Italy is in advanced talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for a deal to provide secure telecommunications for the nation’s government – the largest such project in Europe, people with knowledge of the matter said Sunday. Discussions are ongoing, and a final agreement on the five-year contract has not been reached, said the people, who asked not to be identified citing confidential discussions. The project has already been approved by Italy’s Intelligence Services as well as Italy’s Defense Ministry, they said. The negotiations, which had stalled until recently, appeared to move forward after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited president-elect Donald Trump in Florida on Saturday. Italian officials have been negotiating on a €1.5 billion (US$1.6 billion) deal aimed at supplying Italy with a full range of top-level encryption for telephone
Author Archives: The Esbec Team
By Junior Lebese Cape Town will be pulsating with the ANC’s celebratory activity this week, particularly its annual “January 8” celebration. The celebration marks a watershed moment as the party emerges bruised from a historic “below-50” performance in the 2024 national elections. This January 8 statement isn’t going to be just another political ritual—it’s a defining moment for both the ANC and many South Africans, a make-or-break moment. The nation awaits President Ramaphosa’s Khayelitsha speech with bated breath, seeking signals of the party’s posture since its electoral setback. Back in 2015, at a five-day ‘Alliance’ summit, then-Secretary General Gwede Mantashe (now National Chairperson) diagnosed that “crass displays of wealth and arrogance are among the problems facing the ANC,” noting the “growing social distance between the leadership and the people” they
Jan
A Philippine lawmaker’s call for an additional US military site to help counter foreign intrusions and potential resource exploitation following the recovery of a submarine drone allegedly from China has drawn mixed reactions from analysts and politicians. Filipino congressman Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte said that having a naval base under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) in the south, particularly in his province, was crucial for protecting the country’s eastern seaboard, which is rich in deuterium deposits. Deuterium, a type of hydrogen, is used in fusion reactors and has various military, industrial, and scientific uses. Barbers warned in a statement last Thursday that foreign actors might be conducting intelligence operations targeting deuterium and other mineral resources in Philippine waters. He was referring to the yellow drone, marked
Jan
Getty Images Demi Moore recalled being told earlier in her career that she was a “popcorn actress” Demi Moore has made a triumphant return to the Golden Globes, winning best actress for a role in a body horror which has revitalised her career. The 62-year-old gave an impassioned speech as she collected her award, telling the audience she was “at a low point” in her career before being cast in The Substance. Moore said the award was a celebration of “the gift of doing something I love and being reminded that I do belong”. Other film winners included Emilia Pérez, The Brutalist and Wicked, while Baby Reindeer and Shōgun won the big TV prizes. One of the night’s big surprises was Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres winning best drama actress for
![Then-US President Donald Trump poses for a photo with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019 [Susan Walsh/AP Photo]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Why-Trumps-blow-hot-blow-cold-on-China-worries-India.jpg)
New Delhi, India — When China announced the creation of new counties last week, it marked out borders that included swaths of land that India claims as part of Ladakh, a region administered federally by New Delhi. India was quick to respond with a public protest. The country’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said New Delhi had “never accepted the illegal Chinese occupation of Indian territory in this area”. China’s announcement, he said, would not give any “legitimacy” to Beijing’s territorial claims. The latest spat between the Asian giants underscores the fragility of a detente they declared along their contested border in October, after a four-year-long eyeball-to-eyeball standoff between their troops. The neighbours withdrew many of their soldiers, even though questions about the future of land that was
India captain Jasprit Bumrah is forced off with injury on Day Two of the fifth Test but Australia fail to capitalise. India brushed off the absence of captain Jasprit Bumrah to dismiss Australia for 181 and reach 141 for six for an overall lead of 145 on an extraordinary second day of the finely balanced fifth Test. On a day of high drama at a sunbathed Sydney Cricket Ground, Bumrah took the first wicket to set India on their way but departed with the team doctor soon after Lunch for medical scans of his back after suffering spasms. Prasidh Krishna (3-42), Mohammed Siraj (3-51) and Nitish Kumar Reddy stepped into the considerable bowling void left by their captain to rout Australia and fire India to a slender first-innings lead of
Jan
King deeply saddened over Briton’s death in New Orleans attack, palace sources say King Charles is deeply saddened by the death of a British man who was killed in the vehicle attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, Buckingham Palace sources say. Edward Pettifer, 31 – who was named by the Metropolitan Police on Saturday morning – is believed to be the stepson of Alexandra Pettifer, known as Tiggy, who looked after Prince William and Prince Harry when they were children. Palaces sources have told the BBC the King has been in touch with Mr Pettifer’s family to share his personal condolences. In a tribute, Mr Pettifer’s family described him as a “wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend to so many”.
Jan
Police are poring over what they believe are letters left by Matthew Livelsberger — the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on New Year’s Day outside the Trump International Las Vegas Hotel — on a phone in the destroyed vehicle, authorities said Friday. Livelsberger shared personal and political “grievances” in the recovered messages and called the attack a “wake up call,” police said. “I know everyone is very eager to try to understand and be able to explain what happened,” Las Vegas Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said during a press briefing on Friday. “We still have a large volume of data to go through, a lot of content to go through.” Livelsberger, an active-duty Army soldier, said the country was being led by the “weak” and those out to
Jan
The US government may unveil new restrictions targeting China’s black-market trade in advanced chips during the last week that President Joe Biden is in the White House, according to sources familiar with the matter. The South China Morning Post reported earlier that Washington plans to issue a new rule by the end of December 2024 aimed at curbing Chinese companies’ sourcing of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips from unrestricted third-party countries. But sources briefed on the matter said the Biden administration had decided to postpone the release of the so-called “global artificial intelligence (AI) diffusion rule” due to delays in expert reviews as a result of US government “budgetary issues”. However, President Biden is still expected to implement the rule before January 20, his last day in office, the sources
Jan
Unlike the 50 states that make up the United States, the 93 nations that comprise Eurasia are not all connected by culture, language or even a common transport system. The latter deficiency is being remedied, however, and this is likely to aid the emergence of a United States of Eurasia. This will have enormous economic and political implications, and perhaps helps explain US hostility towards the integration of a potentially rival continent. In particular, it hints at why Washington has opposed China’s Belt and Road Initiative from the outset. Forging a continental whole from nations covering 55 million sq km (over 21 sq miles) of land with a total population of over 5 billion – compared to the US with a land area of 9.1 million sq km and 345
Jan
In the women’s game, Nelly Korda won seven times, including her second major 03 January 2025 – 16:44 By Frank Pingue Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. Scottie Scheffler of the US celebrates on the 18th green after winning the 2024 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on April 14 2024. Image: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images While professional golf’s future is as uncertain now as it was a year ago given the pace of negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi backers of LIV Golf, one thing was made crystal clear in 2024 — Scottie Scheffler is the man to beat. Scheffler became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2007 to win seven or more times
Jan
The modernization of our power grid stands as one of the most critical infrastructure challenges of the 21st century. As we navigate the transition to renewable energy sources and face increasing demands for reliability and resilience, understanding the technology roadmap for grid modernization becomes essential for utility professionals and energy stakeholders. Introduction: The Grid at […]
Jan
James Carville and Mary Matalin, America’s quintessential bipartisan power couple, have turned their marriage into a metaphor for bridging divides. Thanks to their fiery debates and enduring partnership, the duo’s lives have piqued public interest, too. But what happened to James Carville and Mary Matalin? James Carville speaks onstage during Angel Ball 2015, and Mary Matalin attends the 2013 Legends For Charity Dinner. Photo: Bryan Bedder, Tyler Kaufman (modified by author)Source: Getty Images TABLE OF CONTENTS Who is James Carville? Who is Mary Matalin? James Carville and Mary Matalin’s relationship When did Carville and Mary meet? Are Carville and Matalin still together? What happened to James Carville and Mary Matalin? FAQs about James Carville and Mary Matalin Wrapping up James Carville and Mary Matalin remain engaged in various personal and
Jan
Sa’ar’s new budget is the first step toward correcting 77 years of mistakes in neglecting Israel’s effort to explain itself to the world, which is more important than ever. By GIL HOFFMAN JANUARY 3, 2025 14:28 GIDEON SA’AR (photo credit: Shalev Mann) There was a movie in 1985 called Brewster’s Millions, in which Richard Pryor played minor league pitcher Montgomery “Monty” Brewster, who accepted a challenge to spend $30 million in 30 days in order to inherit $300 million from his great uncle. Thirty years later, new Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar finds himself in a similar place. Once the state budget passes into law, Sa’ar will receive $150 million for Israeli public diplomacy – half of what Brewster won, but 20 times more than the pathetic amount the government previously
![A Palestinian girl stands near the site of an Israeli attack on a house in Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on January 3, 2025 [Abd Elhkeem Khaled/Reuters]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Israeli-forces-kill-dozens-in-Gaza-with-ceasefire-talks-set-to-resume.jpg)
As an Israeli delegation heads to Doha for talks, Israeli forces kill at least 26 people in attacks across Gaza. At least 35 Palestinians have been killed in multiple Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn, as high-level negotiators prepare to resume stalled ceasefire talks. Israeli forces killed at least 19 people in the central Gaza Strip on Friday, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Reporting from Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said Friday was shaping up to be “another bloody day”, following a 24-hour period in which at least 71 Palestinians were killed in 34 Israeli air attacks, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. Abu Azzoum said gunfire in Deir el-Balah suggested a “potential military advance by Israeli ground forces” in response to a Hamas attack on