Cruise ship’s inaugural visit to Bermuda
Bermuda proudly welcomed the Seabourn Encore on its inaugural call on Friday, 28 November.
The Hon. Owen Darrell, JP, MP, Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport, led a small delegation on board the vessel to greet Captain Andrew Pedder and the officers to welcome the ship to Bermuda officially.
During the visit, Minister Darrell and the Captain exchanged the traditional inaugural-call plaque commemorating the occasion. Minister Darrell recognised that Seabourn Cruises has made many visits over the years and expressed optimism that the line will make future visits to Hamilton.
Originally scheduled to berth in Hamilton, Seabourn Encore adjusted her itinerary due to forecasted high winds and safely docked at the Royal Naval Dockyard. The vessel arrived at 10:00 a.m. from her previous port of call, Lisbon, carrying 535 passengers and then continued her voyage to Miami, Florida. The Seabourn Encore remained in port for two days, allowing guests the opportunity to explore Bermuda.
Also participating in the ceremony was Mr Neville Tyrrell, Chairman of the Bermuda Land Management Corporation (BLMC), who presented a plaque on behalf of the Port of Dockyard.
Firefighters quickly contain Paget retail blaze
Cause of fire being investigated but owner believes a candle may be to blame
A small business went up in flames this afternoon at Rural Hill Plaza in Paget.
The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service responded to the blaze at Hose’s Fashions, near the Paget stop lights, shortly before 2pm.
Bermuda Broadcasting was on site and spoke with Divisional Officer Jay Donawa as crews worked to stabilise the scene after quickly extinguishing the fire.
An investigation into the cause of the blaze is ongoing. However, the owner of Hose’s Fashions said it may have started from a single candle that burned down to the end of its wick.
He expressed gratitude to his loyal customers and said he hopes to be operational again in the New Year.
National Trust expects thousands of visitors for 45th Annual Christmas Walkabout
The Trust said around 6,000 people came to kick off the festive season last year in St. George’s
The National Trust’s annual Christmas Walkabout event is expected to draw thousands of residents to St. George’s this Friday.
Dr. Dorte Horsfield, Head of Development and Engagement at the Trust said around 6,000 people came to kick off the festive season last year and more than 500 drivers parked at Kindley Field road to make use of the free shuttle service to Penno’s Wharf.
There will be performances by the Bermuda Highland Dancers, Regiment Band & Corps of Drums and Pipe band, and dance groups plus, musical guests while historic BNT homes are open for visitors.
A new ferry service will be a welcome addition for people to experience the event, says Dorte.
She added that parking for the shuttle service is available traveling to St. George’s between 4.30pm to 10.30pm.
EU expected to delay announcement on car climate target, industry source says
With the backing of Germany, European carmakers are lobbying Brussels for greater flexibility as they navigate the costly shift to electric
International News via Reuters:
It is likely that the European Commission will delay announcing its updated plan on climate targets for the auto sector, an industry source said on Tuesday, following pressure on Brussels to weaken a 2035 cut-off for combustion engines.
With the backing of Germany, European carmakers are lobbying Brussels for greater flexibility as they navigate the costly shift to electric while facing competition from China and margin-squeezing tariffs.
The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, is scheduled to make an announcement on December 10 on a package to support the automotive sector, including a possible revision of an effective 2035 ban on sales of new combustion engines.
The German car industry source said that date would probably be delayed.
Earlier this week, EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told Handelsblatt the announcement of the package could be delayed until early January.
A letter to Brussels from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz appealing for plug-in hybrids and “highly efficient” combustion engines to be exempt from the cut-off was well received, the EU official told the German business daily.
Reporting by Rachel MoreEditing by Kirsti Knolle and Madeline Chambers
Spain plans wild boar cull to curb population after swine fever outbreak
The outbreak was first detected last week in two wild boars in the Collserola mountain range outside Barcelona
International News via Reuters:
Spain’s Catalonia region has pledged to curb its wild boar population, including by ramping up culls, after African swine was detected in several animals outside Barcelona in the country’s first outbreak since 1994.
That has threatened pork exports from Spain, the European Union’s leading producer of the meat, which accounts for a quarter of the bloc’s output with annual exports worth about 3.5 billion euros ($4.05 billion).
The outbreak was first detected last week in two wild boars in the Collserola mountain range outside Barcelona, and seven more boars in the same area have since been confirmed to have died from the disease.
Spanish officials have said they expect more positive cases.
Although harmless to humans, the virus spreads rapidly among pigs and wild boar. So far, no farms have been affected.
Catalan regional leader Salvador Illa said local authorities had been working for some time to reduce the wild boar population due to its threat to public health, but that the recent outbreak has shown the need to accelerate the effort.
“There are too many wild boars,” Illa told reporters late on Tuesday from Mexico, where he is on an official visit.
“We have activated and intensified this task, contacting all hunting associations and looking at technically acceptable and proven methods to do so.”
BOAR OVERPOPULATION
Farm association COAG said on Wednesday Spain’s wild boar population has grown by 550% in 30 years due to a lack of effective control measures.
There are about 1,000 wild boars in the Collserola mountain range, with 9.2 boars per square km, down from 17.4 in 2021-22 when the population soared following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data compiled by Catalan public TV.
That reduction was achieved in part through culls, along with other measures.
Officials suspect the virus may have spread after a wild boar ate contaminated food, possibly a sandwich brought from outside Spain by a truck driver who may have stopped at a gas station near the outbreak’s area.
“We have the most biosecure farms in Europe … but we are paying the price for a wild boar that ate a sandwich,” COAG official Jaume Bernis said.
The Spanish government has said it has intensified efforts to maintain international buyers’ confidence, working to secure export certificates following the outbreak.
While China and Britain have agreed to continue allowing pork exports from unaffected regions, Spain is still negotiating similar terms with Canada.
Agriculture Minister Luis Planas told reporters on Tuesday he would fight “certificate by certificate, country by country” to get exports resumed.
Reporting by Joan Faus and Emma Pinedo; Editing by Aislinn Laing and Jan Harvey
Bermuda coaches earn FIBA Level I certification
The Bermuda Basketball Association (BBA) Executive Committee has extended congratulations to a group of local coaches who successfully completed and passed the prestigious FIBA WABC Level I Coaching Course.
The rigorous training program saw several Bermudian coaches achieve the internationally recognized certification. The individuals who successfully completed and passed the course are:
Damiso Husband
Tommy Johnson
Vernon Lambe III
Jason Lowe
Joshua Nesbitt
Eric Rowse
Gladstone Simons
The FIBA WABC Level I Coaches Course was facilitated by Coach Nelson Isley, who is recognized as the number one FIBA Instructor across FIBA’s 213 Federations, having conducted coaching programs in over 150 countries.
The course spanned six days and provided comprehensive training designed to significantly enhance the participants’ coaching knowledge, individual team basketball concepts, and practical teaching ability for aspiring FIBA WABC Level I coaches. This certification will be crucial for developing the sport’s talent pool in Bermuda.
ECB’s Lane flags ‘upside surprises’ to euro zone inflation
Inflation in the 20 nations sharing the euro has been hovering around the ECB’s 2% target for most of this year
International News via Reuters:
Euro zone inflation has delivered some “upside surprises” recently, raising some questions about the European Central Bank’s expectations for a dip early next year, the ECB’s chief economist Philip Lane said on Wednesday.
Inflation in the 20 nations sharing the euro has been hovering around the ECB’s 2% target for most of this year, but some measures of price growth came in higher than expected in the last couple of months.
Lane said there was still a risk that inflation – which rose sharply in 2021-22 before falling back to the ECB’s 2% goal – might surpass the central bank’s expectations.
“The inflation risk is not one way, we’ve seen some upside surprises recently,” Lane told an event.
The ECB’s September projections put inflation at 2.1% this year, 1.7% in 2026 and 1.9% in 2027.
NEW PROJECTIONS
Lane is due to present new forecasts, which will cover 2028 for the first time, at the ECB’s next meeting on December 18, when the central bank is expected to keep its policy rate at 2%.
“We did have a clear projection, because of low energy, of inflation falling below target, especially in the opening months of next year,” Lane said. “But in fact some of the data since then have moved in the opposite direction, so those are some of the mitigants.”
Speaking later, ECB President Christine Lagarde said inflation would hover around 2% in the coming months and underlying price growth, which strips out more volatile prices such as food and energy, remained “consistent” with that level.
Headline inflation edged up to 2.2% last month, slightly above expectations, as prices in the services sector accelerated. In October, underlying inflation had also come in slightly higher than expected.
Lane repeated his mantra that the ECB should not “respond to near-term deviations that are solidly expected to be transitory”.
Reporting by Francesco Canepa. Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Mark Potter
Drug seizures have soared, figures show
In 2024, the police seized more than 300,000 grams of illegal substances… up from 55,000 grams the year before
Bermuda’s islandwide response to substance misuse took centre stage last week as the Minister of National Security, the Hon. Michael Weeks, JP, MP, opened the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Bermuda Drug Information Network (BerDIN).
Hosted by the Department for National Drug Control (DNDC) on November 28 at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, this year’s meeting highlighted the importance of reliable local data in informing effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation policies.
Now in its fourteenth year, BerDIN remains the Island’s most comprehensive source of information on drug use trends, treatment demand, and related public health concerns.
With more than fifteen years of data captured in its system, the Network provides decision-makers with a clear picture of Bermuda’s shifting drug landscape and strengthens the country’s ability to respond strategically.
BerDIN has grown into a national initiative recognised both locally and regionally, highlighting Bermuda’s leadership in building a coordinated, data-driven approach to drug control.
In his opening remarks, Minister Weeks stressed the significance of the information shared during this annual forum. He stated: “This meeting is designed to assess the current framework for addressing substance abuse of individuals and to review new programmes that have been implemented over the past few years.
“Consequently, this annual meeting is crucial to offering a platform for essential discussions that will enhance our understanding of the trends related to addiction, prevention, treatment, and successful rehabilitation.”
Highlighting the Island’s growing evidence base, he added: “We can no longer claim that the data is nonexistent, as the BerDIN database now holds over 15 years of drug-related information for Bermuda. BerDIN exemplifies the power of collaboration and what we can achieve together.”
Representatives from across the public health, enforcement, and social support sectors reviewed findings from the latest BerDIN publication and discussed how emerging trends should inform future policy development. These insights help shape priorities for treatment access, mental health support, community prevention efforts, and long-term recovery pathways.
Minister Weeks also emphasised the importance of inter-agency cooperation, noting the network’s evolution since its establishment: “It is an impressive achievement that the fledgling network, founded in 2008, has now evolved into a national initiative, involving approximately 32 data providers – one that is acknowledged both locally and regionally. This Network depends on the readiness to share data, foster transparency, and offer support.”
Minister Weeks expressed appreciation for the DNDC team, recognising its role in maintaining the national drug information system and coordinating the Annual Meeting. He commented: “I want to express my gratitude to the dedicated and enthusiastic team at the DNDC for their hard work in organising and hosting this annual event; for fostering ongoing collaboration; and for spearheading the initiatives that guarantee relevant local data is accessible to guide decision-making at both policy and programme levels.”
The Minister further noted that the BerDIN information system now serves as a model of effective collaboration that could be duplicated across the Government. He emphasised that its structure, transparency, and cross-agency engagement represent the kind of coordinated approach that can strengthen decision-making in other public policy areas.
Key findings here:
Welcome to the 2025 Annual BerDIN Meeting | Government of Bermuda
Sri Lankans sift mud to unearth victims four days after deadly cyclone
Cyclone Ditwah barrelled through the Indian Ocean island nation last week
International News via Reuters:
Villagers in Sri Lanka used spades on Wednesday to clear away mud as they searched for the bodies of relatives and friends days after 13 homes were flattened by a landslide in the dead of night caused by a cyclone that killed 474 people.
Cyclone Ditwah barrelled through the Indian Ocean island nation last week, setting off the landslide in the central region of Mawathura that left only a broken window pane, walls of ruined homes, and a twisted red sari buried in the mud.
“We managed to dig out my uncle, his wife, and his mother-in-law last night,” Neil Jayasinghe, who runs a bakery in a nearby town, told Reuters.
“We just wrapped them in a sheet and buried them nearby. There wasn’t even a coffin.”
HUNDREDS KILLED ACROSS SOUTH, SOUTHEAST ASIA
The cyclone was among deadly storms that recently swept across South and Southeast Asia to devastate large swathes of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, killing hundreds.
More than 350 people are still missing in Sri Lanka after the cyclone, which brought the worst flooding in a decade and affected 1.2 million, the government says.
Shantha Kumara, 49, was shifting bricks by hand, looking for bodies.
“We made it to a temple nearby and returned at dawn, but by that time nothing was left,” he said, describing his escape with his wife and three children when homes around his own crumbled.
SHOPS ENGULFED IN MUD
Clearing slush from his electrical repair shop in the town of Gampola, 71-year-old B.S. Wickramasinghe sifted through mud-caked radios assisted by his son, while sludge covered a pile of television sets nearby.
“When the owners come and ask me for their TVs, I am just going to point to this, because there is no way I can replace them,” he said, estimating his losses at about 7 million rupees ($23,000).
Gampola lies in Kandy, the region hardest hit by the cyclone, with 118 deaths, authorities have said.
Officials and volunteers at its government offices were coordinating efforts to provide cooked food, water, clothes, and other essentials to 8,000 people in 27 regional relief centres.
Regional official Chinthani Herath said authorities would have to decide in the long run whether to shift hamlets to safer areas.
“We will have to look at the location of these villages with the support of other government agencies,” Herath added.
($1=308.6500 Sri Lankan rupees)
Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe; Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Clarence Fernandez
Connor Hupman smashes three age group records
Connor Hupman delivered a sensational performance at the 2025 Winter Age Group (WAG) Championships, establishing three new Bermuda National Age Group records in the 15-16 Boys division at the National Sports Centre Pool.
Hupman surpassed previous long-standing records held by elite Bermudian swimmers, demonstrating remarkable form across multiple strokes.
50m Freestyle: Hupman broke the 24-second barrier, recording a time of 23.67 seconds. This effort significantly lowers the previous record of 24.08, which was set by Jesse Washington at the Schroders Age Group Championships in March 2016.
100m Backstroke: Hupman clocked a time of 57.93 seconds, surpassing the previous mark of 58.11 set by Brandon Adkins at the 2022 BASA Short Course Championships.
50m Backstroke: In the closest record-breaking swim, Hupman finished with a time of 26.82 seconds, narrowly edging out the previous record of 26.84 set by Jack Harvey at the BASA Short Course Championships in March 2020.
In the 50m Backstroke, Jack Harvey also had a record-breaking day in another age division, breaking his own previous record by clocking 24.57 seconds, besting his time of 24.74 from the BASA Winter Age Groups in 2024.
Hupman’s stellar weekend confirms his standing as one of the island’s most promising young talents.
