Royal Gazette

As discussed yesterday, a party’s platform should be a vital guide to how a party will govern if elected. It should also show that the party is ready to govern from Day 1. The One Bermuda Alliance’s platform, released over the weekend, does neither, because it is so short on detail. That may be because of the suddenness of the election call, but beyond using the OBA’s record when it was in government to argue that it will successfully encourage new investment to Bermuda as a means of rebuil

The public were asked yesterday to “be kind” to friends, colleagues and even themselves as part of a campaign designed to boost mental health.The Bermuda Hospitals Board, through the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, will mark Mental Health Awareness Week from Sunday. Kindness will be the theme of the campaign and MWI will highlight its connection to good mental health.A BHB spokeswoman said: “While we all know that when someone is kind to us it makes us feel good, research now shows that it

A top businessman and behind the scenes strategist when the former United Bermuda Party governed the island has died. Edgar Wilkinson was 90.Mr Wilkinson was also a board member at the Bermuda Monetary Authority in the 1980s.His businesses included the wholesalers Tobacco Associates, which supplied the island with Cuban cigars, from which he retired in 1998.The Salt Kettle, Paget, resident also ran airport gift shops in the 1990s in partnership with businessman John Casling.Mr

Dear Sir,There is a good reason we made our first air-travel trip since early March to Bermuda last month. My partner Susan and I, like many people confined to home for six months, decided it was time to get out and test the waters (literally!) and take a trip.We came to Bermuda for a number of reasons – foremost was the strong approach to controlling Covid-19. The testing procedures were handled very well in typical Bermuda style.Scuba diving and snorkelling have always been a draw

Police officers are on the verge of an agreement with the Government after months of negotiations over pay cuts, it was revealed last night. But the deal between the Bermuda Police Association and the government negotiating team over the changes, forced by the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, has still to be ratified.The agreement, if approved, would mean police would take part in the government-wide package of cuts for a year.Emmerson Carrington, the chairman of the BPA, sa

There were no trades on The Royal Gazette/BSX Index, which remained unchanged at 1,738.55.The BSX Insurance Index was down 18.78 points, or 1.4 per cent, at 1,326.49.On the New York Stock Exchange, shares of Butterfield Bank were down 66 cents, or 2.92 per cent, at $21.95.

Voters who turn out for the General Election on Thursday will have “an extra layer of protection” from Covid-19, a Government spokeswoman said today.Saliva tests for the coronavirus will be offered by the Ministry of Health for officials employed by the Parliamentary Registrar, as well as election candidates, tonight and tomorrow night.Opening hours at the Perot Post office test centre on Queen Street in Hamilton will be extended from 6pm to 9pm both nights to allow tests to be carried out

Bermuda will get “guaranteed access” to Covid-19 vaccines when they become available, it was revealed this evening.Kim Wilson, the health minister, said the Bermuda Government had entered a contractual commitment that could deliver vaccines for 20 per cent of the population when an approved vaccine against the coronavirus strain arrived.She said the island would have access to approved vaccines through the British Government as well.The news came as the island’s Covid-19 count remain

The Bermuda Government will give an update on Covid-19 at a press conference today.It will take place at the Government’s AB Place media room at 5.45pm.The Royal Gazette will provide a live video on this page.

The public was today asked to “be kind” to friends, colleagues and even themselves as part of a campaign designed to boost mental health.The Bermuda Hospitals Board, through the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, will mark Mental Health Awareness Week from Sunday.Kindness will be the theme of the campaign and MWI will highlight its connection to good mental health.A BHB spokeswoman said: “While we all know that when someone is kind to us it makes us feel good, research now shows that i

Police officers have reached an “amicable agreement” with the Government after months of negotiations. The deal between the Bermuda Police Association and the Government negotiating team over pay and other cuts forced by the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has still to be ratified.But Emmerson Carrington, the chairman of the BPA, said: “The BPA is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement in principle with the Bermuda Government.”This agreement sees the BPA accepting

British Airways will switch its Bermuda service from London Gatwick airport to London Heathrow from the end of March.The airline will fly Boeing 777s on the route, and the travel time from Heathrow to Bermuda is expected to be seven hours and 20 minutes.The first regular daily flight from Heathrow will be on March 28, and is scheduled to depart from Terminal 5.The BA service to Bermuda has already undergone a change this year. The service stopped on March 20 when regular scheduled co

Later today, the Minister of Community Affairs and Sports, the Hon. Lovitta Foggo will participate in the premiere screening of Broadcasting Black, a locally produced film which explores the often overlooked contribution of black media to the success of the 1959 Theatre Boycotts. Broadcasting Black was the brainchild and creation of Dr. Dana Selassie and it will be screened at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) at 6.00 p.m. today. It will also be shown on the Department of

Life reinsurer Athene Holding Ltd is donating 200 laptops to the Bermuda public school system for the 2020-2021 school year. The donation aligns with Athene’s commitment to education-based initiatives in its communities as part of its broader corporate responsibility strategy. It also supports the Ministry of Education’s strategic plan to modernise the public-school learning environment to ensure Bermuda’s youth have cutting-edge technological tools they need to participate in the global economy.

Bermudians Ashley Fubler and Izabella Arnold have joined the pupillage programme of Walkers Bermuda.The law firm announced that both young women will undertake training in the firm’s Corporate, Finance, Funds and Insurance practice group for six months and a further six months with the Insolvency and Dispute Resolution team. Ashley Fubler began her legal studies in 2014 at the University of Hull where she obtained her Bachelor of Laws with Upper Second Class Honours. She then went on to stu

The Progressive Labour Party will hold a General Election press conference today.It will take place at the party’s Alaska Hall headquarters at 2pm.The Royal Gazette will provide a live video on this page.

Bermuda have been drawn against Barbados in the first of their possible two-round Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminary Round matches.At the first ever Gold Cup draw conducted last night in Miami, United States, the preliminary round draws which included the 12 Concacaf Member Associations competing for the final three spots in the 16-team Group Stage were made. For the two-round Prelims, the participating national teams have been divided into six matches.The draw pitted Bermuda against Barbados in

The Progressive Labour Party branded attacks over a loan to a United States music promoter a “desperate” election attack.A party spokeswoman said Anthony Blakey, who disappeared after taking a $800,000 loan to start a music studio, had previously been involved with entertainment at the America’s Cup.The spokeswoman said: “If this company was so disreputable, with no connection to Bermuda and no experience in the country, as the OBA wants Bermudians to believe, then why did their America’s C

A new Progressive Labour Party administration would introduce an amended health plan after the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the island’s finances, the Government said.The PLP announced in its platform last week that the programme would be launched in collaboration with the BermudaFirst advisory group and deliver access to “affordable universal healthcare for all”.A government spokeswoman said later: “The revised Bermuda Health Plan mentioned in the governing party’s platform will be different

A new Bermudian company is planned to reinsure $5 billion of annuities issued by American Equity Investment Life Holding Company.Värde Partners, a hedge fund, will establish the new reinsurer.The plan is the product of a strategic partnership between American Equity, Värde and Agam Capital Management, LLC, an insurance solutions provider. American Equity, a New York Stock Exchange-listed company based in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Värde will jointly set up a company to manage the ass

Private investment will drive many of the projects promised in the Progressive Labour Party’s platform for the October 1 General Election, the Premier said last night.David Burt explained that the PLP had put together a collaborative document with input from union partners and other groups and that the island faced “a unique opportunity” amid the coronavirus pandemic.He said: “We do not have a large amount of grandiose promises inside of this platform that are going to cost public money bec

Party platforms are essential documents when voters are deciding who they are going to elect in a General Election. Of course, they are not the only factor in the decision. A party’s previous record and the calibre of candidates are also crucial. And, of course, platforms are also only a guide to a party’s decisions, if elected, during their term of government. Events interfere almost from Day 1 to prevent or change every promise. Indeed, no one could have predicted that the world would be hit by

All Yasmin Cann really remembers is the excruciating pain.If pressed, she can tell how doctors at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital put her in the ICU and plugged her into tubes; how she was then operated on by specialist surgeons at Lahey Hospital & Medical Centre – but that is only because she has heard her mother, Beverley Cann, tell the story repeatedly.The one-two punch of a massive aneurysm rupture and a stroke at age 34 left Yasmin unable to walk, read or do even the most basic o

The Spot restaurant can continue its role as a Hamilton institution, but it needs youthful energy and ideas to carry it forward.Owner Thomas “Ted” Powell has put the Burnaby Street business up for sale. It has been closed since mid-March due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.The popular eatery was established in 1945 by Arthur Foote, and has been run by Mr Powell since 1971.”There are not many individuals who have been in the trade for so long,” Mr Powell said.”

Stevie Dickinson and crew Micah Raynor won the Kacy Simons Memorial Regatta with a race to spare on Sunday.The Comet sailors posted three straight victories competing on the windward/leeward racecourse offshore of Mid Atlantic Boat and Sports Club, the regatta hosts, to clinch the four-race series comfortably.Maxwell Curtis Jr and crew Stefan Furbert finished second with Gladwin Lambert and crew Stefan Maybury rounding off the podium in third.Dickinson passed leader Curtis on the fir

More than 90 per cent of people in a poll this year said that the Government had handled the Covid-19 crisis well.A survey by Total Research Associates and Narrative Research found that 92 per cent of the 400 people they talked to between April 22 and 29 were satisfied with the overall response to the pandemic.One third said they were completely satisfied with the response and 60 per cent reported they were “mostly satisfied”.The main reasons were said to be the Government’s strong c

Leaders of the island’s political parties pushed messages of unity and building a better future in a pre-election forum last night.Topics covered included education, the economy, healthcare reform and the environment in panel interviews set up by Community Voices for Democracy with help from Bermuda Youth Connect.The leaders of the Progressive Labour Party, the One Bermuda Alliance and the Free Democratic Movement each had more than 30 minutes to answer questions and talk about their ideas

Dennis Brown has broken his silence over his reasons for taking a “back seat” from coaching duties at Somerset Trojans.The former Somerset and Bermuda captain has revealed he was forced to hand over the reigns of the Premier Division side to his nephew, Danvers Seymour Jr, after being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and other ailments last summer.”In July I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure so immediately I took a back seat in order to stabilise my personal health,”

A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was shot and killed this morning.Detective Superintendent Nicholas Pedro said that the 31-year-old victim died after she was shot “multiple times”.The incident happened in the Sunset Pass area of Pembroke at about 12.20am.Mr Pedro said that officers responded to reports of gunshots in the neighbourhood.He added: “Following an incident at a residence here, it was determined that a 31-year-old female had been shot multiple t

Spectators will be allowed to attend the second annual PGA Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course, organisers have confirmed.It was announced at a press conference at Port Royal today that the PGA Tour and Bermuda Government have jointly granted permission for a limited number of general admission spectators per day for the 36-hole championship to be held at the Southampton layout from October 26 to November 1.The daily allowance, whose number will be determined under the island’s p

The Ministry of Education has announced the recipients of the 2020 Bermuda Government Scholarships and Awards.Each year, the grants go to Bermudian students pursuing higher education – with a new award, the Bermuda College Promise Programme, created last year for students graduating from public schools.To date, 70 students have registered and benefited from this initiative that provides free tuition to a senior with a 3.0 GPA to attend the Bermuda College. Diallo Rabain, the educatio

The Department of Public Transportation (DPT) would like to advise the public that there are currently detours in effect on Harrington Sound Road, between Devil’s Hole Hill (Smith’s parish) and Paynter’s Road (Hamilton parish), for route 3 buses.This is as a safety precaution, due to the road width being narrowed by roadwork along a section of Harrington Sound Road.The detours will continue until the roadwork is complete – with outbound buses travelling over Devil’s Hole Hill

Two-hundred shares of Somers Limited traded on The Royal Gazette/BSX Index. The shares improved $1, or 7.7 per cent, to close at $14.On the New York Stock Exchange, shares of Butterfield Bank were up 75 cents, or 3.43 per cent, at $22.61.The Royal Gazette/BSX Index was up 6.65 points, or 0.38 per cent, at 1,738.55, while the BSX Insurance Index was up 35.67 points, or 2.72 per cent, at 1,345.27.Separately, in a filing with the Bermuda Stock Exchange, One Communications Ltd said that

No new cases of the coronavirus were detected after the Ministry of Health received 1,232 test results today.Bermuda has had 181 cases – aged from 9 to 101 – and five are active, although none is in hospital.Nine people with Covid-19 have died and 167 people have recovered from the coronavirus.Of all the cases on the island, 70 were brought in from overseas, 90 were transmitted locally with a known contact and 21 were transmitted locally with an unknown contact.A health minist

The International Island Games Association has been forced to postpone next summer’s NatWest International Island Games in Guernsey because of Covid-19.The announcement was made Jorgen Pettersson, chair of the IIGA, at the association’s virtual annual meeting at the weekend.The multi-sport event for small islands was due to be held in Guernsey between July 3 and 9, with 3,500 competitors and officials to be involved.”This decision was not made lightly and was based on the responses r

The Royal Gazette, in conjunction with The Washington Post News Service and Bloomberg News will be offering The Washington Post’s livestream programming of the presidential and vice-presidential debates.Tomorrow, President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will meet on stage at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for the first of the three presidential debates. The broadcast will start at 9pm Bermuda time. The debate itself will sta

American Financial Group Inc has reached a definitive agreement to sell GAI Holding Bermuda and its subsidiaries, which comprise the legal entities that own its Lloyd’s of London insurer, Neon, to RiverStone Holdings Limited.When the transaction is done it will complete AFG’s exit from the Lloyd’s of London insurance market.Neon is a member of Great American Insurance Group, which runs the insurance operations of parent AFG. It opened an office in Bermuda in 2016. Neon was put into run-off

Dave Horan broke Tuff Dogs’ hearts for the second successive season by dramatically hitting a boundary off the final ball to lift The Associates to victory in an Evening Cricket League knockout match.Last season, with his team needing five to prevail, Horan struck a six to win the final at Somerset Cricket Club.On Saturday at Shelly Bay, with three needed off the 96th and final ball of the innings, Horan flicked the same bowler – Terence Corday – off his legs for four to secure a six-wicket

Butterfield Bank’s temporary banking centre at Rosebank will cease operations at the close of business on Friday.Starting from Monday, a dedicated teller will be established in the bank’s Reid Street banking centre to assist senior clients and those with disabilities. The bank said clients are asked to inform the customer service associate of their needs on arrival at the banking centre, and they will be directed accordingly.Butterfield opened the Rosebank banking centre, on Bermudiana Road

A total of seven spots are available for the Royal Bermuda Regiment’s Recruit Camp next month.Major Duncan Simons, the RBR’s career management officer, said there was still time to grab a place to train for “the best second job in Bermuda”.He added that recruit numbers were restricted to 40 because of strict coronavirus safety regulations.Major Simons said: “It’s a golden opportunity to gain experience, serve the country, travel, have fun, learn new skills and build a network all at

The Department of Public Transportation (DPT) can confirm that the Central Bus Terminal kiosk resumed normal operations on Friday, September 25th, after being temporarily closed from 4pm Thursday, September 24th.DPT thanks the public for their patience and understanding.• Press release from the Department of Public Transportation

PartnerRe has appointed Nicholas Hughes to the newly created role of head of retrocession, and made two hires to further expand its retrocession team.Mr Hughes, who joined the company in 2008, was head of global catastrophe, which included responsibility for assumed retrocession and global accounts portfolio.He will be based in Bermuda.Aaron Coates and Guy Hengesbaugh will join the retrocession team as assumed retrocession underwriters, effective November 7 and October 1, respectivel

The One Bermuda Alliance will hold a General Election press conference today.It will take place at the OBA’s headquarters on Reid Street at 11am.The Royal Gazette will provide a live video on this page.

The Progressive Labour Party will hold a General Election press conference today.It will take place at the party’s Alaska Hall headquarters on Court Street, Hamilton, at 11am.The Royal Gazette will provide a live video on this page.

The activist group Community Voices for Democracy has confirmed that a pre-election leaders’ forum will be held tonight start at 8pm.The forum, which pointedly will not have the leaders facing off in debate mode, will see David Burt, the Premier and leader of the Progressive Labour Party, One Bermuda Alliance leader Craig Cannonier, and Marc Bean, the leader of the new Free Democratic Movement, fielding questions in intervals from moderators Qian Dickinson and Rick Richardson.They will also

An international day designed to highlight the public’s right to access government information is to be marked today.Gitanjali Gutierrez, the Information Commissioner, will deliver an International Right to Know Day declaration as part of the Information Commissioner’s Office commemoration.A spokeswoman for the ICO said: “This year, the Information Commissioner’s Office celebrates International Right to Know Day as Bermuda is emerging from a pandemic, facing unprecedented challenges and on

A One Bermuda Alliance politician asked yesterday what security was put up by an American music promoter who received an $800,000 government loan to set up a recording studio in Dockyard.Patricia Gordon-Pamplin claimed the deal, agreed in April 2018, was “dodgy-looking” and raised more questions than answers.The OBA’s finance spokeswoman said: “The $800,000 loan was repayable over three years, which is around $22,000 a month, plus interest, from a so-called entertainment business that does

The One Bermuda Alliance has revealed its “social contract” with the island – and said it was something “all Bermudians can believe in”.A message from Craig Cannonier, the party’s leader, told the public the election platform was “a reflection of your concerns and needs and what is best for Bermuda”.He added: “It represents our solemn promise to you to be better for Bermuda.”Our social contract takes into account our economic realities and social challenges. “It contains polic

Reinsurance companies were hit financially on both sides of their balance sheets because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.And there continues to be “significant uncertainty around the ultimate extent and distribution of Covid-19-related losses across the industry”, according to global professional services firm Aon.Reinsurers faced “extreme market volatility” in the middle of the first half of the year, and collectively also incurred billions of dollars of losses relating to the pande