Newcastle slump to surprise defeat on frustrating night of firsts against West HamSANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Two people were rescued and a third swam to safety after a California pier under construction partially collapsed and fell into the ocean Monday as the state’s central coast was pounded by heavy surf from a major storm expected to bring hurricane-force winds to the seas off the Pacific Northwest, authorities said. Residents were warned to stay away from low-lying areas near the beaches around the Santa Cruz Wharf, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of San Francisco, as the storm rapidly gained strength. “You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water,” the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office said on the social platform X. Lifeguards rescued two people from the water, officials with Santa Cruz Fire Department said. No one had serious injuries, Mayor Fred Keeley said. The mayor said the section of the wharf that collapsed had been damaged over time. The structure was in the middle of a $4 million renovation following destructive storms last winter. “It’s a catastrophe for those down at the end of the wharf,” said David Johnston, owner of Venture Quest Kayaking, who was allowed onto the pier to check on his business. Tony Elliot, the head of the Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department, estimated that about 150 feet (45 meters) of the end of the wharf fell into the water around 12:45 p.m. It was immediately evacuated and will remain closed indefinitely. Some of the wharf’s pilings are still in the ocean and remain “serious, serious hazards” to boats, the mayor said. Each piling weighs hundreds of pounds and is being pushed by powerful waves. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s has been briefed and the state’s Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local officials, his office said. Forecasters warned that storm swells will continue to increase throughout the day. “We are anticipating that what is coming toward us is more serious than what was there this morning,” the mayor said. Ocean swells along California’s central coast could reach 60 feet (18 meters) as the Pacific storm gains strength through Monday, the weather service said. “A rapidly developing storm will bring hurricane force winds to the areas well offshore of the Pacific Northwest tonight,” the weather service’s Ocean Prediction Center said on X. The end of the pier that broke off had been shut down during renovations. The portion, which included public restrooms and the closed Dolphin restaurant, floated about half a mile (0.8 kilometers) down the coast and wedged itself at the bottom of the San Lorenzo River. Those who fell into the water were two engineers and a project manager who were inspecting the end of the wharf, officials said. No members of the public were in the area. Building inspectors were now looking at the rest of the Santa Cruz Wharf’s structural integrity. Monday’s collapse came about a year after the Seacliff State Beach pier just down the coast was battered beyond repair by a heavy winter storm. Further up the West Coast, dangerous surf conditions and waves up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) were expected from the central Oregon coast up through southwestern Washington. Winds could peak near 80 mph (130 kph) and a high surf warning in effect until 10 p.m. Monday night, forecasters said. In a post on X, the National Weather Service office in Portland, Oregon, said “it will likely go down as some of the highest surf this winter.” ___ Dazio reported from Los Angeles.
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/givCHECK OUT: Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with LEGIT. Enroll Now! A US judge on Monday upheld her decision to reject Elon Musk's massive $55.8 billion compensation package at Tesla, denying an attempt to restore the pay deal through a shareholder vote. In a court filing, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware's Court of Chancery ruled that Tesla's attempt to ratify Musk's compensation package through a June shareholder vote could not override her January decision striking down the package as excessive and unfair to shareholders. McCormick found multiple flaws in Tesla's ratification attempt, including "material misstatements" in documents provided to shareholders about the effect of their vote. "The motion to revise is denied," McCormick wrote. "The large and talented group of defense firms got creative with the ratification argument, but their unprecedented theories go against multiple strains of settled law," she added. The court also awarded $345 million in attorney fees, significantly less than the $5.6 billion requested by the lawyers of plaintiff Richard Tornetta, a Tesla shareholder. Read also Vietnam property tycoon on death row faces appeal verdict PAY ATTENTION : Standing out in social media world? Easy! "Mastering Storytelling for Social Media" workshop by Legit.ng. Join Us Live! While acknowledging their calculation method was technically sound under Delaware law, which bases fees on the percentage of benefit achieved, McCormick ruled that such a large award would constitute an excessive windfall. Shareholders originally backed the Musk compensation plan in March 2018 that was specifically designed to reward the 53-year-old founder for Tesla's significant growth. But in a lawsuit, Tornetta accused the defendants of failing in their duties when they authorized the pay plan and alleged that Musk dictated his terms to directors, who were not sufficiently independent from their star CEO. He also accused Musk of "unjustified enrichment" and asked for the annulment of a pay program that helped make the entrepreneur the richest man in the world. During a trial in 2022, Musk countered that investors in Tesla were some of the "most sophisticated in the world" and able to keep tabs on his management. He said Tesla had been the laughingstock of the auto industry , and it was only the massive success of the company's Model 3 that turned things around. Read also Norway suspends deep-sea mining projects: govt allies Musk insisted that he played no role in coming up with the package nor discussed his deal with the board members, some of them close friends, who ultimately signed off on it. The Delaware Court of Chancery has been a pillar of US capitalism for more than a century and is the jurisdiction where roughly two-thirds of American Fortune 500 companies are registered. PAY ATTENTION : Legit.ng Needs Your Opinion! That's your chance to change your favourite news media. Fill in a short questionnaire Source: AFP
Several times following New England’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wanted to review the game film before making a final assessment of his team’s performance. He did, and on Monday he said the overarching feeling he was left with was one of pride. Going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the NFL is commendable. Mayo also remains confident this group has even more room for growth over its final two games this season. “To be frank, I don’t believe in good losses,” Mayo said. “I think there’s a lot to learn from the game. Look, we’re headed in the right direction, but it’s all about consistency, and we have to do that on a down-after-down, a game-after-game basis to be successful in this league.” What is also clear is that despite their 3-12 record, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye wants people to know that he and his teammates believe in their coach. No matter what conversations might be going on outside the Patriots locker room regarding shortcomings by the coaching staff, or Mayo’s job status. “We’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated,” Maye said. “We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. ... So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.” The Patriots entered the week scoring only 7.5 points per game in the first half this season, which ranked 29th in the NFL. The offense woke up with 14 points in the first half on Sunday, notching multiple offensive touchdowns in the first half for the first time in 2024. Stopping the run has been an issue for New England’s defense for most of the season and it was on display against the Bills. With Buffalo trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, running back James Cook sliced through the interior of the Patriots defense and broke free for a 46-yard TD run. It was a big chunk of Buffalo’s 172 yards on the ground for the game. CB Jonathan Jones. He was tasked with being the primary defender on Buffalo’s top receiver Khalil Shakir for most of the game. The veteran held his own, helping limit the Bills’ leader in catches and receiving yards to only two catches for 22 yards on six targets. Jones also forced a fumble by Shakir in the fourth quarter, though Shakir was able to recover it. Marte Mapu. The linebacker started at safety with Jabrill Peppers sidelined with a hamstring injury. Mapu was strong for most of the game and had a chance to set up the Patriots offense in the second quarter when he snagged his second career interception, picking off Josh Allen’s pass in the end zone. But Mapu decided to run the ball out of the end zone and was tackled on the New England 1-yard line. The poor starting field position eventually led to a punt and the Patriots couldn’t add to their 14-7 lead. The Patriots didn’t announce any injuries during the game. But along with Peppers, cornerback Marcus Jones also sat out with a hip injury. 2-6 — The Patriots’ record in one-score games this season. Four of those have been by three or fewer points. The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflDick's Sporting Goods shares rise on analyst optimism ahead of resultsCreation of Informa TechTarget, the B2B Growth Accelerator for the Technology Sector
West Ham surprise Newcastle with 2-0 away win