Three soldiers killed in Philippine attack

Unidentified gunmen attacked a group of Philippine soldiers on a humanitarian mission at the weekend, killing three and wounding four, the military said Sunday.

The troops were on their way to a remote village recently hit by a storm in the northern province of Ifugao when they were attacked Saturday, regional military spokesman Colonel Miguel Puyao told reporters.

"Along the way they encountered an undetermined (group of) local terrorists, triggering a five minute gunfight," Puyao said.

"Three soldiers were killed and four were wounded."

Puyao said pursuit operations were ongoing.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but communist guerrillas waging a decades-old rebellion are known to operate in the area. The army often brands communist rebels "terrorists".

Adaapted from : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/68556/three-soldiers-killed-in-philippine-attack

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Oman police fire rubber bullets at protesters, two dead

Omani police fired rubber bullets on stone-throwing protesters demanding political reform in an industrial town on Sunday, killing two people, and the military moved in to secure the area, witnesses said.
They said at least 1,000 protesters had gathered for a second straight day in a main square in Sohar before police tried to disperse them first with tear gas and batons before firing on them with rubber bullets.
"Two people have died after police fired rubber bullets in the crowd," one witness, who declined to be named, told Reuters from Sohar. Another witness said the police had used live ammunition, but that could not be confirmed.

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Nama-nama Malaikat dan Tugas-tugasnya

Allah Ta’ala berfirman,

“Bukanlah menghadapkan wajahmu ke arah Timur dan Barat itu suatu kebaikan, akan tetapi sesungguhnya kebaikan itu ialah beriman kepada Allah, Hari Kemudian, malaikat-malaikat, nabi-nabi …” (QS. Al Baqarah : 177)

“Barangsiapa kafir kepada Allah, malaikat-malaikat-Nya, kitab-kitab-Nya, rasul-rasul-Nya, dan Hari Kemudian, maka orang itu telah sesat sejauh-jauhnya” (QS. An Nisaa’ : 136)

Rasulullah ShallallaHu ‘alaiHi wa sallam bersabda ketika Jibril bertanya kepada beliau tentang iman,

“Hendaklah kamu beriman kepada Allah, malaikat-malaikat-Nya, kitab-kitab-Nya, rasul-rasul-Nya, Hari Akhir dan beriman kepada takdir baik dan buruk-Nya” (HR. Muslim no. 8, dari Umar bin Khaththab radhiyallaHu ‘anHu)

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Elizabeth Taylor feeling stronger, still in hospital

British-born actress Elizabeth Taylor is getting better in hospital and she has not had a heart attack, a stroke or any kind of heart surgery, her representative said on Thursday.
But the 78-year-old two-time Oscar winner, who has been at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being admitted with symptoms of heart failure earlier this month, will stay in hospital for now.
"Elizabeth Taylor`s doctors continue to be encouraged by her continue to be encouraged by her progress," her representative said in a statement released on Wednesday.

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Kisah Abu Abdullah Malik Sang Guru Para Ulama Islam

Beliaulah cikal bakal madhzab Maliki. Imam Malik yang bernama lengkap Abu Abdullah Malik bin Anas bin Malik bin Abi Amir bin Amr bin Haris bin Gaiman bin Kutail bin Amr bin Haris al Asbahi, lahir di Madinah pada tahun 93 H/712 M dan wafat tahun 179 H/796 M. Berasal dari keluarga Arab terhormat, berstatus sosial tinggi, baik sebelum maupun sesudah datangnya Islam.

Tanah asal leluhurnya adalah Yaman, namun setelah nenek moyangnya menganut Islam, mereka pindah ke Madinah. Kakeknya, Abu Amir, adalah anggota keluarga pertama yang memeluk agama Islam pada tahun 2 H. Saat itu, Madinah adalah kota ilmu yang sangat terkenal.

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William and Kate invite 1,900 guests to royal wedding

Prince William and Kate Middleton have invited 1,900 guests to their wedding in April, palace officials said Sunday, filling Westminster Abbey with an array of royals, world leaders, family and friends.
Gilded invitations issued in the name of Queen Elizabeth II began dropping onto doormats in Britain and abroad after being sent out on Wednesday and Thursday, with the monarch`s EIIR cypher die-stamped in gold.
While names of the guests were not released, the list of dignitaries due to attend the wedding on April 29 is likely to meet Kate`s expectations that marrying into the royal family would amount to "quite a daunting prospect."

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Exhibition on art of Balinese culture in San Francisco

An exhibition on art of Balinese culture will last for eight months until October this year at Asean Art Mueseum in San Francisco, the United States.

Themed "Bali Art Ritual Performance" at Asean Art Museum in San Fransisco, the exhibition will be officially opened on February 25, 2011.

A Bali art team of 12 members, led by Bali Museums Association (IMUSBA) chairman I Nyoman Gunarsa, will soon leave for the United States to attend the exhibition.

"The collections of art works created by Bali artists in the past in the museums in the United States, the Netherlands, and other countries will be displayed in the international scale exhibition," team member Pande Wayan Suteja Neka said here on Monday.

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Cypriot fm to visit Jakarta

Cypriot Foreign Affairs Minister Markos Kyprianou is scheduled to visit Jakarta next March 1-2 with the purpose of boosting his country`s bilateral relations with Indonesia.
The annoucement was made by Cypriot Ambassador to Indonesia Nicos Panayi during his visit to ANTARA News Agency here on Wednesday.
"During Minister Kyprianou`s two-day visit in Jakarta, he will meet with his counterpart Minister Marty Natalegawa and also attend a seminar titled Challenges in Cyprus` Foreing Policies and Its Presidency at EU in 2012," said the ambassador.
Panayi said Indonesia and Cyprus had been enjoying good relations during the past years. He expressed hope that Minister Kyprianou`s visit next March would be of great benefit to both Indonesia and Cyprus.

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Bali police seize thousands of LPG canisters

Bali police confiscated several thousand illegally-injected LPG canisters from a warehouse at Pulau Singkep IX street here Wednesday.
The warehouse owner, Sukiman, and his two workers were questioned by the police for being involved in illegal LPG injection business activity, a police spokesman said.
Senior Commissioner Gde Sugianyar said police in the raid caught Sukiman`s workers when they were illegally injecting 12-kilogram canisters.
Thanks to locals` information on Sukiman`s warehouse, the police could reveal the outlawed activity, he said.
The suspects illegally injected LPG from three-kilogram-typed cylinders to those of 12-and-50-kilogram-weighed canisters, he said.

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President summons welfare minister for repatriation of TKIS

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday afternoon summoned People`s Welfare Coordinating Minister Agung Laksono in connection with the repatriation of Indonesians who had overstayed in Saudi Arabia.
Agung said at the meeting the President agreed if the government repatriated the Indonesian citizens who had overstayed in Saudi Arabia in stages.
"They must go home, although in stages, because it would be impossible for the Saudi government to repatriate all the Indonesians because of the limited quota," Agung said.

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President SBY installs new Lemhanas governor

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here Thursday installed Prof. Dr. Eng. Budi Susilo Soepandji as the new governor of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas).
Budi Susilo Soepandji replaced Muladi based on the presidential decree No. 128/P/2010 dated December 1, 2010.His previous post was director general of defense potentials at the defense ministry.
Muladi said his replacement was natural since he had been in the post for the last six years. It had been planned since four months ago, and not related to politics, he said.Muladi became governor of Lemhannas in August 2005.

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VP: Islamic boarding schools should produce quality leaders

Vice President Boediono has called on Islamic boarding schools to produce graduates potentials to become leaders of good quality and national characters.
"Regarding characters and honesty, many leaders have bad characters, and the vice president asks Islamic boarding schools to pay more attention about morals," Chairman of Darunnajah Pondok Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School) Sofwan Manaf told the press at the vice presidential palace, here, Thursday.
Sofwan and his school`s managers held a meeting with Boediono to report about the upcoming implementation of Indonesia Open Marching Band Championship (IOMBC) which will be organized at Senayan stadium, Jakarta, on Feberuary 18, 2011.

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"Maulid Nabi Muhammad" Momentum to Build Social Order

"Maulid Nabi" or Prophet Muhammad`s birthday is a good momentum to build order in social life and a just and prosperous nation.
"The apostle of Allah SAW (God The Most Holy) gave us a good example to build a fairer social order and more prosperous nation," Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf said at a function to observe Muhammad`s birthday at Baiturrahman grand mosque here on Monday night.
In his written address read out by Aceh provincial government secretary Teuku Setia Budi, the governor said the the social and national order built by the prophet also highly respected social justice, deliberation and consensus.

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Bird flu outbreak threatens Lampung

Bird flu virus has threatened chickens of residents in Nabang Sari village, Kedondong subdistrict, Pesawaran district, Lampung province over the past three days.
"At least ten chickens have suddenly died. We don`t know the causes of the chickens` deaths but we are afraid the bird flu disease may have killed them," a Nabang Sari villager, Arivai, said here Monday.
Despite the fact that the outcomes of laboratory test remained unavailable, locals believed that the bird flu might be behind the chickens` sudden deaths, he said.

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Prosecutor: Abu Bakar Ba`asyir financed terrorist training activity

Abu Bakar Ba`asyir is accused of having financed terrorist training activities in Aceh province, the prosecutor said on Monday at the first court session on his case.
"Ba`asyir transferred money totaling Rp180 million and US$ 5,000 to Ubaid who then gave the money to Dulmatin," prosecutor Andi M Taufik said here on Monday.
Andi said the amount of money was used to buy weapons and ammunition worth RP325 million. Among the weapons were nine Armalite (AR)-15, four Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947 (AK)-47,two Avtomat Kalashnikova 1958 (AK)-58, six revolvers, a Challenger and a Fabrique Nationalle Browning.

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Garuda flies Indonesians out of Cairo and Jeddah

The national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia announced here Sunday that it had flown 2,439 Indonesians from Cairo to Jakarta under the government`s temporary evacuation policy.
"The Garuda flights to and from Cairo (Egypt) have been using Boeing 747-400s since February 2," Garuda Indonesia`s spokesperson, Pujobroto, said.
The Garuda aircraft flew from Jakarta to Cairo and made a transit at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. From Cairo, they directly flew back to Jakarta, he said.
Besides helping the repatriation of Indonesian citizens in Egypt, Garuda also worked with the Indonesian ministry of foreign affairs to take 300 troubled Indonesian migrant workers in Jeddah home, he said.

The Garuda plane taking the troubled workers was expected to take off from Jeddah International Airport at 11.00 PM on Sunday and was scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Monday afternoon, he said.

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National police chief Timur Pradopo installs new Banten police head

National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo installed the new Banten Regional Police chief , Brigadier General Putut Eko Bayuseno, here Monday.
Putut was previously deputy chief of the Jakarta Metro Jaya Police command. He now replaces Brigadier General Agus Kusnadi who was transferred to the post of senior adviser on security policy analysis at the National Police Headquarters.
The replacement was based on the Police Chief`s telegram number STR/105/II/2011 dated February 11,2011.

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President SBY Supports Sail Komodo 2013

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed support to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) provincial government plan to host Sail Komodo 2013.
"I have reported the provincial government plan to host Sail Komodo 2013 to President Yudhoyono and the head of state said he would fully support such an international marine event," NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya said here on Saturday.
The governor said President Yudhoyono has asked the local government to plan and promote the event as well as possible in advance.

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South Sulawesi to propose two cultural icons as world heritage

Two of South Sulawesi`s cultural icons are to be nominated for recognition as a world heritage, a local culturalist, Mukhlis Paeni, said here Friday.
The two icons were the legendary figure of Arung Palakka and the traditional Phinisi boat, he said.
The two icons deserved international recognition as a world cultural heritage because they had a very high historical value and also because they were already well-known to the world.
"In the past, South Sulawesi had proposed the nomination of the I Lagaligo script as a world cultural heritage," Mukhlis said.

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FM appreciates Egyptian democratic development

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa on behalf of the Indonesian government appreciates the latest development on Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak step-down, on Friday (Feb 11) night.

"The Indonesian government congratulate to the entire nation of Egypt who has been able to overcome today`s challenges," Marty said in a press release received here, Saturday.

Marty also said that the Indonesian government believes, as voted by the people of Egypt, this will initiate the transition process goes by a peaceful and inclusive democracy that includes all elements of the Egyptians.

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Police name SYB mastermind of rioting in Temanggung

Police have named SYB, a villager of Wonoboyo, Temanggung, the mastermind of rioting in the district on Tuesday.
Central Java police chief Inspector General Edward Aritonang said here on Saturday that SYB was the one who had allegedly organized and directed the rioters in the incident.
He said those people were gathered the day before the incident and ahead of their departure to the Temanggung district court to see the trial of a defendant on a blesphemy case.
"SYB is the actor that has organized and given direction and job description. They (the rioters) received fuel money and a rice box which SYB probably had bought using his own money or money from his sympathizers. We are still investigating where the funds used for mobilizing the mass come from," he said.

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President Hosni Mubarak fall will provide domino effect

House of Representatives (DPR) Commission-I chairman Mahfudz Sidik said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarack`s downfall will have a domino effect.
Mahfudz said here on Saturday that the toppling of Mubarak would be marked with a domino effect of political change in the Middle East which was still controlled by authoritarian regimes.
"President Mubarak resigned after having been in office for 30 years will mark mark a new phase of the political map in the Arab region, characterized by regeneration of leadership, policy reorientation towards the strengthening of Pan-Arabism, and the rearrangement of Arab relations with the west especially Israel," Mahfudz Sidik said.

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Kisah Abu Abdullah Malik Sang Guru Para Ulama Islam

Beliaulah cikal bakal madhzab Maliki. Imam Malik yang bernama lengkap Abu Abdullah Malik bin Anas bin Malik bin Abi Amir bin Amr bin Haris bin Gaiman bin Kutail bin Amr bin Haris al Asbahi, lahir di Madinah pada tahun 93 H/712 M dan wafat tahun 179 H/796 M. Berasal dari keluarga Arab terhormat, berstatus sosial tinggi, baik sebelum maupun sesudah datangnya Islam.

Tanah asal leluhurnya adalah Yaman, namun setelah nenek moyangnya menganut Islam, mereka pindah ke Madinah. Kakeknya, Abu Amir, adalah anggota keluarga pertama yang memeluk agama Islam pada tahun 2 H. Saat itu, Madinah adalah kota ilmu yang sangat terkenal.

Kakek dan ayahnya termasuk kelompok ulama hadits terpandang di Madinah. Karenanya, sejak kecil Imam Malik tak berniat meninggalkan Madinah untuk mencari ilmu. Ia merasa Madinah adalah kota dengan sumber ilmu yang berlimpah lewat kehadiran ulama-ulama besarnya.

Kendati demikian, dalam mencari ilmu Imam Malik rela mengorbankan apa saja. Menurut satu riwayat, sang imam sampai harus menjual tiang rumahnya hanya untuk membayar biaya pendidikannya. Menurutnya, tak layak seorang yang mencapai derajat intelektual tertinggi sebelum berhasil mengatasi kemiskinan. Kemiskinan, katanya, adalah ujian hakiki seorang manusia.

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Number of hot spots in Sumatra down

The Riau meteorological, climatology and geophysics office (BMKG) has reported that the number of hot spots on Sumatra Island has dropped from 80 to 50.

"Based on monitoring by NOAA 18 Satellite, the hot spots are spread in several Sumatran regions such as Jambi, North Sumatra, and South Sumatra, as well as Riau province," Marzuki of the Riau BMKG, said here Friday.

The number of hot spots in Riau Province currently is 13, a significant drop from 39 hot spots previously.

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Sains Dalam Kitab Muqaddimah Ibnu Khaldun

Muqaddimah. Inilah karya monumental Ibnu Khaldun, seorang ilmuwan dan sejarawan agung pada abad ke-14 M. Buku yang ditulis pemikir dari Tunisia, Afrika Utara itu tercatat sebagai karya yang sangat mengagumkan. Pengaruhnya begitru luar biasa, tak hanya mewarnai pemikiran  di dunia Islam, namun juga peradaban Barat.
Orang Yunani menyebut karya Ibnu Khaldun itu sebagai Prolegomena. Sejumlah pemikir sepakat bahwa Muqaddimah adalah karya pertama yang mengkaji  filsafat sejarah, ilmu-ilmu sosial, demografi, histografi serta sejarah budaya.  IM Oweiss dalam karyanya bertajuk Ibn Khaldun: A fourteenth-Century Economist menilai, Muqaddimah merupakan salah satu buku perintis ekonomi modern.

Selain itu, Ibnu Khaldun  dalam adikaryanya itu juga membedah dan mengupas masalah teologi Islam.  Yang  lebih menarik lagi, Ibnu Khaldun pun membahas sains atau ilmu pengetahuan alam dalam kitabnya yang sangat populer itu. Secara khusus, Ibnu Khaldun mengupas tentang studi biologi dan kimia dalam bab tersendiri mengenai ilmu pengetahuan alam.

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UNOCD supports RI`s effort to combat illegal logging

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOCD) is supporting Indonesia`s efforts to combat illegal logging by holding a Talk Series on illegal logging linked to corruption.

Michele Zaccheo, the director of the United Nations Information Center (UNIC), said the institution was very concerned about climate change issue in relation with the illegal logging problem.

"We are very active in combating these problems, especially in relation with climate change. And we see that Indonesia is facing emerging matters in particular, and we think that it is valuable to combat corruption through fighting illegal logging together with Indonesia," he said.

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Anestesi Di Era Kemajuan Peradaban Islam

Dunia kedokteran Barat mengklaim sebagai perintis di bidang anestesi atau pembiusan. Mereka menyebut Oliver Wendel Holmes Sr sebagai dokter pertama di dunia yang memperkenalkan istilah anestesi. Klaim itu tentu saja sangat ahistoris. Betapa tidak, ratusan tahun sebelum Holmes mengenal anestesi tahun 1846, dunia kedokteran Islam telah mengenal dan mengembangkan anestesi.

Anestesi berasal dari bahasa Yunani yang berarti suatu tindakan menghilangkan rasa sakit saat melakukan pembedahan dan berbagai prosedur lainnya pada tubuh. Sembilan abad sebelum Holmes lahir, para dokter Muslim terkemuka, seperti Ibnu Sina, Al-Zahrawi, Ibnu Zuhr, dan Ibnu Al-Nafis telah sukses melakukan operasi pembedahan.

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Dokumen: Inggris Panik Atas Rencana Shah Iran

Inggris merasa putus asa dan meminta shah Iran untuk tidak pindah di dekat London setelah pecah revolusi tahun 1979, meski sebelumnya Inggris mendukung shah Iran tersebut, bahkan merencanakan sebuah misi penyelamatan ke daerah Bahama untuk shah Iran tersebut.

Perdana Menteri Inggris (kala itu) Margaret Thatcher merasa "amat tidak senang" karena Inggris tidak dapat memberikan tempat berlindung bagi seorang "kawan baik yang banyak membantu".

Namun, pendahulu Thatcher, James Callaghan dan jajaran pejabatnya telah mengambil keputusan sebelum dirinya terpilih pada bulan Mei 1979. Intinya menyatakan bahwa keberadaan shah Iran akan menghadirkan resiko besar dan merusak hubungan dengan rezim baru, demikian ditunjukkan oleh dokumen rahasia yang dirilis pada hari Jum'at (27/5).

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Kisah Nabi Saleh Dan Kaum Tsamud

Tsamud adalah nama suatu suku yang oleh sementara ahli sejarah dimasukkan bahagian dari bangsa Arab dan ada pula yang menggolongkan mereka ke dalam bangsa Yahudi.

Mereka bertempat tinggal di suatu dataran bernama " Alhijir " terletak antara Hijaz dan Syam yang dahulunya termasuk jajahan dan dikuasai suku Aad yang telah habis binasa disapu angin taufan yang di kirim oleh Allah sebagai pembalasan atas pembangkangan dan pengingkaran mereka terhadap dakwah dan risalah Nabi Hud A.S.

Kemakmuran dan kemewahan hidup serta kekayaan alam yang dahulu dimiliki dan dinikmati oleh kaum Aad telah diwarisi oleh kaum Tsamud.Tanah-tanah yang subur yang memberikan hasil berlimpah ruah, binatang-binatang perahan dan lemak yang berkembang biak, kebun-kebun bunga yag indah-indah, bangunan rumah-rumah yang didirikan di atas tanah yang datar dan dipahatnya dari gunung.

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Kisah Bilal Bin Rabah Sang Muadzin Rasulullah

Bilal bin Rabah, Muazin Rasulullah Sholallahu alaihi wasallam, memiliki kisah menarik tentang sebuah perjuangan mempertahankan aqidah. Sebuah kisah yang tidak akan pernah membosankan, walaupun terus diulang-ulang sepanjang zaman. Kekuatan alurnya akan membuat setiap orang tetap penasaran untuk mendengarnya.

Bilal lahir di daerah as-Sarah sekitar 43 tahun sebelum hijrah. Ayahnya bernama Rabah, sedangkan ibunya bernama Hamamah, seorang budak wanita berkulit hitam yang tinggal di Mekah. Karena ibunya itu, sebagian orang memanggil Bilal dengan sebutan ibnus-Sauda' (putra wanita hitam). Bilal dibesarkan di kota Ummul Qura (Mekah) sebagai seorang budak milik keluarga bani Abduddar. Saat ayah mereka meinggal, Bilal diwariskan kepada Umayyah bin Khalaf, seorang tokoh penting kaum kafir.

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