<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50715198.cms" /><keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword> broke the protocol and met <keyword id="1090572" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="French-President-Francois-Hollande">French President Francois Hollande</keyword> in Chandigarh. 
 
While Modi showed Chandigarh’s famed Rock Garden to Hollande, he repeated history yet again. 
 
The Indian Prime Minister who is famous or infamous for his awkward moments with world leaders (Be it Obama, Razak, Cameron, the list is endless!), he yet again gave fodder to Twitterati. 
 Twitter is going bonkers over Modi and Hollande’s photo and it was even trending as <keyword id="3219354" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi-Hollande-Titanic-Moment">Modi Hollande Titanic moment</keyword>! 
 
Look what Tweeps said: 
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Leonardo &amp; Kate should be arrested for mimicking Modi ji &amp; Hollande. 😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/T9FigJpqVv">pic.twitter.com/T9FigJpqVv</a>
	— उमर अब्दुल्लाह (@abdullah_0mar) <a href="https://twitter.com/abdullah_0mar/status/691293720432369664">January 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Shake it Daddy Shake it Shake it Shake it Daddyyyy! <a href="https://t.co/4iL1tq5OCx">pic.twitter.com/4iL1tq5OCx</a>
	— Ankur Bhardwaj (@Bhayankur) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bhayankur/status/691227773491228672">January 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Modi teaching hollande some dance steps, making use of his own experience of dancing in front of RSS! 😁😂 <a href="https://t.co/9nmPh7yZV7">pic.twitter.com/9nmPh7yZV7</a>
	— S™ (@smadygo) <a href="https://twitter.com/smadygo/status/691265398365360128">January 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Hollande: Let's go for lunch? Modi: Hard Rock Cafe? Hollande:... Modi: LOL <a href="https://t.co/J47WxdObSc">pic.twitter.com/J47WxdObSc</a>
	— Sahil Shah (@SahilBulla) <a href="https://twitter.com/SahilBulla/status/691227975572951040">January 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		President Hollande and PM Modi engaging in back to back talks. <a href="https://t.co/2VBu2bb7hr">pic.twitter.com/2VBu2bb7hr</a>
	— Ray Ban (@Purba_Ray) <a href="https://twitter.com/Purba_Ray/status/691237162285596672">January 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Modi Ji learning Salsa from Hollande. <a href="https://t.co/KO1p3gow95">pic.twitter.com/KO1p3gow95</a>
	— Tempest (@ColdCigar) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColdCigar/status/691240301474676737">January 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Taking PDA to soaring levels of uncomfortable, one world leader at a time. <a href="https://t.co/uVxdYmU4ma">https://t.co/uVxdYmU4ma</a>
	— Vidya (@VidyaKrishnan) <a href="https://twitter.com/VidyaKrishnan/status/691228780577189888">January 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Twitter is going crazy over Modi, Hollande’s Titanic moment

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50714661.cms" />French President Francois Hollande, who is in India on three-day visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan on second day of his visit. 
 
Hollande is the chief guest for Republic Day celebrations. 
 Hollande, who was greeted by President Pranab Mukherjee and <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>, said India and France could cooperate against terrorism. 
 
"Today, there are all kind of terrorist threats that are hovering around countries such as India and France and one of the main aims of my visit here is to reinforce and strengthen the cooperation against terrorism between our two countries," said Hollande. 
 
Besides, Hollande also said that the two countries would work to improve economic relations in the field of agriculture and space. 
 
Hollande arrived in India on Sunday and Modi broke the protocol to welcome him at Chandigarh. 
 
(Image: PIB)

French President gets ceremonial reception, talks about terror and economy

<keyword id="15631288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Egypts-President-Abdel-Fattah-al-Sisi" source="Orion">Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi</keyword> will be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in January, the <keyword id="6374106" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-External-Affairs" source="Orion">Ministry of External Affairs</keyword> said on Sunday. "This is the first time that the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt will be the Chief Guest at our Republic Day," the MEA said in a statement. Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword> had sent a formal invitation to al-Sisi which was handed over to the Egyptian president by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on October 16. Both countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. Egypt has been invited as a 'Guest Country' during India's Presidency of G-20 in 2022-23, the statement said. "India and Egypt enjoy warm and friendly relations based on civilisational and deep-rooted people-to-people ties," the statement said. Leaders of friendly nations have graced the Republic Day celebrations since 1950, when the then Indonesian President Sukarno was invited as the chief guest. In 1952, 1953 and 1966, the Republic Day celebrations were held without a foreign leader as chief guest. In 2021, the then British prime minister Boris Johnson was invited as the chief guest but his visit had to be cancelled due to the rising COVID-19 cases in Britain. This year, India had invited leaders of the five Central Asian Republics, who were to visit Delhi for the India-Central Asia Summit, as chief guests for the Republic Day celebrations. However, the visit was cancelled due to rising COVID-19 cases in India. The India-Central Asia Summit was held in the virtual format. In 2018, the entire Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leadership comprising 10 heads of state was present at the Republic Day parade. In 2020, the then Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest. Former US President Barack Obama (2015), Russian President Vladimir Putin (2007), former French presidents Nicholas Sarkozy (2008) and Francois Hollande (2016) have also been chief guests at the Republic Day celebrations in the past. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/pre-owned-cars-market-in-india-to-grow-2x-in-volume-in-the-next-five-years-olx-auto-crisil-report/articleshow/95742296.cms">Pre-owned cars market in India to grow 2x in volume in the next five years: Olx Auto - CRISIL report</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/indian-startup-using-vegan-leather-raises-4-5-million-funding-led-by-sig-venture-capital/articleshow/95741255.cms">Indian startup using vegan leather raises $4.5 million funding led by SIG Venture Capital</a>

Egypt president to be chief guest at Republic Day celebrations

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50720208.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> Having suffered repeated terror strikes, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> and <keyword id="6354785" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="France">France</keyword> today decided to step up their anti- terror cooperation including intelligence sharing and called on <keyword id="3001" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Pakistan">Pakistan</keyword> to bring the perpetrators of <keyword id="6367205" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Pathankot">Pathankot</keyword> to justice. 
 During their extensive talks, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> and visiting French President <keyword id="715206" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Francois-Hollande">Francois Hollande</keyword> asked for decisive actions to be taken against Lashkar-e-Tayibba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), Haqqani Network and other terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda. 
 
"From Paris to Pathankot, we saw the gruesome face of the common challenge of terrorism...I also commend the strength of your resolve and action these terrorist attacks. President Hollande and I have agreed to scale up the range of our counter-terrorism cooperation in a manner that helps us to tangibly mitigate and reduce the threat of extremism and terrorism to our societies. 
 
"We are also of the view that the global community needs to act decisively against those who provide safe havens to terrorists, who nurture them through finances, training and infrastructure support," Modi said at a joint press event with Hollande. 
 
Agreeing on the imperative of having a comprehensive approach to address terrorism, the two sides resolved to step up their bilateral cooperation, under the supervision of annual strategic dialogues and joint working group on counterterrorism meetings, to counter violent extremism and radicalization, a joint statement said. 
 
It further said that India and France will cooperate to disrupt recruitment, terrorist movements and flow of Foreign Terrorist Fighters, stop sources of terrorist financing, dismantle terrorist infrastructure and prevent supply of arms to terrorists."To this end, they committed to further develop exchanges in the fields of intelligence, finance, justice and police. They welcomed the strengthening of the cooperation between Indian and French counter terrorism authorities and units, in particular between their cybersecurity experts," it said. 
 
They also stressed that terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstance, regardless of its motivation, wherever and by whomsoever it is committed. 
"Condemning the recent terror attacks in Pathankot and Gurdaspur in India, the two countries reiterated their call for Pakistan to bring to justice their perpetrators and the perpetrators of the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which also caused the demise of two French citizens, and to ensure that such attacks do not recur in the future," the statement said. 
 
The two sides noted that terrorist activities and proxies supported from safe havens across Afghanistan's borders pose a grave threat to peace, security and stability of Afghanistan. 
 
In this regard, they emphasized the need to address this challenge by dismantling terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens and disrupting all financial and other support for terrorist groups and individuals. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

India-France to boost their anti-terror co-operation ties; calls on Pak to bring Pathankot perpetrators to justice

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46832843.cms" /> Closely after making a five-day three-nation tour to Seychelles, Mauritius and <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword>, to reinvigorate the country’s ties with the Indian Ocean economies, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is about to embark on a five-day Europe-Canada tour, which is eagerly watched by observers world over. The tour assumes significance on several counts. 
 First, it is a continuation of the successful visits to <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword>, Australia and the US over the last year, which not only enabled Modi to translate into trade, technology and defence pacts, but helped him market the ‘Make in India’ campaign that aims to position India as the ‘world’s factory’, in addition to being the top ‘services hub’ globally. Second, it points to the fact that the <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword> is keen on strengthening its foreign policy framework that aims at building and maintaining closer partnerships with not only global leaders such as the US and China, but strategic regional countries such as Japan in addition to key neighbourhood nations. 
 Significantly, <keyword id="87" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Germany">Germany</keyword> and France—two of EU’s most powerful countries that have been India’s strong trade partners—are a key part of Modi’s travel itinerary. In Germany, Modi is expected to inaugurate the Hannover Messe 2015 fair along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 12 (India is a partner country in the fair). The fair will provide an ideal platform for Modi to showcase India as an emerging manufacturing hub as part of his government’s Make in India campaign. Germany is the eighth-largest foreign direct investor in India—German <keyword id="44528" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="FDI">FDI</keyword> in India during 1991-2014 stood at $7.57 billion. Modi government’s focus on wind power, science, technology and engineering is expected to further enhance India’s trade with Germany. 
 <keyword id="6354785" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="France">France</keyword> is an equally important trade partner for India. Extending the civilian nuclear pact signed by India and France in 2008 with Areva—a French multinational group specialising in nuclear and renewable energy—selling 300 tonnes of nuclear fuel to <keyword id="79802" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nuclear-Power-Corporation">Nuclear Power Corporation</keyword> of India (NPCIL), the Modi government seeks to explore the possibility of a commercial agreement on supply of European pressurised reactors (EPR) for NPCIL’s proposed 9,900-MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, though such as pact would depend mainly on economic and technical viability. 
 Modi and <keyword id="24935" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="French-President">French President</keyword> Francois Hollande are also expected to hold talks on the proposed $23-billion deal involving sale of 126 Dassault Rafale medium range multi-role combat aircraft to India. Also, with foreign direct <keyword id="47916" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="invest">invest</keyword>ment in the <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> sector being raised to 49% from 26%, France is likely to invest $5 billion in the sector. 
 
The European leg of Modi’s trip is also important considering EU is India's largest trading partner, accounting for around 20% of India’s trade globally. Trade between India and the EU was $57.25 billion between April and October 2014 and stood at $101.5 billion for fiscal 2014-15, a major part of which was accounted for by Germany, France and the UK, while other partner countries including Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands too contributed. 
 Modi will be in Canada from April 14 to 16, making stops at <keyword id="29196" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Toronto">Toronto</keyword>, <keyword id="82333" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ottawa">Ottawa</keyword> and <keyword id="72145" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vancouver">Vancouver</keyword>. The highlight of his three-day visit to Canada will be a public meeting at Toronto that is expected to be attended by a huge NRI crowd. India is Canada's largest trading partner in South Asia and continues to be a priority market under Canada's Global Markets Action Plan. 
 On the flip side, Modi’s proposed stopover at <keyword id="59706" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Brussels">Brussels</keyword> stands cancelled after EU failed to respond to India’s proposal to include the EU capital in his itinerary. While it is not clear what led to EU’s muted response, there are those who believe the slow progress of the trial of two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012 is one of the reasons, given the fact that EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has been vocal in criticising India’s stance on the issue. India’s refusal to toe the line of the Western countries over the Ukraine crisis and Russia’s role in the conflict is also said to be one of the reasons. However, many European countries see dropping Brussels from Modi’s travel itinerary as a lost opportunity for providing a fillip to India-EU ties. 
 
Notwithstanding the political significance of the tour considering the changing global geopolitical climate, one key question is whether Modi will be able to take the trip beyond the realm of rhetoric and translate it into actionable trade and investment opportunities like what he achieved during the Japan visit which resulted in commitment for close to $40 billion Japanese investment in India. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Will Modi’s Europe-Canada tour translate into measurable gains?

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/31998453.cms" />NEW DELHI: Experts are divided on whether the recent records that the <keyword id="6484188" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sensex">Sensex</keyword> made were on account of Modi or otherwise. 
 "The rally can be described in one sentence as a 100% <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> rally," Mehraboon Irani, Principal &amp; Head-Private Client Group Business, Nirmal Bang Securities, told ET Now. 
 
Asked if analysts are overplaying the Modi factor? Andrew Holland, CEO, Ambit Investment Advisors, said: "Yes, we probably are." 
 
Now, if we talk about facts, it may well be argued that the recent rally was after all not on the back of the much vaunted Modi wave. 
 The stock market did not make gains as an immediate impact of the announcement of poll dates by the <keyword id="40807" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Election-Commission">Election Commission</keyword>, but surged the next day when the Russian president first said that <keyword id="6356806" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Moscow">Moscow</keyword> is pulling out troops from Crimea. 
 In fact, the market was in a bearish mode since when the poll dates were announced; but it was just minutes after the pullout announcement from <keyword id="6358826" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword> that the market began to surge suddenly, making a record high that very day (Thursday, March 6). 
 
Poll dates were announced in the early hours of March 5, and the markets didn't move a bit on that news. 
 
It may be noted that after making record highs on Thursday (March 6), the markets made fresh record highs the next day as well, that is Friday (March 7). This surge can be largely attributed to the current account deficit numbers, reconfirming the belief that the macros for India are improving. 
 
The current account deficit (CAD) for third quarter of the current financial year narrowed to $4.2 billion versus $5.2 billion on a quarter-on-quarter basis. 
 CAD for the April-December period now stands at $31.1 billion versus $69.8 billion YoY. This translates into the CAD being at 2.3% of <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword> versus 5.2% YoY. 
 Stopping short of not calling it a Modi rally, Lalit Nambiar of <keyword id="126458" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="UTI-Mutual-Fund">UTI Mutual Fund</keyword> said: "The ability of the market to predict election has not been very good. So, I would be a little sceptical about the current rally." 
 
Explaining the reasons for the rally, he said: "When we look at these new highs, it is essentially an index level and in an economy which is growing at an average of 5% to 7%, you will obviously see earnings also grow and to that extent, index hopefully will continue to hit new highs in the future. So, there is too much being tied into this new high factor." 
 
Markets on March 5, the day poll dates were announced: The 30-stock Sensex ended at 21,265.49, up 55.76 points or 0.26 per cent. 
 The 50-stock <keyword id="6354813" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="nifty">Nifty</keyword> closed at 6,326, up 28.05 points, or 0.45 per cent. 
 
March 6: Sensex closed at a fresh all-time closing high of 21,502.62. 
 
Nifty ended at all-time closing high of 6,401.15, up 72.50 points or 1.15 per cent. 
 
March 7: Sensex ended at a record closing high of 21,915.14, up 401.27 points or 1.87 per cent. 
 
Nifty closed at record closing high of 6,525.60, up 124.45 points or 1.94 per cent. 
 
Today, the markets are down. Sensex plunged as much as 160 points in intraday trade. At 11:11 am, the Sensex was at 21,613.19; down 161 points, or 0.74%. 
 
The Nifty was at 6,438.15; down 54.95 points, or 0.85%.

Markets hit record highs riding the Modi wave - true or false?

<img alt="Vladimir Putin" border="0" src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5413165cecad04866a9d1186-1200-924/vladimir-putin-168.jpg?maxX=600" width="600" />
		
			AP
		
			Russian President Vladimir Putin has the world in his hands, according to Forbes.
	
	

<a href="http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/list/#tab:overall" target="_blank">Forbes has just declared</a> Russian President Vladimir Putin to be the most powerful person on Earth.


	"As the undisputed, unpredictable, and unaccountable head of an energy-rich, nuclear-tipped state, no one would ever call him weak," <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2014/11/05/putin-vs-obama-the-worlds-most-powerful-people-2014/">writes Forbes Senior Editor Caroline Howard</a>.

	For the second year in row, Putin edges out US President Barack Obama for the top spot.
 With the exception of Pope Francis, the top six people are all in <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword>.

	The business world cracks the top 10 in the form of Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who are tied at No. 9.

	At only 30 years old, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest person on the list, while the 90-year-old king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, is the oldest.

	Newcomers include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Alibaba CEO Jack Ma.

	Here <a href="http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/list/" target="_blank">are the world's 25 most powerful people</a>: 

	1. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia 
	2. Barack Obama, President of the US 
	3. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China 
	4. Pope Francis, Head of the Roman Catholic Church 
	5. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany 
	6. Janet Yellen, Chair of the Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve System 
	7. Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation 
	8. Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank 
	9. Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Cofounders of Google 
	10. David Cameron, Prime minister of the United Kingdom 
	11. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia 
	12. Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway 
	13. Li Keqiang, Premier of China 
	14. Carlos Slim Helu, Honorary chairman of América Móvil 
	15. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India 
	16. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon 
	17. Francois Hollande, President of France 
	18. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase 
	19. Ali Hoseini-Khamenei, Grand Ayatollah of Iran 
	20. Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil 
	21. Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric 
	22. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook 
	23. Michael Bloomberg, CEO of Bloomberg 
	24. Charles Koch and David Koch, CEO and EVP of Koch Industries 
	25. Timothy Cook, CEO of Apple

	For the full list, head to <a href="http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/list/#tab:overall" target="_blank">Forbes</a>. 

	Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.

You Searched For "Modi Hollande ties" and got 7 results

Twitter is going crazy over Modi, Hollande’s Titanic moment

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French President gets ceremonial reception, talks about terror and economy

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India-France to boost their anti-terror co-operation ties; calls on Pak to bring Pathankot perpetrators to justice

BI India Bureau

Will Modi’s Europe-Canada tour translate into measurable gains?

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Markets hit record highs riding the Modi wave - true or false?

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The 25 Most Powerful People In The World, According To Forbes

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