The plan is to offer some 15,000 new homes per year, cutting construction times by up to 60%
Construction cranes are seen at a new housing development in the outskirts of Madrid, Spain, February 29, 2016. REUTERS/Susana Vera
International news via Reuters:
Spain will spend around 1.3 billion euros ($1.48 billion) of EU funds over the next 10 years on industrial projects to build badly-needed social housing amid soaring property prices and rents, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday.
The plan is to offer some 15,000 new homes per year, cutting construction times by up to 60%, and ultimately reducing an estimated shortage of 600,000 homes, Sanchez said.
Only 5% of the homes in Spain are built using industrial methods, where a large part of a building is produced at factories and then assembled at construction sites, whereas in Germany at least 20% are built that way.
The measure is part of a wider plan to increase the supply of affordable housing. The shortages have triggered waves of protests across Spanish cities as rents double and house prices rose by 44% since 2020, according to Idealista property website.
The Socialist government is also promoting rent controls in the largest cities and trying to limit short-term rentals to tourists and foreigners, while encouraging the construction of more social housing, which accounts for just 3% of all available houses, well below the European average of 9%.
Sanchez told a business event in Madrid that the eastern area of Valencia, which last October was hit by the deadliest flash floods in Spain’s modern history, would be the first hub for industrial construction projects, without specifying how many houses would be built there.
($1 = 0.8781 euros)
Reporting by Corina Pons, editing by Andrei Khalip and Tomasz Janowski
New Delhi says attack had cross-border elements, downgraded ties with Pakistan
A family member of Niraj Udhwani, who was killed in a suspected militant attack near Pahalgam in south Kashmir, cries during the wreath laying ceremony before the funeral, at their residence in Jaipur, India, April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
International news via Reuters:
Pakistan closed its air space for Indian airlines and rejected New Delhi’s suspension of a critical water sharing treaty on Thursday in retaliation for India’s response to a deadly Islamist militant attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir.
The tit-for-tat announcements took relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours, who have fought three wars, to the lowest level in years.
The latest diplomatic crisis was triggered by the killing of 26 men at a popular tourist destination in Indian Kashmir on Tuesday, in the worst attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings.
New Delhi said there were cross-border elements to the attack and downgraded ties with Pakistan on Wednesday, suspending a 1960 treaty on sharing waters of the Indus River and closing the only land crossing between the neighbours.
Indian police published notices naming three suspects and saying two were Pakistanis, but New Delhi has not offered any proof of the links, or shared any more details.
Members of Indian security personnel patrol on a highway leading to South Kashmir’s Pahalgam, following a suspected militant attack, in Marhama village, in Kashmir, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
On Thursday, Pakistan said it was closing its air space to Indian-owned or operated airlines, suspending all trade including through third countries and halting special South Asian visas issued to Indian nationals.
Islamabad will also exercise the right to hold all bilateral accords with India, including the 1972 Simla Agreement, in abeyance until New Delhi desists from “fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan”, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s office said in a statement.
The Simla Agreement was signed after the third war between the two countries and lays down principles meant to govern bilateral relations, including respect for a ceasefire line in Kashmir.
There was no immediate response from New Delhi to Pakistan’s announcement.
Pakistan’s dollar-denominated government bonds dropped more than 4 cents on Thursday as the tensions escalated.
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been at the heart of the animosity between India and Pakistan, with both claiming it in full and ruling it in part. It has been the cause of two of their three wars and also witnessed a bloody insurgency against Indian rule.
Islamabad also said it “vehemently rejects” India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and said that any attempt to stop or divert water belonging to Pakistan would be considered an “act of war and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of national power”.
The water treaty, mediated by the World Bank, split the Indus River and its tributaries between the neighbours and regulated the sharing of water. It had so far withstood even wars between the neighbours.
Pakistan is heavily dependent on water flowing downstream from this river system from India for its hydropower and irrigation needs. Suspending the treaty would allow India to deny Pakistan its share of the waters.
An Indian security force personnel walks amid toppled chairs and tables at the site of a suspected militant attack on tourists in Baisaran near Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
MODI PLEDGES TO PUNISH ATTACKERS
Pakistan’s response came hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to pursue, track and punish the militants who separated the men among the tourists in Kashmir’s Pahalgam area and shot them dead.
It also came after the Indian foreign ministry announced the suspension of all visa services to Pakistanis and revoked visas that have already been issued.
Ahead of his public speech at an event in the eastern state of Bihar, Modi folded his hands in prayer in remembrance of the men killed in Kashmir, exhorting thousands gathered at the venue to do the same.
“We will pursue them to the ends of the earth,” Modi said, without referring to the attackers’ identities or naming Pakistan.
“They have made the mistake of attacking the soul of India. I want to say clearly, that those who have planned and carried out this attack will be punished beyond their imagination,” Modi said to cheers from the crowd.
Modi has called an all-party meeting with opposition parties later on Thursday to brief them on the government’s response to the attack.
Grandmother of Vinay Narwal, a Navy officer, who was killed in a suspected militant attack near Pahalgam in south Kashmir, is consoled before his ‘last rites’ in Karnal in the northern state of Haryana, India, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra
In New Delhi, dozens of protesters gathered outside the Pakistani embassy in the diplomatic enclave, shouting slogans and pushing against police barricades.
A film that starred Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the lead with Bollywood actor Vaani Kapoor will now not be released in India, local media reported, citing federal information ministry sources.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were weak even before the latest measures were announced as Pakistan had expelled India’s envoy and not posted its own ambassador in New Delhi after India revoked the semi-autonomous status of Kashmir in 2019.
Tuesday’s attack is seen as a setback to what Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have projected as a major achievement in revoking the special status Jammu and Kashmir state enjoyed and bringing peace and development to the long-troubled Muslim-majority region.
Family members of Sanjay Lele, who was killed in a suspected militant attack near Pahalgam, mourn his death before his funeral in Dombivli, Thane district of Maharashtra, India, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
India has often accused Islamic Pakistan of involvement in the insurgency in Kashmir, but Islamabad says it only offers diplomatic and moral support to a demand for self-determination.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Kashmir since the uprising began in 1989, but it has tapered off in recent years and tourism has surged in the region.
Reporting by Asif Shahzad and Ariba Shahid in Islamabad, Fayaz Bukhari and Shivam Patel in Srinagar; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and YP Rajesh; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Sharon Singleton
Britain is heavily exposed to fossil fuel price shocks and has high industrial energy costs
FILE PHOTO: Waves break in front of the Teesside Wind Farm in Redcar, Britain, November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Britain urged closer international cooperation to improve energy security, telling other nations and business leaders on Thursday they would otherwise be vulnerable to those who were willing to weaponise supplies.
Security of energy supply shot up the agenda of countries around the world after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to global price spikes and made the EU seek to curb its reliance on Russian fuels.
“There can be no national or international security without energy security.. as long as energy can be weaponised against us our countries and our citizens are vulnerable and exposed,” Britain’s energy minister Ed Miliband said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, together with 55 governments and around 50 energy industry leaders are attending a two-day energy security meeting in London organised by the UK Government and International Energy Agency.
“Recent events have shown us we cannot take energy security for granted,” International Energy Agency Executive Director Faith Birol told the conference.
In a statement read out by Miliband, Britain’s King Charles said events had shown the transition to more sustainable energy sources can lead to more resilient energy systems.
As the European Commission, the EU executive, continues its efforts to phase out Russian oil and gas imports by 2027, it is expected to announce a more detailed phase-out strategy early next month.
Britain is heavily exposed to fossil fuel price shocks and has some of the highest industrial energy costs, which ministers see as a major barrier to economic growth.
To counter that, the Labour government elected last July plans to largely decarbonise the country’s electricity sector by 2030 and wants to increase renewable power, particularly offshore wind capacity.
Prior to the meeting Britain pledged to invest 300 million pounds ($399 million) in the domestic supply chain for offshore wind projects.
Britain ranks as the world’s second-largest offshore wind market by capacity, after China, but the sector has suffered from high inflation and supply chain bottlenecks.
Government-backed GB Energy, established last year to drive investment in renewables, will invest in offshore wind component manufacturers to increase their production of components such as floating offshore platforms and cables.
The funding is part of the 8.3 billion pounds pledged for GB Energy over this parliament, with individual companies able to apply for grants by the end of the year.
However, Miliband repeated the government’s position that oil and gas, including from the North Sea, would “continue to play an important role”.
($1 = 0.7523 pounds)
Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Barbara Lewis
The U.S. will look at lowering tariffs on imported Chinese goods pending talks between the two nations
A woman shops at a commercial area of San Francisco’s Chinatown as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs with China, in California, U.S., April 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
International news via Reuters:
Businesses across multiple industries are increasing prices, cutting financial guidance and warning of growing uncertainty as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war pushes up costs, up-ends supply chains and stirs concerns about the global economy.
Thursday’s earnings made it clear that corporations around the world ran into a wall of uncertainty in the first quarter, as executives found themselves navigating the Trump administration’s constantly shifting stance on trade.
Comments from the biggest packaged food companies also underscored worries among businesses and investors that Trump’s tariffs and his attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will hurt confidence on Main Street.
“Some political decisions, economic decisions taken have rather undermined already soft consumer confidence,” Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe told reporters in an earnings call.
Dove soap maker Unilever, which was also reporting earnings, described “declining consumer sentiment” in its North American markets.
New vehicles are seen at a parking lot in the Port of Richmond, as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs with China, at the bay of San Francisco, California, U.S., April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Stocks drifted on Thursday and a rebound in the dollar fizzled out as investors tried to pick through the Trump administration’s fast-changing announcements on tariffs and the leadership of the Fed, the U.S. central bank. [MKTS/GLOB]
While most of the tariffs have been paused for 90 days until July 8, a 10% universal rate and duties on aluminium, steel and car imports remain in place, as do eye-popping levies on goods imported from China, to which Beijing has responded in kind.
The Trump administration will look at lowering tariffs on imported Chinese goods pending talks between the two countries, a source told Reuters on Wednesday.
With the first-quarter earnings season entering its second busy week, companies were counting the costs of the chaos and setting out how they plan to stem the fallout.
Procter & Gamble, soda and snacks giant PepsiCo and medical equipment maker Thermo Fisher Scientific, became the latest companies to cut annual profit forecasts, citing the trade turmoil. American Airlines withdrew its 2025 financial guidance, mirroring its peers.
Thermo Fisher also warned of the impact of the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to academic research funding.
Hyundai Motor said it had launched a task force to handle its response to the tariffs and moved production of some Tucson crossover vehicles from Mexico to the United States.
A newspaper with a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump is seen at a shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs with China, in California, U.S., April 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
“We expect a challenging business outlook to continue due to intensifying trade wars and other various unpredictable macroeconomic factors,” it said.
The automaker is also considering whether to move production of some U.S.-bound cars from South Korea to other locations, it said as it reaffirmed its annual earnings targets.
Hyundai and affiliate Kia, which together are the world’s third-biggest automaking group by sales, generate about one-third of their global sales from the U.S. market and imports account for roughly two-thirds of their U.S. car sales.
Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com said nearly 3,000 firms have already made enquiries about its 200 billion yuan ($27.35 billion) fund, announced on April 11, to help exporters sell their products domestically over the next year.
CONSUMER SENTIMENT
Adding to worries about economic weakness, the German government cut its 2025 growth forecast on Thursday and now sees stagnation instead of a 0.3% expansion as uncertainty from global trade disputes hobbles growth and dampens investment.
And in another sign of ebbing consumer confidence, Essity’s CEO Magnus Groth told Reuters the Swedish tissue maker had seen a drop in demand for hygiene products from hotels and restaurants in North America because people are eating out less and may not be travelling.
That echoed a warning from Chipotle Mexican Grill late on Wednesday that Americans are spending less on dining out due to elevated economic uncertainty, prompting the food chain to cut its sales outlook.
Telecoms equipment maker Nokia flagged a short-term disruption from U.S. tariffs, while Dassault Systemes, which sells software to automakers, airplane manufacturers and defence companies, cut its forecast profit margin due to tariff-related market volatility, knocking its shares.
Nestle and Unilever delivered better-than-expected quarterly sales, but they and their big-brand rivals are easing U.S. price increases to avoid losing American shoppers to retailers’ less expensive private-label brands.
That may help soothe concerns that tariffs will fuel a spike in inflation and slow the U.S. economy, although other companies, including Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, LG Electronics and Interparfums have said they are hiking U.S. prices or may do so.
“As we look ahead, we expect more volatility and uncertainty, particularly related to global trade developments, which we expect will increase our supply chain costs,” PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said on Thursday.
“At the same time, consumer conditions in many markets remain subdued and similarly have an uncertain outlook.”
($1 = 0.8284 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by Richa Naidu in London, Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru, Hyunjoo Jin in Seoul, Vera Dvorakova and Michal Aleksandrowicz in Gdansk; Writing by Josephine Mason; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Two jets ferried to China in March returned to Boeing in Seattle in the past week
A Boeing 737 MAX 8, the second jet intended for use by a Chinese airline to be returned to its manufacturer, lands at Boeing Field, as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs with China, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. April 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder
International news via Reuters:
Boeing is looking to resell potentially dozens of planes locked out of China by tariffs after repatriating a third jet to the United States rather than store it without willing buyers.
The move to prevent a repeat of the costly build-up of undelivered jets seen during past fluctuations in Chinese imports comes as the planemaker redoubles efforts to save cash and pay off debt by selling off part of its services business.
Boeing took the rare step of publicly flagging the potential aircraft sale during an analyst call on Wednesday, saying there would be no shortage of buyers in a tight jet market.
“Customers are calling, asking for additional airplanes,” CFO Brian West said. Such negotiations are usually kept tightly under wraps.
“Due to the tariffs, many of our customers in China have indicated that they will not take delivery,” CEO Kelly Ortberg said.
Industry sources said the comments were seen as a message to Beijing and Washington that the tariff war between the world’s two largest economies would be hugely costly as airlines scramble for capacity and Boeing recovers from multiple crises.
U.S. President Donald Trump this month raised baseline tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. In retaliation, China imposed a 125% tariff on U.S. goods.
However, West cautioned that things could change quickly.
Washington signalled openness to de-escalating the trade war this week, stating that high tariffs between the United States and China are not sustainable.
Potential alternative markets include India, Latin America and Southeast Asia but discussions have barely begun, industry sources said. Air India is seen among potential bidders on behalf of low-cost unit Air India Express.
However, experts warned that carrying out the threat to divert jets to other buyers would not be like throwing a switch.
Finding new customers after planes have been built “can be a costly endeavour”, industry publication Leeham News said.
Experts say many components, such as cabins, are picked by airlines and switching configurations could cost millions of dollars. Doing so may also create a tangle of contractual commitments and need the co-operation of the original buyer.
For its part, China has urged Washington to abandon the tariffs but its airlines are seen as hungry for new planes to meet demand and satisfy domestic aircraft age restrictions.
“This will be extremely complicated. Everyone is flexing muscle but nobody completely has the upper hand,” said a senior aircraft finance industry source, asking not to be named.
RETURN TRIP
Boeing’s public stand follows a threat from tariffs to the aerospace industry’s decade-old duty-free trading status. Senior industry officials say, however, there is no clear evidence of a reported official Chinese government ban on U.S. jets.
The move to repatriate and re-market jets stands in contrast to a build-up seen during an almost five-year import freeze on 737 MAX jets into China and previous trade tensions.
A Boeing 737 MAX 8, the second jet intended for use by a Chinese airline to be returned to its manufacturer, lands at Boeing Field, as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs with China, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. April 22, 2025. REUTERS/David RyderA Boeing sign sits on a building near Boeing Field, as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs with China, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. April 22, 2025. REUTERS/David RyderA Boeing 737 MAX 8, the second jet intended for use by a Chinese airline to be returned to its manufacturer, lands at Boeing Field, as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs with China, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. April 22, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder
“We’re not going to continue to build aircraft for customers who will not take them,” Ortberg told analysts.
Two jets ferried to China in March for delivery to Xiamen Airlines returned to Boeing in Seattle in the past week.
A third 737 MAX flew from Boeing’s Zhoushan completion centre near Shanghai to the U.S. territory of Guam on Thursday, Flightradar24 data showed.
Guam is one of the stops Boeing delivery flights make on the 5,000-mile (8,000-km) journey across the Pacific.
The third plane was initially built for Air China, according to Aviation Flights Group. The flag carrier did not respond to a request for comment.
It had been ferried from Seattle on April 5, in the period between Trump first announcing tariffs on China and Beijing starting to enforce its own ramped-up tariffs on U.S. goods.
Boeing says China represents around 10% of its backlog of commercial planes. It has been losing market share to European rival Airbus in recent years.
Boeing had planned to deliver around 50 new planes to China over the rest of this year, West said. It is studying options for re-marketing 41 already built or in production.
Hovering in the background is Airbus, though it is unclear how the U.S.-China rift might affect Boeing’s arch-rival.
Airbus has been in on-off negotiations for at least a year to try to grab a huge order of up to 500 jets, though China tends to tread carefully over all major purchase decisions during times of geopolitical uncertainty, industry sources said.
Airbus said it never comments on commercial discussions that may or may not be happening.
Reporting by Lisa Barrington in Seoul, Tim Hepher in Paris, and Abhijith Ganapavaram. Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Mark Potter
The student, aged 15, was overpowered by teachers before police arrived, the spokesperson added
French police secure the area near the Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides high school after one student was killed and other students injured in a school stabbing, in Nantes, France, April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
International news via Reuters:
A 15-year-old boy killed a fellow pupil and wounded three others in a stabbing attack at a high school in the western French city of Nantes on Thursday, before he was overpowered by teachers, police said.
BFM TV reported that the student who died was a girl and that the three injured students were boys. Police did not confirm the age or gender of the victims.
Teaching staff subdued the attacker at the Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides, a private Catholic school, before police arrived, a police spokesperson said.
She said there was nothing to indicate a terrorist motive.
Students were held inside the school after the attack but allowed to leave in the mid-afternoon under police protection. Dozens of parents waited outside.
“We’re waiting to be able to hold them in our arms … to help them deal with the stress this will have caused,” said Nicolas, a parent at the school.
Police did not name the suspect or give any motives for the attack.
Local newspaper Ouest France said the attacker was dressed all in black, and wore a helmet and balaclava. Two knives were found lying next to his belongings, it said.
BFM and other media reported that the suspected attacker, using his email account, had emailed a document to all students in the school in which he painted a bleak picture of society, but had not made any mention of a possible attack.
French broadcaster franceinfo said the stabbing followed a conflict among students.
Police did not immediately confirm the media reports.
French police secure the area near the Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides high school after one student was killed and other students injured in a school stabbing, in Nantes, France, April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stephane MaheFrench police secure the area near the Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Aides high school after one student was killed and other students injured in a school stabbing, in Nantes, France, April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Makini Brice
Guest speaker Stefano Moritsch is the Global Geo-politics Lead at KPMG International.
Alongside Tony Thompson, Gibbons’ CEO Chair of the Retail Division at the Chamber, Mr. Moritsch said we are at a watershed moment as the international trade environment of previous decades changes in the face of more localised protectionism.
Mr. Moritsch told Gary Foster Skelton that a scarcity of global leadership is increasing levels of tension between countries.
Along with a dramatic rise in trade protectionism, there is now more global conflict than has been seen since world war two, leading to more concern for shipping trade routes.
Tony Thompson said that Gibbons has diversified its supply chain in response to the global changes.
Final touches underway for the 84th Agricultural Exhibition, featuring a new attraction, local favourites and a promise to bring back the pigs
From horticulture to prize livestock and craftwork, the 84th Bermuda Annual Agricultural Exhibition promises to be a vibrant display of culture, community and heritage.
Minister of Public Works and Environment, Jache Adams, tells us it’s been all hands on deck to beautify the grounds of the Botanical Gardens in advance of welcoming thousands of attendees.
“In terms of preparation work, we’ve had the Parks Department working diligently to get the grounds ready, said Minister Adams. “We’ve also had a number of volunteers participate in order to get the logistics of the event going – whether it be the vendors, the organisations, the international talent and whatnot. So, it’s really been a collective effort and I’m certainly appreciative of the work that our team has done.”
In 2023, the Government assumed responsibility for the event, with the aim of gradually bringing the show back.
Minister Adams told us that this year’s event will be full-scale. However, one iconic farm animal will be absent once again.
Last year, pigs were sorely missed by attendees. And while they will not be present again this year, the Minister has pledged corrective action.
“We tried our best, believe me,” he stated. “We tried our best to ensure that pigs were here for this year. Unfortunately, we were unable to do so – but what we have done is put the procedures in place to ensure that we have pigs going forward. We actually understand the attraction they hold and what it means to people, especially the excitement it brings for little kids. I mean, I’m looking forward to my daughter seeing the pigs and farm animals and whatnot. So, we’re saying full-scale now, but certainly over time we plan to have the event bigger and better – which will include the pigs as well.”
New this year are extreme sports performances by the professional US-based BMX stunt team, Dialed Action, in the Show Ring.
“That’s an exciting event for us,” said Minister Adams. “We’ve looked and analysed and I thought they were a great signature piece to the event – so we’re looking forward to that, but also just creating a space to get back out into the grounds and enjoy the camaraderie. Getting back to a space where we’re upholding a tradition that has brought joy to so many Bermudians for the last 84 years.”
Elsewhere on the grounds, vendors were busy setting up stalls – including local favourite, Ashley’s Lemonade.
Owner, Ashely Stephens told us her preparations have been “smooth sailing”.
She added, “Deliveries have been coming in all day to get us prepared for our lovely three-day event. We’ve done this before, so we’re a little bit seasoned with it – but we’re making our tweaks and we’re ready for all our volunteers and everybody to start. It’s really great to see everyone supporting. And we’re happy to have a charity as well – you know, everyone has a charity that they give to, so I think that’s also a great part of it. I’m hoping to have beautiful long queues and refresh everybody with freshly squeezed lemonade.”
The Ag Show begins tomorrow and runs through to Saturday, from 8 am to 6 pm daily.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and seniors, available at the gate.
Owen Darrell, the Transport Minister said the additional stop is meant to support seniors in the area
Minister Owen Darrell and area MP Renee Ming announce new bus stop along Cut Road, St. George’s.
The number 6 bus route will feature an additional stop at Gates Fort Park along Cut Road, St. George’s to better serve area residents.
According to Owen Darrell, the Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, the route will be a trial run until the 30th of May before assessing the viability of the additional stop.
The Minister was joined by area MP for constituency #1, St. George’s North, Renee Ming.
He said the route, operating weekdays, was introduced in an effort to alleviate the area residents, namely seniors who would otherwise have a long walk before finding the nearest bus stop.
Minister Darrell stated, “At present, a trial is being conducted on Route 6 St. David’s schedule during weekdays. and this will continue through to May 30th.
“The purpose is to enhance mobility for residents of Cut Road, St. George’s, particularly our senior citizens who rely on public transport but often find it difficult to walk long distances to reach the nearest bus stops.”
Ms. Ming described today as a ‘good day’, welcoming the news after raising the concerns of her constituents to the transport ministry 18 months to two years ago.
She welcomed the trial service to support the area residents and wider St. George’s community.
Ms. Ming indicated that around 50 of her constituents called for the additional bus stop during her canvassing in the lead up to the February 2025 General Election.
The bus will depart at 10.10am weekdays from St. David’s travelling to St. George’s via Cut Road arriving at Gates Fort park at around 10.30am.
It will continue to the St. George’s Bus Depot at 10.35am where it will terminate there.
Passenger seeking further travel can board other bus services at the depot.
Asked about the criteria that will be used to assess the viability of service use, Minister Darrell said technical officers will assess their data at the end of May.
He added that additional cost for the 7-minute bus journey from Gates Fort Park to the bus depot was “minimal.”
No figure was provided.
Minister Darrell added, “Lastly, I would like to kindly remind all residents to refrain from parking along Cut Road, and in the bus turnaround area at Gates Fort, as parked vehicles may obstruct the bus and create safety concerns for both passengers and drivers.”
It takes place at St. Andrew’s Church Hall on Saturday, May 3
Photo supplied
Cost of living pressures are leading many to find alternative ways to save.
One community action group has been helping to ease the burden on residents for the past eight years through free giveaway events.
In advance of their next one, volunteers at the Grateful Bread have been busy collecting and organising new or good quality clothes, shoes and accessories, bedding, toiletries and miscellaneous household goods.
“Bermuda is becoming increasingly unaffordable and so any way that you can find ways to sort of save, I know that for myself as well, you know, you’re going to do that,” said long-time volunteer, Alison Swan.
“You look on the table here, there’s a brand-new pair of jeans that you can get for free that you don’t need to spend that part of your salary on.”
Previous giveaway events have seen a turnout of around 400 people, depicting the prevalence of need.
New GB volunteer, Sam Cabot, told us what inspired him to come on board.
“Growing up in Bermuda, I had an older sibling, and I wore a lot of his old clothes as hand-me-downs,” he said. “So, I knew how much new clothes cost and how expensive it is here. It’s also nice to give things a new life, especially when I was in the UK, thrifting and things like that became popular. So, it’s nice to make things not end up in landfill and contribute to a good cause with my spare time. It’s nice to be part of this community.”
The Grateful Bread is not a registered charity and does not solicit or receive funds – a structure which they say allows them to expand their reach.
Ms Swan explained, “It’s one of the few organisations in Bermuda that is completely run by volunteers, meaning that there’s no administrative costs included so every single thing goes to the people who they serve, and I think that is a very, very exciting proposition for Bermuda.”
The next giveaway event will take place at St. Andrew’s Church Hall on Church Street, next to People’s Pharmacy on Saturday, 3rd May from 1pm to 4:30pm.
While the storage container is already bursting with goods, donations will still be accepted on the day from noon, with volunteers at the ready to sort.
Meanwhile, the group is encouraging all to attend.
Founder Juliana Snelling said, “It’s first come, first served, although we do give out tickets to each guest for new toiletries or something like an amazing mattress, so everybody gets to share. So, we hope to get hundreds. Please come, if someone next door is an invalid or needs you to shop for them, please come and shop for your neighbour or anyone in need, but everyone is welcome.”
More volunteers are still needed for the event next weekend, and those interested can contact the GB team via email at gratefulbda@gmail.com.
Take place between 8:00 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. in the St. David’s and Southside areas
Government update via press release:
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment advises the public of a scheduled sporting event, the National Championship Standard Distance Triathlon, which will be held on Sunday, 27 April 2025.
This triathlon, organised by the Bermuda Triathlon Association and Bermuda Sports Lab, will take place between 8:00 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. in the St. David’s and Southside areas. Race Marshals and signage will be in place to assist with traffic control throughout the event.
Motorists are urged to exercise caution in the area and follow the instructions of traffic control personnel. Please refer to the attached Road Traffic Notice for full details on race routes and traffic arrangements for this event.
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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.
