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Britain announces $1.45 billion budget for offshore wind auction

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Britain announces $1.45 billion budget for offshore wind auction

Documents released on Monday showed the next auction round will have a budget of 900 million pounds for traditional, fixed offshore wind projects

International News via Reuters:

Britain is offering a smaller budget for offshore wind in its next auction round to spur investment in renewable power capacity, government documents showed on Monday, with one analyst saying the country will struggle to meet its clean power targets.

Documents released on Monday showed the next auction round will have a budget of 900 million pounds for traditional, fixed offshore wind projects, down from 1.1 billion pounds last year.

A further 180 million pounds will be for earlier-stage floating wind technology, which did not have a dedicated budget last year and had to compete with other emerging technologies such as tidal and geothermal.

The country is focusing on offshore wind in its plans to decarbonise its electricity sector by 2030, aiming to boost its offshore wind power capacity to 43-50 gigawatts (GW) by the end of the decade from around 15 GW currently.

To help ensure projects are built, it holds annual auctions offering renewable power developers a guaranteed price for their electricity called Contracts for Difference.

“Our competitive new auction process will allow us to buy the right amount of clean power at the right price,” British Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said in a statement.

But the proposed funding will likely leave the country short of meeting its clean power targets, said Pranav Menon,  a senior researcher at Aurora Energy Research.

He said if similar prices to last year are achieved at this year’s auction round, it would likely secure around 4.9 GW of new capacity.

“This would set the Government’s ambitious offshore wind capacity target to achieve CP2030 (clean power 2030) out of sight, as it requires at least 7GW-9GW to be procured, which would require extremely competitive bids that are unlikely to materialise,” he said in an email.

Further funding will be available for other renewable projects such as geothermal and tidal stream technology, but the government has not announced the budget for these.

Last year’s auction had a total budget of 1.5 billion pounds for all technology types including 1.1 billion pounds for fixed offshore wind projects.

($1 = 0.7451 pounds)

Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by Peter Graff and Hugh Lawson

Cameroon’s Biya re-elected at 92, opposition reports gunfire

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Cameroon’s Biya re-elected at 92, opposition reports gunfire

Biya, 92, won 53.66% of the vote, against 35.19% for his former ally, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the Constitutional Council said

International News via Reuters:

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest serving ruler, secured an eighth term in office on Monday, vote results showed, as the main opposition challenger who has also claimed victory reported gunfire near his home.

Biya, 92, won 53.66% of the vote, against 35.19% for his former ally, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the Constitutional Council said. A new seven-year term could keep the veteran leader in power until he is nearly 100.

Opposition protesters have clashed with security forces repeatedly over the past week after partial results suggested Biya was on course to win the October 12 vote.

There was no immediate comment on the result from the government, which has rejected opposition accusations of irregularities.

After the results were announced, Tchiroma wrote on Facebook that two people were killed after shots were fired at civilians outside his home in the northern city of Garoua.

ANTI-RIOT POLICE DEPLOY IN YAOUNDE, STREETS MOSTLY EMPTY

He did not say who had fired the shots or comment directly on the election result. Reuters could not confirm his account independently. Last week he said he had won the election and would not accept any other result.

Sporadic protests erupted in several towns across the country after the result was announced.

In Garoua, angry protesters guarding Tchiroma’s home said they targeted a house sheltering snipers firing at supporters, bursting a water tank.

Streets were largely deserted in the capital Yaounde and most businesses closed, with anti-riot police deployed across the city.

Reuters reporters witnessed clashes between opposition supporters and security forces in Douala, where police fired tear gas as protesters protected their faces with masks or clothing. Tchiroma supporters erected barricades, piled debris on the road and burned tires, darkening the sky.

“We all know that the majority of Cameroon’s people voted for Issa Tchiroma Bakary,” said one protester in Douala. “It is inadmissible that President Paul Biya won in certain war zones.”

The result raised the prospect of more confrontations between opposition supporters and security forces, a day after at least four people died in clashes in Cameroon’s commercial capital Douala.

“We expect unrest to escalate as Cameroonians widely reject the official result, and we cannot see the Biya government lasting much longer,” said Francois Conradie, lead political economist at Oxford Economics.

“Biya now has a notably shaky mandate given many of his own citizens don’t believe he won the election,” Murithi Mutiga, Africa Program Director at the International Crisis Group, told Reuters.

“We call on Biya to urgently initiate a national mediation to prevent further escalation,” Mutiga added.

Biya, 92, took office in 1982 and has held a tight grip on power ever since, doing away with the presidential term limit in 2008 and winning reelection by comfortable margins.

“Hereby declared elected President of the Republic, having obtained the majority of the votes cast, the candidate, Biya, Paul,” Clement Atangana, president of the Constitutional Council, said.

Tchiroma is a former government spokesperson and employment minister in his late 70s who broke ranks with Biya earlier this year.

He mounted a campaign that drew large crowds and endorsements from a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups.

Reporting by Bate Felix and Amindeh Blaise Atabong; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Ayen Deng Bior, Andrew Heavens, William Maclean

Factbox-Automakers pool with EV makers to avoid EU emissions fines

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Factbox-Automakers pool with EV makers to avoid EU emissions fines

Several legacy automakers face potential fines as the transition to EVs in Europe has proved slower than expected in recent years

International News via Reuters:

Automakers have formed alliances to help them avoid hefty European Union fines on carbon emissions by purchasing credits from electric vehicle companies.

Several legacy automakers face potential fines as the transition to EVs in Europe has proved slower than expected in recent years.

Here are details about the regulation and alliances for 2025, as of Monday:

FINES

EU fines – which automakers have said could reach up to 15 billion euros ($17.5 billion) – were initially envisaged on 2025 carbon emission levels. In March, however, the European Commission yielded to pressure from automakers and allowed compliance based on their average emissions over 2025-2027.

SCOPE

All current alliance agreements, identified by the names of their ‘pool managers’, will expire at the end of this year. They are expected to be renewed in coming years.

MAZDA

Japan’s Mazda teamed up in October with Changan Mazda Automobile, its 50/50 joint venture with Chinese automaker Changan. Mazda is also part of a different pool set up at the beginning of this year around Tesla.

NISSAN

Japan’s Nissan earlier in October pooled with Chinese EV giant BYD.

KG MOBILITY

Another pool was formed at the end of September by South Korea’s KG Mobility and Chinese EV maker Xpeng.

TESLA

In January, Tesla formed a pool with Stellantis, Toyota, Ford, Chinese EV maker Leapmotor, Mazda and Subaru. Japan’s Honda and Suzuki joined the pool in March.

MERCEDES

This pool was also formed in January to include Mercedes, Volvo Car, EV maker Polestar and Smart Automobile. Volvo Car and Polestar are both backed by China’s Geely. Geely’s Chairman Li Shufu holds a 9.69% stake in Mercedes, making him the group’s second-largest shareholder after China’s BAIC Group. Smart Automobile is a joint venture between Mercedes and Geely.

EV FORECASTS

EVs made up 12% of total European light vehicle sales last year, according to consultant AlixPartners, and are expected to reach 15% this year. Their market share is forecast to increase to 24% in 2027 and to 40% by the end of the decade, according to AlixPartners.

($1 = 0.8575 euros)

Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari and Alessandro Parodi; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark Potter

Pope Leo to visit eight cities in Turkey, Lebanon on first trip abroad as pontiff

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Pope Leo to visit eight cities in Turkey, Lebanon on first trip abroad as pontiff

Leo, the first U.S. pope, will visit Turkey from November 27 to 30 and then will be in Lebanon from November 30 to December 2

International News via Reuters:

Pope Leo will visit eight towns and cities in Turkey and Lebanon later this year, the Vatican said on Monday, his first trip outside Italy as pontiff, and he is expected to make appeals for peace across the region.

Leo, the first U.S. pope, will visit Turkey from November 27 to 30 and then will be in Lebanon from November 30 to December 2.

Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis had planned to visit both countries but was unable to go because of his worsening health. Francis died on April 21 and Leo was elected as the new pope on May 8 by the world’s cardinals.

A central part of the visit to Turkey will be several joint events with Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s 260 million Orthodox Christians, who is based in Istanbul.

They will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of a major early Church council, which took place in Nicaea, now called Iznik.

“It is profoundly symbolical that Pope Leo … will visit (the patriarch) on his first official journey,” Rev. John Chryssavgis, an adviser to Bartholomew, told Reuters.

Leo will also meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara, visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and will celebrate a Catholic Mass at Istanbul’s Volkswagen Arena.

In Lebanon, the pope will meet President Joseph Aoun in Beirut, will host an inter-religious meeting and will lead an outdoor Mass on the Beirut waterfront.

The pope will also pray at the site of the 2020 chemical explosion at the Beirut port that killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

Travelling abroad has become a major part of the modern papacy, with popes seeking to meet local Catholics, spread the faith, and conduct international diplomacy.

A new pope’s first travels are usually seen as an indication of the issues the pontiff wants to highlight during his reign.

Both Turkey and Lebanon are majority Muslim countries, and Francis put a strong focus on Muslim-Catholic dialogue during a 12-year reign that included 47 trips abroad.

The official motto of Leo’s Lebanon trip is “Blessed are the peacemakers”.

Reporting by Joshua McElweeEditing by Gareth Jones

Bermuda battles the elements to claim archery bronze 

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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Bermuda battles the elements to claim archery bronze 

Neither high winds nor heavy rain could halt the action on Day One of the 7th Caribbean Development Championship 2025. Amidst challenging conditions in Trinidad & Tobago, a determined Bermuda team secured a well-earned Bronze Medal in archery.

The morning saw tough competition in the Individual Recurve Beginner Under 15 Women’s division. Aurora Bowers fell 6-2 to Zoey Vinck (Curaçao), while Sophia Davidge was defeated 6-0 by Trinidad’s Tiana Seecharan in the quarter-finals.

The Bermudian archers put their individual setbacks aside to team up for the Women’s Recurve Under 15 Doubles.

After an initial defeat to the host nation, Trinidad, Bowers and Davidge entered the crucial Bronze Medal Match against Curaçao. In a tense showdown, the Bermudian duo showcased resilience and teamwork, rising above the adverse conditions to claim the victory and clinch the Bronze Medal for Bermuda.

White makes it three-in-a-row in President’s Cup 

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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White makes it three-in-a-row in President’s Cup 

Conor White cemented his cycling dominance by claiming his third consecutive title at the Bermuda Bicycle Association’s 2025 President’s Cup in a dramatic finish on Sunday, October 26th.

The demanding, 100-plus kilometre island-wide route—revised to navigate roadwork—began on Front Street and officially started at BAMZ before routing through North Shore and South Road to the finish at Southlands Park.

The Overall / Open Men’s category was decided by inches, with White crossing the line in a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 6 seconds (2:19:06). Remarkably, Matt Boys and Steven Smith finished in the exact same time, separated only by the finest margin in the exhilarating sprint.

In the Open Women’s race, Panzy Olander put in a superb effort to claim the top spot, finishing in 2:23:58.

The future of the sport was on display as Jackson Langley took the Junior Men’s title in 2:19:09, followed by Ollie Hayward (2:20:46) and Dylan Eisel (2:20:49).

Race Director Deborah Narraway thanked the Bermuda Police Service and an “exceptional team of marshals” for ensuring the safety and successful running of the iconic race across the island.

Opinion: We are witnessing the slow death of hope

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Opinion: We are witnessing the slow death of hope

Somewhere along the way, we lost the essence of who we are as a people

Statement by John Seymour, who ran as the OBA candidate for constituency 16, Pembroke East Central in the February 2025 General Election:

Somewhere along the way, we lost the essence of who we are as a people.

We have traded unity for ego, compassion for convenience, and vision for survival. Bermuda once had a heartbeat — a rhythm that pulsed with pride, community, and shared purpose. Today, that rhythm has weakened, drowned out by noise, distraction, and disconnection.

 We talk about being our brother’s keeper, but how can we be when we can’t even keep ourselves? How can we protect one another when our own souls are fractured? Our minds are weary, our spirits heavy, and our hope worn thin. Too many of us are fighting silent battles — mental, emotional, and financial — while pretending that everything is fine. But the truth is, everything is not.

 We are a people who have lost sight of our moral compass. We chase success but ignore substance. We celebrate personalities but neglect principles. We have become a nation of individuals instead of a community of people.

We scroll instead of speak.

We criticize instead of contribute.

We watch instead of work.

And in doing so, we have lost sight of what made us strong in the first place — each other.

 The absence of vision is killing us slowly. We are drifting without direction, content to react instead of lead, to complain instead of create. We have forgotten that every generation must build upon the last — that our ancestors endured hardship, not for us to simply exist, but to excel. They dreamed of a Bermuda where our young people had purpose, where our elders were respected, and where our neighbourhoods were more than just places — they were families.

 Now we find ourselves surrounded by division, fear, and frustration. The cost of living has risen, but the cost of caring has fallen. Violence has claimed too many young lives, while apathy has numbed too many hearts. We are comfortable watching the destruction from a distance, shaking our heads but doing little to change it. We are drifting further from the soul of our island, and if we are not careful, we will reach a point of no return.

 As the Bible reminds us in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

And that is exactly what we are witnessing — not a physical death alone, but the slow death of hope, identity, and unity. Vision gives life. It gives direction. It gives meaning. Without it, we wander in circles, mistaking movement for progress.

 We need leadership that dares to dream again — leaders who are not driven by popularity but by purpose. But we also need citizens who will no longer sit in silence, waiting for someone else to save us. A nation’s strength does not lie in its government alone. It lies in the character of its people. If we are to rise again, it will not be because of policy alone, but because the people themselves decided that enough is enough — that we will no longer accept mediocrity, corruption, or complacency.

 Before we can rebuild Bermuda, we must first rebuild ourselves.

We must rediscover discipline, empathy, and vision.

We must teach our children that life is about more than money — it is about meaning.

We must remind ourselves that freedom without responsibility leads only to chaos.

 We must love this island enough to tell it the truth, even when the truth is uncomfortable. We cannot keep hiding behind appearances, pretending that our smiles reflect peace when deep down we are hurting. Healing begins when honesty does. And hope begins when we decide that tomorrow must be better than today.

 It is not too late to find our way back. But it starts with honesty — looking in the mirror and admitting that we have fallen short. We cannot outsource integrity. We cannot delegate compassion. And we cannot move forward until we remember who we are and what we stand for.

 The time has come to wake up. To lift our eyes from our screens and our hearts from our fears.

To dream again. To care again. To lead again.

 Because if we continue on this path —divided, distracted, and disillusioned — we won’t just lose our way.

We will lose ourselves.

And once a people lose themselves, even paradise becomes a prison.

But if we find our vision again — if we choose to love one another, to serve one another, to dream together once more — then this small island can once again become something great. Not because of wealth or fame, but because we remembered the truth our ancestors knew so well: we are our brother’s keeper.

 And until we live like it, we will never truly be free.

 John Seymour ran as the candidate for constituency 16, Pembroke East Central in the February 2025 General Election.

BBC Radio News: Monday Noon – 27 October 2025

Jasmine Patterson
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BBC Radio News: Monday Noon – 27 October 2025
Bermuda BroadcastingBBC Radio News: Monday Noon - 27 October 2025
0:00
8:48
  1. BBC Radio News: Monday Noon - 27 October 20258:48
SoundCloud

Swedish sailors sweep Hamilton Harbour gold

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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Swedish sailors sweep Hamilton Harbour gold

It was a day of Scandinavian supremacy as Swedish skippers delivered a clean sweep of the titles at the prestigious match racing events in Hamilton.

Defending champion Johnie Berntsson successfully retained his crown to become the Bermuda Gold Cup Champion. In the highly anticipated best-of-five final against Great Britain’s eight-time world champion, Ian Williams, Berntsson was flawless.

Showcasing mastery of the shifty Hamilton Harbour conditions, Berntsson delivered a clinical 3-0 sweep over Williams, earning him the coveted King Edward VII Trophy once again.

In the women’s event, compatriot Anna Östling secured the Aspen Bermuda Match Racing Regatta title, completing the stunning Swedish double.

Östling faced a determined challenge from Lea Vogelius of Denmark. While Vogelius managed to claim one race, Östling controlled the series with tight manoeuvres and strategic sailing to defeat the Dane 3-1. The victory cements Östling’s reputation among the world’s elite match racers.

The dual victories cap off a spectacular week of sailing and underscore Sweden’s current dominance at the pinnacle of match racing.

Longtails claim silver after Marathon Day; Trott shines

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Longtails claim silver after Marathon Day; Trott shines

The Bermuda Women’s National Netball team concluded a physically gruelling day with a well-earned silver medal at the Battle of the Isles Tournament. The ‘Longtails’ achieved their massive target of boosting world ranking points, despite falling 61-32 to the dominant Canadian side in the final.

The day began with a decisive performance against Guadeloupe. Bermuda needed the win and the goal difference, delivering a crushing 83-6 victory that allowed them to rest key starters for the evening. Jahkenya Trott was the scoring machine, netting 41 goals in the warm-up match, a clinical execution that perfectly set up the final.

In the final, Canada’s defence proved too formidable. Bermuda kept pace early, trailing just 13-9 after the first quarter, with Inshan-Nae Smith and Zakiyah Durham scoring. However, Canada’s defensive pressure restricted Bermuda to only five goals in the second period, building a commanding 32-14 halftime lead.

Bermuda showed resilience, managing to find a better offensive rhythm in the final quarter, scoring 11 goals, but the deficit was too large to overcome. Trott and Durham finished the final with 12 goals each.

The silver medal caps a successful campaign of six wins and only two defeats (both to the champions), confirming the significant progress being made by the National Netball Programme on the international stage.

Bermuda robotics team heads to global event

Qian Dickinson
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Bermuda robotics team heads to global event

The FIRST Global Challenge 2025 is one of the world’s premier international robotics competitions

Bermuda National Robotics Team

The Bermuda National Robotics Team will represent the island on the world stage as they depart on October 27 for Panama to compete in the FIRST Global Challenge 2025 – one of the world’s premier international robotics competitions. This year’s challenge, “Eco Equilibrium,” brings together 194 countries for a fast-paced celebration of innovation, engineering and global collaboration.

Bermuda enters ranked #82 out of 194 nations, an impressive standing that reflects the programme’s rapid progress and growing ambition. The team’s competition robot, nicknamed “Lo-Quat,” was designed and built entirely by Bermudian students to tackle this year’s sustainability-focused tasks – showcasing technical skill, creativity and problem-solving.

“This isn’t just about building robots, it’s about building the next generation of innovators and leaders,” a team spokesperson said. “We want every student in Bermuda to see themselves as capable of competing and excelling in technology.”

Twenty students from public and private schools comprise the full national squad. After months of preparation, training and technical development, five student representatives have been selected as the travel team to compete in Panama, where they’ll join global peers, form alliances, and take on a series of engineering challenges.

Beyond the competition, the Bermuda National Robotics Program is advocating for robotics to be formally recognized as a national sport – creating more pathways for students to compete, innovate and proudly represent the island, while gaining teamwork, critical thinking and real-world STEM skills.

This year’s campaign is supported by sponsors including Connectech Coding, Ark, CG Insurance and Paradise Mobile.

The team departs with pride, passion and purpose – ready to wave the Bermudian flag high at the FIRST Global Challenge 2025.

High-level Chinese officials to visit Brussels to discuss rare earth export curbs, EU’s Costa says

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High-level Chinese officials to visit Brussels to discuss rare earth export curbs, EU’s Costa says

China’s expanded controls of rare earth exports have caused a global shortage, prompting an escalation in global trade tensions, particularly with the United States

International News via Reuters:

European Council President Antonio Costa said on Monday that high-level officials from China were scheduled to visit Brussels in the coming weeks to discuss Beijing’s export curbs on rare earths.

China’s expanded controls of rare earth exports have caused a global shortage, prompting an escalation in global trade tensions, particularly with the United States.     

Beijing controls more than 90% of the world’s supply of rare earth materials, which are essential for high-tech manufacturing, including electric vehicles, semiconductors and missiles.

“We are very concerned about the trade relationship with China, especially the recent measures that China adopted regarding the export control of critical raw materials,” Costa told selected media in an interview on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. 

“A high-level delegation from China is going to Brussels in the coming weeks and we hope to address these in the proper way.” 

Costa said China was also the country best placed to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, adding that Beijing underestimates its leverage over Moscow. 

He also said the European Union would look to finalise trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines soon, following his participation at a meeting of leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Malaysian capital. 

The EU would not send observers to war-torn Myanmar for an election, Costa added, as the European bloc does not recognise the authority of the military-led administration in the Southeast Asian country.   

Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by David Stanway

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