The suspected production flaw is delaying some deliveries but there are no immediate indications that it has reached aircraft in service
International News via Reuters:
Airbus has discovered an industrial quality issue affecting fuselage panels of several dozen A320-family aircraft, industry sources said on Monday.
The suspected production flaw is delaying some deliveries but there are no immediate indications that it has reached aircraft in service, the sources said, asking not to be named.
Airbus had no immediate comment.
The origin of the problem could not immediately be identified. It emerged as Airbus is beefing up efforts to meet challenging delivery targets for the year and has also been distracted by a weekend recall of jets over a software bug.
SOME DELIVERIES ALREADY IMPACTED, SOURCE SAYS
A person with direct knowledge of the matter said some deliveries were already being impacted, but there was no immediate confirmation of how many nor for how long.
Industry sources said the planemaker delivered 72 aircraft in November, fewer than many analysts had previously expected and bringing the total for the year so far to 657.
It is targeting “around 820” deliveries for the year, meaning it would have to reach a record performance of more than 160 jets in December.
The record for the final month of the year was 138 in 2019.
WILL THE PLANEMAKER MEET ITS DELIVERY GOALS?
Analysts were divided on whether the world’s largest airplane maker will meet the delivery goals, which determine revenue and cash flow as airlines pay much of a plane’s value on delivery.
Jefferies analyst Chloe Lemarie, who tracks the handover of aircraft and is forecasting 71 deliveries for November, said the month’s performance was weaker than expected.
The target remains within reach, however, as underlying production is rising, she added in a note to investors issued before word emerged of the reported quality problem.
Independent aviation analyst Rob Morris said Airbus could reach about 800 deliveries – which others say might be enough to claim victory based on the wording of its forecast – but with some risk that the final outcome will be “marginally lower.”
Monthly registrations, a proxy for sales, slumped by 58% in France to 1,593 vehicles sold, by 59% to 1,466 cars in Sweden and by 49% to 534 cars in Denmark, official data showed
International News via Reuters:
Tesla saw November registrations in France, Denmark and Sweden halve from a year earlier, as the U.S. EV maker continued to struggle to stem market share losses in Europe despite rolling out new versions of its best-selling Model Y, but Norway bucked the trend with record sales in the month.
Monthly registrations, a proxy for sales, slumped by 58% in France to 1,593 vehicles sold, by 59% to 1,466 cars in Sweden and by 49% to 534 cars in Denmark, official data showed.
But in Norway, they almost trebled to 6,215 cars, beating the country’s annual sales record with one month to spare.
Tesla’s slowdown in Europe began late last year, after its CEO Elon Musk publicly praised right-wing political figures, setting off protests across the region.
In November, a large fire at a Tesla dealership in Southern France prompted investigators to launch a criminal probe, local media reported.
Musk has since toned down political commentary, but Tesla’s European business has not recovered, pointing to deeper challenges.
TESLA NOVELTY FADES AMID GROWING COMPETITION
Analysts pointed to growing competition in a crowded European market, especially from new entrants from China, and Tesla’s aging lineup.
Consumer sentiment has weakened. Data analytics and advisory firm Escalent said in a study seen by Reuters on Monday that 38% of more than 2,000 respondents to a survey in Europe’s five largest car markets feel the brand’s novelty has worn off and it trails competitors on design, quality and emotional appeal.
While Musk spent much of this year focused on the carmaker’s robotics pursuits and winning shareholder approval for his freshly minted $1 trillion pay package, Tesla tried to win back buyers by launching a refreshed Model Y earlier this year.
Only a handful of cheaper Model Ys, priced at 40,000 euros ($46,468) in Germany, reached European markets at the end of November.
Model Y sales dropped by 67% to 426 cars in Sweden and jumped 19% to 3,648 cars in Norway, data by Mobility Sweden and the Norwegian Road Federation showed.
In Denmark, November registrations of the Model Y plummeted by 74% to 206 units, according to data by Bilstatistik.dk, which runs Scandinavia’s largest car database, while those of the Model 3 increased by 29% to 326 cars, making it the country’s 8th most-sold model, Mobility Denmark said.
Tesla’s Chinese competitor BYD also saw a drop in registrations in November, falling 51% in Sweden and 50.3% in Norway. Its sales rose 6% in Denmark.
($1 = 0.8608 euros)
Reporting by Alessandro Parodi in Gdansk, Marie Mannes in Stockholm and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Bernadette Baum and Louise Heavens
Police continued to sweep the seven burnt-out towers engulfed in Wednesday’s disaster at the Wang Fuk Court estate
International News via Reuters:
Hong Kong authorities said on Monday they had arrested 13 people for suspected manslaughter in a probe into the city’s deadliest fire in decades, pointing to substandard renovation materials for fuelling a blaze that has claimed at least 151 lives.
Police continued to sweep the seven burnt-out towers engulfed in Wednesday’s disaster at the Wang Fuk Court estate, finding bodies of residents in stairwells and on rooftops, trapped as they tried to flee the flames.
More than 40 people are still missing.
“Some of the bodies have turned into ash, therefore we might not be able to locate all missing individuals,” police official Tsang Shuk-yin told reporters, choking up with emotion.
Tests on several samples of a green mesh that was wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the blaze did not match fire retardant standards, officials overseeing the investigations told a news conference.
Contractors working on the renovations used these substandard materials in hard-to-reach areas, effectively hiding them from inspectors, said Chief Secretary Eric Chan.
Foam insulation used by contractors also fanned the flames and fire alarms at the complex were not working properly, officials have said.
Thousands have turned out to pay tribute to the victims, who include at least nine domestic helpers from Indonesia and one from the Philippines, with lines of mourners stretching more than a kilometre (a half-mile) along a canal next to the estate.
Vigils are also due to take place this week in Tokyo, London and Taipei, authorities said.
Amid pockets of public anger over missed fire risk warnings, Beijing has warned it would crack down on any “anti-China” protests.
At least one person involved in a petition calling for an independent probe and a review of construction oversight among other demands was detained for around two days, sources familiar with the matter said.
Police have declined to comment on the case.
Hong Kong Security Chief Chris Tang also declined to comment on specific operations at a press conference on Monday.
“I’ve noticed that some people with malicious intent, aiming to harm Hong Kong and national security, have taken advantage of this painful moment for society,” he said.
“Therefore, we must take appropriate action, including enforcement measures.”
SEARCH MOVES TO WORST AFFECTED BUILDINGS
The buildings being scoured for remains are the worst damaged and the search may take weeks, authorities have said.
Images shared by police showed officers clad in hazmat suits, face masks and helmets, inspecting rooms with blackened walls and furniture reduced to ashes, and wading through water used to douse fires that raged for days.
Throngs of officers arrived at the site early on Monday morning to continue their search of the burnt-out buildings.
The apartment blocks were home to more than 4,000 people, according to census data, and those that escaped must now try to get their lives back on track.
More than 1,100 people have been moved out of evacuation centres into temporary housing, with a further 680 put up in youth hostels and hotels, authorities said.
With many residents leaving behind belongings as they fled, authorities have offered emergency funds of HK$10,000 ($1,284) to each household and provided special assistance for issuing new identity cards, passports and marriage certificates.
DEADLIEST BLAZE SINCE 1948
Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities last year they faced “relatively low fire risks” after complaining about fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city’s Labour Department said.
The residents raised concerns in September, 2024, including about the potential flammability of the mesh contractors used to cover the scaffolding, a department spokesperson said.
Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze, has stunned the city, where legislative elections are due to be held this weekend.
On Saturday, police detained Miles Kwan, 24, part of a group that launched a petition demanding an independent probe into possible corruption and a review of construction oversight, two people familiar with the matter said. Reuters could not establish whether he had been arrested.
Kwan left a police station in a taxi on Monday afternoon, according to a Reuters witness.
Two others have also since been arrested on suspicion of seditious intent, the South China Morning Post said. The police declined to comment on those reported arrests.
China’s national security office warned individuals on Saturday against using the disaster to “plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos” of 2019, when massive pro-democracy protests challenged Beijing and triggered a political crisis.
“We sternly warn the anti-China disruptors who attempt to ‘disrupt Hong Kong through disaster’,” the office said in a statement. “No matter what methods you use, you will certainly be held accountable and strictly punished.”
Reporting by Jessie Pang, Nicoco Chan, James Pomfret and Farah Master; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan
Starmer gave a speech on Monday in which he sought to defend the budget outlined last week by finance minister Rachel Reeves
International News via Reuters:
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last week’s budget had retained market confidence which was key to providing stability for investors and businesses, and would in time lead to economic growth.
Starmer gave a speech on Monday in which he sought to defend the budget outlined last week by finance minister Rachel Reeves, after criticism that it would hit people with further tax rises and lacked policies which would boost growth.
“The most important things that we can do for growth, the most important things that we can do for business is first to drive inflation down so that interest rates come down further, and the cost of business investment comes down with it,” Starmer said.
“And second, to retain market confidence that allows for real economic stability, so that businesses can plan. That is what the country needs most right now.”
He also said that he was confident the economy could beat forecasts now that it was on the right path.
“When it comes to economic growth and living standards, we’re confident we can beat the forecast,” he said.
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti and Alistair Smout, writing by Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton
Dozens of airlines from Asia to the United States said they had carried out a snap software retrofit ordered by Airbus
International News via Reuters:
Airbus fleets were returning towards normal operations on Monday after the European planemaker pushed through abrupt software changes faster than expected, averting a prolonged crisis over the discovery of a space-related computer bug.
Dozens of airlines from Asia to the United States said they had carried out a snap software retrofit ordered by Airbus, and mandated by global regulators, after a vulnerability to solar flares emerged in a recent mid-air incident on a JetBlue A320.
Wrestling with safety headlines long focused on rival Boeing, Airbus said on Monday that the vast majority of around 6,000 of its A320-family fleet affected by the safety alert had been modified, with fewer than 100 jets still requiring work.
But some require a longer process and Colombia’s Avianca continued to halt bookings for dates until December 8. JetBlue said it would cancel 20 flights for Monday.
Sources familiar with the matter said the unprecedented decision to recall about half the A320-family fleet was taken shortly after the possible but unproven link to a drop in altitude on the JetBlue jet emerged late last week.
Shares in Airbus were down 3% after hitting their lowest since October 15, although analysts said the financial impact may be limited. Thales, which supplies the flight computers, lost 2%.
PLANES GROUNDED DURING PART OF THANKSGIVING WEEKEND
Following talks with regulators, Airbus issued its 8-page alert to hundreds of operators on Friday, effectively ordering a temporary grounding by ordering the repair before next flight.
“The thing hit us about 9 p.m. (Jeddah time) and I was back in here about 9:30. I was actually quite surprised how quickly we got through it: there are always complexities,” said Steven Greenway, CEO of Saudi budget carrier Flyadeal.
The instruction was seen as the broadest emergency recall in the company’s history and raised initial concerns of disruption particularly during the busy U.S. Thanksgiving weekend.
The sweeping warning exposed the fact that Airbus does not have full real-time awareness of which software version is used given reporting lags, industry sources said.
IMPACT REVISED DOWN
At first airlines struggled to gauge the impact since the blanket alert lacked affected jets’ serial numbers. A Finnair passenger said a flight was delayed on the tarmac for checks.
Over 24 hours, engineers zeroed in on individual jets.
Several airlines revised down estimates of the number of jets impacted and time needed for the work, which Airbus initially pegged at three hours per plane.
“It has come down a lot,” an industry source said on Sunday, referring to the overall number of aircraft affected.
The fix involved reverting to an earlier version of software that handles the nose angle. It involves uploading the previous version via a cable from a device called a data loader, which is carried into the cockpit to prevent cyberattacks.
At least one major airline faced delays because it lacked enough data loaders to handle dozens of jets in such a short time, according to an executive speaking privately.
UK’s easyJet and Wizz Air said on Monday they had completed the updates over the weekend without cancelling any flights.
JetBlue said late Sunday it expected to have completed work to return to service 137 of 150 impacted aircraft by Monday and plans to cancel approximately 20 flights for Monday due to the issue.
SOME OLDER A320 JETS NEED NEW COMPUTER, NOT RESET
Questions remain over how long the generally older A320-family jets that will need a new computer, rather than a mere software reset, will have to remain out of service amid global shortages of computer chips.
Thales on Friday distanced itself from the issue, saying it was not responsible for the software. Jefferies said the cost of replacing hardware on some jets would be limited.
Industry executives said the weekend furore highlighted changes in the industry’s playbook since the Boeing 737 MAX crisis, in which the U.S. planemaker was heavily criticised over its handling of fatal crashes blamed on a software design error.
It is the first time Airbus has had to deal with global safety attention on such a scale since that crisis. CEO Guillaume Faury publicly apologised in a deliberate shift of tone for an industry beset by lawsuits and conservative public relations. Boeing has also declared itself more open.
“Is Airbus acting with the Boeing MAX crisis in mind? Absolutely — every company in the aviation sector is,” said Ronn Torossian, chairman of New York-based 5W Public Relations.
“Boeing paid the reputational price for hesitation and opacity. Airbus clearly wants to show…a willingness to say, ‘We could have done better.’ That resonates with regulators, customers, and the flying public.”
Reporting by Tim Hepher, Allison Lampert, David Shepardson and Reuters bureaus; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Bernadette Baum
Sterling gained more than 1% last week, marking its largest weekly gain since early August
International News via Reuters:
The pound edged lower on Monday, as investors took some profits on November’s modest gains ahead of a widely expected interest rate cut later this month.
Sterling gained more than 1% last week, marking its largest weekly gain since early August, lifted by a relief rally after finance minister Rachel Reeves’ long-awaited budget soothed some concern about Britain’s long-term finances.
The pound was last down 0.13% against the dollar at $1.3226, while dropping against the euro, which rose 0.3% to 87.89 pence.
Seasonally, December tends to be a stronger month for sterling. On average, over the last 25 years, December tends to be the second-strongest month of the year for the pound, with a gain of 0.28%, behind top month April, when the pound has, on average gained 1%, according to LSEG data.
Money markets show traders are placing a 90% chance of a cut from the Bank of England later in December that would take the base rate to 3.75%, where they expect it to remain for the coming few months.
This erodes some of the pound’s appeal for overseas investors, but by the end of the year, the UK would still boast some of the highest interest rates within the Group of 10 wealthiest nations, which offers sterling some support.
“The removal of some policy and political uncertainty removes some of the headwinds to the UK pound. It has strengthened a little since Reeves’s speech. But we think it is likely to weaken a little over the coming months — especially against the euro — as policy rates and bond yields come lower,” Graham Hook, head of EMEA government relations and public policy, and Benjamin Jones, global head of research at Invesco, said in a note late last week.
Anecdotally, Simon Phillips, managing director of travel currency specialist No1 Currency, said the pound’s performance in November had offered a boon to British consumers looking to go abroad, as what he called the “Rachel rally” lifted sterling last month against most of the currencies of popular tourist destinations, such as the Turkish lira and Icelandic crown.
Reporting by Amanda Cooper; Editing by Kirsten Donovan
Brent crude futures climbed 94 cents, or 1.51%, to $63.32 a barrel by 2327 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $59.45 a barrel, up 90 cents, or 1.54%
International News via Reuters:
Oil prices rose more than 1.5% on Monday after the OPEC+ meeting on Sunday decided against earlier planned production rises in the first quarter of next year.
Brent crude futures climbed 94 cents, or 1.51%, to $63.32 a barrel by 2327 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $59.45 a barrel, up 90 cents, or 1.54%.
OPEC+ agreed to leave oil output levels unchanged for the first quarter of 2026 at its meeting as the group slows its push to regain market share amid fears of a looming supply glut.
The Chinese declines contrast with strong revenue growth globally for big arms and military-services companies
International News via Reuters:
Revenues at China’s giant military firms fell last year as corruption purges slowed arms contracts and procurement, according to a study released on Monday by a leading conflict think tank.
The Chinese declines contrast with strong revenue growth globally for big arms and military-services companies, fuelled by wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and global and regional tensions, the research by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found.
“A host of corruption allegations in Chinese arms procurement led to major arms contracts being postponed or cancelled in 2024,” said Nan Tian, director of SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme.
“This deepens uncertainty around the status of China’s military modernisation efforts and when new capabilities will materialise.”
CHINA’S REVENUES DOWN 10%, JAPAN’S UP 40%
The People’s Liberation Army was one of the main targets of a broader corruption crackdown ordered by President Xi Jinping in 2012, reaching the upper levels of the military in 2023 when its Rocket Force was targeted.
Eight top generals were expelled from the ruling Communist Party on graft charges in October, including the country’s number two general, He Weidong. He had served under Xi on the Central Military Commission, China’s supreme military command organisation.
Asian and Western diplomats say they are still trying to gauge the impact of the crackdown on China’s ongoing military rise and how far down it reaches through the command chain.
Revenues of China’s top military firms fell 10% last year, while those in Japan surged 40%, Germany 36% and U.S. revenues rose 3.8%, SIPRI data shows.
Revenues of the world’s 100 largest arms firms rose 5.9% to a record $679 billion, the report said, while China’s fall was enough to make Asia-Oceania the only region to post a revenue decline among its top arms firms.
China’s weapons revenue fell despite three decades of rising defence budgets in Beijing’s growing strategic rivalry with the United States, Asia’s traditional military power, and tensions over Taiwan and the hotly disputed South China Sea.
MID-, LONG-TERM INVESTMENT, MODERNISATION TO CONTINUE
The buildup is bearing fruit as China deploys the world’s largest naval and coast guard fleets – including a potentially advanced new aircraft carrier – a host of new hypersonic missiles, nuclear weapons and air and sea drones.
Revenue fell at AVIC, China’s largest arms maker, land-systems producer Norinco and aerospace and missile manufacturer CASC, all state-owned, according to the SIPRI research. Norinco experienced the steepest revenue decline, falling 31% to $14 billion.
Corruption-related personnel changes at the top of Norinco and CASC sparked government reviews and project delays, while deliveries of AVIC’s military aircraft slowed, the research found.
The timeline of advanced systems for the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force, which handles its growing arsenal of ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles, could be exposed, along with aerospace and cyber programmes, said SIPRI researcher Xiao Liang.
This adds to uncertainties over the PLA’s target of getting key capabilities and war-fighting readiness in place for its 100th anniversary, Liang said. The PLA’s forerunner, Mao Zedong’s Red Army, was founded in 1927.
“However, in the medium and longer term, sustained investment in defence budgets and political commitment behind modernisation will continue, albeit with some programme delays, higher costs and tighter control of procurement,” Liang said.
Reporting by Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Editing by William Mallard
Starmer’s centre-left Labour Party trails behind the right-wing Reform UK in opinion polls
International News via Reuters:
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out on Monday his economic vision for the rest of the Labour government’s parliamentary term in a speech that builds on last week’s budget, his office said.
He will present the “broader mission” of his government’s drive to boost economic growth, Downing Street said, following finance minister Rachel Reeves’ budget last week, which raised 26 billion pounds ($34.41 billion) of taxes.
Starmer’s centre-left Labour Party trails behind the right-wing Reform UK in opinion polls. The next national election is due to be held by mid-2029 at the latest.
Despite winning a historic landslide election last year, Starmer is under pressure from his own lawmakers to regain the initiative after a tough first year in charge, marked by U-turns over key policies and continued angst over the public finances.
Starmer will talk about removing “unnecessary regulation”, his office said.
“Rooting out excessive costs in every corner of the economy is an essential step to lower the cost of living for good, as well as promoting more dynamic markets for business,” Starmer will say, according to excerpts of his speech published by Downing Street.
His speech will also focus on helping more people into work – by raising access to apprenticeships and training, and removing barriers to employment for people who have been “written off” because of neurodivergence, disability or mental health problems.
The cause of the blaze at a high-rise apartment complex, remains under investigation, amid public anger over missed fire risk warnings and evidence of unsafe construction practices
International News via Reuters:
Thousands turned out on Sunday to pay tribute to the victims of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in more than 75 years, as Beijing warned it would crack down on any “anti-China” protest in the wake of the blaze.
The cause of the blaze at a high-rise apartment complex, remains under investigation, amid public anger over missed fire risk warnings and evidence of unsafe construction practices.
Police said on Sunday the confirmed death toll had risen to 146 after they completed a sweep of five of the burnt-out towers. Some bodies had been found in stairwells and on rooftops where residents had tried to flee. More than 40 people are still missing, police said.
Mourners queued for more than a kilometre along the banks of a canal near the burnt-out Wang Fuk Court housing complex to lay white flowers for those who died, with people still arriving late in the evening. Some attached notes addressed to the victims and laid flowers including chrysanthemums, which symbolise grief in Chinese culture.
The smell of smoke still hung in the air four days after the fast-moving blaze fanned across the exterior of seven residential towers under renovation in Hong Kong’s northern Tai Po district.
Joey Yeung, 28, whose grandmother’s apartment burned in the fire, said she had come with her family to mourn the victims and with feelings of anger at those responsible.
“I can’t accept it. So today I came with my father and my family to lay flowers,” Yeung told Reuters. “I’m not asking to get anything back but at least give some justice to the families of the deceased – to those who are still alive.”
Seven Indonesian domestic workers and one Filipino helper were among the dead and dozens of migrant workers remain missing. Hundreds attended outdoor prayers in central Hong Kong for the city’s Filipino community on Sunday morning.
Police on Saturday detained Miles Kwan, 24, part of a group that launched a petition demanding an independent probe into possible corruption and a review of construction oversight, two people familiar with the matter said. Reuters could not establish whether he had been arrested.
Hong Kong police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The online petition promoted by the group drew over 10,000 signatures by Saturday afternoon before it was closed.
A second petition with similar demands was launched soon after by a Tai Po resident living overseas. That had more than 2,700 signatures as of Sunday. “The government owes Hongkongers genuine, explicit accountability,” it said.
The blaze that ripped through seven residential towers near the border with mainland China has stunned Hong Kong and authorities have launched criminal and corruption investigations.
China’s national security authorities on Saturday warned individuals against using the disaster to “plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos” of 2019, when massive pro-democracy protests challenged Beijing and triggered a political crisis.
“We sternly warn the anti-China disruptors who attempt to ‘disrupt Hong Kong through disaster’. No matter what methods you use, you will certainly be held accountable and strictly punished.”
ALARMS NOT WORKING PROPERLY
Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the blaze, as they investigate possible corruption and the use of unsafe materials during the renovations.
Rescue operations concluded on Friday, though police say they may find more bodies as they comb through the hazardous, burnt-out buildings, which could take three or four weeks.
The fire started on Wednesday afternoon and rapidly engulfed seven of the eight 32-storey blocks at the complex, which were wrapped in green mesh and bamboo scaffolding, and layered with foam insulation for the renovations.
Authorities have said the fire alarms at the complex, home to over 4,600 people, were not working properly.
The fire is Hong Kong’s deadliest since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze.
Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities last year they faced “relatively low fire risks” after complaining about fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city’s Labour Department said.
The residents raised concerns in September 2024, including about the potential flammability of the mesh contractors used to cover the scaffolding, a department spokesperson said.
Reporting by Jessie Pang, James Pomfret, Writing by Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Michael Perry and Giles Elgood
Bermuda delegation was in London last week to participate in the annual Joint Ministerial Council (JMC)
Premier Burt with King Charles and Governor Andrew Murdoch. Photo supplied
Government of Bermuda Press Release (photos supplied):
A Government of Bermuda delegation led by the Premier and Minister of Finance, the Hon. E. David Burt, JP, MP, travelled to London last week to participate in the annual Joint Ministerial Council (JMC), the highest political forum between the UK Government and the Governments of the British Overseas Territories.
Additional engagements included a meeting with the Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon. Yvette Cooper, MP; a Leaders Dinner hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP; and a private audience with His Majesty King Charles III alongside His Excellency the Governor, Andrew Murdoch CMG, and Leaders and Governors of the other Overseas Territories.
The Premier was accompanied during this visit by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP; Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque; UK Representative, Kimberley Durrant; and Deputy UK Representative, Brandon Sousa.
Engagements began with the Attorney General attending the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) Political Council, which provides leaders of the Overseas Territories an opportunity to discuss shared priorities and strategies ahead of the JMC.
Continuing engagements, Minister Wilkerson participated in the UKOTA Overseas Territories Conference and joined a panel discussion on Modern Democracy alongside the Premier of British Virgin Islands, the Hon. Natalio Wheatley; the Premier of Turks and Caicos Islands, the Hon. C. Washington Misick; and the Premier of Anguilla, the Hon. Cora Richardson-Hodge.
The Attorney General emphasised the importance of collaboration among Overseas Territories to strengthen democratic practices and public administration.The conference also featured keynote addresses from the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP; Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty MP; and Shadow Minister for the Overseas Territories, Andrew Rosindell MP.
While the Attorney General attended the OT conference, the Premier held a bilateral meeting with the Minister for the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty MP to discuss matters of mutual importance to Bermuda and the UK.
The JMC sessions, held from the 26 – 27 November, brought together UK Ministers and Overseas Territory leaders to address key priorities, including resetting the UK – OT relationship, cybersecurity, climate resilience, combating illicit finance, economic growth, and business engagement. Although not part of the JMC delegation, the Minister for Economy and Labour, the Hon. Jason Hayward, JP, MP, participated in sessions focused on economic development.
During the business engagement segment, the Premier served as a panellist, showcasing Bermuda’s economic diversity and resilience. These sessions facilitated direct dialogue with UK Ministers and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration.
Outside of JMC activities, the Premier delivered opening remarks at the Bermuda Business Development Agency’s event “A London Forum: The Bermuda Advantage.”
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