic journey of a boat carrying migrants from an African city that ended up in the Caribbean.
“HELLO, IS IT ME YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?”
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With hundreds rushing the tarmac of Kabul's international airport desperate to flee the return of the Taliban, a young Afghan woman stood in limbo between two worlds.
“I didn’t deserve this. No one deserves this,” she told me.
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In
#Bardarash
camp, work ongoing to erect at least 200 tents to accommodate incoming refugees from NE
#Syria
. At least 700 people expected I’m told, and are waiting to be cleared by Asayish at borders.
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#Iraq
's F-16 fleet no longer flying missions as part of the U.S.-led coalition reports
@CathyOtten
for
@iraqoilreport
. Program ends as a result of mismanagement + corruption. Great report, following her investigation earlier:
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#Iraq
latest:
- Death toll from last night’s violence to 25, 130 wounded. Unidentified men fired live rounds from cars, right as an electricity cut.
- Came hours after US slapped sanctions on head of powerful Iran-backed militia group.
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Bye for now
#Afghanistan
. Always bittersweet to leave these beautiful landscapes and mountain views. Stories out soon.
I’m coming back for you
#Iraq
.
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#IRAQ
:
Grim day. At least 3 dead in clashes between
@Mu_AlSadr
followers and Iraqi forces, after he declared exit from politics. Tear gas, live ammunition used.
UN calls for peace: “The very survival of the state is at stake”
Long night ahead...
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I am in awe of my brave + tireless
@AP
colleagues reporting under very tough conditions in Ukraine these past weeks, in Russia, where it has become extremely difficult to report the news, and across Europe + ME + the world. No one untouched by these events, proud of their work.
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#Iraq
last 24hrs:
-
#Najaf
: 8 protesters shot dead as followers of
@Mu_AlSadr
storm sit-in.
-
#Baghdad
: Students march to Tahrir square from edu ministry
-
@APMiddleEast
latest: Senior Iraqi military sources say orders not to cooperate with coalition.
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Such an important observation. Question now is post
#PopeinIRAQ
, what happens to hope and expectations visit created?
The generator that lighted Ur for the
@Pontifex
visit is gone now
Now the Pope is back to Rome, Ur will be dark again.
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#Iraq
latest:
-
@Mu_AlSadr
withdraws support from anti-government protesters, prompting followers to pack, leave.
- Hours later, security forces swoop in re-open vital roads, bridges
- Tents torched in
#Basra
,
#Baghdad
- 1 protester dead, 44 wounded
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Fascinating interview by
@iraqoilreport
's great
@MohammedHkalari
of Zardasht Shangali, commander of the YBS, on complex dynamics in
#Sinjar
. In March, YBS + Iraqi Army traded gunfire, resulting in casualties. "It was mostly the result of misunderstandings"
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SCOOP: U.S. Secretary of State
@SecPompeo
approved a waiver enabling
#Iraq
to continue gas + electricity imports from
#Iran
w/o running afoul of U.S. sanctions, two senior Iraqi officials said.
@berendvh
+
@benlando
have more:
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