Motorists are asked to use caution and expect delays during the works
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment advises the motoring public that a one-way traffic flow will be in effect on Langton Hill, Pembroke, from North Shore Road to Mount Hill to facilitate tree removal works. The traffic measure will be in place on Tuesday, 7 April 2026, and Wednesday, 8 April 2026.
Working hours will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Residents will continue to have access during the works.
Traffic controls will be managed by Bermuda Arborist using barriers and stop-and-go personnel within the one-way system. Motorists are asked to use caution, expect delays, and allow crews to carry out the work safely.
O’Leary said the Irish carrier, Europe’s largest by passenger numbers, is holding daily calls with all of its fuel suppliers across Europe to assess the situation, which the suppliers say will remain stable until the end of May
International News via Reuters:
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said jet fuel supply to Europe could be disrupted from June if the Middle East conflict does not end in the next month, potentially forcing the airline and rivals to consider cancelling summer season flights.
O’Leary said the Irish carrier, Europe’s largest by passenger numbers, is holding daily calls with all of its fuel suppliers across Europe to assess the situation, which the suppliers say will remain stable until the end of May.
Global airlines are contending with fuel shortages and high prices as the month-old U.S.-Israeli war against Iran snarls the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping waterway from the Persian Gulf. Jet fuel prices have spiked since the conflict began.
“If this (the conflict) continues through to the end of April, we’re looking at a risk to supplies in early June. If it runs into May, then we don’t know what goes on,” O’Leary told a news conference in London.
“If there’s a risk to 10% or 20% of the fuel supply in June or July or August, then we and other airlines will have to start looking at cancelling some flights or taking some capacity out.”
Germany’s Lufthansa is also preparing for possible fuel shortages outside Europe, with the airline seeing early warning signs in Asia, CEO Carsten Spohr said on Wednesday.
“If shortages in the kerosene supply occur, they are likely to be felt first outside Europe,” Spohr told the FAZ newspaper, adding that some Asian airports were no longer accepting extra flights due to limited fuel availability.
NO KNOCK-ON IMPACT ON FARES
The head of the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday that oil supply disruptions will increase in April and begin to impact Europe’s economy, with the lack of jet fuel and diesel likely to be the biggest problem.
The situation has roiled airlines from Vietnam to the United States and badly dented major Gulf carriers including Emirates and Etihad. Scandinavian airline SAS and Vietnam Airlines have cancelled some flights, while United Airlines is cutting some unprofitable flights due to high oil prices.
Ryanair’s O’Leary said the budget carrier would decide where to cut flights on a rolling weekly basis and focus on whichever airports have constrained fuel supply.
As European airlines make most of their profit from June to September, Ryanair does not have the luxury of cutting out loss-making routes, he added.
He singled out the United Kingdom as the European market most exposed to potential jet fuel shortages due to the amount of oil it imports from Kuwait.
The International Air Transport Association estimates that around 25% to 30% of Europe’s jet fuel demand originates from the Gulf, which it warned puts it among the most exposed regions.
However, European airline stocks rose on Wednesday on hopes of a de-escalation of the conflict.
O’Leary said Ryanair is not seeing much of a knock-on impact on its airfares from the conflict so far and that it still expects ticket prices to rise by 3 to 4% year-on-year from April to June, with traffic set to grow by about 5% over that period.
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Writing by Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by Jan Harvey, Kirsten Donovan
Bailey, speaking to Reuters at the central bank’s London headquarters, said BoE policymakers would need to keep a clear focus on risks to growth and jobs as well as inflation when making their next decision on rates
International News via Reuters:
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said on Wednesday that markets were still getting ahead of themselves by pricing in interest rate hikes by the central bank, which wants to avoid adding to the damage Britain’s economy faces from the Iran war.
Bailey, speaking to Reuters at the central bank’s London headquarters, said BoE policymakers would need to keep a clear focus on risks to growth and jobs as well as inflation when making their next decision on rates.
The war in the Middle East has driven up energy prices sharply, fuelling inflation but also dealing a wider blow to the global economy.
“We will have to, obviously, act on monetary policy if we think it’s appropriate to do so. But it strikes me, and it still strikes me today, that the most important thing to do is to tackle the source of the shock,” Bailey said in the interview.
“Of course, we have to deal with the shocks that come our way. But our remit is very clear on this that … we have to do so in a way that … causes the least damage in terms of activity in the economy and in terms of jobs,” he added.
Bailey also highlighted the risks the Iran war posed to heavily leveraged financial markets, following the central bank’s warning earlier in the day of fragility in private credit and bond markets.
MARKETS ‘GETTING AHEAD OF THEMSELVES’
Financial markets are currently pricing in two rate hikes by the BoE this year – and have previously priced in as many as four – while most economists polled by Reuters expect rates to stay on hold.
“(The market)’s still pricing us to raise rates. I would still say that is a judgment markets have to make but I think they’re getting ahead of themselves,” Bailey said.
British government bond prices rose briefly after Reuters published the interview and U.S. bank J.P. Morgan said it now only expects the BoE to raise rates in June, rather than its previous forecast of hikes in April and July.
While the BoE voted unanimously to keep interest rates on hold at 3.75% last month, Bailey has been the swing voter on the Monetary Policy Committee in previous meetings.
“Bailey’s comments suggest April is too soon for a majority for a hike to develop,” J.P. Morgan’s chief UK economist, Allan Monks, wrote in a note to clients.
Some members have talked about a possible need to raise rates to stave off inflation threats but Bailey said a precautionary rate rise might not be in line with his view of how the BoE should implement its remit to keep inflation at 2% over the medium term.
“I’m sure that will be debated in the MPC, it would be appropriate to do so. But we have got to judge that in the context of the way our remit is constructed,” he said.
Bailey approvingly cited comments made during a jump in inflation in 2011 by then-BoE Governor Mervyn King, who said it was the BoE’s job to discharge its remit in a way that causes the least damage to the economy and the people.
The MPC announces its next interest rate decision on April 30.
BUSINESSES LACK PRICING POWER, BAILEY SAYS
Before the crisis, British inflation was on course to fall back to its 2% target and the BoE had said cutting rates further was likely. That changed dramatically with the start of the Iran war, a shift that Bailey said was “intensely frustrating”.
Britain’s economy is considered to be particularly exposed to the inflationary impact of the rise in global energy prices, due in large part to its heavy reliance on natural gas to generate electricity and heat homes.
Last month the BoE said it expected inflation to hit 3.5% in the third quarter of 2026, almost double its 2% target but well below a peak of 11.1% in October 2022.
Bailey said the BoE was looking at a sharp rise in households’ inflation expectations last month “very carefully” but said they often reflected moves in headline inflation and that the message he had received from businesses was that they had limited ability to raise prices.
“Businesses consistently say to me that they’re operating in a context of an absence of pricing power,” he said.
Bailey said some pass-through of higher energy costs by businesses was likely, but the overall climate was one of economic weakness, in contrast to 2022 when energy prices surged due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“The context at the moment is of a softening labour market. We think activity is a bit below potential – so a bit of an output gap is opening up,” he said.
Additional reporting by Andy Bruce and Suban Abdulla; Writing by David Milliken; Editing by William Schomberg and Toby Chopra
The Greenrock Earth Hour campaign is now in full flow, with a series of initiatives taking place throughout the month in collaboration with non-profit environmental organizations. The campaign will lead up to a community event on April 22nd, in which residents will take part in sustainability efforts across the island.
We spoke to Eugene Dean, Executive Director of Greenrock, who told us about the initiatives planned through the end of the month and encouraged the public to get involved, even through small individual actions.
During French President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to Japan for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, officials signed a roadmap to cooperate on critical minerals supply chains, NHK said
International News via Reuters:
Japan and France agreed to strengthen support for rare earths supply chains on Wednesday, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported, in the latest moves by both countries to lessen dependence on the world’s dominant supplier, China.
During French President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to Japan for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, officials signed a roadmap to cooperate on critical minerals supply chains, NHK said.
“We cannot rely solely on specific countries, especially China,” French Finance Minister Roland Lescure was quoted as saying by NHK.
The two sides also agreed to secure raw material supplies for a rare earths refining project in southern France, called Caremag, the broadcaster said.
The state-owned Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security and gas firm Iwatani, along with the French government, are investors in Caremag, which is due to start operations in late 2026.
Japan plans to get about 20% of its future demand for dysprosium and terbium from the refining plant, heavy rare earth oxides used in magnets for EV motors, offshore wind turbines and electronic components.
Takaichi and Macron are due to issue a joint statement calling for diversifying supplies of rare earths and other critical minerals during their summit on Wednesday, the Nikkei newspaper reported separately.
DIVERSIFYING FROM CHINA
The deal comes at a critical moment, with Japan and Western governments and manufacturers scrambling to secure supplies of rare earths minerals to reduce their dependency on China, the world’s dominant rare earths producer and supplier.
In February, China prohibited exports of so-called dual-use items to 20 Japanese entities, which it said supply Japan’s military.
That was after Takaichi angered Beijing with comments about Taiwan in November.
The rules cover seven rare earths and associated materials currently on China’s dual-use control list, including dysprosium and yttrium, along with a swathe of other controlled critical minerals.
“China is pursuing a strategy of using rare earths as a diplomatic card, and if U.S.-China and Japan–China relations improve, exports could recover quickly,” said Kotaro Shimizu, principal analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting.
Japan has reduced its reliance on China to 60% from 90% following a 2010 diplomatic incident which saw Beijing restricting rare earths supply to Tokyo.
Japan has been boosting investments in overseas projects like trading house Sojitz’s tie-up with Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths, and promoting rare earths recycling and manufacturing processes.
In the latest set of steps, Japan’s Mitsubishi Materials this week agreed to acquire a stake in U.S. ReElement, a company involved in rare earth element recycling, as both countries have set up an action plan for China alternatives.
Japan and the U.S. are also considering joint development of rare-earth-rich mud deposits, near the remote Minamitori Island, and Japan is in talks with India to jointly explore rare earths in the desert state of Rajasthan.
Japan and France will also seek cooperation in space, with companies from the two countries expected to sign memorandums of understanding on 12 joint projects, including space debris removal and rocket launches, the Nikkei said.
Reporting Katya Golubkova and Yusuke Ogawa in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Rajasik Mukherjee & Nichiket Sunil in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Kevin Buckland
In the January-March period, Tesla sales rose 27.1% to 2,726 vehicles, in line with the increase in all electric car sales
International News via Reuters:
Tesla’s new car registrations in Portugal fell 1.7% in March from a year ago to 1,189 units, while overall fully-electric car sales rose 24% to 6,704, the country’s automobile industry association ACAP said on Wednesday.
In the January-March period, Tesla sales rose 27.1% to 2,726 vehicles, in line with the increase in all electric car sales, it said.
Reporting by Marta Serafinko in Gdansk, editing by Andrei Khalip
Changes designed to create a fairer, smoother process for families
The Bermuda Government has unveiled a revamped registration process for its popular Camp Connect summer programme, aiming to eliminate long-standing frustrations for parents while maintaining access for approximately 4,000 preschool, primary and middle school students.
Camp Connect, which offers a range of summer activities for young people across the island, has consistently received high marks from families for its programming. However, the registration process itself has often been criticised as stressful and difficult to navigate.
In response, the Ministry has partnered with the Government’s Digital Transformation team to introduce a completely new registration system designed to improve both fairness and efficiency.
Officials say the updated process will streamline sign-ups, reduce bottlenecks and create a more equitable experience for families seeking placements.
The move reflects a broader push to modernise government services and enhance user experience through digital solutions, particularly for high-demand programmes like Camp Connect.
With demand expected to remain strong this summer, the Government is encouraging parents to familiarise themselves with the new system ahead of registration opening, as it looks to deliver a smoother and more accessible process for all applicants.
The City of Hamilton is encouraging all eligible voters to take part in the upcoming municipal election on May 7 and play a role in shaping the future of their City.
Municipal elections provide City residents and business ratepayers with an opportunity to have their say in the leadership and direction of Hamilton. From infrastructure and public spaces to events and services, decisions made at the municipal level have a direct impact on daily life in the City.
Mayor Charles Gosling encouraged participation from all eligible voters, stating:
“Voting in the municipal election is one of the simplest and most meaningful ways to be part of the City’s future. I encourage everyone who is eligible to ensure they are registered and to come out and vote.”
Who Can Vote?
You may be eligible to vote in the municipal election if you are:
· A City resident listed on the Parliamentary Register; or
· A business ratepayer, or a designated representative of a business that pays rates within the City
How to Make Sure You’re Registered
Residents:
Check that you are registered on the Parliamentary Register (the same register used for general elections). If you have recently moved to Hamilton or recently turned 18, you should confirm that your registration details are up to date with the Parliamentary Registry. To be eligible to vote in the municipal residents’ election, you must be a Bermudian resident living within the City of Hamilton.
Business ratepayers: Business ratepayers are reminded that voting in a municipal election is not automatic. To ensure you are eligible to vote, you must ensure your business is registered and that a designated voter (nominee) has been appointed. The nominee must be a director, officer, or employee of the business and must also be registered on the Parliamentary Register.
Completed business voter registration forms must be submitted to the Parliamentary Registry, along with the required supporting documentation. Businesses are encouraged to ensure this process is completed ahead of the registration deadline, as those who are not registered will not be eligible to vote. If several companies sit under the same holding structure, only the company that is the registered ratepayer is entitled to the municipal business vote.
If you are unsure of your status, contact or check updates from the Parliamentary Registry.
How to Vote
· Voting takes place in person at designated polling stations within the City
· Voters will be required to present valid identification
· Polling locations and times will be confirmed by the Parliamentary Registry
Mayor Gosling added:
“Opportunities to have a direct say in how our City is governed should never be taken for granted. We should not be complacent when it comes to the right to vote. Participation is how residents and ratepayers show they value representation and want to have a say in their City’s future.
“For 15 years, ever since Government first stated its intentions regarding municipalities, I have advocated for and worked to protect local democratic representation in Hamilton. I believe strongly that this only works when people take part. As Aretha Franklin’s father C. L.
Franklin once said, “If you anticipate failure, you will fail”. If we assume our participation doesn’t matter, then we have lost the very voice we have. So I encourage every resident and business ratepayer to make sure you are registered and to come out and vote.
“Comments made in the Senate recently suggested that low candidate turnout could justify removing a democratic process. However, participation, whether through standing for election or voting, is itself part of that process. We cannot force people to run, just as we cannot insist people vote. Choosing not to engage with the ballot box is also a decision and should be considered just as seriously as casting a vote.
“It therefore benefits every resident and ratepayer to ensure they are registered and to participate in this election. If people value having a say in their City, this is the moment to be involved.”
The City encourages all eligible voters to confirm their details early and to look out for official election information.
For full details on registration and voting procedures, visit the Parliamentary Registry’s official channels.
The Ministry of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport hosted the Cultural Apprenticeship Programme Breakfast on March 28, celebrating Bermuda’s rich cultural heritage and the continued success of the Department of Culture’s Cultural Apprenticeship Programme. The event brought together tradition-bearers, apprentices, and community partners to highlight the importance of mentorship, knowledge transfer, and creative expression in preserving Bermuda’s unique identity for future generations.
Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport, the Hon. Owen Darrell, JP, MP, said, “This programme continues to demonstrate how investing in people and cultural knowledge strengthens our national identity. By supporting tradition-bearers and apprentices, we are ensuring that Bermuda’s heritage is not only preserved, but actively practiced, shared, and evolved in meaningful ways.”
Andrew Baylay (Department of Archives),Malikah Jackson (Department of Archives), Keith Caesar, Karla Ingemann (Department of Archives)
This year’s programme highlighted two impactful apprenticeships. In partnership with the Bermuda Archives, tradition-bearer Keith Caesar and apprentice Kaleb McKenzie are working to preserve and enhance access to Bermuda’s documentary heritage through digitisation and archival work. Additionally, the Gombey Regalia Apprenticeship Programme, led by tradition-bearer Kelzine Thompson, alongside apprentices Marco Santucci, Katharyn Albouy, and Nicole Young, is helping to sustain the island’s vibrant Gombey traditions through hands-on training in regalia-making. The Ministry commends all participants for their dedication to safeguarding and advancing Bermuda’s cultural legacy.
The Ministry of Justice is thanking the Bermuda Equal Justice Initiative for a donation of approximately 1,000 books and 15 tablet devices for the benefit of inmates at the Westgate Correctional Facility.
The donation was formally handed over yesterday during a visit to Westgate attended by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP, Commissioner of Corrections Keeva Joell-Benjamin, and other Department of Corrections officials this week.
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP, said, “I wish to thank the Bermuda Equal Justice Initiative for this thoughtful and meaningful contribution to the Department of Corrections.
“Donations such as this support the wider goal of rehabilitation by giving inmates greater access to reading materials and learning tools that can encourage personal development and positive use of time.”
The Minister added, “Access to books and educational resources can play an important role in helping individuals reflect, learn and prepare for a more productive future. This donation is a welcome example of how community partnership can support that process in a practical way.”
Commissioner of Corrections Keeva Joell-Benjamin stated, “The Department appreciates this donation and the opportunities it can provide within the correctional setting.
“The addition of books and tablet devices will help expand the resources available to inmates in a structured and supervised environment.”
The Commissioner added, “From an operational perspective, resources such as these can support educational, literacy and rehabilitative activities that form part of an inmate’s overall development while in our care.
“We are grateful for the support and will ensure the items are introduced in a manner that aligns with the Department’s established procedures and security requirements.”
The Ministry of Justice thanked Mr Eron Hill, founder and executive director of the Bermuda Equal Justice Initiative, for his support of the Department of Corrections and its contribution towards initiatives that can assist with inmate development and rehabilitation.
President Donald Trump said in a Reuters interview that the U.S. will end its war on Iran fairly soon and could return for “spot hits” if needed
International News via Reuters:
The dollar fell for the second straight session on Wednesday amid growing signs of a possible ceasefire in the Middle East conflict, which will likely ease market volatility.
President Donald Trump said in a Reuters interview that the U.S. will end its war on Iran fairly soon and could return for “spot hits” if needed. He had earlier said in a Truth Social post that Iran’s new leader asked for a ceasefire.
Trump is scheduled to address the nation “to provide an important update on Iran” at 9 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (0100 GMT on Thursday).
The U.S. dollar has benefited from a safe-haven bid since the conflict began in late February. Expectations that a ceasefire could be near have reversed some of the markets’ most popular trades.
The dollar pulled back from this year’s high of 160.47 per dollar against the Japanese yen, moving back through the psychologically important 160 level that had fanned concerns about intervention by Japanese authorities. The euro hit its highest level in a week.
The euro edged up 0.63% versus the dollar to $1.1621, on track for the second consecutive session of gains.
The dollar was down 0.16% to 158.45 against the Japanese yen. Sterling strengthened 0.78% to $1.3310.
“What’s going on now with the reversal and the risk to a degree is not surprising because of how dislocated everything got,” said Eugene Epstein, head of trading and structured products at Moneycorp in New Jersey.
The dollar index, which measures the currency against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, was last down 0.37% at 99.353.
Still, attacks continued to take place on multiple fronts on Wednesday, with drones hitting fuel tanks at Kuwait’s international airport, while Qatar said an oil tanker was struck by an Iranian cruise missile in Qatari waters.
Oil prices slid, with Brent crude futures dropping 2.44% and were last trading at about $101.50.
US JOBS DATA IN VIEW
This week’s main U.S. economic focus will be Friday’s jobs report for March. It is expected to show that employers added 60,000 jobs during the month, according to the median estimate of economists polled by Reuters, following an unexpected loss of 92,000 jobs in February.
A sharp deterioration in the labour market would likely revive expectations for rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year, which have been largely priced out as rising oil prices from the Iran war stoked inflation concerns.
“You might have a short-term increase in inflation but because this is a supply shock, it will eventually manifest itself in slower economic growth,” Epstein said.
“And the Fed is not going to be raising rates into the potential of a slowdown in economic growth. I think that’s been a major misconception in the market and why the dollar has rallied so much. So what’s going on now is the unwind of that.”
The dollar weakened 0.85% to 0.792 against the Swiss franc, on track for the second straight session of losses.
The dollar weakened 0.21% to 6.873 versus the offshore Chinese yuan. The Australian dollar strengthened 0.65% versus the greenback to $0.6945.
Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York; Additional reporting by Samuel Indyk and Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Arun Koyyur and Aurora Ellis
Hereford moved a step closer to their season objectives on Tuesday evening as a clinical second-half display saw off Macclesfield FC at Edgar Street.
In a National League North clash requiring both patience and precision, Bermudian duo Justin Donawa and Keziah Martin were instrumental in maintaining the Bulls’ defensive shape and midfield control.
After a cagey opening period, captain Dawson broke the deadlock, netting a vital double to seal a 2-0 victory. The win keeps Hereford firmly on track as they look to solidify their position in the upper reaches of the table.
Further south, Kane Crichlow and Chelmsford City were forced to settle for a point in a hard-fought 1-1 draw against AFC Totton. Despite the Clarets creating numerous openings at the Dunmow Group Community Stadium, a decisive second goal proved elusive, though the point maintains their steady momentum in the National League South.
There was silverware on the horizon for Harry Twite, who made a triumphant return to the Basford United starting XI.
Twite and his teammates competed in the Nottinghamshire FA Senior Cup Semi-Final, Basford United picked up a 3-1 win over Carlton Town. Twite and his teammates progress to the Senior Cup Final.
It was a tougher evening for Coleridge Fubler and Binfield FC. In their final mid-week match under the lights at Green Lane, the “Moles” suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Hartley FC. Despite a spirited home finale, a single strike was enough to deny Fubler’s side a share of the spoils in their Isthmian League encounter.
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