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Aaron Rodgers rend hommage à “l’humain légendaire et épique” Taylor Swift après les spectacles de New York

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Aaron Rodgers rend hommage à la “légendaire et épique humaine” Taylor Swift et à la “spectaculaire” Phoebe Bridgers après avoir profité de la tournée Eras de la star au “nouveau domicile” MetLife Stadium

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Aaron Rodgers a peut-être passé son meilleur week-end à New York alors qu’il est allé voir deux nuits de la tournée Era’s Tour de Taylor Swift au Metlife Stadium.

Le quart-arrière y jouera plus tard dans l’année après avoir quitté les Packers de Green Bay pour les Jets de New York dans un métier qui a captivé la NFL.

Mais au cours du week-end, Rodgers était un Swifty éhonté alors qu’il allait voir la pop star en concert.

Réfléchissant aux émissions sur son Instagram lundi soir, Rodgers a déclaré: “ Week-end incroyable dans ma nouvelle maison #metlifestadium avec des amis spéciaux Miles et @keleighteller, un tas de nouveaux et le légendaire @taylorswift qui a absolument secoué la maison pendant 3 1/2 heures chaque nuit !!!

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«Elle est vraiment une artiste de talent et une humaine épique, et @phoebebridgers était également spectaculaire.

Aaron Rodgers s'est rendu sur Instagram pour remercier Taylor Swift pour ses récents spectacles à New York

Aaron Rodgers s'est rendu sur Instagram pour remercier Taylor Swift pour ses récents spectacles à New York

Aaron Rodgers s’est rendu sur Instagram pour remercier Taylor Swift pour ses récents spectacles à New York

New Jets QB Rodgers était là pour deux des trois nuits de Swift au MetLife Stadium

New Jets QB Rodgers était là pour deux des trois nuits de Swift au MetLife Stadium

New Jets QB Rodgers était là pour deux des trois nuits de Swift au MetLife Stadium

“Merci aux formidables agents de sécurité, aux adorables fans que j’ai rencontrés et à toute l’hospitalité du Tour les deux soirs. J’espère que nous pourrons rendre MetLife aussi bruyant cette année.”

Rodgers a tagué Kelleigh Teller – épouse de l’acteur Miles Teller – dans son post Instagram ainsi que son ancien coéquipier des Packers David Bakhtiari.

Le quart-arrière des Jets s’est révélé être un grand fan de Taylor Swift dans un vidéo posté sur le compte Twitter officiel de l’équipe, où les joueurs devaient indiquer leur chanson préférée du chanteur dont la tournée Eras s’arrête au MetLife Stadium ce week-end.

‘Trop. Trop pour compter ”, a déclaré l’homme de 39 ans lorsqu’on lui a posé la question.

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Puis il est devenu un peu plus précis.

‘Tout ce qui n’est pas [her album] “Folklore” probablement. ‘Août,’ ‘Le 1.”

Rodgers a également proposé un choix plus ancien pour compléter ses choix de l’album 2020 de Swift, car il a appelé “New Year’s Day” un “banger”.

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International

Scientists warn one in every 50 Americans in nearly 25 coastal cities at risk of excessive flooding due to sinking land and rising sea levels

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Scientists warn dozens of coastal cities are in danger of being washed over by flooding due to rising sea levels – but two dozen are at higher risks.

A team of researchers led by Virginia Tech identified 24 locations that are battling a combination of sinking land and rising sea levels, putting one out of every 50 resident at risk.

Those living along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic seaboard were deemed in the ‘danger zone,’ while Pacific coast residents faced less flood risk and ‘relatively modest, rock coast cliff retreat’ – but are still not out harms way.

Miami, true to past estimates, faces some of the highest risks, the researchers said.

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South Florida’s sun-drenched party city could lose as much as 81,000 homes, coming to a total cost up to $31 billion dollars and risking the lives or wellbeing of as many as 122,000 Miami-area residents: all figures the study called ‘conservative.’

Over 500,000 US citizens across 32 major cities are expected to be displaced by the flooding, due to home property damages that could cost up to $109 billion by 2050. Scientists warned that nearly one foot of rising sea-levels is likely to compound the risk of 'destructive flooding'

Over 500,000 US citizens across 32 major cities are expected to be displaced by the flooding, due to home property damages that could cost up to $109 billion by 2050. Scientists warned that nearly one foot of rising sea-levels is likely to compound the risk of 'destructive flooding'

Over 500,000 US citizens across 32 major cities are expected to be displaced by the flooding, due to home property damages that could cost up to $109 billion by 2050. Scientists warned that nearly one foot of rising sea-levels is likely to compound the risk of ‘destructive flooding’

Along the Atlantic coast, the researchers calculated that as many as 263,000 people across as many as 163,000 properties were at risk of being impacted by rising sea levels across 370 square-miles of dense urban landscape. Above, a flood this January in Edgewater, New Jersey

Along the Atlantic coast, the researchers calculated that as many as 263,000 people across as many as 163,000 properties were at risk of being impacted by rising sea levels across 370 square-miles of dense urban landscape. Above, a flood this January in Edgewater, New Jersey

Along the Atlantic coast, the researchers calculated that as many as 263,000 people across as many as 163,000 properties were at risk of being impacted by rising sea levels across 370 square-miles of dense urban landscape. Above, a flood this January in Edgewater, New Jersey 

The study identified more than 500,000 people in 32 major cities, home to that are expected to be displaced by the flooding, due to home property damages that could cost up to $109 billion by 2050. 

‘One of the challenges we have with communicating the issue of sea-level rise and land subsidence [i.e. land sinking] broadly is it often seems like a long-term problem,’ said the study’s lead author, Virginia Tech geochemist Leonard Ohenhen.

‘Something whose impacts will only manifest at the end of the century, which many people may not care about.’

‘What we’ve done here is focused the picture on the short term,’ Ohenhen noted, ‘just 26 years from now.’

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Three core sets of information were used to inform the new analysis, published this month in the journal Nature. 

First, the scientists measured the sinking of coastal urban landmasses, to miniscule millimeter accuracy, using ‘interferometric synthetic aperture radar’ pointed at the US from aboard the Sentinel-1 A/B and ALOS-1 satellites between 2007 and 2020.

Next, they used this data to develop a ‘relative sea level rise’ adding it to the rate of true sea level rise recorded by high-resolution, ‘light detection and ranging’ (LiDAR) devices managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management uses their LiDAR network, a pulsed laser system that operates similarly to radar, to craft digital elevation models (DEMs) at the border between the land and the ocean.

South Florida 's sun-drenched party city could lose as much as 81,000 homes, coming to a total cost up to $31 billion dollars and risking the lives or wellbeing of as many as 122,000 Miami-area residents: all figures the study called 'conservative'

South Florida 's sun-drenched party city could lose as much as 81,000 homes, coming to a total cost up to $31 billion dollars and risking the lives or wellbeing of as many as 122,000 Miami-area residents: all figures the study called 'conservative'
Above, a yellow Lamborghini dives into Miami floodwaters during a 2020 incident captured by WSVN news

Above, a yellow Lamborghini dives into Miami floodwaters during a 2020 incident captured by WSVN news

South Florida ‘s sun-drenched party city could lose as much as 81,000 homes, coming to a total cost up to $31 billion dollars and risking the lives of as many as 122,000 Miami residents. Above, a yellow Lamborghini dives into Miami floodwaters during a 2020 incident

Above, floodwaters filled with weather-beaten debris soak into a mobile home park in Fort Myers, Florida, on September 29, 2022, one day after Hurricane Ian made landfall

Above, floodwaters filled with weather-beaten debris soak into a mobile home park in Fort Myers, Florida, on September 29, 2022, one day after Hurricane Ian made landfall

Above, floodwaters filled with weather-beaten debris soak into a mobile home park in Fort Myers, Florida, on September 29, 2022, one day after Hurricane Ian made landfall

The research team, led by geochemists at Virginia Tech, calculated the Atlantic's roughly 370 square-miles of at-risk urban landscape (in red above), as well as the at-risk Gulf and Pacific coast regions, using satellite imagery and laser-measured LiDAR

The research team, led by geochemists at Virginia Tech, calculated the Atlantic's roughly 370 square-miles of at-risk urban landscape (in red above), as well as the at-risk Gulf and Pacific coast regions, using satellite imagery and laser-measured LiDAR

The research team, led by geochemists at Virginia Tech, calculated the Atlantic’s roughly 370 square-miles of at-risk urban landscape (in red above), as well as the at-risk Gulf and Pacific coast regions, using satellite imagery and laser-measured LiDAR

Lastly, the authors of the new study pulled in US census data from 2010 to create baseline estimates of the total likely impact of this total or ‘relative’ sea level rise on US city populations and home properties along America’s shorelines.

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Along the Atlantic coast, the researchers calculated that as many as 263,000 people across as many as 163,000 properties were at risk of being impacted across 370 square-miles of dense urban landscape, mostly in Miami. 

The total financial impact on home-values by 2050, the team calculated, ranged up to $64 billion total for the 11 east coast cities they examined.

Along the Gulf coast, cities like New Orleans in Louisiana, Galveston in Texas and nine more metropoles face potentially devastating risks as well. 

Up to 225,000 people at risk of death, displacement or economic hardship as up to 109,000 homes face rising ocean waters, and thus closer proximity to chaotic weather patterns, like increasing hurricanes, produced by rising world temperatures.

The study estimated 319 square-miles of crowded Gulf cityscapes may be at risk. 

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Along the Gulf coast, cities like New Orleans in Louisiana, Galveston in Texas and nine more metropoles face potentially devastating risks as well. The study estimated 319 square-miles of crowded Gulf cityscapes (marked in red above for the 2050 estimates) may be at risk

Along the Gulf coast, cities like New Orleans in Louisiana, Galveston in Texas and nine more metropoles face potentially devastating risks as well. The study estimated 319 square-miles of crowded Gulf cityscapes (marked in red above for the 2050 estimates) may be at risk

Along the Gulf coast, cities like New Orleans in Louisiana, Galveston in Texas and nine more metropoles face potentially devastating risks as well. The study estimated 319 square-miles of crowded Gulf cityscapes (marked in red above for the 2050 estimates) may be at risk

The new study estimates that up to 225,000 people risk of death, displacement or economic hardship near the Gulf (pictured) as up to 109,000 homes face rising ocean waters, and thus closer proximity to chaotic weather, like increasing hurricanes, from rising world temperatures

The new study estimates that up to 225,000 people risk of death, displacement or economic hardship near the Gulf (pictured) as up to 109,000 homes face rising ocean waters, and thus closer proximity to chaotic weather, like increasing hurricanes, from rising world temperatures

The new study estimates that up to 225,000 people risk of death, displacement or economic hardship near the Gulf (pictured) as up to 109,000 homes face rising ocean waters, and thus closer proximity to chaotic weather, like increasing hurricanes, from rising world temperatures

Despite the west coast's reputation for environmental awareness, the ten Pacific coast cities examined by the new study faced significantly less risk than their Atlantic and Gulf analogues. By 2050, no more than 16 square-miles of Pacific homestead faced harm from rising seas

Despite the west coast's reputation for environmental awareness, the ten Pacific coast cities examined by the new study faced significantly less risk than their Atlantic and Gulf analogues. By 2050, no more than 16 square-miles of Pacific homestead faced harm from rising seas

Despite the west coast’s reputation for environmental awareness, the ten Pacific coast cities examined by the new study faced significantly less risk than their Atlantic and Gulf analogues. By 2050, no more than 16 square-miles of Pacific homestead faced harm from rising seas

But, crucially, the team — which also included a planetary scientist from Brown University and researchers from both India and the UK — chose to focus only on damage to homes in their estimates property damage and economic risks.

‘The calculated exposure does not account for the value of critical infrastructure (such as airports, schools, hospitals, power plants, roads and railways),’ they wrote, ‘as well as economic hubs and landmarks.’ 

Their calculations, ranging from billions to tens of billions in local economic damage, as they put it, therefore ‘represents a conservative value.’ 

Ironically, despite the west coast’s vaunted reputation for environmental awareness and legislation, the ten US Pacific coast cities examined by the new study faced significantly less risks than their Atlantic and Gulf counterparts. 

By 2050, no more than 16 square-miles of Pacific urban homestead faced a serious risk from rising seas and the exacerbating role of heavyweight skyscraper sinking.

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Somewhere under 30,000 people and 15,000 home properties are at risk, totally no more than $22 billion in the researchers’ conservative worst case scenario.

Pacific coast residents faced less flood risk but did face a unique risk of 'relatively modest, rock coast cliff retreat,' the new study found. Above, an aerial view of mansions still standing after a powerful storm brought flooding and mudslides to Dana Point, California this February

Pacific coast residents faced less flood risk but did face a unique risk of 'relatively modest, rock coast cliff retreat,' the new study found. Above, an aerial view of mansions still standing after a powerful storm brought flooding and mudslides to Dana Point, California this February

Pacific coast residents faced less flood risk but did face a unique risk of ‘relatively modest, rock coast cliff retreat,’ the new study found. Above, an aerial view of mansions still standing after a powerful storm brought flooding and mudslides to Dana Point, California this February

Across every city in their study, Ohenhen of Virginia Tech noted that the team found economic and ethnic minorities were in the parts of town most at risk from the relative sea level rise.

‘That was the most surprising part of the study,’ Ohenhen said in a statement. 

‘We found that there is racial and economic inequality in those areas in that there was an overrepresentation of historically marginalized groups potentially impacted as well as properties with significantly lower value than the rest of the cities.’ 

The combination of the sea-level dangers and these residents lack of economic resources to cope ‘really multiplies the potential impact to those areas and their abilities to recover from significant flooding,’ Ohenhen said.

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Perhaps most alarmingly, the speed at which sea level is now rising, according to the new study, and other recent investigations, continues to climb faster.

Over the past 100 years, the average or so-called global mean rate of sea level rise hovered up to around 0.07 inches (1.7 millimeters) per year. 

But by the early years of the 21st Century, that rate lept up to 0.12 inches (3.1 mm) per year and is still accelerating.

Today the global mean rate of sea level rise is 0.15 inches (3.7 mm) per year. 

‘Even if climate change mitigation efforts succeed in stabilizing temperature in the future decades,’ the researchers warn in their new report, ‘sea levels will continue to rise as a result of the continuing response of oceans to past warming.’

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In other words, a significant amount of their risk estimates for 2050 may be unavoidable.

Although, as study coauthor Manoochehr Shirzaei noted, their hope is to give these US coastal cities exactly the kind of map they will need to prevent the worst of the likely oncoming tragedies. 

‘The whole purpose of this paper is to provide data to support decisions,’ according to Shirzaei, a geophysicist and associate professor at Virginia Tech’s Earth Observation and Innovation Lab.

‘Every city, every county has a flood resiliency plan in place. They are required by law to create that.’ 

‘But it’s likely nobody has received the entire picture until this study,’ he concluded,  ‘which creates probably the first comprehensive picture of what’s happening in the not-too-distant future.’

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African Union ‘warmly congratulates’ Senegal’s Faye on presidential election win

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The African Union on Friday congratulated anti-establishment opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his victory in Senegal’s presidential election and hailed the “unanimous acceptance of the results”.

Issued on: Modified:

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In a statement, African Union Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat said he “warmly congratulates” Faye on the official declaration of his first-round win, while wishing him “full success in his weighty and noble charge”.

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According to provisional results, Faye won the first round of the vote outright with 54.3 percent, far ahead of incumbent Macky Sall’s hand-picked candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba.

Senegal’s Constitutional Court could declare Faye the official winner before the weekend, which would make a handover possible before April 2, the official end of Sall’s term.

Faye, 44, was only freed from prison 10 days before the election, along with his mentor Ousmane Sonko, who was barred from running following a criminal conviction he says was politically motivated.

(AFP)

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Nearly half of young people don’t realise buy now, pay later can get them in debt

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  • More than a third of young people use BNPL products at least once a month
  • They are the second most common form of borrowing among 18-34 year-olds
  • But many don’t realise that they could get into debt by paying in this way 

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Nearly half of people aged between 18 and 34 don’t know that buy now, pay later lenders can add fees for missed payments, research claims.

Some 46 per cent of young people said they were unaware that they could get into debt by using BNPL products, compared with 35 per cent on average. 

The study by lender Creditspring also revealed that BNPL products are now the second most common form of borrowing among the younger generation.

Borrowing: Buy now, pay later products allow users to split payments into instalments, but can see them rack up debt

Borrowing: Buy now, pay later products allow users to split payments into instalments, but can see them rack up debt

Borrowing: Buy now, pay later products allow users to split payments into instalments, but can see them rack up debt

While credit cards are still the most popular form of borrowing for young adults, with 19 per cent taking out these products, 15 per cent of 18 to 34 year-olds said they had taken out BNPL products for the first time since August last year.

This compares with 13 per cent of 35 to 54 year-olds, while among those over 55, only four per cent had started to use these products in the last six months.

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Young people are by far the biggest users of BNPL services, with 36 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds already using these products at least once a month, compared with just 20 per cent of 35 to 54-year-olds.

Neil Kadagathur, Creditspring chief executive and co-founder said: ‘The UK is sitting on a ticking BNPL timebomb – millions of young people are unknowingly putting their financial future at risk by piling up BNPL debt.

‘There is a huge knowledge gap when it comes to BNPL – this is driven by lenders who continue to offer a lack of transparency, confusing repayment terms and hidden costs. BNPL lenders need to step up and take responsibility for tackling the misconceptions that still exist about the risks of using these products,’ Kadagathur said.

Buy now, pay later products allow users to take out a loan for a specific purchase, which is then paid back in instalments. Often, these products offer an interest-free loan for an initial period.

However, these products are unregulated, and providers generally don’t run credit checks on users, meaning that those who are already financially vulnerable can find themselves racking up even more debt due to the high interest they are charged if they don’t pay the money back on time.

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The lack of regulation of these products also means that users cannot complain to the Financial Ombudsman with their concerns, something which a massive 88 per cent of young people do not realise.

A fifth of young people, meanwhile, don’t know that BNPL is completely unregulated.

With the onset of the Covid pandemic and the cost of living crisis, BNPL has become an increasingly popular option, especially among younger generations, with products such as Klarna and Clearpay leading the industry.

In many cases though, those using these products are not aware that they are borrowing money in a similar way to using a credit card.

Only 37 per cent of young people say they can meet their BNPL debts without issue, compared with 60 per cent of those between 35 and 54.

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Debt charity StepChange has warned that those with BNPL debts are three times as likely to be in problem debt compared with the average UK adult.

cost of living

StepChange head of communications Simon Trevethick said: ‘Our research reveals a worrying crossover between use of BNPL and financial hardship, but also that BNPL use is becoming much more common. 

‘With living costs stretching household budgets, there’s a concern that people are relying on credit like BNPL to make ends meet, which presents as more of a risk as it’s not regulated in the same way as other types of consumer credit.

‘With BNPL remaining unregulated, there’s a lack of consistency across the sector, meaning affordability checks can be patchy, as can consumer understanding.

‘Younger people who may have less financial experience can be more vulnerable to falling into problem debt after using BNPL – especially as at checkouts it’s not always clear that BNPL is a form of borrowing.’

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Kadagathur added: ‘Regulation of BNPL is absolutely essential, and can’t come soon enough. 

‘Plans to bring the BNPL market to heel have been delayed for far too long, which has led to increased confusion and ultimately punished borrowers. The regulator needs to push through this much-needed legislation as a priority.’

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‘Sorry, you can’t board, off you pop’: Traveller reveals how he was caught out by a post-Brexit passport rule and stopped from flying at the departure gate

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A British traveller has revealed how he was prevented from boarding a flight to France – because of a new post-Brexit passport regulation.

The journey through the airport for Nathan Barnes, who was travelling with his fiancé to visit family in Limoges, was normal enough to begin with. Having checked in online for the flights, he made his way through security without any hiccups.

But the 31-year-old paramedic from Norwich was stopped at the departure gate and told that because his passport was more than 10 years old – despite not having expired yet – he could not fly. 

‘They were very matter of fact about it. They just said, “Sorry, you can’t board, off you pop,”‘ Nathan told the BBC. ‘I was gutted, surprised really. We had checked in online and thought it was fine.’

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The pernickety ’10-year rule’ has been brought in since Britain left the EU – and Nathan isn’t the only one who has fallen victim to it. Here, we’ve explained everything you need to know about this and other surprising passport regulations. Plus, you’ll find some handy travel tips on paying less for renewals and how to avoid scams.

DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT BY EU RULES

When travelling to the EU, British holidaymakers should be aware of the ’10-year rule’, and pay close attention to their passport’s issue date and expiry date

When travelling to the EU, a 10-year British passport is only valid for entry for exactly 10 years after the date of issue, regardless of the date of expiry.

Before September 2018, passport holders could have up to nine months added to their passport expiry date if they renewed their 10-year passport early. Post-Brexit, however, although the official validity of your passport may be beyond 10 years, the EU does not recognise these extra months if your passport is older than 10 years on the date that you enter the EU. On top of this, you must also have at least three months’ validity on your passport beyond the date you intend to leave the EU’s free-movement Schengen territory.

This means visitors must pay careful attention to the issue date and the expiry date.

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For example, if you enter the EU from the UK on April 1, 2024, and return on April 5, 2024, you must have a passport issued less than 10 years before April 1, and that’s valid for at least three months after April 5.

To make sure you aren’t caught out, and for further details on EU passport rules, search for ‘documents you need for travel in Europe’ at home-affairs.ec.europa.eu or visit www.abta.com.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Some holidaymakers have been unable to board their flights and trains due to confusion over EU passport rules  

Always check the specific entry requirements for the country you are visiting on the gov.uk website before travelling – the rules around passport validity vary from country to country.

For instance, while most countries such as Australia, Canada and the USA just need your passport to be valid for the length of your stay, other countries such as China, Thailand, Egypt and Turkey need at least six months. As previously mentioned, you will need at least three months’ validity on your passport from the intended day of departure from the EU.

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COUNT YOUR BLANK PAGES

If your passport is filling up with stamps and there’s hardly any space left, you need to renew it – even if you’ve got several years left on it. This is because some countries can be fussy about passports with filled pages. For instance, Italy and South Africa require at least two full blank pages.

SAVE YOUR CASH

Travellers can apply online or by post to renew their passport - it can take up to three weeks to arrive

Travellers can apply online or by post to renew their passport - it can take up to three weeks to arrive

Travellers can apply online or by post to renew their passport – it can take up to three weeks to arrive 

There’s one simple way to save money when renewing your passport – apply for it online rather than post.

The current fee for a standard online application made from within the UK is £82.50 for adults and £53.50 for children. Postal applications, meanwhile, are £93 for adults and £64 for children. In general, how you choose to renew your passport could end up costing a family of four £40 more than it should.

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However, in April, the cost is due to increase. A standard online application made from within the UK is due to rise to £88.50 for adults and £57.50 for children, while a standard postal application is due to increase to £100 for adults and £69 for children.

These price changes are still subject to parliamentary approval, but if given the green light, they’ll come into force from April 11.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

Your passport will usually be issued within three weeks if you are applying within the UK, but customers are advised to apply in good time before travelling, according to gov.uk.

While it could take longer than three weeks, if the passport office needs more information, customers will be notified within these three weeks.

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SHORT ON TIME?

If travellers are short on time, there are two ways to apply for an urgent passport

If travellers are short on time, there are two ways to apply for an urgent passport

If travellers are short on time, there are two ways to apply for an urgent passport 

There are two ways to apply for an urgent passport. The first is the ‘one-day Premium’ service, in which customers will be asked to book an appointment at their nearest passport office, apply and pay online. They will get their new passport at their appointment.

The second is the one-week’ fast track’ service, customers can book an appointment at their nearest passport office, apply and pay online, and a new passport is delivered to their home within the subsequent seven days, excluding bank holidays. You must act quickly, however, as passport office appointment slots – each lasting around 10 minutes – are snapped up quickly.

The one-day premium service will set you back £193.50 for an adult passport, while the one-week fast track service costs £155 for an adult passport.

If you need a passport to travel urgently for healthcare or because a loved one is seriously ill or has died, it’s recommended that you call the ‘Passport Adviceline’ instead.

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SCAMS TO WATCH OUT FOR

In April last year, holidaymakers were warned to look out for fraudsters exploiting passport delays caused by industrial action by UK Passport Office workers by offering bogus ‘fast-track’ services.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) warned that scammers were using increasingly sophisticated and convincing methods to trick travellers into paying for non-existent services.

The CTSI said it had seen a number of texts and emails offering speedy passport renewals, warning that victims could lose personal data to fraudsters as well as money.

CTSI chief executive John Herriman said: ‘As always, scammers are quick to leap on any opportunity to take advantage of uncertainty and upheaval. The exploitation of delays brought about by Passport Office strikes is just the latest example of scammers preying on people’s vulnerability.’

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Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘Since we left the EU, the passport validity rules for UK citizens travelling to the EU and Schengen area have changed, and unfortunately a lot of people are getting caught out – sometimes even at the departure gate.

‘If you are in the process of booking a holiday, or are due to travel soon, make sure you check your passport as soon as possible, as there are two rules you need to bear in mind. You must have at least three months left on your passport when you plan to leave the EU, and crucially, when you enter, your passport must have been issued in the past ten years.

‘If you get caught out when you’re due to fly your options are sadly very limited, and it could prove to be a costly mistake, as travel insurance won’t cover you. If you realise shortly before your departure date, you might be able to get a last-minute priority passport appointment – but these are expensive, and there’s no guarantee your local office will have availability. You’ll also need to consider the costs of rebooking flights, and potentially accommodation and car hire as well.’

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The great sweetener myth! Sugar replacements like aspartame and sucralose DON’T make you hungrier, scientists say

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We’re all after a guilt-free way of reaching for the biscuit tin.

Now scientists have suggested that swapping sugar for sweeteners in the treats could do the trick – and won’t leave you feeling hungrier.

Consuming food laden with sweeteners caused a similar reduction in appetite as sugary foods, the study found. The findings debunk a claim peddled by critics of artificial sweeteners, who have said the substances may make people hungrier.

Other benefits included lowering blood sugar, which is particularly significant for people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, they suggest.

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We're all after a guilt-free way of reaching for the biscuit tin. Now scientists have suggested that swapping sugar for sweeteners in the treats could do the trick ¿ and won't leave you feeling hungrier

We're all after a guilt-free way of reaching for the biscuit tin. Now scientists have suggested that swapping sugar for sweeteners in the treats could do the trick ¿ and won't leave you feeling hungrier

We’re all after a guilt-free way of reaching for the biscuit tin. Now scientists have suggested that swapping sugar for sweeteners in the treats could do the trick – and won’t leave you feeling hungrier

While other studies on sweeteners have typically focused on drinks, researchers at the University of Leeds wanted to focus on food.

They looked at the effects of eating biscuits with either sugar or two types of food sweetener: natural sugar substitute Stevia, or artificial sweetener Neotame, which is derived from aspartame.

The trial consisted of three, two-week periods.

Participants – who were all overweight or obese – ate biscuits with either fruit filling containing sugar, the natural sugar substitute or artificial sweetener.

Blood samples were taken to establish baseline levels of glucose, insulin and appetite-related hormones and they were also asked to rate their appetite and food preferences.

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After eating the biscuits, they were asked to rate how full they felt over several hours.

Glucose and insulin levels were measured, as were ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and pancreatic polypeptide – hormones associated with the consumption of food.

The results from the two sweetener types showed no differences in appetite or endocrine responses compared to sugar.

But insulin levels measured over two hours after eating were reduced, as were blood sugar levels, according to the findings published in The Lancet eBioMedicine.

It is the latest study to be published by the SWEET consortium of 29 European research, consumer and industry partners which is working to develop and review evidence on long term benefits and potential risks involved in switching to artificial sweeteners.

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Professor Graham Finlayson, principal investigator and of the University of Leeds’ School of Psychology, said: ‘The use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers has received a lot of negative attention, including high profile publications linking their consumption with impaired glycaemic response, toxicological damage to DNA and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

‘These reports contribute to the current befuddlement concerning the safety of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers among the general public and especially people at risk of metabolic diseases.

‘Our study provides crucial evidence supporting the day-to-day use of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers for body weight and blood sugar control.’

SWEET project joint co-ordinator Professor Anne Raben, from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, said: ‘The findings show that sweeteners are a helpful tool to reduce intake of added sugar without leading to a compensatory increase in appetite or energy intake, thereby supporting the usefulness of sweeteners for appetite, energy and weight management.’

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International

Israeli strike kills at least 36 Syrian soldiers near Aleppo

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Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The health ministry does not report how Palestinians were killed, whether from Israeli airstrikes and artillery barrages or errant Palestinian rocket fire. It describes all casualties as victims of “Israeli aggression”.

The ministry also does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. 

Throughout four wars and numerous skirmishes between Israel and Hamas, UN agencies have cited the Hamas-run health ministry’s death tolls in regular reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross and Palestinian Red Crescent also use the numbers.

In the aftermath of war, the UN humanitarian office has published final death tolls based on its own research into medical records. The UN’s counts have largely been consistent with the Gaza health ministry’s, with small discrepancies. 

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For more on the Gaza health ministry’s tolls, click here.

(FRANCE 24 with AP) 

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International

Patrick Mahomes makes a catch! Chiefs star shows off HUGE catfish in hilarious picture shared by wife Brittany as his daughter Sterling, 3, looks on in disgust!

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Patrick Mahomes is best known for his throwing skills but it turns out that when it comes to fishing, he’s pretty good at making a catch as well.

The Chiefs quarterback’s wife Brittany shared a hilarious picture on Instagram on Thursday night of Mahomes showing his three-year-old daughter Sterling a huge catfish that he had appeared to have caught.

Sterling didn’t look too impressed with her famous father, much to Brittany’s amusement on her Instagram post.

‘Ster not a fan of a fish the same size as her,’ Brittany wrote, alongside a crying-with-laughter emoji.

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The Mahomes family are currently enjoying the offseason, after Patrick led the Kansas City Chiefs to their second straight Super Bowl victory last season.

Patrick Mahomes caught a massive catfish - not that his daughter Sterling was too impressed

Patrick Mahomes caught a massive catfish - not that his daughter Sterling was too impressed

Patrick Mahomes caught a massive catfish – not that his daughter Sterling was too impressed 

His wife Brittany shared the amusing picture on her Instagram on Thursday evening

His wife Brittany shared the amusing picture on her Instagram on Thursday evening

His wife Brittany shared the amusing picture on her Instagram on Thursday evening 

Travis Kelce and Mahomes are planning to host Chiefs parties at their new restaurant

Travis Kelce and Mahomes are planning to host Chiefs parties at their new restaurant

Travis Kelce and Mahomes are planning to host Chiefs parties at their new restaurant

The Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Las Vegas in February and will return next season with a shot at recording an unprecedented ‘three-peat’.

While Mahomes has been fishing, his Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce has been hitting the golf course.

He was filmed by former NBA player Chandler Parsons celebrating a shot by playing air guitar with his iron while girlfriend Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ blasted out.

Recently, Mahomes and Kelce announced that they are launching a steakhouse in Kansas City, which they anticipate will open in January 2025.

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It will be called ‘1587 Prime’ – the number coming from combining the numbers of Kelce and Mahomes’ Chiefs jerseys.

Me and Travis been working on it for a while,’ Mahomes said, according to Fox4KC. 

‘We always see these restaurants and we have a love for bringing people together. I think the biggest thing for us is we’re gonna do whatever we can to keep bringing people together and what better place than Kansas City?’

‘Hopefully we can win some games at Arrowhead Stadium and then we get to go over and have a few drinks and food with it.’

And if 1587 Prime decides to have fish on the menu, Mahomes appears well equipped to provide it himself. 

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International

Russia veto ends UN monitoring of N.Korea sanctions after arms transfer probe

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Russia on Thursday blocked the renewal of a panel of UN experts monitoring international sanctions on North Korea, weeks after the body said it was investigating reports of arms transfers between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Issued on:

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The move was met with a flurry of criticism, including by South Korea’s foreign ministry, which said Russia had made an “irresponsible decision” despite its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

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The United States called the veto by Moscow a “self-interested effort to bury the panel’s reporting on its own collusion” with North Korea.

“Russia’s actions today have cynically undermined international peace and security, all to advance the corrupt bargain that Moscow has struck with the DPRK,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba took to social media to call the veto “a guilty plea,” amid allegations that Pyongyang is aiding Moscow in its war against Kyiv.

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Moscow’s veto at the Security Council does not remove the sanctions on North Korea, but spells the end for the group monitoring their implementation — and myriad alleged violations.

The panel’s mandate expires at the end of April.

North Korea has been under mounting sanctions since 2006, put in place by the UN Security Council in response to its nuclear program.

Since 2019, Russia and China have tried to persuade the Security Council to ease the sanctions, which had no expiration date.

The council has long been divided on the issue, with China’s deputy ambassador Geng Shuang arguing Thursday that the sanctions “have exacerbated tensions and confrontation with a serious negative impact on the humanitarian situation.”

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China abstained rather than joining Russia in the veto. All other members had voted in favor of renewing the expert panel.

Russia’s UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia said that without an annual review guaranteed to assess and potentially modify the sanctions, the panel was unjustified.

“The panel has continued to focus on trivial matters that are not commensurate with the problems facing the peninsula,” Nebenzia said.

“Russia has called for the council to adopt a decision to hold an open and honest review of the Council sanctions… on an annual basis.”

Continued tests 

Additional Security Council sanctions were leveled on Pyongyang in 2016 and 2017, but the North’s sanctioned nuclear and weapons development have continued.

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Last week, Pyongyang tested a solid-fuel engine for a “new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile,” state media reported.

Recent cruise missile launches have prompted speculation that North Korea is testing those weapons before shipping them to Moscow for use in Ukraine.

In its latest report, issued at the beginning of March, the sanctions panel reported that North Korea “continued to flout” sanctions, including by launching ballistic missiles and breaching oil import limits.

It added that it is investigating reports of arms shipments from Pyongyang to Russia for use in Ukraine.

In August, Russia used its veto to end the mandate of a group of UN experts on Mali who charged that Moscow-linked Wagner mercenaries were involved in widespread abuses.

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“We have now seen Russia use its veto to end two panels of experts due to its expanding military relationships,” the United States, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain said in a joint statement.

In a separate statement, 10 Security Council members, including Britain, France and the United States, defended the sanction monitors’ work.

“In the face of these repeated attempts to undermine international peace and security, the panel’s work is more important now than ever before,” it said.

(AFP)

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Outrage as Saudi Arabia is chosen to lead UN women’s rights group – despite ‘abysmal’ record on equality in kingdom where wives can be stoned to death for adultery

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  • Saudia Arabia is now chairing the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women
  • The group is dedicated to furthering the rights of women across the world 
  • But Saudi Arabia has a shocking gender equality record 

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Human rights groups are up in arms after Saudi Arabia won an unopposed bid to lead a top UN women’s right group, despite its own ‘abysmal’ record of gender equality. 

Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, was elected as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in a completely unopposed race at the group’s annual meeting in New York on Wednesday. 

Alwasil was elected with no dissent from any of the 45 members present at the meeting, and will hold the post for at least two years. 

He was even endorsed by a group of Asia-Pacific states on the commission, despite his nation’s notorious record on gender equality, which human rights groups were quick to point out. 

Sherine Tadros, the head of the New York office of Amnesty International, said Saudi Arabia will be chair of the CSW on the 30th anniversary of the passing of a landmark piece of international law that massively advanced the rights of women across the world. 

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‘Whoever is in the chair, which is now Saudi Arabia, is in a key position to influence the planning, the decisions, the taking stock, and looking ahead, in a critical year for the commission,’ Tadros said. 

Saudi Arabia's envoy to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil (pictured), was elected as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in a completely unopposed race

Saudi Arabia's envoy to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil (pictured), was elected as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in a completely unopposed race

Saudi Arabia’s envoy to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil (pictured), was elected as chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in a completely unopposed race

Saudi Arabia has a shocking record on gender equality (File image)

Saudi Arabia has a shocking record on gender equality (File image)

Saudi Arabia has a shocking record on gender equality (File image)

‘Saudi Arabia is now at the helm, but Saudi Arabia’s own record on women’s rights is abysmal, and a far cry from the mandate of the commission.’

Louis Charbonneau, UN director at the Human Rights Watch (HRW), added: ‘Saudi Arabia’s election as chair of the UN Commission on the Status of Women shows shocking disregard for women’s rights everywhere.  

‘A country that jails women simply because they advocate for their rights has no business being the face of the UN’s top forum for women’s rights and gender equality. 

‘Saudi authorities should demonstrate that this honor was not completely undeserved and immediately release all detained women’s rights defenders, end male guardianship and ensure women’s full rights to equality with men.’

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Saudi lawmakers passed a law in 2022 that claims to have increased the ‘personal status’ of women in the nation. 

But the law explicitly says that a woman has to obtain permission from a male guardian to marry. 

Saudi lawmakers passed a law in 2022 that claims to have increased the 'personal status' of women in the nation (File image)

Saudi lawmakers passed a law in 2022 that claims to have increased the 'personal status' of women in the nation (File image)

Saudi lawmakers passed a law in 2022 that claims to have increased the ‘personal status’ of women in the nation (File image)

A husband can withdraw financial support for reasons including refusing to have sex with him (File image)

A husband can withdraw financial support for reasons including refusing to have sex with him (File image)

A husband can withdraw financial support for reasons including refusing to have sex with him (File image) 

Human Rights Watch pointed out that a woman who leaves the marital home can lose custody of her child if the child's 'best interest,' which is undefined, necessitates it (File image)

Human Rights Watch pointed out that a woman who leaves the marital home can lose custody of her child if the child's 'best interest,' which is undefined, necessitates it (File image)

Human Rights Watch pointed out that a woman who leaves the marital home can lose custody of her child if the child’s ‘best interest,’ which is undefined, necessitates it (File image)

It also says that a wife has to obey her husband in a ‘reasonable manner’, and states that her husband’s financial support depends on her ‘obedience.’

A husband can withdraw financial support for reasons including refusing to have sex with him, live in a marital home or travel with him without a ‘legitimate excuse.’

Human Rights Watch pointed out that a woman who leaves the marital home can lose custody of her child if the child’s ‘best interest,’ which is undefined, necessitates it. 

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The UK’s Foreign Office told the Guardian that it is not a member of the Commission on the Status of Women, and therefore didn’t have a role to play in the selection of the chair. 

It added: ‘We continue to engage closely with the Saudi authorities on women’s rights issues.’

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Macron, Lula show unity on global issues despite Ukraine shadow

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French President Emmanuel Macron and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday displayed their unity on major global issues, while skirting differences on the war in Ukraine.

Issued on:

3 min

Macron wrapped up his three-day tour of the Latin American giant with a solemn, but warm, trip to the presidential palace in the modernist capital Brasilia.

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The French leader paid tribute to “the spirit of resistance” of Lula’s government for “restoring democracy” after a crowd of extreme-right supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the seats of power in the city in January 2023.

Lula hailed a relationship between the two countries as one that created “a bridge between the global South and the developed world.”

While the two men firmly reset the frosty ties of the Bolsonaro years, they retain deep differences over the war in Ukraine, a subject which only briefly reared its head.

While France and the West support Kyiv wholeheartedly, Lula has in the past said that Ukraine and Russia share responsibility over the conflict and has refused to isolate Moscow.

Putin at G20 meet? 

Responding to a question from a journalist, Macron said that Brazil, as the current chair of the G20, could invite Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to a summit in Rio de Janeiro in November if other members agreed.

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“The meaning of this club is that there must be consensus with the 19 others. That will be a job for Brazilian diplomacy,” he said.

If such a meeting can be “useful, it must be done,” Macron said.

Lula responded only that “diversity” must be accepted in organisations like the G20.

Putin missed last year’s G20 summit in the Indian capital New Delhi, avoiding possible political opprobrium and any risk of criminal detention under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.

In September 2023, Lula said there was “no way” that Putin would be arrested if he attended the Rio de Janeiro summit.

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Shortly after, he backtracked and said that it would be up to the justice system to decide on Putin’s eventual arrest and not his government.

Lula’s only remarks on the conflict were that “the two stubborn” leaders will “have to get along,” referring to Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Unity on Venezuela 

However, he highlighted that Ukraine was not Brazil’s priority, and turned to a crisis in his own neighborhood, that he and Macron agreed upon: Venezuela.

Both leaders condemned the exclusion of the main opposition coalition’s chosen candidate, Corina Yoris, 80, from July 28 elections.

“We very firmly condemn the exclusion of a serious and credible candidate from this process,” Macron said.

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Lula described the situation as “serious” and said there was “no legal or political explanation for banning an opponent from being a candidate.”

“I told Maduro that the most important thing to restore normality in Venezuela was to avoid any problems in the electoral process, that the elections be held in the most democratic way possible.”

From the protection of the Amazon to cooperation in the building of submarines and economic ties, the two leaders showed off the broad Franco-Brazilian partnership over the three-day visit.

Macron and Lula also brushed over tensions about the long-delayed EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, which Brazil has pushed for and France has blocked.

Macron blasted the deal as “a really bad agreement” and said it should be buried in favor of a new one that “is responsible from a development, climate and biodiversity point of view.”

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Lula said he was “very calm” and noted only that Brazil “does not negotiate with France” but with the EU.

The two leaders’ close relationship was highlighted by a warm meeting in the Amazon, in which they were pictured beaming and clasping hands, to the delight of Brazilians who spawned a raft of memes comparing the images to a wedding album.

(AFP)

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