Housekeepers down tools after a supervisor was reportedly let go
Photo by Bermuda Broadcasting
Hamilton Princess housekeeping staff staged a walkout this morning.
The downing of tools was apparently due to the firing of a supervisor.
Bermuda Broadcasting attempted to speak to the group of about 20 staff, but we were asked to move along by hotel security.
The group went back into the hotel around 12:40pm, where we understand Bermuda Industrial Union officials were meeting with hotel management to discuss the matter.
The group subsequently re-merged and remain gathered outside the premises.
Seeking to counter concerns about Washington’s reliability, Elbridge Colby, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, reiterated the U.S. interest in the region as he called for greater burden-sharing and “partnership, not dependency”
International News via Reuters:
The United States is not disengaging from Asia and is instead “digging in” to maintain a favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, but wants its partners to shoulder more responsibility for their defence, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday.
Seeking to counter concerns about Washington’s reliability, Elbridge Colby, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, reiterated the U.S. interest in the region as he called for greater burden-sharing and “partnership, not dependency”.
“America is definitely not disengaging from Asia,” Colby said in a speech in Manila. “We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favourable balance of power where it matters most.”
The Philippines, the United States’ oldest treaty ally in Asia, is the first stop on a Southeast Asian trip that also will take Colby to Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia.
Colby said maintaining a favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific required a “posture of deterrence by denial along the First Island Chain” and pointed to what he said was a growing U.S. military commitment in the region.
The First Island Chain refers to an area stretching from Japan down to Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo.
The strategy could not rest on American forces alone, he said, arguing that allies should invest more in their security.
“When we ask our allies and partners to step up, to invest more in their own defence, and to take responsibility for their own sovereign security, we are not signaling abandonment,” Colby said. “We are looking for partners, not protectorates.”
“When our partners are strong, deterrence is strong,” he added.
Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Martin Petty and John Mair
The bank, which specialises in financing environmentally and socially sustainable projects, estimates that heat-related disruption could shave around 1% off the European Union’s gross domestic product
International News via Reuters:
The extreme heat and drought affecting large parts of Europe this summer could erase much of the economic growth expected across the region, Dutch bank Triodos said in a report on Saturday.
The bank, which specialises in financing environmentally and socially sustainable projects, estimates that heat-related disruption could shave around 1% off the European Union’s gross domestic product, equivalent to roughly €180 billion ($208 billion) in economic losses, driven primarily by weaker labour productivity.
• Labour productivity losses alone could cut EU GDP by around 0.6%, while agricultural output is expected to fall by 3% to 7%.
• “Higher food prices, constrained power generation and higher electricity prices, and disruption to roads, rail and inland waterways add to the damage,” Triodos said.
• France is expected to be the hardest hit, with recurring heatwaves reducing GDP by around 1.4% and potentially tipping it into an annual contraction of 0.6%.
• Italy, Spain and Belgium also face substantial losses, while countries such as Poland, which experienced fewer exceptionally hot days, are expected to be less affected.
• The European Commission has forecast EU GDP growth of 1.1%, while the IMF expects the euro area to grow by around 0.9%.
($1 = 0.8657 euros)
Reporting by Jakob Van Calster, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak
The government will also provide a further 5 trillion won in trade finance for suppliers, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik told a press briefing after a meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung on Monday
International News via Reuters:
South Korea will launch a 5 trillion won ($3.52 billion) semiconductor fund targeting promising chip materials, parts, equipment and fabless companies, a presidential official said, as Seoul seeks to accelerate plans for new chip manufacturing hubs across the country.
The government will also provide a further 5 trillion won in trade finance for suppliers, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik told a press briefing after a meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung on Monday.
The measures are part of Lee’s semiconductor megaproject initiative unveiled in June, under which Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, together with suppliers and local governments, are expected to invest more than $576 billion in new chip manufacturing projects, including major fabrication facilities in the country’s southwest region.
“The government will create a new semiconductor fund worth about 5 trillion won focused on promising materials, parts and equipment firms and fabless companies,” Kang said.
The government would also launch a 10-year, 1 trillion won programme to support cooperation between large companies and smaller suppliers across semiconductor development, testing and production, Kang said.
The government will also seek passage of a Mega Special Zone Act at parliament within the year to speed up permits, environmental reviews and infrastructure construction, he said.
In his opening remarks before Monday’s meeting, which was also attended by senior executives from Samsung Electronics and SK, Lee urged the Defence Ministry to relocate functions of a military air base in Gwangju by mid-2028 to accelerate development of a semiconductor manufacturing complex planned for the site.
The government has designated the 8.3 million-square-metre area (9.9 million square yards) as a candidate national industrial complex and plans to complete relocation and temporary dispersal of military facilities by the second half of 2028.
Kang said the government would ensure power and water supplies are available on schedule for new semiconductor projects.
For the planned chip cluster in the southwestern Gwangju-South Jeolla region, authorities plan to secure 650,000 metric tons of water daily by 2030 using recycled wastewater and supplies from nearby dams, he said.
For the Yongin semiconductor cluster, South Korea’s flagship chip manufacturing project south of Seoul, Kang said the government plans to supply 14.7 gigawatts of electricity by 2041 using a combination of cogeneration facilities, LNG generation and power from other regions.
Kang said megaprojects worth over 350 trillion won in other regions of the country are scheduled to begin construction or facility expansions this year, while a further 57 trillion won of research and development projects are also due to start.
The Lee administration has made expanding semiconductor production capacity a central pillar of its industrial strategy, arguing that existing production bases around Yongin and Pyeongtaek will not be sufficient to meet demand driven by artificial intelligence.
Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim and Heejin KimEditing by Ed Davies
Called to Oallen, a town about 200 km (125 miles) south-west of Sydney, police officers established a crime scene but did not examine the contents too closely
International News via Reuters:
Australian police have ended a homicide investigation that began with two members of the public on a Sunday drive finding a dumped suitcase on the side of the road in a remote town, opening it up and finding what appeared to be remains of a human body.
Instead, forensic examinations later determined that “the item located in the bag was a lifelike doll, wearing clothing, with hair and a nose piercing,” police said in a statement on Monday.
“The item also had markings that resembled bruises and grazes,” it said.
Called to Oallen, a town about 200 km (125 miles) south-west of Sydney, police officers established a crime scene but did not examine the contents too closely.
Superintendent Linda Bradbury told reporters that police “don’t like to disturb remains too much in situ, particularly when we have faced inclement weather, as we did yesterday and again today.”
The item was “very realistic in terms of looking like human remains,” she added.
Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Edwina Gibbs
The pan-European STOXX 600 was flat at 660.09 points, as of 0848 GMT
International News via Reuters:
The European share benchmark on Monday steadied around a record high close hit last week, as uncertainty around the Middle East conflict kept oil prices elevated, while investors prepared themselves for a week packed with economic data.
The pan-European STOXX 600 was flat at 660.09 points, as of 0848 GMT.
The benchmark climbed 1.7% last week and closed at a record high on Friday, supported by expectations of lower U.S. borrowing costs after soft jobs data and strong corporate earnings on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the Middle East, Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions before the strategic waterway is reopened, which is critical for oil-import-dependent Europe.
Europe’s energy sector was up 0.5%, with Brent crude futures rising 0.8% to $84.22 a barrel. [O/R]
Investors this week will be watching euro zone employment data and U.S. consumer price figures for clues on the interest rate outlook.
“Markets are really just in a period of digestion and wait-and-see,” said Kiran Ganesh, managing director, global head of investment communications at UBS.
“U.S. CPI data (on Wednesday) will probably be the main thing that investors will be watching out for, along with any further developments in the Strait of Hormuz.”
In Europe, the technology sector led the gains on Monday with a 1% rise. Infineon Technologies rose 3.8% after the German chip manufacturer launched a limited-term share buyback programme.
On the flip side, media stocks fell 0.9%, with WPP, Publicis Group and Pearson down between 1% and 3.1%.
As the earnings season draws to a close, the latest LSEG estimates showed second-quarter STOXX 600 earnings are expected to rise nearly 21%, higher than forecasts of about 12.5% in early May.
Plus500 jumped 6% after the trading platform reported a rise in half-year core profit, aided by higher trading activity as the company expanded its U.S. business and rolled out more products.
Affordable homebuilder Vistry dropped 7.5% after the FT reported credit insurer Allianz was reducing the cover to Vistry’s suppliers by up to 70%.
Aumovio gained 3.2% after Bernstein upgraded the stock to “outperform” from “market-perform” and raised its target price to €54 ($62.42) from €38.
Shares of bottler Coca-Cola HBC fell 3.3% after BNP Paribas cut its rating to “neutral” from “outperform.”
($1 = 0.8651 euros)
Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi and Ragini Mathur in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Harikrishnan Nair
The index has now increased for four straight months and reached its highest level since February 2026
International News via Reuters:
Investor morale in the euro zone returned to positive territory in August and rose for a fourth consecutive month, helped by a sharp improvement in current economic conditions and continued confidence in the recovery, a survey showed on Monday.
• The Sentix index for the euro zone rose to 0.9 points in August from -3.1 in July, compared with a Reuters poll forecast of -0.5
• The index has now increased for four straight months and reached its highest level since February 2026
• Sentix said the improvement was driven mainly by a sharp recovery in investors’ assessment of current conditions, while expectations also improved
• The current situation subindex climbed to -8.0 points in August from -14.8 in July, while the expectations gauge rose to 10.3 points from 9.3
• Sentix added that the confidence shock caused by the Iran war appeared to have been partially absorbed, though high energy costs and subdued order books remained a drag on the outlook
• Sentix’s headline index for Germany rose to -11.9 points from -19.4, its third consecutive increase and highest reading since February
• “Further economic stabilisation is on the horizon for Germany,” Sentix said, pointing to stronger economic data and second-quarter growth of 0.2% that helped the economy avoid another recession
• The survey of 1,097 investors, including 213 institutional investors, was conducted between Aug. 6 and Aug. 8
Reporting by Friederike Heine, Editing by Linda Pasquini
The blue-chip FTSE 100 fell 0.2% to 10,874.64 points by 1020 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 added 0.1% to 24,880.50 points
International News via Reuters:
London’s stock indexes were subdued on Monday, pausing after last week’s gains as investors focussed on earnings reports and upcoming economic data for clues on the health of the British economy.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 fell 0.2% to 10,874.64 points by 1020 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 added 0.1% to 24,880.50 points. Both indexes notched their fourth consecutive week of gains on Friday.
• Upbeat earnings reports and expectations of a U.S.-Iran peace agreement have underpinned British stocks lately.
• Oil prices edged higher as optimism over talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was tempered by Iran’s insistence that the United States must satisfy several demands before the waterway could reopen.
• Data on Thursday is expected to show the UK economy grew 1.1% on an annualised basis in the second quarter, possibly helped by lower energy prices. British retail sales were unexpectedly strong in June, helped by spending related to warm weather and the World Cup.
• Britain’s labour market showed tentative signs of stabilisation in July, as recruiters stopped shedding permanent staff, according to a survey that also showed a faster rise in starting salaries.
• Among single stocks, affordable homebuilder Vistry slid 7.5% after the Financial Times reported that credit insurer Allianz Trade was reducing the cover it extends to Vistry’s suppliers by up to 70%, a move that could exacerbate a cash flow squeeze.
• Mining giant Glencore climbed 2.2% after Barclays raised its price target to 650 pence from 635 pence following strong results last week.
• Plus500 climbed 5.9% after the trading platform reported a rise in half-year core profit, aided by higher trading activity.
Reporting by Anand Gopal and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala
Sterling was last up less than 0.1% against the dollar at $1.3502, just below a three-and-a-half week high of $1.35085 hit on Friday
International News via Reuters:
The British pound was little changed against both the dollar and euro on Monday as markets awaited growth data later in the week and updates on talks in the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Sterling was last up less than 0.1% against the dollar at $1.3502, just below a three-and-a-half week high of $1.35085 hit on Friday.
Against the euro, the pound was flat at 85.62 pence.
Monthly growth figures, due for release on Thursday, are expected to show that the economy remained resilient in June, with the month’s retail sales unexpectedly strong due to spending linked to the World Cup and hot weather.
EYES ON OIL PRICES
Sterling traders were also keeping an eye on talks in the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and any potential impact on energy prices.
Oil prices rose slightly on Monday, due to continued uncertainty about the reopening of the strait. Iran said it was nearing a deal with Oman defining new shipping lanes but that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
Expectations for Bank of England policy settings have tended to fluctuate with energy price movements, with higher oil prices and the feed through to inflation expected to lead to tighter monetary policy.
But so far, the BoE has decided to wait to see how the situation in the Middle East plays out, and refrained from tightening policy, unlike the European Central Bank, which raised borrowing costs in June.
Investors are now pricing in one rate hike from the BoE by the end of the year, with a second hike fully priced in by September next year.
ING FX strategist Francesco Pesole believes that markets are pricing in too hawkish a rate path for the BoE, which could weigh on sterling if it was reversed.
“Our view on the pound is still bearish leaning on the back of our call for no rate hikes and markets still pricing in some tightening,” said Pesole.
Reporting by Samuel Indyk; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise
OBA makes fresh appeal for Parliamentary approval for its road safety bill
Shadow Minister of National Security Jarion Richardson
Statement by Jarion Richardson, Shadow Minister of National Security:
Saturday was not simply another difficult day on Bermuda’s roads. According to reports, three serious collisions occurred within hours of one another, leaving people seriously injured and one person dead.
Our thoughts are with every family affected, and with the police officers, firefighters, paramedics and hospital staff who were again called upon to deal with the consequences.
The Government is right to remind drivers and riders about personal responsibility. Every one of us has an obligation to slow down, obey the law, remain alert and never operate a vehicle while impaired. But personal responsibility cannot be the whole of a Government road-safety policy.
Government has responsibilities too: to provide effective laws, sufficient enforcement, functioning public transport, safer infrastructure, modern systems and consequences capable of deterring dangerous behaviour.
That is why the OBA has brought a concrete road-safety Bill before Parliament. The Bill is not the entire solution, and we have never claimed that it is. Bermuda’s road-safety problem is complex. But complexity is not an excuse for paralysis, and waiting until every piece of a perfect strategy is ready before taking any meaningful step is simply another form of delay.
The perfect cannot become the enemy of the good while people continue to be injured and killed.
Inaction is not restraint. Delay is not prudence. Leadership is not about waiting until every decision is easy or universally popular; it is about acting when the evidence shows that the present course is failing.
The OBA Bill would strengthen enforcement, deterrence and consequences while providing safeguards around police powers. Government can support its principles, improve its details in Committee and continue working on the other parts of a comprehensive road-safety strategy at the same time. Those things are not mutually exclusive.
After years of warnings, serious injuries, fatalities and repeated announcements, Bermuda does not need another choice between doing everything and doing nothing. We need Government to begin doing the things that can be done now.
Support the Bill. Improve it in Parliament. And get on with the work of making Bermuda’s roads safer.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Senator, the Hon. Kim R. Wilkerson, JP, will host a Welcome Reception for Bermuda’s law students, pupils, and Counsel called to the Bermuda Bar within the past five years.
The reception brings the next generation of legal professionals together with Counsel within the different sections of the Ministry of Justice to learn more about the work they do and to gain a greater understanding of the important roles they play in supporting the administration of justice in Bermuda.
Guests will have the opportunity to connect with Counsel from across the Ministry of Justice and will meet representatives from the Advisory and Legislative Drafting sections of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Legal Aid Office, the Office of Law Reform and the Department of Public Prosecutions, in an informal setting. It will present an opportunity to ask questions about the diverse areas of legal practice within the public service and explore the many ways in which legal professionals contribute to the development of Bermuda’s justice system.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice said: “The Ministry of Justice offers a broad range of rewarding and meaningful legal careers that contribute directly to the public interest. This reception is an opportunity to welcome the next generation of legal professionals, share insights into the work that we do, and to encourage those considering careers in public service. I look forward to meeting Bermuda’s next generation and discussing the many opportunities available to them within the Ministry.”
The event will take place from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Deja View Restaurant, located in Barr’s Bay Park, on 13 August 2026, and will be in the form of a welcome reception and networking event, providing attendees with an opportunity to engage directly with Ministry representatives in a relaxed and collegial environment.
Those wishing to attend are encouraged to RSVP by noon on the 12 August 2026 to Linda Terry at lmterry@gov.bm.
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