Proteas opening batter Matthew Breetzke rattled up a record century before Kane Williamson and Devon Conway counterpunched with a remarkable partnership to lead New Zealand to an impressive six-wicket victory in a Tri-Nations fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday. Former Grey High schoolboy star Breetzke broke a 47-year-old international record when he made the highest score on a one-day international debut with 150. Breetzke, 26, struck 11 fours and five sixes in his 148-ball innings as South Africa, batting first, amassed 304 for six in their 50 overs. But his heroics were not enough as Williamson and Conway, who were both in action in the recently completed SA20, combined for a stunning second-wicket partnership of 187 off 155 balls to help the Black Caps reach their target
Author Archives: The Esbec Team
Feb
Before anything else happens, before diplomacy, before rebuilding, before grand visions of the future – the hostages must come home. By JPOST EDITORIAL FEBRUARY 10, 2025 05:57 Updated: FEBRUARY 10, 2025 06:05 (L-R) Ohad Ben Ami, Or Levy, and Eli Sharabi, released from Hamas captivty, February 8, 2025. (photo credit: Canva, REUTERS/Ramadan Abed) The year was 1944. US bombers flew over occupied Poland, striking Nazi targets to weaken Hitler’s war machine. They passed within miles of Auschwitz, the infamous death camp where over a million Jews perished. Survivors later recalled seeing American planes overhead – a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, someone would stop the horrors unfolding inside. But the bombers never turned their sights on the gas chambers. The US military argued that an attack on Auschwitz
Feb
The Minister for Communications, Sam Nartey George, has urged Parliament to review CCTV footage to identify the MP who made an offensive remark about Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the MP for Klottey Korle. Speaking on Joy FM’s Newsfile programme on Saturday, February 8, 2025, Sam George condemned the remark, which referred to Dr Agyeman-Rawlings as the “daughter of a murderer.” He said such conduct must not be ignored. “I believe that’s an issue we are investigating. Parliament is investigating. We need to get to the bottom of that,” he said. He noted that the voice came from a section of the House “behind Afenyo” and insisted that the chamber’s CCTV footage must be examined to identify the culprit. “It would allow us to see, because nobody could have made those comments
Feb
Guy Hedgecoe Business reporter Reporting from Segovia, central Spain Getty Images Spain attracts the second highest number of overseas visitors after France It’s a chilly mid-winter afternoon in Segovia, in central Spain, and tourists are gathered at the foot of the city’s Roman aqueduct, gazing up at its famous arches and taking selfies. Many of the visitors are Spanish, but there are also people from other European countries, Asians and Latin Americans, all drawn by Segovia’s historic charm, gastronomy and dramatic location just beyond the mountains north of Madrid. “There was a moment during Covid when I thought ‘maybe tourism will never, ever be like it was before’,” says Elena Mirón, a local guide dressed in a fuchsia-coloured beret who is about to lead a group across the city. “But
Feb
At a time when we anticipate the launch of a normalization process, dismantling USAID threatens to derail it before it even begins. By NADAV TAMIR FEBRUARY 10, 2025 01:30 PROTESTERS MARCH outside the USAID building in Washington last week after Elon Musk announced that work is underway to shut down the US foreign aid agency. USAID embodies the soft power of the United States and dismantling it contradicts the concept of ‘American exceptionalism,’ the writer argues. (photo credit: Kent Nishimura/Reuters) The Trump administration, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is taking an unprecedented step toward dismantling USAID and significantly reducing US foreign aid. In recent days, thousands of agency employees have been placed on forced leave, and all aid programs worldwide have been frozen. “USAID is not
Feb
The Philadelphia Eagles are your Super Bowl LIX champions. Eaglesredeemed their prior Super Bowl LVII loss to Kansas City Chiefs defeating their opponents, 40-22, in a matchup at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The Eagles took an early and commanding lead with a first quarter touchdown from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. A second quarter interception taken for a touchdown by Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean extended the Philadelphia lead, which never relented. Touchdowns from A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith helped secure the Super Bowl win. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws a pass in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images Celebrities from across the world of entertainment, like Anne Hathaway and Jay-Z, arrived in New
Feb
DeepSeek is fighting a surge in fake social media accounts and websites pretending to be linked to the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up, as scammers and impersonators take advantage of the frenzy surrounding the firm’s success. Hangzhou-based DeepSeek on Thursday warned that it had only three authentic social media accounts, which could be found on Chinese platforms WeChat and RedNote , as well as US microblogging service X, formerly Twitter. The company added that its namesake chatbot app was free to download and that it had not issued cryptocurrencies. Any social media groups set up in the name of DeepSeek to charge fees must be fraudulent, it said. This was DeepSeek’s first official statement since its V3 large language model and R1 reasoning model grabbed global attention last month. In
Feb
We are the State of the Start-Up Nation and need to act like it. Will that be easy? No. But if there’s any country in the world that can make chaos work efficiently, it is Israel. By ZVIKA KLEIN FEBRUARY 7, 2025 05:54 WOULDN’T IT be great if every prime minister had an advisery group comprising the top Jewish and Israeli businessmen and women? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes Elon Musk on a tour of Kibbutz Kfar Aza in November 2023. (photo credit: Amos Ben-Gershom-GPO/Handout via Getty Images) It would appear as though no day goes by without another scandal or story hitting the headlines involving Elon Musk – the candid, colorful billionaire who has become the right-hand man to US President Donald Trump since the campaign trail. He disrupted the
Feb
President Donald Trump’s Department of Transportation just dealt a blow to a key federal program that funds the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the U.S. In a letter to state transportation departments titled “Suspending Approval of State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans,” the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) notified states that their plans to deploy charging infrastructure under the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program were no longer approved. Under the NEVI program, states need to submit plans to the FHWA ahead of each fiscal year, outlining how they plan to use the funds. During the Biden administration, the FHWA approved the first four (out of five) years of state plans, for fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Although that funding was essentially unlocked by states, not all
Feb
Dogwoof/Yabayay Media/Antipode Films Basel Adra with his camera in his West Bank home, an Israeli army bulldozer behind him A Palestinian and an Israeli sit in a West Bank village at night. They wonder aloud whether Basel will ever be able to freely visit Yuval’s home in Israel, whether Basel’s village will get building permits, and whether they will one day have stability. For years, the friends have been filming the destruction of houses, a well and a school by the Israeli army after a court order declared Basel’s community illegal. They tell each other they hope they will change that reality. Now, that scene has reached some of the world’s biggest stages. The film it is in, No Other Land, has been nominated for an Oscar and a Bafta
Feb
There’s a certain level of zen that comes with boarding an airplane. The free-for-all may be stressful, but the chaos is also predictable. If you fly often enough, you can see from a mile away how the process is going to go — especially when it comes to the battle of the bags. It typically starts with an unenthused agent issuing what seems like a far-too-early warning that overhead bin space is running out, causing a swarm of anxious passengers to crowd the gate in an attempt to ensure their bag travels with them. Some passengers voluntarily hand over their luggage for a gate check, begrudgingly strapping on that dreaded red tag, while others hold out, betting that there’s more room on the plane than the staff is letting on.
Feb
Donald Trump said the ICC abused its power by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” targeting Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. By HANNAH SARISOHN FEBRUARY 7, 2025 00:42 Updated: FEBRUARY 7, 2025 01:54 US PRESIDENT Donald Trump holds a signed executive order in the Oval Office last week. (photo credit: Carlos Barria/Reuters) US President Donald Trump issued sanctions to members of the International Criminal Court through an executive order on Thursday evening as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrapped up his day meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Trump said the ICC abused its power by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” targeting Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, according to the order. “The ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel, as neither country is a party to the
Feb
For the full year 2024, Amazon’s net income jumped to $59.2 billion from $30.4 billion in 2023. Photo: Julio Cesar AGUILAR / AFP/FileSource: AFP E-commerce giant Amazon reported strong earnings Thursday but, like its big tech peers Microsoft and Google, saw its stock price fall on concerns over high AI investment costs. The mounting expenses of data-intensive artificial intelligence and its infrastructure have cast a shadow over this earnings season, with only Facebook owner Meta winning Wall Street’s approval. Meta’s stock surged 18 percent in January as investors endorsed its AI strategy. Amazon’s AWS cloud division, along with rivals Microsoft and Google, are investing heavily in AI data centers while meaningful returns remain uncertain. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy defended the spending, saying the company was on track to spend $100
Feb
In an era where home security concerns are increasingly prevalent, many families are turning to a time-tested solution: guard dogs. While modern security systems offer sophisticated technological advantages, the unique combination of protection, companionship, and deterrence that guard dogs provide remains unmatched. This comprehensive guide will explore the most effective dog breeds for home protection, […]
Feb
Have you ever wondered what made Michael Jordan not just a basketball legend, but a cultural phenomenon that transformed sports forever? While his six NBA championships and numerous accolades are well-documented, there’s a fascinating world of lesser-known facts about His Airness that adds depth to his legendary status. From his early struggles to his business […]