Bermuda

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – Bermuda says it will sign an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with the United States and Britain saying the decision will further cement the British Overseas Territory as a reputable jurisdiction for conducting business in a transparent manner. Finance Minister E.T. Richards said the accord with Washington follows widespread discussions with local stakeholders and US Treasury officials. He said London has already produced an official draft IGA Model 2 for consideration by Bermuda.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - Tourism officials and hoteliers have hailed road shows to attract more visitors from the United Kingdom -- which currently provides just 10 per cent of Bermuda's air arrivals -- as a success. Last week's promotional activities in London, Birmingham and Manchester also received the support of British Airways (BA) executives, who had earlier criticised Bermuda -- a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic -- for failing to market itself effectively amid growing competition.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - Cash-strapped Bermuda has received a fresh warning its credit rating may be downgraded as the island's debts mount in the midst of a four-year recession.
International ratings agency, Moody’s Investors Service, on Wednesday placed Bermuda’s Aa2 rating on review for possible downgrade.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – The Bermuda parliament will “soon” debate a motion to decide whether or not to legalise the use of marijuana in this British Overseas Territory.
“We will bring to the House of Assembly a ‘take note’ motion so we can have a public debate on the issue. I don’t advocate one way or the other, but it’s something we should have a debate on,” Attorney General and Justice Minister, Mark Pettingill, told the Bermuda Sun newspaper.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC -- Premier Craig Cannonier has fired back at an opposition party attack on its first 100 days in office, accusing it of "schoolyard fighting tactics".
"As the Premier, I find it amazing that the Progressive Labour Party is still resorting to schoolyard fighting tactics to provoke nonsensical dialogue, none of which will benefit Bermuda or Bermudians. While they continue to grasp at straws and propagate untruths, the world is passing Bermuda by.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - Bermuda's MPs have passed a resolution giving cabinet ministers a 10 per cent pay cut effective April 1.
“It’s more symbolic than substantive,” Premier Craig Cannonier said, noting that the overall saving was relatively small. “But in our present economic and fiscal circumstances, it’s the right thing moving forward.”
The Premier’s salary will decrease from US$168,069 to US$151,262 a year, while the Deputy Premier’s pay goes from US$125,491 to US$112,942.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - The 25-year-old son of a Bermuda cabinet minister has been jailed for 18 years in Florida for a string of violent offences. Tyler Abbott, son of the Minister Without Portfolio Leah Scott, received the sentence after a plea bargain. US law enforcement authorities said that Abbott had threatened an 87-year-old woman and stole her purse and led police on a high-speed chase that ended in a car crash last March.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - Parliament has passed legislation allowing the One Bermuda Alliance government to borrow an additional one billion US dollars after it said it needed to act swiftly before it ran out of funds.
The Government Loans Amendment Act 2013 was approved by a majority vote  allowing the government to raise the national debt ceiling from US$1.45 billion to US$2.5 billion.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - A new survey has found that children as young as seven have experimented with drugs and alcohol in Bermuda. According to the “Report of the Survey of Student’s Knowledge and Attitudes of Drugs and Health 2012”, one-third of Primary 5, Primary 6 and Middle 1 students had tried drugs, cigarettes or alcohol. Some students admitted trying alcohol at the age of six and marijuana at seven.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - An outbreak of gastroenteritis has struck almost 30 patients and staff at the King Edward VIII Memorial Hospital. This has resulted in the quarantine of one of the wards at the institution. A spokesperson from the Bermuda Hospital Board said access to Gordon Ward is likely to be restricted through Friday. Five staff members