- Manchester City stopped paying Benjamin Mendy’s wages in September 2021
- He has now reportedly lodged a claim against City with an Employment Tribunal
- A ref had metal plates after a broken jaw and feared being followed home – IAKO
Benjamin Mendy has gone to war with Manchester City after launching a ‘multi-million-pound’ claim against them over unpaid wages.
Mendy was accused of raping a 24-year-old woman in a bedroom at his home in Cheshire in October 2020. He was also charged with the attempted rape of a 29-year-old woman at his home two years earlier.
Mendy, who continually denied both charges and was found not guilty by the jury at Chester Crown Court earlier this year, saw Man City stop paying his £100,000-a-week wages in September 2021.
Now, according to Sky Sports, Mendy has opened a ‘multi-million pound claim’ against City for wages owed.
The claim is reported to have been lodged with the Employment Tribunal in recent days, with Mendy claiming ‘unauthorised deductions from wages’ while his trial was ongoing.
Mendy, who became the Premier League’s most expensive defender at the time City paid AS Monaco £52million in 2017, was due to be under contract in Manchester until June 2023.
As such, Mendy is now seeking salary owed from September 2021 to June 2023 and the expiration of his contract.
Sky’s report adds that prominent sports lawyer Nick De Marco KC is acting on Mendy’s behalf.
A statement made to Sky said: ‘Nick De Marco KC (instructed by Laffer Abogados (Madrid) is acting for the former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy in a multi-million-pound claim for unauthorised deductions from wages.
‘Manchester City FC failed to pay Mr Mendy any wages at all from September 2021, following Mr Mendy being charged with various offences all of which he was subsequently acquitted of, until the end of his contract in June 2023. The claim will come before an Employment Tribunal.’
Louis Doyle KC, for Mr Mendy, explained last month that discussions with Man City were ongoing and ‘one senses that there is going to be a positive end to the dispute’.
Meanwhile, Mr Mendy’s accountant, David Lumley, previously described the back pay as ‘in the order of nine to 10 million pounds gross’.
Earlier this month it was revealed that Mendy slashed a mega £750,000 off the £5m asking price for his Cheshire mansion in a bid to beat bankruptcy.
MailOnline reported in August that Mendy had put the swanky mansion up for £5m following his move to Ligue 1 side Lorient, where he is looking to rebuild his career after two criminal trials.
But now the 29-year-old is desperate to sell up, and has reduced the asking price to £4.25m, according to The Sun.
It comes months after the High Court heard that Mendy was selling his house and was chasing millions of pounds in back pay from City to avoid bankruptcy. Two offers had been made on the property but the asking price has since been reduced.
Addressing Mendy’s debt, with a bankruptcy order of almost £800,000, Mr Doyle said: ‘He is embarrassed about the fact that he is not able to discharge it quicker than he is able to.
‘He is saying ‘I want to pay as quickly as I can, I realise that I am in difficulty’.’
HM Revenue and Customs is seeking a bankruptcy order against the France international over a tax debt of nearly £800,000, a specialist judge was told.
The hearing was adjourned to October to allow Mendy time to sell the house but it seems the left back has struggled to find the home a new owner.
His prestigious former home in the village of Mottram St Andrew is described by estate agents Savills as ‘one of the finest contemporary homes in Cheshire’.
The ‘amazing 11,000sq-ft residence’ is set in over 1.75 acres of grounds and boasts six bedroom suites, an open plan living area, games room, home cinema, swimming pool, steam room, gym and spa.
Estate agents Savills, which are marketing the property, said: ‘This impressive home was built about 15 years ago and has been upgraded twice in intervening years.’
Among the highlights are ‘an enormous principal bedroom suite with a vaulted bedroom area, a fitted dressing room and a large en-suite bathroom.’
The garden includes a ‘sports pitch, basketball area, extensive terraces and an outside kitchen/entertaining area’.
The property was bought by Mendy from cricketing legend Andrew Flintoff in 2018 for £4.8m.
Flintoff, who never lived at the house, bought it for £1.8million in 2008 and spent two years rebuilding the property – before renting it out.
His tenants included former footballer Peter Crouch and wife Abbey Clancy.
Flintoff bought the property from former Man City boss Mark Hughes, who most recently managed Bradford City. Hughes had already secured planning permission to completely rebuild the property.
The house is in one of the most exclusive roads in Cheshire’s so-called ‘golden triangle’, made up of villages between Prestbury, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow.
Neighbours on the lane have included former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, before he and his family moved to a newly built £20m mansion nearby.
This week, Portland city officials cleared an encampment on Marginal Way despite objections from the ACLU. Advocates, like Dani Laliberte, say the clearing of encampments is detrimental to the health of people who live in them. Laliberte says, “You can have an uptick in overdoses and death and loss of important documents, all of their possessions so they have to start over again. It can be really traumatizing for folks.” More tents have now appeared at the homeless encampment at Harbor View Park on Commercial Street in Portland under and around the Casco Bay Bridge. Portland Communications Director, Jessica Grondin, says there were 14 beds available at the Homeless Services Center during the encampment removal on Marginal Way. According to the Portland, Maine unhoused dashboard, there are more than 180 tents throughout Portland. There are a little over 200 beds available at the Homeless Services Center. According to Grondin, Asylum Seekers are using 100 to 125 beds at the Homeless Services Center. Asylum seekers staying at the Homeless Services Center are expected to be directed to the Riverside Shelter, a new facility that is expected to open for them by the end of November. Grondin says this transition should free up more than 100 beds at the Homeless Services Center.Laliberte says availability at Homeless Services Center is not a permanent solution for people living in the encampment. She says the city needs more affordable housing and transitional housing, adding, “I know the community doesn’t love that these encampments are sometimes in their backyard but we need to find a safe place for people to be able to set up tents until there is viable options.” Grondin says the city does plan to clear the growing encampment on at Harbor View Park on Commercial Street. City officials say they will soon announce a date for the tent removals.
This week, Portland city officials cleared an encampment on Marginal Way despite objections from the ACLU.
Advocates, like Dani Laliberte, say the clearing of encampments is detrimental to the health of people who live in them. Laliberte says, “You can have an uptick in overdoses and death and loss of important documents, all of their possessions so they have to start over again. It can be really traumatizing for folks.”
More tents have now appeared at the homeless encampment at Harbor View Park on Commercial Street in Portland under and around the Casco Bay Bridge.
Portland Communications Director, Jessica Grondin, says there were 14 beds available at the Homeless Services Center during the encampment removal on Marginal Way. According to the Portland, Maine unhoused dashboard, there are more than 180 tents throughout Portland.
There are a little over 200 beds available at the Homeless Services Center. According to Grondin, Asylum Seekers are using 100 to 125 beds at the Homeless Services Center. Asylum seekers staying at the Homeless Services Center are expected to be directed to the Riverside Shelter, a new facility that is expected to open for them by the end of November. Grondin says this transition should free up more than 100 beds at the Homeless Services Center.
Laliberte says availability at Homeless Services Center is not a permanent solution for people living in the encampment. She says the city needs more affordable housing and transitional housing, adding, “I know the community doesn’t love that these encampments are sometimes in their backyard but we need to find a safe place for people to be able to set up tents until there is viable options.”
Grondin says the city does plan to clear the growing encampment on at Harbor View Park on Commercial Street. City officials say they will soon announce a date for the tent removals.
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Parts of Downtown Topeka near the Statehouse were closed during the morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 7 for a commercial shoot for Visit Topeka. The commercial will include a unique twist: A Topeka-themed Broadway musical number.
President of Visit Topeka Sean Dixon told 13 NEWS that he got in touch with Topeka native and Broadway musician Jeff Kready to help create the musical number, who then received help from Tony Award nominee Steve Lutvak, who, according to Kready, wrote the song.
“Topeka has all kinds of great connection that it’s used or haven’t used, and the connection for us was Jeff Kready and what he does in Broadway and being a Topekan,” Dixon said. ”It was incredible for us, so as we were brainstorming this, [we thought] why not Broadway? Why not have some musical number for us?”
“To have this be a Broadway style number is kind of my dream come true,” Kready said. “The whole point of the song is to be yourself in Topeka, to see yourself in Topeka, to free yourself in Topeka, and I think that’s what Topeka has become: A place where you can be yourself where lots of different people can exist together in one beautiful city, and that’s what we’re here celebrating today.”
The commercial shoot featured over 100 Topeka residents from various communities, including veterans, members of the LGBTQ community, Ukrainian refugees and more.
“We want to make sure everyone is included, that everyone has a voice in this,” Dixon said. “The core of the song that everyone will eventually get to hear is that people can be themselves here. It’s the Free State capital, and that’s what’s important to us.”
The song will be released in December and the commercial will air in 2024.
Copyright 2023 WIBW. All rights reserved.
Oakland, CA– A new state law enables Oakland to lower speed limits in high traffic areas in the City. Today, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Councilmembers Noel Gallo and Janani Ramachandran, Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) Director Fred Kelley, and other City leaders announced the first 11 locations that will see reduced speed limits and safer streets.
“September is California Pedestrian Safety Month and there is no better way to honor this occasion than by announcing the critical steps we are taking to save lives,” said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Oaklanders deserve safe streets while visiting our local shops, restaurants, and other businesses, and I’m proud to champion OakDOT’s work to create safer business activity districts.”
“Our local businesses are what help make Oakland the vibrant, diverse community it is,” said District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo. “Lower speed limits alongside simple improvements like enhanced crosswalks and bike lanes help create a pedestrian-friendly environment that supports our small merchants.”
“Losing Oaklanders due to traffic violence is unacceptable,” said Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas. “That is precisely why we are taking steps to not only lower speed limits but also to implement infrastructure improvements to make our streets safer for everyone.”
“Oakland has lost far too many lives due to traffic violence,” said District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. “The call to action is clear – we must curb driving behavior. Lowering speed limits in commercial districts and school zones is one critical way that we can begin to change driver culture. I look forward to expanding this effort to every corner of the City. The more walkable we can make our neighborhoods, the safer they will become.”
“AB43 (Friedman) and initiatives such as our Safe Oakland Streets (SOS) are essential due to the current state of traffic safety in Oakland. Our constituents have expressed deep concerns about reckless drivers, sideshow activity, and the trauma that comes with pedestrian injuries,” shared District 7 Councilmember Treva Reid. “In 2022 there were 3 traffic fatalities in District 7. Since August 2023 there have been 4 fatalities. I serve a District of majority Black and Brown residents who are the same community members disproportionately impacted by traffic fatalities. There is an urgent need to lower speed limits in our business activity districts and school zones, increase traffic calming measures, ensure adequate traffic enforcement, and install automated speed cameras. I believe AB 645 being signed into law by Governor Newsom will ensure that our youth, seniors, residents, and visitors will be able to travel our roads with an increased level of safety and peace of mind.”
Every week, two Oaklanders are killed or severely injured in traffic crashes on city streets. Across California, 1,100 people were killed by drivers while walking in 2022. In one out of every four traffic fatalities in Oakland, unsafe speed plays a primary role.
“The traffic safety epidemic disproportionately impacts our historically underserved communities,” said Fred Kelley, Director of OakDOT. “That is why we are implementing lowered speed limits in business activity districts in our highest priority equity neighborhoods first and prioritizing locations on the High-Injury Network.”
The new lower speed limits come thanks to a state law (AB 43) that allows cities and local governments to put in place reduced speed limits in certain corridors. As part of implementing AB 43, OakDOT conducted a detailed analysis to identify more than 50 corridors totaling 25+ miles in Oakland that are eligible for 20 or 25 MPH Business Activity District speed limits. OakDOT anticipates implementing signage in all identified eligible Business Activity Districts, as feasible, by the end of 2025.
The initial 11 locations are as follows:
MacArthur Blvd (89th to 90th)
San Pablo Ave (William to South 16th)
Fruitvale Ave (E. 22nd St to E. 19th St)
11th St (Broadway to Harrison)
12th St (Broadway to Alice)
Fruitvale Ave (E. 15th St to E. 10th St)
Fruitvale Ave (Lynde St to Blossom St)
Foothill Blvd (Rutherford to High St)
Foothill Blvd (Congress to Cole St)
23rd Ave (Foothill to International)
14th St (Broadway to Oak)
Oakland Police Department (OPD) will conduct targeted traffic safety enforcement operations to help educate drivers of the new speed limits. For the first 30 days after a new speed limit sign is installed, only warning citations will be issued for violations exceeding the speed limit by up to 10 MPH.
To learn more about speed limit lowering in Business Activity Districts, and for a complete list of the eligible locations, visit https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/lowering-speed-limits-in-business-improvement-districts.
About OakDOT’s Safe Oakland Streets (SOS): Every week, two Oaklanders are killed or severely injured in traffic crashes on city streets. These crashes disproportionately harm people in Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities, people with disabilities, seniors, and low-income communities. Crashes are a leading cause of death among Oakland youth. All traffic crashes are preventable. Safe Oakland Streets (SOS) is a Citywide initiative that is taking a new approach to preventing crashes. Our approach focuses on strategies that will save lives and deliver equitable outcomes. We are working across departments and government agencies and building partnerships with communities most affected by these life-and-death issues. Learn more and at www.oaklandca.gov/SOS.
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One of Commercial Drive’s favourite gelato shops was aflame on Tuesday, and has shut down indefinitely as a result.
Dolce Amore, found at the intersection of Commercial Drive and Graveley Street, suffered a significant fire early this morning.
The shop shared the news, alongside a video of the damage, in an Instagram post.
“They say; life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans. We can’t believe how accurate it is, we were talking and planning bigger and more exciting things for Dolce Amore yesterday, but today, we woke up with the most devastating news,” states the post. “There was a massive fire at Dolce Amore that started this morning, and we still don’t know the exact reason. Luckily, it began very early hours, and no one got hurt by the fire. That being said, we will need some time off to heal and repair our one and only clubhouse. We will see you soon.”
The video shows broken glass, blackened floors, a scorched menu sign, and a shop that, while not totally destroyed, is definitely in disarray. As such, the Little Italy location is closed until further notice.
Those hoping to enjoy some Dolce Amore gelato—and support the business—can still do so by heading to its location in North Vancouver at 113 2nd Street W.
By Antoinette Milienos For Daily Mail Australia
00:37 22 Aug 2023, updated 01:41 22 Aug 2023
- Eight out of 10 councillors supported ban
- Waverly and Paramatta councils endorse ban
- New homes and businesses to install electric appliances
Clover Moore’s City of Sydney council has voted to ban gas for all new homes and businesses.
The motion passed council on Monday night, with eight out of 10 councillors supporting the ban.
The move will introduce clauses to developing rules which require new homes and businesses to install electric appliances including stoves, cooktops, heaters and hot water units.
The City of Sydney became the latest council to vote to ban new gas connections despite NSW Premier Chris Minns ruling out a statewide gas ban last month.
Deputy Lord Mayor and Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore pushed the ban, with council papers claiming the ban on gas is ‘based on the health, economic and environmental benefits that all-electric buildings produce for future occupants’.
Waverley council banned new gas connections last year, while Randwick council will vote on a motion on Tuesday night for the ban to be implemented statewide.
Parramatta council also banned new gas connections in the city’s CBD, according to the City of Sydney’s council papers.
Sydney’s peak business lobby is calling for the state government to block local councils from imposing the ban to avoid ‘different rules across the state’.
City of Sydney Council also wants to force homes and businesses to get rid of their already existing gas in favour of electric connections.
Council papers urge staff to consider ‘any other potential amendments that would facilitate or speed up the transition of existing resident and non-residential buildings in the City of Sydney to become all-electric and gas-free’.
Local councils in Sydney are deciding to overrule State Premier Chris Minns who said last month he would not institute a statewide ban on gas.
Under the 1979 EPA Act, councils have the power to implement their own bans by imposing restrictive conditions on development applications and plans.
Liberal Councillor at Randwick Council Christie Hamilton told 2GB host Ben Fordham on Tuesday the plan to ban gas is ‘nonsense’.
‘I think it’s nonsense, it’s so out of touch with the cost of living pressures that everyone is feeling right now,’ Ms Hamilton said.
‘This motion says that electricity is cheaper to run meaning lower energy bills. That’s just not true.
‘We don’t have an alternative to turn off gas for an equally priced alternative. If we did, we could do it, but we don’t.’
Ms Hamilton, who has been on Randwick Council since 2017, said the issue with gas has ‘bubbled’ away in the background but will come to the forefront during council’s meeting.
Randwick Councillors will not be voting to ban gas on new developments or to introduce the planning control measures in Randwick council.
Rather, councilors will vote to send through a motion to the local government NSW annual conference to call on the state government to ban gas across the entire state.
Ms Hamilton said she will be arguing against the motion as it affects all Australians.
‘I will be arguing against this [motion], I find it to be very dismissive of Randwick residents, rate payers and renters, this affects everybody,’ Ms Hamilton said.
She urged Premier Chris Minns to consider NSW residents struggling with the cost of living.
‘Chris Minns needs to consider what he needs to do for NSW residents and I believe considering how costly it is to live right now, how bills are already going through the roof, this is not something we should do right now,’ Ms Hamilton said.
‘We don’t have an alternative to turn of gas for an equally priced alternative. If we did, we could do it but we don’t.’
Celebrity chef Luke Mangan told Ben Fordham the kitchen for his new restaurant, which is located in Potts Point, was being delivered on Tuesday is all gas and valued at about $400,000.
Mr Mangan said cooking with gas was quicker, easier and more efficient in a commercial space and claimed the ban on gas would be detrimental to small businesses.
‘Seriously if we think of all of these small businesses around the state and around the country with cafes and wine bars and restaurants, what if they’ve put these gas cooktops in 6-12 months ago,’ He said.
‘Small businesses are under the pump already with interest rates going up, people not spending… now electricity, gas, your wages, everything has gone up and produce has gone up.
‘These businesses can’t keep putting prices up to stay in business because people just don’t want to spend more at this period.’
He also questioned how the ban would effect existing homes and their barbeques.
‘What about the barbie out the back that’s connected to gas, do we rip that out and have to have an electric barbie?,’ Mr Mangan said.
‘The small Aussie hardworking battlers at home cannot rip out a gas stove and put in an electric stove because the bloody government says so.’
The celebrity chef also offered to take Premier Chris Minns on a tour of small businesses to show him how the ban will affect struggling restaurants.
On July 28, Daniel Andrews’ Labor government banned new homes from connecting to natural gas, in a bid for Victoria to halve carbon emissions by 2030.
Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny announced the changes to energy supply, with the policy set to to kick in on January 1, 2024.
In addition to residential housing, any new public buildings which are yet to reach design stages by the cut off date – including schools, police stations and hospitals – must be entirely electric.
According to a recent analysis by VTS, a real estate tech firm, office demand in the city jumped by 10.2% from the first to the second quarter of 2023. Breed and other city officials previously lamented the effect that remote work has had on the city’s office vacancy rates, which hit a record high of 29.4% in the first quarter of this year. In a social media post Monday night, Breed cited the VTS data as a sign that San Francisco is rebounding.
“While office demand continues to struggle nationally, San Francisco is seeing new growth,” she said. “We’re embracing the City’s innovative spirit, making our streets safer, and welcoming people from everywhere. San Francisco is bouncing back.”
San Francisco’s office vacancies, along with the exit of major retail businesses and the departure of Westfield from the San Francisco Centre, have given rise to fears about the future of downtown. That includes worries that the city’s property tax incomes will plummet, leading to city service cuts. The VTS numbers represent a bright spot in the ongoing discussion about the city’s revitalization efforts.
Breed built on her argument that the city is bouncing back in a separate post on Tuesday, citing data that shows that total employment in the city has mostly increased on a month-to-month basis of late.
“Jobs are growing in SF. This includes in tech, where recent increases in hiring have offset layoffs in 2022 & early 2023,” she wrote. “We’re attracting and growing our workforce, while supporting our small businesses across the City and the new diverse companies that want to come here.”
Breed, who was once one of San Francisco’s biggest critics, has taken a noticeably more positive approach in recent months when talking about the city’s recovery efforts — especially as the 2024 election draws closer. Recent polls have shown that city voters largely disapprove of the job Breed is doing, and some data suggests that District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí — the only notable opponent to formally enter the mayoral race so far — has a chance to beat her next year. Daniel Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, reportedly plans to join the race as well.
Knight Frank’s 2023 Waterfront Homes report showed the average waterfront property in Sydney now generates a whopping 118 per cent premium in 2023, marginally down from 121 per cent in 2022.
Despite the year-on-year decline in the price premium paid by those who want to live or own a piece of the city’s harbour line, this marks the second year the NSW capital has commanded the highest price premium out of the eight global cities analysed in the report.
For comparison, Sydney’s premium is more than double Auckland, which is in second place at 58 per cent.
Monaco, where the waterfront premium stands at 42 per cent, France’s Cap d’Antibes at 40 per cent and Paris at 38 per cent rounded out the top five cities with the biggest waterfront price bumps.
While the median surcharge for waterfront prices across global markets stands at 45 per cent, research found beachfront homes have the biggest uplift overall, and have extended their lead since last year.
On average, beachside homes enjoy a 76 per cent premium, up from 63 per cent in 2022. Harbour homes are next, commanding a 61 per cent premium, followed by riverside (39 per cent), coastal (36 per cent) and lake (35 per cent).
Knight Frank head of residential research Michelle Ciesielski said the significant increase in waterfront premiums is attributable to demand strongly outstripping supply.
“Frontline water access is a rarity in cities and protected areas of outstanding natural beauty,” she said.
Ms Ciesielski noted supply and demand dynamics in Sydney are extremely tight, with a significant shortage of prestigious homes listed for sale in prime regions, including waterfront properties.
Further proof of the strong demand, according to the expert, are the majority of these properties being sold off-market, often before any marketing efforts are made.
“There are only a handful of new projects in Sydney under construction which enjoy a water view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, but even less with an absolute waterfront,” she added.
Looking forward, Ms Ciesielski expects conditions in the waterfront market not to drastically change anytime soon.
“Tight building restrictions will limit the availability of waterfront stock, whilst on the demand side, investors vie for such homes alongside second home purchasers, given their rentability as holiday lets and above-average occupancy levels.
“Driven by their experiences of being priced out of the high-end housing markets in major global cities like London, New York and Hong Kong, many expats purchasing property in Sydney are opting to delay their purchase specifically for waterfront properties,” according to the expert.
She noted the allure of waterfront living, including access to private maritime facilities, is a major factor attracting expats.
Ms Ciesielski said the rarity of waterfront home transactions contributes to the resilience of property prices for both standalone houses and apartments.
“The desirability of waterfront homes and the potential they offer as an inflation hedge alongside capital preservation is likely to see demand swell further given the current economic backdrop,” she concluded.
City asked to reconsider role in commercial developments
Recently, I responded to the City of Flagstaff (COF) appeal to residents regarding current budgeting priorities and objectives. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to attend the City of Flagstaff’s budgeting retreats. Over multiple days, I learnt a great deal regarding the anticipated spending on operations and capital projects for fiscal year 2023-2024. The days were filled with charts, tables and diagrams.
At the end of one day, a COF staff member presented the refurbishing and rebuilding of a commercial property owned by the COF. The property is located before the entrance to Buffalo Park and it is primarily leased to the USGS. He proceeded to tell the budget meeting attendees, City Council and City Staff primarily, that a new investment in the USGS buildings would cost over $50 million. This amount was higher than prior year estimate of over $35 million! But not to worry, USFS and the COF were close to agreeing to a five-year lease with a five-year renewal! Not one question from the audience! Not a peep! Not a graph, table or diagram! I was stunned! I do not believe any commercial developer would spend over $50 million with a potential five- or 10-year lease in the future.
Developing commercial property is NO WHERE to be found in the Flagstaff Key Community Priorities and Objectives used in the COF budgeting. The COF mission does not mention the COF developing commercial property.
If the COF remains in commercial building business, this presents numerous conflicts of interest for the COF. This situation today is like having the fox guarding the hen house given the COF enforces and creates the building codes!
The COF should divest all commercial property; the residents tax dollars can be better spent on actual COF’s Priorities and Objectives.
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