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Churches, religious groups urged to be PIPA-aware

Gary Foster Skelton
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Churches, religious groups urged to be PIPA-aware

Privacy Commissioner highlights key areas for consideration

Churches and religious organisations must do their due diligence when it comes to handling and storing individuals’ personal information. This, coming from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (PrivCom).

PrivCom Press Release:

Privacy, churches and religious organisations

Bermuda has more churches per square mile than any other country in the world. Faith is an important part of Bermuda’s history and present-day culture. A common sight on a Sunday morning is groups of people, both Bermudians and non-Bermudian residents, congregating for Sunday services in front of the more than 100 places of worship on the island. This unique cultural fabric has very distinct implications for people’s privacy.

Churches use a variety of personal information, both physically and electronically, including sensitive personal information and financial information. This makes privacy – i.e., the protection of individuals’ personal information – a crucial aspect of how religious organisations in Bermuda operate. Importantly, PIPA does not apply to personal or domestic use of personal information. The law applies where personal information is used either by automated means or as part of a structured filing system. For example, the contents of a conversation may not be covered by PIPA, unless the conversation is sharing personal information from a structured filing system.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (PrivCom) is charged with helping the public to understand PIPA. PrivCom has previously published a detailed Guide to PIPA for organisations, as well as Individuals’ Guide to PIPA to help people understand their rights.

Small churches and religious organisations may also find useful the resources in the Advice to Small Business. If they are unsure how to get started, PrivCom recommends they use the Road to PIPA as an instruction manual.

Here are key privacy-related areas to consider that are specific to religious organisations.

  1. Protection of personal information

Churches and other religious organisations collect, use, and store personal information, such as individuals’ full names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and financial information for tithes and donations. Some churches use CCTV for security reasons, which has a series of implications for people’s privacy (see our guidance note on risks and best practices).

Like all organisations, churches should identify the minimum amount of personal information they need in order to fulfil their purpose. They should hold only that amount of information, not more. This is sometimes referred to as “data minimisation”. Churches need to be able to demonstrate that they have appropriate processes in place, ensuring that their use of personal information is proportionate (that is, they only collect and hold the personal information they need), fair and lawful.

Churches and religious organisations must notify individuals of the above uses of their personal information through a clear, easy to understand privacy notice. The privacy notice must include all uses of personal information, including which other organisations or third parties it is shared with. Churches should determine who should be the privacy officer (PO). The PO’s role is to help with the privacy programme and also to perform other tasks such as train other staff on privacy. The PO also helps identify members of an internal Privacy Committee: in the case of churches and religious organisations, this could be officials, members, and volunteers who have responsibility for or some connection to handling personal information. Through the implementation of policies and procedures that have to be updated throughout the life cycle of personal information, the PO and members of the Privacy Committee document activities, duties, responsibilities, as well as expectations with respect to how the organisation and the various roles within the organisation use personal information. The PO’s contact details must be included in the privacy notice so that individuals can contact the organisation about their privacy rights, concerns, or complaints, or to ask questions about the organisation’s information handling policies and practices.

  1. Sensitive personal information and information about children

PIPA considers some personal information to be “sensitive” because it could be used for discriminatory reasons. ‘Religious beliefs’ is one element of sensitive personal information. Where individuals can be identified from the personal information that churches keep, an association may be made between the individual and their respective religion.

Some churches operate Sunday schools, youth programmes or clubs, as well as summer camps. They should consider the unique risks and harms relating to children’s personal information.

Churches may also collect health-related information on individuals’ medical conditions and special needs. By its very nature, this sensitive information requires organisations to implement enhanced protections. Churches should ensure they only use the information in appropriate ways and in accordance with the purposes outlined in their privacy notice. Importantly, no organisation, including churches and religious organisations, may use sensitive personal information to discriminate against any person contrary to any provision of Part II of the Human Rights Act 1981.

  1. Financial information

Churches collect tithes and donations physically and online. They also process payments. Such information may be vulnerable to physical misappropriation, identity theft, and/or cyberattacks. Under PIPA, organisations must protect information according to the risk.

  1. Consent

Churches should make sure they identify one or more conditions for using personal information that are required under PIPA section 6. Individuals’ consent, which can be withdrawn, is one condition that would allow organisations to use personal information – but it is not the only one. Other conditions for using personal information include, for example, fulfilling a legal obligation, contractual necessity, or in relation to employment.

Where churches record sermons or livestream religious services or special occasions such as weddings and funerals on social media platforms, they must seek individuals’ consent prior to or at the time of doing so. As a good practice, churches may provide a seating option for people who do not wish to be recorded on video.

  1. Confidentiality

Individuals may seek spiritual guidance and pastoral care from pastors and other authorised members of the clergy. There is a long tradition that such information is strictly confidential. Unauthorised disclosure of or access to the information might result in ethical issues (like a breach of trust) or legal challenges (like breaches of confidentiality agreements and/or codes of conduct). If a record is kept, such as in a filing system, then such information may also be considered personal information under PIPA.

  1. Information security

Churches and other religious organisations should know what types of personal information they store, where they store it, for how long they keep it, who has access to it, and who they share it with. They should implement appropriate security protocols to protect all types of personal information, especially specific elements of personal information that are sensitive by their very nature. Security can be as simple as using a lock-and-key on a cabinet or a password on a computer – however, security should be appropriate to the context.

  1. Breaches of security

If the security measures used by churches and religious organisations are inadequate or weak, this may lead to unauthorised access to information. In PIPA, this is called a breach of security. Such incidents may expose individuals’ personal information, including sensitive personal information or financial information. Breaches of security could potentially result in the loss, misuse, or unauthorised disclosure of or access to that information, and the affected individuals may become the victims of financial fraud, identity theft, and/or suffer other types of harm and hardship. When an organisation suffers a breach of security that is likely to adversely affect an individual, they must notify PrivCom and the affected individuals.

Importantly, even organisations with the strongest possible safeguards may be hacked. In light of this potentiality, it is recommended that organisations plan ahead and put in place a robust incident response plan (IRP). They can start by considering a series of incident response-related questions.

  1. PIPA Rights Requests

Under PIPA, individuals have the ability to ask organisations questions, such as what information the organisations have or how they use it. If the organisation no longer has a need to use the information for a specific purpose, the individual could ask the church or religious organisation to delete it. These rights have exceptions when the organisation has a reason to keep personal information under the law. Churches should make sure that their privacy officer is ready to answer these requests, because there is a 45-day time limit to respond. More details can be found in the Road to PIPA, Guide to PIPA and Individuals Guide to PIPA.

For more information, visit our website at www.privacy.bm or contact us at 441-543-7748.

Testing Bermuda’s tsunami-readiness

Gary Foster Skelton
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Testing Bermuda’s tsunami-readiness

Emergency agencies will perform annual exercise on Thursday

The Ministry of National Security, through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team, will conduct the Caribe Wave 25 Tsunami Exercise on Thursday, March 20 at 11:00 A.M. local time.

The annual drill is designed to assess Bermuda’s emergency communication systems and response protocols in the event of a tsunami, in order to reinforce the Island’s preparedness efforts.

National Security Minister Michael Weeks says, “While the likelihood of a tsunami impacting Bermuda remains low, our commitment to readiness must remain high… This exercise enhances our ability to respond swiftly and effectively, ensuring we are equipped to protect lives and property should the unexpected occur.”

The exercise will simulate the impact of a powerful 8.6-magnitude earthquake in the Azores-Cape St. Vincent Ridge, triggering a series of test tsunami notifications.

The Bermuda Weather Service (BWS)—the Island’s designated Tsunami Warning Focal Point—will initiate the exercise by issuing a test tsunami watch and subsequent updates to key emergency agencies, including the Maritime Operations Centre (MAROps) and the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO).

Following the exercise, officials will conduct a virtual debrief on the 27th of March.

Premier and Attorney General: Changes on the horizon

Grae Minors
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Premier and Attorney General: Changes on the horizon

Presenting post-Throne Speech roadmap to bring Bermuda up to speed

A fairer, more stable, affordable Bermuda—Premier and Finance Minister David Burt and Attorney General Kim Wilkerson promising equity, fairness, and the review of older legislation that might not be fit for purpose in 2025.

The duo addressing the media this morning at the Cabinet Office. Premier Burt says that the Government’s stated mission outlined in last week’s Throne Speech will build on the roadmap presented in the November 2024 Throne Speech in the areas of banking, housing, pensions, and employee protections.

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In November, keeping with our promise, the government table, legislation to establish a new payroll taxes from the public service industry. This legislation implements fixed payroll tax levels on minibus, seeding capacity while reducing taxes by 40% for taxers. We’ve increased the maximum severance for employees to 32 weeks. 
We also meant the law to remove the requirement of a payroll tax on severance pay, providing stability and fairness for employees in a period transition.”

A commitment to environmental protections also in motion through the Clean Air Act, which the Premier says will “strengthen air standards and safeguard our environment, the health and quality life in Bermuda.”

Premier Burt pointing toward the banking industry, pledging to ensure Bermudians do not face unfair barriers to opening a bank account. Fair and balanced tax burdens via reforms in light of the Corporate Income Tax. Funds from CIT managed prudently.

You can watch the full press conference, including Attorney General Kim Wilkerson’s unveiling of pending legal reforms and the creation of a law reform commission, below.

Dollar hobbled by economic worries; euro remains in favour

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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Dollar hobbled by economic worries; euro remains in favour

Sterling rose 0.26% to $1.2971, in line with the euro

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

International news via Reuters:

The dollar hovered near a five-month low against major peers on Monday, bruised by President Donald Trump’s erratic trade policies and soft economic data, at a time when other currencies, including the euro, benefit from domestic drivers.

The euro was last at $1.0905, up 0.2% on the day, and heading back towards the $1.0947 it hit last week, its highest since October 11.

The Japanese yen was also marginally stronger on the day at 148.48 per dollar, again after hitting its strongest in five months last week at 146.5 to the dollar.

That left the dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency against its six major counterparts, at 103.5, just off its five-month trough of 103.21 reached last Tuesday.

Currency markets have undergone a shift in recent months, as traders re-evaluate their initial expectations that Trump’s economic policies would both support the dollar and cause other currencies to weaken.

In fact the reverse has happened, and analysts at Societe Generale said on Monday that they had changed their currency forecasts “to reflect Germany’s planned fiscal changes, the U.S. economy’s self-inflicted (relative) fragility, and Japan’s escape from deflation”.

They see the euro at $1.13 by year-end and the yen at 139 per dollar.

‘IMPORTANT MOMENT’ FOR GERMANY AND EURO

German parties on Friday agreed on a fiscal deal that could boost defence spending and revive growth in Europe’s largest economy.

The deal will likely be approved by the outgoing parliament this week. It includes a 500 billion-euro ($544 billion) fund for infrastructure and sweeping changes to borrowing rules.

“This is such an important moment in Europe’s history that surely it will … confirm that 2022’s EUR/USD low isn’t seen again for at least a decade (or two),” said Societe Generale.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan is tipped to keep interest rates steady when it meets on Wednesday, but the conditions for another rate hike have been falling into place, with big Japanese firms offering bumper pay hikes in wage talks with unions for a third-straight year.

Speaking in parliament last week, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said he expects wage rises to spur a pick-up in consumption, although he was “very worried” about uncertainties surrounding overseas economic developments.

As for the United States, data on Friday showed consumer sentiment plunged to a nearly 2-1/2-year low in March and inflation expectations soared amid worries about the effect of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which have ignited a global trade war.

U.S. retail sales figures due later on Monday will offer the next insight into the health of the world’s largest economy.

The Federal Reserve meets on Wednesday and is expected to hold rates steady. The central banks of Britain, Sweden and Switzerland are also scheduled to meet this week, with markets expecting only the Swiss National Bank to cut rates.

Sterling rose 0.26% to $1.2971, in line with the euro.

Meanwhile, the Chinese yuan edged back towards its strongest level in four months in offshore trading, changing hands at 7.2332 per dollar. Last Wednesday, it strengthened to 7.2158 per dollar for the first time since November 13.

On Sunday, China’s State Council unveiled a “special action plan” to boost domestic consumption, featuring measures including increasing residents’ income and establishing a childcare subsidy scheme.

During the session, a string of China data showed the economy started the year on a firmer footing with retail sales picking up speed in the first two months.

Reporting by Kevin BucklandEditing by Shri Navaratnam, Gareth Jones and Sharon Singleton

Soccer-West Ham’s Antonio confident of playing again after serious injury

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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Soccer-West Ham’s Antonio confident of playing again after serious injury

The 34-year-old faces a long road to recovery before he can return to the field

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Premier League – Chelsea v West Ham United – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – May 5, 2024 West Ham United’s Michail Antonio reacts after conceding their third goal scored by Chelsea’s Noni Madueke Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo

International news via Reuters:

West Ham United forward Michail Antonio is confident he will be able to play again after suffering a serious leg injury in a road accident in December.

Antonio’s car hit a tree on his way home from training, shattering the Jamaica international’s femur in four places, and he spent over three weeks in hospital after undergoing surgery.

“The most difficult part is that I almost wasn’t there for my children,” Antonio said in an interview with the BBC’s “Morning Live” published on Monday.

“It’s just made me happy, positive about life, because I’ve got another chance at life.”

The 34-year-old Antonio, who has been at West Ham since 2015, is able to walk again but still faces a long road to recovery before he can return to playing football.

“Overall, they say it will be between six (and) 12 months before my leg starts healing properly,” he said.

“It’s the biggest injury I’ve ever had in my career. But the fact that I’m already two to three months ahead of where I should be, I know that I’ll play again, and I know that once I’m playing the game I’ll get the sharpness back.”

Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond

Fire at packed North Macedonia nightclub kills 59

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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Fire at packed North Macedonia nightclub kills 59

More than 20 of the injured and three of those killed were aged under 18

International news via Reuters:

Fire ripped through a packed and unlicensed nightclub early on Sunday in the North Macedonian town of Kocani, killing 59 people and injuring more than 150, officials said, after sparks ignited the roof as a live band performed.

Hundreds of people scrambled for the small venue’s only exit as the fire spread across the ceiling, leaving many trapped in the country’s deadliest incident in years.

One video from the event, verified by Reuters, showed the moment the fire began: as the band played on stage, two flares spat white sparks into the air, setting a patch of ceiling alight. Seconds later, the panic began.

A drone view shows workers preparing graves at the cemetery following a fire at the Pulse nightclub that resulted in dozens of deaths, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Marko Djurica TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Workers prepare graves at the cemetery following a fire at the Pulse nightclub that resulted in dozens of deaths, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

“Fire broke out, everyone started screaming and shouting: ‘Get out, get out’,” Marija Taseva, 22, told Reuters.

As she tried to escape, Taseva fell to the ground and people trod on her, injuring her face. In the rush, she lost contact with her sister, who did not make it out.

“My sister died,” Taseva said, breaking into tears.

Authorities arrested about 20 people in connection with the fire, including government officials and the manager of the “Pulse” nightclub, which did not have a valid licence, Interior Minister Pance Toskovski told a press conference.

People hug outside a hospital following a fire at the Pulse nightclub that resulted in dozens of deaths in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis
People line up to give DNA samples, outside a hospital following a fire at the Pulse nightclub that resulted in dozens of deaths in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis

More than 20 of the injured and three of those killed were aged under 18, he said.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the licence was issued illegally by the economy ministry and promised those responsible would face justice.

“Regardless of who they are, from which institution, from what level, from which party and profession,” Mickoski said. He declared seven days of national mourning.

The fire began at around 3 a.m. (0200 GMT). About 500 people were in the club at the time, authorities said.

Reuters pictures showed the club’s corrugated iron roof burned through and collapsed in places, its interior wooden beams exposed and blackened.

More than 150 people were hospitalized in Skopje, Kocani and surrounding towns, Health Minister Arben Taravari said, adding that 20 people were critically injured.

People searched for missing loved ones online and at hospitals across the country.

A police officer cries while hugging a person outside a hospital following a fire at the Pulse nightclub that resulted in dozens of deaths in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis
Tomco Stojanov, who lost his son Andrej, 24, in a fire at the Pulse nightclub that resulted in dozens of deaths, holds a photo of his son outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis

Outside the main hospital in Kocani, relatives and friends of the victims hugged each other and lit candles. Anger and grief spilled over.

“I’m a dead man, I lost everything. They should film me, the whole of Europe should know,” said one man.

“(I knew) 5 or 6, one of those was killed,” said Kocani resident Mihail Gavrilov. “It’s devastating for the entire city and the entire country.”

Simeon Sokolov, 50, found his daughter Anastasija in the emergency ward of the September 8 hospital in the capital Skopje, where she was being treated for burns and smoke inhalation. 

“I just know that there are many children who have suffered,” he told Reuters. “Doctors are doing their job and the number is big.”

Some patients were transferred to neighbouring Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece for treatment, authorities from those countries said. 

Condolences flooded in from global leaders, including EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Pope Francis.

Emergency responders operate outside a night club, following a fire resulting in casualties, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 16, 2025. REUTERS/Ognien Teofilovski
Night club fire scene, Kocani, North Macedonia, March 16, 2025. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski

INVESTIGATION

North Macedonia’s Public Prosecutor Ljupco Kocevski said five prosecutors would investigate the incident. 

“At the moment, orders have been issued to collect evidence” and people were being interviewed, Kocevski said, without elaborating.

Toskovski said authorities had arrested members of the band, the son of the club owner and government officials.

Emergency responders operate outside a night club, following a fire resulting in casualties, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 16, 2025. REUTERS/Ognien Teofilovski
Emergency responders operate outside a night club, following a fire resulting in casualties, in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, March 16, 2025. REUTERS/Ognien Teofilovski

After visiting the injured in a hospital in Skopje, North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, dressed in black and fighting tears, said authorities would do everything to help all those affected. 

“I simply cannot comprehend this … what a disaster, what a tragedy.” 

Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Fatos Bytyci, Fedja Grulovic and Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Giles Elgood

Olympics: Candidates for IOC president on transgender athletes in women’s sport

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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Olympics: Candidates for IOC president on transgender athletes in women’s sport

“We must be guided by biological fact, not cultural trends. “

FILE PHOTO: The Olympic rings symbol is displayed at the Olympic House, ahead of the Executive Board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), in Lausanne, Switzerland, December 3, 2024. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

International news via Reuters:

The increasingly polarising debate over transgender athletes in women’s sport has become a key issue for candidates vying to become the next president of the International Olympic Committee. 

This is what the contenders said on the issue in their official bids for the top job in world sport.

Below are references to the issue contained in the manifestos of five of the seven candidates, published in December. Two candidates did not express a view in their manifestos. The link to their full documents can be found here: manifestos.

David Lappartient: French, head of the International Cycling Federation (UCI).

As for transgender athletes, it is a complex matter that must be dealt with rationally to strike the right balance between the need to respect human rights and the obligation to ensure fair competition. 

We cannot ignore what female athletes are saying, but our decisions must also be grounded on solid scientific evidence.

A combination picture shows the seven candidates in the race for the IOC presidency, Kirsty Coventry, Sebastian Coe, Prince Faisal Al Hussein, Morinari Watanabe, David Lappartient, Johan Eliasch and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. March 14, 2025. REUTERS

The IOC must guide International Federations towards decisions based on common principles and avoid a situation in which each International Federation takes a different stance in equivalent scenarios, which could harm the unity of the Olympic Movement. 

However, we need to accept that the response may vary from one sport to the next.

Johan Eliasch: Swedish/British, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).

Women’s sports must be ring-fenced: no ifs, no buts. There can be no grey areas. The integrity of women’s sport must be protected whatever the cultural pressures. 

We must be guided by biological fact, not cultural trends. 

Regardless of current testosterone levels, exposure to puberty creates sex differences in height, weight and so on which can provide a sporting advantage. 

It is on the basis of this biological fact that I firmly believe we must ring-fence women’s sport, ensuring that only those who were born female can compete in women’s sport. 

While international federations are ultimately autonomous organisations which set their own policies, it is vital that sports bodies across the globe have a uniform approach.

The IOC should lead the way, establishing a simple and clear policy to ensure a fair and safe environment for all athletes, particularly women. 

What is paramount is not public opinion or prevailing trends but the integrity and safety of women’s sport.

The Olympics and Paralympics must be inclusive for all. We need to be open-minded about how to recognise the fact that every human being has a right not only to participate in sport, but to compete at the highest levels.

This could mean, for instance, separate categorisation based on biological identity and science-based metrics. 

Juan Antonio Samaranch: Spanish, member of the Spanish National Olympic Committee.

The IOC has a fundamental duty to safeguard women’s sport by adopting a policy to maintain unambiguous distinctions between men’s and women’s categories. The IOC must lead on this issue by setting clear guidelines for competition.

Kirsty Coventry: Zimbabwean, national Sports Minister. 

I am dedicated to the equality of all athletes from all countries, which also means strengthening women’s sports by protecting female athletes and promoting equal opportunities for women at all levels of our Movement. 

Sebastian Coe, British, president of World Athletics.

Protect and promote the integrity of women’s sport. I will advocate for clear, science-based policies that safeguard the female category. 

We will work closely with world-leading medical and educational institutions to increase research into female health, performance and exercise physiology. Women’s sport is at a critical juncture. We must navigate this with sensitivity and resolve to ensure current and future generations of women choose sport.

Morinari Watanabe: Japanese, president of the international gymnastics federation (FIG).

No reference in manifesto, but has subsequently said his approach was to balance inclusion with protecting women’s rights.

“The IOC must embrace diversity, but we must also protect women’s rights. This is a principle we have to take seriously.

“We don’t have a final position yet and we need more research to ensure that our decisions are based on science and respect for the rights of all.” 

Feisal Al Hussein: Jordanian, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee. 

No reference in manifesto, but has subsequently said: “When it comes to the inclusion of transgender people, it is very important that they are treated fairly and equitably, always under the principle that there should be no unfair advantages, and if there are, they should be addressed like any other type of injustice in sport.”

Reporting by Mitch Phillips, Karolos Grohman, Rohith Nair; Editing by Frank McGurty and Julien Pretot

Trump administration weighs travel ban on dozens of countries, memo says

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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Trump administration weighs travel ban on dozens of countries, memo says

The memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups

International news via Reuters:

The Trump administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo seen by Reuters.

The memo lists a total of 41 countries divided into three separate groups. The first group of 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea among others, would be set for a full visa suspension.

In the second group, five countries — Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan — would face partial suspensions that would impact tourist and student visas as well as other immigrant visas, with some exceptions.

In the third group, a total of 26 countries that includes Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan among others would be considered for a partial suspension of U.S. visa issuance if their governments “do not make efforts to address deficiencies within 60 days”, the memo said.

A U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity cautioned there could be changes on the list and that it was yet to be approved by the administration, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The New York Times first reported on the list of countries.

Tijuana, March 12, 2025. REUTERS/Aimee Melo

The move harkens back to President Donald Trump’s first term ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats.

That order directed several cabinet members to submit by March 21 a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”

Trump’s directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term.

He previewed his plan in an October 2023 speech, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Costas PitasEditing by Sam Holmes

Venezuela blasts ‘illegal’ US deportations under wartime law

Bermuda Broadcasting Newsdesk
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Venezuela blasts ‘illegal’ US deportations under wartime law

Called on the international community to mobilize against what it called a dangerous precedent

Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in this handout image obtained March 16, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS

International news via Reuters:

Venezuela’s government on Sunday blasted the U.S. implementation of a rarely used wartime law, rapidly blocked by a U.S. judge, to deport over 200 alleged members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua to El Salvador.

“Venezuela rejects the application of an anachronistic law, illegal and in violation of human rights, against our migrants,” Venezuela’s government said in a statement, adding its “profound indignation at the threat of kidnapping 14-year-old children.”

Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, at the San Oscar Arnulfo Romero international airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, in this handout image obtained March 16, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS
Alleged members of the Tren Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government are processed to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, in Tecoluca, El Salvador, in this handout image obtained March 16, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS

El Salvador’s presidential office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment and it was not immediately clear what charges the alleged gang members face in El Salvador, or whether children are part of the group.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said in a post on X early on Sunday that it had received the first 238 alleged members of Tren de Aragua, and they had been immediately transferred to a terrorism detention center for a period of one year, subject to renewal.

This was a day after the Associated Press reported, citing an internal memo, that the United States would pay El Salvador $6 million for the arrangement.

“The United States will pay a very low fee for them, but a high one for us,” Bukele said in the post, adding that the country had also sent 23 members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13.

Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, at the El Salvador International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, in this handout image obtained March 16, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS
Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, at the El Salvador International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, in this handout image obtained March 16, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS

Venezuela’s government called on the international community, especially the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), to mobilize against what it called a dangerous precedent against the entire region.

Reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Mark Porter

UK finance minister Reeves to unveil action plan to cut over-regulation

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UK finance minister Reeves to unveil action plan to cut over-regulation

New system to support businesses to innovate with help from the Regulatory Innovation Office

FILE PHOTO: Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves ahead of a meeting at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Canary Wharf, London, Britain February 20, 2025. Jordan Pettitt/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

International news via Reuters:

British finance minister Rachel Reeves will meet financial, environmental and health regulators on Monday to unveil an “action plan” to cut red tape by reducing the number of bodies overseeing sectors seen as crucial to boosting economic growth.

Days after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would abolish a body which oversees the state-funded health system in England to cut bureaucracy, Reeves will pledge to cut the administrative cost of regulation on business by a quarter.

“Today we are taking further action to free businesses from the shackles of regulation,” Reeves said in a statement.

“By cutting red tape and creating a more effective system, we will boost investment, create jobs and put more money into working people’s pockets.”

Faced with tight public finances, Starmer and Reeves are trying to find savings but also unlock new ways to try to boost sluggish economic growth, which contracted in January.

At Monday’s meeting with eight regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority, Reeves will say environmental guidance will be looked at to end cases when infrastructure projects are delayed by demands such as protecting bat habitats.

The finance ministry said work would begin with major regulators, such as those in financial services, energy watchdog Ofgem and water regulator Ofwat, to have their legal duties slimmed down “so that they do not waste time satisfying redundant duties”.

It said the new system would also support businesses to innovate with help from the Regulatory Innovation Office, which is looking at ways to bring new technologies to market more quickly.

Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Helen Popper

Trump to speak with Putin on Tuesday about ending war in Ukraine

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Trump to speak with Putin on Tuesday about ending war in Ukraine

Russia’s Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Putin would speak with Trump by phone

International news via Reuters:

U.S. President Donald Trump said he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and discuss ending the war in Ukraine, after positive talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Moscow.

“We want to see if we can bring that war to an end,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One during a flight back to the Washington area from Florida. “Maybe we can, maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance.

“I’ll be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday. A lot of work’s been done over the weekend.”

Trump is trying to win Putin’s support for a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week, as both sides continued trading heavy aerial strikes through the weekend and Russia moved closer to ejecting Ukrainian forces from their months-old foothold in the western Russian region of Kursk.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 28, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

When asked about what concessions are being considered in ceasefire negotiations, Trump said: “We’ll be talking about land. We’ll be talking about power plants…We’re already talking about that, dividing up certain assets.”

Trump did not elaborate but was most likely referring to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia facility in Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear plant. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of risking an accident at the plant with their actions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Putin would speak with Trump by phone but declined to comment on Trump’s remarks about land and power plants.

The Kremlin said on Friday that Putin had sent Trump a message about his ceasefire plan via U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who held talks in Moscow, expressing “cautious optimism” that a deal could be reached to end the three-year conflict.

A Russian service member walks past destroyed buildings in the town of Sudzha, which was recently retaken by Russia’s armed forces in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Kursk region, Russia, in this still image from video released March 15, 2025. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

In separate appearances on Sunday TV shows in the United States, Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, emphasized that there were still challenges to be worked out before Russia agrees to a ceasefire, much less a final peaceful resolution to the war.

Asked on ABC whether the U.S. would accept a peace deal in which Russia was allowed to keep stretches of eastern Ukraine that it has seized, Waltz replied, “Are we going to drive every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil?” He added that the negotiations had to be grounded in “reality.”

Rubio told CBS a final peace deal would involve “concessions from both Russia and Ukraine,” and that it would be difficult to even begin those negotiations “as long as they’re shooting at each other”.

An overnight Ukrainian drone attack targeted energy facilities in Russia’s southern Astrakhan region, injuring one person and sparking a fire, the regional governor said. Kyiv’s mayor said on Monday Russia had carried out an overnight drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.

‘IRONCLAD’ GUARANTEES

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he saw a good chance to end the Russian war after Kyiv accepted the U.S. proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire.

However, Zelenskiy has consistently said the sovereignty of his country is not negotiable and that Russia must surrender the territory it has seized. Russia seized the Crimea peninsula in 2014 and now controls most of four eastern Ukrainian regions since it invaded the country in 2022.

Firefighters work at the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Chernihiv, Ukraine March 16, 2025. REUTERS/Maksym Kishka

Russia will seek “ironclad” guarantees in any peace deal that NATO nations exclude Kyiv from membership and that Ukraine will remain neutral, a Russian deputy foreign minister said in remarks published on Monday.

In an interview with the Russian media outlet Izvestia that made no reference to the ceasefire proposal, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that any long-lasting peace treaty on Ukraine must meet Moscow’s demands.

“We will demand that ironclad security guarantees become part of this agreement,” Izvestia cited Grushko as saying.

“Part of these guarantees should be the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of NATO countries to accept it into the alliance.”

Putin has said his military incursion into Ukraine was because NATO’s creeping expansion threatened Russia’s security. He has demanded that Ukraine drop its NATO ambitions, that Russia keeps control of all Ukrainian territory seized, and that the size of the Ukrainian army be limited. He also wants Western sanctions eased and a presidential election in Ukraine, which Kyiv says is premature while martial law is in force.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday that the conditions demanded by Russia to agree to a ceasefire showed that Moscow does not really want peace.

PEACEKEEPERS

Trump, who has upended U.S. policy by shifting closer to Moscow, berated Zelenskiy in a meeting in Washington last month that ended with the Ukrainian leader leaving the White House early.

But Ukraine’s acceptance of a proposed ceasefire has now put the onus on Russia to cede to Trump’s demands and will test the U.S. president’s more positive view of Putin.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that Western allies other than the U.S. were stepping up preparations to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, with defence chiefs set to firm up “robust plans” next week.

Britain and France both have said that they are willing to send a peacekeeping force to monitor any ceasefire in Ukraine.

Russia has ruled out peacekeepers until the war has ended.

“If they appear there, it means that they are deployed in the conflict zone with all the consequences for these contingents as parties to the conflict,” Russia’s Grushko said.

“We can talk about unarmed observers, a civilian mission that would monitor the implementation of individual aspects of this agreement, or guarantee mechanisms. In the meantime, it’s just hot air.”

Reporting by Nathan Layne, Jeff Mason, David Ljunggren, Julia Harte, Lidia Kelly, Additional reporting by Bart Meijer in Brussels, Writing by Michael Perry and Gareth Jones, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Angus MacSwan

Trump trade war to sap Canadian, Mexican and US growth, OECD says

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Trump trade war to sap Canadian, Mexican and US growth, OECD says

Global growth on course to slow slightly from 3.2% in 2024 to 3.1% in 2025

FILE PHOTO: People cross the intersection of SW 8th Steet and Brickell Ave. at the Brickell neighborhood, known as the financial district, in Miami, Florida, U.S., February 23, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo

International news via Reuters:

President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes will drag down growth in Canada, Mexico and the United States while driving up inflation, the OECD forecast on Monday, cutting its global economic outlook and warning that a broader trade war would sap growth further.

In the case of a generalised trade shock, not only will U.S. households pay a high direct price, but the likely economic slowdown will cost the United States more than the extra income the tariffs are supposed to generate, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated in its interim outlook.

Global growth is on course to slow slightly from 3.2% in 2024 to 3.1% in 2025 and 3.0% in 2026, the Paris-based policy forum said, cutting its projections from 3.3% for both this year and next in its previous economic outlook, issued in December.

But the global picture masked divergences among major economies with resilience in some big emerging markets like China helping to make up for a marked slowdown in North America.

The proliferation of tariff hikes would weigh on global business investment and boost inflation, leaving central banks little choice but to keep interest rates higher for longer than previously expected, the OECD said.

The organisation updated its forecasts assuming tariffs between the United States and its neighbours are raised an extra 25 percentage points on almost all goods imports from April.

As a result, U.S. economic growth was seen slowing this year to 2.2% before losing more steam next year to only 1.6%, the OECD said, cutting its forecasts from 2.4% and 2.1% previously.

But the Mexican economy would be hit hardest by the tariff hikes, contracting 1.3% this year and a further 0.6% next year instead of growing 1.2% and 1.6% as previously expected. 

Canada’s growth rate would slow to 0.7% this year and next, well below the 2% previously forecast for both years.

TRADE WAR FALLOUT

With less direct exposure to the trade war for now, the euro area economy was seen gaining momentum this year with 1.0% growth and reaching 1.2% next year, although that was down from previous forecasts for 1.3% and 1.5% respectively.

Stronger government support for Chinese growth would help offset the impact of higher tariffs in the world’s second-biggest economy, the OECD said, forecasting 4.8% growth in 2025 – up from 4.7% – before slowing to 4.4% in 2026 – unchanged from the previous estimate.

However, the OECD said the global outlook would be much worse if Washington escalates the trade war by raising tariffs on all non-commodity imports and its trade partners do the same.

It estimated an increase in bilateral tariffs permanently by 10 percentage points would shave around 0.3 percentage points off global growth by the second and third years of the shock, while global inflation would be on average 0.4 percentage points higher over the first three years.

In such a scenario, the U.S. economy would suffer a significant hit, with growth 0.7 percentage points lower than what it otherwise would have been by the third year. The direct cost to U.S. households could be as much as $1,600 each.

The financial cost from the economic drag from tariffs would also offset any extra income they generate for the public coffers, which means they would be insufficient to pay for lowering other taxes as the U.S. administration has planned.

Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Hugh Lawson

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