Bermuda continued to face a tough economy throughout October, causing businesses to suffer and leaving fewer jobs for working Bermudians.

Job loss due to the recession was predicted to reach 1,000 before the end of the year, with another 1,000 jobs predicted to disappear in 2010.

Doug Soares, who runs employment agency Expertise, said: "This is the worst recession that I can remember in terms of job losses."

Elbow Beach Hotel became a focal point for the problem after the hotel announced that it would close its main hotel building in November, shedding 160 employees in the process.

With fewer jobs throughout the Island, more Bermudians fell on hard times.

According to the Salvation Army, the homeless population of the Island had risen to as many as 300, with the economic climate being a contributing factor.

Another victim of the economy in October was The Mid-Ocean News, which printed its last newspaper on October 16.

The 98-year-old newspaper reportedly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue after Government pulled their advertising from both The Mid-Ocean News and its sister publication, The Royal Gazette.

Premier Dr. Ewart Brown said that the move, which came shortly after this newspaper launched a campaign for improved transparency, was made for cost cutting purposes.

The loss of advertising, combined with a harsh business environment, caused the weekly paper's end.

President of Bermuda Press (Holdings) Chris Whittle said: "Unfortunately, we have not been able to stem continuing and significant operating losses and, because of the difficult environment for all our businesses, we are unable to continue to absorb these losses."

Founded in 1911 by the Toddings family, the newspaper had six editorial staff when it closed.

Days later at a PLP delegate's conference, Premier Brown made several jabs at the media, and suggested that he hoped The Royal Gazette would follow The Mid-Ocean News, quoting the phrase: "One down, one to go."

Government unveiled the first draft of its PATI legislation, which it promised would provide transparency in the political process, in October.

While many viewed the draft as a step in the right direction, it was criticised for not being retroactive, meaning any information from before the legislation is passed would remain inaccessible.

The Premier would also be able to exempt public bodies from it.

Toby Mendel, senior legal counsel for Article 19, a UK based human rights organisation, said: "We very much welcome efforts to recognise the right to information in Bermuda and note that the bill contains some very positive features.

"At the same time, the submission highlights a number of concerns with the bill, including that it only provides information created after it comes into force and the secrecy laws trump it."

The draft also exempted documents related to the deliberative process, and provided no protection for whistle-blowers. A decision to make the law retroactive was subsequently taken.

The month ended in violence when 21-year-old Jah-Lario Samuels-Dill was shot in broad daylight on The Glebe Road in Pembroke.

According to reports, Mr. Samuels-Dill ran into a nearby house immediately after the shooting, shouting "help me, I've been shot" before collapsing.

He was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for gun shot wounds to the upper torso.

Armed Police officers descended on the area, while the hospital was put on "lockdown," with visitors cleared from the wards and guards on every door.

Two men were arrested in connection to the shooting and later released on Police bail.