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Donald Trump has become the first former US president to be criminally convicted.

In a historic decision, a New York jury has found him guilty of falsifying business records to commit election fraud.

He was found guilty of all 34 counts he faced. Unanimity was required for any verdict.

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Trump found guilty on all counts

The former president is set to be sentenced on 11 July – days before the start of the Republican National Convention on 15 July where Trump is expected to be formally nominated for president.

The verdicts plunge the country into unexplored territory ahead of the election on 5 November as opinion polls show Trump and Joe Biden locked in a tight race for the White House.

Trump faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison, though others convicted of the same crime often receive shorter sentences, fines or probation.

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Seven things that helped convict him

Former U.S. President Donald Trump pumps a fist outside Trump Tower after the verdict in his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
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Trump pumps a fist outside Trump Tower after the verdicts. Pic: Reuters

Speaking outside the court, Trump said the conviction was a “disgrace” and that he is “a very innocent man”.

He said the trial was “rigged” and that the judge was “conflicted” and “should never have been allowed to try this case”.

“This is long from over,” Trump added.

After the conviction he travelled in a convoy of black jeeps to dinner in New York City.

Trump verdicts may be most significant ever delivered by US jury

Given the personnel, these might be the most significant verdicts ever delivered by an American jury.

The guilty findings give Donald Trump a criminal rebrand that has implications far beyond the man himself.

Now that the jury’s had its say, it’s over to the public to consider the bigger question – how one man’s conviction shapes his presidential campaign.

Read more here.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Joe Biden said in a statement: “No one is above the law.”

“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,” said Michael Tyler, the Biden-Harris campaign’s communications director.

“The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is running an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and retribution, pledging to be a dictator ‘on day one’ and calling for our Constitution to be ‘terminated’ so he can regain and keep power,” he added.

“A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence – and the American people will reject it this November.”

Trump court sheet
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Trump was found guilty of all 34 counts against him

Trump court sheet
Trump court sheet

Alvin Bragg, the New York district attorney who brought the case against Trump, said in a press conference after the verdicts that his team “followed the facts and the law without fear or favour”.

He thanked the NYPD, court staff and the jury, saying the latter was “careful and attentive”.

I feel a deep gratitude to work alongside them to be a part of this system,” he said.

“While this defendant may be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial and ultimately today at this verdict, in the same manner as every other case,” Mr Bragg added.

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Trump calls guilty verdicts ‘a disgrace’

Meanwhile, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer and a key witness in the trial, said: “Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law.

“While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters.”

He also posted on X celebrating the verdicts.

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How hush money trial unfolded

The case against Trump

Trump was at the centre of a scheme to cover up “hush money” payments to buy the silence of a porn star in the days before the 2016 election.

When revelations by Stormy Daniels of a sexual liaison with Trump threatened to upend his presidential campaign, he directed his lawyer to pay her $130,000 (£102,000) to keep her quiet.

The payment buried the story, and Trump was later elected to be the 45th president of the United States.

Trump watched the jurors dispassionately as they were polled to confirm the guilty verdict. They had deliberated for nine-and-a-half hours.

Judge Juan Merchan thanked the jurors for their service, saying: “Nobody can make you do anything you don’t want to do. The choice is yours.” Jurors are now free to speak about the trial.

Both supporters and protesters gathered outside and could be heard in the hallway on the 15th floor of the courthouse, where the case had been heard.

Anti-Trump demonstrators hold placards outside the court. Pic: Reuters
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Anti-Trump demonstrators hold placards outside the court. Pic: Reuters

Trump supporters outside court. Pic: Reuters
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Trump supporters outside court. Pic: Reuters

A man holding a placard after Donald Trump was found guilty on all counts in his criminal trial about covering up hush money payments by falsifying business records. Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

The five-week trial in the Manhattan Criminal Court heard how the backdrop to the crime was a scandal in the Trump campaign a month before the 2016 election.

A video tape from the TV show Access Hollywood was made public, in which Trump was caught on a microphone talking in lewd terms about groping women (“When you’re a star they let you do it, grab them by the p***y. You can do anything.”)

The trial heard how it was viewed as a “crisis” within Team Trump and that the campaign was soon facing another.

Ms Daniels, an adult film actor, claimed she had a sexual encounter with Trump in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in 2006.

Fast-forward 10 years and, as he ran for office, she was hawking her story.

The details, as heard in this trial, were that she had met Trump at a golf tournament, and he had invited her to dinner.

Stormy Daniels in Manhattan in 2018. Pic: AP
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Stormy Daniels in Manhattan in 2018. Pic: AP

She arrived at his hotel suite to find him dressed in satin pyjamas, until she asked him to change.

At one point, he produced a magazine, and she told the court she spanked him “right on the butt”.

Later, she emerged from the bathroom to find him lying on the bed in a T-shirt and boxer shorts, and they ended up having sex.

Trump denies the liaison took place.

‘Catch and kill’

Her plan to sell her story was communicated to Trump by David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer magazine.

He was a friend of Trump and operated a “catch and kill” scheme on his behalf, to catch negative stories and kill them before they could be published.

He’d already paid $150,000 (£117,000) to silence Karen McDougal, a Playboy model with a story of a 10-month affair with Trump.

David Pecker said he would stop negative stories about Trump being published. Pic: Reuters
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David Pecker promised to stop negative stories about Trump being published. Pic: Reuters

Trump also denies that affair ever took place.

Mr Pecker told the court he’d attended a meeting at Trump Tower, New York, in August 2015 with Trump and Michael Cohen, Trump’s lawyer and fixer.

At the meeting, Mr Pecker told Trump he’d be his “eyes and ears”.

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Michael Cohen testified that, upon learning that Ms Daniels planned to sell her story, Trump told him: “This is a disaster, a total disaster. Women are going to hate me.

“This is really a disaster. Women will hate me. Guys, they think it’s cool. But this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.”

Michael Cohen  leaves home to testify in Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York.
Pic Reuters
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Michael Cohen said he paid the hush money at Trump’s direction. Pic: Reuters

Subsequently, Cohen paid Ms Daniels $130,000 (£102,000) to buy and bury the story.

Critically, he testified that he did so at Trump’s direction, placing the former president at the heart of the conspiracy.

Paying hush money isn’t illegal – the crime was the way in which Trump reimbursed his ‘Mr Fix-It’ and the reason the money was paid.

After Trump was elected president, he repaid Cohen $420,000 (£329,000) which accounted for the $130,000 (£102,000) and other payments and bonuses, “grossed up” to account for tax liability.

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What happens next for Donald Trump?

The repayment was made in a series of cheques, which were recorded as legal expenses.

That was the crime – the falsification of business records, aggravated by the reason for it – the effort to conceal from voters a negative story that could have harmed Trump’s election chances.

In the words of the prosecution, it was “a planned, coordinated, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election”.

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Trade war: Trump reveals first nations to pay delayed ‘liberation day’ tariffs

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Trade war: Trump reveals first nations to pay delayed 'liberation day' tariffs

Donald Trump has revealed hefty trade tariffs against at least seven countries, to be applied from 1 August.

The initial announcement, via his Truth Social platform, concerned Japan and South Korea.

Both would face 25% rates on all goods, he said.

Malaysia and Kazakhstan were later added to the list, while South Africa was told it faced a 30% rate.

Laos and Myanmar were hit with 40% duties.

It marks the restart of the threatened “liberation day” escalation that was paused in April, for 90 days, to allow for negotiations to take place with all US trading partners.

The US president is sending each nation a letter to inform them of the tariff rates they face and warn against retaliatory tariffs.

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Those duties will come on top of sector-specific tariffs – such as 50% rates covering steel – which are already in force.

Money latest: Retailers release images of ‘prolific shoplifters’

Mr Trump says in the letters that rates can be adjusted “upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your country”.

Country-specific tariffs had been due to take effect from Wednesday this week but Mr Trump had earlier revealed that nations would start to get letters instead, setting out the US position.

Duties would take effect from 1 August, without any subsequent deal being agreed, it was announced.

The letters sent to Japan and South Korea cited persistent trade imbalances for the rates and included the sentence: “We invite you to participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States, the Number One Market in the World, by far.”

He ended both letters by saying, “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The European Union – the biggest single US trading partner – is among those set to get a letter in the coming days.

Mr Trump has also threatened an additional 10% tariff on any country aligning itself with the “anti-American policies” of BRICS nations – those are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and whose members also include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

The UK, bar a massive shock U-turn, should be exempt.

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What does the UK-US trade deal involve?

The country was the first to be granted a trade deal, of sorts, in May and the Trump administration has claimed many others had been offering concessions since the clock ticked down to 9 July.

The UK is not expected to face any changes to its current 10% rate due to the trade truce, which came into effect last week.

While UK-made cars aerospace products face no duties under a new quota arrangement, it still remains to be seen whether 25% tariffs on UK-produced steel and aluminium will be cancelled.

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Can the UK avoid steel tariffs?

They could, conceivably, even be raised to 50%, as is currently the case for America’s other trading partners, because no agreement on eliminating the rate was reached when the government struck its deal in May.

It all amounts to more uncertainty for the UK steel sector.

A No 10 spokesman said on Monday: “Our work with the US continues to get this deal implemented as soon as possible.

“That will remove the 25% tariff on UK steel and aluminium, making us the only country in the world to have tariffs removed on these products.

“The US agreed to remove tariffs on these products as part of our agreement on 8 May. It reiterated that again at the G7 last month. The discussions continue, and will continue to do so.”

China and Vietnam have also secured some US concessions.

The dollar strengthened but US stock markets lost ground in the wake of the letters to Japan and South Korea being made public, with the broad-based S&P 500 down by 1%.

Stock markets in both Japan and South Korea were closed for the day but US-traded shares of SK Telecom and LG Display were down 7.5% and 5.8% respectively.

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Texas floods: The victims and people missing that have been named so far

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Texas floods: The victims and people missing that have been named so far

Details of those who have died and those who are missing after US flash floods are slowly emerging – with several young girls among those unaccounted for.

At least 82 people have died from the flooding in Texas, with an unknown number of people – including 10 girls and a counsellor from Camp Mystic in Kerr County – still missing.

As much as 10ins (25cm) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County on Friday, causing the banks of the Guadalupe River to burst at around 4am local time.

Tributes to those who died, and appeals for those who are still missing, are now being shared.

A map showing the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, which burst from heavy rain and caused flash flooding
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Officials said 27 girls from Camp Mystic were reported missing after the flash floods in Texas

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Texas searches for missing children

Who are the victims?

Renee Smajstrla, eight

Renee Smajstrla, 8, died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
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Renee Smajstrla. Pic: Family handout

Renee’s uncle Shawn Salta confirmed the eight-year-old had died, and said she was one of 700 children staying at Camp Mystic.

“Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly,” he said.

“We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday.

“She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.”

Sarah Marsh, eight

Sarah Marsh, 8, died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
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Sarah Marsh. Pic: Family handout

Mountain Brook mayor Stewart Welch confirmed the death of eight-year-old Sarah, from Alabama, who was a pupil at Cherokee Bend Elementary.

“This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school, and our entire community,” he said. “Sarah’s passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew and loved her.

“As we grieve alongside the Marsh family, we also remember the many others affected by this tragedy.”

Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, both nine

Lila Bonner (L), 9, and Eloise Peck, 9, both died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
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Lila Bonner (left) and Eloise Peck. Pic: Family handout

Eloise’s mother Missy Peck told local broadcaster FOX4 that her daughter and Lila were best friends and cabinmates at Camp Mystic.

Writing about her daughter on Instagram, Ms Peck said: “She lost her life in the tragic flooding… our family is grieving and processing this unimaginable loss together.”

Lila’s family told NBC Dallas Fort Worth, a local affiliate network of Sky’s US partner network, that they were in “unimaginable grief”, and said: “We ache with all who loved her.”

Janie Hunt, nine

Janie Hunt, 9, from Dallas, died from the flooding at Camp Mystic, Texas SQUARE
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Janie Hunt

Janie’s family confirmed her death to a reporter from NBC Dallas Fort Worth, who said “her mother tells me she’s devastated”.

Richard ‘Dick’ Eastland, owner of Camp Mystic

Richard ‘Dick’ Eastland, owner of Camp Mystic. Pic: Family handout
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Richard ‘Dick’ Eastland, owner of Camp Mystic. Pic: Family handout

Kerr County judge Rob Kelly told the Washington Post that Mr Eastland, who owned the camp died in a helicopter on the way to a Houston hospital.

Local outlet The Kerrville Daily Times reported he was killed while trying to save the girls from the flash floods.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers,” guest columnist Paige Sumner said in the Daily Times’ tribute to Mr Eastland.

Blair and Brooke Harber, 13 and 11

Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11. Pic: Family handout
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Blair and Brooke Harber. Pic: Family handout

RJ Harber told CNN his daughters died during flooding in Kerr County, saying Blair “was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart”.

He added that Brooke “was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment”.

He also said both his parents were still missing.

Jane Ragsdale, owner of Heart O’ the Hills camp

Jane Ragsdale. Pic: Heart O’ the Hills SQUARE
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Jane Ragsdale. Pic: Heart O’ the Hills

On Heart O’ the Hills’s website, the camp confirmed it was “right in the path of the flood” along the Guadalupe River.

While there were no campers in residence, Jane Ragsdale died. The camp said: “We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane’s death.

“She embodied the spirit of Heart O’ the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.”

Julian Ryan, 27

Julian Ryan, 27 -  Died trying to save family. Pic: GoFundMe SQUARE
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Julian Ryan. Pic: GoFundMe

Relatives of Mr Ryan told local news broadcaster KHOU 11 that he died saving his family from floodwaters in Texas Hill County.

They described how he tried to smash a window to help them escape the rising water, but it cut his arm and he bled out before help could arrive.

Tanya Burwick, 62

 Tanya Burwick. Pic: Rhea Brunswick via AP
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Tanya Burwick. Pic: Rhea Brunswick via AP

Ms Burwick was heading to work at a Walmart in the San Angelo area early Friday when the flood waters hit.

When she didn’t show up for work, her employer filed a missing persons report and sent another colleague to look for the 62-year-old.

Police found Ms Burwick’s unoccupied SUV fully submerged later that day, before locating her body on Saturday morning, “several blocks” away from her car.

Her daughter, Lindsey Burwick, said her mother was a beloved parent, grandparent and colleague to many, adding: “She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh.”

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Who is still missing?

Penny, Emlyn, and 11-year-old Madelyn ‘Emmy’ Jeffrey

Penny and Emlyn Jeffrey. Pic: Family handout
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Penny and Emlyn Jeffrey. Pic: Family handout

Madelyn ‘Emmy’ Jeffrey, 11. Pic: Family handout
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Madelyn ‘Emmy’ Jeffrey. Pic: Family handout

Christin Jeffrey Jones posted on Facebook that her parents Penny and Emlyn Jeffrey are missing, as well as her niece Madelyn ‘Emmy’ Jeffrey.

She said her family were in Hunt, Texas, and “were spending the night at their cabin on the river at Casa Bonita which is now completely gone”.

“We ask for continued prayers and miracles,” she said. “Please share the word.”

Charlene and Mike Harber, 74 and 76

Charlene, 74, and Mike Harber, 76. Pic: Family handout
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Charlene and Mike Harber. Pic: Family handout

RJ Harber also told CNN that his parents, Charlene and Mike Harber, are still missing.

He believes the couple have died.

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Generations of Texas elite in mourning over Camp Mystic tragedy

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Generations of Texas elite in mourning over Camp Mystic tragedy

The area around the Guadalupe River is home to dozens of summer camps, but it is Camp Mystic that was long favoured by the Texas elite.

For almost a century, the daughters of senators, presidents, and oil barons would stream through the gates each summer.

“The camp has always served as a near-flawless training ground for archetypal Texas women,” wrote Texas Monthly writer Mimi Swartz in a 2011 profile.

First Lady Laura Bush was a camp counsellor there during college, while President Lyndon B Johnson sent daughters and granddaughters through the green gates.

Texas flash flooding latest: 21 children among dead

Nicole Nugent Covert, granddaughter of Lady Bird and Lyndon B Johnson, described dropping her daughter off at Mystic.

“You get a feeling when you drive up to the Hill Country and you’d see the Mystic sign, and you’d feel the weight of the world had been lifted off you,” she told the Austin American-Statesman in 2010.

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“There were no worries. I still feel that way. When I drop my daughter off, I’m jealous.”

Once inside the Christian camp, hundreds of girls would learn to ride horses, catch fish, and hunt. They wore white on Sundays, when fried chicken was also served.

The halcyon summer days would culminate in a war-canoe race between two competing “tribes”.

Items lie scattered inside a cabin at Camp Mystic. Pic: Reuters
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Items lie scattered inside a cabin at Camp Mystic. Pic: Reuters

A deposit for the camp cost $400 – while the current full fee is unknown in 2011 it cost $4,300 (£3,150) for a 30-day session.

Camp director dies ‘saving girls’

Founded in 1926, the camp was bought by Agnes Doran Stacy, a Dallas socialite, and her husband, Pop, in 1939, and has stayed in the family for the next three generations.

Mystic’s family bond came under pressure in 2011 when the Eastland siblings – grandchildren of Agnes – got into a messy legal battle over the 725-acre camp. The family eventually reached a confidential settlement in 2012.

A Camp Mystic sign is seen near the entrance. Pic: AP
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A Camp Mystic sign is seen near the entrance. Pic: AP

Current director Dick Eastland, who ran the camp alongside his wife Tweety, has been confirmed dead by his grandson. George Eastland said his grandfather died trying to save the girls in his care when the flash floods suddenly hit.

At first, 27 of the camp’s girls were missing, their cabins swept away in waters that rose suddenly at 4am. That figure is now 11 – 10 campers and one counsellor.

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Renee Smajstrla, Eloise Peck, Janie Hunt and Lila Bonner are among those confirmed to have died.

Renee Smajstrla, 8, died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
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Renee Smajstrla, 8, died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout

“She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic,” Renee’s uncle, Shawn Salta, wrote in tribute to her.

The ‘Mystic mafia’ mourns

In her 2011 article, Swartz described a “Mystic mafia” of women that stretched across the world, their bonds forged by summers at camp.

And those legions of women are mourning today.

“Camp Mystic has been my safe haven for years – a place of peace, joy, and true belonging,” one wrote on social media.

“It’s where light lives and God’s love overflows. A true slice of Heaven on earth. This weekend, tragedy has struck this sacred space, and my heart is shattered.”

“Mystic gave me more than I really know how to put into words. my heart breaks for the campers, staff, and their families in this impossible time,” another wrote.

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