Transatlantic round-up: Agony for Smith, Nesbeth and Fishel as Lambe scoops top award
It was a weekend of mixed fortunes and narrow margins for Bermuda’s footballing contingent across the Atlantic, as tough defeats in the United States clashed with celebrations in England.
Khano Smith was left to rue missed opportunities as Rhode Island FC fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Indy Eleven. After a cagey first half, the hosts struck early in the second period. Smith’s men responded with a dominant attacking onslaught, but an inspired six-save performance from Indy goalkeeper Eric Dick left the Ocean State club empty-handed.
In the NWSL, it was déjà vu for Mia Fishel and Seattle Reign FC at Audi Field. The Reign executed a perfect defensive blueprint to frustrate a heavily favored Washington Spirit, only to concede a cruel, late game-winner to fall 2-1. Meanwhile, Leilanni Nesbeth’s Chicago Stars FC suffered a frustrating 2-0 loss away to San Diego Wave FC, undone by a late insurance goal in the dying minutes.
There was plenty of celebration for veteran international Reggie Lambe at Needham Market FC’s awards evening in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite at Portman Road. Lambe walked away with the coveted Goal of the Season award for his spectacular wonder strike against Stratford Town.
Gov’t names inaugural energy scholars
New bursary programme backs Bermudian talent in engineering and energy
The Hon. Alexa N. H. Lightbourne, JP, MP, Minister of Home Affairs, announced the inaugural recipients of the Department of Energy Bursary Programme, in support of Bermudian leadership across the Island’s evolving energy sector.
The Bursary Programme, established under the 2026/2027 Budget Statement, offers two scholarships of $25,000 each and a paid summer internship of eight to twelve weeks within the Department of Energy, commencing Monday 8 June 2026. The Programme invests directly in the next generation of Bermudian professionals across the technical and regulatory fields shaping Bermuda’s energy future.
The two inaugural recipients are Neriah Bean of Paget, reading for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Mathematics and Engineering at Oakwood University, and Benjamin Crofton of Devonshire, reading for a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. Both are expected to graduate in 2029. Both were selected on academic achievement, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to Bermuda’s energy future.
As part of the selection process, applicants submitted essays setting out their perspectives on Bermuda’s energy future and the role of Bermudians in the Island’s transition to a cleaner and more resilient energy system.
The Department of Energy shapes Bermuda’s energy policy and regulatory framework. The Department also oversees telecommunications, broadcasting, and space and satellite operations. These sectors anchor economic resilience, digital connectivity, and national development. Building Bermudian expertise across them is central to a secure, sustainable, and affordable energy future.
The Ministry of Home Affairs will continue the Bursary Programme in each cycle, building the depth of Bermudian expertise required across energy and the related sectors under the Department’s remit.
Minister Lightbourne said, “Bermuda must position Bermudians to lead the transformation of our economy, and this Bursary Programme invests directly in the people, the potential, and the long-term sustainability that future requires.”
Adrian S. Dill, Director of Energy, said, “Both recipients demonstrated strong academic ability and a genuine commitment to Bermuda’s energy future, and this Programme equips them with the education, experience, and exposure to contribute meaningfully to the Island’s evolving energy landscape.”
Media release and image supplied by the Government of Bermuda.
10% boost for public service pensions
Payments begin in October with back pay to April after legislation is tabled
On Friday, the Government introduced the Pensions (Increase) Amendment Act 2026 to provide a 10% increase in pensions for public sector retirees, effective from 1 April 2026. Public sector pensions have been frozen since 2014, and this increase is another promise made to retirees that the Government is delivering on.
The Hon. E. David Burt, JP, MP, Premier and Minister of Finance, said, “This increase recognises the service of public sector retirees and delivers additional financial support, while also reflecting our responsibility to ensure the long-term sustainability of the pension fund.”
Payments will begin in October 2026 and will include retroactive amounts back to April 2026, ensuring there is no loss to retirees because of the implementation timeline. The increase was made possible because the Public Service Superannuation Fund (PSSF) has been stabilised through the Public Service Superannuation (Stabilisation) Amendment Act 2025, which placed public sector pensions on a stable financial footing.
Media release supplied by the Government of Bermuda.
Applications open for Darwin Plus environment fund
Funding available for projects focused on nature conservation, restoration and climate adaptation
Applications are now open for the latest round of Darwin Plus, the UK Government’s flagship environment fund supporting biodiversity conservation and climate resilience across the UK Overseas Territories. The Darwin Plus scheme provides vital financial support for projects that protect some of the world’s most unique ecosystems, helping to deliver long-term environmental outcomes and build resilience to climate change.
The opening of this funding round comes as the UK Government and Overseas Territories continue to implement the UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy, which sets a shared ambition to conserve, protect, and restore nature across territories that are home to over 90% of the UK’s globally unique species. Funding is available across four schemes with organisations, researchers, governments and individuals all invited to apply:
Darwin Plus Local: Up to £50,000 for organisations and £20,000 for individuals, for projects typically lasting up to 12 months.
- Darwin Plus Main: From £50,000 to £1 million per project, for medium scale projects lasting up to 3 years.
- Darwin Plus People & Skills: Up to £100,000 for training, education and capacity building.
- Darwin Plus Strategic: £1million to £3million for large-scale, collaborative, and transformative projects over 3–5 years.
- Together, these schemes support a pipeline of activities—from community-led conservation to large-scale ecosystem restoration and strategic, multi-partner interventions.
- Bermuda has been a strong beneficiary of Darwin Plus funding, with projects demonstrating tangible impacts for biodiversity, climate resilience, and community engagement. Recent and past examples include:
Micro Forest Restoration Initiative: A Darwin Plus Local grant of £50,000 supported the Bermuda Zoological Society in restoring native habitats by replacing invasive species with endemic plants across multiple sites, enhancing biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
- Coral Restoration and Coastal Protection Projects: Darwin Plus funding has enabled the Living Reefs Foundation to develop coral propagation techniques and pilot nature-based solutions to strengthen coastal resilience, including projects designed to protect infrastructure from storm surge and hurricanes.
- Deep-sea biodiversity research: A £316,829 Darwin Plus Main project led by the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences filled key data gaps on deep-sea species to inform marine protection and spatial planning.
- Invasive lionfish control initiative: Early Darwin Plus funding supported research and management tools to control invasive lionfish populations, helping to safeguard reef ecosystems, fisheries, and tourism.
- Regional invertebrate conservation partnership: A multi-territory Darwin Plus Main project (valued at nearly £400,000) includes Bermuda partners working to identify and protect important invertebrate habitats.
These projects highlight Bermuda’s leadership in applying innovative, science-based approaches to biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation.
Supporting a shared vision for nature, Darwin Plus plays a central role in delivering the priorities of the UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy, which emphasises protecting globally significant and unique species, strengthening ecosystem
resilience to climate change, tackling invasive non-native species and building local capacity, skills, and partnerships. The Strategy marks a new era of collaboration between the UK and the Overseas Territories, aligning investment with locally identified priorities and long-term environmental goals.
Since January 2024 alone, Darwin Plus has supported nearly 130 projects across the Overseas Territories, with a combined value exceeding £20 million, demonstrating the scale and impact of the programme.
Eligible applicants—including government bodies, NGOs, research institutions, and private sector organisations—are encouraged to apply for funding to support projects that deliver measurable outcomes for biodiversity and climate resilience. Whether you are scaling up a proven project, or building conservation skills, Darwin Plus has a scheme for you.
Full guidance and application details are available at: https://darwinplus.org.uk/
Media release supplied by Government House Bermuda.
Second suspect held in Rangers shooting probe
Police arrest 16-year-old and continue their investigation
The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) can confirm that a second person has been arrested in relation to the confirmed firearms incident which occurred at the Southampton Rangers Sports Club at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
The suspect, a 16-year-old male, was arrested after Police yesterday executed a warrant at a Warwick residence.
The investigation into this matter continues and we are grateful for the assistance provided by the public thus far.
However, we are appealing for anyone who may have information that could progress the investigation but has not yet reached out to us, to please contact acting Detective Inspector, Anneka Donawa, on 717-2250 or via e-mail at adonawa@bps.bm
Media release supplied by the Bermuda Police Service.
Ship operators urge clear rules to return Hormuz to normal
Speakers at Posidonia warn that insurance and seafarer welfare depend on explicit engagement protocols
International News via Reuters:
Shipping executives meeting in Athens on Monday said that any peace deal worked out between the United States and Iran would need to offer clear rules allowing vessels to resume normal business via the Strait of Hormuz.
Shipowners and maritime industry officials met at a Capital Link conference and other events to begin Posidonia, a week-long biennial shipping exhibition.
Below are selected quotes (in alphabetical order):
PANKAJ KHANNA, PRESIDENT, HEIDMAR MARITIME HOLDINGS CORP”What we need is obviously a framework, a rules regulation, whatever tells us exactly how we can go in and get out. So even if a peace deal was signed, that needs to be clarified and that we don’t know as yet.
Khanna said the company had a vessel stuck inside the Gulf for the past three months and noted the impact on seafarers: “Obviously the seafarers on board are missing out, not only on seeing their families but also on births, on deaths, on marriages.”
VASILIS KIKILIAS, GREECE’S SHIPPING MINISTER
“Can somebody predict (the end of the conflict)? Unfortunately, no. It has been proven that there is no prediction, and things get messy in terms of conflicts very, very easily, and they get untangled very, very difficult.
“We are hoping, of course, that there will be a solution. We cannot accept that there will be no free pass for ships all over the globe. I wish that they would leave shipping the shipping industry, the seafarers, and global trade out of the equation, but it seems like this is impossible.”
YIANNIS PROCOPIOU, CEO, CENTROFIN MANAGEMENT”While insurance might be available, this does not mean that the straits is really a place where you want to be transiting, at least until we have clear rules of engagement as the shipping industry as to how we deal with the two nations that are involved here, the U.S. and Iran …That’s, right now, a very high risk proposition.”
Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Jonathan Saul; editing by Jason Neely
Witnesses tell of devastation from Myanmar explosion that killed dozens
Stored explosives detonated in Kaung Tat and flattened the village
International News via Reuters:
The unexplained detonation of explosives stored by one of Myanmar’s rebel armies has killed dozens, the militia that controls the village and witnesses said on Monday, as the search for survivors continued amid widespread devastation at the site.
The explosion in Kaung Tat village happened around noon (0530 GMT) on Sunday, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said.
On Monday, a spokesperson for the TNLA said a hospital tally put the death toll at 39, with 75 injured, in the first official toll the group has issued. That was lower than a reported death toll of at least 55 from local media and witness accounts.
“Everything was completely destroyed beyond recognition,” resident Moe Z told Reuters. He was travelling with a group of friends on a road about 1-1/2 miles (2.4 km) away when the explosion happened, saying a mushroom cloud of smoke billowed into the sky.
The TNLA, which controls the village near the Chinese border and is in a ceasefire with the Myanmar military, said on Sunday it had been storing the explosives that detonated “for use in mining operations”.
“We deeply apologise for this accident, which has resulted in a tragic loss of lives and immense devastation,” TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo said on Monday, adding that more than 200 homes had been damaged.
Myanmar’s mineral resources, including rare earths, have become important sources of revenue for both the military-backed government and the rebel armies in the country’s civil war.
The ongoing conflict began in 2021, when the military staged a coup that ousted the democratically elected civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Moe Z said that at first his group thought the explosion might have been an airstrike, but the absence of follow-up blasts made them wonder if a large unexploded bomb had detonated.
“Based on the explosive force and the sound we witnessed, this was no small explosion, it wasn’t the scale of a drone-drop bomb,” he said, of a tactic that has been used in Myanmar’s civil war.
‘NOT EVEN THE HOUSE POSTS REMAIN’
Moe Z said his group got to the site about an hour after the explosion, and that amid the human carnage at the scene the focus of people was to find survivors. He said there were limbs and bodies scattered over the area, with a massive crater where the explosives had been stored.
“It’s as if the entire village has just vanished,” he said.
A local journalist told Reuters the blast was so intense some victims were buried under huge amounts of rubble and debris, and backhoes were being used in the search.
“Over half of the village’s houses have been destroyed. The houses near the centre of the blast were blown completely to pieces, to the point where not even the house posts remain,” the journalist said.
Lway Yay Oo, the TNLA spokesperson, said the group would work to prevent a repeat of the tragedy and would hold those responsible accountable.
“We will also dedicate our efforts toward ongoing rescue operations and rehabilitation for the affected areas,” she said.
Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by John Mair; Editing by Stephen Coates and Emelia Sithole-Matarise
FIFA strikes deal with Zee for World Cup India broadcast days before kick-off
Zee will broadcast the 2026 and 2030 World Cups after a lengthy standoff
International News via Reuters:
FIFA has struck a deal with India’s Zee Entertainment to broadcast the 2026 World Cup in the country, ending a months-long standoff over the tournament’s availability in one of the last major markets where rights remained unsold.
Financial terms were not disclosed. FIFA had initially sought about $100 million for the India package covering the 2026 and 2030 World Cups before slashing its asking price to $60 million, Reuters previously reported.
The deal gives Zee a toehold in India’s sports broadcast market, where Reliance-Disney joint venture JioStar holds rights ranging from the Indian Premier League cricket tournament to the English Premier League.
The agreement comes just 10 days before the tournament kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Shares of Zee were around 7% higher on the day after the announcement.
TIME ZONE DIFFERENCES
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s JioStar, which aired the 2022 World Cup through its predecessor Viacom18, had offered about $20 million for the rights but was rejected by FIFA, Reuters previously reported.
Sony, which held rights for the 2014 and 2018 tournaments, held discussions but did not bid.
Viacom18 paid about $60 million for rights to the 2022 World Cup, which was hosted in Qatar in time zones far more favourable for Indian audiences. Most of this year’s matches will be screened late at night in India due to the time difference, something that dampened broadcaster appetite and complicated FIFA’s sales efforts.
Monday’s deal covers 39 FIFA events over eight years through 2034, also including the Women’s World Cup in 2027, according to a joint statement from FIFA and Zee.
Reporting by Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra; Additional reporting by Nishit Navin; Editing by Kirsten Donovan
Rights groups sue over conditions at largest US immigration detention center
ACLU and Human Rights Watch sue ICE and DHS over alleged abuses at Camp East Montana after three deaths in nine months
International News via Reuters:
Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit over alleged human rights abuses at the United States’ largest immigration detention center in El Paso, Texas, where three people have died in the nine months since it opened.
The American Civil Liberties Union, and other groups, brought the complaint on behalf of four people currently held at Camp East Montana, a sprawling tent encampment set up under President Donald Trump’s mass-deportation strategy.
The action, filed in United States District Court Western District of Texas, names camp operator U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parent agency the U.S. Department of Homeland Security among defendants. It is the first lawsuit against the desert facility on the Fort Bliss military base and aims to improve conditions for its more than 2,700 detainees, the ACLU said in a statement.
A DHS spokesperson said claims there are inhumane conditions at the camp are categorically false.
A congressionally mandated inspection of the camp’s temporary structures in February found 49 violations of detention standards, including 11 related to “use of force and restraints” and five related to “medical care.”
“We’re suing to ensure that no other human being has to endure the inhumane treatment,” said Kyle Virgien, an attorney for the National Prison Project of the ACLU, which filed the lawsuit together with Human Rights Watch and the Texas Civil Rights Project.
According to the ACLU lawsuit, detainees are confined in windowless enclosures where they suffer physical abuse by guards, abhorrent medical and mental healthcare, indiscriminate use of solitary confinement and exposure to diseases such as measles and tuberculosis.
The DHS spokesperson said no detainees were being beaten, abused or denied medical care at the camp. The camp has no measles cases as of March 12 and there has been no spike in deaths in ICE custody under the Trump administration, the person said.
“ICE takes seriously the health and safety of all those detained in our custody,” the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold U.S. citizens.
Venezuelan immigrant Erik Ivan Rodriguez, a named plaintiff in the lawsuit, said in a statement he experienced physical violence as officials tried to coerce him to sign deportation papers. Another plaintiff, Gerald Akari Angye from Cameroon, said he was beaten by guards.
The January 3 death of a Cuban immigrant at Camp East Montana was ruled a homicide by El Paso medical examiners, who cited “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.”
Immigration officials at first attributed Geraldo Lunas Campos’ death to “medical distress.” They later said he tried to take his life and died in a struggle with guards who attempted to save him.
The ACLU lawsuit alleged he was beaten to death after asking for his asthma medication. A fourth man died shortly after being released from the camp, where he had been denied chemotherapy for cancer, the complaint said.
U.S. immigration detention deaths reached a 20-year high in 2025 as the Trump administration ramped up the number of people held for alleged violations.
Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico; Editing by Andrea Ricci
Factories face soaring costs as Iran war causes supply shocks
Energy shock lifts input costs and squeezes euro production while Asia expands through stockpiling
International News via Reuters:
The economic shock from the Iran war hit European factories last month, suppressing demand for their goods and pushing up raw material costs at the fastest rate in four years, although their Asian peers saw activity expand due to stockpiling, surveys showed on Monday.
The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which began in late February, has upended trade, rattled financial markets and raised concerns over global energy supplies, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and gas shipments.
Monday’s surveys came after the heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization warned the war was straining global energy supplies.
S&P Global’s Eurozone Manufacturing PMI fell to 51.6 in May from April’s near four-year high of 52.2, but ahead of a preliminary estimate of 51.4.
A reading above 50.0 indicates growth.
“Although euro area manufacturers reported an expansion for a fourth successive month in May, the sector is showing signs of struggling under the weight of rising prices and supply disruptions emanating from the war in the Middle East,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, the manufacturing sector stalled while French factories saw a contraction for the first time since November.
The European Central Bank will hike its deposit rate this month and at least once more this year to try to stop higher energy prices feeding into core inflation, according to a majority of economists polled by Reuters in May.
Official data due on Tuesday is expected to show inflation rose further above the ECB’s 2% target last month.
British factories raised their prices at the fastest rate since June 2022 last month in response to a big increase in costs.
ASIAN BUFFERS
Still, factory activity expanded in most Asian economies.
China’s private sector gauge grew for a sixth straight month and South Korea’s hit the fastest pace in five years, highlighting a region-wide push to build buffers against potential conflict-led disruptions.
The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI, compiled by S&P Global, fell to 51.8 in May from 52.2 in April, but was slightly better than analysts’ forecast of 51.6.
That outcome contrasted with an official survey showing factory activity in the world’s second-largest economy stalled last month as new orders contracted and input costs kept rising.
Japan’s factory activity also expanded with the PMI at 54.5 in May, slowing from April’s more than four-year high of 55.1, though firms there reported the sharpest rise in input costs since September 2022 due to higher raw material prices.
South Korea’s PMI rose to its highest since March 2021 at 54.8 in May, up from 53.6, again underlining firms’ drive to lock in supplies.
In Vietnam, the factory PMI gauge rose to 52.8 from 50.5, while Taiwan’s rose to 56.1 from 55.3, surveys showed. The index for the Philippines jumped to 50.8 from 48.3.
Reporting by Leika KiharaEditing by Shri Navaratnam and Toby Chopra
UK blocks visits by left-wing US commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker
Britain’s interior ministry says presence ‘not conducive to public good’
International News via Reuters:
Britain has blocked Cenk Uygur, a left-wing Turkish-American media personality, and his nephew, Hasan Piker, a U.S. left-wing commentator and influencer, from entering the country to speak at events, both said on Monday.
Uygur, who co-hosts the popular YouTube channel “The Young Turks”, and Piker said they had been barred because of their views on Israel.
Britain’s interior ministry said travel authorisation for “these individuals” had been cancelled as “their presence in the UK may not be conducive to the public good” in a statement that did not mention Israel.
They had been listed to speak at the SXSW London festival later this week, and at the University of Oxford this weekend.
“I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel. Are we free anymore?” Uygur posted, after he said he tried to board a flight.
Piker said: “The UK has revoked my visa as well. All at the behest of Israel.”
Piker had been due to speak at SXSW about “How the American Left Learned to Speak the Internet”. Uygur’s session was titled: “Techno-Feudalism is Here. Who Are the Lords?”
There was no mention of Israel in their sections on the website for SXSW London, which describes itself as a festival of “business, technology and creativity”.
Over the last year, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have raised concerns about what they say are infringements on free speech in Britain.
In May, the British government barred 11 people from entering the country whom it described as “foreign far-right agitators”. They had been due to speak at an event organised by anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.
Uygur, 56, attracts more than 200 million views a month through “The Young Turks”, according to the website for the SXSW London.
He was briefly a Democratic nominee in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
His 34-year-old nephew has a daily audience of 30,000 people on the live-streaming platform Twitch, according to the SXSW website.
Reporting by Sarah Young, additional reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Andrew Heavens
