Plans Forming for Swanky New Tourist Hotspot in London's WWII Tunnels

Beneath London's streets lie secret WWII tunnels, set to become a new tourist attraction by 2028. The $149 million project will feature a museum, art gallery, and bar in the 86,000-square-foot space. Architects plan to preserve historical artifacts while creating immersive displays. CEO Angus Murray aims for three million visitors annually, inspired by the tunnels' rich history as wartime bunkers and later as a telephone exchange.

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Holiday Train Delivers Christmas Cheer To U.S. And Canada

The CPKC Holiday Train rolled to a powerful finish this year, raising more than $2 million and collecting over 175,000 pounds of food for local food banks across Canada and the United States. The 2025 edition of the festive rail tour stopped in hundreds of communities, delivering not just donations but live music, holiday cheer, and a strong message of unity and generosity. Since it first launched in 1999, the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train has now raised over $28.3 million and gathered 5.6 million pounds of food to support food banks across North America. "Year after year, the CPKC Holiday Train proves that generosity and community spirit know no bounds," said CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel. “Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who came out to see a show, donated to this great cause, and made the season a true celebration of giving. The incredible support we receive reminds us of what is possible when we come together with kindness and purpose.” The 2025 tour featured 194 live performances, with artists including Barenaked Ladies, Tyler Shaw, and American Authors performing from the brightly lit train cars that double as rolling stages. The tour covered six Canadian provinces and 13 U.S. states, continuing its mission to spread holiday joy while supporting food security at the grassroots level. But the holiday spirit didn’t stop at the northern border. In Mexico, CPKC continued its tradition of operating the Tren Navideño, a decorated holiday train that has visited communities there since 2010. The Mexican tour adds a southern chapter to the North American tradition, connecting people across all three countries served by the CPKC rail network. The Holiday Train is more than just a seasonal event; it’s become a cornerstone of community engagement, especially for smaller towns where the annual arrival of the glowing train draws crowds of families, volunteers, and neighbours. Local food banks receive donations raised at each stop, ensuring that the generosity stays in the community where it’s needed most. From rural stations to city centres, the train’s impact goes beyond what it delivers — it's about who it brings together. And for CPKC, that’s the point.

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Australia Announces Special Honours List To Recognise Acts Of Bravery During The Bondi Attack

Australia will create a special honours list to recognise extraordinary acts of courage, kindness, and selflessness in response to the recent terror attack in Bondi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference, Albanese said the honours — to be awarded next year in consultation with the New South Wales government — will celebrate “the best of humanity” shown in the wake of what he described as an antisemitic massacre. “We saw it with those who lost their lives tackling the terrorists as they embarked from the car,” he said. “We saw it with police and emergency services rushing to assist people. We saw it with the medical staff and professionals stopping having dinner and rushing to St Vincent’s hospital or Prince Alfred hospital or other places to provide assistance.” The honours will be given for acts of bravery or meritorious service. Among those likely to be recognised are police, doctors, surf lifesavers, and ordinary citizens who stepped in to help during and after the attack. Ahmed al-Ahmed, a 44-year-old father of two, gained widespread attention after tackling one of the gunmen and seizing his weapon. A global outpouring of support followed, with fundraisers raising $2.5 million in his name. Others paid with their lives. Boris and Sofia Gurman were killed while attempting to stop the attackers. Fourteen-year-old Chaya Dadon was shot while protecting two younger children. “The attack did show us the worst of humanity: hatred, antisemitism, violence,” Albanese said. “It also showed us the best of humanity: extraordinary acts of bravery and courage, acts of kindness for fellow Australians.” He described meeting frontline responders who dropped everything to help. Some travelled hours from outside Sydney. One police officer drove in from Newcastle; another had worked through the night and was still on duty. “It’s important that we as a nation celebrate our heroes and celebrate good deeds,” Albanese said. In a diplomatic move, the prime minister confirmed he had asked the governor-general to invite Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit Australia next year. The two leaders spoke Tuesday night. Herzog, in a statement posted on social media, said he was “profoundly shocked” by the “catastrophic terror attack against the Australian Jewish community” and offered condolences to the victims' families. He also called for legal action to confront what he described as an “unprecedented rise in antisemitism, extremism, and jihadist terror.” Herzog confirmed he would accept the invitation to visit. “We’ve invited President Herzog, which is entirely appropriate for the head of state to visit,” he said. The exact details of the upcoming honours list, including categories or criteria, have not yet been made public. But for now, Albanese says it’s about recognising that even in a moment of horror, Australians showed up for each other. “We saw people making extraordinary personal sacrifices to help their fellow Australians,” he said. “That deserves to be honoured.”

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This 11-Year-Old Cancer Survivor is Celebrating Christmas at Home After Her Tumor Battle

An 11-year-old girl from Essex will spend this Christmas at home, cancer-free, after a year that turned her life upside down. Lola, from Thundersley, was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma in November 2024 — a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. It took months of uncertainty and misdiagnoses, including ear infections and growing pains, before doctors discovered a 10-centimetre tumour in her femur. By then, the bone had begun to crumble. What followed was months of chemotherapy, surgery to replace her femur, and a Christmas spent in hospital, where she was the only child on her ward. Her brother Louie, 13, stayed by her side, while their dad brought in a makeshift holiday meal. Their mum Kaisha slept beside Lola in the hospital as the two children opened presents in a hospital room instead of under a tree. This year, they’ll be celebrating at home. "It's been such a tough time for the family, but Lola and Louie have both been so brave and resilient," Kaisha said. Lola’s fight has been brutal. Chemotherapy left her weak, the surgery to replace her femur was complex, and the emotional toll on the family was immense. But they weren’t alone. A local charity called Gold Geese stepped in to support them with bills, care packages, and moments of joy when they were needed most. Lola said the charity lifted her spirits with a trip to Port Lympne Safari Park in Kent when she was “down in the dumps” and later helped throw a party to mark the end of her treatment. Louie also remembers how isolating last Christmas was. “What happened to Lola was hard for our whole family,” he said. “Last Christmas we felt quite alone and Gold Geese supported us by sending us vouchers.” Gold Geese was founded in 2018 by Katie Southgate after her own child was diagnosed with cancer. Her goal is to support other families facing similar battles — with emotional support, financial aid, and sometimes just a bit of light in a very dark time. “Christmas with cancer sucks, and even more so when you're a child and missing out on the festive fun your friends get to have,” Southgate said. “I wish I had a magic wand to make everything all right again. The only thing I can do is try my best to make things a little brighter.” She credits the charity’s work to donors and supporters who’ve continued to give even when “times are tight.” Each year, around 1,900 children in the UK aged 14 and under are diagnosed with cancer, including benign brain tumours. For families like Lola’s, that diagnosis changes everything. But in a year filled with hospital visits, surgeries, and fear, Lola also found unexpected moments of laughter — including a viral one. During the Wicked: For Good premiere, she caught the attention of pop singer and actor Ariana Grande. A video of Lola telling her, “by the way, my cousin thinks you’re fit,” racked up 2.5 million views on TikTok and left the crowd, including Grande, in stitches. “Wow, that’s so kind,” the singer replied, smiling. Now, after a year of pain, perseverance, and unexpected fame, Lola is home with her family — where she belongs — getting ready to open her presents, not in a hospital bed, but under the lights of a tree. It’s the kind of ending her family didn’t dare hope for just a year ago. This Christmas, they’re not taking any of it for granted.

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New Peptide Treatment Shows Promise In Protecting Brain After Traumatic Injury

A four-letter peptide is showing big promise in the race to treat traumatic brain injuries — and it could be heading for human trials. Researchers from a global team led by California-based biotech company Aivocode, working with scientists at Spain’s Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), have reported that a small compound called CAQK helped protect brain tissue and improve recovery in mouse and pig models of brain trauma. The findings were published in EMBO Molecular Medicine and mark a step forward in what has long been one of neurology’s most stubborn challenges: treating brain injuries without risky invasive procedures. CAQK is a short peptide made of just four amino acids. But when injected into mice and pigs with moderate or severe brain injuries, the compound showed a remarkable ability to target damaged tissue, reduce inflammation and cell death, and improve behavioral outcomes — all without obvious side effects. In the study, researchers gave CAQK intravenously shortly after the injury. The peptide appeared to be drawn to a specific protein that becomes unusually abundant in the brain following trauma. It then built up in those areas, where it bound to glycoproteins — sugar-coated proteins in the extracellular matrix — that increase after brain injury. “We observed less cell death and lower expression of inflammatory markers in the injured area, indicating that CAQK alleviated neuroinflammation and its secondary effects,” said Dr. Aman P. Mann, lead author of the study and one of Aivocode’s co-founders. “Behavioral and memory tests conducted after treatment also showed improvement in functional deficits, with no evident toxicity.” The treatment was tested in both mice and pigs, with the latter used to better approximate human brain structure. Across both species, CAQK consistently found its way to the injury site and helped mitigate damage — a rare feat for a compound administered through the bloodstream rather than directly into the brain. That’s part of what makes the results so compelling. Most experimental treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) have to be injected into the brain itself, a highly invasive procedure with major risks. CAQK, on the other hand, is non-invasive and, according to researchers, easy to manufacture at scale. “Peptides with these characteristics show good tissue penetration and are non-immunogenic,” said Dr. Pablo Scodeller, researcher at IQAC-CSIC and co-author of the study. “What’s exciting is that, in addition to proving highly effective, it’s a very simple compound — a short peptide that is easy to synthesize safely at large scale.” TBI remains a major health burden worldwide. Each year, roughly 200 out of every 100,000 people suffer a traumatic brain injury, often from car accidents, falls, or workplace incidents. Current treatment focuses almost entirely on stabilizing patients — reducing intracranial pressure and maintaining blood flow — but does nothing to stop the underlying damage or the wave of inflammation and cell death that follows. There are still no approved drugs that directly treat the injury itself. “The current interventions for treating acute brain injury aim to stabilize the patient,” Scodeller explained. “But there are no approved drugs to stop the damage and secondary effects of these injuries.” CAQK’s story began nearly a decade ago. In 2016, Mann and Scodeller were working in the lab of Erkki Ruoslahti at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute in San Diego when they first identified CAQK using a technique called peptide-phage display. At the time, CAQK was mainly seen as a delivery mechanism — a sort of molecular homing device to ferry other drugs to injured brain regions. This new study suggests the peptide has value on its own. Aivocode, a spin-off from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute, was founded by Mann, Scodeller, and Ruoslahti. The company now says it plans to seek permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin Phase I human trials. No timeline has been confirmed yet, but the team says the simplicity and safety profile of CAQK make it an attractive drug candidate. If approved, CAQK would be a rare example of a treatment that doesn’t just stabilize the brain after injury but actually intervenes in the damage process — and does it without a scalpel. For now, it’s just four amino acids. But with the right support, CAQK could be the start of a new chapter in brain injury treatment.

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'Miracle' Cat Returns Home After Five Years Missing

A family in Cambridgeshire is celebrating what they’re calling a “Christmas miracle” after their missing cat returned home—five years after vanishing during the pandemic. Bindi, a sleek black cat with a glossy coat and a quiet personality, went missing in 2020 from her home in Somersham, shortly after the first COVID-19 lockdowns began. Her disappearance left owner Jilly Fretwell devastated. “She’s been missing for five years and we got a call on Thursday from the lovely vets in Witchford to say they had scanned her microchip and she was coming back home to us,” Jilly, 29, said. That call came after a woman in nearby Haddenham found Bindi and brought her to a local veterinary clinic. Staff scanned her microchip and traced her back to Jilly. Despite a few small scratches, the now ten-year-old cat was healthy, well-fed, and had clearly been cared for. “She had a couple of little scratches on her that the vet wanted to see to, but other than that, she looks great,” Jilly said. “She’s lovely and glossy, well-fed and has been looked after somewhere. But we have absolutely no idea where she has been the last five years.” Back in 2020, Jilly had spent her government-permitted daily walks searching for Bindi, posting appeals on social media and checking in with locals in Haddenham. But as the months passed with no sightings, hope faded. “We were devastated, as they’re part of your family,” Jilly said. “They’re part of your routine, you wake up, you feed them, give them attention, wait for them to come home to give them their dinner. It was a complete change of routine.” By 2021, she had come to terms with the loss. “I’d given up hope,” she admitted. That’s why the call from the vet caught her completely off guard. “We were just in disbelief, and then you just get this little ball of light in your chest,” she said. “We were so excited to see her.” And the reunion didn’t disappoint. “We picked her up from the vets, and it’s like she recognised us. She was instantly on our lap, giving us snuggles, and it was the best feeling. A real Christmas miracle.” Though Bindi can’t tell her side of the story, Jilly suspects someone nearby may have taken her in. “She’s never been much of a hunter. I think someone has potentially taken her in, and they think they’re doing a kind thing, and she’s been living with them the last few years,” she said. “She’s in really good shape; someone has cared for her.” Now back at home, Bindi has wasted no time settling in—curling up in laps and soaking up affection like nothing ever happened. For Jilly and her family, it's the kind of ending they had once stopped dreaming about. “She was instantly on our lap,” Jilly said. “It was the best feeling.”

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Winnie-The-Pooh Celebrates 100 Years Of Fame In The Forest on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, one of the world’s most beloved bears turns 100. It was December 24, 1925, when Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared in print, starring in a short story called The Wrong Sort of Bees in the London Evening News. The tale marked the debut of a honey-loving bear whose adventures with Christopher Robin would soon enchant children and parents across generations and continents. A century later, Pooh’s influence shows no sign of fading. In fact, his birthplace in the English countryside is marking the milestone with fanfare—and funding. Officials in East Sussex have allocated £450,000 of public money to help commemorate Pooh’s centenary in Ashdown Forest, the very landscape that inspired the fictional Hundred Acre Wood. Back in 1925, Winnie-the-Pooh’s creator, AA Milne, had just bought Cotchford Farm, a country home near the village of Hartfield, about a mile from Ashdown Forest. The forest, a stretch of heathland perched on the sandy ridges of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, soon became the backdrop for tales of stuffed animals, gentle adventures, and a game called Pooh Sticks. That game, created by Milne and his son Christopher Robin, was played on a wooden bridge that became a pilgrimage site for fans. When the original structure became unsafe in the late 1990s, it was dismantled and replaced with a replica. The original bridge later sold at auction in 2021 for £131,000. Winnie-the-Pooh’s popularity soared even further when Disney acquired the rights in 1961, transforming the hand-drawn bear into a global icon with an unmistakable voice and red shirt. But long before the animated adaptations, it was Milne’s simple, whimsical prose—and the heartfelt bond between a boy and his bear—that gave the stories their staying power. The 100-year anniversary isn’t just a literary celebration; it’s also a tourism magnet. At Pooh Corner, a gift shop and tea room in Hartfield that opened in 1978, visitors from around the globe come to sip tea, buy memorabilia, and retrace Pooh’s fictional footsteps. Neil Reed, who runs the shop, says the character’s emotional pull still surprises him. “It’s amazing to have people travel to our little village hidden in the English countryside from all over the world to celebrate Winnie-the-Pooh,” he said. “We love hearing from visitors about why he is special to them and the reasons behind them travelling so far to come to the Ashdown Forest.” The area has become a bucket-list stop for fans, especially from North America. Gerry Manser, who founded Pooh Trek Tours in 2018, says around 90 percent of his clients are international visitors. “The 100th anniversary is an extremely important event for the forest,” he said. “Without Pooh one of the most remarkable landscapes in the UK wouldn’t be as well-known.” To mark the centenary, Ashdown Forest is planning a series of events throughout the coming year. One highlight will be an immersive installation that transforms the forest’s visitor centre into a life-sized pop-up book. There are also plans for new walking trails to accommodate the influx of tourists while protecting sensitive conservation areas. For many, the stories of Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore are not just about a bear with a craving for honey. They are about friendship, imagination, and the quiet magic of childhood. Milne captured those feelings in Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and its sequel The House at Pooh Corner (1928), as well as in two poetry collections that helped round out the gentle world he built for his son. Today, that world still draws crowds, inspires nostalgia, and helps generate a steady stream of income for the local community. One hundred years later, Pooh’s charm remains as timeless as the forest that first brought him to life.

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A Robotics Pioneer is Championing Tech Solutions for Childhood Loneliness — Here's How

When Karen Dolva co-founded the Norwegian tech company No Isolation in 2015, her mission was clear: tackle loneliness using technology — starting with some of the most isolated people of all, children too ill to attend school. The result was AV1, a small robot designed not to replace teachers or classmates, but to help children stay connected when illness keeps them at home, in hospital, or physically apart from their peers. Controlled remotely by the child, AV1 sits in the classroom, offering a set of “eyes” and a voice that allows them to see, hear, and even speak to their friends and teachers in real time. "The idea was sparked by a friend of mine who had worked as a nurse on a children’s ward," Dolva told Euronews Next. "She mentioned these kids didn’t get nearly enough visitors." That conversation lit a spark. Since then, AV1 has been deployed in classrooms across Europe, giving children with long-term illnesses or mental health challenges a way to attend school virtually — and more importantly, to feel included. Dolva emphasized that AV1 is not a substitute for in-person education, but a bridge for those who can’t yet return. “They are not lazy, they’re ill,” she said. “There’s always the intent of going back [to school].” The robot itself is simple and deliberately neutral. With just a head and torso, AV1 doesn't try to mimic human appearance — a conscious design choice. “We’ve followed a lot of the design principles by Pixar,” Dolva explained. “We wanted something with a lot of human feeling and expression, but without the humanoid elements.” That neutrality matters. “We’re going to try to fit a six-year-old boy and a seventeen-year-old girl and everyone in between [in AV1], so it needs to be quite neutral,” she added. Though AV1’s appearance is robotic, its impact is deeply human. Children can raise their hand in class via the robot, whisper to a classmate through its speaker, or simply observe — quietly included in the rhythm of school life. Its camera eyes transmit live classroom footage back to the student’s device, and the robot’s head can turn to help them follow the action. Most AV1 units aren’t bought by families. Instead, they’re provided through partnerships between No Isolation and local governments, schools, or healthcare providers. That model helps ensure broader access and keeps the technology focused on inclusion, not profit. Dolva’s work has taken on renewed relevance in recent years, especially as global attention around loneliness has grown. In 2023, the World Health Organization officially recognised loneliness as a global health threat. According to a 2025 WHO report, around 16 percent of people worldwide say they feel lonely — a number that’s even higher among adolescents. Technology is emerging as a potential tool in that fight. Online gaming, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and robotic companions are increasingly seen as interventions worth exploring. Dolva, who stepped down as CEO but remains closely connected to the company’s vision, believes strongly in what she calls “hard first impact” companies — those that take on social problems from day one. “My personal goal with all of this has been to prove that this kind of company can become very successful,” she said. AV1 may be small and unassuming, but for the children who use it, the robot represents something enormous: connection, belonging, and the chance to be part of a world they might otherwise be missing.

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Santa Delights Gorilla Family With Early Christmas Gifts

Santa Claus made an early stop in southern Spain this year — not for children, but for gorillas. At Bioparc Fuengirola, a group of critically endangered western lowland gorillas, including a newborn, got a special Christmas delivery as part of the park’s enrichment program. Dressed in full holiday gear, Santa entered the gorilla enclosure with a sack full of wrapped gifts, much to the curiosity of the resident primates. Footage released by the park shows the gorillas approaching the colorful boxes, sniffing and unwrapping them with care. Inside were treats and toys, carefully selected to stimulate their senses and encourage natural behaviors like foraging and exploration. The festive visit is part of the zoo's efforts to keep the animals engaged and mentally stimulated — and to spread a little seasonal cheer in the process. According to staff, the gorillas responded with fascination, and the youngest member of the group stayed close to its mother while watching the action unfold. No wrapping paper was spared.

The Christmas Biscuits Soldiers Sent Instead of Letters

They were made to be eaten in emergencies, but some World War I soldiers used Army-issue biscuits for something far more human — sending messages of love and humour from the trenches. One of the most poignant examples now sits in the Leeds Discovery Centre: a rock-hard ration biscuit from 1914, inscribed by Pte William Maxwell of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers. Addressed to his mother, Margaret Maxwell of Meanwood in Leeds, it carries a simple but heartfelt message. “Christmas dinner in the Army,” he wrote. “Give us this day our daily bread and please put a bit of butter on. From Max.” It may have been the last message he ever sent. Pte Maxwell was killed in action in May 1915. His younger brother Arthur had already died months earlier, in the war’s opening weeks. William’s grave lies in Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery in northern France. The biscuit, still wrapped in its original packaging, has outlasted the war, the soldier who wrote on it, and even the company that made it. Produced by Huntley & Palmers — the world’s largest biscuit manufacturer at the time — the biscuit was designed to be indestructible. Made of whole wheat flour and no sugar, it was part of the standard rations issued to British soldiers and could endure months in storage or transit without rotting. According to the Imperial War Museum, these biscuits were “notoriously hard” and could “crack teeth if not first soaked in tea or water.” Which may explain why some soldiers preferred to write on them instead. Another biscuit from the same era, also housed in Leeds, features a drawing of a battleship and a seasonal message: “Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a bright new year.” Kitty Ross, curator of social history at Leeds Museums and Galleries, said the biscuits offer a “very real and thought-provoking insight into life in the trenches of the First World War.” “That they would seemingly rather have used these biscuits to share a joke with their loved ones than eat them speaks volumes about both the quality of the food and how much they must have wanted to stay in touch at a time of year when they would doubtless have felt the distance between them more keenly than ever,” she said. The Leeds Discovery Centre allows visitors to view the biscuits on request, giving people a rare look at some of the more personal — and unusual — artefacts of the war. Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council's executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, called them a touching reminder of how people found ways to connect even during the harshest times. "It's fascinating to see these different generations and their experiences of the festive season represented in our collection,” she said.

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'Ginger Cleaner' Captivates TikTok With Road Sign Washing Videos

A window cleaner from Northamptonshire has found an unlikely route to internet fame — scrubbing grime off road signs. Sam Brown, who works for his uncle’s window cleaning business in Wellingborough, has built a growing audience on TikTok under the name The Ginger Cleaner. In between his regular jobs, Brown films himself washing filthy road signs, and viewers can’t seem to get enough. “People might enjoy watching it — and I enjoy recording it anyway,” he told BBC Radio Northampton. Some of his videos have pulled in over 500,000 views, with users now suggesting new signs for him to clean. What started as a side bit of content quickly outperformed the videos of his regular day job. “I was posting clips of my window cleaning, but I thought I’ll do the [road] signs and for some reason that got way more views,” he said. Brown said he took inspiration from creators like The Pool Guy, who gained a following online for satisfying pool cleaning videos. Brown’s twist? Bringing that same sense of oddly satisfying cleanliness to everyday street corners. He works across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, and so far, the latter has earned the title of dirtiest signs. “I try and make sure I find some [signs to clean] because I think people enjoy seeing where they’re from,” he said. As long as it doesn’t interfere with his main job, Brown’s happy to keep going. “As long as it was me doing it and it wasn't affecting my actual work,” he added. He’s already cleaned most of the signs in his local area and is now thinking about branching out. “I might have to venture out [of the area] soon anyway as I've most probably cleaned them all.” And he has no plans to stop. “I enjoy it,” he said.

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