During the Voice referendum debate last year, this SkyNews.com.au column highlighted the hypocrisy of corporations that took it upon themselves to lecture Australians on their support for the proposal to enshrine race in our constitution, yet had skeletons in the cupboard when it came to their corporate conduct. The same hypocrisy applies to corporations and their hostility to Australia Day. Woolworths last year canned Australia Day merchandise, buying into corporate finger-wagging, yet this is the same Woolworths that was fined $1.24 million last year for underpaying staff. With the declaration by Australian Venue Co at the weekend that it would not celebrate Australia Day in its 200-plus hotels because it would not “specifically celebrate a day that causes sadness for some members of our communities” and “hurt for some of our patrons and our team”, only to have to reverse the ban less than 24 hours later after widespread public backlash, where Warren Mundine and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jacinta Price, told some home truths. In particular, Senator Price highlighted the scourge of alcohol abuse and its link to violence in Aboriginal communities, arguing that if AVC “really cared for Aboriginal people more than about hurt feelings” it should invest in programs which help Indigenous Australians struggling with alcoholism. Amen! However, beyond the vapid hypocrisy of these holier-than-thou corporates, there is an ignorance of the history of Australia Day, and indeed, British settlement in this country, that needs to be told. As Sherry Sufi points out in his book, ‘Australia on Trial: Accusations and Defence’ (Connor Court, 2024), while events such as the Battle of Pinjarra in Western Australia or the so-called “Black War” in Tasmania are frequently cited by some as major examples of colonial ultra-violence against Indigenous inhabitants, almost no attention is paid to the numerous successful interactions between the Europeans and Aboriginal people throughout the history of this nation. It is a fact of history that, once European nations began trading with India and present-day Indonesia, Australia was sooner or later going to be colonised. Indeed, the Dutch and the French also had designs on this continent. Generally speaking, former British colonies like Australia have had the greatest success - and were the most tolerant - compared to those colonised by the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Spanish, the French, and the Belgians. The Britain of Captain Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of the Colony of New South Wales, was one that would employ the Royal Navy to end the slave trade. Indeed, Phillip was charged to live in amity with the Aboriginal people, since the colony was there to guard convicts, not attack the locals, and he himself declared that “there can be no slavery in a free land and therefore no slaves”. In fact, it was Lord Chief Justice Mansfield who in his landmark judgment in the 1772 case of ‘Somerset v Stewart’ had declared that the air of England is too pure for any slave to breathe. Mr Sufi also recounts how in NSW, then-Governor Lachlan Macquarie established a school for Indigenous children in 1814, leading to one Indigenous girl winning first prize in the school board examinations ahead of European students. Sherry Sufi also recounts in his book how in New South Wales, then-Governor Lachlan Macquarie established a school for Indigenous children in 1814, leading to one Indigenous girl winning first prize in the school board examinations ahead of European students. He also mentions the 1868 all-Indigenous cricket team tour of England, the success of which led one English fast bowler, George Tarrant, to praise one of the Indigenous batsmen, proclaiming: “I have never bowled to a better batsman.” On 10 June 1838, 28 unarmed Aboriginals were killed by settlers in what was known as the Myall Creek massacre. The authorities at the time made sure this did not go unpunished with the perpetrators being brought to justice and hanged. The perpetrators were found and handed over to the authorities by settlers. Anthropological studies tell us that prior to British settlement, average Aboriginal life expectancy ranged from 21 to 37 years. Indeed, at the 1998 Constitutional Convention, the chairman of the Torres Strait eastern islands, George Mye, stated that the arrival of the first Christian missionaries to those islands in 1871 was the “Coming of the Light”. According to Census figures, almost 60 per cent of relationships involving an Indigenous man are with a non-Aborigine. There is no greater measure of reconciliation between two races than who people choose to share their lives with. These are just some examples, yet they serve to illustrate the tale of this country since January 26, 1788 is far more than the oversimplified arguments about “massacre” and “conquest” that woke corporates and their fellow travellers would have us believe. Like the history of any country, Australia’s has its blemishes, but a tale of endless discrimination, sadness and hurt it is not. What these ignorant virtue-signalling corporates need to understand is the thing that has ensured Australia’s success – and what celebrating Australia Day is all about – is not seeking grievance in the past, but how all Australians, no matter their colour or creed, have committed their deeds and determination to this country. At the end of the day, what matters most is, as Martin Luther King, Jr, told us, the content of our character. Dr Rocco Loiacono is a legal academic, writer and translator. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade practicing as a lawyer with Clayton Utz, one of Australia’s top law firms. As well as SkyNews.com.au, he regularly contributes opinion pieces, specialising in politics, freedom and the rule of law, to The Daily Telegraph, The Herald Sun and The AustralianBiden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas tree WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Couple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothes MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon.Jadion Anthony Richards and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her. They're also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut. They're due back in court next month. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road.Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices, won't rule out revenge prosecutionsslot app 。

The reelection of Donald Trump to the White House is nothing short of historic. But for the many of us who backed Kamala Harris, we’ve been feeling some combination of confusion, disappointment, and even anger at the result. And in our hurried attempts to comprehend where things went wrong, there’s been a wave of blame-shifting, rather than listening and learning that we can’t rely solely on government leaders to solve the problems this country faces every day. Trump was not only chosen by the American people in a free and fair election, but also secured the popular vote while gaining more ground with people of color than any Republican candidate in almost 50 years . And I believe the most productive thing that any of us on the left can do is to acknowledge the loss, as well as the undeniable dissatisfaction among voters with the current Democratic establishment, and to view this as an opportunity to listen, learn, and double down on our efforts toward achieving socioeconomic equality in the U.S. We need to start locally, by helping our neighbors. When change is vital, all leaders need to do a better job at listening For the past four years, people from the U.S. and around the world have been suffering from the impacts of high inflation and generalized post-COVID malaise. And if there’s one immediate lesson we can learn from this election, it’s that American voters have made radical, material change their top priority, particularly when it comes to the economy. | This includes a growing number of people of color and those living in underserved communities across the country, most of whom have been disproportionately impacted by the ongoing cost of living crisis. Feeling understandably frustrated with the state of the American economy, as well as a diminishing ability to trust the current administration, it seems that many individuals from historically marginalized groups feared that a vote for Harris would simply be a vote for “more of the same.” For example, around 3 in 10 Black men under age of 45 voted for Trump this year, about twice the number he secured in 2020. Additionally, this election also saw Democrats losing significant ground among Latino voters , with Harris earning 56% to Biden’s 63% four years ago, and support for Trump growing from 35% to 42%. Witnessing this shift has led to two key realizations. First, already faced with long-standing and widespread inequality, people of color in this country continue to struggle and care more about real change than political rhetoric. Secondly, leaders, business owners, and philanthropists like me need to acknowledge and take accountability for how these voters are feeling, working together to advance an entirely new narrative of the American Dream, and one that is accessible to everyone rather than a privileged few. It’s on us to address socioeconomic inequality in our local communities Now is as critical a time as any to make sure we don’t backtrack or completely abandon the fight for equal opportunity. On the contrary, our response to a more challenging political environment should be to ramp up local advocacy efforts, double down on impact, and make it clear to the American public that we’re in this fight for the long haul. However, considering that we’ve spent the past nine months distracted by political warfare, much of it being distributed and consumed within an increasingly contentious and toxic information ecosystem, our recommitment to enacting positive change must begin with an honest assessment of the current socioeconomic landscape in the U.S. For example, take the issues of economic inclusion, business growth, and entrepreneurship. According to the Federal Reserve , white Americans continue to hold 85% of all household wealth (comprising 66% of all households), while Black and Latino households hold only 2% and 4%, respectively (while comprising 11% and 14% of all households). Moreover, only 13% of Black-owned employer firms receive the full amount of requested loans each year, as opposed to 40% of white-owned businesses, further underscoring a persistent and consequential imbalance in access to opportunity. Regarding workforce development, more focus and action are needed to close the gender wage gap that been plaguing this country for centuries. Despite breaking some ground on this issue over the years, the fact is that women continue to earn just 84% of what men earn on average, while women of color make significantly less at 63%. Finally, the U.S. has a particularly urgent need to address the current housing affordability and food insecurity crises. More specifically, there is now a shortage of around 7 million affordable homes to support the more than 10.8 million extremely low-income families living in this country. And even where housing is available, the USDA reports that 13.5% of American households (or roughly 18 million) experienced food insecurity at some point in 2023, a sharp rise from the previous year, and one that has disproportionately impacted low income, single-parent, and Black and Hispanic households. Offer a hand up for people of color to thrive We don’t always know exactly what’s best to move forward in the fight against inequality. But from my experience working on behalf of Business for Good and meeting a number of underserved business owners and entrepreneurs across New York’s Capital Region, I also know that making real, tangible progress on any of the above issues requires offering a support to people of color at the local level. People of color deserve real help and a hand up from the people that have flourished. And I’m more than confident that if we can work together to recognize the talent within our neighborhoods, providing a hand up to underserved business owners and entrepreneurs, we can level the economic playing field and carve out a prosperous future not only for these groups, but also for entire communities across the nation. Ed Mitzen is cofounder of Business for Good. The application deadline for Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards is Friday, December 6, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.Leslies stock plunges to 52-week low at $2.24 amid market challenges

Bill Lawrence, creator of Scrubs , is currently developing a reboot of the widely loved sitcom for ABC, Variety reported. Despite having a deal with Warner Bros. Television, the studio is reportedly carving out space for Lawrence to work on the show. Citing a source familiar with the matter, Variety adds that Lawrence will not be serving as the reboot’s showrunner if it gets fully greenlit. Cast members have also yet to be attached, and no other deals for the reboot are reportedly in place. Running for nine seasons between 2001 and 2008, Scrubs followed the daily hijinks of a hospital staff and starred Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, Ken Jenkins, John C. McGinley, and Neil Flynn. A reboot of the show has been thrown around for some time, with Lawrence sharing at a 2022 ATX Festival panel , “We’re gonna do it, you guys know. If you ever have an excuse to work with people you want to spend time with anyway, run to it.” Lawrence also famously created or co-created series like Cougar Town , Ted Lasso , and Shrinking . A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Northern California on Thursday morning, briefly triggering a tsunami warning for nearly 5 million people . The earthquake hit at 10:44 a.m. PST west of Petrolia, California in the Pacific Ocean, the US Geological Survey said. A 5.8-magnitude aftershock was recorded minutes later near Cobb, California, and several other apparent aftershocks between 2.5 to 4.2 magnitude followed. A tsunami warning issued for parts of the Northern California and Oregon coastlines, however, was called off by the early afternoon. California officials are responding to earthquake activity Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a post on X . The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is said to be coordinating with local officials in Humboldt and Lake counties, where significant earthquake activity was reported. More than 10,000 Humboldt County customers are reportedly without power. While no damage has been reported in San Francisco, the city’s Bay Area Rapid Transit, announced it is experiencing significant service disruptions due to the earthquake. If you’re trying to pick up gifts for the loved ones on your list, here’s a tip: everyone appreciates the gift of softer and more manageable hair and skin. The Avon Company, North America has been in the beauty industry for over a century and stocks some of the trendiest skin care, fragrances, and personal care items on the market. These curated picks ensure your giftee will be glowing even on the dullest winter day. This moisturizer tackles one of winter’s biggest annoyances—chapped lips. It has a hydration-boosting formula that counteracts dry air while visibly softening lips and adding a glossy hint of color. Free Shipping Cold air strips away the skin’s natural moisture, which leads to cracking and flaking. The Beyond Glow Serum uses vitamin B3 to strengthen the skin’s barrier against colder temperatures and even out skin tone. Free Shipping This replenishing hair mist uses rice water—a popular traditional beauty treatment in Asia—to revitalize and nourish dull and damaged hair. Free Shipping If you buy something from this post, we may earn a small commission. A state senator in Tennessee urinated on himself while taking a field sobriety test, according to reports and video from the incident. Sen. Ken Yager, a 77-year-old Republican representing a district in the north of his state, was pulled over by a Georgia State trooper around 5 p.m. on Tuesday on suspicion his vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run the same day, local station WTVF reported. During the stop, a state trooper noticed the smell of alcohol on Yager’s breath, and the state senator admitted to drinking “a couple glasses of wine previously in the day,” according to an incident report obtained by The Tennessean . The footage obtained by WTVF shows Yager stumble through the field test, while a stream of liquid appears to flow down his pants. The incident report confirmed he urinated on himself, failed a test to stand on one leg, and recorded a blood alcohol content of 0.14 after taking a breathalyzer test. Yager was eventually arrested on charges of DUI, hit-and-run, and failing to stop at a stop sign. “An unfortunate incident happened last night,” Yager said in a statement released to local media. The senator declined to comment any further based on advice from his attorney, but said he would “cooperate” with law enforcement. Yager was re-elected for another four-year term in November. A post shared by NC5 (@newschannel5) Adrian “Woj” Wojnarowski has revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer months before his shock retirement from ESPN . The NBA insider’s decision to quit his high-paying job in September at the age of 55 to become general manager of his alma mater St. Bonaventure’s basketball program took the sports world by surprise. But in an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated , Wojnarowski explained why he wrote in his retirement statement: “Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.” “That was about the cancer,” he said. He was told he had early-stage cancer in March, minutes before an appearance on NBA Countdown . He added that the cancer didn’t force his hand but gave him more clarity on what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. “I didn’t want to spend one more day of my life waiting on someone’s MRI or hitting an agent at 1 a.m. about an ankle sprain,” he said. Wojnarowski said he now had no symptoms and that the cancer was “pretty limited in scope.” -30- pic.twitter.com/bFeFL61s1c Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. It’s not every day that you can score a deal on a high-quality printer at a lower cost. Investing in a quality printer for your home or office is a game-changer, and while it’s not the most fun purchase, it’ll pay for itself in a couple of months. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay full price for a solid printer, thanks to HP’s current sale . Right now, you can score the HP Envy Inspire 7955e , the brand’s premium at-home photo printer for $70 off. If you’re looking for a solid holiday gift that they’ll actually use, the deluxe multi-purpose printer is a great choice—especially for photographers and anyone who works from home. The all-in-one printer is also designed with HP’s Wolf Essential Security system to keep your information secure and keep hackers out. Plus, unlike other printers that require you to get your hands dirty to replenish the ink, this one offers a 15-second mess-free ink refill experience with bottles that can be plugged into the tank. Say goodbye to messes and hello to your new printer . Best of all? For a limited time, score three months of Instant Ink with HP+. Actress Amber Heard has announced that she is expecting her second baby. “It is still quite early in the pregnancy, so you will appreciate that we do not want to go into much detail at this stage,” a spokesman for Heard said Thursday to People . “Suffice to say that Amber is delighted both for herself and Oonagh Paige.” Heard welcomed her daughter in 2021. “I wanted to do it on my own terms,” Heard wrote in a post announcing Oonagh’s birth via a surrogate. “I hope we arrive at a point in which it’s normalized to not want a ring in order to have a crib.” Heard has never commented on who the biological father is. The actress relocated to Madrid, Spain after the highly publicized defamation battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp . Heard told NBC News after the trial in 2022 that she was hoping to focus more on her growing family. “I get to be a mom, like, full time, you know? Where I’m not having to juggle calls with lawyers,” she said. Associates of the right-wing firebrand Ric Grenell sought the help of MAGA influencers to secure him Donald Trump ’s nomination for s ecretary of state . Shortly after Trump’s election victory, an ally of Grenell’s approached conservative social media influencers, offering paid contracts up to five figures to post favorable content about Grenell, Politico reported Thursday. Influencers, the contract stipulated, would post pro-Grenell content and do so during “peak posting times,” ensure that “content must appear genuine,” and not “as an overt advertisement or promotional message.” Grenell denied the alleged influencer conspiracy to Politico. However, his desire for the highly coveted Cabinet position was no secret. Trump’s former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence spent the past three years reportedly telling people in the president-elect’s orbit that it was secretary of state “or bust.” Despite being one of Trump’s most loyal cohorts, Trump ultimately chose Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to lead the State Department . Grenell is said to have been offered other posts, including director of national intelligence, but has turned the offers down. Keira Knightley recalled to the Los Angeles Times how she was subjected to stalkers who told her “you wanted this,” and “this is what you deserve” as a teen, after the success of 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham and 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean made her famous at 18 years old. “It was rape speak,” Knightley said in the new interview. “They very specifically meant I wanted to be stalked by men,” she continued. “Whether that was stalking because somebody was mentally ill, or because people were earning money from it—it felt the same to me. It was a brutal time to be a young woman in the public eye.” Knightley has been promoting her new Netflix series Black Dove s , in which she plays an assassin and mother with a double-life, but took some time to reflect on that five-year period from 17 to 22 when she was at the height of her fame. “I’m never going to have that kind of success again,” she said, but “It totally set me up for life. Did it come at a cost? Yes, it did. It came at a big cost.” Please clap: An elderly Laysan albatross named Wisdom is preparing to hatch yet another chick at the grand old age of 74, an achievement the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific celebrated in a tweet this week. The “queen of the seabirds” is the “world’s oldest known wild bird” and she has a new boyfriend, with her former long-term partner—Akeakamai—not having been seen with her in some years, The Independent reports. The couple used to get together each year at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in the North Pacific, where Wisdom would often lay a single egg. In her remarkably long lifetime (the BBC reports that Laysan albatrosses usually live for 12 to 40 years) Wisdom has produced 50 to 60 eggs and over 30 fledglings, most recently in 2021. Jon Plissner, Midway’s Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, told The Independent staff are “optimistic that the egg will hatch.” Congratulations to our girl. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. Apparently, boosting prostate health can actually be pleasurable—at least, that’s what premium sexual wellness brand MysteryVibe says. The Molto, an ultra-slim and bendable prostate vibrator designed by a doctor, is engineered to be the same size and width as a doctor’s finger and to mimic similar motions to that performed during an exam, allowing for not only intense prostate (the prostate is often hailed as the male ‘G-spot’) and anal stimulation but also a release of prostatic fluids. According to the brand, some studies have found that excess prostatic fluid can lead to inflammation and pressure, so not only is this a sex toy , but it’s also possibly an investment in your prostate health. Think of it almost like a lymphatic massage for your prostate—except one that can give you intense orgasms, too. Made with body-safe silicone, the multifunctional and gender-fluid vibrator is powered by one “anatomically-placed” motor that delivers potent yet precise vibration to the anus and prostate without feeling bulky or inflexible. It’s a great sex toy for those new to anal play or who are looking for an ultra-sleek vibrator with possible health-boosting benefits. The prostate vibrator is equipped with 16 vibration settings and eight pre-set vibration patterns, allowing for superior control and customization. Plus, the device comes with access to a catalog of vibration patterns with the free MysteryVibe smartphone app. Best of all? Because the Molto vibrator is an FDA-registered class II medical device, it’s also FSA/HSA eligible. Donald Trump turned to one of his friends in high places to see if his son could become a professional cage fighter, according to a new clip sweeping across the internet. The MAGA commander in chief, 78, was seen in a clip from the documentary series Art of the Surge , which chronicles his re-election campaign, speaking to UFC boss Dana White. His 6-foot-7 son Barron waited in the wings, and cordially introduced himself to a woman out of shot, and then to White. Trump Sr. appears surprised the two hadn’t met before, then asked: “Can we make him into a fighter?” The president-elect got big laughs for his tongue-in-cheek comment—but a cursory head shake from the young man. The clip also caused ripples online as it was the first time a lot of people had heard the New York University student speak. “Barron has his Dad’s speech cadence!” one X user said. NEW: Behind the Scenes on Election Night with @realDonaldTrump . Only in Season 2 of #ArtOfTheSurge . Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/b78HZa4ucV A 35-year-old Maryland man was arrested after allegedly torching the words “Trump” and “USA” into the pavement outside his house in Glen Burnie. Craig McQuin’s wife reportedly filmed the stunt and put it on TikTok, where several neighbors spotted the video and tipped off police. Flamethrowers are illegal in Maryland, and officers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department and Fire/Arson & Explosives team showed up at McQuin’s house to investigate on Nov. 15. McQuin now faces charges of second-degree malicious burning, destruction of property (greater than $1,000), and possession of a destructive device—an offense punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine all on its own, according to The Baltimore Banner . Police have reportedly seized the TikTok video as evidence, but the charred message is visible in the news report below. Doesn’t look like “Trump” “USA” to us, but maybe it read more clearly when it was on fire.NICOSIA, Cyprus , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BC.GAME , a premier cryptocurrency i-Gaming platform, announced its decision to withdraw its license specifically from Curaçao. This move reflects Curaçao's increasingly hostile environment for operators in recent years. Despite ongoing efforts to modernize Curaçao's i-Gaming law, proper legal protection for all operators established in Curaçao is severely lacking, such as its bankruptcy law which dates to 1931 via the " Curaçao Bankruptcy Decree " which can easily be exploited by malicious actors and used against legitimate operators. Therefore, on 5 th December 2024 , BC.GAME decided to officially withdraw its Curaçao license. This will in no way affect BC.GAME's wider international operations. Separately from Curaçao, BC.GAME holds gaming licenses in multiple other jurisdictions, and its international operations remain fully compliant with its applicable regulatory obligations. Adapting to industry trends As the global gaming industry faces an increasingly complex regulatory environment, this move by BC.GAME is essential in enhancing and maintaining its operational strategy to ensure continuity and to realign BC.GAME with suitably evolved and robust regulatory frameworks for the benefit of its international operations. Most importantly, it ensures the safety, reliability and security of service for BC.GAME users. Consistency in legal and financial obligations Contrary to recent rumours inaccurately circulated questioning BC.GAME's financial position, BC.GAME further reaffirms to its stakeholders and the public in general that its financial position remains in good health. All BC.GAME's international operations remain unaffected and BC.GAME will continue to fulfil all of its ongoing legal and financial obligations. About BC.GAME BC.GAME is a leading global cryptocurrency i-Gaming platform focused on providing users with a secure and diverse entertainment experience. BC.GAME offers a range of services, including sports betting , and electronic gaming whilst ensuring adequate player protection and an increased focus on preventing gambling addiction. With a strong emphasis on technological innovation and regulatory compliance, BC.GAME continues to expand its presence in international markets in maintaining its reputation of being the leading entertainment provider offering a wide range of gaming services. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bcgame-continues-ongoing-efforts-in-strengthening-its-global-compliance-strategy-302324033.html SOURCE BC.GAME

Williams scores season-high 32 as No. 5 LSU beats Stanford 94-88 in OT

By Lawrence Delevingne and Carolina Mandl BOSTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) -As a money manager, Scott Bessent's years of inconsistent performance have contributed to a nearly 90% decline in his hedge fund's assets. Now, with other business lines expanding, he has scored on perhaps his biggest bet yet: President-elect Donald Trump. Bessent spotted what he called an anomaly in the market: that political and market analysts were too negative on what a Trump victory would mean, according to a letter to clients in January seen by Reuters. His Key Square Capital Management put on bets that U.S. stocks and the dollar would gain, helping earn a double-digit percentage profit so far in 2024, with November as its best month, according to a person familiar with the situation. Bessent's even bigger wager and apparently win is on Trump, the future president. He's been a donor, economic adviser and booster on TV to Trump. On Friday night, news broke that Bessent was Trump's pick to be Treasury Secretary. "Scott is widely respected as one of the World’s foremost International Investors and Geopolitical and Economic Strategists," Trump wrote on Truth Social. A representative for Bessent did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the nomination. Trump has talked Bessent up as “one of the most brilliant men on Wall Street." While parts of Bessent's business have expanded, such as advising other family offices and money managers, details of his fund's performance, reported here for the first time, show a mixed track record in the decade since he launched his own hedge fund firm. Ted Seides, the former president of Protege Partners, an investment firm where Bessent earned strong returns in the late 2000s, told Reuters that Bessent's track record should be taken in the context of macro investing, where big profits can be followed by less attractive returns. So-called macro hedge funds bet on global macroeconomic trends and are not open to retail investors. "If you only look at the part of a track record with lean years, it’s like saying Aaron Judge struck out a lot last year," Seides said, referring the baseball star known for hitting home runs. "But he was just named MVP." Bessent has long been considered a top contender to run Treasury and his candidacy in the hotly-contested role has heightened interest in the fund manager. If he were to take a job in the new administration, Key Square could be wound down, sold, or put in "sleep mode," according to the same person. BIG START Bessent, who grew up in a small town in South Carolina and went to Yale College before landing on Wall Street, started Key Square in late 2015. The firm quickly raised $4.5 billion - then one of the largest hedge fund launches in history. That included $2 billion from famed macroeconomic investor George Soros, for whom Bessent had helped earn billions of dollars over two stints at Soros Fund Management. Key Square's main fund returns surged 13% in its first year, 2016, according to a second person familiar with the firm. That year, it gained on correctly predicting the British pound's decline around "Brexit," a vote for Britain to leave the European Union, according to the first person familiar with the situation. Later, Key Square made money when Bessent correctly anticipated a U.S. stock and dollar rally when Donald Trump was elected that November, according to the first person. But Key Square lost 7% in 2017, and then lost money or just broke even from 2018 to 2021, according to the second person and performance disclosures from one of its investors, New York City Police Pension Fund. The hedge fund gained double digits in both 2023 and 2024 and is up "double digits" over its history, according to the second person. That uneven performance appears to have scared away some clients. Assets under management shrank from a peak of around $5.1 billion at the end of 2017 to $577 million as of December 2023, while the number of institutional investors fell from 180 in December 2017 to 20 by the end of 2023, according to regulatory disclosures tracked by Convergence Inc. While Key Square's hedge fund assets have declined, it has other business lines that have expanded, including providing investment ideas to other money managers, with up to $1 billion to draw from and invest for a large macro investment firm; an advisory business for family offices, foundations and endowments, including one client with $11 billion in assets; and fees from a spin-out firm, $3.4 billion Ghisallo Capital, part of Key Square's incubation business, according to the two people familiar with the firm and regulatory filings. It also has plans to launch an ETF, according to a recent securities filing. Soros took back most of his capital in 2018, per a previous agreement with Bessent to return the money, according to a third source familiar with the matter. Soros no longer has any money managed by Bessent, according to the third person. The two men have not spoken since 2016, Bessent said in a recent interview with Trump ally Roger Stone. Other large clients who no longer have money with Key Square include Australia's Future Fund, Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners, and the New York City Police and Fire pension funds, according to public records and regulatory disclosures. One large hedge fund allocator told Reuters that they pulled their money several years ago from Key Square because the returns had been “too inconsistent.” Another large Key Square investor withdrew from the hedge fund last year because of Bessent’s support of Trump, according to the second person familiar with the firm. The University of California redeemed its assets from Key Square amid a broader pull back from using hedge funds, but Bessent has remained "deep source of knowledge for us," chief investment officer, Jagdeep Singh Bachher, told Reuters via email. Another longtime client to stick with Key Square is Brevan Howard Asset Management, the $34 billion macro hedge fund manager co-founded by British billionaire Alan Howard. "Scott is one of the best macro investors in the world," a spokesperson for Brevan Howard said via email. "His understanding of markets, public policy, and the global economy is largely unmatched." Semafor previously reported that selective Key Square performance numbers were being shared around Wall Street chats as Bessent competed for the coveted post of U.S. Treasury Secretary. The report did not reveal the numbers shared. POLITICAL BET Bessent contributed to Trump’s inauguration following his 2016 election win. He was more involved during the 2024 election cycle, serving as an economic adviser to the campaign in addition to being a top fundraiser. Since the election, he has made TV appearances and written opinion pieces in support of Trump's proposed economic agenda. “I was all in for President Trump. I was one of the few Wall Street people backing him,” Bessent recent said in the interview with Stone. In January this year, Bessent predicted a “Trump Rally” in stocks as long as the Republican remained ahead in the election polls. “We are expecting an upward trajectory in the U.S. equity markets,” he wrote in the letter to Key Square clients. “Barring (President Joe) Biden pulling ahead in substantial fashion, all pullbacks should be bought.” (Reporting by Lawrence Delevingne in Boston and Carolina Mandl in New York; editing by Paritosh Bansal, Megan Davies, Deepa Babington and Diane Craft)

AstroAI's TC3 Tire Inflator Debuts on Kickstarter After Months of R&D‘Tiny screens on keyboards are dumb’: Why I think this PC trend needs to dieTucker Carlson: Minister Lavrov, thank you for doing this. Do you believe the United States and Russia are at war with each other right now? Sergey Lavrov: I wouldn't say so. And in any case, this is not what we want. We would like to have normal relations with all our neighbors, of course, but generally with all countries especially with the great country like the United States. And President Vladimir Putin repeatedly expressed his respect for the American people, for the American history, for the American achievements in the world, and we don't see any reason why Russia and the United States cannot cooperate for the sake of the universe. Tucker Carlson: But the United States is funding a conflict that you're involved in, of course, and now is allowing attacks on Russia itself. So that doesn't constitute war? Sergey Lavrov: Well, we officially are not at war. But what is going on in Ukraine is that some people call it hybrid war. I would call it hybrid war as well, but it is obvious that the Ukrainians would not be able to do what they're doing with long-range modern weapons without direct participation of the American servicemen. And this is dangerous, no doubt about this. We don't want to aggravate the situation, but since ATACMS and other long-range weapons are being used against mainland Russia as it were, we are sending signals. We hope that the last one, a couple of weeks ago, the signal with the new weapon system called Oreshnik was taken seriously. However, we also know that some officials in the Pentagon and in other places, including NATO, started saying in the last few days something like that NATO is a defensive alliance, but sometimes you can strike first because the attack is the best defense. Some others in STRATCOM, Thomas Buchanan is his name, representative of STRATCOM, said something which allows for an eventuality of exchange of limited nuclear strikes. And this kind of threats are really worrying. Because if they are following the logic which some Westerners have been pronouncing lately, that don't believe that Russia has red lines, they announced their red lines, these red lines are being moved again and again. This is a very serious mistake. That's what I would like to say in response to this question. It is not us who started the war. Putin repeatedly said that we started the special military operation in order to end the war which Kiev regime was conducting against its own people in the parts of Donbass. And just in his latest statement, the President Putin clearly indicated that we are ready for any eventuality. But we strongly prefer peaceful solution through negotiations on the basis of respecting legitimate security interest of Russia, and on the basis of respecting the people who live in Ukraine, who still live in Ukraine being Russians, and their basic human rights, language rights, religious rights, have been exterminated by a series of legislation passed by the Ukrainian parliament. They started long before the special military operation. Since 2017, legislation was passed prohibiting Russian education in Russian, prohibiting Russian media operating in Ukraine, then prohibiting Ukrainian media working in Russian language, and the latest, of course there were also steps to cancel any cultural events in Russian, Russian books were thrown out of libraries and exterminated. The latest was the law prohibiting canonic Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Orthodox Church. You know it's very interesting when people in the West say we want this conflict to be resolved on the basis of the UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity of Ukraine, and Russia must withdraw. The Secretary General of the United Nations says similar things. Recently his representative repeated that the conflict must be resolved on the basis of international law, UN Charter, General Assembly resolutions, while respecting territorial integrity of Ukraine. It's a misnomer, because if you want to respect the United Nations Charter, you have to respect it in its entirety. The United Nations Charter, among other things, says that all countries must respect equality of states and right of people for self-determination. And they also mentioned the United Nations General Assembly resolutions, and this is clear that what they mean is the series of resolutions which they passed after the beginning of this special military operation and which demand condemnation of Russia, Russia to get out of Ukraine territory in 1991 borders. But there are other United Nations General Assembly resolutions which were not voted, but which were consensual, and among them is a Declaration on principles of relations between states on the basis of the Charter. And it clearly says, by consensus, everybody must respect territorial integrity of states whose governments respect the right of people for self-determination, and because of that represent the entire population living on a given territory. To argue that the people who came to power through military coup d'état in February 2014 represented Crimeans or the citizens of eastern and southern Ukraine is absolutely useless. It is obvious that Crimeans rejected the coup. They said, leave us alone, we don't want to have anything with you. So we did: Donbass, Crimeans held referendum, and they rejoined Russia. Donbass was declared by the putschists who came to power terrorist group. They were shelled, attacked by artillery. The war started, which was stopped in February 2015. The Minsk agreements were signed. We were very sincerely interested in closing this drama by seeing Minsk agreements implemented fully. It was sabotaged by the government, which was established after the coup d'état in Ukraine. There was a demand that they enter into a direct dialogue with the people who did not accept the coup. There was a demand that they promote economic relations with that part of Ukraine. And so on and so forth. None of this was done. The people in Kiev were saying we would never talk to them directly. And this is in spite of the fact that the demand to talk to them directly was endorsed by the Security Council. And putschists said they are terrorists, we would be fighting them, and they would be dying in cellars because we are stronger. Had the coup in February 2014 had it not happened and the deal which was reached the day before between the then president and the opposition implemented, Ukraine would have stayed one piece by now with Crimea in it. It's absolutely clear. They did not deliver on the deal. Instead they staged the coup. The deal, by the way, provided for creation of a government of national unity in February 2014, and holding early elections, which the then president would have lost. Everybody knew that. But they were impatient and took the government buildings next morning. They went to this Maidan Square and announced that they created the government of the winners. Compare the government of national unity to prepare for elections and the government of the winners. How can the people whom they, in their view, defeated, how can they pretend that they respect the authorities in Kiev? You know, the right for self-determination is the international legal basis for decolonization process, which took place in Africa on the basis of this charter principle, the right for self-determination. The people in the colonies, they never treated the colonial powers, colonial masters, as somebody who represent them, as somebody whom they want to see in the structures which govern those lands. By the same token, the people in east and south of Ukraine, people in Donbass and Novorossiya, they don't consider the Zelensky regime as something which represents their interests. How can they do that when their culture, their language, their traditions, their religion, all this was prohibited? And the last point is that if we speak about the UN Charter, resolutions, international law, the very first article of the UN Charter, which the West never, never recalls in the Ukrainian context, says, "Respect human rights of everybody, irrespective of race, gender, language, or religion." Take any conflict. The United States, UK, Brussels, they would interfere, saying, "Oh, human rights have been grossly violated. We must restore the human rights in such and such territory." On Ukraine, never, ever they mumbled the words "human rights," seeing these human rights for the Russian and Russian-speaking population being totally exterminated by law. So when people say, "Let's resolve the conflict on the basis of the Charter," - yes. But don't forget that the Charter is not only about territorial integrity. And territorial integrity must be respected only if the governments are legitimate and if they respect the rights of their own people. Tucker Carlson: I want to go back to what you said a moment ago about the introduction or the unveiling of the hypersonic weapons system that you said was a signal to the West. What signal exactly? I think many Americans are not even aware that this happened. What message were you sending by showing it to the world? Sergey Lavrov: Well, the message is that you, I mean the United States, and the allies of the United States who also provide this long-range weapons to the Kiev regime, they must understand that we would be ready to use any means not to allow them to succeed in what they call strategic defeat of Russia. They fight for keeping the hegemony over the world on any country, any region, any continent. We fight for our legitimate security interests. They say, for example, 1991 borders. Lindsey Graham, who visited some time ago Volodymyr Zelensky for another talk, he bluntly, in his presence said that Ukraine is very rich with rare earth metals and they cannot leave this richness to the Russians. We must take it. We fight. So they fight for the regime which is ready to sell or to give to the West all the natural and human resources. We fight for the people who have been living on these lands, whose ancestors were actually developing those lands, building cities, building factories for centuries and centuries. We care about people, not about natural resources which somebody in the United States would like to keep and to have Ukrainians just as servants sitting on these natural resources. So the message which we wanted to send by testing in real action this hypersonic system is that we will be ready to do anything to defend our legitimate interests. We hate even to think about war with the United States, which will take nuclear character. Our military doctrine says that the most important thing is to avoid a nuclear war. And it was us, by the way, who initiated in January 2022 the message, the joint statement by the leaders of the five permanent members of the Security Council saying that we will do anything to avoid confrontation between us, acknowledging and respecting each other's security interests and concerns. This was our initiative. And the security interests of Russia were totally ignored when they rejected about the same time the proposal to conclude a treaty on security guarantees for Russia, for Ukraine in the context of coexistence and in the context where Ukraine would not be ever member of NATO or any other military bloc. These security interests of Russia were presented to the West, to NATO and to the United States in December 2021. We discussed them several times, including during my meeting with Antony Blinken in Geneva in January 2022. And this was rejected. So we would certainly like to avoid any misunderstanding. And since the people, some people in Washington and some people in London, in Brussels, seemed to be not very capable to understand, we will send additional messages if they don't draw necessary conclusions. Tucker Carlson: The fact that we're having a conversation about a potential nuclear exchange and it's real thought I'd ever see. And it raises the question, how much back-channel dialogue is there between Russia and the United States? Has there been for the last two and a half years? Is there any conversation ongoing? Sergey Lavrov: There are several channels, but mostly on exchange of people who serve terms in Russia and in the United States. There were several swaps. There are also channels which are not advertised or publicized, but basically the Americans send through these channels the same message which they send publicly. You have to stop, you have to accept the way which will be based on the Ukrainian needs and position. They support this absolutely pointless ‘peace formula’ by Vladimir Zelensky, which was additioned recently by ‘victory plan’. They held several series of meetings, Copenhagen format, Burgenstock. And they brag that first half of next year they will convene another conference and they will graciously invite Russia that time. And then Russia would be presented an ultimatum. All this is seriously repeated through various confidential channels. Now we hear something different, including Volodymyr Zelensky's statements that we can stop now at the line of engagement, line of contact. The Ukrainian government will be admitted to NATO, but NATO guarantees at this stage would cover only the territory controlled by the government, and the rest would be subject to negotiations. But the end result of these negotiations must be total withdrawal of Russia from Ukrainian soil. Leaving Russian people to the Nazi regime, which exterminated all the rights of the Russian and Russian-speaking citizens of their own country. Tucker Carlson: If I could just go back to the question of nuclear exchange. So there is no mechanism by which the leaders of Russia and the United States can speak to each other to avoid the kind of misunderstanding that could kill hundreds of millions of people. Sergey Lavrov: No. We have this channel which is automatically engaged when ballistic missile launch is taking place. As regards this Oreshnik hypersonic mid-range ballistic missile. 30 minutes in advance the system sent the message to the United States. They knew that this was the case and that they don't mistake it for anything bigger and real dangerous. Tucker Carlson: I think the system sounds very dangerous. Sergey Lavrov: Well, it was a test launch, you know. Tucker Carlson: Yes. Oh, you're speaking of the test, okay. But I just wonder how worried you are that, considering there doesn't seem to be a lot of conversation between the two countries. Both sides are speaking about exterminating the other's populations. That this could somehow get out of control in a very short period and no one could stop it. It seems incredibly reckless. Sergey Lavrov: No, we are not talking about exterminating anybody's population. We did not start this war. We have been, for years and years and years, sending warnings that pushing NATO closer and closer to our borders is going to create a problem. In 2007, Putin started to explain to the people who seemed to be overtaken by the ‘end of history’ and being dominant, no challenge, and so on and so forth. And of course, when the coup took place, the Americans did not hide that they were behind it. There is a conversation between Victoria Nuland and the then American ambassador in Kiev when they discuss personalities to be included in the new government after the coup. The figure of $5 billion spent on Ukraine after independence was mentioned as the guarantee that everything would be like the Americans want. So we don't have any intention to exterminate Ukrainian people. They are brothers and sisters to the Russian people. Tucker Carlson: How many have died so far, do you think, on both sides? Sergey Lavrov: It is not disclosed by Ukrainians. Volodymyr Zelensky was saying that it is much less than 80,000 persons on Ukrainian side. But there is one very reliable figure. In Palestine during one year after the Israelis started their operation in response to this terrorist attack, which we condemned. And this operation, of course, acquired the proportion of collective punishment, which is against international humanitarian law as well. So during one year after the operation started in Palestine, the number of Palestinian civilians killed is estimated at 45,000. This is almost twice as many as the number of civilians on both sides of Ukrainian conflict who died during ten years after the coup. One year and ten years. So it is a tragedy in Ukraine. It's a disaster in Palestine, but we never, ever had as our goal killing people. And the Ukrainian regime did. The head of the office of Volodymyr Zelensky once said that we will make sure that cities like Kharkov, Nikolaev will forget what Russian means at all. Another guy in his office stated that Ukrainians must exterminate Russians through law or, if necessary, physically. Ukrainian former ambassador to Kazakhstan Petro Vrublevsky became famous when giving an interview and looking into the camera (being recorded and broadcast) he said: ”Our main task is to kill as many Russians as we can so that our children have less things to do”. And statements like this are all over the vocabulary of the regime. Tucker Carlson: How many Russians in Russia have been killed since February of 2022? Sergey Lavrov: It's not for me to disclose this information. In the time of military operations special rules exist. Our ministry of defense follows these rules. But there is a very interesting fact that when Volodymyr Zelensky was playing not in international arena, but at his comedy club or whatever it is called, he was (there are videos from that period) bluntly defending the Russian language. He was saying: “What is wrong with Russian language? I speak Russian. Russians are our neighbors. Russian is one of our languages”. And get lost, he said, to those who wanted to attack the Russian language and Russian culture. When Volodymyr Zelensky became president, he changed very fast. Before the military operation, in September 2021, he was interviewed, and at that time he was conducting war against Donbass in violation of the Minsk agreements. And the interviewer asked him what he thought about the people on the other side of the line of contact. He answered very thoughtfully there are people and there are species. And if you, living in Ukraine, feel associated with the Russian culture, my advice to you, for the sake of your kids, for the sake of your grandkids, get out to Russia. And if this guy wants to bring Russians and people of Russian culture back under his territorial integrity, I mean, it shows that he's not adequate. Tucker Carlson: So, what are the terms under which Russia would cease hostilities? What are you asking for? Sergey Lavrov: Ten years ago, in February 2014, we were asking only for the deal between the president and the opposition to have government of national unity, to hold early elections, to be implemented. The deal was signed. And we were asking for the implementation of this deal. They were absolutely impatient and aggressive. And they were, of course, pushed, I have no slightest doubt, by the Americans, because if Victoria Nuland and the U.S. ambassador agreed the composition of the government, why wait for five months to hold early elections? The next time we were in favor of something was when the Minsk Agreements were signed. I was there. The negotiations lasted for 17 hours (well, Crimea was lost by that time because of referendum). And nobody, including my colleague John Kerry, meeting with us, nobody in the West was worry about the issue of Crimea. Everybody was concentrated on Donbass. And the Minsk Agreements provided for territorial integrity of Ukraine, minus Crimea (this was not even raised) and a special status for a very tiny part of Donbass, not for the entire Donbass, not for Novorossiya at all. Part of Donbass, under these Minsk Agreements, endorsed by the Security Council, should have the right to speak Russian language, to teach Russian language, to study in Russian, to have local law enforcement (like in the states of U.S.), to be consulted when judges and prosecutors are appointed by the central authority, and to have some facilitated economic connections with neighboring regions of Russia. That's it. Something which President Macron promised to give to Corsica and still is considering how to do this. And when these agreements were sabotaged all along by Petro Poroshenko and then by Volodymyr Zelensky. Both of them, by the way, came to presidency, running on the promise of peace. And both of them lied. So when these Minsk Agreements were sabotaged to the extent that we saw the attempts to take this tiny part of Donbass by force, and we, as President Putin explained, at that time, we suggested these security arrangements to NATO and the United States, which was rejected. And when the Plan B was launched by Ukraine and its sponsors, trying to take this part of Donbass by force, it was then that we launched the special military operation. Had they implemented the Minsk Agreements Ukraine would be one piece, minus Crimea. But even then, when Ukrainians, after we started the operation, suggested to negotiate, we agreed, there were several rounds in Belarus, and one later they moved to Istanbul. And in Istanbul, Ukrainian delegation put a paper on the table saying: "Those are the principles on which we are ready to agree." And we accepted those principles. Tucker Carlson: The Minsk Principles? Sergey Lavrov: No. The Istanbul Principles. It was April 2022. Tucker Carlson: Right. Sergey Lavrov: Which was: no NATO, but security guarantees to Ukraine, collectively provided with the participation of Russia. And these security guarantees would not cover Crimea or the east of Ukraine. It was their proposal. And it was initialed. And the head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, who is now the chair of the Volodymyr Zelensky faction in the parliament, he recently (a few months ago) in an interview, confirmed that this was the case. And on the basis of these principles, we were ready to draft a treaty. But then this gentleman who headed the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul said that Boris Johnson visited and told them to continue to fight. Then there was... Tucker Carlson: But Boris Johnson, on behalf of... Sergey Lavrov: He said no. But the guy who initialed the paper, he said it was Boris Johnson. Other people say it was President Putin who ruined the deal because of the massacre in Bucha. But they never mentioned any more massacre in Bucha. I do. And we do. In a sense, they are on the defensive. Several times in the United Nations Security Council, sitting at the table with Antonio Guterres, I (last year and this year) at the General Assembly, I raised the issue of Bucha and said, guys, it is strange that you are silent about Bucha because you were very vocal when BBC team found itself on the street where the bodies were located. I inquired, can we get the names of the persons whose bodies were broadcast by BBC? Total silence. I addressed Antonio Guterres personally in the presence of the Security Council members. He did not respond. Then at my press conference in New York after the end of the General Assembly last September, I asked all the correspondents: guys, you are journalists. Maybe you're not an investigative journalists but journalists normally are interested to get the truth. And Bucha thing, which was played all over the media outlets condemning Russia, is not of any interest to anyone - politicians, UN officials. And now even journalists. I asked when I talked to them in September, please, as professional people, try to get the names of those whose bodies were shown in Bucha. No answer. Just like we don't have any answer to the question, where is the results of medical analysis of Alexey Navalny, who died recently, but who was treated in Germany in the fall of 2020. When he felt bad on a plane over Russia, the plane landed. He was treated by the Russian doctors in Siberia. Then the Germans wanted to take him. We immediately allowed the plane to come. They took him. In less than 24 hours, he was in Germany. And then the Germans continued to say that we poisoned him. And now the analysis confirmed that he was poisoned. We asked for the test results to be given to us. They said, no, we give it to the organization on chemical weapons. We went to this organization, we are members, and we said, can you show to us, because this is our citizen, we are accused of having poisoned him. They said that the Germans told us not to give it to you. They found nothing in the civilian hospital, and the announcement that he was poisoned was made after he was treated in the military Bundeswehr hospital. So it seems that this secret is not going... Tucker Carlson: So how did Navalny die? Sergey Lavrov: Well, he died serving the term in Russia. As far as it was reported, every now and then he felt not well. Which was another reason why we continued to ask the Germans: can you show us the results which you found? Because we did not find what they found. And what they did to him, I don't know. Tucker Carlson: What the Germans did to him? Sergey Lavrov: Yeah, because they don't explain to anybody, including us. Or maybe they explain to the Americans. Maybe this is credible. But they never told us how they treated him, what they found, and what methods they were using. Tucker Carlson: How do you think he died? Sergey Lavrov: I am not a doctor. But for anybody to guess, even for the doctors to try to guess, they need to have information. And if the person was taken to Germany to be treated after he had been poisoned, the results of the tests cannot be secret. We still cannot get anything credible on the fate of Skripals - Sergei Skripal and his daughter. The information is not provided to us. He is our citizen, she is our citizen. We have all the rights and the conventions which the UK is party to, to get information. Tucker Carlson: Why do you think that Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the UK, would have stopped the peace process in Istanbul? On whose behalf was he doing that? Sergey Lavrov: Well, I met with him a couple of times, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was motivated by some immediate desire or by some long-term strategy. He is not very predictable. Tucker Carlson: But do you think he was acting on behalf of the US government, on behalf of the Biden administration, or he was doing this independently. Sergey Lavrov: I don't know. And I wouldn't guess. The fact that the Americans and the Brits are leading in this "situation" is obvious. Now it is becoming also clear that there is a fatigue in some capitals, and there are talks every now and then that the Americans would like to leave it with the Europeans and to concentrate on something more important. I wouldn't guess. We would be judging by specific steps. It's obvious, though, that the Biden administration would like to leave a legacy to the Trump administration as bad as they can. And similar to what Barack Obama did to Donald Trump during his first term. Then late December 2016, President Obama expelled Russian diplomats. Just very late December. 120 persons with family members. Did it on purpose. Demanded them leave on the day when there was no direct flight from Washington to Moscow. So they had to move to New York by buses with all their luggage, with children, and so on and so forth. And at the same time, President Obama announced the arrest of pieces of diplomatic property of Russia. And we still never were able to come and see what is the state of this Russian property. Tucker Carlson: What was the property? Sergey Lavrov: Diplomatic. They never allowed us to come and see it though under all conventions. They just say that these pieces we don't consider as being covered by diplomatic immunity, which is a unilateral decision, never substantiated by any international court. Tucker Carlson: So you believe the Biden administration is doing something similar again to the incoming Trump administration. Sergey Lavrov: Because that episode with the expulsion and the seizure of property certainly did not create the promising ground for beginning of our relations with the Trump administration. So I think they're doing the same. Tucker Carlson: But this time President Trump was elected on the explicit promise to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. So I mean, he said that in appearance after appearance. So given that, there is hope for a resolution, it sounds like. What are the terms to which you'd agree? Sergey Lavrov: Well, the terms, I basically alluded to them. When President Putin spoke in this Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 14th of June he once again reiterated that we were ready to negotiate on the basis of the principles which were agreed in Istanbul and rejected by Boris Johnson, according to the statement of the head of the Ukrainian delegation. The key principle is non-block status of Ukraine. And we would be ready to be part of the group of countries who would provide collective security guarantees to Ukraine. Tucker Carlson: But no NATO? Sergey Lavrov: No NATO. Absolutely. No military bases, no military exercises on the Ukrainian soil with participation of foreign troops. And this is something which he reiterated. But of course, he said, it was April 2022, now some time has passed, and the realities on the ground would have to be taken into account and accepted. The realities on the ground are not only the line of contact, but also the changes in the Russian Constitution after referendum was held in Donetsk, Lugansk republics and Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. And they are now part of the Russian Federation, according to the Constitution. And this is a reality. And of course, we cannot tolerate a deal which would keep the legislation which are prohibiting Russian language, Russian media, Russian culture, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, because it is a violation of the obligations of Ukraine under the UN Charter, and something must be done about it. And the fact that the West (since this Russophobic legislative offensive started in 2017) was totally silent and it is silent until now, of course we would have to pay attention to this in a very special way. Tucker Carlson: Would sanctions against Russia be a condition? Sergey Lavrov: You know, I would say probably many people in Russia would like to make it a condition. But the more we live under sanctions, the more we understand that it is better to rely on yourself, and to develop mechanisms, platforms for cooperation with ‘normal’ countries who are not unfriendly to you, and don't mix economic interests and policies and especially politics. And we learned a lot after the sanctions started. The sanctions started under President Obama. They continued in a very big way under the first term of Donald Trump. And these sanctions under the Biden administration are absolutely unprecedented. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, you know. They would never kill us, so they are making us stronger. Tucker Carlson: And driving Russia east. And so the vision that I think same policymakers in Washington had 20 years ago is why not to bring Russia into a Western bloc, sort of as a balance against the rising east. But it doesn't seem like that. Do you think that's still possible? Sergey Lavrov: I don't think so. When recently President Putin was speaking at Valdai Club to politologists and experts, he said we would never be back at the situation of early 2022. That's when he realized (for himself, apparently, not only he, but he spoke publicly about this) that all attempts to be on equal terms with the West have failed. It started after the demise of the Soviet Union. There was euphoria, we are now part of the ‘liberal world’, democratic world, ‘end of history’. But very soon it became clear to most of the Russians that in the 1990s we were treated as - at best as junior partner, maybe not even as a partner, - but as a place where the West can organize things like it wants, striking deals with oligarchs, buying resources and assets. And then probably the Americans decided that Russia is in their pocket. Boris Yeltsin, Bill Clinton, buddies, laughing, joking. But even at the end of Boris Yeltsin's term, he started to contemplate that this was not something he wanted for Russia. And I think this was very obvious when he appointed Vladimir Putin prime minister, and then left earlier, and blessed Vladimir Putin as his successor for the elections which were coming and which Putin won. But when Vladimir Putin became president, he was very much open to cooperation with the West. And he mentions about this quite regularly when he speaks with interviewers or at some international events. I was present when he met with George Bush Jr., with Barack Obama. Well, after the meeting of NATO in Bucharest, which was followed by NATO-Russia summit meeting in 2008, when they announced that Georgia and Ukraine will be in NATO. And then they tried to sell it to us. We asked: why? There was lunch and President Putin asked what was the reason for this? Good question. And they said this is something which is not obligatory. How come? Well to start the process of joining NATO, you need a formal invitation. And this is a slogan - Ukraine and Georgia will be in NATO. But this slogan became obsession for some people in Tbilisi first, when Mikhail Saakashvili lost his senses and started the war against his own people under the protection of OSCE mission with the Russian peacekeepers on the ground. And the fact that he launched this was confirmed by the European Union investigation, which they launched and which concluded that he gave the order to start. And for Ukrainians, it took a bit longer. They were cultivating this pro-Western mood. Well, pro-Western is not bad, basically. Pro-Eastern is also not bad. What is bad is that you tell people, either/or, either you go with me or you're my enemy. What happened before the coup in Ukraine? In 2013, the president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych negotiated with the European Union some association agreement which would nullify tariffs on most of the Ukrainian goods to the European Union and the other way around. And at some point, when he was meeting with Russian counterparts, we told him, Ukraine was part of the free trade area of the Commonwealth of Independent States. No tariffs for everybody. And we, Russia, negotiated agreement with World Trade Organization for some 17 years, mostly because we bargained with European Union. And we achieved some protection for many of our sectors, agriculture and some others. We explained to the Ukrainians that if you go zero in your trade with European Union, we would have to protect our customs border with Ukraine. Otherwise the zero tariff European goods would flood and would be hurting our industries, which we tried to protect and agreed for some protection. And we suggested to the European Union: guys, Ukraine is our common neighbor. You want to have better trade with Ukraine. We want the same. Ukraine wants to have markets both in Europe and in Russia. Why don't we sit three of us and discuss it like grownups? The head of the European Commission was the Portuguese José Manuel Barroso. He responded it's none of your business what we do with Ukraine. We, for example, the European Union, we don't ask you to discuss with us your trade with Canada. Absolutely arrogant answer. And then the president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych convened his experts. And they said, yes, it would be not very good if we have opened the border with European Union, but the customs border with Russia would be closed. And they would be checking, you know, what is coming. So that the Russian market is not affected. So he announced in November 2013 that he cannot sign the deal immediately, and he asked the European Union to postpone it for until next year. That was the trigger for Maidan, which was immediately thrown up and ended by the coup. So my point is that this either/or. Actually, the first coup took place in 2004, when after second round of elections, the same Viktor Yanukovych won presidency. The West raised hell and put pressure on the Constitutional Court of Ukraine to rule that there must be a third round. The Constitution of Ukraine says there may be only two rounds. But the Constitutional Court, under the pressure of the West, violated the Constitution for the first time then. And pro-Western candidate was chosen. At that time, when all this was taking place and boiling, the European leaders were publicly saying Ukrainian people must decide: are they with us or with Russia? Tucker Carlson: But it is the way that big countries behave. I mean, there are certain orbits, and now it's BRICS versus NATO, U.S. versus China. And it sounds like you're saying the Russian-Chinese alliance is permanent. Sergey Lavrov: Well, we are neighbors. And of course geography is very important. Tucker Carlson: But you're also neighbors with Western Europe. And you're part of it, in effect. Sergey Lavrov: Through Ukraine the Western Europe wants to come to our borders. And there were plans that were discussed almost openly to put British naval bases on the Sea of Azov. Crimea was eyed. Dreaming about creating NATO base in Crimea and so on and so forth. Look, we have been very friendly with Finland, for example. Overnight, the Finns came back to the early years of preparation for World War II when they were best allies of Hitler. And all this neutrality, all this friendship, going to sauna together, playing hockey together, all this disappeared overnight. So maybe this was deep in their hearts, and the neutrality was burdening them, and niceties were burdening for them. I don't know. Tucker Carlson: They're mad about the ‘winter war’. That's totally possible. Can you negotiate with Zelensky? You've pointed out that he has exceeded his term. He's not democratically elected president of Ukraine anymore. So do you consider him a suitable partner for negotiations? Sergey Lavrov: President Putin addressed many times this issue as well. In September 2022, during the first year of the special military operation, Vladimir Zelensky, in his conviction that he would be dictating the terms of the situation also to the West, he signed a decree prohibiting any negotiations with Putin's government. During public events after that episode, President Vladimir Putin is asked why Russia is not ready for negotiations. He said, don't turn it upside down. We are ready for negotiations, provided it will be based on the balance of interest, -tomorrow. But Volodymyr Zelensky signed this decree prohibiting negotiations. For starters, why don't you tell him to cancel it publicly? This will be a signal that he wants negotiations. Instead, Volodymyr Zelensky invented his ‘peace formula’. Lately, it was complemented by a ‘victory plan’. They keep saying, we know what they say when they meet with European Union ambassadors and in other formats, they say no deal unless the deal is on our terms. I mentioned to you that they are planning now the second summit on the basis of this peace formula, and they don't shy away from saying, we will invite Russia to put in front of it the deal which we agreed already with the West. When our Western colleagues sometimes say nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine in effect, this implies that anything about Russia without Russia. Because they discuss what kind of conditions we must accept. By the way, recently they already violated, tacitly, the concept nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. There are passes, there are messages. They know our position. We are not playing double game. What President Putin announced is the goal of our operation. It's fair. It's fully in line with the United Nations Charter. First of all, the rights: language rights, minority rights, national minority rights, religious rights, and it's fully in line with OSCE principles. There is an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe which is still alive. And well, several summits of this organization clearly stated that security must be indivisible, that nobody should expand his security at the expense of security of others, and that, most important, no organization in Euro-Atlantic space shall claim dominance. This was last time it was confirmed by OSCE in 2010. NATO was doing exactly the opposite. So we have legitimacy in our position. No NATO on our doorsteps because OSCE agreed that this should not be the case if it hurts us. And please restore the rights of Russians. Tucker Carlson: Who do you think has been making foreign policy decisions in the United States? This is a question in the United States. Who is making these decisions? Sergey Lavrov: I wouldn't guess. I haven't seen Antony Blinken for years. When it was the last time? Two years ago, I think, at the G20 summit. Was it in Rome or somewhere? In the margins. I was representing President Putin there. His assistant came up to me during a meeting and said that Antony wants to talk just for 10 minutes. I left the room. We shook hands, and he said something about the need to de-escalate and so on and so forth. I hope he's not going to be angry with me since I am disclosing this. But we were meeting in front of many people present in the room, and I said, "We don't want to escalate. You want to inflict strategic defeat upon Russia." He said, "No. It is not strategic defeat globally. It is only in Ukraine." Tucker Carlson: You've not spoken to him since? Sergey Lavrov: No. Tucker Carlson: Have you spoken to any officials in the Biden administration since then? Sergey Lavrov: I don't want to ruin their career. Tucker Carlson: But have you had meaningful conversations? Sergey Lavrov: No. Not at all. When I met in international events one or another person whom I know, an American, some of them say hello, some of them exchange a few words, but I never impose myself. It's becoming contagious when somebody sees an American talking to me or a European talking to me. Europeans are running away when they see me. During the last G20 meeting, it was ridiculous. Grown-up people, mature people. They behave like kids. So childish. Unbelievable. Tucker Carlson: So you said that when in 2016, in December, the final moments of the Biden administration, Biden made the relationship between the United States and Russia more difficult. Sergey Lavrov: Obama. Biden was vice-president. Tucker Carlson: Exactly. I'm so sorry. The Obama administration left a bunch of bombs, basically, for the incoming Trump administration. In the last month since the election, you have all sorts of things going on politically in bordering states in this region. In Georgia, in Belarus, in Romania, and then, of course, most dramatically in Syria, you have turmoil. Does this seem like part of an effort by the United States to make the resolution more difficult? Sergey Lavrov: There is nothing new, frankly. Because the U.S., historically, in foreign policy, was motivated by making some trouble and then to see if they can fish in the muddy water. Iraqi aggression, Libyan adventure - ruining the state, basically. Fleeing from Afghanistan. Now trying to get back through the back door, using the United Nations to organize some ‘event’ where the U.S. can be present, in spite of the fact that they left Afghanistan in very bad shape and arrested money and don't want to give it back. I think this is, if you analyze the American foreign policy steps, adventures, most of them are the right word - the pattern. They create some trouble, and then they see how to use it. When the OSCE monitors elections, when it used to monitor elections in Russia, they would always be very negative, and in other countries as well, Belarus, Kazakhstan. This time, in Georgia, the monitoring mission of OSCE presented a positive report. And it is being ignored. So when you need endorsement of the procedures, you do it when you like the results of the election. If you don't like the results of elections, you ignore it. It's like when the United States and other Western countries recognized unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, they said this is the self-determination being implemented. There was no referendum in Kosovo - unilateral declaration of independence. By the way, after that the Serbs approached International Court of Justice, which ruled that (well, normally they are not very specific in their judgment, but they ruled) that when part of a territory declares independence, it is not necessarily to be agreed with the central authorities. And when a few years later, Crimeans were holding referendum with invitation of many international observers, not from international organizations, but from parliamentarians in Europe, in Asia, in post-Soviet space, they said, no, we cannot accept this because this is violation of territorial integrity. You know, you pick and choose. The UN Charter is not a menu. You have to respect it in all its entirety. Tucker Carlson: So who's paying the rebels who've taken parts of Aleppo? Is the Assad government in danger of falling? What is happening exactly, in your view, in Syria? Sergey Lavrov: Well, we had a deal when this crisis started. We organized the Astana process (Russia, Turkiye and Iran). We meet regularly. Another meeting is being planned before the end of the year or early next year, to discuss the situation on the ground. The rules of the game are to help Syrians to come to terms with each other and to prevent separatist threats from getting strong. That's what the Americans are doing in the east of Syria when they groom some Kurdish separatists using the profits from oil and grain sold, the resources which they occupy. This Astana format is a useful combination of players, if you wish. We are very much concerned. And when this happened, with Aleppo and surroundings, I had a conversation with the Turkish minister of foreign affairs and with Iranian colleague. We agreed to try to meet this week. Hopefully in Doha at the margins of this international conference. We would like to discuss the need to come back to strict implementation of the deals on Idlib area, because Idlib de-escalation zone was the place from where the terrorists moved to take Aleppo. The arrangements reached in 2019 and 2020 provided for our Turkish friends to control the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone and to separate the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (former Nusra) from the opposition, which is non-terrorist and which cooperates with Turkiye. And another deal was the opening of M5 route from Damascus to Aleppo, which is also now taken completely by the terrorists. So we, as ministers of foreign affairs, would discuss the situation, hopefully, this coming Friday. And the military of all three countries and the security people are in contact with each other. Tucker Carlson: But the Islamist groups, the terrorists you just described, who is backing them? Sergey Lavrov: Well, we have some information. We would like to discuss with all our partners in this process the way to cut the channels of financing and arming them. The information which is being floated and it's in the public domain mentions among others the Americans, the Brits. Some people say that Israel is interested in making this situation aggravate. So that Gaza is not under very close scrutiny. It's a complicated game. Many actors are involved. I hope that the context which we are planning for this week will help stabilize the situation. Tucker Carlson: What do you think of Donald Trump? Sergey Lavrov: I met him several times when he was having meetings with President Putin and when he received me twice in the Oval Office when I was visiting for bilateral talks. Well, I think he's a very strong person. A person who wants results. Who doesn't like procrastination on anything. This is my impression. He's very friendly in discussions. But this does not mean that he's pro-Russian as some people try to present him. The amount of sanctions we received under the Trump administration was very big. We respect any choice which is made by the people when they vote. We respect the choice of American people. As President Putin said, we are and we have been open all along to the contacts with the current administration. We hope that when Donald Trump is inaugurated, we will understand. The ball, as President Putin said, is on their side. We never severed our contacts, our ties in the economy, trade, security, anything. Tucker Carlson: My final question is: how sincerely worried are you about an escalation in conflict between Russia and the United States, knowing what you do? Sergey Lavrov: Well, we started with this question, more or less. Tucker Carlson: It seems the central question. Sergey Lavrov: Yes. The Europeans whisper to each other that it is not for Volodymyr Zelensky to dictate the terms of the deal - it's for the US and Russia. I don't think we should be presenting our relations as two guys decide for everybody. Not at all. It is not our style. We prefer the manners which dominate in BRICS, in Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where the UN Charter principle of sovereign equality of states is really embodied. The US is not used to respect sovereign equality of states. When the US says we cannot allow Russia to win on Ukraine because this would undermine our rules-based world order. And rules-based world order is American domination. Now, by the way, NATO, at least under Biden administration, is eyeing the entire Eurasian continent, Indo-Pacific strategies, South China Sea, East China Sea, is already on NATO agenda. NATO is moving infrastructure there. AUKUS, building ‘quartet’ Indo-Pacific Four as they call it (Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea). US, South Korea, and Japan are building military alliance with some nuclear components. And Jens Stoltenberg, the former Secretary General of NATO, last year after the summit he said that the Atlantic security is indivisible from Indo-Pacific security. When he was asked does it mean that you go beyond territorial defense, he answered - no, it doesn't go beyond territorial defense, but to defend our territory, we need to be present there. This element of preemption is more and more present. We don't want war with anybody. And as I said, five nuclear states declared at the top level in January 2022 that we don't want confrontation with each other and that we shall respect each other's security interests and concerns. And it also stated nuclear war can never be won, and therefore nuclear war is not possible. And the same was reiterated bilaterally between Russia and the United States, Putin-Biden, when they met in 2021 in Geneva in June. Basically, they reproduced the statement by Reagan-Gorbachev of 1987 ‘no nuclear war’. And this is absolutely in our vital interest, and we hope that this is also in vital interest of the United States. I say so because some time ago John Kirby, who is the White House communications coordinator, was answering questions about escalation and about possibility of nuclear weapons being employed. And he said, "Oh, no, we don't want escalation because then if there is some nuclear element, then our European allies would suffer." So even mentally, he excludes that the United States can suffer. And this is something which makes the situation a bit risky. It might – if this mentality prevails, then some reckless steps would be taken, and this is bad. Tucker Carlson: What you're saying is American policy makers imagine there could be a nuclear exchange that doesn't directly affect the United States, and you're saying that's not true. Sergey Lavrov: That's what I said, yes. But professionals in deterrence, nuclear deterrence policy, they know very well that it's a very dangerous game. And to speak about limited exchange of nuclear strikes is an invitation to disaster, which we don't want to have.