Sunday, November 1, 2026
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Tour will explore Bermuda’s African heritage

The African Diaspora Heritage Trail Bermuda Foundation is inviting residents to explore the island’s rich African heritage through a special historical tour taking place November 14th.

The initiative highlights significant landmarks and sites of remembrance, sharing the stories, struggles and contributions of Bermudians of African descent while preserving an important part of the island’s history.

Kendal Trott spoke with foundation member Maxine Esdaille, who talked about the upcoming tour and the importance of keeping Bermuda’s history alive for future generations.

Students in U.K. encouraged to register with London office

FILE PHOTO: The Houses of Parliament are seen during a sunset in London, Britain, November 4, 2019. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/ File Photo

The Bermuda London Office is encouraging Bermudians pursuing their studies in the United Kingdom to register through its official website to stay informed, access support and remain connected with the Government of Bermuda throughout the academic year.

By registering with the Office, students can receive important updates, learn about upcoming events, and stay informed of opportunities and resources available to Bermudians studying in the UK.

Students are encouraged to register at www.bdalondonoffice.co.uk to receive future communications and updates from the Bermuda London Office. For further information or assistance, students may contact the Office at londonoffice@gov.bm or by telephone on +44 (0)20 7518 9900.

The Bermuda London Office looks forward to staying connected with Bermudian students and supporting them throughout their academic journey in the United Kingdom.

Opinion: We must beware of blatant disregard for tenancy rights

OBA seeks update on modernising the Landlord Tenant Act

Statement by Dwayne Robinson, Shadow Minister of Home Affairs:

The Minister of Home Affairs has gone silent on the progress of modernising the Landlord Tenant Act 1974. Housing remains a crisis in Bermuda and one of the ways we can address it, is by encouraging landlords to re-list the property they have withdrawn from the rental market.

This does not mean reducing or removing any rights for the tenant but balancing the Act to incentivize landlords who have taken their apartments off the market to rent them again.

Usually, this stems from a bad experience with a prior tenant whom they struggled to remove or have been told the struggles of being a landlord and have opted out.

We have all heard the stories. A landlord going months and even years without receiving rent. The struggle to evict a bad tenant can take months, and in some cases, years.

There have even been cases where a tenant has left the island without telling the landlord and leaving behind property damage. 

These are all real examples that have helped contribute to our reduced housing stock along with massive probate delays, and failure to continue building homes. Naturally there are bad landlords, just as there are bad tenants. We have heard stories of short notice rent increases and notices of eviction and unfair reasons to disqualify people from renting property—such as being a single mother.

Blatant disregard for tenancy rights takes place in Bermuda.

Some landlords are unfortunately withholding their properties from Bermudians in order to obtain an inflated rental income from foreign workers who have housing allowances or higher salaries then the average local.  

The OBA, and my colleague, the Shadow Minister of Housing Michael Fahy, has made the case that building higher housing complexes in Hamilton and removing duty on construction materials, along with the creation of a Housing Incentive Act to stimulate private sector building would help alleviate the competitive rental markets in residential areas outside of the City of Hamilton. However, we will continue to have the same rental problems if we do not update our Landlord Tenant Act 1974. We recognise that participating in the rental market can be a daunting experience for both tenants and landlords these days. That must change.

The last Ministerial update I recall was in May of this year and since then there has been very little mentioned. My colleagues and I continue to press for answers in the House of Assembly but there has been no commitments on any date for this legislation to be brought to the House, despite the consultation being extended and ending October of last year. We support robust consultation on such a delicate topic but also want to see the Government follow through on its commitments.  I welcome an update from the Minister of Home Affairs on this very important policy commitment.

Group calls for review of Government’s handling of Covid

Collective Action Solidarity Trust (CAST) has formally announced its intention to launch a constitutional
challenge in the courts. The legal action seeks judicial clarity and accountability on the wide-ranging
measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically by holding the Government to public
undertakings made by Bermuda’s Premier, David Burt, regarding a comprehensive review of the crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented global health emergency that radically disrupted
civic life. As international borders closed and emergency protocols were enacted under guidance from top
international bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), frontline doctors, scientists, and healthcare personnel were thrust into action.

However, significant discrepancies soon emerged between institutional mandates and the clinical
observations of experienced medical and scientific professionals. For CAST, these contradictions underscored
the critical need for independent discernment, factual transparency, and open public scrutiny.

Crucially, the demand for transparency echoes prior public admissions from leadership. As noted during
parliamentary discussions surrounding pandemic governance, reviewing how Bermuda navigated the crisis is
vital, with leaders previously conceding that any top-level inquiry must be transparent, non-partisan, and
focused on institutional improvement. Despite these acknowledgments, a formal, comprehensive accounting
has yet to materialize.

“In the interest of public health, democratic accountability, and future readiness, the government must honor
its commitments,” a spokesperson for CAST said. “A full, transparent review of the post-pandemic data is not
just a request; it is essential for protecting constitutional rights and ensuring our populace is properly
informed for future encounters.”

With post-pandemic data now fully accessible, CAST is calling on the government to honor its prior
undertakings. CAST demands that public resources be allocated to conduct a thorough, objective review of
the pandemic response, ensuring the public is properly informed, constitutional rights are protected, and the
community is better prepared for future health emergencies.

Winter ferry schedule announced

The Department of Marine and Ports Services advises that the Winter Ferry Schedule will take effect on Monday, 2 November 2026. This seasonal schedule adjustment is intended to ensure the continued efficient operation of ferry services across the network throughout the winter months.

Passengers are encouraged to review the updated schedule to familiarise themselves with any changes to their regular routes and departure times. The schedule is available on the Department’s website at www.marineandports.bm.

For further information or assistance, please contact the Hamilton Ferry Terminal at 295-4506.

Rosewood golf event raises over $90k for cancer centre

Annual golf tournament supports Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre

Rosewood Bermuda was thrilled to host the fifth annual Rosewood Cup, a two-day golf tournament and auction held October 9-11, 2026. This year’s tournament supported Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, raising more than $91,000 to support its work across cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and support in Bermuda.

More than 60 players participated in the tournament, with Kevin McGeever and Johnny Bell crowned the winners with an outstanding final score of 20 under par. With a three-way tie for second and third, the tournament had an exciting playoff until the finish.

“The Rosewood Cup has become a meaningful tradition for our team and the wider Bermuda community, and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last five years. This year’s event was particularly special as we came together to support Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre and the vital care they provide to individuals and families across the island. We’re grateful to our players, sponsors, and supporters whose generosity continues to make this event possible.”

PATRICK GRAHAM, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ROSEWOOD BERMUDA

The Rosewood Cup welcomed guests to Tucker’s Point Golf Club over the weekend and concluded with the players charity auction and member-wide raffle to raise funds and build awareness. The contribution will support Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre’s work to strengthen access to cancer care close to home.

Over the past five years, the Rosewood Cup has raised over $223,000 USD for Bermuda charities, including this year’s contribution. This year’s charity was selected by the 2025 Rosewood Cup champions, David Hoey and Christian Myers.

“We are grateful to Rosewood Bermuda, David Hoey and Christian Myers, and everyone who contributed to this year’s Rosewood Cup. For people facing cancer, receiving care close to home means having family and support nearby. This generous contribution will help us build on that care as we work towards excellence in cancer care for all of Bermuda.”

DR. CHRIS FOSKER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF BERMUDA CANCER AND HEALTH CENTRE

Rosewood Bermuda extends its deepest gratitude to the tournament’s generous sponsors, including Gosling’s and BermudAir. The charity auction was also made possible with the generous support of 10 Rosewood properties around the world, through which guests were able to bid on an enticing array of sought-after travel experiences.

UK PM Burnham says he is ‘open’ to formal apology for slavery, but rules out reparations

Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Burnham said Britain was “offering a structured dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade”, in which at ​least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery

FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham attends a meeting of the National Economic Council, focusing on driving growth in all regions of the United Kingdom, in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, October 30, 2026. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/Pool/File Photo

International News via Reuters:

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to calls for a formal apology for Britain’s historical role in slavery, before attending next week’s Commonwealth summit at which he is likely to face demands for financial reparations.

Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Burnham said Britain was “offering a structured dialogue with those affected by the transatlantic slave trade”, in which at ​least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery.

“Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will form an important part of this process, and I am open to them,” he added.

But Burnham rejected calls for financial reparations, writing: “I do not think that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no personal part.”

From the 15th to the 19th century, millions of Africans were sold into slavery ​by European traders, with Britain transporting an estimated 3.2 million people across the Atlantic, according to the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database.

Ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda next week, King Charles, who is touring the Caribbean, said it was “only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices of the past”.

Caribbean leaders are expected to press demands for reparations, which they have often framed in terms of debt relief, development finance, education, healthcare and climate resilience.

Burnham also wrote in the Guardian that he wanted to “launch a new drive on debt”, including by helping more vulnerable countries “repay over a longer time period and with better rates”.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne welcomed Burnham’s comments and proposals for practical assistance, though he added in a Facebook post: “The Caribbean’s longstanding position on reparatory justice remains unchanged.”

Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Alex Richardson

US campaign for control of Congress enters final weekend

As the campaign for control of the US Congress reached its final weekend, the Trump administration stepped up its legal intervention in the Alaska Senate race while the number of Americans casting early ballots neared 50 million, a record for a midterm election

Voters arrive to vote in the congressional midterm election at a polling station at Midtown Mall in Anchorage, Alaska, US, October 30, 2026. REUTERS/Emily Mesner

International News via Reuters:

As the campaign for control of the US Congress reached its final weekend, the Trump administration stepped up its legal intervention in the Alaska Senate race while the number of Americans casting early ballots neared 50 million, a record for a midterm election. 

The Department of Justice accelerated its criminal investigation in Alaska on Friday, following reports that aides to a Democratic Senate candidate recruited a retired schoolteacher from a remote fishing village to get on the ballot because he has the same name as the Republican incumbent.

The DOJ, acting on a civil lawsuit that President Donald Trump said he instigated, also filed further motions in an attempt to block the state of Alaska from certifying the Senate results if the Republican incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan, loses a close race on a ballot that includes the nonpartisan candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.

The closely contested race in Alaska is seen as crucial for the Democrats if they hope to take control of the Senate from Trump’s Republicans in Tuesday’s vote.

PROSECUTOR ALLEGES ‘SHAM CANDIDATE’ IN KEY ALASKA RACE

It is one of 35 races in the 100-member Senate that will set the tone for Trump’s final two years in office. Also up for grabs are all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives.

Early voter participation this cycle has set a record. More than 49 million Americans have already cast ballots, either in person or by mail, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab, up from nearly 46 million who voted before Election Day in the last midterms, in 2022.

A Democratic victory in one or both chambers could result in congressional investigations of the Trump administration, which for two years has enjoyed largely compliant Republican majorities.

Trump has been on a campaign blitz in multiple states over the past month but is not scheduled to travel on Saturday, when there will be a mash-up of American traditions: politics, Halloween and college football across the country. Trump returns to the campaign trail on Sunday in Kansas and Iowa.

The DOJ’s top prosecutor in Alaska, US Attorney Michael Heyman, said at a Friday press conference that a recent New York Times article about the supposed recruitment effort had driven a “surge” of FBI resources, adding that he had assigned several prosecutors to the case and that investigative steps were taking place “intensely and swiftly.”

The Times reported on Wednesday that aides to Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola recruited Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to run. Heyman labeled him a “sham candidate” but declined to say what crime may have been committed.

The department had already filed its civil action but, Heyman said, “when the New York Times article hit, that’s additional information that accelerated what we’ve been doing.”

Peltola has denied knowing about any effort to recruit the second Sullivan. The retired teacher has denied coordinating with Peltola’s campaign.

ADMINISTRATION GETS INVOLVED IN RACES NATIONWIDE

The Trump administration has also sued California to try to prevent the counting of ballots cast by more than 20,000 registered voters who the administration alleged could be noncitizens. It has also sued roughly 30 states and the District of Columbia, seeking unredacted voter rolls, part of a pattern that has alarmed election officials.

A federal judge on Friday ordered the DOJ to stop threatening to prosecute California election officials who do not comply with the Trump administration’s directives regarding alleged voting by noncitizens. 

Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the voting rights and elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said the administration’s actions parallel the tactics undertaken by election deniers in the 2020 presidential election. While the administration is unlikely to win in court, he said, the efforts could create a political atmosphere that leads to official misconduct.

“It’s about creating uncertainty, sowing fear, distrust, chaos, hoping that you create the political circumstances in which maybe the lieutenant governor of Alaska does feel pressure to do something that they’re not supposed to do. Maybe the governor does start to question things, too,” Morales-Doyle said.

Even so, a bipartisan majority of US voters trust the overall electoral process, with 76% saying they are confident their ballots will be counted accurately, according to a September 30 to October 5 Reuters/Ipsos poll. Some 15% were not confident and the rest were not sure or did not answer the question. Confidence was about equally high among Republicans and Democrats.

Reporting by Andrew Goudsward and David Morgan in Washington and Nathan Frandino in Anchorage; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Sergio Non and William Mallard

Japanese bodybuilder, 90, flexes ageless ambition on Spanish stage

The 90-year-old travelled to the coastal town of Santa Susanna to compete against rivals decades his junior in the masters category for athletes aged 50 and older in a competition held by the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation

Bodybuilding – IFBB World Fitness Championships – Santa Susanna, Spain – October 30, 2026 90 year old bodybuilder Japan’s Toshisuke Kanazawa poses with his participation medal after the event REUTERS/Albert Gea

International News via Reuters:

Nonagenarian Japanese bodybuilder Toshisuke Kanazawa took to the stage on Spain’s Costa del Maresme on Friday, aiming to prove that age is no barrier to peak physical fitness.

The 90-year-old travelled to the coastal town of Santa Susanna to compete against rivals decades his junior in the masters category for athletes aged 50 and older in a competition held by the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.

Backstage, Kanazawa mirrored the preparations of younger competitors, warming up with his team and applying spray tan before flexing under the stage lights.

“I like to try doing things that nobody else has done, and more than anything I want to pursue bodybuilding for the rest of my life,” Kanazawa said.

Kanazawa credits his longevity and conditioning to strict dietary habits, saying that a routine established decades ago has kept him robust.

“This is something I’ve been researching and want to learn more about. But ever since I turned 50, I’ve been building muscle by eating a purely Japanese diet: brown rice, natto (a fermented soya bean dish)), and miso soup,” he said.

“It’s really the classic Japanese way of eating. And thanks to that, I’ve gone 90 years without ever getting sick.”

Though he did not finish on the podium, Kanazawa remains focused on pushing the sport’s boundaries, outlining plans for one final appearance before stepping away from competition.

“I’m thinking I might give it one more go at 93. After that, I’ll probably have to retire,” he said.

“As you get older, you start developing wrinkles, quite a lot of them. In Japan, there’s this idea that once you get those wrinkles, it just doesn’t look very good anymore.”

Ultimately, Kanazawa hopes his perseverance inspires older generations to remain active and challenge conventional limits.

“Once you set your mind to something, you need to develop the mental strength and determination to see it through no matter what,” Kanazawa said.

“I want people to work hard just as I have. I believe that if they do, we’ll see more people like me even as they get older. That’s what I hope for, and I want to be a good role model.”

Reporting by Horaci Garcia and Nina Lopez; Writing by Rory Carroll; Editing by Tom Hogue

Mass protests sweep Italy during nationwide strike

Grassroots union Unione Sindacale di Base called a 24-hour general strike, with protests planned in more than 40 cities

People protest during a nationwide strike, in Milan, Italy, October 30, 2026, in this screengrab from a video. SKYTG24/Handout via REUTERS

International News via Reuters:

Tens of thousands of people, mostly students and workers, took to the streets across Italy on Friday to demand higher wages and stronger public services, protest against the rising cost of living and oppose increased military spending.

Grassroots union Unione Sindacale di Base called a 24-hour general strike, with protests planned in more than 40 cities.

The demonstrations, which came after clashes earlier this month in which protesters fought with police, looted shops and vandalised property, were largely peaceful, although tensions flared in some areas.

In Turin, police used a water cannon to push back students and left-wing activists who approached security cordons protecting the prefecture building.

A large march passed near the Colosseum, in Rome, where protesters said they planned to set up tents and remain over the weekend. Some rubbish bins were placed across streets and set on fire. In the evening, a large group tried to march towards parliament, prompting police to use water cannon to disperse the crowd, Italian news agency ANSA reported. Eight people were detained after repeatedly trying to break through police barricades, it said.

In Milan, protesters marched onto the city’s ring road before ending the march in front of the Politecnico di Milano university. Demonstrators carried flares and set fire to objects.

Around 15,000 port workers, students and other demonstrators entered the port of Genoa, joining similar protests in Europe and elsewhere against the use of ports for arms shipments and highlighting the deaths of seafarers in conflicts from the Gulf to the Black Sea.

A wave of protests has swept across European countries including France, Spain, Belgium and Albania, driven by grievances including the cost of living.

Reporting by Reuters Staff; Editing by Xevi Fontdegloria and Nia Williams

Judge orders Trump administration to cease threats to prosecute election officials

The ruling comes days before next week’s US midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, where Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in ​the ⁠House of Representatives and Senate

First Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli attends a court hearing held by US District Judge David Carter to hear arguments in a Justice Department’s lawsuit that seeks to block California from counting any mail ballots for the November 3 midterm elections from more than ‌20,000 registered voters the Trump administration alleges are likely noncitizens in Los Angeles, California, US, October 27, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole

International News via Reuters:

A US judge ordered the Justice Department on Friday to stop threatening to prosecute state and local election officials who do not comply with the Trump administration’s demands related to voting by alleged non-citizens.

The ruling comes days before next week’s US midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, where Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in ​the ⁠House of Representatives and Senate. Although several key races appear closely contested, polls favor Democrats to take control of the House and give them a plausible chance of a Senate majority.

In the months leading up to the midterms, President Donald Trump’s administration has taken an aggressive approach to election oversight, such as ⁠pressing states for voter-registration data, saying stricter measures are ​needed to ensure election security and public confidence in the vote. 

But the Justice Department went too far this month when it threatened to prosecute state and county officials who do not cooperate with the Trump administration’s election-related initiatives, US District Judge Trina Thompson ruled in connection with a lawsuit brought by election workers’ unions and some other groups. 

“Because the public has a paramount interest in ensuring that election officials and workers are able to carry out their work in accordance with federal law and election procedure, and the official day of the Elections is only a couple of days away, the balance of the equities and public interest weigh in Plaintiffs’ favor,” Thompson wrote in her temporary restraining order. 

The Justice Department had no immediate comment on the ruling.

Critics, including political ​experts as well as Democratic and some Republican election officials, have viewed the Trump administration’s moves as federal overreach. Some election officials have told Reuters they were preparing for potential federal interference in the midterm elections.

Thompson, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, ordered the Trump administration to refrain from demanding that local election officials remove voters from statewide rolls, refuse ballots to specific voters, or segregate ballots cast in the midterm elections, based on a Trump administration list of alleged non-citizen voters.

Trump has made false claims related to elections in the past, including not acknowledging his defeat in ​the 2020 election.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sergio Non and Tom Hogue

Stocks fall on AI cash burn worries while bonds rally with oil

Shares in Google parent Alphabet lost another 1.4%, having slid 12.6% on Thursday, after it reported that massive AI spending turned the company’s cash flow negative

A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, October 28, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

International News via Reuters:

A sharp selloff in Wall Street’s tech shares pushed MSCI’s global index down 1.5% on Friday, sending investors to the safety of US bonds on fears that hefty cash-burning AI investments may not deliver sufficient returns. 

Shares in chipmaker Intel < INTC.O> plunged 28.6% and Amazon shares lost 1.4% after their results each showed that they burned through cash while investing heavily in AI-related development. Intel also said PC demand had slowed, and that it could persist through next year.

Shares in Google parent Alphabet lost another 1.4%, having slid 12.6% on Thursday, after it reported that massive AI spending turned the company’s cash flow negative. 

“We’ve had such a huge move up in the whole complex,” said Sahak Manuelian, managing director for global equities sales and trading at Wedbush Securities, referring to AI-related stocks. “When you’ve had the parabolic-like moves, it makes for a very nasty downdraft. I think that’s what we’re seeing. And then you have people that are starting to pull money out and going to other areas.” 

Earlier, Gene Goldman, chief investment officer at Cetera, described Friday’s stock trading as a “horror show” with AI spending being the villain as cash burn and elevated capex prompted questions about whether the AI returns will “justify the outlays.” 

Goldman also said pressure from rising oil prices due to more attacks in the Middle East and concerns about a hack at Binance, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange, added to the gloom. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies fell.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 572.25 points, or 1.09%, to 51,770.31, the S&P 500 fell 140.32 points, or 1.82%, to 7,580.07 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 747.73 points, or 2.86%, to 25,437.00. 

MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe fell 17.15 points, or 1.51%, to 1,115.47. Earlier, the pan-European STOXX 600 index finished down 0.36%.

On Wall Street, Intel’s selloff spread across the chip sector. The PHLX semiconductor index finished down more than 7% after touching its lowest level since May, marking its biggest daily drop since late June. The S&P 500 technology index lost 4.2% in its weakest day since early June.  

Investors looking for safer bets pushed up consumer staples and utilities. But the top performer on the day was energy, which was bolstered by oil’s rally and results from Exxon Mobil and Chevron. The oil majors posted strong profits due to big refining margins driven by supply disruptions from Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and the Iran war.

In currencies, the yen was headed for its third consecutive daily gain against the dollar on Friday after the Bank of Japan held rates steady but revised up its inflation forecast, while a fresh wave of selling in AI shares triggered demand for non-dollar safe havens.  

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, rose 0.04% to 101.92, with the euro down 0.13% at $1.1163.

Against the Japanese yen, the dollar weakened 0.1% to 157.54.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin fell 2.49% to $76,877.30. Ethereum declined 1.01% to $2,236.76.

US Treasuries rose and the benchmark 10-year yield was eyeing its biggest monthly drop in nearly three years as the selloff in technology-related stocks pushed investors into the safe-haven asset.

The yield on benchmark US 10-year notes fell 5.8 basis points to 4.931% while the 30-year bond yield fell 1.97 basis points to 5.3093%. 

The 2-year note yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations for the Federal Reserve, fell 6.64 basis points to 4.59%.

Oil prices settled at six-month highs as traders braced for a potential escalation in the Iran war after the US midterm elections on Tuesday. The war has lingered for eight months without a resolution. On Friday, a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was attacked, highlighting the ongoing supply risks. [O/R]

US crude settled up 2.08%, or $2.12, to $104.12 a barrel. Brent finished at $117.63 per barrel, up 2.4%, or $2.76 a barrel, on the day.

Precious metals fell. Gold dropped to a one-year low on Friday and silver slid below $50 an ounce for the first time since November 2025, as higher energy prices and persistent inflation concerns strengthened expectations that US interest rates will stay high.

Spot gold fell 3.63% to $3,874.58 an ounce and spot silver fell 6.36% to $49.06 an ounce. 

Reporting by Sinéad Carew in New York, Iain Withers in London and Tom Westbrook and Ankur Banerjee in Singapore; Editing by Tom Hogue, Clarence Fernandez, Stephen Coates, William Maclean, Chizu Nomiyama, Will Dunham and David Gaffen