Proposal would require the maintaining of a register of absentee voters
The issue of absentee voting came to the fore in the most recent general election, as the timing may have prevented those studying overseas from participating.
It’s not known how many potential voters may have been left out, but both the PLP and the OBA have promised to address this.
The Opposition has taken the first step by tabling a bill today that would both enable absentee voting, and require the Parliamentary Registrar to maintain a register of absentee voters.
Dwayne Robinson, the OBA’s Shadow Tourism & Transport Minister, tabled the bill. (WATCH above)
National Security Minister says police enforcement powers will be strengthened – and banning tinted visors is once more under consideration
We have to make everyone uncomfortable in order to get to those wreaking havoc in our community.
This from Michael Weeks, National Security Minister, who spoke today about ongoing efforts to strengthen police enforcement powers in the wake of recent gun murders.
It is also hoped that the ten-fold increase to the reward for information – up to $50,000 – will encourage more witnesses to come forward.
…and, as he told Gary Foster Skelton, banning tinted visors may be back on the table. (WATCH above)
The European Union and Japan expressed confidence on Friday that they had secured limits on U.S. tariffs on pharmaceuticals
International News via Reuters:
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a 100% tariff on imports of branded drugs from October 1, unless their producers had already broken ground on U.S. manufacturing plants.
The European Union and Japan expressed confidence on Friday that they had secured limits on U.S. tariffs on pharmaceuticals.
Below are some of the patented medicines from Asian and European drugmakers imported into the U.S. from overseas manufacturing sites in countries including China, Switzerland, Japan, Belgium and France, according to analysts and drugmaker statements.
Lenvima
Japan’s Eisai’s cancer drug Lenvima is manufactured in Japan, J.P.Morgan wrote in a recent note. Its US sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 were 229.6 billion yen ($1.53 billion).
The company’s US manufacturing site in Baltimore, Maryland, is responsible for producing a biodegradable implant used during surgeries, according to its website.
Crystvita
Kyowa Kirin’s X-linked hypophosphataemia drug Crysvita is manufactured in Japan, according to J.P.Morgan.
In North America, the drug generated more than $1.3 billion net sales in its first four years on the market.
It is building a biologics manufacturing facility in Sanford, North Carolina.
Shingrix
GSK’s vaccine Shingrix, used to prevent shingles, contributed 3.36 billion pounds ($4.50 billion) in sales in 2024.
Its ingredients are manufactured in Belgium according to product labelling information provided in the National Institutes of Health platform and the U.S. FDA platform.
Arexvy
Arexvy is a vaccine developed by GSK to protect against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in adults. It contributed 590 million pounds in sales in 2024.
Its ingredients are made in Belgium and France according to product labelling information, given in NIH and U.S. FDA websites.
Ozempic
Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug, Ozempic, contributed 120.34 billion DKK ($18.85 billion) in sales in 2024. It is manufactured in Denmark, according to the product labelling information given in NIH.
In April, Novo Nordisk said it will invest 6.4 billion reais ($1.20 billion) in Brazil to boost production. The factory will cater to various product formats, including GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.
Wegovy
Novo Nordisk’s weightloss drug, Wegovy, contributed 58.21 billion DKK in sales in 2024. It is manufactured in Denmark, according to the product labelling information given in NIH.
Kymriah
Swiss drugmaker Novartis’ cell therapy Kymriah is manufactured at its Stein site in Switzerland and at its U.S. facility in Morris Plains, New Jersey, which produces CAR-T therapies for individual patients and clinical trials, according to the company’s website.
Its global sales for the first half of 2025 were $199 million.
Entresto
Novartis’ heart-failure medicine Entresto is produced at Novartis manufacturing sites globally, with key stages of production taking place in Switzerland.
Its global sales for the first half of 2025 were $4.62 billion.
Novartis announced a $23 billion investment in April to build and expand 10 facilities in the U.S., including six new manufacturing plants and a research hub in San Diego.
Comirnaty
Germany’s BioNTech and Pfizer co-developed COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty. It is manufactured at BioNTech sites in Mainz and Marburg, Germany, and at Pfizer’s facility in Puurs, Belgium, according to the company.
BioNTech is the Marketing Authorization Holder for COMIRNATY and its adapted vaccines in the US, the EU, the UK and other countries.
(Sources: NIH, FDA, company websites, company press releases, analyst notes)
Botswana’s budget has been constrained this year due to a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market
International News via Reuters:
Botswana President Duma Boko said on Friday his country will establish a citizenship-by-investment program, as the southern African country looks to diversify its economy away from its largest export, diamonds.
Botswana’s budget has been constrained this year due to a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market. It is the world’s leading producer of diamonds by value.
“This program will enable us to continue to secure the long-term financial future of Botswana,” Boko said in a statement.
The new program will raise funds to address priority needs including the housing market as well as the country’s tourism industry, renewable energy, mining and financial services sectors, according to the statement. The investment amount required for citizenship has yet to be established.
Botswana’s economy contracted 3% last year, and the government forecasts another contraction in 2025 because of the diamond downturn.
Boko declared a public health emergency in August after the nation’s medical supply chain failed. In September, the southern African country set up a new sovereign wealth fund to drive economic diversification, create jobs and manage state companies.
Botswana has retained investment migration consultancy, Arton Capital, under a memorandum of understanding to establish the citizenship program.
Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Howard Goller
The government is considering financial support for the luxury carmaker, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, after the cyberattack halted production at the start of this month
International News via Reuters:
Jaguar Land Rover’s production shutdown after a cyberattack is hitting businesses in Britain’s West Midlands region, a survey showed on Friday, with firms already making redundancies or cutting staff hours in response.
The government is considering financial support for the luxury carmaker, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, after the cyberattack halted production at the start of this month. It has extended the shutdown until October.
JLR has three factories that together produce about 1,000 cars per day, and sustain many jobs in the area around Birmingham, Britain’s second biggest city. Some small suppliers have told a parliamentary committee that they had one week left at most before they ran out of cash.
A survey of 84 businesses representing nearly 30,000 employees, conducted by the Black Country, Greater Birmingham and Coventry and Warwickshire Chambers of Commerce, found over three-quarters had been negatively impacted by the cyberattack.
It found 45% had reported significant financial impacts including loss of revenue or higher costs, 35% had asked staff to work reduced hours and 14% were making redundancies.
The survey said 79% of participating firms were in JLR’s supply chain, and while 18% were not but still experienced knock-on effects.
“The Black Country’s automotive supply chain employs 13,000 people so the ripple effects of this cyber-attack are being felt right across our business community,” said Sarah Moorhouse, chief executive of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce.
“This isn’t just about JLR – it’s about the suppliers, manufacturers and service providers that make the West Midlands the powerhouse of UK automotive production.”
Moorhouse said that over half of the businesses wanted to see a financial support package.
Reporting by Alistair Smout and Kate Holton, editing by Paul Sandle
Government work and classes in many parts of the country, including in Metro Manila, were suspended ahead of Tropical Storm Bualoi
International News via Reuters:
The death toll from a tropical storm that swept across the central Philippines and southern Luzon has risen to 10, disaster officials said on Friday, as the country’s north continued to recover from the impact of a super typhoon.
Government work and classes in many parts of the country, including in Metro Manila, were suspended ahead of Tropical Storm Bualoi. It struck just a few days after Super Typhoon Ragasa left a trail of damage in the northern Philippines, killing 14 people before wreaking havoc in Taiwan, where at least 15 people died.
The latest storm made landfall in Eastern Samar, in the central Philippines, before crossing into Masbate and sweeping through the Bicol region in the southern part of the country’s biggest island Luzon.
Disaster officials said three of the fatalities were in Masbate province. One was hit by a falling tree, another drowned, while the third was killed when a wall collapsed.
Seven others died in the central Philippines following flash floods and storm surges triggered by the storm, the Office of the Civil Defence said.
Masbate Governor Antonio Kho, in a media briefing, appealed for immediate assistance from the central government, citing the urgent need to clear debris, restore power and reopen ports to allow the delivery of aid.
In other parts of southern Luzon, local officials reported heavy rain and wind, power outages and damage to crops and infrastructure.
Ahead of Bualoi, named Opong locally, hundreds of thousands of people were preemptively evacuated, including Manila resident JC Borromeo, who was staying in an evacuation centre with his three children.
“We live just by the corner of the river and it would be difficult when the water rises,” he said while carrying his baby.
Bualoi, packing maximum wind speeds of 110 kph (68 mph) and gusts rising to 135 kph, is forecast to intensify into a typhoon again as it moves towards Vietnam.
The Vietnamese government said the fast-moving storm would hit the country’s northern and central coast on Monday, triggering torrential rain from September 28 to September 30.
“Heavy rains could cause serious flooding in low-lying areas, as well as urban and industrial areas,” the national weather agency said in a statement on Friday.
Rainfall in several parts could reach 150 millimetres (6 inches) within the next 24 hours, according to the agency.
Reporting by Karen Lema and Adrian Portugal in Manila; Additional reporting by Khanh Vu in Vietnam; Editing by David Stanway and Alex Richardson
The Bermuda Post Office (BPO) advises the public that mail delivery services to Canada have been suspended due to a national strike by Canada Post.
Effective immediately, the BPO will not accept or transport mail destined for Canada until further notice.
The Bermuda Post Office will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as they become available. Once Canada Post resumes operations, the BPO will promptly advise the public and reinstate regular service to Canada.
The Bermuda Post Office thanks the public for their understanding and cooperation during this temporary disruption.
Fifty thousand dollars is being offered for information leading to an arrest and charge
Crime Stoppers Bermuda is urging members of the public to come forward with information that could help solve violent crimes, reminding residents that silence only allows offenders to go free. With murder cases on the rise, the organization emphasizes that all reports can be made anonymously by calling 800-8477 or visiting crimestoppers.bm.
A new “Lethal Weapons Murder” poster has been released to draw attention to unsolved cases, and a reward of up to fifty thousand dollars is being offered for information leading to an arrest and charge. Crime Stoppers extends thanks to the Ministry of National Security and private donors for their continued support.
The next phase of the app will involve onboard payment flexibility
The launch of real-time passenger information on the Shorelink app was hailed a success in the House of Assembly today.
The feature, which allows users to track busses and ferries, went live early August, and according to Transport Minister, Owen Darrell, it delivers on Government’s commitment to make public transport more reliable and convenient.
Now in its second phase, Minister Darrell said the app has garnered ‘overwhelmingly positive’ public feedback.
You can read Minister Darrell’s full statement below.
The Bermuda Softball League Fall League season continues to serve up extraordinary offensive spectacles, but this week, the BGA Hammers stole the show with a crushing, record-setting performance at the Michael Preece Softball Diamond.
The Hammers delivered a relentless display of power hitting, overwhelming the BMA Enforcers with a stunning 30-2 victory. The offensive torrent was led by Zeko Burgess, who had a perfect night at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a home run and driving in a phenomenal seven RBIs. The sheer dominance of the BGA Hammers’ line-up was unprecedented on the night.
The high-scoring trend continued across the schedule:
Moongate Brewers were equally dominant, cruising to a 17-2 victory over the King Beachers, powered by Jaylynn Hines’ home run and five RBIs.
ASRE Performance shut down Hakuna Matata 19-1, with Jorge Lopez contributing four RBIs.
Plantano Power defeated the Paraquet Flyers 17-9, thanks to a perfect 5 for 5 night from Henry Llanes, which included a home run.
The One Hit Wonders secured the only shutout of the evening, defeating the Rainbows 12-0, with Nathan Samuels hitting a home run and driving in three runs.
The night solidified the reputations of the Hammers, Brewers, and ASRE as the league’s most feared offensive units.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
