Robert Tota, an appliance technician had all charges against him dismissed today in the Supreme Court in connection to a 2022 explosion at Hilltop Court
A man accused of manslaughter in connection with a gas explosion at Hilltop Court apartment building in Southampton in 2022 has had all charges against him dismissed.
In the Supreme Court today, Prosecutors said they had no case to answer in the matter of appliance technician, Robert Tota.
Jasmine Patterson was in the courtroom.
Port Royal Golf Course was the place to be today, as the Butterfield Bermuda Championship teed off.
Kendal Trott caught up with spectators who enjoyed world class golf … and outstanding hospitality.
Port Royal Golf Course can only stay in tip-top condition if Bob Martyszczyk keeps all the machinery working
Continuing our series now on key figures behind the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
The agronomy team works from sunrise to sunset to maintain the championship-calibre conditions that players expect.
The Equipment Manager’s job is to keep all the specialized tools performing at their best.
Bob Martyszczyk’s wealth of experience in the role includes PGA Tour events around the world.
Ian Rawlins spoke to him about the behind-the-scenes work required to prepare Port Royal Golf Course for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
Health Minister underscores the value of collaboration, at healthcare conference
The Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson, JP, MP, delivered opening remarks at Healthcare CIO Connect 2026, held from October 14 to 16. The conference brought together healthcare executives, clinicians, digital health specialists and technology leaders from Bermuda and overseas to explore how innovation can strengthen healthcare delivery.
Organised by Gina Benjamin, Vice-President of Digital Health at the Bermuda Hospitals Board, and Keltie Jamieson, Chief Health Information Officer, in partnership with KPMG, the conference focused on the theme of bold leadership and better health in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. The Panel moderator was Edward Fitzgerald, head of KPMG’s Global Centre of Excellence for Island Healthcare. The keynote speaker was Ed Marx, chief executive of Marx Advisory, a boutique healthcare advisory firm in Dallas, Texas,
Discussions covered electronic health records, artificial intelligence, data-driven decision-making and the role of digital transformation in improving patient care. Participants also examined opportunities to strengthen collaboration across healthcare organisations and address shared challenges facing health systems internationally.
Minister Wilson said: “This year’s theme, Bold Leadership, Better Health: Navigating Healthcare Disruption, speaks directly to the challenges and opportunities facing healthcare today.
“Technology is changing how we deliver care. Digital health records, telehealth, artificial intelligence and data-driven decision-making offer exciting opportunities to improve services, support healthcare professionals and achieve better outcomes for patients.”
Healthcare CIO Connect 2026 provided a forum for industry leaders to exchange insights, consider emerging digital health trends and explore approaches to the future of healthcare delivery.
Minister Wilson added: “Gatherings like this are so valuable. Bermuda can learn from the experiences of other jurisdictions, while sharing our own perspectives as a small island healthcare system. By exchanging ideas and building partnerships, we can identify practical approaches that make sense for our community.”
![The Intention Effect | Episode 1 [Season 3]](https://bbc.bm/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Season-3-Cover-768x768.png "The Intention Effect | Episode 1 [Season 3]")
In the first episode of Season 3, Nicola from Open Airways; joins Shara to explore asthma, its management, triggers, and how understanding this common condition can empower individuals to live healthier lives.
It was not in Moscow’s interest to take as tough a line on US firms as the Kremlin was adopting towards those from Europe
International News via Reuters:
Russia has deepened a crackdown on European companies in response to Europe’s support for Ukraine, while largely sparing US firms as Moscow courts business ties with Washington, Russian officials and US business people said.
Of 20 foreign-owned firms that Russian President Vladimir Putin has placed under temporary administration since Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president in January 2025, only three were linked to the US, with the remainder controlled by European companies, a Reuters analysis of official data shows.
A person close to Russian financial regulators said that while business negotiations were underway with Washington, it was not in Moscow’s interest to take as tough a line on US firms as the Kremlin was adopting towards those from Europe.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday for talks aimed at resolving the war in Ukraine. Russian news agencies reported Putin told Witkoff he was interested in restoring economic ties with the United States.
Ukraine and its allies have voiced concerns that the US is backing away from Kyiv, and Trump has criticized Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries even as European leaders have lined up behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Russia, citing Europe’s wartime support for Ukraine and involvement in “direct battlefield hostilities”, has since last month taken control of local units of Swiss food group Nestle and retailers Auchan and Metro.
Last week it seized control of the local assets of four smaller companies from France, Germany, Sweden and Belgium.
“Their country of origin was one of the factors taken into account in making the decision,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that these countries were involved in “illegal expropriations of Russian property”.
Nestle, which said in September it would take steps to protect its rights in Russia, declined to comment further. The other companies did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said that the available information supported the perception that more European than US firms were being hit.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Commenting on the report after its publication, the Kremlin said that US companies were better treated than their European rivals because of Trump’s efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine.
“The American administration is doing a lot to help bring about a peaceful settlement; the European capitals are doing nothing to help while doing a lot to prolong the military action,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
‘WE HAVE TRUMP’
Russia’s relations with the Trump administration, meanwhile, have warmed. The US announced a deal this month to buy Russian diesel, and other deals, including on gas, have been discussed at meetings in recent months. Trump signed an executive order on Saturday waiving key sanctions and tariffs on Russian goods.
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, a US-educated investment banker who heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and has pushed in talks for the return and expansion of US firms, hailed the move as a “historic moment”.
Trump’s envoys Witkoff and Jared Kushner have used the prospect of multibillion-dollar deals with Russia as an incentive to push Putin toward a peaceful settlement since the start of talks in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in February 2025.
Dmitriev said last week Russia and the US would soon announce new joint initiatives that could move ahead before the war ends. The US has previously signalled that deals are unlikely while the conflict continues.
One person familiar with the situation said that some Russian officials who do not support peace efforts could yet push for the Kremlin’s actions to include more US companies.
The RDIF’s only current partnership with a US company is a joint investment with New York-listed Titan International in a tyre factory in Volgograd.
Another person familiar with the situation said Dmitriev has in private highlighted this as an example of a thriving US business in Russia.
Titan did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump’s commitment to economic cooperation with Russia and ongoing talks have helped to protect the interests of US companies, two US business people in Moscow said.
American Chamber of Commerce Russia President Robert Agee said in December last year that European firms in Russia were less optimistic than American ones, citing European policy. The chamber estimates there are some 300 US firms left in Russia.
“We have Trump and they don’t, and our hopes are linked to him,” Agee told Russian media last year. Agee and the chamber declined to comment further for this story.
Russia did target some mid-sized US firms during its property redistribution drive after the start of the war. One report estimated Moscow seized more than $50 billion worth of private property from both Russian and foreign owners.
The European Commission in Brussels declined to comment on the number of EU firms being targeted relative to US ones, but said the recent asset seizures were without due process and amounted to “forced expropriation in all but name”.
“This follows a clear pattern of economic retaliation,” a Commission spokesperson told Reuters, adding that the moves showed that “Russia is not a safe environment for business”.
“The EU has measures in place to respond. We can sanction those profiting from forced expropriations,” they added.
Reporting by Gleb Bryanski; Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels, Dave Graham in Zurich and Dmitry Antonov in Moscow; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Alexander Smith
MSCI’s All-World index was set for its largest daily fall in two weeks, down 0.4%, as tech shares from Seoul and Tokyo to Amsterdam and Paris tumbled
International News via Reuters:
Global stocks retreated on Thursday, as tech earnings could not offset nagging concern over the outlook for AI, while a stalemate in the Gulf pushed up oil prices and investors took aim again at French markets.
MSCI’s All-World index was set for its largest daily fall in two weeks, down 0.4%, as tech shares from Seoul and Tokyo to Amsterdam and Paris tumbled.
Meta, the first of the so-called AI hyperscalers to publish quarterly results, reported third-quarter revenue late on Wednesday that beat expectations. But any optimism was short-lived, after the company unveiled a plan to issue non-voting stock that revived concern over its mounting capital commitments.
“There are lots of crosscurrents in markets at the moment, which are grappling for a narrative right now,” Ben Laidler, head of macro and equity strategy at Bradesco BBI, said.
“The big concern is that AI-driven earnings narrative, which has supported US earnings and spread to global equities, may be challenged here.”
Meta also suffered a legal blow overnight, after a judge in New Mexico ordered the company to pay a $25 billion penalty to the state in a data privacy case.
In Europe, the STOXX 600 fell 0.7%, weighed down by tech-related stocks such as ASML, Schneider Electric and Siemens Energy. US stock futures fell between 1% and 1.7%, suggesting a drop at the opening bell later.
Shares in Meta fell around 3% and those in Tesla, which also reported earnings and cut its spending forecast ahead of a possible merger with SpaceX, dropped nearly 4% in the premarket.
Geopolitical concerns played out in oil markets, where Brent crude rose nearly 3% to $112 a barrel, near a five-month high, after more Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia raised the risk of wider conflict and supply disruptions in the Middle East.
There was enough nervousness about the possible damage to the global economy to offset concern about a sustained pickup in inflation to drive flows into government bonds, which pushed US Treasury yields down by the most in a week. The 10-year note was last 10 basis points lower at 5.05%, trading below that of France for the first time in 13 years.
French government bonds have been battered this month, driving yields above 5% for the first time since 2002, as investors looked for signs the government can contain social unrest and bring spending under control. French 10-year yields rose 11 bps to 5.107%, headed for their largest weekly rise since May.
The euro, which has been dragged 0.8% lower this month, was steady on Thursday, falling 0.3% to $1.12, leaving the dollar index, which tracks the US currency against a basket of six others, up 0.1%.
The yen drew safe-haven demand, leaving the dollar down 0.7% on the day at 157.1, after Deputy Bank of Japan Governor Ryozo Himino signalled his readiness to raise borrowing costs.
Gold missed out on safe-haven flows, dropping 1.8% to $4,070 an ounce, while in cryptocurrencies, bitcoin and ether both lost 3.5% to trade at $81,837 and $2,405, respectively.
Additional reporting by Jiaxing Li in Hong Kong; Editing by Kate Mayberry, Shri Navaratnam, Susan Fenton, Elaine Hardcastle
Hallowe’en comes with a creative twist at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, as Chef Ernie Ogalesco brings his annual pumpkin carving display to life.
This year’s fall-inspired showcase features intricate pumpkin designs, with carvings being refreshed throughout the season as the pumpkins naturally ripen.
Chef Ernie told our Kendal Trott about the inspiration behind this year’s designs and the creative process involved. The display will remain on view through November 1st.
The agreement is expected to be signed before the end of the year, potentially accelerating market-access opportunities and investment flows between India and the 27-member EU bloc
International News via Reuters:
India’s proposed free-trade agreement with the European Union could become operational within four to five months after it is signed, trade minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.
The agreement is expected to be signed before the end of the year, he said during a visit to Germany, potentially accelerating market-access opportunities and investment flows between India and the 27-member EU bloc.
Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by YP Rajesh
Transmitted by biting midges and most commonly found in cattle, Shamonda has also been found in horses, alpaca, sheep and goats, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said
International News via Reuters:
France on Thursday reported the first human case of the Shamonda virus usually found in livestock in a patient who later died, with authorities adding there was no risk to the general population at this stage.
Transmitted by biting midges and most commonly found in cattle, Shamonda has also been found in horses, alpaca, sheep and goats, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said.
“The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is carefully monitoring the situation after the French authorities announced the first ever reported human infection with Shamonda virus, a disease that has until now only affected animals,” the Stockholm-based ECDC said in a statement.”ECDC is in contact with the French authorities and European partners to investigate the potential public health implications.”
The French announcement said the leading hypothesis was that the patient was infected in eastern France, where the virus had circulated among animals this spring and summer.
“Based on the knowledge available regarding this virus, no health risk to the general population has been identified to date,” it said.
The ECDC said the patient died in early October and noted the victim had been receiving treatment for a serious illness that made them more susceptible to infection than the general population.
“Investigations into whether the virus caused or contributed to the patient’s death and how the infection was acquired are ongoing,” it said.
There are currently no commercially available vaccines against Shamonda virus, WOAH said.
Identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, Shamonda was first confirmed in Europe in late July after genomic tests on sick cattle in southern Germany, Switzerland and eastern France.
A report from France’s weekly animal health surveillance bulletin said the virus had also been detected in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and UK’s Jersey.
A study of French nine dairy farms found milk output fell by up to 75% in affected herds.
Reporting by Sybille de la Hamaide, Makini Brice and Jennifer Rigby; editing by Jason Neely
National robotics team travels to Atlanta for FIRST Tech Challenge opener
And they’re off! Bermuda’s National Robotics Team, the Bermy Bots, is headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete in the first meet of the 2026/27 FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) season. Supported by Connectech Coding, the team will take on some of the strongest robotics programs in the United States as they begin their push toward the FIRST World Championship.
The trip opens with two days of building and mentorship alongside championship level teams and mentors
that include Georgia Tech alumni, aerospace engineers, and former NASA employees, with full access to
professional fabrication equipment and practice fields.
On Saturday, October 24, the team competes in its first league meet. Results from the season’s meets
build each team’s ranking ahead of the league tournament and the state championship in February, the
road that leads to Worlds.
The team earned this trip on and off the field. Last weekend, the students hosted a free robot building and
block coding workshop for children ages 9 to 14, giving back to the community as part of their commitment
to the program.
The team is led by captain Joy Yammine and travels with Connectech Founder and Executive Director
Coral Wells.
Connectech invites all of Bermuda to get behind the team. Follow their journey on Instagram at
@Connectechbda and help cheer them on.
For more information, visit www.connectech.bm or email info@connectechcoding.com.
BTA celebrates over 100 experiences ahead of Masterworks closing party
From art set to music to a 5K through Hamilton, there’s still more to experience this October
Art Month is running right through October, with the BNG Run for the Arts 5K taking to the streets of Hamilton as part of another weekend of art, music and experiences across Bermuda.
There is still plenty ahead. The final days bring visual art and classical music together, take painting underground at Grotto Bay, and culminate in a special celebration of the artists and cultural partners who have brought Art Month to life.
A LOOK AHEAD
October 24 | Art Drop Bermuda Presents: Harmonious Hues
Visual art meets live classical music at Gosling’s Wine Cellar, pairing works by local artists with a performance by cellist Isaiah Free-Pennington.
October 25 | BNG Run for the Arts 5K
Run or walk through Hamilton in support of Bermuda National Gallery’s education programmes and public art initiatives in North East Hamilton.
October 25 | Sip & Paint in the Caves
Local artist Carlos Santana Dill leads another intimate painting session inside Grotto Bay’s Prospero Cave.
October 30 | The Final Frame: Bermuda Art Month Closing Celebration
Art Month closes at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda with an evening of art, music and connection. Highlights include an exclusive tour of the museum’s Permanent Collection vault, an interactive art experience with Bermudian artist Nahshon Hollis, and the unveiling of paintings created by local artists across Bermuda throughout the month. Guests can also enjoy music by DJ Kori Minors and curated cocktails and mocktails. The celebration runs from 4:30 to 8:00 PM and is complimentary and open to all.
A MONTH MADE TOGETHER
More than 100 experiences have brought artists, galleries, museums, cultural organisations, tourism partners, residents and visitors together across Bermuda — taking art into caves, hotels, restaurants and public spaces while celebrating the galleries and museums at the heart of the island’s arts community.
“Art Month comes to life because so many people choose to be part of it,” said Jasmine Furbert, Director of Visitor Experience at the Bermuda Tourism Authority. “To the artists who shared their work, the galleries and museums that welcomed us in, the partners and venues that created space for these experiences, and everyone who came out to enjoy them — thank you. It has been wonderful to see Bermuda come together around the arts, and we hope people will keep exploring right through the end of the month.”
Come curious. There’s still more to discover.
Art Month continues through October 31. The full Art Month calendar, tickets, booking information and final event details are available at GoToBermuda.com.
About the Bermuda Tourism Authority: The Bermuda Tourism Authority is an independent, private-sector organisation responsible for the marketing and promotion of Bermuda as a world-class tourism destination. Working closely with industry partners and stakeholders, the BTA seeks to grow year-round visitation, drive economic impact and showcase Bermuda’s unique culture, people and experiences.
