Author Archives: The Esbec Team

Sudanese national remanded over Shs 2.3bn bogus gold deal

Sudanese national remanded over Shs 2.3bn bogus gold deal

Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court has remanded Abdul Aziz Yousif Mohammed Adam also known as Aziz to Luzira Prison on charges of defrauding over Shs 2.3 billion in a bogus gold deal. Aziz was on Tuesday arraigned before the court presided over by senior principal magistrate grade one Jalia Basajabalaba read to him one count of obtaining money by false pretence. Court heard that Aziz and others still at large between September and October 2024 within the areas of Kampala in Kampala district with intent to defraud, obtained $650,000 (about Shs 2.3 billion) from Osman Hassan by falsely pretending that they were selling to him gold whereas not. The records indicate that in September, Abdel Azim Hussien Mohamad Hosman, an investor contacted his relative Osman, a resident of Dubai where

Best Anti-Cyberbullying Apps for Teen Safety 2024: A Parent’s Complete Guide

Best Anti-Cyberbullying Apps for Teen Safety 2024: A Parent’s Complete Guide

According to recent studies, over 46% of teens report experiencing cyberbullying, with the numbers rising each year. As our children spend more time in digital spaces, the need for robust protection has never been more critical. This comprehensive guide will explore the most effective anti-cyberbullying apps available in 2024, helping parents make informed decisions about […]

Living in Delhi smog is like watching a dystopian film again and again

Pollution has disrupted transport services in Delhi

Getty Images Pollution has disrupted transport services in Delhi Winter has come to Delhi and with it, a familiar sense of gloom. The sky here is grey and there is a thick, visible blanket of smog. If you stay outdoors for more than a few minutes, you can almost taste ash. You will feel breathless within minutes if you try to run or even walk at a brisk pace in the smog. Newspapers are back to using words like toxic, deadly and poisonous in their main headlines. Most schools have been shut and people have been advised to stay indoors – though those whose livelihoods depend on working outdoors can’t afford to do so. Delhi’s air quality score was somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 on Monday and Tuesday, according to

President-elect Donald Trump is poised to pick up where he left off

THEN-US PRESIDENT Donald Trump hosts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the foreign ministers of Bahrain (left) and the UAE, at the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House, September 15, 2020. (photo credit: TOM BRENNER/REUTERS)

A strong US-Israel relationship benefits not only the Middle East but the world, and that will come when our enemies know messing with us is not worth the trouble.  By JUDAH WAXELBAUM NOVEMBER 20, 2024 04:06 US REPRESENTATIVE Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is applauded by US House Speaker Mike Johnson during a meeting with House Republicans in Washington, last week. President-elect Donald Trump has named Stefanik the next US ambassador to the UN, among other pro-Israel cabinet choices. (photo credit: Allison Robbert/Reuters) Donald Trump is heading back to the White House, and with him, a return to ironclad support for the US-Israel relationship. Trump ushered in new levels of Israeli normalization in the Middle East during his first term, and he is poised to pick up where he left off. The

Strike at French cognac maker Hennessy over measures in China spat

The Chinese move has shocked the industry. Photo: Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP/File Source: AFP

The Chinese move has shocked the industry. Photo: Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP/FileSource: AFP Hundreds of employees of French cognac maker Hennessy, part of the LVMH group luxury empire, went on strike on Tuesday to protest measures the brand plans to employ to circumvent Chinese tariffs imposed in a spat with the EU. Some 500-600 staff in cognac’s home Charente region in southwestern France were protesting at an experimental plan to export the drink in vats, rather than bottles, which will be subject to additional taxes estimated at 35 percent, France’s CGT and FO unions said. “Management told us they wanted to do tests on exporting the products in vats with a view to future bottling in China by a service provider” and no longer in France, Frederic Merceron, FO representative

Rio Tinto employees report rise in bullying, sexual assault

Rio Tinto employees report rise in bullying, sexual assault

A Rio Tinto helmet pictured in the western Serbian city of Loznica on April 5, 2024 [Andrej Isakovic/AFP]

Half of survey respondents also say mining giant’s workplace culture has improved ‘a lot’ or ‘a little’. More than one-third of workers at Rio Tinto experienced bullying in the previous 12 months, a progress review has found, nearly three years after the mining giant pledged to tackle pervasive sexism and racism in the workplace. Among the nearly 12,000 surveyed Rio Tinto employees, 39 percent reported being bullied, up from 31 percent in 2021, the report commissioned by the British-Australian company showed on Wednesday. Female employees were more likely to say they experienced bullying. Half of the women surveyed reported such experiences, compared with 36 percent of men, up from 36 percent of women and 29 percent of men, respectively, in 2021. The rise in bullying against women was partly due

NDC government will fairly share the national cake – Prof. Opoku-Agyemang

Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, vice presidential candidate of the NDC

Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, vice presidential candidate of the NDC Featured Zadok Kwame Gyesi Politics Nov – 19 – 2024 , 16:39 The vice presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has assured Ghanaians that the next NDC government will fairly and equitably share the national cake. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said this on Tuesday when she paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of Waala Traditional Council, Naa Seidu Pelpuo IV, at his palace in Wa at the start of her two-day campaign tour of the Upper West Region. She said the NDC stands for development, adding that the party which provided massive infrastructural development across the country, will do more when elected in the December 7, 2024, general elections. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said unlike the NDC

Will Israel’s Elbit, Rafael join Iranian rival firms in Vietnam arms expo?

A view of the Elbit Systems booth at the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore, February 20, 2024 (photo credit: REUTERS/EDGAR SU)

Elbit specifically told the Post it is not attending the conference, and Rafael, at press time, had not yet indicated whether it would attend or not. By YONAH JEREMY BOB NOVEMBER 19, 2024 19:19 Updated: NOVEMBER 19, 2024 19:48 A view of the Elbit Systems booth at the Singapore Airshow at Changi Exhibition Centre in Singapore, February 20, 2024 (photo credit: REUTERS/EDGAR SU) With Vietnam’s defense ministry telling Reuters that Israeli and Iranian defense companies will both appear at an arms expo in Vietnam in December, The Jerusalem Post got mixed signals about whether this will really pan out. According to Reuters, “Companies from Iran, Israel, China, Russia, and the United States will showcase military equipment at an arms expo in Hanoi in December, Vietnam’s defense ministry said on Tuesday

Gaetz sent $10K in payments to 2 women who testified in House probe, records suggest

Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, denies wrongdoing after facing sexual misconduct allegations. “Nightline” co-anchor Juju Chang explains.

The House Ethics Committee obtained records, including a check and records of Venmo payments, that appear show that then-Rep. Matt Gaetz paid more than $10,000 to two women who were later witnesses in sexual misconduct probes conducted by both the House and the Justice Department, according to documents obtained by ABC News. The Venmo records show that between July 2017 and late January 2019, Gaetz — who was first elected in 2016 — allegedly made 27 Venmo payments totaling $10,224.02 to the two witnesses, who were over the age of 18 at the time. The payments, which sources said were displayed during closed-door testimony, ranged from $100 to more than $700 each. Documents show payment records obtained by the House Ethics Committee during its probe of Rep. Matt Gaetz. House

Future-proofing rice: how Asias farmers are innovating against climate odds

Future-proofing rice: how Asias farmers are innovating against climate odds

As rising temperatures and devastating storms reshape the landscape, Asia’s rice farmers are embracing innovation like never before. By marrying traditional cultivation with advanced digital tools, they are striving to tackle the urgent challenges of climate change by transforming rice production into a sustainable and profitable venture. From the boundless fields of India to the bustling paddies of Vietnam and Thailand , a revolution is brewing, driven by the pressing need to combat methane emissions and improve water management. These innovative practices not only mitigate environmental impacts but also “increase crop yields, lower input costs, and provide farmers access to carbon markets, boosting incomes”, said Jaime Adams, co-lead of the US Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (Aim for Climate) on the sidelines of Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Wednesday’s weather: Wet and stormy weather conditions in some parts, cloudy and warm elsewhere

According to the weather service, Orange Level 5 severe thunderstorms are expected in parts of the Eastern Cape. (Sarayut Thaneerat/Getty Images)

According to the weather service, Orange Level 5 severe thunderstorms are expected in parts of the Eastern Cape. (Sarayut Thaneerat/Getty Images) Several warnings for severe thunderstorms have been issued for various parts of the country. According to the South African Weather Service, Orange Level 5 severe thunderstorms can be expected in parts of the Eastern Cape, Yellow Level 3 in parts of the Western Cape and Yellow Level 2 in KwaZulu-Natal. Impact-based warnings Orange Level 5 warning: Severe thunderstorms causing damage to settlements/property, vehicles, infrastructure, and disruptions to municipal services are expected in places along the Wild Coast and adjacent interior of the Eastern Cape. Yellow Level 2 warning: Severe thunderstorms resulting in localised damage to property and temporary structures as well as difficult driving conditions over the eastern and

Republican to introduce transgender bathroom ban at the US Capitol

Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. Bloomberg via Getty Images

The bill arrives as the first transgender congresswoman prepares to take office. November 18, 2024, 8:19 PM Rep. Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, said on Monday that she will be introducing a measure to ban transgender women from using biological women’s restrooms at the U.S. Capitol. Her announcement comes as Rep.-elect Sarah McBride prepares to take office as the first transgender person elected to Congress. The resolution, which is expected to be filed Monday night, would amend the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives in order to prohibit members, officers and employees from using facilities that are currently designated for the opposite biological sex. “The sanctity of protecting women and standing up against the Left’s systematic erasure of biological women starts here in the nation’s Capitol,” Mace wrote

Israeli strikes hit component of Irans nuclear programme: Netanyahu

Israeli strikes hit component of Irans nuclear programme: Netanyahu

In this picture released by the Iranian army on January 19, 2024, a missile is launched during a military drill in southern Iran [Handout/Iranian army via AP]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country’s air attack on Iran last month hit “a component” of Tehran’s nuclear programme and degraded its defence and missile production capabilities. “There is a specific component in their nuclear programme that was hit in this attack,” Netanyahu said in a speech in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday without providing details on the element hit. “The programme itself and its ability to operate here have not yet been thwarted,” he added. On October 26, Israeli fighter jets launched three waves of strikes targeting Iranian military assets, weeks after Iran had fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, saying its attack was in response to Israel’s killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh

Six Things Expected To Get More Expensive If Trump’s Trade Plans Are Enacted

Six Things Expected To Get More Expensive If Trump’s Trade Plans Are Enacted

President-elect Donald Trump proposed a 60% tariff on goods from China and 10% to 20% on other imports. Trade experts said the proposals would probably increase costs in areas such as apparel and technology. It’s still unclear how Trump would enact the tariffs, and he could end up going smaller than proposed. President-elect Donald Trump has big plans for tariffs. If implemented, Americans could see prices rise across several product categories. Some companies that produce apparel and auto parts have already started preparing to raise prices if Trump enacts his plans, and some trade experts predicted that a range of industries, including electronics and appliances, would see higher prices. Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Business Insider that Trump could implement his

Biden issues more Israeli settler sanctions ahead of Trump term

Biden issues more Israeli settler sanctions ahead of Trump term

Israeli settlers patrol near the fields of Palestinian farmers in the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on October 20, 2024 [File: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP]

US President Joe Biden’s administration has issued a new round of sanctions against groups and individuals involved in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as the United States continues to provide unwavering support for Israel’s Gaza war. The US sanctions announced on Monday targeted the settlement development organisation Amana, as well as its subsidiary Binyanei Bar Amana Ltd. Amana is a “key part of the Israeli extremist settlement movement” and supports settlements and farms in the occupied West Bank “from which in turn settlers commit violence”, the US Treasury Department said. At the same time, the US State Department also sanctioned three individuals and a third organisation for their “roles in violence targeting civilians or in the destruction or dispossession of property” in the West Bank. They included