The Senate has voted down the controversial Municipalities Reform Act 2026. The motion was defeated 6-5
The controversial Municipalities Reform Act 2026 will have to wait at least another year before coming into effect, after the Senate narrowly voted the motion down on Wednesday.
All 6 Opposition and independent senators voted against the Act.
PLP senators Kim Wilkerson, Crystal Caesar, Lindsay Simmons, Mischa Fubler and Lauren Bell all voted in favour.
Senate President and independent Joan Dillas-Wright voted nay, along with fellow independent senators John Wight and Tawana Tannock.
OBA senators Victoria Cunningham, Tarik Smith and David Rogers also opposed the motion.
The Act will return to the House of Assembly in a year, at which point it can be passed without going to the Senate.
The Ministry of National Security, through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team, will conduct Exercise Caribe Wave 26 on Thursday, 19 March 2026, commencing at 11:00 a.m. local time.
This exercise, which forms part of the Maritime Seismic Tabletop Exercise 2026, is a simulated tsunami response exercise and is not related to an actual tsunami event.
The annual training is intended to assess Bermuda’s current hazard notification pathways, advisory decision-making processes and inter-agency coordination mechanisms. It will also help identify any procedural, structural or legislative gaps that may affect the development of a cohesive National Disaster Response Framework.
According to the exercise agenda, the Bermuda Weather Service, as Bermuda’s Tsunami Warning Focal Point, will begin the exercise following the release of the initial message.
The Bermuda Weather Service will email its notification group contacts, issue simulatedtest tsunami watches under the exercise parameters, and continue to send subsequent messages as required.
As part of the exercise, the Bermuda Weather Service will also update messaging on its website. Any tsunami-related notices or messages published there on Thursday, 19 March 2026, will be for exercise purposes only and should not cause public alarm.
Participating agencies will also be contacted by email to enact their tsunami contingency plans. The training scenario is based on a significant volcanic event at Kick-’em-Jenny Volcano in Grenada, reported at around 1500 UTC on Thursday, 19 March 2026.
Under the exercise timeline, test messages will be issued throughout the day, beginning with the start of the exercise at 11:00 a.m. and concluding with a final tsunami information statement at 3:30 p.m., when the tsunami threat is deemed to have passed.
Follow Bermuda Broadcasting for live coverage of the Caribbean Pickleball Championships
The curtain was raised last night on the Caribbean Pickleball Championships, taking place at the W.E.R. Joell Tennis Stadium. Players from across the region are here for a week of high-level competition and development in one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
Bermuda Broadcasting last night launched its coverage with a live interview conducted by Nick Jones with Sports Minister Owen Darrell, who highlighted the significance of Bermuda hosting a regional sporting event of this scale.
The station’s coverage also featured an introductory video with insights from key figures in the sport, including George Thomas and Leonardo Stango, both of whom spoke to the growth and potential of pickleball across the Caribbean and beyond.
The championships will see athletes from multiple Caribbean countries compete across junior, adult, and senior divisions, showcasing a wide spectrum of talent and experience.
More than just a tournament, the Caribbean Pickleball Championships has been designed as a platform to grow the sport regionally – fostering collaboration among national federations, raising competitive standards, and creating new opportunities for players and communities.
The week’s action features two interconnected tournaments: Rally on the Rock, offering open competition for players of all levels, and the Caribbean Championship Cup, a team-based format aimed at preparing Caribbean nations for future World Cup-style play.
Organisers say the dual-format structure balances accessibility with elite competition, positioning Bermuda at the centre of pickleball’s continued expansion in the region.
Stay tuned as Bermuda Broadcasting will deliver exclusive live coverage of the Caribbean Pickleball Championships.
Bermuda’s Kamau Leverock has opened up about the “big influence” of his family’s sporting legacy as he continues his high-profile stint in the Legends League Cricket in India.
Speaking from Haldwani, where he is currently representing the India Tigers, the 31-year-old all-rounder touched on a childhood steeped in elite competition. Leverock, who recently fell agonizingly short of a half-century in a narrow loss to the Mumbai Spartans, was quick to credit his family’s deep roots in the game for his lifelong passion.
“I’ve got cricket on both sides of my family,” Leverock revealed. “I had an uncle that played for the West Indies in the 80s—my dad’s brother—so just watching both of those guys, my uncle and my dad, they had a big influence. I was passionate from a young age; I was actually in the Barbados newspaper when I was two, and they were calling me the next Brian Lara.”
The Leverock name is synonymous with Bermudian sporting history. Kamau is the nephew of the iconic Dwayne “Sluggo” Leverock, the left-arm spinner whose spectacular diving catch against India in the 2007 World Cup remains one of the sport’s most enduring images.
Despite the heavy expectations that come with such a pedigree, the younger Leverock has forged his own path as a world-traveling franchise specialist. However, during his interview in India, he admitted that his career could have taken a very different direction on the football pitch.
Bermudian sailor Christian Ebbin and his Tulane University teammates delivered a commanding performance on the Potomac River this weekend, securing third place at the highly competitive St. Mary’s Open Team Race.
In a field featuring 10 of the premier collegiate programs in the United States, the Green Wave finished the regatta with an impressive 7–2 record. The result underscores Tulane’s growing reputation as a powerhouse in the coed team racing circuit as they navigate a grueling spring schedule.
Ebbin, serving as one of the squad’s key skippers alongside Kelly Holthus and Hamilton Barclay, demonstrated exceptional tactical awareness in the shifting conditions off the St. Mary’s College of Maryland waterfront. Supported by the clinical crew work of Jonah Wozniak, Sabrina Anderson, and Taylor Bartell, the trio proved too much for several heavyweight opponents.
Tulane’s path to the podium was marked by a string of significant victories over traditional sailing powers, including the College of Charleston, Cornell, and the United States Naval Academy. They also secured vital wins against host school St. Mary’s College, as well as Christopher Newport, Rhode Island, and George Washington.
For Ebbin, who has made a seamless transition into the elite tier of American collegiate sailing, the podium finish provides significant momentum heading into the business end of the Atlantic Coast season as the countdown to national championship selections begins.
A police spokesperson told reporters that one person sustained fatal injuries although the exact cause of death had not been confirmed
International News via Reuters:
One person has died after a cable car cabin at a Swiss ski resort crashed down a snowy mountainside during strong winds on Wednesday.
A police spokesperson told reporters that one person sustained fatal injuries although the exact cause of death had not been confirmed. The individual, whose identity was not disclosed, was the only person in the gondola, said police.
A helicopter had been dispatched to the scene in the ski resort of Engelberg in central Switzerland, air-rescue service Rega said.
Investigations into how the accident took place are ongoing, the Nidwalden cantonal police said.
Reporting by Romina Amato, Marleen Kaesbier and Kirsti Knolle, Writing by Madeline Chambers and John Revill Editing by Ludwig Burger
Bermudian rider Kamali Tucker has returned from the World Equestrian Center in Florida with a string of impressive ribbons following a determined showing at the Ocala Winter Spectacular XI.
Competing against deep fields of elite North American talent, Tucker and her trusted partner, Cequitta W Z—affectionately known as “Chica”—demonstrated remarkable consistency across three high-pressure jumping classes.
The duo opened their campaign in the .85m Jumper Open, navigating a field of 14 to secure an 8th-place finish. Tucker then found another gear in the Junior/Amateur division, jumping her way to 6th place in a larger pool of 18 competitors.
As the technical challenge increased and the rails were raised for the .90m Novice Junior Jumper, Tucker again proved her poise. Despite facing the largest field of her weekend with 21 entries, she matched her previous best with another 6th-place finish.
Reflecting on the experience at the state-of-the-art facility, Tucker was full of praise for her equine partner. “Great experience competing at WEC Ocala,” she said. “Two 6th-place ribbons and an 8th in competitive classes. Grateful for the support behind us and the best girl, Chica.”
The performance marks another successful international outing for the young Bermudian, whose ability to maintain form in crowded divisions underscores her rapid development on the Florida circuit.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said all those affected were young people
International News via Reuters:
Britain will roll out meningitis vaccines to students at a university in southeast England after an “unprecedented” outbreak of the disease killed two people while the number of new cases jumped to 20.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said all those affected were young people. A 21-year-old student at the University of Kent and a teenage student at a school in the town of Faversham have died.
Six of the nine confirmed cases are group B (MenB), the agency added. It is also aware of a baby with a confirmed MenB infection who is not currently linked to the outbreak.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the outbreak as “unprecedented in its spread.”
Britain has offered a MenB vaccine to infants since 2015, meaning most current university students are unlikely to have received it.
STUDENTS AT RISK
Symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia can include fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting, and cold hands and feet. Septicaemia can also cause a characteristic rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass.
Young people attending university or college are particularly at risk because they mix with other students, some of whom may be unknowingly carrying the bacteria in their noses and throats.
The majority of cases were linked to the Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury between March 5–7, Streeting said.
The UKHSA said it had administered around 2,500 doses of antibiotics across sites in Kent.
“As a further precaution, and together with the NHS, we are beginning to roll out a targeted MenB vaccination programme,” said Trish Mannes, UKHSA Regional Deputy Director for the South East, on Wednesday.
“This will initially be offered to 5,000 University of Kent students residing at the Canterbury campus, with the possibility of extension as the situation remains under continual review.”
GSK is in dialogue with UK authorities regarding a targeted vaccination plan to help address the outbreak, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Streeting noted that in a normal year, Britain would see about 350 cases. “The general risk is low, even though the disease itself is extremely serious,” he said.
Lilith Whittles, an assistant professor at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London, said there was an effective vaccine against MenB, reducing risk by around 70–85% against vaccine-preventable strains.
“Targeted vaccination with 4CMenB is being offered as part of the outbreak response to help reduce further cases. However, vaccine protection is not immediate: it typically takes around one to two weeks for immune responses to develop,” she said.
“In the meantime, offering preventative antibiotics to those who may have been exposed remains essential.”
Reporting by Paul Sandle, additional reporting by Bhanvi Satija ; Editing by Kate Holton and Louise Heavens
Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday that Powell had attended the talks and judged the offer made by Tehran on its nuclear programme significant enough to prevent a rush to war
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, was not part of final talks between the United States and Iran before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Tehran, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday.
Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday that Powell had attended the talks and judged the offer made by Tehran on its nuclear programme significant enough to prevent a rush to war.
“These negotiations were bilateral between the U.S. and Iran, facilitated by Oman. Jonathan was not present in the talks in Geneva and was not part of talks in the residence,” the spokesperson told reporters, after being asked about the report which said Powell was present in the building at Oman’s ambassadorial residence in Geneva.
“No team of British officials participated in the negotiations. The UK supported the approach Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner took and their efforts in pursuit of a negotiated solution,” the spokesperson said, referring to the two White House envoys.
The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, sparking a conflict that has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands in the region and 13 U.S. service members.
Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, writing by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Kate Holton
Bermuda’s premier swimming prospect Elijah Daley says he is “really happy” with his progress after a dominant, record-breaking performance at the U Sports Swimming Championships in Canada.
Fresh from being crowned Bermuda’s Junior Male Athlete of the Year, the University of Toronto standout delivered a masterclass in Toronto, dismantling several national short-course records across a grueling weekend of elite competition. Daley, who secured a fourth-place finish in a blistering 1:57.32 in the 200m butterfly, spoke exclusively about the satisfaction of seeing his hard work translate into historic times.
“Honestly, for me, it was such a great experience racing against the fastest swimmers in Canada,” Daley said. “I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made this season. I was able to break the Bermuda national record in the 200 fly, 100 fly, and also 200 IM, which is something I’m very proud of.”
The versatile talent, who also claimed fifth place in both the 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley, emphasized that his record-breaking spree is just the beginning. Despite his absence from the local awards ceremony due to his competitive commitments, being named the island’s top junior athlete remains a career highlight.
“I’m also really grateful to have been named Bermuda Junior Athlete of the Year,” Daley reflected. “Even though I couldn’t be there, it meant so much to me. It has definitely motivated me to keep pushing.”
The U.S. has been loosening bank rules for the past year, putting pressure on regulators elsewhere as their lenders could face an uneven playing field if they did not follow suit
International News via Reuters:
Financial markets are underpricing geopolitical risks, increasing the potential for sudden sell-offs, European Central Bank supervisor Claudia Buch said on Wednesday, as she warned against easing bank regulations.
The U.S. has been loosening bank rules for the past year, putting pressure on regulators elsewhere as their lenders could face an uneven playing field if they did not follow suit.
“These guardrails need to be maintained as geopolitical tensions rise,” Buch said in the ECB’s annual supervision report. “Fragmentation or any weakening of standards could undermine banks’ ability to withstand adverse developments.”
Bank shares have sold off since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran but market moves have been orderly, much like over the past year when tariffs and wars raised uncertainty.
Lenders are properly capitalised and have all the necessary buffers, but risks remain high, Buch argued.
“This uncertainty is not adequately reflected in market-based indicators of financial stress, which could lead to an abrupt repricing of risk,” she said.
She argued that shocks could materialise unexpectedly and spread quickly given geopolitical tensions, stretched valuations in some market segments, growing interconnections with non-bank financial firms and the risk of sudden shifts in market sentiment.
The ECB has made strengthening lenders’ resilience to geopolitical risks a key priority for this year and will stress test the largest banks in the coming months.
Reporting by Balazs Koranyi, editing by Andrei Khalip
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