live Iran, U.S. make competing claims over control of Strait of Hormuz
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over t...
Spacesail Kazakhstan Limited, backed by China, joins AIFC with $17M, aiming to rival Starlink by deploying 15,000 satellites globally by 2030 and integrating services in Kazakhstan.
Spacesail Kazakhstan Limited, a subsidiary of the Chinese company Spacesail International Limited, has been officially registered at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) with an initial capital of $17 million. The company is emerging as a potential competitor to Elon Musk’s Starlink, according to media reports.
In 2024, Spacesail launched its first 18 satellites into low-Earth orbit using the Long March 6A rocket from the Taiyuan Launch Complex in Shanxi Province. By 2025, the company aims to deploy 648 satellites to cover all of China, with a longer-term goal of launching around 15,000 satellites globally by 2030. This expansion will enable Spacesail to offer high-speed internet services worldwide.
Spacesail Kazakhstan Limited is working to meet the requirements set by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry. The company also plans to establish a facility for integrating its satellite internet with local communication networks. The ministry has expressed its intention to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the company later this year, which will clarify the timeline for launching satellite internet services in Kazakhstan.
The company intends to build a terrestrial network in Kazakhstan in full compliance with local legislation. Pricing for its services is still under discussion and will be revealed after the official launch.
Currently, Kazakhstan is running a pilot project to provide internet access to schools in remote areas via Starlink. The country has also partnered with other global satellite providers, including OneWeb and Amazon’s Kuiper project, to expand internet access.
Additionally, the Ministry of Digital Development has announced plans to replace the domestic communications and broadcasting satellite KazSat-3 in 2029. However, Kazakhstan does not plan to establish its own non-geostationary satellite constellation in the near future, as it continues to collaborate with international providers.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 12th of August, covering the latest developments.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
Taiwan staged military defence drills on Wednesday as China concluded joint naval exercises with Indonesia in waters east of the island.
Washington’s counter-narcotics push is expanding as Colombia’s new conservative government backs deeper security cooperation.
Meta said it had removed more than 750,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts suspected of belonging to Australians under 16, as the country’s internet regulator weighs enforcement action over its teen social media ban.
Russia has accused Ukraine of threatening global grain supplies after recent strikes on Black Sea agricultural infrastructure, while Moscow carried out a new overnight attack on Ukraine’s major Danube port of Izmail.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has used Pacific Fleet drills to criticise Japan, NATO and possible Western moves against Russian commercial ships. He made the comments during his first visit to Iturup, a Japan-claimed island at the end of the Kuril chain near the island of Hokkaido.
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