The Meridian Daily

Council approves new tram line linking the harbour to the university

Harbour City Council last night approved a 9.4-kilometre tram line that will connect the ferry terminal with the university campus on Ridge Hill, ending a debate that has run for almost a decade.

The line will have fourteen stops and is expected to carry 38,000 passengers a day once it opens. Construction is due to begin next spring, with the first trams running in about three years.

Mayor Elena Brandt called the vote "the most important transport decision this city has made in a generation" and said the route had been redrawn twice to protect the old market streets.

Shop owners along Canal Road, where the tracks will run down the middle of the street, asked for support during the works. The council promised a fund for affected businesses and night-time work on the busiest stretch.

The cost, estimated at 410 million, will be shared by the city, the regional government and a long-term loan. Opposition councillors voted against the plan, saying the budget leaves too little room for rising building prices.

Students welcomed the decision. "Today it takes me fifty minutes and two buses to reach my …

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Unemployment falls to its lowest level in twelve years

The national unemployment rate fell to 4.6 per cent last month, its lowest level in twelve years, according to figures from the statistics office.

Most new jobs were created in health care, construction and renewable energy. Wages rose by 3.9 per cent over the year, slightly faster than prices.

Economists cautioned that hiring may slow next year as higher interest rates weigh on business investment.

The opposition said it would examine the details carefully, but several of its members signalled support for the main idea during the debate.

Regional governments will receive guidance from the ministry over the coming weeks. Officials said they would review the first results after one year.

Neighbouring states reopen border crossing closed for a decade

Two neighbouring states have reopened a mountain border crossing that was closed ten years ago, allowing families on both sides to visit each other again.

Hundreds of people waited at the crossing on the first morning. Officials said trade in farm goods would resume next month.

Observers said the agreement could serve as a model for other regions, although much will depend on how quickly the promised funding arrives.

Diplomats described the talks as long but constructive. A follow-up meeting is planned for next year to review progress.

Council approves new tram line linking the harbour to the university

lectures," said Amira Costa, president of the student union. "This will change daily life for thousands of us."

The council will publish the full report on its website this week, and residents can send questions to their local councillor before the next public meeting.

Neighbourhood groups said they would follow the plans closely. "We support the idea, but the details matter," said one resident who has lived in the area for thirty years. "We want to be asked, not just told."

Officials will present the details at a public meeting at the City Hall next Tuesday evening, and residents can comment online for six weeks afterwards.

A full timetable, maps of every phase and answers to the most common questions are available at the city information centre on Harbour Square.

City libraries to stay open until ten every weekday

All eleven public libraries in Harbour City will open until ten in the evening from Monday to Friday, after a trial at the central library proved popular with students and shift workers.

The longer hours are paid for by moving some library services online and by a grant from a local foundation. Staff numbers will rise by fourteen.

At the central library, evening visits rose by sixty per cent during the trial. "People come after work to study, to read the papers or just to sit somewhere warm and quiet," said chief librarian Ruth Haldane.

City officials expect the first results to be visible within months. A progress report will be presented to the council in the spring, together with an updated budget.

The project is part of the city's ten-year plan, which aims to make Harbour City greener, easier to move around and more affordable for young families.

Storm warning for the coast as autumn winds arrive

The weather office has issued a yellow warning for strong winds along the coast from Thursday evening, with gusts of up to 90 kilometres an hour expected on exposed headlands.

Ferry services to the islands may be delayed or cancelled. Residents are asked to secure garden furniture and avoid walking on the harbour walls while the warning is in force.

Businesses in the area have been invited to an information evening at the City Hall, where planners will answer questions and show maps of each stage.

Councillors from all parties agreed that the city should report back regularly, so that people can see how the money is being spent.

Volunteers plant 20,000 trees along the Silver River

More than three thousand volunteers spent the weekend planting native trees along the banks of the Silver River, the largest planting day the city has ever organised.

The trees, mostly alder, willow and oak, will help hold the riverbanks together during winter floods and give shade to the cycle path that runs beside the water.

Schools brought whole classes, and several companies gave staff a day off to take part. Organisers said the goal of 20,000 trees was reached shortly after four o'clock on Sunday.

The deputy mayor said the plan had been shaped by hundreds of comments from residents. "This is a better project because people told us what they needed," she said.

Local schools will be invited to follow the work, and a small exhibition about the plans will open in the central library next month.

Parliament passes law to make train tickets valid on all regional lines

A single ticket will soon be valid on every regional train line in the country, after parliament passed a law that ends the patchwork of separate fares run by different operators.

Transport minister Daniel Moreau said the change would make rail travel simpler and cheaper for millions of commuters. The new system starts in January.

Rail operators will be paid from a common fund according to the number of passengers they carry. Consumer groups welcomed the law but warned that more trains are needed on the busiest routes.

Analysts said the decision reflects a broader change in priorities, as the country prepares for an ageing population and a changing climate.

A public consultation earlier this year received more than 12,000 responses, most of them in favour of the proposals.

Offshore wind farm begins sending power to 600,000 homes

The country's largest offshore wind farm, built forty kilometres off the north coast, has started sending electricity to the national grid.

Its 92 turbines can produce enough power for around 600,000 homes. The project took six years to plan and build and employed more than 2,000 people at its peak.

The minister is expected to visit several regions next month to explain the changes to local councils and businesses.

Trade unions welcomed the announcement but said they would watch closely how it is put into practice in smaller towns.

Farmers report record apple harvest after mild spring

Fruit growers are celebrating a record apple harvest after a mild spring and a warm, dry summer, with yields up by a fifth on last year.

The growers' association said prices for consumers should fall slightly in the coming weeks, and asked supermarkets to stock more local varieties.

Independent experts will publish an assessment of the first year, which parliament will debate before any further changes are made.

Opinion polls suggest that a clear majority of voters support the plan, especially among younger people.

National observatory finds three new comets in one month

Astronomers at the national observatory have discovered three new comets in a single month, using a telescope camera built by university students.

None of the comets will come close to Earth, but one may be visible with binoculars in the spring when it passes nearest the Sun.

The opposition said it would examine the details carefully, but several of its members signalled support for the main idea during the debate.

Regional governments will receive guidance from the ministry over the coming weeks. Officials said they would review the first results after one year.

Undersea cable brings fast internet to remote islands

A new undersea cable has brought high-speed internet to a chain of remote islands for the first time, replacing a slow satellite link.

Island schools and clinics will be among the first to be connected. The cable is 1,800 kilometres long and was laid in just over four months.

Local residents interviewed by reporters were cautiously hopeful. Many said they had heard promises before, and would believe the change when they saw it.

International organisations welcomed the news and offered technical help with the next steps.

Forty nations agree to protect a third of their coastal waters

Forty countries have signed an agreement to protect thirty per cent of their coastal waters by the end of the decade, at a summit held on the island of Varos.

The deal limits bottom trawling and new drilling in protected zones and sets up a shared fund to help smaller island states patrol their seas.

Environmental groups called it a strong first step but said the real test will be whether governments enforce the rules.

The announcement was followed closely in neighbouring countries, several of which are considering similar measures.

Officials stressed that the timetable is ambitious and that progress will be reported publicly every six months.

Shipping rates fall as new canal locks open

Container shipping rates have fallen by around twelve per cent since the opening of larger locks on the Eastern Canal, which allow bigger ships to pass.

Port operators expect traffic through the canal to rise by a quarter next year, shortening many routes between the two oceans by several days.

Business groups in the region said the decision would make planning easier and could attract new investment.

Our correspondent reports that the mood in the capital was calm, with daily life continuing much as usual.

International crew returns safely after six months in orbit

Four astronauts returned safely to Earth after six months aboard the orbiting research station, landing in calm seas shortly after dawn.

During their mission the crew carried out more than 200 experiments, including tests of plants grown without soil.

Observers said the agreement could serve as a model for other regions, although much will depend on how quickly the promised funding arrives.

Diplomats described the talks as long but constructive. A follow-up meeting is planned for next year to review progress.

The tram is a promise. Now the city must keep it

Last night's vote was the easy part. For ten years Harbour City has argued about a tram line; now it has to build one on time, on budget and without ruining the streets it will run through.

The council has promised help for shopkeepers on Canal Road. That help must arrive before the first digger, not after the first closures. A clear timetable for each stretch of the works, published and kept up to date, would do more for trust than any speech.

There will be delays. There always are. What matters is that people are told the truth when plans change, and that the city keeps its eyes on the goal: a faster, cleaner way to cross a city that has outgrown its buses.

What our libraries teach us about a good city

There are not many places left where you can sit for hours without buying anything. The library is one of them, and the queue at the door of the central library at eight o'clock on a weekday evening tells us how much that matters.

A good city is not only roads and towers. It is the warm, quiet room where a student finishes an essay, a pensioner reads the newspaper and a child discovers that books can be an adventure.

Letters to the editor

Sir, I have cycled along the Silver River every morning for twenty years. The new trees are wonderful, but please could the city also fix the lights under the railway bridge? — J. Petrakis, Riverside.

Sir, The night market is a joy. Could organisers add more bins and a few benches for those of us who no longer like to eat standing up? — M. Lindqvist, Old Town.

Sir, Free dental check-ups for children are welcome news. My village has had no dentist for two years; I hope the ministry remembers us too. — A. Ferreira, Westbrook.

Port operator to invest 300 million in electric cranes

Meridian Port Holdings will replace its diesel cranes with electric ones over the next five years, in a 300-million investment that it says will cut the port's emissions by half.

The company also plans to supply shore power to ships at berth, so they can switch off their engines while loading and unloading.

Shares in the company rose slightly after the announcement. Analysts said the plan was ambitious but well financed.

The chamber of commerce said the news was a sign of confidence in the regional economy, which has grown faster than the national average for three years.

Harbour exchange closes at a record high on strong bank results

The Harbour City stock exchange closed at a record high yesterday, lifted by better-than-expected results from the country's two largest banks.

The main index rose 1.4 per cent to 8,412 points. Shipping and energy shares also gained, while technology stocks were mixed.

Analysts said investors were encouraged by signs that inflation is easing and that interest rates may stop rising early next year.

Smaller suppliers in the region are expected to benefit, as many contracts will be awarded to local firms.

The company will present further details to investors at its annual meeting in the spring.

Family bakery chain opens its fiftieth shop

Orchard Lane Bakery, which started as a single shop on Mill Street in 1987, opened its fiftieth branch this week in the new Saltworks district.

The family-owned company employs 640 people and still bakes all of its bread in its original kitchen, now much expanded, in the old town.

Economists at the Harbour Business School said the sector has recovered strongly over the past two years, helped by lower energy prices.

Staff representatives said they had been consulted early and supported the plan, provided that training is offered to everyone affected.

Local app that tracks ferry times raises seed funding

Tidewise, a Harbour City start-up whose app shows live ferry positions and delays, has raised 2.5 million from investors to expand to other coastal cities.

The app was built by three former ferry engineers and now has more than 80,000 users.

The bank that is financing part of the investment said it expects demand for similar projects to grow across the coast.

Consumers should see the first effects within a year, according to the company, which promised to keep prices stable.

Local crew takes the coastal regatta in strong winds

The Harbour City Sailing Club crew of the yacht Kittiwake won the annual coastal regatta, finishing the 120-mile course almost forty minutes ahead of their nearest rivals.

Strong winds forced eleven of the thirty starters to retire. The winning crew included two teenagers from the club's youth programme.

The coach praised the commitment of the whole squad. "We have worked hard for this all season, and tonight it showed," she said after the final whistle.

Supporters celebrated long into the evening in the bars around the harbour, where the result was shown on big screens.

Harbour United win the derby with a late header

A header from Tomas Reyes in the 88th minute gave Harbour United a 2-1 win over Ridge Hill Rovers in front of 31,000 fans at the Quayside Stadium.

Rovers had taken the lead early in the second half through a fine long-range shot from Leon Abara, but United levelled from a corner ten minutes later.

The win lifts United to third in the league, two points behind the leaders. "The supporters carried us tonight," said manager Ines Varga.

The next fixture is away from home on Saturday, against opponents who have not lost at their own ground this season.

Club officials confirmed that tickets for the next home game are almost sold out.

City marathon sets record with 14,000 runners

A record 14,000 runners took part in the Harbour City Marathon on Sunday, with the men's race won in 2 hours 9 minutes and the women's in 2 hours 24 minutes.

Both winners broke the course record on a cool, still morning that organisers called perfect for running.

Young players from the city academy are being given more chances this season, and several have already made their debut.

Medical staff will assess two players who picked up knocks, but neither injury is thought to be serious.

Mariners stay unbeaten after overtime thriller

The Harbour Mariners kept their unbeaten start to the season with a 98-94 overtime win against Port Sela, sealed by two late free throws from captain Jonah Elling.

The Mariners have now won seven games in a row, their best start for fifteen years.

The club's women's team, who top their own league, will play their next home game at the same ground on Sunday.

Local schools have been offered free tickets for the next match as part of the club's community programme.

Debut novel about a lighthouse keeper wins the coastal prize

A debut novel about a lighthouse keeper and his daughter has won this year's Coastal Book Prize. The judges praised its "quiet, unforgettable voice".

The author, a former teacher from the islands, wrote the book in the evenings over seven years.

Tickets are available from the box office and online. Students and pensioners pay half price on weekday evenings.

The organisers said they wanted to bring culture to every neighbourhood, not only to the city centre, and plan more events in the eastern districts next year.

Five new places to eat on the waterfront this month

From a tiny dumpling bar to a family fish restaurant in a former boathouse, five new places have opened on the waterfront this month.

Our food writer tried them all and found the best value at lunchtime, when most offer a set menu.

Critics have praised the programme for mixing well-known names with new local talent.

A family day with free workshops for children will be held on the first Sunday of next month.

Harbour Philharmonic opens season with a sold-out night

The Harbour Philharmonic opened its new season to a sold-out hall, playing a programme of new works by local composers alongside a much-loved symphony.

The orchestra will also give eight free concerts in neighbourhood schools and community centres this season.

The event is supported by the city arts fund and by several local businesses, which have sponsored free places for schools.

Visitors are advised to arrive early, as last year many events were full well before the start.