Nearly 100 payers battled it out at the W.E.R. Joell Tennis Stadium for the 2nd annual Bermuda Pickleball National Championships
Pickleball took centre stage this weekend as nearly one hundred players—from juniors to elites—hit the courts for the second annual Bermuda Pickleball National Championships. Details in the video.
Full list of medallists:
Britain in 2020 promised a $300 million loan and insurance worth about $700 million for the $20 billion project via UK Export Finance
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s government said on Monday it was withdrawing its $1.15 billion backing for the TotalEnergies-led Mozambique LNG project, slated to make the African nation a major liquefied natural gas exporter to Europe and Asia.
Britain in 2020 promised a $300 million loan and insurance worth about $700 million for the $20 billion project via UK Export Finance, shortly before it pledged to stop providing direct government support for overseas fossil fuel projects.
The project was halted in 2021 due to an Islamist insurgency. Total lifted force majeure on its development in November, but made restarting construction conditional on the Mozambican government’s approval of a new budget, which the president said he may dispute.
“In preparation to restart the project, UKEF was presented with a proposal to amend the financing terms it had agreed originally,” British business minister Peter Kyle said in a statement.
“My officials have evaluated the risks around the project, and it is the view of His Majesty’s Government that these risks have increased since 2020.”
“This view is based on a comprehensive assessment of the project and the interests of UK taxpayers, which are best served by ending our participation in the project at this time.”
Jihadist attacks have been back on the rise in Mozambique, with Total bringing in workers and equipment this year by air and sea for security reasons.
TotalEnergies declined to comment. Mozambique’s government did not respond to a request for comment.
TOTAL HAS SAID PROJECT CAN PROCEED WITHOUT UK FINANCING
In April TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne told investors that project partners could move forward without UK and Dutch financing, using equity.
More than 70% of the project’s financing is secured, and about 90% of the future gas production is commercialized via contracts with buyers, Total has said.
TotalEnergies holds a 26.5% operating stake in Mozambique LNG. Japan’s Mitsui owns 20% in the project and Mozambique state firm ENH 15%, alongside smaller stakeholders including India’s ONGS and Oil India.
Pouyanne told investors in February that Mozambique LNG shareholders were ready to exercise their contractual rights to ensure UKEF and Atradius, the Netherlands’ export finance arm, approved the funds initially promised.
Kyle said UKEF would pay back the project for any premium paid. A UKEF spokesperson declined to name the amount.
A spokesperson for Dutch export arm Atradius, which pledged about $1 billion of insurance to the project, said in July an independent human rights due diligence review was ongoing, but that “there is no clearly defined deadline” for that review.
In March, the U.S. Export-Import Bank approved a nearly $5 billion loan for the project.
CRITICISM FROM ENVIRONMENTAL, HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS
Human rights nonprofit ECCHR last month filed a criminal complaint against TotalEnergies, alleging it was complicit in torture and enforced disappearances allegedly carried out by government soldiers in Mozambique. The company has said there is no evidence of that.
In April UKEF hired law firm Beyond Human Rights Compliance LLP to investigate risks around Mozambique LNG following media reports of the alleged torture, three people interviewed by the firm told Reuters.
A London court in 2023 dismissed a court challenge by environmental group Friends of the Earth against the British government’s funding for the project.
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, Shadia Nasralla and America Hernandez; Writing by Shadia Nasralla; editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jan Harvey
A former mayor of Tegucigalpa, 67-year-old Asfura had 40% of the votes counted so far, just 4,100 votes ahead of the Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla with 39.78% of the votes
International News via Reuters:
Nasry Asfura, the Conservative National Party candidate backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, led Honduras’s closely contested presidential election with 56% of votes counted, preliminary results showed on Monday, as the gap between the leading candidates narrowed.
A former mayor of Tegucigalpa, 67-year-old Asfura had 40% of the votes counted so far, just 4,100 votes ahead of the Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla with 39.78% of the votes. Rixi Moncada, of the ruling LIBRE party, was third with 19.18%.
Preliminary data from Sunday’s election had shown a larger 2% gap between the first and second candidates, earlier on Monday.
Whichever candidate wins a simple majority will govern the country between 2026 and 2030.
Outgoing President Xiomara Castro reposted on X a message from her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya, calling for vigilance while “awaiting the final count, with 100% of the presidential ballots tallied.”
On Monday morning, problems with the online portal where results were meant to be updated added to frustration around the vote. The website appeared to be down for long stretches, with local media criticizing the outage.
TRUMP WEIGHS IN TO SUPPORT ASFURA ON SOCIAL MEDIA
In the runup, Trump weighed in on the tightly contested race to throw his support behind Asfura in a series of social media posts, saying he can work with him to counter drug trafficking and that “if he doesn’t win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad.”
On Friday, Trump also said he will grant a pardon to former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the U.S. for drug trafficking and firearms charges. Hernandez, who led Honduras from 2014-2022, was also from the National Party.
Argentine President Javier Milei threw in his lot with Asfura as well, saying on social media that “he is the candidate who best represents opposition to the leftist tyrants who destroyed Honduras.”
Both Asfura and Nasralla have said they may resume diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which were severed in 2023. Such a move would mark the biggest diplomatic setback for China in the region for decades.
VOTE TAKES PLACE IN POLARIZED CLIMATE
Sunday’s vote, in which the 128 members of Congress, hundreds of mayors, and thousands of other public officials are also being chosen, took place in a highly polarized climate. Moncada has suggested she would not recognize the official results.
Most polls showed a virtual tie between the three candidates heading into election day. The Organization of American States expressed concerns about the electoral process.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau warned the U.S. would respond “swiftly and decisively to anyone who undermines the integrity of the democratic process in Honduras.”
On Sunday, some frustrated voters and electoral observers denounced officials for turning away citizens still waiting to vote.
DISTRUST OF ELECTORAL PROCESS
Honduras, where six out of every 10 citizens live in poverty, suffered a coup in 2009 when an alliance of right-wing military figures, politicians and businessmen overthrew Manuel Zelaya, the husband of the outgoing president, who was a Liberal Party member at the time.
In 2011, Zelaya founded the Libertad y Refundacion party, with which his wife swept to power in 2021, ending more than a century of rule by the National and Liberal parties.
Honduras’ Attorney General’s Office, aligned with the ruling party, has accused the opposition parties of planning to commit voter fraud, a claim they deny.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into audio recordings in which a high-ranking National Party politician allegedly discussed plans with an unidentified military officer to influence the election. Those recordings, which the National Party says were created using AI, were central to Moncada’s campaign.
The Honduran military has also come under criticism for asking the National Election Council to give it copies of the tally sheets on election day, a violation of Honduran law.
These tensions contributed to a growing public distrust of the electoral authorities and the electoral process in general.
Castro, the first woman to govern Honduras, increased public investment and social spending. The economy has grown moderately, and poverty and inequality have decreased but remain high. The International Monetary Fund has praised her government’s prudent fiscal management.
The country’s homicide rate has also fallen to its lowest level in recent history, but violence persists.
Human rights groups have criticized Castro for maintaining a prolonged state of emergency in parts of Honduras and for continuing to rely on the military for policing, the approach of her predecessor Hernandez.
Reporting by Laura Garcia in Tegucigalpa, Leila Miller in Buenos Aires and Diego Ore in Mexico City; additional reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer, Lincoln Feast and Sharon Singleton
Civil rights icon honoured at St Paul AME Hall
Today, community members gathered to honour the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks’s iconic stand for justice.
The celebration took place at the St. Paul AME Hall on Victoria Street – an especially meaningful venue, as Mrs. Parks was a loyal member of St. Paul AME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to move from her seat on a bus in defiance of segregation laws; her action sparked a bus boycott and became a landmark event in the civil rights movement.
Glenn Fubler, who was among those leading today’s initiative, told us more about the purpose of the gathering …
Under the agreement, Britain will raise the net price it pays for new U.S. medicines by 25%
International News via Reuters:
The United States and Britain announced a deal on Monday to secure zero tariffs on British pharmaceutical products and medical technology in return for Britain spending more on medicines and overhauling how it values drugs.
Under the agreement, Britain will raise the net price it pays for new U.S. medicines by 25%. In return, UK-made medicines, drug ingredients and medical technology will be exempt from Section 232 sectoral tariffs and any future Section 301 country tariffs.
“The United States and the United Kingdom announce this negotiated outcome pricing for innovative pharmaceuticals, which will help drive investment and innovation in both countries,” United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.
UK CHANGES SYSTEM FOR ASSESSING IF DRUGS ARE COST-EFFECTIVE
The deal includes a significant change to the value appraisal framework at NICE, the UK body that determines whether new drugs are cost-effective for the NHS.
NICE’s “quality-adjusted life year” threshold, currently 30,000 pounds ($39,789) per year, will rise to 35,000 pounds.
The British government said the change to NICE would let it “keep pace with the commercial and economic environment in which pharmaceutical companies are operating in today.”
The revised framework will apply to all new medicines, not just U.S. drugs, but will not affect prices of existing treatments.
NICE has often rejected coverage of new, expensive drugs through the NHS, for example Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug and AstraZeneca’s breast cancer treatment Enhertu.
British pharmaceutical industry group ABPI said the deal would help British patients access new medicines and help attract investment from drugmakers.
Shares in UK-based drugmakers GSK and AstraZeneca were broadly unchanged on the agreement. The UK is a very small market for the pharmaceutical industry, making up just 2% of AstraZeneca’s total revenue for instance.
GSK welcomed the deal, saying “these good foundations, offer a real opportunity to secure the UK as an attractive global-leading environment for life sciences that rewards long-term innovation.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has pressed Britain and the rest of Europe to pay more for American medicines, part of his push for U.S. medicine costs to be brought more in line with those paid in other wealthy nations.
The industry has criticised a tough operating environment in Britain and some major firms have cancelled or paused investment in Britain, including AstraZeneca, the largest firm on the London Stock Exchange by market value.
One point of contention between the sector and the government has been the operation of a voluntary pricing scheme which sees firms put a proportion of sales to the NHS back into the health service.
The office of the USTR said Britain had committed that the rebate rate would decrease to 15% in 2026.
Drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb Chief Executive Chris Boerner said in a statement released by the UK government that Britain’s commitments on investment in innovative medicines under the deal meant “BMS anticipates being able to invest upwards of $500 million over the next 5 years.”
“This agreement is a sign of progress and one that creates an environment conducive to our continued presence in the UK,” he said.
The British Chambers of Commerce welcomed the deal, saying “pharmaceuticals make up a fifth of all UK exports to the U.S. by value, and the UK now has a deal which few others have achieved, giving us a distinct advantage.”
U.S. LOOKS TO SOLIDIFY FRAMEWORK TRADE DEALS
The breakthrough comes after the two countries agreed in May to seek “significantly preferential treatment outcomes on pharmaceuticals”, with a commitment that Britain tries to improve the environment for pharma firms operating in the country.
It concludes talks on a major unresolved issue after Britain became the first country to secure tariff relief on some other sectors in May.
Ryan Majerus, a partner with the King & Spalding law firm, said the U.S. government was racing to complete as many detailed trade agreements as possible and refine previously agreed framework deals before the Supreme Court rules on a case that challenges the legality of Trump’s sweeping tariffs imposed against nearly every country.
A decision by the highest U.S. court is expected later this year or early next.
The Trump administration has already said it will use other legal authorities, including Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to replace tariffs that might be invalidated under a Supreme Court ruling.
“The more they can lock in countries in deals, the better for them,” Majerus said. “The more definitive these deals are, the harder it is for countries to come and say, ‘We don’t like our deal. We want it ripped up and you don’t have the authority to impose these tariffs'”.
($1 = 0.7540 pounds)
Reporting by Maggie Fick and Alistair Smout in London, Andrea Shalal in Washington, additional reporting by Sam Tabahriti in London, Susan Heavey and Caroline Humer in Washington.Editing by Bernadette Baum, Frances Kerry and Louise Heavens
Remarks By:
The Hon. KIM WILSON JP, MP
Minister of Health
World Aids Day
Victoria Park
1pm – 2pm
Good day everyone,
Today, we gather to commemorate World AIDS Day 2025. This year, Bermuda proudly joins the global community under the theme: “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.”
This theme reminds us of the serious setbacks the world has faced in the fight against HIV, setbacks driven by reduced funding and a lack of global solidarity. Yet it also calls us to action. We know that resilience, investment, and innovation are essential if we are to sustain progress. And let me be clear: Bermuda is firmly committed to ensuring that every person has access to prevention, treatment, and care, free from stigma, and free from discrimination.
Ending AIDS is not just a global ambition; it is an achievable goal. By working together and building on our achievements, Bermuda can continue to lead by example.
Bermuda has made remarkable progress, including the elimination of mother-tochild transmission of HIV. This success demonstrates what is possible when health equity and human rights are prioritised.
However, challenges persist.
To achieve our goal of ending HIV/AIDS locally, we must continue to reach all populations: LGBTQ+ individuals, young people and adolescents, pregnant women through antenatal screenings, and those at risk due to social or economic factors.
No one in Bermuda should be left behind.
Our communities play a critical role in this effort. Community responsibility is essential to addressing stigma and discrimination, which remain barriers to care. Through education, awareness campaigns, and active involvement, we can dismantle these barriers and create an environment where everyone feels supported.
Let us build on Bermuda’s achievements and continue to innovate, ensuring that our response remains strong and inclusive. Together, we can contribute to the global mission of ending AIDS as a public health challenge by 2030.
Thank you.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have suffered devastation after a rare tropical storm formed in the Malacca Strait unleashed torrential rains and wind gusts for a week
International News via Reuters:
The death toll from cyclone-induced floods and landslides in Indonesia passed 600 on Monday as rescuers battled to clear roads and improved weather conditions revealed the scale of a disaster that has killed nearly 800 people in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have suffered devastation after a rare tropical storm formed in the Malacca Strait unleashed torrential rains and wind gusts for a week that hampered efforts to reach people stranded by mudslides and high floodwaters.
At least 176 have been killed in Thailand and three in Malaysia, while the death toll climbed to 604 in Indonesia on Monday with 464 missing, according to official figures.
Under sunshine and clear blue skies in the town of Palembayan in Indonesia’s West Sumatra, hundreds of people were clearing mud, trees and wreckage from roads as some residents tried to salvage valuable items like documents and motorcycles from their damaged homes.
Men in camouflage outfits sifted through piles of mangled poles, concrete and sheet metal roofing as pickup trucks packed with people drove around looking for missing family members and handing out water to people, some trudging through knee-deep mud.
‘RESILIENCE AND SOLIDARITY’
The government’s recovery efforts include restoring roads, bridges and telecommunications services. More than 28,000 homes have been damaged in Indonesia and 1.5 million people affected, according to the disaster agency.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited the three affected provinces on Monday and praised residents for their spirit in the face of what he called a catastrophe.
“There are roads that are still cut off, but we’re doing everything we can to overcome difficulties,” he said in North Sumatra.
“We face this disaster with resilience and solidarity. Our nation is strong right now, able to overcome this.”
The devastation in the three countries follows months of adverse and deadly weather in Southeast Asia, including typhoons that have lashed the Philippines and Vietnam and caused frequent and prolonged flooding elsewhere.
Scientists have warned that extreme weather events will become more frequent as a result of global warming.
In Indonesia’s Palembayan, row after row of houses had collapsed, with crushed vehicles dotted along mud-laden streets and piles of motorcycles tangled up in heaps after being carried away by landslides and fast-flowing floodwaters.
Rescue teams were seen carrying away a body across a swathe of rural land now covered in debris, uprooted trees and household furniture.
“These used to be the houses of my parents, my brother, also my rice milling place, now all were gone,” said Muhammad Rais, who lives in Palembayan and lost two family members. “We have nothing left.”
RESTORATION UNDERWAY IN THAILAND
In neighbouring Malaysia, 11,600 people were still in evacuation centres, according to the country’s disaster agency, which said it was still on alert for a second and third wave of flooding.
The death toll rose slightly to 176 in Thailand on Monday from flooding in eight southern provinces that affected about 3 million people and led to a major mobilisation of its military to evacuate critical patients from hospitals and reach people marooned for days by floodwaters.
In the hardest-hit province of Songkhla, where 138 people were killed, the government said 85% of water services had been restored and would be fully operational by Wednesday.
Much of Thailand’s recovery effort is focused on the worst-affected city Hat Yai, a southern trading hub which on November 21 received 335 mm (13 inches) of rain, its highest single-day tally in 300 years, followed by days of unrelenting downpours.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has set a timeline of seven days for residents to return to their homes.
The flood crisis has dented Anutin’s popularity after only a few months in office as he prepares to call an election at the end of January, with criticism mounting over the government’s slow response to the disaster.
Anutin on Monday said he was not concerned about loss of support. “I am only thinking about how to help the people,” he told reporters.
Reporting by Willy Kurniawan in Palembayan, Indonesia; Additional reporting by Stanley Widianto and Ananda Teresia in Jakarta, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Thepgumpanat in Bangkok and Danial Azhar in Kuala Lumpur; writing by Martin Petty; editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Mark Heinrich
The importance of storytelling, authentic experiences, and economic growth in St. George’s
In this engaging conversation, host Jasmine Patterson speaks with Bermudian entrepreneur Kristin White about the evolution of Bermuda’s hospitality and tourism industry. They explore the importance of storytelling, the need for authentic experiences, and the potential for economic growth in St. George’s. Mrs. White shares her journey as a storyteller and entrepreneur, emphasizing the significance of community development and the role of tourism in creating meaningful work for locals. The discussion also touches on the challenges and opportunities for promoting Bermuda’s rich cultural heritage and enhancing year-round tourism.
Assistant Commissioner Martin Weekes said around 40 items have been handed in since the weapons amnesty was launched
Three shotguns, a Nazi branded dagger, samurai swords and zombie knives were just some of the items turned in by members of the public during the ongoing weapons amnesty.
You’ll recall the Bermuda Police Service issued a call for people to drop off bladed articles plus newly restricted weapons in a move to deter violent knife crime.
Assistant Commissioner Martin Weekes said around 40 items have been submitted to date.
Jasmine Patterson brings us this update.
The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) continues to urge residents to prioritise their safety, if intending to meet up with any unknown individual, to buy or sell items advertised online.
Recently, the BPS received another report of an incident where an unsuspecting local resident had an item for sale on Facebook Marketplace stolen, after showing it to a potential buyer, during a meeting at a prearranged location.
There were no reported injuries and inquiries regarding this latest matter are ongoing.
Items stolen under such circumstances are usually trendy brand name electronics, including cell phones and gaming consoles.
Noting the popularity of Facebook Marketplace and similar online commerce sites, the following proactive advice is strongly recommended.
Be Proactive & Stay Vigilant
Never go alone. Bring a relative or friend along and let other family members or friends know where and when the exchange is taking place.
Meet in well-lit, public areas before the hours of darkness. Avoid inviting an unknown individual to your home.
Take note of the vehicle used by the buyer or seller, including the colour, type and its licence plate.
Do not conduct transactions with anyone whose face is not fully visible.
If you feel unsafe at the public meeting spot, at any point, leave and contact the police immediately.
Report any suspicious activity right away by calling 211 or 911 in an emergency.
Online reports, for non-urgent situations, can be made via the BPS community portal, https://portal.police.bm.
