Latest News
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Atlantic Shores Reaffirms Commitment to New Jersey Offshore Wind Despite Shell's Write-off
Atlantic Shores is a joint venture between Shell Plc, France's EDF and the State of New Jersey. It reiterated on Thursday its commitment to deliver New Jersey's 1st offshore wind project, despite Shell’s recent $1 billion write off related to this venture. Shell's fourth quarter earnings included $2.2 Billion in impairments. Part of this was a $1 Billion write-off on Atlantic Shores. Chief Financial Officer Sinead GORMAN stated that the project didn't align with the company’s capabilities or goals. Shell now wants to monetize the stake. Atlantic Shores submitted a proposal to New Jersey in July of last year as part the Fourth Offshore Wind Solicitation. Atlantic Shores, in response to Shell's write off, affirmed its commitment to moving forward with the project. The company stressed its compliance with existing leases and permit obligations with local, state, and federal partners, according to a statement. The company said that "business plans, portfolio projections and scopes change over time. As is expected with large capital-intensive projects such as ours, shareholders have always developed long-term strategies which consider multiple scenarios to enable Atlantic Shores reach its full potential." According to the U.S. Interior Department, Atlantic Shores South is expected to generate electricity up to 2,800 Megawatts, which would be enough to power about 1 million homes. Interior Department. The offshore wind industry has been faced with significant economic challenges. These include soaring material costs, high interest rate and supply-chain delays. Several major developers including Orsted Equinor BP Avangrid Shell have canceled power contracts or attempted to renegotiate them for planned U.S. Wind Farms with start dates expected between 2025-2028. Offshore wind is still a target as the new U.S. president Donald Trump will follow through with his promise to stop such projects. This creates ongoing uncertainty for this industry. Reporting by Sherin Varghese, Bengaluru. Editing by Matthew Lewis
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Marianne Faithfull dies at 78, the voice of Britain's Swinging '60s
Marianne Faithfull died at the age of 78. She was the wild woman from London's Swinging 1960s. She survived drug addiction, homelessness and two comas. She also battled cancer and COVID-19. Her singing career began when she was a teenager, and lasted into her 70s. In a Thursday statement, her spokesperson stated: "It's with great sadness that we report the death of Marianne Faithfull, singer, songwriter and actor." "Marianne died peacefully today in London, in the presence of her loving family." She will be missed dearly." Faithfull, the convent-educated child of a World War Two British Intelligence officer, was a front row seat to the drug, alcohol, and sexual excess that characterized the early days of rock music. The slow, haunting tone of her first hit "As Tears Go By" in 1964 presaged a darker side of the British pop music that had won hearts all over the world thanks to the breezy tunes by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Faithfull, the ex-girlfriend of Mick Jagger became addicted to heroin after the relationship ended. She suffered from anorexia and spent two years on the streets in London's Soho area. Faithfull never gave up, no matter how bad she fell. She has released 21 solo albums including "Broken English", which was critically acclaimed in 1979 and earned her a Grammy nod. She also wrote three autobiographies, had a career as a film actor, and published 21 books. In 2020, she made a comeback after contracting COVID-19 during the early days. She went into a 3-week coma in a London hospital. Nicholas, her son, told her that the medical staff was so certain she wouldn't recover that they had written a note at the foot of her bed saying "Palliative Care Only." "They thought I would croak!" Faithfull spoke to the New York Times April 2021. She recovered and finished her album within a year: "She Walks in Beauty," which was a collection Romantic poems that she read and then set to music. She complained later of symptoms such as fatigue, breathing difficulties and a lack of memory. In June 2021, she had to cut off a podcast interview due to these symptoms. According to media reports, Faithfull moved into Denville Hall in March 2022. This retirement home is located in London and houses professional actors. Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull, born in London on December 29, 1946 to a British intelligence agent who interrogated prisoner of war. Her mother was a close relative of the Austrian aristocracy. She was sent to a Roman Catholic convent school at the age of seven, but she still had a rebellious spirit. In her book "Faithful: An Autobiography" published in 1994, she said, "Eversince my days at convent, my secret heroes have been decadents and aesthetes. They are doomed Romantics. They are mad Bohemians. And they eat opium." Faithfull spent her formative years in swinging London during the mid-1960s, when she was an aspiring folk singer. She married at 18 and had a child, but she attended a party which changed her life. She met Rolling Stones Manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who launched her music career. He also brought her to the inner circle of the band. She left her artist husband John Dunbar in 1966 and began a relationship Jagger. Together, they formed the "It couple" of London's vibrant psychedelic music scene. Faithfull sang backing vocals on the Beatles' single "Yellow Submarine." She also inspired the Stones for "Sympathy for the Devil." Her fame was largely due to her drug and alcohol-fuelled antics with rock's bad boys. In 1968, she and Jagger were both arrested for cannabis possession. Her most famous caper may have been when she was found wrapped in a rug made of bearskin by police during a raid on Keith Richards' home. Faithfull was forever immortalized for the incident, but later revealed that she did not take part in an orgy as reported in British tabloids. Faithfull claimed that she had just taken a shower when the police came into the house. She grabbed a rug to cover herself up. She claimed that the double standard for women meant she was slandered, while the arrests helped to boost Jagger's and Richards' image as rock outlaws. Faithfull took issue with Jagger's portrayal of her as a mere artistic muse. "It is a horrible job." You don't have any male muses do you? What do you have in mind? "No," she replied in 2021. Faithfull's glamorous life faded fast as the 1960s ended. She spent two years on the streets in London, anorexic and addicted to heroin after she and Jagger separated in 1970. She found a positive in the chaos. "For me, I found being a drug addict to be an admirable lifestyle. The anonymity was something I had not experienced since I was 17 years old. In London, as a street addict, I found it. In her autobiography, she said: "I had no phone and no address." She described the experience as "meat for the mill" for her gritty album, "Broken English," that she called her masterpiece. Faithfull was grateful for the opportunity to learn from the greats, such as Jagger, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon, despite the personal costs, which included an overdose in Australia in 1969, that left her in a state of coma. She was planning to go to Oxford University and study comparative religion, philosophy, literature but ended up getting a different kind of education. "You know, I did not go to Oxford. But I went to Olympic Studios to watch the Rolling Stones and the Beatles record. I observed the best artists at work and I learned a lot from them. I also watched how Mick worked. She told The Guardian that she learned a great deal from him and will be forever grateful. (Reporting and editing by Diane Craft; Alistair Bell)
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Marianne Faithfull died at the age of 78, an English singer and actress.
British media reported that Marianne Faithfull died on Thursday at the age of 78. She had a long and successful singing career, which began when she was a teenager. The BBC reported that her spokesperson said, "It's with great sadness that we announce Marianne Faithfull's death." "Marianne died peacefully today in London, surrounded by her loving family." She will be missed dearly." Faithfull, the convent-educated child of a World War Two British Intelligence officer, was a front row seat to the drug, alcohol, and sexual excess that characterized the early days of rock music. The slow, haunting tone of her first hit "As Tears Go By" in 1964 presaged a darker side to British pop music that had been winning over hearts all around the globe with the breezy, early tunes by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Faithfull, the former girlfriend of Mick Jagger fell victim to heroin addiction and anorexia after the relationship ended. She spent two years on the streets in London's Soho area, early 1970s. Faithfull never gave up, no matter how bad she fell. She has released 21 solo albums including "Broken English", which was critically acclaimed in 1979 and earned her a Grammy nod. She also wrote three autobiographies, had a career as a film actor, and published 21 books. In 2020, she made a comeback after contracting COVID-19 during the early days. She fell into a 3-week coma in a London hospital. Nicholas, her son, told her that the medical staff was so certain she wouldn't recover that they had written a note on the chart under her bed saying "Palliative Care Only." "They thought I would croak!" Faithfull spoke to the New York Times about April 2021. She recovered and finished her album within a year: "She Walks in Beauty", a collection Romantic poems that she read and put to music. She complained later of symptoms such as fatigue, breathing difficulties and a lack of memory. In June 2021, she had to cut short an interview for a podcast. According to media reports, Faithfull moved into Denville Hall in March 2022. This retirement home is located in London and houses professional actors. Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull, born in London on December 29, 1946 to a British Intelligence officer who interrogated POWs. Her mother was related to Austrian royalty. She was sent to a Roman Catholic convent school at the age of 7, but she still had a rebellious spirit. In her book "Faithful: An Autobiography" published in 1994, she said, "Eversince my days at convent, my secret heroes have been decadents and aesthetes. They are doomed Romantics. They are mad Bohemians. And they eat opium." Faithfull spent her formative years in swinging London during the mid-1960s, when she was an aspiring folk singer. She married at 18 and had a child, but she attended a party which changed her life. She met Rolling Stones Manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who launched her music career. He also brought her to the inner circle of the band. She left her artist husband John Dunbar in 1966 and began a relationship Jagger. Together, they formed the "It couple" of London's vibrant psychedelic music scene. Faithfull sang backing vocals on the Beatles' single "Yellow Submarine." She also inspired the Stones for "Sympathy for the Devil." Her fame was largely due to her drug and alcohol-fueled antics, which she shared with rock's bad boys. In 1968, she and Jagger were both arrested for cannabis possession. Her most famous caper may have been when she was found wrapped in a rug made of bearskin by police during a raid on Keith Richards' home. Faithfull was forever immortalized for the incident, but later revealed that she did not take part in an orgy as reported in British tabloids. Faithfull claimed that she had just taken a shower when the police came into the house. She grabbed a rug to cover herself up. She claimed that the double standard for women meant she was slandered, while the arrests boosted the image of Jagger as a rock outlaw. Faithfull took issue with Jagger's portrayal of her as a mere artistic muse. "It is a horrible job." You don't have any male muses do you? What do you have in mind? "No," she replied in 2021. Faithfull's glamorous life faded fast as the 1960s ended. She spent two years on the streets in London, anorexic and addicted to heroin after she and Jagger separated in 1970. She found a positive in the chaos. "Being a drug addict was an admirable lifestyle for me." The anonymity was something I had not experienced since I was 17 years old. In London, as a street addict, I found it. In her autobiography, she said: "I had no phone and no address." She described the experience as "meat for the mill" for her gritty album, "Broken English," that she called her masterpiece. Faithfull was grateful for the opportunity to learn from the greats, such as Jagger, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon, despite the personal costs, which included an overdose in Australia in 1969, that left her in a state of coma. She was planning to go to Oxford University and study comparative religion, philosophy, literature but ended up getting a different kind of education. "You know, I did not go to Oxford. But I went to Olympic Studios to watch the Rolling Stones and the Beatles record. I observed the best artists at work and I learned a lot from them. I also watched how Mick worked. She told The Guardian that she learned a great deal from him and will be forever grateful. (Reporting and editing by Diane Craft; Alistair Bell)
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Pentagon probes crash by 'experienced' Black Hawk crew, stops flights
The U.S. Army helicopter involved in an over night collision with a guest jet near Washington involved a relatively knowledgeable team that was operating with night vision safety glasses, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Thursday, as the Pentagon purchased a 48hour time out in flying for the system associated with the crash. A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter hit an American Airlines guest jet on Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River. The military helicopter was on a training flight, but it is uncertain what caused the crash. Authorities have said there were no survivors. In a video declaration, Hegseth stated that the crew of three soldiers was on an annual proficiency training flight. We prepare for that the examination will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the passage and at the ideal elevation at the time of the incident, Hegseth said. The helicopter from the 12th Aviation Battalion, based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, would be grounded for 2 days, Hegseth said. The unit is accountable for helicopter flights in the Washington D.C. location. Reuters was first to report on the functional pause. One official said that other helicopters, like those from the National Guard, will still be allowed to help in healing efforts, the official included. Military helicopters are a common sight around the U.S. capital region that is home to various military bases. It is not unusual for the military to order pauses after accidents or crashes.
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U.S. Army unit associated with Washington collision to temporarily stop briefly flights
The U.S. Army system whose helicopter was involved in the over night collision with a. traveler jet near Washington has been placed on a functional. time out, two U.S. authorities informed Reuters on Thursday, significance. helicopters from that unit will not be flying for the time. being. A U.S. Army BlackHawk helicopter hit an American. Airlines passenger jet on Wednesday night near Reagan Washington. National Airport, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac. River. The military helicopter was on a training flight, but it. is uncertain what caused the crash. Authorities have actually stated there. were no survivors. Among the authorities, speaking on condition of anonymity,. said helicopters from the 12 Air travel Battalion, based at Fort. Belvoir in Virginia, would be momentarily grounded. It is not. clear how long the time out would last. Other helicopters, like those from the National Guard, will. still be permitted to assist in recovery efforts, the official. included. Military helicopters are a common sight around the U.S. capital region that is home to various military bases. It is. not unusual for the military to order pauses after accidents or. crashes.
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Russia's Yamal LNG gets new tanker, LSEG information programs
Russia's melted gas plant Yamal LNG, led by Novatek, has acquired a brand-new gas provider for shiptoship operations near the Arctic port of Murmansk, shiptracking LSEG information showed on Thursday. According to the information, the tanker called North Moon is located near the island of Kildin in the Barents Sea, where LNG dispatched from Yamal LNG is being re-loaded from ice-class Arc7 tankers. Ship-to-ship transfers generally involve moving LNG from ice-class tankers on to conventional ones, but can also be utilized to complicate cargo tracking. Yamal LNG restarted the operations in the Murmansk region last November. Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine in addition to shortages of gas providers are a challenge for Russia in its pursuit of raising its share on international LNG marker to 0% of the international LNG market by 2030-2035, compared to around 8% at present. Nord Moon was built in 2024 and is owned by Singapore-registered Arctic Emerald no. 2 LNG Shipping, operated by Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). Russia, the world's fourth largest LNG manufacturer behind the U.S., Australia and Qatar, currently has two massive LNG plants: the Novatek-led Yamal LNG, which produced around 20 million tons in 2015, and Gazprom's Sakhalin-2, with an output of more than 10 million loads in 2015. Novatek's another plant, Arctic LNG 2, has been having a hard time to offer freights despite starting operations in late 2023. An market source informed Reuters last October that Novatek shut down commercial operations at Arctic LNG 2 without any plans to restart it during winter season.
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Norway Finance Minister Resigns In Exodus Of Eurosceptics
Trygve Slagsvold-Vedum, Norway's Finance minister, said that his eurosceptic Centre Party and he would resign as a result of a disagreement between the Labour Party and him over the adoption by EU energy policies. Centre Party, which has been in power since 2021 and holds eight of the 20 seats in the Norwegian cabinet, including Finance Minister, Defence minister, and ministers of justice and security, and Labour holds the other 12 positions. Labour, who has stated that Norway must maintain good relationships with the EU due to the threat of a trading war between Europe an the United States, can now govern alone as a minority until the September elections. Ministers of the government have stated that Labour wants Norway, an EU member state outside the EU, to adopt union directives regarding renewable energy consumption, energy performance in buildings and increased energy efficiency. The Centre Party has opposed all three directives because it believes they will undermine Norwegian autonomy. It has also maintained for years that Norway, a power and gas exporter, should seek to take back control of regulation from the EU. Vedum said at a press briefing that "the conclusion for us is the Centre Party doesn't want to be a part of this" development. In opinion polls, Norway's centre-left two-party minority government trails right-wing parties ahead of parliamentary elections in the fall. (Reporting and editing by GwladysFouche, Terje Solsvik)
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After robotaxi failure, GM software bet turns to chauffeur support
General Motors is charting a technological future concentrated on its Super Cruise chauffeur help technology, similar to Tesla's. Auto-pilot, with the expectation of bringing in billions of. dollars in income. GM's push on handsoff driving system Super Cruise comes as the. automaker exits its multibilliondollarlosing robotaxi. company Cruise, which focused on selfdriving vehicles hailed. by an app. GM projection on Tuesday that Super Cruise would bring in about $2. billion in total yearly income within 5 years, aiding in its. efforts to be understood like Tesla for innovation as much as it is. for cars. The earnings from Super Cruise is much higher-margin than. making lorries and would lead the way for customer. approval of entirely self-driving automobiles, stated Morningstar. expert David Whiston. Super Cruise is conceptually similar to Tesla's Autopilot. in that they both offer partly automated driving innovation. The difference is Super Cruise utilizes a more robust noticing. system than Auto-pilot to make sure the chauffeur stays mindful to. the roadway, according to Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market. research for Telemetry Insights. Super Cruise is offered on about 20 more recent higher-end. fuel and electric automobile models, consisting of many Cadillacs. and big SUVs. It is standard on some lorries and optional on others. For. the optional cars, customers can access the technology for. $ 2,200 to $2,500. Super Cruise is complimentary for three years and after that. consumers are offered a subscription at $25 a month or $250 a. year. GM's push into the innovation has yet to bring Tesla-like. benefits to its stock assessment. The Elon Musk-run electric lorry maker's stock is trading. around 120 times expected incomes, reflecting an understanding of. it as a high-growth tech company, according to LSEG data. By. comparison, GM is valued at around 5 times its earnings. Investors are also concerned about the impact of the Trump. administration's proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico on GM,. which sent shares down 8.9% after its outcomes on Tuesday and a. even more 0.5% on Wednesday. However driver support technology remains a promising development. area, GM CEO Mary Barra said on Tuesday, with the automaker. anticipating to double the about 360,000 cars in the Super. Cruise fleet in 2025. In 2024, about 20% of approximately 18,000 users signed up for a Super. Cruise subscription after the complimentary membership ended,. Barra said. Another 33,000 automobiles will end a three-year trial. duration in 2025 and GM is targeting to more than double. subscription profits, she added. There are hardware costs related to Super Cruise,. consisting of video cameras, radar and the motorist attention system. Nevertheless, software tends to be extremely profitable, Edward. Jones analyst Jeff Windau said. In addition, if it is a. feature the clients worth, you might see a high renewal rate.
Rubio will visit Central America late in January for his first overseas visit
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced on Thursday that Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state and Washington's top diplomat will be visiting Panama and four other Central American and Caribbean countries starting late next week as part of his first overseas visit.
Bruce has said that the trip will include stops in Guatemala and El Salvador as well as the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic. This comes at a time when President Donald Trump put immigration in the forefront of his foreign policy agenda. He also pushed for the United States take back the Panama Canal, comments which have angered Central American countries.
There is a good reason for this being the first visit. Bruce told reporters that it signals his seriousness, his commitment to the nation and his willingness to tackle the issues he cares about, including the Trump agenda.
"It is about making sure we are safe, prosperous, and in good condition, and we...have to have an interest to our neighbors, and in today's global, it is certainly South and Central America."
Trump also accuses Panama of not fulfilling its promises made in 1999 regarding the transfer of strategic waterway to China and of ceding the operation of the waterway to China, accusations which the Panamanian government strongly denies.
"We didn't hand it over to China." Trump stated in his inaugural speech on Monday that he had given it to Panama and was taking it back.
On Monday, President Jose Raul Mulino said on X that the Panama Canal is and will remain Panamanian. Panama also informed the United Nations of Trump's remarks in a Tuesday letter.
The Panama Canal is an 82 km (51 mile) waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It is vital for U.S. imports, such as autos and commercial items, by container ships coming from Asia.
The United States built the canal in large part and governed the surrounding territory for decades. In 1977, the U.S. signed an accord with Panama that gave full control of the canal to Panama. Washington then handed the canal over in 1999 following a period under joint administration.
Trump promised to crackdown on illegal immigration into the United States during his campaign and has already started to tackle the issue.
He signed executive order declaring illegal immigration on the U.S. Mexico border as a national crisis, designating criminal cartels terrorist organizations and targeting automatic citizenship of U.S. born children of illegal immigrants.
Rubio's trip, as the first Latino U.S. Secretary of State, will also be focused on immigration.
(source: Reuters)