PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump hosted 22 of the nation’s 27 Republican governors for dinner at his Florida club on Thursday night, looking to help drive the agenda in conservative-run states after he takes office in 11 days. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte told reporters outside the gathering that some of the GOP governors unable to attend were being inaugurated, and that one was delayed by snow and was unable to make it to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. But he said attendees who could come were “thrilled to accept the president-elect’s invitation” and welcomed a coming “collaborative, working relationship, which we have not had for four years” during the Biden administration. “It’s been a long period without cooperation from Washington,” Gianforte told reporters outside. “So, we’re looking forward to
Author Archives: The Esbec Team
Smart grid system showing renewable energy integration with traditional power infrastructure.
Jan
As the world accelerates its transition to renewable energy, power utilities face an unprecedented challenge: integrating variable renewable energy sources into existing grid infrastructure while maintaining reliability and stability. This integration journey represents one of the most significant transformations in the history of our electrical systems, combining technical innovation with strategic planning to create a […]
The Bank of Israel set the representative shekel-dollar rate down 0.248% from Monday, at NIS 3.627/$. By GLOBES/TNS JANUARY 9, 2025 14:20 New Israeli Shekel bills are seen in front of an upwards-trending graph (illustration) (photo credit: HADAR YOUAVIAN/FLASH90) The shekel is weakening sharply Wednesday against the US dollar and is firm against the euro. In afternoon inter-bank trading the shekel-US dollar exchange rate is up 1.40% at NIS 3.678/$, and the shekel-euro rate is up 0.16%, at NIS 3.782/euro. Yesterday, the Bank of Israel set the representative shekel-dollar rate down 0.248% from Monday, at NIS 3.627/$, and the representative shekel-euro rate was set 0.214% lower at NIS 3.775/euro. The dollar is strengthening worldwide after reports in the US that President-elect Donald Trump will declare a national economic emergency to
The property previously owned by former president Nelson Mandela in Houghton, Johannesburg, where his grandson Mbuso was arrested with four hijacking suspects on Wednesday, is not rented out. Mbuso’s elder brother Ndaba told TimesLIVE the property had been neglected by his younger brother who had been living there for years. Mbuso is expected to appear in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Friday with four other suspects arrested with him. According to Johannesburg metro police (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla, the arrests followed information from a vehicle tracking company regarding the location of a white Toyota Corolla hijacked on Wednesday on Louis Botha Avenue in Oaklands. Fihla said at the time JMPD officers recovered the hijacked vehicle and apprehended four men and one woman and a subsequent search of the premises resulted
Man told he can’t recover £598m of Bitcoin from tip BBC James Howells tried to sue Newport council to gain access to the landfill site or receive £495m in compensation During the hearing in December the court heard how Mr Howells had been an early adopter of Bitcoin and had successfully mined the cryptocurrency. As the value of his missing digital wallet soared, Mr Howells organised a team of experts to attempt to locate, recover and access the hard drive. He had repeatedly asked permission from the council for access to the site, and had offered it a share of the missing Bitcoin if it was successfully recovered. Mr Howells successfully “mined” the Bitcoin in 2009 for almost nothing, and says he forgot about it altogether when he threw it
![The wind whips up embers as the Palisades fire burns during a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles, California [Ringo Chiu/Reuters]](https://esbecgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Hollywood-stars-lose-homes-as-out-of-control-wildfires-engulf-Los-Angeles.jpg)
Fast-moving blaze kills at least five and puts 130,000 under evacuation orders in the heartland of US film industry. The wind whips up embers as the Palisades fire burns during a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles, California [Ringo Chiu/Reuters] The Hollywood Hills was burning uncontrollably on Thursday morning as the worst wildfires in the history of Los Angeles raged across the city with a crescent of flame visible from space. The fast-moving blaze broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, threatening the heartland of the United States film industry as firefighters battled to control it amid dry, hurricane-force winds hindering operations and spreading the flames. At least six separate wildfires were burning in Los Angeles County, killing at least five people and putting 130,000 people
Jan
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
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