Shillong Teer Results TODAY December 23, 2024 Live Updates: Check lucky winning numbers
The game is not only a source of entertainment but also provides economic opportunities for many locals. It has become a significant part of Shillong’s culture, drawing crowds and fostering community engagement.
Where is Atul Subhash’s son? Mother of Bengaluru techie moves Supreme Court for custody of grandson
A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotishwar Singh heard the plea on December 20 and sought the responses of States of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Karnataka.
Delhi weather update: Light rain lashes Delhi-NCR, temperatures to drop to…
A layer of fog engulfs the national capital as coldwave grips the city.
Will the Christmas market attack divide Germans further over immigration?
German authorities say the suspect supports a right-wing party. German authorities say the psychiatrist accused of a ramming attack in Magdeburg is Islamophobic. They have charged the Saudi psychiatrist – who has lived in Germany for 18 years – with several counts of murder and attempted murder. But the anti-immigrant, far-right Alternative for Germany party has made gains in opinion polls before February’s snap election. And just days after the fall of the al-Assad regime, the government in Berlin froze asylum applications from Syrians. Will Friday’s carnage, coupled with the dispute about migrants in Europe, divide Germany even further? Could police have done more to prevent the attack? Presenter: Neave Barker Guests: Ulrich Brueckner – Professor of political science at Stanford University in Berlin Rachel Rizzo – Non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center Muhammad al Kashef – Political adviser and consultant at Migrant Solidarity Network Adblock test (Why?)
Trump rejects taunts that Elon Musk is real power behind US president-elect
United States President Donald Trump has pushed back on the notion that he has “ceded the presidency” to billionaire Elon Musk, who has taken an outsized role in the president-elect’s transition into the White House. Trump made the comments during a speech in Arizona on Sunday, days after the Tesla and SpaceX owner intervened alongside the president-elect to scuttle a budget bill negotiated in Congress. The incident was the latest in which Musk has taken an atypically large role in the incoming Trump administration, prompting criticism from Democrats and from within Trump’s own Republican party. Directly addressing those criticisms for the first time, Trump praised Musk, before adding: “And no, he’s not taking the presidency.” Trump further called the suggestion that he has “ceded the presidency to Elon Musk” another “hoax” pushed by his political opponents. In a later quip, Trump noted that there is no risk of Musk officially taking over as president because he would be constitutionally barred from doing so. Advertisement “You know why he can’t be [president]?” Trump asked the crowd in Arizona. “He wasn’t born in this country.” The South African-born Musk – the world’s richest person according to Forbes Magazine – became one of Trump’s biggest supporters in the run-up to the election, endorsing the president-elect in July following an assassination attempt and pumping an estimated $200m into a Political Action Committee (PAC) supporting Trump. He has since been tapped by Trump to lead a proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with taking a slash-and-burn approach to federal government spending. The so-called “department” has been billed as an independent advisory panel, not an official government agency, and its purview remains undefined. Budget deal intervention Trump’s comments come a day after outgoing US President Joe Biden signed into law a funding bill that averts a government shutdown. The previous bill negotiated by members of both parties in Congress was torpedoed days earlier when Trump came out in opposition. The president-elect’s main contention was that the bill did not raise the debt ceiling – a political fight Trump hoped to avoid before taking office in January. The debt ceiling is the US’s borrowing limit, a cap imposed by Congress on how much money the government can borrow to cover the gap between its revenue and spending. Musk had also come out in opposition to the deal, which he criticised in a flood of tweets on the X social media platform that he also owns. He pledged to financially support primary challenges to lawmakers who supported the original legislation. Advertisement Speaker of the House Mike Johnson later told US media that he spoke by phone to both Trump and Musk as a new bill was renegotiated. The final bill – which funds the US government at the current rate through March 14 – gutted several provisions opposed by Trump and Musk. However, the final version did not raise the debt ceiling amid opposition from a cadre of Republican lawmakers. Speaking to CNN, Republican lawmaker Rich McCormick said Musk’s intervention showed “he has influence and he’ll put pressure on us to do whatever he thinks the right thing is for him.” Other Republicans have been more accepting, with Representative Tony Gonzales saying in an interview on CBS that it “feels like Elon Musk is our prime minister”. Speaking on CNN, Senator Bill Hagerty praised Musk’s role in negotiating the bill, while pushing back on the notion that the billionaire was driving Trump’s decisions. ‘Extremely alarming’ Beyond the budget deal, Musk’s regular presence alongside Trump before he takes office on January 20 has for weeks caused disquiet among Democrats. The billionaire was on the call when Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his election victory. He has also been present for recent meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in New York. The criticism has been prompted by social media memes showing Trump kowtowing to Musk in various settings. Following last week’s budget negotiations, several Democrats accused Musk of intervening to serve his own interests. Advertisement They pointed to his support for removing a provision in the original bill that could have limited the operations of his businesses in China. “It is extremely alarming that House Republican leadership, at the urging of an unelected billionaire, scrapped a bipartisan, bicameral negotiated funding deal that included this critical provision to protect American jobs and critical capabilities,” Representative Rosa DeLauro wrote in a letter to congressional leaders on Friday. Adblock test (Why?)
As South Korea draws visitors chasing beauty, dodgy practices pose risks
Seoul, South Korea – When Alex looked into the price difference between rhinoplasty, commonly known as a “nose job”, in the United States and South Korea, she thought that flying to the Asian country for the surgery was a no-brainer. “$30,000 or $6,000, the choice was clear,” Alex, who asked not to be referred to by her real name, told Al Jazeera, describing her decision to undergo the procedure in the country “known to be number one in plastic surgery”. But less than a year later, the entertainer found herself grappling with severe complications. The implant from her surgery had begun protruding through her skin, necessitating emergency removal back in the US. “Had I known what I know now, I would have never done it,” she said, visibly distressed as she described her ongoing struggle with complications, including a crooked nose and visible hole that required corrective surgery. “I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Korea to do surgery because of this.” South Korea has the highest rate of plastic surgery procedures per capita in the world, according to Expert Market Research, with a market worth $1.7bn in 2023. Advertisement The sector is expected to grow to be worth $5.19bn by 2032, driven by the global popularity of Korean pop culture, or “hallyu”, which has popularised Korean beauty standards and fuelled interest in Korean cosmetic procedures worldwide. In the capital Seoul, the affluent district of Gangnam is awash with clinics and hospitals specialising in cosmetic procedures and surgery, offering everything from double eyelid surgery to facial contouring, liposuction and breast augmentation. A pedestrian walks past an advertisement for a plastic surgery clinic at a subway station in Seoul on March 26, 2014 [Jung Yeon-Je/AFP] While they also cater to local customers, international patients are a highly lucrative part of their business. Last year, South Korea attracted 605,768 non-resident foreign patients for medical services, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, with the highest numbers coming from Japan, China, the United States and Thailand. Plastic surgery accounted for 16.8 percent of procedures – more than 114,000 surgeries – making it the second most sought-after medical speciality after dermatology. But beneath the glossy marketing and viral social media videos luring medical tourists from around the world, foreign patients face a multitude of barriers to access, misinformation and deceptive practices, putting their health at risk, an investigation by Al Jazeera has found. One of the biggest challenges for medical tourists is the language barrier. In key markets like China and the US, prospective patients often turn to a variety of online platforms for advice, including open chat groups, Reddit pages, and even niche forums ostensibly dedicated to topics like designer handbags. Advertisement These murky digital spaces are filled with anonymous users discussing procedures while exchanging clinic and doctor recommendations, procedure tips, so-called blacklists and translator contacts. The abundance of unverified information and lack of accountability make it challenging for users to discern genuine experiences from potentially biased accounts or covert advertisements. They are also a hunting ground for illegal brokers who can make substantial commissions for simply referring clients. While soliciting to foreign patients is legal, it requires a government licence. Eligible companies must have a registered Korean office address, maintain specified capital and carry insurance. Hospitals face more stringent requirements to be able to legally receive foreign patients, including having at least one specialist per medical department and higher levels of medical malpractice insurance. When posing as a potential patient on a number of platforms, Al Jazeera was approached within minutes by anonymous facilitators who admitted they did not have the required certification. In 2020, the dangers of the industry were thrust into the spotlight when Bonnie Evita Law, a heiress to a Hong Kong fashion empire, died during a liposuction procedure at a Seoul clinic. Law was reportedly introduced to the hospital through an illegal broker. The operating surgeon, later revealed to be an orthopaedic specialist rather than a plastic surgeon, was charged with professional negligence resulting in death. The outcome of the case was not publicly revealed. Advertisement While only certified specialists can officially call their practices “plastic surgery clinics”, any licensed medical doctor in South Korea can legally perform cosmetic surgeries as Korean medical law does not restrict doctors to only working in their specialised field. In a more recent case, a Chinese woman died in January shortly after receiving liposuction surgery at a clinic in Gangnam. The problem of Chinese cosmetic surgery patients falling victim to unscrupulous and unsafe practices has become so prevalent that the Chinese embassy in Seoul in January issued a notice warning its citizens to “be wary of advertising and risks” and “carefully choose intermediary agencies”. Pedestrians walk outside the Chinese embassy in Seoul on January 10, 2023 [Anthony Wallace/AFP] The Ministry of Health and Welfare, through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), operates a centre for reporting illegal soliciting of foreign patients. The number of reports has risen significantly – from 11 cases in 2021 to 16 in 2022, to 59 last year. An official at KHIDI, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that “cases handled as suspected violations are subject to follow-up measures such as fines and penalties”. “Those confirmed as illegal solicitation are administratively disposed of by local governments in accordance with the law,” the official said. However, when pressed for specifics on how many cases were actually investigated or processed, the official did not provide figures, only stating that the number would “inevitably be lower” than the number of cases reported. Advertisement Kang Ki-yoon, a lawmaker with South Korea’s ruling People Power Party, last year raised concern about the lack of clarity around the handling of cases, suggesting that despite the increase in reports, there appeared to be little follow-up action. “It’s a national disgrace for foreigners seeking our country’s world-class medical technology to fall victim to unethical practices by some medical institutions,” Kang said, calling for more rigorous management of such cases. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a friend
Trump names several new White House picks to work on AI, crypto and more: ‘America First Patriots’
President-elect Donald Trump unleashed a slew of nominations on Sunday night, naming several new people to serve in his forthcoming administration. In several Truth Social posts on Sunday, Trump introduced various experts to work in the White House on issues ranging from defense to technology to budgeting. The Republican leader began by naming Stephen Alexander Vaden as his nominee for deputy secretary of the Department of Agriculture. “In my First Term, Stephen was the General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture, and a Member of the Board of the Commodity Credit Corporation, where he won two cases before the United States Supreme Court, relocated and reorganized the Agencies that comprise the Department to better serve Rural America, and engaged in substantial regulatory reform,” Trump wrote in a post. “Stephen joined the USDA on Day One of my First Term, and left in December 2020 after I nominated him, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him, to continue to serve the American People as an Article III Judge on the Court of International Trade,” he added. “Judge Stephen Vaden resides in Union City, Tennessee, where he helps manage his family farm. Congratulations Stephen!” TRUMP NOMINATES PAIR TO HELP LEAD DOJ, ANNOUNCES FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION PICK Trump followed up his first post by naming a “slate of America First Patriots” to work with Pete Hegseth, his nominee for secretary of defense and a former “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host. Trump nominated Stephen Feinberg as the next deputy secretary of defense, and said Feinberg would “Help Make the Pentagon Great Again.” “An extremely successful businessman, Stephen is a Princeton graduate, who founded his company, Cerberus, in 1992,” Trump wrote. “In addition to his leadership at Cerberus, from 2018 to January 2021, Stephen served as Chairman of my Intelligence Advisory Board.” The president-elect went on to name Elbridge “Bridge” Colby as his pick for under secretary of defense for policy. “A highly respected advocate for our America First foreign and defense policy, Bridge will work closely with my outstanding Secretary of Defense Nominee, Pete Hegseth, to restore our Military power, and achieve my policy of PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump said, noting that Colby graduated from Harvard University and Yale Law School. “Bridge served with distinction in the Pentagon in my First Term, leading the effort on my landmark 2018 Defense strategy…and will make an excellent addition to my team, who will, Make America Great Again!” Trump then named Michael Duffey and Emil Michael as his picks for under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, and undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, respectively. “Mike will drive change at the Pentagon and, as a staunch proponent of an America First approach to our National Defense, will work to revitalize our Defense Industrial Base, and rebuild our Military,” Trump said of Duffey. Trump added that Emil Michael would “ensure that our Military has the most technologically sophisticated weapons in the World, while saving A LOT of money for our Taxpayers.” GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? “Emil is a graduate of Harvard University, and has a Law degree from Stanford,” Trump wrote. “He is a one of the most respected leaders in the Tech business, and will be a champion for the Troops, and our Great Country.” For his next defense-related picks, Trump announced Keith Bass as his nominee for assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, and that Joe Kasper would serve as chief of staff for the secretary of defense. Kasper worked in the first Trump administration in support roles, in addition to Capitol Hill. Bass, a retired Navy commander, would be “leading the charge to ensure our Troops are healthy, and receiving the best Medical Care possible,” Trump said. Next, Trump announced Scott Kupor as his pick for the director of the Office of Personnel Management. Trump noted that Kupor was the first employee at Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm where he is now a managing partner. “Scott will bring much needed reform to our federal workforce. Scott graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy,” Trump wrote. “He also holds a Law degree, with distinction, from Stanford University. Congratulations Scott!” In his final bundle of nominations, the Republican president-elect announced his picks for tech-related roles. Trump began by naming Michael J.K. Kratsios as his new director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Kratsios, who will also serve as an assistant to the president for science and technology, holds a degree from Princeton University. Trump noted that he previously served as an under secretary of defense for research & engineering at the Pentagon, among other roles. LAWMAKERS REACT TO STOPGAP FUNDING AND AVERTING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Trump added that Dr. Lynne Parker will serve as executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and counselor to the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “Dr. Parker previously served as Deputy U.S. CTO, and Founding Director of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office,” Trump said. “She received her PhD in Computer Science from MIT.” Trump’s last two picks were Bo Hines and Sriram Krishnan. Hines will be the executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, which Trump described as a “a new advisory group composed of luminaries from the Crypto industry.” “In his new role, Bo will work with David to foster innovation and growth in the digital assets space, while ensuring industry leaders have the resources they need to succeed,” Trump wrote, adding that Krishnan will serve as senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “Working closely with David Sacks, Sriram will focus on ensuring continued American leadership in A.I., and help shape and coordinate A.I. policy across Government, including working with the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology,” Trump wrote. “Sriram started his career at Microsoft as a founding member of
Ken Paxton sues NCAA over transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports
The attorney general is accusing the organization of misleading fans by allowing transgender college athletes in women’s sports.
China warns US to stop arming Taiwan after Biden approves $571M in military aid
China has warned the U.S. that it is making “dangerous moves” by providing Taiwan with an additional $571 million in defense materials, which was authorized by President Biden on Saturday. In addition to the $571 million approved by Biden, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Friday that $295 million in military sales had been approved for the self-ruled island of Taiwan. The sales and assistance from the U.S. are intended to help Taiwan defend itself, and possibly deter China from launching an attack. The Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement urging the U.S. to stop arming Taiwan and to cease what it referred to as “dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” according to a report from The Associated Press. TRUMP CABINET PICKS DELIGHT TAIWAN, SEND STRONG SIGNAL TO CHINA Biden’s approved $571 million in military assistance includes DoD materials and services along with military education and training for Taiwan. The funds are in addition to another $567 million that the president approved for the same purposes in September. The $295 million in military sales includes about $265 million for about 300 tactical radio systems and $30 million for 16 gun mounts. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a post on X that the two sales reaffirmed the U.S. government’s “commitment to our defense.” PHILIPPINES WARNS OF ‘RED LINE’ WITH BEIJING AMID HEIGHTENED TENSIONS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA Earlier this month, Taiwan defense officials raised concerns about a substantial deployment of Chinese naval ships and military planes, saying the build-up could eventually lead to war as tensions continue to rise in the region. Officials said China had sent about a dozen ships and 47 military planes to regional waters around the Taiwan Strait, as the nation braced for military drills following Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s recent overseas trip that included visits to Hawaii and Guam, an American territory. Lai, who has been in office since May, spoke with U.S. congressional leaders by phone while in Guam. CHINESE MILITARY MAKES MASSIVE DEPLOYMENT AROUND TAIWAN TO SEND ‘VERY SIMPLE’ MESSAGE Lai’s visit came weeks after the U.S. approved a potential $2 billion arms sale package to Taiwan, including the delivery of an advanced air defense missile system battle tested in Ukraine and radar systems. The potential package included three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and related equipment valued at up to $1.16 billion, according to the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. The Chinese communist government has pledged to annex Taiwan, through military force if necessary, and sends ships and military planes near the island almost daily. The U.S. has repeatedly signaled its support for Taiwan through military deals, operations and diplomatic interactions with Taiwanese officials. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump nominates Callista Gingrich as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, announces other picks
President-elect Trump on Sunday named Callista Gingrich, wife to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, as one of his latest U.S. ambassador nominees. Writing on Truth Social, Trump wrote that he picked Gingrich to serve as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, citing her previous ambassadorial experience in his first administration. Gingrich, and the other ambassador nominees, will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. “Happily married to the Great Newt Gingrich, Callista previously served, with distinction, as my Ambassador to the Holy See,” Trump’s post read. “During her tenure, Callista worked to advance and defend international religious freedom, combat human trafficking, and provide humanitarian assistance around the World.” “Callista graduated, with honors, from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 1988,” the Republican leader added. “Congratulations!” TRUMP NOMINATES PAIR TO HELP LEAD DOJ, ANNOUNCES FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION PICK Trump later wrote that he has nominated Mauricio Claver-Carone as a U.S. special envoy for Latin America. Special envoy positions are different from ambassador roles, as they are shorter and typically meant to fulfill a specific mission. Trump cited “chaos and anarchy” at the U.S. southern border in his announcement about Claver-Carone. “It is time to restore order in our own hemisphere,” Trump wrote. “Mauricio knows the region, and how to put America’s interests FIRST.” GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? “He also knows the dire threats we face from illegal mass migration and fentanyl,” he added. “As the State Department’s Special Envoy, Mauricio will work tirelessly to protect the American People.” In a third post, Trump named Ken Howery, a co-founder of PayPal, as his pick for U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. Howery previously served as a U.S. ambassador to Sweden, and Trump wrote that he “served our National brilliantly” in that role. “As a Co-Founder of PayPal and venture capital fund, Founders Fund, Ken turned American Innovation and Tech leadership into Global success stories, and that experience will be invaluable in representing us abroad,” Trump explained. “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity…Thank you Ken, and congratulations!”