50 compete in the 2025 edition of the cross-country mountain bike event
Gabriella Arnold and Robin Horsefield were crowned champions at the National Mountain Bike Championships on Sunday. Some 50 mountain bikers competed in the 2025 edition of the cross country event at Southlands Park, with Horsefield beating out road racing specialist Conor White for the title by just over 6 minutes.
Football: Team Bermuda’s 2nd match in the U17 World Cup qualifiers underway
In football, Team Bermuda’s under 17 women are looking to bounce back from Monday’s 5-nil defeat to Mexico, when they face Haiti this afternoon. Having described the Haitians as one of the powerhouses of the region, National Head Coach, Gary Adams, is now cautiously optimistic about Team Bermuda’s chances in today’s match, given Haiti’s surprise 8-nil defeat to Costa Rica on Monday.
Housing Minister on complaints about public housing
Stepping forward to address concerns … Minister Zane DeSilva: “I will schedule meetings with tenant representatives to listen to their concerns and suggestions.” File photo
Press release:
In addressing the concerns raised by Mary Victoria Road and Alexandra Road residents, Minister of Housing and Municipalities Zane DeSilva said, “I have been made aware of and acknowledge the concerns expressed by Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) tenants regarding policies, treatment, and maintenance issues. As the newly appointed Deputy Premier and Minister of Housing and Municipalities, I take these matters very seriously and commit to ensuring all BHC tenants receive fair treatment and reside in safe, well-maintained housing.
The BHC’s mission is to provide affordable, quality housing solutions for Bermudians, and our policies and practices must reflect this commitment. To address the issues raised:
I am committed to fostering an environment of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement within the BHC. To that end, I will schedule meetings with tenant representatives to listen to their concerns and suggestions. Together, we will work towards solutions that uphold the dignity and well-being of all residents.
I appreciate the patience and cooperation of all BHC tenants as we undertake these initiatives. Our collective efforts will ensure that the BHC fulfils its mandate to provide quality housing and services to the people of Bermuda.”
Allows the Department of Parks to complete the final preparations for the Annual Ag Exhibition
Government update via press release:
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment informs the public that the Botanical Gardens will be closed to all visitors on Sunday, April 6, and Monday, April 7, 2025.
This closure is necessary to allow the Department of Parks to complete the final preparations for the Annual Agricultural Exhibition, scheduled for April 24–26. These efforts are essential to ensure the site is safe, clean, and fully prepared to host thousands of attendees.
Additionally, to maintain safety and ensure smooth preparations for the upcoming Agricultural Exhibition, access to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) offices within the Botanical Gardens will be closed and the following services will be suspended starting at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 7.
Members of the public who require these services are encouraged to plan ahead to avoid inconvenience.
The Botanical Gardens and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) offices will reopen on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The Ministry thanks the public for their understanding and cooperation.
2025 apprenticeships reflect the programme’s mission to safeguard Bermuda’s cultural legacy
Government update via press release:
The Department of Culture hosted the Cultural Apprenticeship Breakfast on 22 March 2025, honouring the dedication of tradition-bearers and apprentices who are working to preserve and celebrate Bermuda’s rich heritage.
The event showcased the achievements of this year’s apprentices, whose work spans scientific research, historical conservation, and the restoration of local monuments.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport, the Hon. Owen Darrell, JP, MP, highlighted the significance of the programme, stating, “The Cultural Apprenticeship Programme is not just about the transfer of knowledge; it is about fostering meaningful connections, encouraging creativity, and ensuring that the essence of who we are as Bermudians continues to thrive.”
The Minister also commended the dedication of this year’s participants, whose efforts are ensuring Bermuda’s traditions endure for future generations.
This year’s apprenticeships reflect the programme’s mission to safeguard Bermuda’s cultural legacy.
BioQuest, powered by CariGenetics, saw Tradition-Bearer Jeremy Madeiros mentor Apprentice Haley Raynor in groundbreaking scientific research.
The Bermuda National Trust’s conservation efforts were strengthened by Tradition-Bearer Clifton Anderson and Apprentice Kaluym Mills, who worked to preserve historic cemeteries.
Additionally, the restoration of Bermuda’s national monuments was led by the St. George’s Foundation, with Tradition-Bearer Dean Saunders guiding Apprentice Mark Mills in the vital work of protecting the island’s historical landmarks.
The Department of Culture remains committed to nurturing intergenerational learning through the Cultural Apprenticeship Programme, ensuring that Bermuda’s unique traditions continue to inspire, educate, and thrive in the years ahead.
Hungary reported its first case in more than 50 years of the disease
International news via Reuters:
Hungary has deployed soldiers and launched new disinfection measures to help contain an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in a northwestern area bordering Slovakia and Austria, the agriculture minister said on Wednesday.
Hungary reported its first case in more than 50 years of the disease, which often leads to trade restrictions, on a cattle farm early last month.
Since then, neighbouring Slovakia has detected outbreaks at five locations after reporting its first cases in March. It has also stepped up measures to contain the disease’s spread.
Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy said foot-and-mouth disease was found at two additional farms in Gyor-Moson-Sopron county by Wednesday morning, affecting 3,500 cattle in total.
“We are making every effort to prevent any additional outbreaks,” Nagy said in a Facebook video.
The defence ministry did not immediately respond to emailed questions regarding the number of soldiers deployed to assist the containment effort.
Hungary’s cattle stock numbered 861,000 heads based on a livestock census in December, little changed from levels a year earlier. That constituted 1.2% of the European Union’s total cattle stocks, official statistics showed.
Data on the website of Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Office showed foot-and-mouth disease affecting a total of four farms in Hungary, all of them located in the country’s northwest, while checks at more than 600 other farms returned negative results.
Nagy said Hungarian authorities have launched additional measures, including disinfection points at border crossings and highway exits in the northwest to prevent the disease from spreading beyond the affected county.
Foot-and-mouth disease poses no danger to humans but causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats.
(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Jason Hovet; Editing by Joe Bavier
Relations between Greenland and Denmark have been strained in recent years
International news via Reuters:
Denmark’s prime minister will visit semi-autonomous Greenland on Wednesday for talks with the territory’s incoming government, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated expressions of interest in controlling the Arctic island.
Mette Frederiksen begins her three-day trip less than a week after a visit to the territory by U.S. Vice President JD Vance received a frosty reception from authorities in Denmark and Greenland.
Greenland’s incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who won last month’s general election and will form a coalition government, has said he welcomes Frederiksen’s trip, stating on Monday that Denmark remains “Greenland’s closest partner”.
Relations between Greenland and Denmark have been strained after revelations in recent years of historical mistreatment of Greenlanders under colonial rule. However, Trump’s interest in controlling Greenland, part of a growing international focus on competition for influence in the Arctic, has prompted Denmark to hasten work to improve ties with the island.
Nielsen told Reuters late on Monday that Greenland would strengthen its ties with Denmark until it could fulfil its ultimate wish to become a sovereign nation.
Meanwhile, Greenland wishes to establish a respectful relationship with the United States, he said.
“Talking about annexation and talking about acquiring Greenland and not respecting the sovereignty is not respectful. So let’s start by being respectful to each other and build up a great partnership on everything,” he said.
During his visit to a U.S. military base in northern Greenland on Friday, Vance accused Denmark of not doing a good job of keeping the island safe and suggested the United States would better protect the strategically-located territory.
Frederiksen, who has said it is up to the people of Greenland to decide their own future, called Vance’s description of Denmark “not fair.”
Opinion polls show that a majority of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants support independence from Denmark, but many warn against seeking independence too quickly, fearing Greenland could be worse off and expose itself to U.S. interests.
Reporting by Tom Little in Nuuk, Louise Breusch Rasmussen and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen, editing by William Maclean
French President Emmanuel Macron plans to visit Hanoi in the following weeks
International news via Reuters:
China’s President Xi Jinping and European Union leaders are set to visit Vietnam in the next few weeks in a swirl of diplomatic activity amid growing risks from U.S. trade tariffs, officials said.
China, the EU and Vietnam run very large trade surpluses with the United States and have all faced new tariffs from Donald Trump’s administration, with more expected to be announced on Wednesday.
Xi Jinping is expected to meet Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi on April 14, two Vietnamese officials with direct knowledge of the plans told Reuters, in what would be his second visit to the country in less than 18 months.
Xi’s multi-day visit to Vietnam is part of a wider trip to Southeast Asia, including Cambodia and Malaysia, according to two diplomats.
The Chinese foreign ministry said it had no information to share when asked about the trip at a news briefing on Monday.
Vietnam’s foreign affairs ministry did not reply to a request for comment.
Both Vietnamese sources said that among issues to be discussed are railways linking northern Vietnam with China which the two countries have agreed to develop to boost connections and trade.
One source said Xi’s trip would take place amid “strategic adjustments by major countries,” citing Trump’s shifting policies as the main change.
Vietnam is also in the process of approving the use of China’s COMAC planes, with an industrial source in Vietnam saying that a formal green light could coincide with Xi’s visit.
That could pave the way for the leasing and potentially even the purchase of Chinese commercial jets by Vietnamese airlines.
Just days before Xi’s visit, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to meet Vietnamese leaders on April 9, followed by EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic, according to official programmes.
French President Emmanuel Macron and the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen are also planning to visit Hanoi in the following weeks, European officials and diplomats have said.
“The tide of tariffs and export controls is rising… We want to create new opportunities to trade and invest with trusted partners,” von der Leyen told top officials from Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN in a video message when they were gathered last month in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi.
Reporting by Francesco Guarascio, Phuong Nguyen and Khanh Vu; additional reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing
The pizza chain extended its exclusivity agreement with Uber Eats for online orders until May
International news via Reuters:
Domino’s Pizza said on Wednesday customers could use the DoorDash app to place their orders, in a new partnership, as the pizza giant looks to bolster its delivery business and expand its U.S. user base.
Restaurants and fast-food chains have been more reliant on discounts in recent years than ever to attract consumers, who are cutting down on expensive and nice-to-have items, including dining out, to save dollars amid still-high inflation.
Domino’s, which missed fourth-quarter same-store sales estimates, had said in February it would continue with its promotional efforts, including 50% off on online pizza orders in 2025.
The pizza chain had then extended its exclusivity agreement with Uber Eats for online orders until May. Analysts at the time also anticipated a potential deal between Domino’s and DoorDash for orders.
Domino’s said a pilot partnership with DoorDash is already in place in select locations, and would be followed by a planned nationwide U.S. launch in May this year and across Canada later in 2025.
The orders placed on DoorDash’s platform would be delivered by Domino’s drivers.
Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar
Sonic weapons employ extreme sound to incapacitate targets
International news via Reuters:
Tamara Bojanovski was in a crowd of anti-government protesters in Belgrade on March 15 when she heard a sound “like some powerful machine hurtling up from behind”.
Thousands of others heard it too; the crowd packed into one of the Serbian capital’s main boulevards parted abruptly, rushing to the sidewalks.
Stefan, a student, recalled a “rumble”, then a “whoosh” and a sensation of something speeding toward the crowd. Another student, Dragica, felt “a wave travelling through us”.
“People felt faint, and some fell over,” said lawyer Bozo Prelevic, a former joint interior minister.
The noise lasted only a few seconds.
But speculation that a sonic weapon was used illegally to disperse the rally has filled headlines, talk shows and social media. President Aleksandar Vucic, already facing the biggest civil protests in decades, is under pressure to explain the incident.
Sonic weapons employ extreme sound to incapacitate targets. They can damage ears and cause headaches and nausea, and their use is illegal in Serbia.
Authorities denied possessing such devices, until Interior Minister Ivica Dacic admitted that police had bought Long-Range Acoustic Devices – used by authorities in the United States, Australia, Greece and Japan – from the U.S. in 2021.
Then Serbia’s police, BIA security and intelligence agency and military all denied ever using them in public.
Vucic said on Saturday that Russia had sent experts from its FSB intelligence service to investigate at Belgrade’s request, and on Monday said American FBI investigators would also arrive within days. The U.S. Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment.
The Omega Foundation, a human rights watchdog, said photos and witness accounts they reviewed and audiovisual footage obtained by Reuters were inconclusive, but suggested an LRAD could have been used.
“We really haven’t seen an effect like this. It was so distinctive,” said Omega Foundation researcher Neil Corney.
Earshot, a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in audio investigations, which also saw the footage, said the noise could have come from a vortex ring gun, an experimental non-lethal weapon for crowd control that uses high-energy doughnut-shaped vortices of air or gas, but that more research was needed.
However, U.S.-based Genasys, which makes LRADs, said that audio and video evidence “does not support the use of an LRAD”.
The protesters had gathered in memory of 15 people who died when a train station roof collapsed in November in the city of Novi Sad.
That tragedy, which many blame on government corruption and shoddy construction, has drawn hundreds of thousands onto the streets and forced prime minister Milos Vucevic to resign, as well as continuing to put pressure on Vucic.
Geolocation of the videos suggests that the sound wave travelled south along Kralja Milana Street for over 500 metres.
“The street emptied … like when Moses parted the Red Sea,” said Zoran Radovanovic, an epidemiologist who was in the crowd.
Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Milan Pavicic; Editing by Edward McAllister and Kevin Liffey
Albanese said Australia was not prepared to change its strict biosecurity controls on meat
International news via Reuters:
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his rival in a May election, Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton, said they would stand up for the country’s national interests in the face of looming U.S. tariffs that could hit Australian beef.
Australia recorded its first trade surplus with the United States in January as gold exports surged, after decades of trade deficits. The two countries have a free trade agreement that allows duty-free entry for U.S. exports. Albanese has said his government will not retaliate against the Trump Administration with reciprocal tariffs.
Toughening his language in an election campaign, Albanese said on Wednesday he would “stand up for Australian interests”, and would not compromise on Australian regulations that the United States is likely to target.
Opposition Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton similarly told reporters: “My job is to stand up for Australians.”
“If I needed to have a fight with Donald Trump or any other world leader to advance our nation’s interests, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Dutton said in a Sky News Australia interview.
Albanese said he “won’t compromise” on three areas likely to be targeted, after they were listed in a report on foreign trade barriers released a day earlier by the United States Trade Representative.
“We won’t compromise on our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, on our biosecurity or our Media Bargaining Code,” he said.
The report listed Australia’s ban on U.S. fresh beef products, in place since bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was detected in U.S. cattle in 2003.
Albanese said Australia was not prepared to change its strict biosecurity controls on meat, because it “could do enormous damage to our meat products”.
Australia and the United States are among the world’s largest beef exporters.
A slump in U.S. beef production opened the door for Australia to export record amounts of meat last year, growing its market share in North America and Asia and channelling billions of dollars to cattle processors and farmers.
Australia exported A$4 billion worth of beef to the United States last year, its biggest market.
The U.S. trade barriers report also referred to Australia’s 2021 law requiring U.S. tech giants, such as Google and Meta, to negotiate with media companies and compensate them for the links that lure readers and advertising revenue.
In December, Albanese’s government said it planned to toughen the rules, and charge big tech firms millions of dollars if they did not pay Australian media companies for news hosted on their platforms.
Exports to the United States were less than 5% of Australia’s total goods exports, compared to one in four export dollars coming from trade with China, Albanese said.
Australia was focussed on expanding its exports to growing economies in South East Asian and India, he said.
Australian beef exporters were previously barred from China after a diplomatic dispute between Canberra and Beijing, which was resolved last year.
Reporting by Kirsty Needham and Alasdair Pal in Sydney; editing by Barbara Lewis
The Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme will cost 16 GBP from April 9
International news via Reuters:
European visitors to Britain will have to purchase an electronic permit in advance for trips from Wednesday, as the UK government follows other countries in seeking to strengthen immigration security by screening people before they cross its borders.
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme requires all visitors who do not need a visa to enter Britain to purchase pre-travel authorisation online at a cost of 10 pounds (12 euros), rising to 16 pounds from April 9. Irish citizens are excluded.
The regime was initially rolled out to non-European nationals last year, including visitors from the United States, Canada and Australia.
“Expanding ETA worldwide cements our commitment to enhance security through technology and innovation,” migration minister Seema Malhotra said last month.
Britain’s Home Office, or interior ministry, said applying for an ETA should be simple through the UK ETA app, with the vast majority of applicants receiving a decision automatically in minutes.
Applicants provide a photo and biographic details and answer questions on suitability and criminality. Once an applicant has successfully applied, their ETA is digitally linked to their passport.
An ETA allows multiple visits to the UK of up to six months over a two-year period.
Airlines, ferry and train companies will be responsible for verifying the ETA status of travellers before they board.
Budget airline easyJet said on Tuesday it did not expect the new permit requirement to dent demand for Europe to UK travel.
The United Kingdom received 22.5 million visitors from the European Union in 2023, up from 19.0 million in 2022, according to official data.
The EU’s much delayed post-Brexit border security checks for UK nationals entering the bloc are slated to be introduced in October. Britain left the EU in 2020.
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) will remove the requirement to manually stamp passports at the EU’s external borders and instead create digital records that link a travel document to a person’s identity using biometrics.
EES will be a precursor to an enhanced system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will also require non-Schengen area citizens to pay a fee before they travel.
Britons currently pay about 17 pounds for a similar permit to enter the U.S.
($1 = 0.7744 pounds)
(1 euro = 0.8366 pounds)
Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Alexandra Hudson
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