The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and The Mearns Edition)
Backlash for uni plan to close art college’ s gallery
Plans to close a gallery at Dundee University would be “cultural vandalism”, critics have claimed. Among the proposals university chiefs have floated to try to cut a further £20 million from their costs is shuttering the Cooper Gallery, part of the...
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Tayside officers see rise in misconduct probes
A rising number of Tayside police officers are facing on-duty misconduct investigations, The Courier can reveal. Six officers from D Division (Tayside) have faced professional standards probes linked to allegation of misconduct while on duty since...
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Mum trapped by Raac £20k deficit
A Dundee mum says she has been left trapped in her home and facing a £20,000 mortgage black hole due to Raac. Danielle Cowie used a government scheme to help buy her first house in 2021, while she was pregnant with her daughter. However, she told a...
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Mother pleads for halt to baby unit downgrade
A mum whose daughter was born with unknown internal bleeding has pleaded with SNP health chiefs to stop the downgrade of the neonatal intensive care unit at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. The baby was also delivered with hypoxia ischemic encephalopathy...
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University warns it has one year to save £25m
Dundee University has just one year to deliver up to £25 million of further savings – amid “material uncertainty” which could cast “significant doubt” over the institution’s ability to continue as a going concern. Accounts published yesterday reveal...
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Seized e-bikes linked to ‘life-altering’ accidents
Dozens of illegal electric bikes and scooters seized by police in Tayside and Fife have been linked to serious crime and “lifealtering crashes”, The Courier can reveal. A freedom of information request has revealed officers in both force areas have...
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Clark’s Bakery owner warns of shop closures
The boss of a Dundee bakery has warned he may be forced to close some shops if footfall does not improve. Jonathon Clark, owner of Clark’s Bakery, blamed a reduction in on-street parking spaces and parking price hikes for driving customers away from...
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Former coxswain of Broughty RNLI dies
The former coxswain of Broughty Ferry lifeboat has died suddenly in Brazil. Murray Brown, 61, was following the Scottish Football team at the World Cup while in the South American country. Mr Brown is understood to have been with friends in a fan...
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Rare Pola-cola mural now saved for posterity
EAGLE-EYED: Richard Cook of Land O’spex, above right, A historic sign advertising a Dundee-made soft drink is to be saved after being unearthed earlier this week. The hand-painted Polacola mural was found on a wall at the Dundee City Council depot in...
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DUNDEE:
Two men have been jailed after deliberately hitting a pedestrian with their car in an attempt to kill him. Drew Mcintosh, 42, and Paul Henderson, 36, pursued the victim and struck him with the vehicle outside the Mctaggart Gymnastics Centre in Dundee...
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Uni chief accused over financial transparency
Dundee University’s interim principal was accused of “suppressing” important financial information by his ex-finance chief. Helen Simpson expressed “deep concern” over the financial transparency of the university days after leaving her role as finance...
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Scotland still in with a shout against Brazil
Brazil’s last man to score a World Cup winner against Scotland has slammed Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s level of play and insisted they have no chance of winning the trophy this year. Scotland face the Brazilians tonight in Miami in their final World Cup...
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£15m to turn Livehouse into leading destination
Livehouse Dundee has won a £15 million funding bid that will create up to 50 jobs and turn the Nethergate venue into a leading national destination. The venue, which opened last year, was one of several projects chosen as part of a reshaped Tay Cities...
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Shoppers hit out at empty city premises
Shoppers in Dundee have hit out at the number of empty city centre units. And they are backing our Fresh Start campaign that aims to fill more empty units via a change to business rates. A number of units lie empty in the city centre, including 16 on...
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Students could be lost
University chaplain the Rev Dr Fiona Douglas said the news, which leaves the chaplaincy’s future unclear and impacts her and two other employees, was “devastating”. Tanaiste Custance, Dundee University Students Association (Dusa) president, said: “I...
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Abuser sentenced after 10 years evading justice
A domestic abuser who fled to Malaysia to evade justice has finally been sentenced after going on the run. Douglas Guild was convicted by a jury at Dundee Sheriff Court of multiple charges of assault and stalking towards his former partners and...
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Police admit failures in city knife incident
Police Scotland has admitted its handling of both the initial investigation of a Lochee knife incident and the information it was communicating fell short on several occasions. Last week, police chiefs conceded that information the force released at...
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More university jobs to go in bid to save £20m DUNDEE: Nearly 200 posts under threat through voluntary redundancy
Dundee University is seeking to cut nearly 200 more jobs through voluntary redundancies. Staff were informed of the plan yesterday by principal Professor Nigel Seaton, who says the university is required to make a further £20 million in annual...
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Plan to spend millions on extending golf hotel
Carnoustie Golf Hotel is to undergo a multi-million-pound extension in the hope of luring the Open back to the east coast town. The owners plan on creating 25 additional bedrooms at the existing 100-bedroom hotel. It is the latest plan by Carnoustie...
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Overgate given boost from ‘Frasers effect’
The Overgate Shopping Centre’s manager has revealed the footfall impact of Frasers coming to Dundee 12 months ago. There has been an annual rise of more than 200,000 visitors to the centre since the department store opened last June. Centre manager...
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Vape oil may have led to teen’ s death
The heartbroken parents of an Invergowrie teenager who died on holiday believe his death was caused by vape oil bought in Spain. Harry Whitton, 18, pictured, who lived with his parents in the village, was on holiday in Benidorm with his girlfriend...
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Grieving parents say tragic teen let down by services
A teenager who died in his Dundee home was failed by multiple services within the city, his parents have claimed. Ronan Brown, 19, pictured, was found unresponsive by family members at his house in Stobswell last week. Despite attempts at CPR by his...
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Job fears as university approves £20m of cuts
Dundee University has voted through a further £20 million in cuts, sparking fears 250 more jobs could be at risk. A source confirmed to The Courier that the university court agreed with proposals from the University Executive Group for further...
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Wheelchair user thanks staff after bridge ordeal
An accessibility advocate has praised Tay Road Bridge staff for their response after a lift malfunction led to him becoming stranded and the bridge closing. Wheelchair user Joe Logue, pictured, described the situation which left him stuck on the...
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Mum urges FM to halt baby unit downgrade
A mum is pleading with First Minister John Swinney to stop the downgrade of the Ninewells neonatal intensive care unit after her daughter spent 21 days there. Lauren Bruce’s daughter, Grace, spent the time in the NICU after suffering a rare stroke...
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Appointment-only night rule for A&E
Patients with a minor injury or illness will now have to book an appointment before attending Ninewells Hospital after 8pm. The new rule has been introduced at both Ninewells and Perth Royal Infirmary to try to cut the number of people who do not need...
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Courier’ s tax campaign wins Holyrood backing
The Courier’s campaign to breathe new life into our high streets and shopping districts has won a crucial Holyrood vote. Less than a week after The Courier, The Press and Journal and The Sunday Post jointly launched the Fresh Start initiative for...
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No permanent Tannadice deal for defender – See sport Gran left allergic to food by rare disease
A rare condition has left a Carnoustie grandmother fearing for her life after being left unable to eat most foods for nearly two weeks. Katy Joyce has been diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), which also left her with an intolerance to...
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Crisis-hit uni declared third best in Scotland
Dundee University has been ranked as the third best in Scotland, despite the ongoing financial crisis at the institution. The university climbed 14 places in the newly-published Complete University Guide, and was hailed as the “standout mover” after...
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Fresh Start
Our high streets are struggling...but it doesn’t have to stay this way. For the first time, The Courier, The Press and Journal and The Sunday Post are joining forces and calling on the Scottish Government to relax business rates rules to give our local...
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Traders fear Lochee project is
to continue for at least another month. However, local business owners claim the Placemaking Lochee programme could sound the death knell for the area. Clark’s Bakery boss Jonathon Clark described the roadworks as the “final nail in the coffin” for...
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DUNDEE:
More than 100 homes could be built on the fire-ravaged site of the world’s oldest jute mill. Queen Victoria Works, built in 1828, has lain derelict since closing in the 1980s. The once-thriving mill was home to Tay Spinners before its closure, and...
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Council facing £3m bill after fresh roof blunder
A roof repair blunder has seen Dundee City Council fork out £3 million to fix the problem – five years after a similar, costly error. Work was carried out a number of years ago on the roofs of flats in Douglas. However, an issue was subsequently...
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Yousaf angry at ‘betrayal’ by SNP embezzler Murrell
Former first minister Humza Yousaf says disgraced EX-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell deserves “quite a hefty sentence” for embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. Mr Yousaf had been just one week into the top job when Murrell was arrested as...
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‘Virtual appointments’ to replace cancer unit
Maintenance issues have been blamed for the “callous” decision to close crucial cancer services at Stracathro Hospital. The move has been confirmed by Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership, which said patients will instead receive virtual...
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City’s multis plagued by drug crime and violence
The number of police incidents and crimes recorded at Dundee’s multis reveal how residents are “disproportionately” affected by issues such as drugs and violence. Data obtained through freedom of information shows police attended nearly 500 incidents...
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Newly-created display space for Dundee artwork
The hugely popular Dundee Tapestry is set to go on public display in its new long-term home, The Courier can reveal. The tapestry – stitched by more than 140 volunteers from Dundee and beyond – was visited by almost 200,000 people during successful...
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Rita returns as Willy Russell classic revived
For director Debbie Hannan, Willy Russell’s 1980 stage play Educating Rita – which many more people know as the 1983 film starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters – struck a special chord in her young life when she first encountered it. “It was the...
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Students showcase creative flair at end of year art display
The hugely popular Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design’s Undergraduate Degree Show starts this weekend. The exhibition features work from 380 final-year students across subjects including fine art, animation, architecture and graphic...
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Police drew batons amid youth gang chaos in city
Dundee’s top police chief has revealed officers were forced to draw batons as youths threatened to run riot in the city centre after a football match. Around 35 youths, described as “risk supporters”, were being escorted towards the railway station...
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Protest as union locked out of uni recovery talks
Frustrated Dundee University staff taped their mouths shut in protest after claiming they have been locked out of key talks to determine the embattled institution’s future. Dundee University has been mired in crisis since a £30 million financial black...
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V&A chief says overhaul an ‘amazing opportunity’
The director of V&A Dundee says an upcoming multi-million-pound refurbishment is an “amazing opportunity” for the museum – and the city. Major changes to the ground-floor area, the Scottish Design Galleries and exhibition spaces are planned. Millions...
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Olympic star:
1. Who won the Wimbledon ladies’ singles title in 2017? 2. The Cinque Terre lies on the coastline in which country? 3. The name of which alcoholic drink comes from the Latin for “bitter”? Ligurian 9. Which actress was born Deborah Trimmer in...
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Trapped staff fled waste blaze by climbing fence
Recycling centre workers found themselves trapped as a huge blaze engulfed the site and had to scale an eight-foot fence to escape, it has been revealed. Union bosses told The Courier that staff at the Lower Melville Wood site, near Ladybank, reached...
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Rail route plagued by antisocial behaviour
A rail route through Dundee, Monifieth and Arbroath has been given a rare “red status” by Scotrail due to persistent antisocial behaviour. The Stirling to Arbroath line has been put on the most serious level of Scotrail’s traffic light system, as has...
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Former Utd chairman’ s store venture wound up
Former Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson’s ill-fated convenience store business has been wound up, with millions of pounds owed. Mr Thompson, pictured, hoped to get Eddy’s Food Station to 50 shops when he launched the venture in 2022, following...
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Mum of Fife teen ‘loses all hope’ as body found
A mother has described the devastating moment police told her a body had been found in the search for her missing teenage son. Phoenix Birkett, 17, was last seen on the Tay Road Bridge on April 8. On Sunday his mum Lisa Tarling was informed after a...
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Swinney reveals election has taken toll on family
John Swinney, pictured, has opened up about the personal strain behind his election win, revealing concerns over his wife’s health, his son’s exams and security fears that have rattled his family ahead of his return to Bute House. The SNP leader spoke...
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SNP’ s domination across Angus and Dundee continues
Dundee and Angus remained firmly in the hands of the SNP as the party held all four constituencies across the two council areas, despite Nigel Farage’s Reform emerging as a significant new challenger. Stephen Gethins, pictured, secured Dundee City...
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Lib Dem candidate says he was attacked in city
A Liberal Democrat election candidate claims he was attacked by a Reform voter while out campaigning in Dundee. Tanvir Ahmad, pictured, who is running for the Liberal Democrats in the Dundee City East constituency, says the man called him a...
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SNP poised for big wins but no overall majority
The SNP looks set for convincing wins in Tayside and Fife in today’s election – but could fall short of a majority. A final poll last night suggests the SNP will win each first-past-the-post constituency in Courier Country by a tidy margin, except in...
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Entrepreneur centre to close as uni staff depart
A flagship Dundee University innovation department has closed due to a mass exodus of staff. The university is still trying to plug a £30 million deficit which has so far seen around 750 employees leave the institution since the start of the financial...
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NHS chiefs put freeze on new recruitment
A recruitment freeze has been imposed at NHS Tayside, with current vacancies put on hold – despite the health board telling The Courier no such measure had been introduced. An email sent on Friday by the human resources team, which we have seen,...
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Police probe as two cars torched one hour apart
Police have launched an investigation after two cars were set on fire within an hour at opposite ends of Dundee. Officers are investigating after the vehicles were set on fire in Birkhill and Broughty Ferry. Shortly after 3am yesterday firefighters...
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Fire-hit hotel to be bulldozed and new venue constructed
The owner of the historic Fife hotel destroyed in a devastating fire this week has said the building will have to be demolished and a new venue built in its place. Dundee businessman Graham Bradley, who recently reopened St Michaels Inn after a...
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‘News’ site complaints go to top UK minister
Talks have been held between a UK Government minister and anti-violence campaigners in Dundee over the controversial site Rebreak News. MP Liz Kendall, secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, spoke to anti-knife activist Kris Boyle...
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Mum heartbroken over son still missing in Tay
A mother has spoken of her heartbreak weeks after her teenage son disappeared in the River Tay. Phoenix Birkett, 17, from Guardbridge, was last seen on the Tay Road Bridge in the early hours of April 8. Despite extensive searches of the river,...
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Man dies after rescue operation at reservoir
A man has died after getting into difficulty at a reservoir on the outskirts of Dundee. Police, pictured, and other emergency services were called to a water rescue at Clatto Country Park at around 6.40pm on Saturday. The man was recovered from the...
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Police cycle patrols to tackle city crime
Police have unveiled a new, two-wheeled crime-fighting taskforce to tackle disorder in Dundee city centre. Cycle patrols are intended to give officers quicker access through pedestrianised areas and narrow city centre streets where vehicles are less...
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Six-figure cannabis find in trafficking operation
One man was arrested after plain-clothes officers wearing stab-proof vests raided a Dundee property and reportedly recovered a six-figure cannabis haul. The raid on Clepington Road yesterday morning forms part of a wider ongoing police operation...
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Dundee joinery firm folds after 163 years
A Dundee construction firm has collapsed into administration after 163 years. Alexander Oastler Ltd was a joinery and building firm based in Douglas Street, specialising in bespoke furniture, renovations, design and refurbishments for commercial and...
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New £135m expansion of EV charger network
A £135 million contract to more than double the number of public EV chargers across Perth and Kinross and Angus is up for grabs. Council bosses are overseeing a major expansion of available units, with a particular focus on more rural areas. Perth...
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Minister slams Rebreak over ‘appalling’ footage
The controversy over a Dundee-based “news” website has reached Westminster, where a senior UK Government minister has urged social media platforms to do more to protect children. Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall MP said she...
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Daughter fighting for justice over dad’s death
The daughter of a Dundee man who died in police custody in Turkey last year is still fighting for justice over her dad’s death. Mid Craigie man Dennis Duffy, 53, was taken to hospital in September when he became ill in prison. His daughter, Stevie,...
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Council ‘nearing unsustainability’
A senior Angus Council official says it is becoming “impossible” to find new savings and warned the authority is heading towards “financial unsustainability”. Assistant chief executive Ian Lorimer will present a strategic risk register update to the...
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SNP vows Eden Project and D&A College help
The SNP has pledged to help two major multi-million-pound projects in Dundee get off the ground if the party holds on to power in the Holyrood election. The party launched its manifesto yesterday, and appeared to throw its weight behind the proposed...
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Group’ s biggest festival ever set for waterfront
The promoter behind major concerts at Dundee Waterfront has revealed plans to hold its biggest-ever music festival next year. The Liz Hobbs Group has attracted artists such as Little Mix, Tom Jones and James to Slessor Gardens since it opened. Now,...
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Tayside officers ‘bullied, harassed and understaffed’
A survey of Tayside police officers has revealed complaints over bullying, staff shortages and unmanageable workloads. More than 320 officers and 11 staff members in D Division were asked for their views on working for Police Scotland in October...
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Pensioner dies after crash with Maserati
A pensioner has died after being struck by a car in Broughty Ferry. Police said a red Maserati Quattroporte was involved in a collision with a 74-yearold pedestrian on Forthill Road at 1pm yesterday. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene....
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Blaze destroys dental practice and nursery
A Broughty Ferry nursery and dental practice have been destroyed in an overnight fire on Saturday. The fire was reported at Balgillo Nursery and Barnhill Dental Practice at Torridon Road at 1.30am. Firefighters remained at the scene all night before...
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Abuse conviction is ‘landmark case’
The conviction of a domestic abuser over the death of his wife could give police more opportunities to prosecute other abusers, a senior detective has said. Lee Milne was sentenced to 11 years, eight in custody plus a three-year extension, at the High...
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Extra police patrols to tackle youth disorder
Police have pledged to step up patrols in Broughty Ferry after a couple were surrounded and targeted by a group of youths on Wednesday. Concerns are growing about disorder in the area after the incident near Broughty Castle. And business owners are...
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