fishing spots genshin Storm Darragh leaves UK's Biggest solar farm in pieces in blow to green energy By RICHARD MARSDEN Published: 21:34 GMT, 9 December 2024 | Updated: 21:53 GMT, 9 December 2024 e-mail 15 View comments Owners of a solar farm torn to pieces were among those counting the cost of killer Storm Darragh - as recovery work was ongoing on Monday. Hundreds of panels at the giant 190-acre Porth Wen solar farm in Anglesey, North Wales - only built two years ago - were blown off their mountings, some ripped to shreds. The site at Llanbadrig, in the north of the island which is owned by French power firm EDF Energy and powers up to 9,500 households, now needs significant repairs. Elsewhere on the island of Anglesey, blades were sheared off a wind turbine which then reportedly caught fire. Work was continuing yesterday to reconnect thousands of homes left without power and reopen a string of railway lines in Wales and the West Country which were blocked by fallen trees. Storm Darragh brought severe gusts which reached 96mph at Berry Head, Devon, and gales to the whole Irish Sea coast extending eastwards inland. A rare red weather warning was issued for the west of England and Wales warning people not to go out unless essential and avoid making journeys by road. On Monday, the second victim of the storm was named as family man Kher Hussain Shahin, 56, who died in Erdington, Birmingham , on Saturday evening. A wind turbine at Porth Wen solar farm left detached from its pole following Storm Darragh Hundreds of solar panels were blown off their mounts and damaged beyond repair The site at Llanbadrig, in the north of the island which is owned by French power firm EDF Energy and powers up to 9,500 households, now needs significant repairs A large wind turbine left destroyed on the ground after severe gusts wreaked havoc at the facility, which was built only two years ago Some solar panels on the farm were ripped to shreds by the powerful gusts (pictured on December 9) The ‘hard-working’ father-of-seven was named on social media by Birmingham city councillor Majid Mahmood, who wrote on X: ‘My thoughts are prayers are with the family of Kher Hussain Shahin who was killed when his car was hit by a tree in Erdington.’ One resident, Hafiz Khalid saying he heard a “big bang” and his daughter’s scream as she looked out the window. Mr Khalid told the BBC a “big chunk” of the tree had fallen across the car’s windscreen. The storm’s other victim Paul Fiddler, who was in his 40s, was named on Sunday. Mr Fiddler, a coach for Lytham Town FC, died when a tree fell onto his van on Saturday morning at Longton, Lancashire. On Monday afternoon, 33 flood warnings and 116 flood alerts remained in force as rivers were still swollen from heavy rain during the storm - the fourth of the current season which began in September and the third in a fortnight. Most warnings covered rivers such as the Wye and Severn, the Ouse including through York, which burst its banks in the city centre, and areas of Hampshire and Cambridgeshire. Ther worst-affected rail operators, GWR and Transport for Wales, were hoping to restore affected services by Tuesday but passengers were advised to check travel information before leaving setting out to catch trains. Meanwhile, the owner of Gade II-listed Llandudno Pier has promised to get it fixed and reopened ‘as soon as possible’ after it was battered by Storm Darragh A truck ploughs through a flooded road near Crew Green in Shrewsbury after the River Severn burst its banks on December 9 Worcester Cricket ground flooded following the Severn bursting its banks on Monday Flooding in York on Monday where the River Ouse also burst its banks following the storm A flooded children's play area in Hereford pictured on Sunday December 8 A Christmas tree erected by the council in Gravesend, Kent is blown to the ground on December 8 Adam Williams expressed gratitude for the ‘unbelievable’ worldwide support after the 148-year-old structure suffered severe damage including kiosks being blown from their positions or having their roofs damaged by the the hurricane-force winds. The Met Office has predicted a break in the unsettled weather pattern over the coming days. Today and tomorrow, showers are due to become confined to the far south but it is due to remain cloudy, before an area of high pressure begins to dominate bringing ‘mostly fine weather with some sunshine’. But it is due to be chillier at night, with some frost and fog. Birmingham Share or comment on this article: Storm Darragh leaves UK's Biggest solar farm in pieces in blow to green energy e-mail Add commentBroncos DE Zach Allen questionable to play vs. RaidersGotham has Batman, but New York wants Robin. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said this weekend that the Department of Homeland Security should send special drone-detection technology made by Robin Radar Systems to New York and New Jersey following a series of mysterious sightings. If the technology exists for a drone to make it up into the sky, there certainly is the technology that can track the craft with precision and determine what the heck is going on,” Schumer told reporters on Sunday. Schumer said he is requesting Robin’s equipment in part because it uses “not a linear line of sight, but 360-degree technology that has a much better chance of detecting these drones.” In recent years, the Netherlands-based Robin Radar Systems has risen in prominence, though its hardware is not only used to track down drones. Robin is part of a consortium developing small radar satellites that can measure water levels, according to the Netherlands Space Office. In February, the company also deployed four bird-detection radars to support the creation of what has been billed as the world’s most ecological wind farm in the Dutch part of the North Sea. Follow along for live coverage In early October 2023, Robin announced it had joined a group of organizations working on the development of the world’s most advanced weather radar , known as PHARA. The group’s mission is to “develop a fully 3D weather radar that can accurately track the movement and growth process of cloud particles and large-scale weather fronts.” “Detecting small objects is what we do, and it’s what we do best,” the company says on its website. “Bird, bat, or drone, our 360° radar systems log thousands of observations, scanning every second to track and classify with precision.” Robin’s systems have been used in at least one notable military context, too. In early August, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced it had purchased 51 drone radars from the company and planned to donate them to Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces attempt to fend off Russia’s aerial assault. In a news release announcing the purchase, Robin explained that “traditional radar systems are typically stationary, mounted on fixed platforms like buildings or tripods.” But the Robin-produced radar systems have “on-the-move” functionality, allowing them to “perform even when mounted on mobile objects, like vehicles or ships.” “Robin’s 3D drone detection radars ... are designed with the explicit purpose of detecting small, fast and elusive drones,” the company said. The deployment of Robin technology could come as a relief to residents in the New York and New Jersey areas who have been rattled by the bright, unidentified flying objects hovering above their homes almost every night for weeks. The objects have appeared in the sky since at least Nov. 18. It remains unclear who is operating the devices. The Pentagon has insisted the objects are not owned by the military. In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Robin Radar Systems general manager Kristian Brost said the company’s radars can detect a drone in the sky, but “we can’t tell you who’s flying it [or] what country it’s from.” Schumer’s request to Homeland Security came two days after New York Stewart International Airport was closed following multiple drone sightings nearby. The Democratic lawmaker told reporters it was “remarkable” that “we have more questions than answers” amid a growing number of mysterious sightings. “Some of the drones are small. Some of the drones’ flight patterns are erratic,” Schumer said. “Multiple drones flying together can confuse a traditional radar system, and that’s why, again, this new technology can really get us the answers that we need.” Schumer said he was working to pass a bill that would give local law enforcement “more tools for drone detection.” Currently, only federal agencies have the legal authority to scour for drones. The Democratic lawmaker’s office did not immediately respond to an email Monday requesting more information. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, meanwhile, said on X late Sunday that he had met with state police officials and radar technicians who are “surveying the area for unmanned aircraft systems.” “The public deserves clear answers — we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources,” Murphy said. Tom Costello contributed. This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday held a wide-ranging news conference in which he said he would preserve access to the polio vaccine but equivocated on other vaccines, pledged to look at bringing down the costs of pharmaceuticals and expressed doubts that his daughter-in-law might be Florida's next senator. Trump held forth for over an hour, the first time he took questions from reporters since winning the election. The event harkens back to his long-winding news conferences from his first term and is a stark contrast from President Joe Biden , who doesn't often take questions from reporters. Here's a look at some of what he touched on: Trump defended his choice for health secretary, prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , but said he personally is a “big believer” in the polio vaccine and would preserve access to it. “You’re not going to lose the polio vaccine," he said. “That’s not going to happen.” Over the weekend, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, spoke out in defense of the polio vaccine after a recent report disclosed that one of Kennedy's advisers filed a petition to revoke approval for the polio vaccine in 2022. Kennedy has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Trump seemed to question whether there’s a link, saying “We’re looking to find out,” and remarked on the rising cases of autism being diagnosed. “There’s something wrong, and we’re going to find out about it,” he said. There are no blood or biological tests for autism; instead, a doctor bases the diagnosis on a child’s behavior. While the autism diagnosis has been available for at least 80 years, the definition gradually expanded to include milder cases, which are more common. A study last year found that about a quarter of kids with autism — about 110,000 in the U.S. — have the most severe version of the developmental disability, which has left them unable to speak or with an IQ below 50 or both. Of Kennedy, “He’s going to be much less radical than you would think," he said. "I think he’s got a very open mind, or I wouldn’t have put him there.” Trump described a dinner he had this month with Kennedy; Dr. Mehmet Oz , a celebrity heart surgeon turned talk show host and lifestyle guru whom he's tapped to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and top pharmaceutical executives in which they discussed drug prices. Trump heaped praise on the companies — the same ones that Kennedy has routinely argued profit off of Americans unfairly — but said the high cost of health care was a focus of their dinner. “What came out of that meeting is that we’re paying far too much,” Trump said. Trump also hit pharmaceutical benefits managers, calling them “horrible middlemen” who drive up the cost of drugs. Pharmaceutical companies have been aggressively lobbying Congress to restrict the role of pharmaceutical benefit managers, which help health insurance companies’ biggest clients decide how and what prescription drugs will be covered in their insurance plans. “I don’t know who these middlemen are, but they are rich as hell," Trump said. The press conference was Trump’s most extensive public appearance since his victory six weeks ago — a rare absence from the public stage for the former reality star. But it also underscored how even while president-elect, Trump has seized the spotlight from Biden, who still has a month left on his term in office. Biden has not held a press conference in months and has had a limited public schedule. While Trump was addressing some of the top-of-mind issues of the day -- including sightings of drones flying over the Northeast -- Biden himself has been silent, leaving it to aides to try to calm the public. Trump seemed skeptical that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would appoint his daughter-in-law to be a Florida senator, taking the seat held by Marco Rubio, who has been nominated for secretary of state. Asked whether he expected DeSantis to name Lara Trump to replace Rubio, Trump said, “I probably don’t, but I don’t know.” Trump recently spoke with DeSantis at a memorial for Florida law enforcement officers. Trump's allies have been pushing DeSantis to nominate Lara Trump, who is married to Trump's son, Eric, and served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee this year. “Ron’s doing a good job with his choice," Trump said, without elaborating. He lavished praise on Lara Trump, including for her work at the RNC, where part of her duties involved focusing on “election integrity,” a priority of Trump's after he falsely claimed fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Trump indicated he would look at intervening in the potential ban of TikTok in the U.S. The popular social media platform must cut ties with its China-based parent company or be banned by mid-January under a federal law. He didn't offer specifics, but Trump credited the platform with helping him win the election. His campaign saw it as a bridge to reach younger, less politically engaged voters, particularly when clips circulated showing him with celebrities at UFC fights. “We’ll take a look at TikTok,” he said. “You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok." Trump tried to ban TikTok during his first term but changed his mind and pledged to “save” TikTok. Once he takes office, his Justice Department would be tasked with enforcing the new federal law against TikTok. Trump on Monday was meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club, according to two people familiar with the president-elect’s plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Trump noted the differences between the first time he was to take office eight years ago and today, saying executives now want to meet with him. He said they were “hostile” back then. “Everybody was fighting me,” he said about his first term. “This term, everybody wants to be my friend. I don’t know. My personality changed or something.” While he left office in 2021 ostracized and angry, Trump has had a stunning turnaround leading to his election win. Last week, he was honored by being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year and ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. His meeting with the TikTok executive was part of a string of meetings he's had with Silicon Valley billionaires and other technology leaders since becoming president-elect. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have all flown to Trump's club to meet with him. He revealed Monday that he had also met with Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will meet with him this week, Trump said. “We have a lot of great executives coming in — the top executives, the top bankers, they’re all calling," he said. "It’s like a complete opposite from the first one.” With multiple wars going on, Trump has sought to insert himself back on the world stage. He said he is working to get Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to be released and had a “very good talk” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But on Monday he seemed to buffer expectations about his promise to solve the Russia-Ukraine war even before taking office, describing the conflict as a “tough one” and a “nasty one." “We are trying to get that war stopped, that horrible, horrible war” he said. “It’s a tough one. It’s a nasty one. It’s nasty. People are being killed at levels that nobody’s ever seen.” Russia's invasion of Ukraine is Europe’s biggest armed conflict since World War II and has cost tens of thousands of lives on both sides. Trump declined to say whether he's spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since winning the election. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris this month when he visited for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral. Trump's incoming press secretary has said that Trump invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other world leaders to his Jan. 20 inauguration, but Trump said Monday that Zelenskyy was not among them. “If he'd like to come, I'd like to have him," Trump said. Trump said Xi has not yet said whether he is coming. He described the Chinese leader as “a friend of mine” and “an amazing guy” but acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their relationship. “It was a bridge too far for me,” he said. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Amanda Seitz in Washington and Colleen Long in Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will not play Sunday and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the lingering discomfort is a concern. Purdy sat out Friday after he participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers, then retreated indoors for what Shanahan said was a treatment session. Brandon Allen, 32, will start in Purdy's place, and the 49ers are also without defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique). Shanahan said players believe in Allen, even if he's an unknown. "Outside of here people haven't seen a lot of Brandon. But it's his second year (with the 49ers)," Shanahan said. "Obviously guys want Brock up, but guys are excited to see Brandon play." Shanahan said they are "a little surprised" Purdy experienced tightness and discomfort in his shoulder after an MRI exam on Monday that showed no long-term cause for concern. "The way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan said of Purdy. Allen is familiar to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who was an assistant coach with the Rams during Allen's two-year run in Los Angeles. Allen broke into the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He went 1-2 with the Broncos in 2019 and 1-5 in six starts over two years with the Bengals in 2020 and ‘21. Shanahan said Allen's confidence grew throughout the week and he doesn't anticipate a major change in how he calls the offense. Left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) also missed practice for the third consecutive day. Without disclosing the nature of the ailment to Purdy's throwing shoulder, general manager John Lynch confirmed Friday an MRI exam took place to determine the severity of any injury. Allen worked with the first team most of Thursday and Friday with Joshua Dobbs also taking snaps. Lynch described Purdy's status for the 49ers (5-5) this week as "tenuous." "Hopefully, he makes progress, and we can have a shot at this weekend, but we'll see," Lynch said in an interview with KNBR in San Francisco. "I think it's tenuous." When Purdy was on the field this week, he primarily worked on the side in position-specific drills with QB coach Brian Griese. Williams played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable but exited the stadium with an exaggerated limp on Sunday. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level Media

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts, hoping for answers. The FBI, Homeland Security, state police and other agencies are investigating. Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety , but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft — and to be allowed to shoot them out of the sky. What's the deal with the drones in New Jersey? Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing drones statewide since mid-November, including near the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Murphy, a Democrat, said Monday that equipment supplied by the federal government has yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment except to say it was powerful and could even “mitigate” the drones, though he added that’s not currently legal on U.S. soil. The state tallied 12 sightings Saturday and just one on Sunday. Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with the drones. Do the drones pose a threat? The growing anxiety among some residents is not lost on the Biden administration, which has faced criticism from Trump for not dealing with the matter more aggressively. White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Monday said the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks from reported drone sightings in the northeast, saying officials believe they were lawfully flown drones, planes or even stars. “There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,” Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.” The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said. The FBI received more than 5000 tips in recent weeks, he added, with only “about 100” deemed credible enough to require additional investigation. Who is operating the drones? Authorities say they do not know. The Department of Homeland Security and FBI said they have no evidence that the aircraft pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” Speculation has nevertheless raged online, with some expressing concerns that the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents. Officials stress that ongoing investigations have found no evidence to support such concerns, but U.S. Rep Chris Smith, a Republican, on Saturday echoed such speculation. “The elusive maneuvering of these drones suggests a major military power sophistication that begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities — or worse — by violent dictatorships, perhaps maybe Russia, or China, or Iran, or North Korea,” he said. On Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder cast doubt on the idea that the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. He said about 1 million drones are registered drones in the U.S. and about 8,000 flying on any given day. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh has said the aircraft are not U.S. military drones. Drone operators arrested In Boston, city police arrested two men accused of operating a drone “dangerously close” to Logan Airport on Saturday night. Authorities said an officer using drone monitoring technology detected the aircraft and the location of the operators. A third man fled police and remains at large. Authorities said the two men face trespassing charges and could face more charges and fines. Ohio Air Force base closes airspace Drones flying around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, forced base officials to close its airspace for about four hours late Friday into early Saturday, said Robert Purtiman, a base spokesperson. It was the first time drones had been spotted at the base, one of the largest in the world, and no sightings have been reported since, Purtiman said Monday. He said the drones had no impact on any facilities on the base. Officials urge action against the drones Trump has said he believes the government knows more than it’s saying. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!” he posted on Truth Social. Kim said he’s heard no support for the notion the government is hiding anything. He said a lack of faith in institutions is playing a key part in the saga. “Nothing that I’m seeing, nothing that I’ve engaged in gives me any impression of that nature. But like, I get it, some people won’t believe me, right? Because that’s the level of distrust that we face," Kim said Monday. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut last week called for the drones to be “shot down." Rep. Smith urged the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to bring down one or more drones to try to figure out who deployed them. The objects could be downed over the ocean or in an unpopulated area on land, Smith said Saturday. “Why can't we bag at least one of these drones and get to the bottom of it?” Smith said. Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said members of the public must not try to shoot down drones, as that would violate state and federal laws. Drones spotted over New York City Drone sightings were also reported in New York, where a permit is required. Mayor Eric Adams said the city was investigating and collaborating with New Jersey and federal officials. The runways at Stewart International Airport — about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the city — were shut down for about an hour Friday night because of drone activity, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “This has gone too far,” she said in a statement. The governor called on Congress to strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones and give more investigative authority to state and local law enforcement. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky; and Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted amid mixed trading Monday, ahead of this week’s upcoming meeting by the Federal Reserve that could set Wall Street’s direction into next year. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, coming off its first losing week in the last four . The Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to a record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was a laggard and fell 110 points, or 0.3%. Broadcom leaped 11.2% to help lead the S&P 500 for a second straight day after delivering a profit report last week that beat analysts’ expectations. The technology company is riding a wave of enthusiasm about its artificial-intelligence offerings in particular. The market’s main event, though, will arrive on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve will announce its last move on interest rates for the year. The widespread expectation is that it will cut its main rate for a third straight time, as it tries to boost the slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its target of 2%. The question is how much more it will cut rates next year, and Fed officials will release projections for where they see the federal funds rate ending 2025, along with other economic indicators, once their meeting concludes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will also answer questions in a press conference following the meeting. For now, the general expectation among traders is that the Fed may cut a couple more times in 2025, according to data from CME Group. But such expectations have been shrinking following reports suggesting inflation may be tougher to get all the way down to 2% from here. Besides last month’s slight acceleration in inflation, another worry is that President-elect Donald Trump’s preferences for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation down the line. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle has dropped his earlier forecast of a cut by the Fed in January, for example. Beyond the possibility of tariffs, he said Fed officials may also want to slow their cuts because of uncertainty about exactly how low rates need to go so that they no longer press the brakes on the economy. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year and is heading for one of its best years of the millennium . The economy has held up better than many feared, continuing to grow even after the Fed hiked the federal funds rate to a two-decade high in hopes of grinding down on inflation, which topped 9% two summers ago. On Wall Street, MicroStrategy jumped as much as 7% during the day as it continues to benefit from the surging price for bitcoin , which set another all-time high. But its stock ended the day down by les than 0.1% after bitcoin’s price pulled back below $106,000 after setting a record above $107,700, according to CoinDesk. The software company has been building its hoard of the cryptocurrency, and its stock price has more than sextupled this year. It will also soon join the Nasdaq 100 index. Bitcoin’s price has catapulted from roughly $44,000 at the start of the year, riding a recent wave of enthusiasm that Trump will create a system that’s more favorable to digital currencies . Honeywell rose 3.7% after saying it’s still considering a spin-off or sale of its aerospace business, as part of a review of its overall business. It said it plans to give an update with the release of its fourth-quarter results. They helped offset a drop for Nvidia, whose chips are powering much of the world’s move into AI. Its stock fell 1.7%. Because it’s grown so massive, with a total value topping $3 trillion, it was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500. All told, the S&P 500 rose 22.99 points to 6,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 110.58 to 43,717.48, and the Nasdaq composite rose 247.17 to 20,173.89. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.39% from 4.40% late Friday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, eased to 4.24% from 4.25%. In stock markets abroad, indexes fell modestly across much of Europe and Asia. They sank 0.9% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Shanghai after China reported lackluster economic indicators for November despite attempts to strengthen the world’s second-largest economy. South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.2% as law enforcement authorities pushed to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree, and the Constitutional Court met to discuss whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

The cost of vaccination against shingles is high at $720 to $950. Due to this prohibitive cost, the Ministry of Health has announced that it will not be subsidising the vaccine ( No subsidy for shingles vaccine due to high cost: MOH , Dec 9). Yet, precisely because it is costly and medically effective, it would seem logical to offer subsidies to encourage its uptake, especially among seniors. Notably, the risk of complications is greater among seniors and one can get shingles multiple times. Given that Singapore has already positioned itself as a vaccine manufacturing hub employing the latest technologies, it could look to prioritise a more cost-effective shingles vaccine while offering interim subsidies to seniors to take up vaccination. Daniel Ng Peng Keat Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowBills’ letdowns on defense, special teams and clock management in loss to Rams are all too familiarConstruction is on TransLink’s first-ever brand-new bus depot dedicated to the future large fleet of battery-electric buses for Metro Vancouver’s public transit network. As previously reported by Daily Hive Urbanized early this month, for Marpole Transit Centre, including foundation piling, is now underway on a vacant 20-acre industrial site on the Fraser River waterfront in South Vancouver, situated immediately east of SkyTrain Canada Line’s North Arm Bridge. When complete and open in 2028, this bus depot will have the capacity to store, charge, and maintain about 340 battery-electric buses, plus other facilities dedicated to operations and the large workforce of bus drivers. But it will cost substantially more than originally budgeted. Upon inquiry, TransLink confirmed to Daily Hive Urbanized the new Marpole Transit Centre will carry an estimated cost of $848 million. This is nearly three times the preliminary estimate of $308 million in 2021, which subsequently increased to $344 million in 2022, and $498 million in 2023. In addition to the recent steep market inflation in the prices for construction materials, labour, and equipment, the escalation in the construction costs was also due to the need to make “massive changes to the seismic and structural design of the project.” These changes are required under the provincial government’s 2023 update to the BC Seismic Code. Such changes included adding over 3,500 steel foundational piles under the two main buildings and drilling over 17,000 concrete columns into the ground. This work can now be actively seen at the development site. In addition to the challenging soil conditions on the riverbank land area, TransLink notes the required flood protection wall along the foreshore is also more complex than originally expected with the preliminary geotechnical information. According to the , the entire site will be elevated on a platform about 4.6 metres above sea level to serve a “superdyke” function — higher than the existing ground elevation between 2.5 metres and 3.3 metres. The complex will elevated about two metres higher than Kent Avenue along the northern perimeter, and a flood protection wall will be built along the south perimeter fronting the river. Other unexpected site conditions now require TransLink to remove contaminated soil, debris, and buried foundations to improve the ground conditions before building the facility’s foundation. Additionally, there will be numerous buckling-restrained braces to meet the provincial government’s new seismic standards. Generally, TransLink’s existing bus depot facilities have relatively simple configurations, with maintenance/operations buildings adjacent to large surface vehicle parking areas for the overnight storage of buses. However, the significant parking areas for up to 300 buses at Marpole Transit Centre are stacked in the operations building, which is essentially a multi-level parkade structure that spans nearly half of the property’s land area. With a growing shortage of available industrial land for new development in Metro Vancouver, there are growing calls from the development industry to encourage more vertical industrial projects. This bus depot represents the region’s largest example to date of a vertical multi-level industrial development. The last bus depot TransLink constructed from scratch is the Hamilton Transit Centre in Richmond, which reached completion in 2016 at a cost of $136 million. Its industrial location is also on the edge of the Fraser River, and its size is comparable to Marpole Transit Centre, with a land area of 18 acres and a capacity for approximately 300 buses, including 150 compressed natural gas-powered buses. Marpole Transit Centre represents one of the two initial major bus depot facilities that will handle TransLink’s pivot to battery-electric buses. A to expand its capacity and introduce the capability for handling about 100 battery-electric buses. The construction of Marpole Transit Centre allows TransLink to take a significant step toward adopting a battery-electric fleet by replacing aging fossil fuel-powered buses later this decade, while also expanding the overall size of the bus fleet to support new and improved service levels for growing ridership. The complex is jointly designed by WSP Global, Architecture 49, and TWD Technologies. A portion of this industrial waterfront site for Marpole Transit Centre, which has the addresses of 8902-9001 Heather Street and 502 West Kent Avenue, was previously contemplated by the Vancouver Park Board for a . This facility complements TransLink’s nearby Vancouver Transit Centre bus depot, which primarily serves trolley electric buses. Located on the edge of the Fraser River, the Vancouver Transit Centre lies just west of the Marpole Transit Centre, next to the northern end of the Arthur Laing Bridge. Upon completion, Marpole Transit Centre will be a highly visible structure for those entering or leaving Vancouver on the Canada Line. In total, over the coming years, TransLink expects it will need to built to a higher cost standard of handling battery-electric buses. Additionally, other TransLink fleet depot projects have seen a steep cost escalation. The cost of the , serving SkyTrain’s Expo and Millennium lines, has risen from the early design estimate of $658 million in 2021 to $1.299 billion as of December 2024, with construction now well underway. The ongoing construction project of building a has tripled since 2021, now reaching $327 million.

REGINA — Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party government introduced Monday its promised legislation to lower personal income taxes. The Saskatchewan Affordability Act states it will raise personal income tax exemptions while indexing tax brackets to match inflation, saving an average family of four more than $3,400 over four years. Finance Minister Jim Reiter told reporters an estimated 54,000 residents will not pay provincial income tax once the changes are in place. The Saskatchewan Party had proposed the measures during the October election campaign. "We want to get this done as quickly as we can," Reiter said. "Obviously that was a big campaign commitment for us. People want affordability and we would like to deliver on that." The legislation also includes a tax credit for first-time homebuyers, along with a credit for home renovations that would provide savings of up to $420 per year. The bill also promises a 25-per-cent increase in tax credits for children under 18 with disabilities and for caregivers. It keeps the small business tax rate at one per cent while doubling benefits for families to put their children in sports and arts. Opposition NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon told reporters his party is prepared to support the legislation. "We certainly won't hold this up, but what we need is much more than that," Wotherspoon said. "We need action now to save families' hard-earned dollars as they head into the holiday season." The Opposition has been pushing Moe to suspend the provincial 15-cent-a-litre fuel tax and axe the provincial sales tax on ready-to-eat grocery items. Two of their emergency motions on those issues have failed to pass in the house. While speaking with reporters, Wotherspoon stood behind a table of groceries that have sales taxes imposed on them, including a rotisserie chicken, granola bars, pre-made salads and cut fruit and vegetables. "Oftentimes people are going to (the grocery store) picking up a rotisserie chicken. This fruit (platter) is taxed, same with a veggie platter," he said. "These are the kinds of staples that families are relying on. We need to provide some relief." Reiter said the province won't support the NDP's proposals, arguing the government needs revenues for services. "I don't like taxes. I'd love to cut taxes everywhere but we have to have revenue to operate," he said. Reiter said he is to write a letter to the federal government to fast-track the approval of the personal income tax changes so residents can start seeing a break in January. He said the tax reduction is to cost $140 million in the first year. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024. Jeremy Simes, The Canadian PressAlexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. Declares Cash Dividend of $1.32 per Common Share for 4Q24, an Increase of 2 Cents Over 3Q24, and an Aggregate of $5.19 per Common Share for 2024, an Increase of 23 Cents, or 5 Percent, Over 2023

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, will supply the cargo handling systems for three new 93,000 m3 capacity Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs). The ships are being built at the Korean shipyard Hanwha Ocean Co, formerly known as DSME. Two vessels are for a Greek ship owner and one for a Japanese owner. These two orders, both booked by Wärtsilä in Q4 2024, further strengthen Wärtsilä’s position as a market-leading supplier of cargo handling systems. The Wärtsilä scope for the complete Cargo Handling System encompasses the engineering scope, the material scope, and the supervision, commissioning, and gas trial scope. This comprehensive system is designed to ensure optimal performance and safety in cargo handling operations. “We are happy to have Wärtsilä as a project partner for these ships. We have earlier worked with them and have complete trust in the efficiency and reliability of their products,” says Mr. Lee, Leader of Basic Design Team, Hanwha Ocean Co. Wärtsilä Gas Solutions will supply the cargo handling systems for three new 93,000 m3 capacity Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs). The ships are being built at the Korean shipyard Hanwha Ocean. © Hanwha Ocean VLACs are essentially Very Large Gas Carriers but designed to carry full cargoes of ammonia. Since ammonia has a high specific gravity, VLAC cargo tanks and hulls need to be reinforced, and the vessels will have a deeper draught when fully loaded. “Wärtsilä Gas Solutions has become the largest supplier of complete cargo handling systems for vessels in this segment,” comments Patrick Ha, Sales Manager, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions. “We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Hanwha and look forward to building an even stronger relationship with ship owners through this project. We are very pleased to continue this relationship with both companies, and fully committed to providing our full support throughout this latest project.” The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard commencing in Q2 2025. Source: WärtsiläThe Onion's bid to buy Infowars goes before judge as Alex Jones tries stopping sale The Onion's bid to buy conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars has returned to a Texas courtroom. A federal judge in Houston is hearing arguments Monday on whether a bankruptcy auction was run properly as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. The hearing is expected to continue into Tuesday. The Onion satirical news outlet was named the winning bidder last month over a company affiliated with Jones. The auction was held to help pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation judgments that Jones was ordered to pay families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The families won lawsuits against Jones for calling the shooting a hoax. Juan Soto agrees to record $765 million, 15-year contract with Mets, AP source says DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical. Soto’s deal is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego. Soto's deal does not include deferred money, the person said. TikTok asks federal appeals court to bar enforcement of potential ban until Supreme Court review TikTok on Monday asked a federal appeals court to bar the Biden administration from enforcing a law that could lead to a ban on the popular platform until the Supreme Court reviews the case. The legal filing was made after a panel of judges on the same court sided with the government last week and ruled that the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban as soon as next month, was constitutional. If the law is not overturned, both TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have said the popular app will shut down by mid-January. Pinheiro Braathen performs snow samba to celebrate Brazil's first podium in a World Cup ski race It’s not just soccer anymore. Brazil is finding World Cup success in skiing now too. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen became the first Brazilian skier to finish on a World Cup podium when he placed second in a giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Sunday. Pinheiro Braathen celebrated the achievement in truly Brazilian style: with a samba dance on the podium, the Brazilian flag wrapped around his waist and cowboy boots on his feet. Pinheiro Braathen’s mother is Brazilian and his father is Norwegian. He raced for Norway until switching his nationality for this season. The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It's even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It's become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her. College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta. Dave Parker and Dick Allen elected to baseball's Hall of Fame DALLAS (AP) — Dave Parker and Dick Allen have been elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame by the classic era committee. Parker received 14 of 16 votes and Allen got 13. A vote of 75% or more was needed for election. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 27 along with players voted in by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, whose balloting will be announced on Jan. 21. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Hemingway look-alikes visit Cuba and some of the late writer's favorite places HAVANA (AP) — Eighteen white-bearded men who resemble the late U.S. author Ernest Hemingway have arrived in Havana for the weekend to visit some of the his favorite places when he lived on the island decades ago. Members of the Hemingway Look-alike Society visited the author’s favorite bar in Havana, La Floridita, where the music immediately picked up, and tourists and locals gathered around to take photos. The visit comes as Cuba and the United States are in the midst of tense relations. Hemingway lived in Cuba from 1939 to 1960. 'Reindeer' volunteers bring holiday magic to Ukrainian children living on the frontlines IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — A volunteer group is trying to fulfill the holiday dreams of thousands of children living near the frontlines in Ukraine. The St. Nicholas’ Reindeers initiative publishes letters online detailing the children's wishes. Some ask for gifts, such as a bicycle or a pet mouse, alongside more complicated requests for their family members to be released from captivity or to be able to return to their homes. Donors fulfill the gift requests and volunteer “reindeers,” named for the magical beasts that pull Santa's sleigh, deliver them in the weeks following Dec. 6, when Ukraine celebrates St. Nicholas Day. Project co-founder Inna Achkasova says the reindeer volunteers aim to ensure that every child feels seen, heard and loved.