Pizza Hut UK to close 68 restaurants, 1,210 jobs to go
Pizza Hut’s administration comes as Britain’s hospitality industry faces mounting cost pressures
International News via Reuters:
Pizza Hut UK will shut 68 restaurants and 11 delivery sites, resulting in the loss of 1,210 jobs, after the company behind its British venues entered administration, according to administrator FTI Consulting.
FTI was announced on Monday as administrator of DC London Pie Limited, the operator of Pizza Hut’s UK restaurants.
However, in a so-called pre-pack administration Pizza Hut’s global owner Yum! Brands, the U.S. hospitality giant, agreed to save 64 UK restaurants, preserving 1,276 jobs.
“This targeted acquisition aims to safeguard our guest experience and protect jobs where possible,” Nicolas Burquier, Yum! Brands’ managing director international operating markets, said.
“Our immediate priority is operational continuity at the acquired locations and supporting colleagues through the transition.”
Pizza Hut’s administration comes as Britain’s hospitality industry faces mounting cost pressures, including higher staff wages and employee social security contributions, while cash-strapped UK consumers are cutting back on dining out.
Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Jan Harvey
Explosive materials to be destroyed at quarry
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment wish to advise the public that controlled disposal operations will take place at the Government Quarry on Tuesday, October 21st, and Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
These operations form part of a demonstration of a safe, environmentally approved method for disposing of old explosive materials. The activity is being conducted under the direction and oversight of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
This is a low-risk process carried out by trained professionals in accordance with internationally recognised safety standards. The disposal method uses small, controlled burns to safely destroy expired material alongside controlled destruction of detonators.
Like a small firework or controlled burn, any noise or smoke produced during the operation will be minimal, short-lived, and contained entirely within the quarry site. These operations are unlikely to be heard outside the quarry boundaries, and no disruption to nearby residents or businesses is expected.
Public safety remains the highest priority. The disposal process has been carefully reviewed and approved to ensure that it presents no risk to the surrounding community or environment.
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment thanks the public for their understanding and cooperation as these essential safety operations are carried out.
For further information, please contact Mr. Andrew Day, Fleet and Operations Engineer, at 501-3097.
‘Working together leads to positive outcomes’
Opposition Leader Robert King expresses joy over missing teen being found alive & well
One Bermuda Alliance press release on behalf of Robert King, party leader:
It is with heartfelt thanks to all involved, families, relatives, the police and the community, for locating and bringing Ja’Dore safely home.
When we all work together, we can ensure a positive end to challenging circumstances. Ja’Dore and her family have experienced a very difficult, traumatic time and I would ask the community to respect her and the family’s privacy. Trust in the helping agencies and government departments to provide the appropriate services in a timely manner to allow for healing.
We must also discourage persons from obstructing justice by harboring young persons. There are penalties outlined in law that allow for the prosecution of offenders, and we must deter such actions in future. The search for Ja’Dore used considerable police and community resources that could have been diverted to solve murders and other serious crimes.
Again, I am truly thankful for Ja’Dore’s safe return and I am hopeful that we will all learn from this experience. We must ensure the safety and well being of our youth and proactively provide the support and knowledge that there are resources available to them whenever they are in need.
Bermudian team in London to tackle financial crime
Meetings focused on money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes
A Bermudian delegation was in London this month for a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthening Bermuda’s financial crime compliance and information-sharing with the United Kingdom.
The group included representatives from the Ministry of Justice’s Financial Sanctions Implementation Unit (FSIU), the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) and the Customs Department.
The visit, which ran from 6 to 10 October, included meetings with the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) at HM Treasury, the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) and the National Crime Agency (NCA), including its UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) and Combatting Kleptocracy Cell. This visit is part of Bermuda’s ongoing preparations for the upcoming 5th Round of the mutual evaluation of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).
The FSIU, which falls under the Ministry of Justice, plays a key role in implementing financial sanctions in Bermuda and ensuring alignment with global regimes. The FIA, an independent agency, is responsible for receiving, analysing and disseminating financial intelligence to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes. Both agencies are integral members of the National Anti-Money Laundering Committee (NAMLC), which coordinates Bermuda’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework.
Strengthening FSIU and FIA capacity was highlighted in this year’s Budget and last week’s meetings represent tangible progress on those commitments. These engagements are intended to deepen operational partnerships and safeguard Bermuda’s financial integrity in line with international standards.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP, said the visit reinforces Bermuda’s long-standing commitment to maintaining its reputation as a trusted and well-regulated financial jurisdiction.
Senator Wilkerson stated: “Bermuda has a well-earned reputation for upholding the highest international financial transparency and compliance standards. This visit demonstrates that we are not just making commitments, we are taking concrete steps to deliver on them. Strengthening the FSIU and supporting the work of the FIA are key components of ensuring Bermuda remains a trusted partner globally.
“The upcoming 5th Round CFATF evaluation is a critical milestone. Bermuda is reinforcing its capacity to detect, disrupt and respond to illicit financial activity while protecting the integrity of our jurisdiction in close cooperation with UK authorities such as OFSI, OTSI and the NCA. This effort aligns squarely with promises made in the Budget to invest in our financial oversight framework. It also supports the broader goal of sustaining Bermuda’s position as a reputable international financial centre.”
Senator Wilkerson also noted the importance of collaboration among Bermuda’s agencies to ensure a unified national response to emerging global financial crime threats.
BELCO looking for bright sparks
Apprenticeship programme announced
Hamilton, Bermuda (October 20 2025) – Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (‘BELCO’ or the ‘Company’) today announced the launch of its Apprenticeship Programme.
The four-year Apprenticeship Programme offers successful applicants the opportunity to train as lineworkers in a structured way towards a successful and rewarding career. The programme blends technical training and academic study with work-based learning to kick-start careers in Bermuda’s evolving energy industry, with apprentices earning as they learn.
Applications will be accepted between today and Sunday, November 2, 2025, with the programme commencing in January 2026. Applicants must be 18 years or older. Full eligibility requirements and details are available at www.belco.bm.
Upon completion of the programme, successful candidates will be evaluated for progression to graded positions and placed in designated areas of the business, providing long-term career opportunities. Many of the Company’s skilled workforce are past apprentices who graduated from the programme and are now employed full-time at the Company.
BELCO Director of Human Resources & Culture LaKeitha Cunningham said: “At BELCO, we strongly believe in investing in our future. Our Apprenticeship Programme has been empowering young Bermudians for decades with the opportunity for hands-on training and to earn while they learn. Our apprentices enjoy a lifelong career while serving the people of Bermuda. I would encourage anyone looking for an engaging, challenging and exciting career to apply for the programme and join our team who are building a sustainable energy future for Bermuda.”
For more information about the Apprenticeship Programme and to apply, visit www.belco.bm.
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About BELCO
Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (BELCO) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Group Limited. Liberty Group Limited is a Bermuda-based provider of energy and energy-related services, owned by Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., also parent company of Liberty Power and Liberty Utilities (Liberty). BELCO was established in 1904 as Bermuda’s sole supplier of electricity and currently operates generating plant and transmission and distribution systems to service 36,000 metered connections. For further information about BELCO visit www.belco.bm
China criticises UK for delaying ruling on new embassy
China’s plans to build its biggest embassy in Europe near the Tower of London have stalled for the past three years because of opposition from local residents
International News via Reuters:
China accused Britain on Monday of lacking “credibility and ethics” after the UK government postponed a decision on whether to approve Beijing’s plan to build a new embassy in London.
China’s plans to build its biggest embassy in Europe near the Tower of London have stalled for the past three years because of opposition from local residents, lawmakers and Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners in Britain.
Last week, Britain again delayed a decision on whether to approve the plan, days after ministers faced pressure over the collapse of a trial of two men accused of spying for Beijing.
The Chinese embassy in London on Monday expressed “strong concern and opposition” to the latest postponement, which pushes a final decision on the project back to December 10.
“The UK has shown a total lack of the spirit of contract, credibility and ethics,” the embassy said in a statement. “It has repeatedly put off the approval …citing various excuses and linked the project with other issues, constantly complicating and politicising the matter.”
The British government cited delays in receiving input from different government departments as the reason for the move.
Some British media have reported that the government had given assurances to China over the approval of the embassy, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said: “No such assurance could have been given, as this decision is subject to a quasi-judicial process, independent from the rest of government.”
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti and Alistair Smout; Writing by Catarina Demony; Editing by Ros Russell
Amazon’s AWS struggles to recover after major outage disrupts apps, services worldwide
The turmoil marked the largest internet disruption since last year’s CrowdStrike malfunction hobbled technology systems in hospitals
International News via Reuters:
Amazon’s cloud services unit AWS was struggling to recover on Monday from a widespread outage that knocked out thousands of websites along with some of the world’s most popular apps – Snapchat and Reddit – and disrupted businesses globally.
The turmoil marked the largest internet disruption since last year’s CrowdStrike malfunction hobbled technology systems in hospitals, banks and airports, and highlights the vulnerability of the world’s interconnected technologies.
After more than six hours of disruptions, some applications were gradually coming back online as of 10:00 a.m. ET (1400 GMT). But AWS acknowledged it was still experiencing elevated errors.
“We can confirm significant API errors and connectivity issues across multiple services … We are investigating,” AWS said in the latest update on its status page.
To aid the recovery, AWS said it was putting in place limits on the number of requests that can be made on its platform.
While some apps like Reddit and Roblox had largely stabilised, according to outage tracking website Downdetector, others, including Snapchat and Duolingo, were showing a resurgence in issues seen earlier in the day.
ISSUE ORIGINATED FROM AWS SITE KNOWN FOR PREVIOUS OUTAGES
AWS provides on-demand computing power, data storage and other digital services to companies, governments and individuals. Disruptions to its servers can cause outages across websites and platforms that rely on its cloud infrastructure.
AWS is the largest cloud provider in the world, followed by Microsoft’s Azure and Alphabet’s Google Cloud.
AWS said on its status page that Monday’s outage originated at its US-EAST-1 location in northern Virginia, its oldest and largest for web services. The site suffered previous outages in 2021 and 2020.
Asked for comment, AWS directed Reuters to its status page. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.
Junade Ali, a software engineer, cyber expert and Fellow at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, said the issue appeared to be with one of the networking systems AWS uses to control a database product.
“As this issue can usually be resolved centrally … unless there are further issues identified, the issue should be able to be mitigated over the coming hours,” he said.
HOURS LATER, A ROCKY RECOVERY
Ookla, which owns Downdetector, said over 4 million users reported issues due to the incident.
Snapchat, for instance, last had over 7,700 reports on Downdetector, up from about 4,000 reports earlier, but still lower than the peak of more than 22,000.
AI startup Perplexity, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and trading app Robinhood all experienced platform disruptions and attributed them to AWS.
Amazon’s own services, including its shopping website, Prime Video and Alexa, were also hit, although Downdetector last showed a decrease in severity.
Fortnite, owned by Epic Games, along with Clash Royale and Clash of Clans were among the gaming platforms affected. Uber rival Lyft was also knocked down in the United States.
In a post on X, Signal’s President Meredith Whittaker confirmed the messaging app was hit by the outage as well, though billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X, said his platform continued to work.
OUTAGE EXPOSES RISK OF DEPENDENCE ON HANDFUL OF PROVIDERS
In Britain, Lloyd Bank, Bank of Scotland and telecom service providers Vodafone and BT were also facing issues, according to Downdetector’s UK website, as was UK tax, payments and customs authority HMRC’s website.
The problem highlights how interconnected everyday digital services have become and how reliant they now are on a small number of global cloud providers, with one glitch causing havoc with business and day-to-day life, experts and academics said.
“The main reason for this issue is that all these big companies have relied on just one service,” said Nishanth Sastry, Director of Research at the University of Surrey’s Department of Computer Science.
While there has been no indication yet of a potential cyberattack behind Monday’s outage, the scale of the disruption has fed speculation.
“When anything like this happens, the concern that it’s a cyber incident is understandable,” said Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm Sophos.
“AWS has a far-reaching and intricate footprint, so any issue can cause a major upset.”
Reporting by Shubham Kalia, Devika Nair, Ananya Palyekar and Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by James Pearson and Jaspreet Singh; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Joe Bavier
Course change fails to slow Arnold at Big Sugar Gravel
Bermudian cyclist Gabriella Arnold quickly adjusted to an unexpected challenge at the Life Time Big Sugar Gravel race in Arkansas, securing a solid finish despite a major course alteration.
Organisers cut the race from 100 miles to a 50-mile sprint for all elite riders due to severe storms and safety concerns. This forced Arnold, fresh from winning two medals at the Caribbean Elite Cycling Championships, to shift from an endurance strategy to a fast, explosive effort.
Competing in the Elite Women’s race, Arnold finished 47th overall, navigating the grueling conditions with a time of 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 26 seconds (3:15:26).
The race was won decisively by Life Time Grand Prix leader Sofia Gomez Villafane in 2:36:23.
Arnold’s top-50 finish rounds out a successful two weeks of international racing, proving her adaptability across both road and gravel disciplines.
Archer Aviation strikes Korean Air deal for eVTOL air taxis
The deal underscores an intensifying race among electric vertical take-off and landing developers to win regulatory approvals
International News via Reuters:
Archer Aviation on Monday said it signed a partnership with Korean Air to commercialize its electric air taxis in South Korea, with a potential purchase of up to 100 aircraft.
The deal underscores an intensifying race among electric vertical take-off and landing developers to win regulatory approvals, lock in airline partners and move from prototypes to paid service.
Shares of the Santa Clara, California-based company rose 6% in early U.S. trading.
Startups and aerospace incumbents alike are pitching short urban hops and airport transfers as faster, lower-emission alternatives to congested ground transport, even as the sector contends with certification hurdles, infrastructure build-out and uncertain timelines to profitability.
Archer said the agreement targets deployment of its Midnight eVTOL “across multiple applications and use cases, starting with government applications.”
The aircraft is designed for 10–20 minute flights and last month completed a series of performance test flights, with two of its highest-altitude flights to date.
Backed by Boeing and Stellantis, Archer is producing six aircraft at two U.S. plants and counts United Airlines and the owner of India’s IndiGo among its customers.
Archer, which is yet to turn a profit, expects an adjusted EBITDA loss of $110 million to $130 million in the third quarter, wider than last year’s $93 million loss.
Last week, Archer said it won a bid to acquire rival Lilium’s portfolio of about 300 advanced air mobility patent assets for 18 million euros ($21 million), expanding its own portfolio to over 1,000 patent assets.
($1 = 0.8575 euros)
Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid
Frith duo clinch Marsha L Trophy title in photo finish
The Marsha L Trophy Comet Class Regatta in St. George’s Harbour delivered a thrilling finish, with the father-and-daughter team of Allan and Laila Frith crowned champions after a tie-breaker decision.
Six boats competed across four races, with the final standings calculated after each team was allowed to drop their worst result.
The Friths secured the victory with a net score of five points. Their consistent sailing saw them claim two race wins and two third-place finishes, which proved just enough to take the title.
Finishing a close second, also on five points, were Dale Brangman and his crew Siyon Paynter. Their remarkable consistency showed with one race win and three second-place finishes. However, on the tie-breaker criteria (which favours the most wins/best cumulative score before the drop), the Friths secured the trophy.
Gladwin Lambert and crew Gregory Proctor rounded out the podium in third place, finishing with six points after recording a win, a second, a third, and a fourth.
The final results underscore the highly competitive nature of the traditional Comet Class racing on the island.
Indonesian students stage protest as Prabowo marks a year in office
About 300 students clad in yellow and blue jackets gathered near the presidential palace while Prabowo’s cabinet met
International News via Reuters:
Indonesian students protested in Jakarta on Monday as President Prabowo Subianto completed a year in office, two months after violent demonstrations nationwide, with one expert faulting the government on grounds of openness and public participation.
About 300 students clad in yellow and blue jackets gathered near the presidential palace while Prabowo’s cabinet met, far fewer than the numbers in August’s student-led protests against government policies and lawmaker perks that spread countrywide.
“Free meals programme equals poison,” read a banner carried by students demanding an end to Prabowo’s flagship school meals campaign for millions of students and pregnant women, but which instead gave thousands of students food poisoning.
“There are still problems that have not been tackled, although the process has started,” said Maulana Sai, a 25-year-old student of Jayabaya University, who called for reforms to government policies, including the meals programme.
The August protests snowballed after a police vehicle hit and killed a delivery driver, driving up the death toll to present Prabowo with his biggest challenge since his landslide election last year.
A coalition of student groups popularly called BEM SI published a poster of Monday’s protest on Instagram, accompanied by hashtags #1YearIsEnough and #1YearOfContinuousProblems.
Prabowo’s first year was marred by a lack of public participation in his policies, said Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a politics researcher at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency.
“Generally, Prabowo’s government experienced some turbulence in the first year, especially with regards to a lack of openness and participation,” he said, citing the meals programme.
PLANS TO IMPROVE EDUCATION, MEDICAL CARE
In a wide-ranging speech to his cabinet, Prabowo defended the free meals programme on Monday, while pledging better education and medical care.
To fund his programmes, which also include free health check-ups and schools for poorer Indonesians, Prabowo has cut government spending or diverted money from other areas, such as education.
The former special forces commander has expanded the role of the military, putting soldiers to work on the meals programme and agriculture projects.
Prabowo has promised to lift economic growth to 8% during a five-year term that runs until 2029. He has launched multiple stimulus packages to spark activity.
Reporting by Heru Asprihanto, Stefanno Sulaiman and Stanley Widianto; Editing by John Mair and Clarence Fernandez
