Former Scotland rugby union captain Stuart Hogg has been given a one-year community payback order after he admitted a domestic abuse charge against his estranged wife. The 32-year-old was previously given a five-year non-harassment order and fined £600 after breaching bail conditions. He had admitted shouting and swearing and acting in an abusive manner towards his wife Gillian. Appearing at Selkirk Sheriff Court, he was given a payback order – meaning he will do supervised work in the community – and a non-harassment order was imposed again. Sheriff Peter Paterson told Hogg the sentence was an alternative to custody. The payback order will be reviewed for compliance on 25 March at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, with the former Scotland international required to appear. He made no comment as he left court
Author Archives: The Esbec Team
With dry and windy conditions anticipated, a critical fire risk has been issued. Another round of Santa Ana winds is forecast to sweep into Los Angeles on Thursday night into Friday morning, putting most of the region under a critical fire risk, as emergency responders battle to contain five quickly spreading wildfires. The wind in the region relaxed overnight as the low pressure, which was helping enhance the wind, is moving away into Texas. But high pressure is building from the north and that will help to tighten the pressure gradient over Southern California, producing more gusty winds. An ABC News graphic shows the fire forecast in Southern California on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. ABC News Those winds may help spread the five sprawling wildfires that are spread around the
Jan
Floating solar arrays represent one of the most innovative advances in renewable energy technology. According to the World Bank’s comprehensive floating solar study, these installations can achieve up to 15% higher efficiency compared to traditional ground-mounted systems. This guide provides engineering professionals with essential guidelines for designing effective floating solar installations. Core Components of Floating […]
The China Development Bank has released a $254.76m (R4.83bn) loan to Nigeria for a railway project linking the two northern states of Kano and Kaduna, the bank said, ahead of a visit to the West African country by China’s top diplomat this week. As part of his annual New Year tour of Africa, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi will arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday and meet President Bola Tinubu and senior government officials on Thursday, Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry said. Construction of the Kaduna-to-Kano rail project, which is expected to cost $973m (R18.44bn), has been slowed by funding delays. China Development Bank said in a statement on its website that the loan would provide financial support for the smooth progress of the 203km standard-gauge railway. “Once completed, it will provide
As several fires spread across Southern California, President-elect Donald Trump blamed policies from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden for causing the outbreak. “He is the blame for this,” Trump wrote about Newsom on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday. But the governor’s office called Trump’s evidence “pure fiction.” A person uses a garden hose in an effort to save a neighboring home from catching fire during the Eaton Fire, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in
Transparency in the decision-making processes of international carriers, coupled with efforts to ensure fair pricing and increased availability of flights, could alleviate much of the current strain. By MICHAEL J. SALAMON JANUARY 9, 2025 02:05 AN EL AL plane takes off at Ben-Gurion Airport. With major carriers reducing or suspending their services, passengers are left with few options, and El Al has become one of the few reliable choices, yet this reliability comes with a hefty price tag, the writer notes. (photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90) The war has had a major impact on all of our lives, causing collateral damage in a variety of areas. In the last 15 months, a troubling pattern has emerged in international travel because of the war that has left many passengers, especially those trying
Meta co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies on Capitol Hill in 2018. Photo: CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFPSource: AFP The clean cut hair has grown, his college kid’s hoodie is now a gold chain, and his politics have swerved hard right. Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Facebook and Instagram, on Tuesday accused governments and so-called legacy media of pushing censorship, and vowed to take his world-dominating platforms back to their “roots.” “We’re restoring free expression on our platforms,” he asserted in a video posted on his social networks on Tuesday, in which he announces the end of fact-checking in the US. The out-of-the blue pivot to Trumpian talking points has perplexed many of Zuckerberg’s closest watchers, but the tech pioneer’s sudden alignment with the
The Majority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has informed Parliament that four independent Members of Parliament (MPs) have decided to do business with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority Caucus in the House. He, however, noted that the Majority Caucus was yet to officially communicate this decision by the MPs to the Speaker. “Mr Speaker, the four colleagues of ours who are in this House as independent MPs indeed communicated to our caucus to caucus with us in doing business on the floor,” he said. The four are Dr. Ohene Kwame Frimpong for Asante Akim North, Nandaya Yaw Stanley for Wulensi, Kwame Asare Obeng, commonly known as Kwame A Plus, for Gomoa Central, and Worlasi Kpeli for Afram Plains North, an NDC member who contested as an independent.
At least two people were killed as several fast-growing wildfires raged out of control on Wednesday near Los Angeles, destroying hundreds of buildings, scorching hillsides and prompting officials to order some 70,000 people to evacuate their homes. Fierce winds were hindering firefighting efforts and fuelling the fires, which have expanded unimpeded since they began on Tuesday. The biggest blaze has consumed more than 5,000 acres in Pacific Palisades, a picturesque neighborhood in west Los Angeles County between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu that is home to many film, television and music stars. More than 1,000 structures have been destroyed, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a press conference on Wednesday. Another fire, the Eaton fire, had grown to more than 2,000 acres as it
Jan
Manchester United legend Teddy Sheringham has advocated for Wayne Rooney to join the club’s coaching role Plymouth Argyle recently fired the England and Man United legend after a dreadful run His former side are struggling this season, and Sheringham believes the retired forward will help It has been a good week for Manchester United, who held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw in an epic encounter. The Red Devils are having their worst Premier League season, and after four defeats in a row, there was talk of relegation. Treble winner Teddy Sheringham has said Wayne Rooney could help coach Man United’s struggling strikers. Wayne Rooney’s coaching career has not started well. Photos by Martin Rickett/PA Images and Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA.Source: Getty Images Can Wayne Rooney unlock Man United strikers?
Rugby must learn to love its stars if an unprecedented push to break the United States is to succeed, according to the agents who represent some of the sport’s biggest names and America’s most influential entertainment figures. Roc Nation, which has Rihanna and Alicia Keys among the music stars on its roster, expanded into sport in 2013 and rugby specifically in 2019. The agency now represents South Africa’s two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi, his Springboks team-mate Cheslin Kolbe, former world player of the year Ardie Savea and England trio Marcus Smith, Ellis Genge and Maro Itoje. “There are so many traditionalists still in the game that want to do things in the traditional way,” said Michael Yormark, president of Roc Nation Sports International. “But many people are beginning
Jan
West Ham sack Lopetegui and hold talks with Potter Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Lopetegui had been preparing for Friday’s FA Cup third-round tie with Aston Villa West Ham have sacked manager Julen Lopetegui after just six months in charge and are in talks with Graham Potter about succeeding him. Former Wolves boss Lopetegui, 58, was appointed in May following the departure of David Moyes but officially took charge on 1 July. The Hammers won just six Premier League games during the Spaniard’s tenure. Saturday’s 4-1 defeat by Manchester City was a ninth loss in 20 league games this season and left the club 14th – seven points above the relegation zone. The club have held talks with former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter about taking the role, initially
Economists talked to Business Insider about what they expect to happen in the job market this year. Getting a white-collar job could still be hard, and more people may have to return to the office. Changes under a new administration could affect hiring and turnover. Getting a job was tough for many Americans in 2024. If a career shift is your New Year’s resolution for 2025, you might still find it challenging. Job growth has slowed, unemployment has been historically low but rising, and unemployed Americans are staying jobless for longer. “Heading into 2025, it is going to be a little harder for job seekers across the board,” Cory Stahle, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, said in December. “We’ve seen that just about every category on Indeed has
![A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade 'Khartiia' of the National Guard of Ukraine prepares to fire a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on January 6, 2025 [Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Here-are-the-key-developments-on-the-1049th-day-of-Russias-full-scale-invasion-of-Ukraine.jpg)
Here are the key developments on the 1,049th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A serviceman of 13th Operative Purpose Brigade ‘Khartiia’ of the National Guard of Ukraine prepares to fire a Giatsint-B howitzer towards Russian troops at a position on a front line, in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on January 6, 2025 [Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters] Here is the situation on Wednesday, January 8: Fighting Kyiv said its forces are still actively fighting in Kurakhove, a strategic town in Ukraine’s east that Russia said it had seized. Moscow hailed the capture of the “important logistics hub”, saying it would enable Russian forces to take the rest of the eastern Donetsk region “at an accelerated pace”. Ukraine also said its forces were “commencing new offensive actions” in Russia’s western Kursk region
The Duchess of Sussex has said she is “devastated” following the death of her dog, Guy. In a post on Instagram, Meghan said had “cried too many tears to count” over the dog’s passing and thanked him for “so many years of unconditional love”. The duchess said she had adopted the beagle from an animal rescue in Canada in 2015 and that he had been “with me for everything” ever since. She did not say when the dog had died or its cause of death. The post was accompanied by a montage of photos and video showing the duchess and her family playing with Guy. In one, she is seen boiling fruit on a stove to make jam and telling the dog, “We’re jamming, Guy”. In another her husband, the