The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors passed a resolution chiding Iran's poor cooperation with the agency after hours of heated exchanges, diplomats told AFP late on Thursday, a move Tehran called "politically motivated". The censure motion brought by Britain, France, Germany and the United States at the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board follows a similar one in June. But it comes as tensions run high over Iran's atomic programme, with critics fearing that Tehran is attempting to develop a nuclear weapon -- a claim the Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied. The resolution -- which China, Russia and Burkina Faso voted against -- was carried by 19 votes in favour, with 12 abstentions and Venezuela not participating, two diplomats told AFP. Ahead of the vote on Thursday night, the United States and its European allies sought to rally support for their resolution by denouncing Iran. In its national statement to the board, Washington said that Tehran's nuclear activities are "deeply troubling". London, Paris and Berlin in a joint statement drew attention to the "threat" Iran's nuclear programme posed "to international security", stressing that it now had enough highly enriched uranium for four nuclear weapons. In a first reaction after the vote, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Mohsen Naziri Asl, told AFP that the resolution was "politically motivated", citing its "low support" compared to previous censures. The confidential resolution seen by AFP says it is "essential and urgent" for Iran to "act to fulfil its legal obligations". The text also calls on Tehran to provide "technically credible explanations" for the presence of uranium particles found at two undeclared locations in Iran. Moreover, Western powers are asking for a "comprehensive report" to be issued by the IAEA on Iran's nuclear efforts "at the latest" by spring 2025. Since 2021, Tehran has significantly decreased its cooperation with the agency by deactivating surveillance devices to monitor the nuclear programme and barring UN inspectors. At the same time, Iran has rapidly ramped up its nuclear activities, including by increasing its stockpiles of enriched uranium. That has heightened fears that Tehran might be seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, which it denies. The resolution comes just as IAEA head Rafael Grossi returned from a trip to Tehran last week, where he appeared to have made headway. During the visit, Iran agreed to an IAEA demand to cap its sensitive stock of near weapons-grade uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity. "This is a concrete step in the right direction," Grossi told reporters Wednesday, saying it was "the first time" Iran had made such a commitment since it started breaking away from its obligations under the nuclear deal. The landmark 2015 deal -- which curbed Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief -- fell apart three years later after the unilateral withdrawal by the United States under then-president Donald Trump. In retaliation, Tehran began gradually rolling back some of its commitments by increasing its uranium stockpiles and enriching beyond the 3.67 percent purity -- enough for nuclear power stations -- permitted under the deal. Although symbolic in nature at this stage, the censure motion is designed to raise diplomatic pressure on Iran. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday the censure "will disrupt" interactions with the agency, but stressed Tehran would remain keen to cooperate. Earlier, Araghchi had warned of a "proportionate" response by Iran if the board passes the resolution. According to Heloise Fayet, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, the resolution has the potential to "harm Rafael Grossi's efforts". "But Western powers are frustrated by the lack of effectiveness of his diplomatic manoeuvres and are looking for firmer solutions," she told AFP. On Wednesday, Grossi said he could "not exclude" that Iran's commitment to cap enrichment might falter "as a result of further developments". Foreign policy expert Rahman Ghahremanpour said Tehran might retaliate to the new censure by "increasing the enrichment levels". But he does not expect any drastic "strategic measures" as Iran does not want to "aggravate tensions" before Trump returns to the White House. pdm-anb-kym/givAerial drones helpful in removing graffiti along Washington state highways, WSDOT says
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– Cassava Technologies, a pioneering technology company of African heritage, has successfully raised $310 million in capital to solidify its position as a global leader in digital solutions. The funding includes a $90 million equity investment from esteemed partners such as the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Google, and Finnfund. These new investors join a robust shareholder base, which already includes the Econet Group, British International Investment, Public Investment Corporation, Royal Bafokeng Holdings, Gateway Partners, and the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA). Additionally, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, one of Cassava Technologies’ key businesses, has secured a $220 million debt refinancing package. This arrangement was supported by Standard Bank Group, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), Nedbank, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), further strengthening the company’s financial stability. The $310 million injection aligns with Cassava Technologies’ strategic reorganisation into an integrated digital solutions platform. The company aims to deliver innovative services, including broadband connectivity, data centre co-location, cloud services, cybersecurity, AI computing, and fintech solutions, across its target markets. “This funding is more than just numbers,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President and CEO of Cassava Technologies. “It reflects the trust of global investors, the dedication of our teams, the loyalty of our customers, and the unwavering support of our shareholders and partners. Together, we are advancing our vision of a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind.” Cassava Technologies continues to play a transformative role in the digital landscape, ensuring Africa’s integration into the global digital economy while fostering inclusive growth and development. This latest milestone underscores the company’s commitment to innovation and its position as a trailblazer in the technology sector.
Special Counsel files to drop all federal charges against TrumpCanadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust Un stock falls Tuesday, underperforms marketDETROIT (AP) — For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick turned aside a request from Musk’s lawyers to reverse a ruling she announced in January that had thrown out the compensation plan. The judge ruled then that Musk effectively controlled Tesla’s board and had engineered the outsize pay package during sham negotiations. Lawyers for a Tesla shareholder who sued to block the pay package contended that shareholders who had voted for the 10-year plan in 2018 had been given misleading and incomplete information. In their defense, Tesla’s board members asserted that the shareholders who ratified the pay plan a second time in June had done so after receiving full disclosures, thereby curing all the problems the judge had cited in her January ruling. As a result, they argued, Musk deserved the pay package for having raised Tesla’s market value by billions of dollars. McCormick rejected that argument. In her 103-page opinion, she ruled that under Delaware law, Tesla’s lawyers had no grounds to reverse her January ruling “based on evidence they created after trial.” What will Musk and Tesla do now? On Monday night, Tesla posted on X, the social media platform owned by Musk, that the company will appeal. The appeal would be filed with the Delaware Supreme Court, the only state appellate court Tesla can pursue. Experts say a ruling would likely come in less than a year. “The ruling, if not overturned, means that judges and plaintiffs’ lawyers run Delaware companies rather than their rightful owners — the shareholders,” Tesla argued. Later, on X, Musk unleashed a blistering attack on the judge, asserting that McCormick is “a radical far left activist cosplaying as a judge.” What do experts say about the case? Legal authorities generally suggest that McCormick’s ruling was sound and followed the law. Charles Elson, founding director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, said that in his view, McCormick was right to rule that after Tesla lost its case in the original trial, it created improper new evidence by asking shareholders to ratify the pay package a second time. Had she allowed such a claim, he said, it would cause a major shift in Delaware’s laws against conflicts of interest given the unusually close relationship between Musk and Tesla’s board. “Delaware protects investors — that’s what she did,” said Elson, who has followed the court for more than three decades. “Just because you’re a ‘superstar CEO’ doesn’t put you in a separate category.” Elson said he thinks investors would be reluctant to put money into Delaware companies if there were exceptions to the law for “special people.” What will the Delaware Supreme Court do? Elson said that in his opinion, the court is likely to uphold McCormick’s ruling. Can Tesla appeal to federal courts? Experts say no. Rulings on state laws are normally left to state courts. Brian Dunn, program director for the Institute of Compensation Studies at Cornell University, said it’s been his experience that Tesla has no choice but to stay in the Delaware courts for this compensation package. Tesla has moved its legal headquarters to Texas. Does that matter? The company could try to reconstitute the pay package and seek approval in Texas, where it may expect more friendlier judges. But Dunn, who has spent 40 years as an executive compensation consultant, said it’s likely that some other shareholder would challenge the award in Texas because it’s excessive compared with other CEOs’ pay plans. “If they just want to turn around and deliver him $56 billion, I can’t believe somebody wouldn’t want to litigate it,” Dunn said. “It’s an unconscionable amount of money.” Would a new pay package be even larger? Almost certainly. Tesla stock is trading at 15 times the exercise price of stock options in the current package in Delaware, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a note to investors. Tesla’s share price has doubled in the past six months, Jonas wrote. At Monday’s closing stock price, the Musk package is now worth $101.4 billion, according to Equilar, an executive data firm. And Musk has asked for a subsequent pay package that would give him 25% of Tesla’s voting shares. Musk has said he is uncomfortable moving further into artificial intelligence with the company if he doesn’t have 25% control. He currently holds about 13% of Tesla’s outstanding shares.
DJI Power 1000 and Power 500 The Power 500 gets a 28% price cut this Black Friday at Amazon, down to $360, while the Power 1000 gets a 40% price cut and a $40 coupon, bringing the price to $379. Also: The best Black Friday deals live now Drones and action cameras share a critical feature: they're powered by rechargeable batteries. DJI, a leader in both drones and action cameras , is leveraging its extensive battery expertise to enter the competitive world of portable power stations. Introducing two models, the Power 1000 and Power 500, DJI is well-positioned to make a significant impact. Both units are designed for ultra-quiet operation, can be fully charged in just 70 minutes, and feature dual AC and USB-C outputs, catering to a variety of charging needs. While the power stations' features are impressive, both models also have something that will appeal exclusively to drone pilots. Also: I tested DJI's Avata 2 and it's the fastest, most immersive drone I've ever flown These power stations are equipped with the Power SDC fast charging function, designed to rapidly charge DJI drones. Using this function, batteries for the Mavic 3 series, Air 3, Inspire 3, and Matrice 30 series of drones can be charged from 10% to 95% in just 30 minutes, a game-changer for drone operators needing quick turnaround times. DJI Power 1000 The larger of the two, the Power 1000 , offers 1024Wh of power. It includes two AC output ports capable of handling continuous loads of 2200W and surge loads of 4400W. Additionally, it has two USB-C ports supporting 140W output, two USB-A ports, and SDC and SDC Lite ports for diverse connectivity options. This unit weighs 13 kg. DJI Power 500 For those needing a more compact option, DJI offers the Power 500 , a smaller unit that still packs a punch with 512Wh of power. The Power 500 features a similar array of ports as the Power 1000, although it only includes the SDC Lite version and lacks the full SDC port. The AC ports on the Power 500 are designed for continuous loads of 1000W and surge loads of 1600W, making it well-suited for less demanding applications. The USB-C ports provide a solid output of 100W each. This smaller unit weighs only 7.3 kg. To illustrate the practical applications of these power stations, let's look at what DJI says they can do in real-world scenarios. The Power 1000, with its 1024Wh capacity, can recharge a smartphone approximately 57 times or keep a car refrigerator running for about 19 hours. This makes it an excellent choice for extended outdoor activities or emergencies where power reliability is crucial. On the other hand, the smaller Power 500, with its 512Wh capacity, can manage about 28 smartphone recharges or sustain a car refrigerator for just under 10 hours. While it offers less endurance than the Power 1000, it's still quite capable for day trips, shorter outings, or as a backup power source for smaller devices and appliances. Also: The best portable power stations you can buy: Expert tested These capabilities make both models versatile tools for a variety of power needs, from daily convenience to critical support in off-grid situations. Notably, DJI has opted for the safe and durable LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) battery technology in both models. These batteries offer up to 3,000 recharge cycles before reaching the end of their useful lives. "Over the past several years we've seen travelers and content creators increasingly turn to DJI drones and handheld cameras, to capture and share their experiences, said Christina Zhang, senior director of corporate strategy at DJI. "These users have a demand for fast-charging, worry-free, sustainable power consumption and today we're glad we can address this with the new DJI portable power stations." The Power 1000 is available for $699 , while the Power 500 is $499 . When will these deals expire? Deals are subject to sell-out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com . One of the best QLED TVs I've tested isn't made by Samsung or Hisense (and it's $500 off) I finally found a wireless Android Auto adapter that's reliable, functional, and affordable This is the most bizarre portable power station I've tested - and it actually works One of the best cheap soundbars I've tested performs as well as models twice its priceFormer Mets pitcher John Franco on Juan Soto: ‘One of the few guys you could build a team around’Stocks jumped at Monday's open and bond yields retreated as markets welcomed President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Scott Bessent to be his Treasury secretary. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a new all-time high and the S&P 500 hit a new intraday high early in the opening session of a holiday-shortened week highlighted by a packed economic calendar. In a Friday evening post on Truth Social , Trump described Bessent, the former chief investment strategist of Soros Fund Management, as "one of the world's foremost international investors and geopolitical and economic strategists." The president-elect added, "Scott's story is that of the American Dream." Bessent is also the co-founder of Key Square Group, a macro-focused investment firm that specializes in analyzing economic, political and market conditions to trade across asset classes, including currencies and interest rates as well as commodities and stocks. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Wall Street is positive about Bessent because of his success as an investor and for the moderating influence he is expected to exert within the Trump administration. In a November 15 op-ed for Fox News on the subject of Trump's primary tool of economic policy, Bessent writes, "The truth is that tariffs have a long and storied history as both a revenue-raising tool and a way of protecting strategically important industries in the U.S. President-elect Trump has added a third leg to the stool: tariffs as a negotiating tool with our trading partners." "The nomination of Scott Bessent to be U.S. Treasury Secretary has been a catalyst for lower bond yields, higher equity indices and a weaker dollar this morning," writes Kit Juckes , chief forex strategist at Societe Generale. The nomination is a palliative for investors "worried about the size of the U.S. budget deficit and the inflationary impact of tariffs. Whether he can help get the U.S. to 3% GDP growth and a 3% budget deficit time will tell, but for now, he has changed the market mood, if nothing else," Juckes concludes. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note declined by 15 basis points to 4.27%, while the yield on the 2-year dipped 10 basis points to 4.27%. The Dow backed off its intraday high but still closed at a record level, rising 1% to 44,736. The S&P 500 also slipped from its intraday high but held on for a 0.3% gain to 5,987. The Nasdaq Composite , meanwhile, edged up 0.3% to 19,054. Stocks on the move Earnings season is nearing an end, with 95% of the S&P 500 having reported so far. FactSet Senior Earnings Analyst John Butters notes that with numbers from 462 of the firms in the index, 75% have reported positive earnings per share (EPS) surprises and 61% have reported positive revenue surprises. "For Q3 2024," Butters writes, "the blended (year-over-year) earnings growth rate for the S&P 500 is 5.8%. If 5.8% is the actual growth rate for the quarter, it will mark the 5th straight quarter of year-over-year earnings growth for the index." Bath & Body Works ( BBWI ) was deleted from S&P 500 on October 1, but the stock surged 16.5% after the specialty retailer beat top- and bottom-line expectations for its third quarter and raised its full-year outlook. "Our strong results exceeded the high end of our net sales and earnings per diluted share guidance," said Bath & Body Works CEO Gina Boswell in a statement. "As a result, we are raising our full-year guidance to fully reflect this outperformance." Wall Street remains optimistic about BBWI. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence , the consensus recommendation is Buy, and the average 12-month price target for the consumer discretionary stock is $42.76. Even after Monday's strong showing that's about 20% upside. Macy's ( M ) stock, which was removed from the S&P 500 in April 2020, fell 2.3% after the retailer announced preliminary results for its third quarter, during which sales declined 2.4% year over year. Macy's also announced a delay in filing its quarterly statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after management "identified an issue related to delivery expenses in one of its accrual accounts." Macy's determined a single employee "intentionally made erroneous accounting accrual entries to hide approximately $132 to $154 million of cumulative delivery expenses." The big picture remains murky for the iconic retailer. "It has major disadvantages vs peers around price, product, and service," writes UBS Global Research analyst Jay Sole in a November 18 note. "We believe these dynamics should lead to continuous net losses. M's current stock price does not reflect long-term earnings-per-share challenges, in our view." Incoming data With third-quarter earnings season winding down, investors have a packed economic calendar to capture their attention this week. Note that markets will be closed on Thursday and will shut down early on Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Tuesday's releases include the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Indices at 9 am Eastern time as well as a consumer confidence survey from The Conference Board and new home sales data from the Census Bureau at 10 am. The Federal Reserve will publish the minutes from the November FOMC meeting at 2 pm. And it's a particularly big Wednesday, with initial jobless claims coming in a day early because of the holiday on Thursday. We'll also see data on durable goods orders, retail and wholesale inventories, the U.S. trade balance and the second read on third-quarter GDP. The main event is the release of the Personal Consumption and Expenditures Price Index (PCE) series at 10 am. PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation . "Based on the depth and breadth of the transitions in progress at this time in monetary policy, on Capitol Hill and in the change of Administration along with what appears to be a watershed period in technological innovation, some market participants can't help but wonder if they should be adjusting their portfolio exposures for a myriad of outcomes espoused by various market pundits with widely divergent views and opinions," writes John Stoltzfus of Oppenheimer Asset Management. "For one, while the pace of inflation appears to be slowing enabling the Fed to move towards more rate cuts in the months ahead," Stoltzfus observes, "the latest CPI numbers showed some inflation stickiness that has proved irksome to those with great expectations for more frequent and deeper interest rate cuts." According to the CME FedWatch tool, as of Monday afternoon, there is a 55.9% chance the Federal Open Market Committee cuts the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at its December 18 meeting. Related content Stock Picks That Billionaires Love Best Bond Funds to Buy Now Six Ways Trump Could Change Your Retirement