The Bermuda College recently hosted a Media Arts course, giving students the opportunity to learn key skills in media production while working toward a final project.
The focus centered on creating a road safety campaign to highlight the importance of being a responsible driver.
The initiative aligns with Bermuda College’s 2025–2030 strategic plan, aimed at using education to address real-world challenges.
Our Kendal Trott spoke with students and College lecturer Dr Dana Selassie to discuss the course and the impact of the students’ work.
A final video is expected to be released in the near future across Bermuda College’s social media platforms.
Bermudian rugby standout Alexia Hurdle has capped off a dominant collegiate season in the United States, picking up two major honours at the Emory & Henry University annual awards program.
In a year where the “Wasps” have emerged as a rising force in the women’s game, Hurdle’s influence was impossible to ignore. The powerhouse forward was named Co-Forward of the Year, a nod to a campaign defined by physical dominance and tactical intelligence at the set-piece.
However, it was her impact off the pitch that perhaps resonated most. Hurdle was also the recipient of the prestigious Coach’s Award, an accolade reserved for those demonstrating exceptional leadership and a “team-first” mentality.
The recognition comes at a pivotal moment for the Bermudian, who has successfully balanced her collegiate breakthrough with a growing international profile. As Emory & Henry looks toward the 2026/27 campaign, Hurdle has firmly established herself as a cornerstone of the program.
For the rugby community back in Bermuda, her success continues to serve as a high-performance blueprint for the island’s burgeoning talent looking to break into the North American system.
Bermudian prospects Quincy Ratteray and Shiloh Anderson have wasted no time making their mark in Spain, diving straight into a high-intensity development stint at the prestigious Spain Rush-SPF Academy in Valencia.
In a show of intent, the pair were on the training pitch within hours of finishing a grueling journey from the Atlantic. The welcome was a sharp introduction to the continental game: a rigorous 40-minute injury prevention program followed by high-octane technical drills under the watchful eyes of UEFA Pro licensed coaches.
The immersion is total. Following a swift assessment, both Ratteray and Anderson have already been integrated into local Spanish clubs. This “dual-track” system ensures they receive elite academy coaching in the morning and authentic match experience in the Spanish league system by night.
Valencia has become a global footballing melting pot, and for the young Bermudians, the challenge is as much mental as it is physical. Training alongside elite peers from across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, they are being forced to adapt to a faster, more tactically demanding “pressure cooker” environment.
For Ratteray and Anderson, this isn’t just a training camp—it is a full-scale tactical evolution as they aim to prove they can thrive at the European level.
The Bermuda Volleyball Association has laid down a marker for the upcoming Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Senior Beach Volleyball Championships, confirming two high-caliber pairings for the trip to St. Lucia this May.
Headlining the men’s draw are Ben Barnett and Sean Tucker, the formidable duo who clinched silver in 2025. After coming within touching distance of regional glory last year, the pair have been vocal about their singular mission: turning silver into gold.
“The goal is simple,” Barnett said. “We’ve put in the work to come back stronger and we’re ready to fight for that top spot.”
On the women’s side, Kayley Hamilton and Hailey Trott make their international debut as a partnership. While the pairing is fresh, both bring a wealth of NORCECA circuit experience. Hamilton highlighted the island’s growing reputation on the sand, noting their commitment to “defending the standard” set by the program’s recent successes.
Under the technical guidance of coaches Ben Barnett and Rick Bevis, the squads depart for the Caribbean on May 1st. For a nation rapidly becoming a regional powerhouse, the expectation is no longer just to compete—it is to reach the podium.
The road to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games found its way to the manicured lawns of Government House in Bermuda this week, as Governor Andrew Murdoch officially unveiled the 2026 King’s Baton.
In a ceremony defined by the “bridge between generations,” the spotlight flickered between the legends of yesterday and the hopefuls of tomorrow. Standing tall among the dignitaries was Clarence Saunders, the high jump icon whose 1990 leap of 2.36m remains a Commonwealth record. Thirty-six years on, Saunders’ Auckland Gold remains the benchmark for every athlete currently vying for a seat on the plane to Scotland.
While Saunders provided the history, 26-year-old designer Chyna Talbot provided the vision. Her sleek, unmistakably Bermudian baton design will now begin its journey toward the Glasgow opening ceremony on July 23rd.
Chef-de-Mission Donna Raynor stood alongside several athletes who have already met the qualifying standards, signaling the start of the final countdown. For Bermuda, the mission is clear: honoring the towering legacy left in the clouds by Saunders, while carving out a new chapter in the Glasgow sun.
A Gulf official said the meeting aimed to craft a response to the thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks Gulf states have faced since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with strikes on Iran on February 28
International News via Reuters:
Saudi Arabia will host an exceptional meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Jeddah on Tuesday, the first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became a front in the Iran war two months ago.
A Gulf official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting aimed to craft a response to the thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks Gulf states have faced since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with strikes on Iran on February 28.
The war has seen key energy infrastructure in all six GCC states damaged, with U.S.-linked firms and other civilian infrastructure, as well as military installations, also targeted.
Attacks have subsided since the U.S. and Iran entered a ceasefire on April 8, though Gulf capitals remain wary of resumed conflict, with U.S.-Iran talks for a permanent deal to end the conflict so far inconclusive.
Qatar’s emir, Kuwait’s crown prince, Bahrain’s king and the United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister arrived in Jeddah to attend the summit, Saudi state media reported. It was unclear who would represent Oman, the remaining member of the GCC along with Saudi Arabia, which hosts the council’s headquarters.
The GCC has faced some criticism from the UAE over what it said has been an inadequate response to the war.
“It is true that, logistically, the GCC countries supported each other, but politically and militarily, I think their position was the weakest in history,” senior UAE official Anwar Gargash told a conference in the UAE on Monday.
“I expected such a weak position from the Arab League, and I am not surprised by it, but I have not expected it from the GCC, and I am surprised by it.”
Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Timour Azhari; Writing by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Aidan Lewis
McSweeney told parliament he had thought Mandelson, a Labour veteran, would help Britain to get a trade deal with the United States after Donald Trump was returned to the White House
International News via Reuters:
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, said on Tuesday he had been wrong to propose the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador but he had not circumvented the hiring process.
McSweeney told parliament he had thought Mandelson, a Labour veteran, would help Britain to get a trade deal with the United States after Donald Trump was returned to the White House.
“The appointment of Mandelson as ambassador was a serious error of judgment. I advised the prime minister in support of that appointment and I was wrong to do so,” McSweeney told the committee.
“What I did not do was oversee national security vetting, ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate explicitly or implicitly that checks should be cleared at all costs.”
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; writing by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton
Brent crude futures for June climbed $3.28, or 3.03%, to $111.51 a barrel by 1115 GMT, after gaining 2.8% to close the previous session at its highest since April 7
International News via Reuters:
Oil prices rose 3% on Tuesday, extending the previous session’s gains, as efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to have stalled, with the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway still mainly shut, starving markets of key Middle East energy supply.
Brent crude futures for June climbed $3.28, or 3.03%, to $111.51 a barrel by 1115 GMT, after gaining 2.8% to close the previous session at its highest since April 7. The contract is up for a seventh straight day.
At their intra-day peak on Tuesday, Brent was up 3.4% on the day at $111.86 a barrel.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for June rose $3.47, or 3.6%, to $99.84 a barrel, after gaining 2.1% in the previous session.
U.S. President Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal to end the war, a U.S. official said on Monday, as Iranian sources disclosed that it avoided addressing the nuclear program until hostilities cease and Gulf shipping disputes are resolved.
Trump’s displeasure with the offer leaves the conflict deadlocked, with Iran shutting shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about 20% of global oil and gas supplies, and the U.S. retaining its blockade of Iranian ports.
“Oil above $110 per barrel reflects a market that is rapidly repricing geopolitical risk,” said Rystad Energy analyst Jorge Leon.
“With peace talks stalled and no clear path to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, traders are factoring in a prolonged disruption to a critical artery of global supply,” he added.
“Even in a best-case scenario, any US–Iran agreement is likely to be narrow and partial, leaving the Strait issue unresolved, which means the upside risks to prices remain.”
An earlier round of negotiations between the United States and Iran collapsed last week after face-to-face talks failed.
Ship-tracking data showed significant disruptions in the region, with six Iranian oil tankers forced to turn back due to the U.S. blockade, but some traffic is still moving.
A Panama-flagged tanker, Idemitsu Maru, carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia, was attempting to cross Hormuz on Tuesday, shipping data showed, and a liquefied natural gas tanker managed by the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi National Oil Co crossed the Strait on Monday.
Prior to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, between 125 and 140 vessels transited the strait daily.
The loss of about 10 million bpd of crude and products through Hormuz will continue to exceed falling consumption as inflationary pressures and demand destruction loom, PVM analyst Tamas Varga said, leading to an ever-tighter oil market balance.
Reporting by Robert Harvey in London, Anmol Choubey in Bengaluru and Trixie Yap in Singapore; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Louise Heavens
Net immigration looks set to add 2.2 million people to the UK’s population of 69.3 million between mid-2024 and mid-2034
International News via Reuters:
The United Kingdom’s population is likely to grow to 71.0 million by mid-2034, below a previous projection of 72.2 million due to lower immigration assumptions, the country’s statistics office said on Tuesday.
Net immigration looks set to add 2.2 million people to the UK’s population of 69.3 million between mid-2024 and mid-2034, while there would be a drag of 450,000 from deaths exceeding births, the Office for National Statistics said.
Net migration was likely to remain the only source of expected population growth, the ONS said.
The lower expected population growth could add to the fiscal headwinds that will face finance minister Rachel Reeves in her autumn budget.
However, the agency said the projections should not be treated as a definitive forecast as they are largely based on an extrapolation of recent trends and do not attempt to predict future changes in government policy or other factors driving migration, fertility or mortality.
Tuesday’s projection showed the extent to which Britain’s population is ageing. The number of pensioners is expected to rise by 15% to 14.2 million between 2024 and 2034, while the number of children aged under 16 will fall by 13%.
The ONS also trimmed its assumption for fertility to 1.42 children per woman from 1.45 in its last projections made two years ago.
There was a more substantial cut to the ONS’ assumption for future rates of net immigration to 230,000 a year from 340,000 in the 2024 report.
“This reflects the sharp decrease in net migration since it peaked in 2023, as well as expert advice,” it said.
Britain saw immigration surge after the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting pent-up demand as well as a decision by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government to relax rules particularly for low-paid care workers and their families.
After net immigration approached 1 million in the 12 months to June 2023, rules were tightened and it fell to 204,000 in the 12 months to June 2025.
The population of England is expected to grow faster than elsewhere in the UK. England’s population is projected to rise by 2.9% by mid-2034, compared to growth of 1.0% in Wales, 0.6% in Northern Ireland and 0.3% in Scotland.
Reporting by David Milliken; editing by William Schomberg
Wilkerson praises earned privileges system and sees lessons for Bermuda
Press Release:
The Ministry of Justice is highlighting a recent visit by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP, to His Majesty’s Prison in the British Virgin Islands, where she observed firsthand a corrections model centred on rehabilitation, responsibility and incentives for positive behaviour.
The visit took place on Friday, 17 April, while the Minister was in Tortola attending the 2026 Overseas Territories Attorneys General Conference.
As part of her visit, in her role as Minister of Justice, Minister Wilkerson toured the male facility alongside the British Virgin Islands’ Minister for Health and Social Development, the Hon. Vincent O. Wheatley, who also has responsibility for Corrections, and Superintendent of Prisons Jay Kendall.
From a Bermuda perspective, the visit offered a valuable opportunity to see in action a corrections environment that has evolved through deliberate reform and a clear commitment to improvement.
The Minister said she was particularly encouraged to learn more about the facility’s transformation over time and the steps taken by BVI authorities to improve its operations and culture.
She was especially impressed by the facility’s incentive-based earned privileges system, under which inmates are encouraged to demonstrate good behaviour and take on meaningful responsibilities across the institution.
Under that model, inmates help operate the woodshop and farm, sell produce, carry out painting and maintenance work, and even assist with practical daily tasks such as ensuring the supply of drinking water is maintained.
The system provides inmates with opportunities to earn while contributing to the running of the facility, helping to create a culture of accountability, discipline and shared responsibility.
The Minister noted that this type of approach helps reinforce order and positive conduct, as inmates can clearly see the benefits of staying engaged, behaving well and taking part in work programmes.
She stated: “It also creates an environment in which inmates have a stake in maintaining standards throughout the institution.
“For me to see a functioning correctional facility where the focus is on rehabilitation, and to see that philosophy in action, was incredible.
“What stood out most was the way responsibility, structure and incentives were working together to support good order and encourage personal growth.”
Minister Wilkerson also noted: “I was particularly impressed by the earned privileges system and by the extent to which inmates were trusted with real responsibility.”
Minister Wilkerson was also struck by the spirit of camaraderie on display during the visit.
On arrival, she observed a dominoes tournament involving inmates and officers, which she said reflected a level of interaction and mutual respect that supported the wider rehabilitative culture of the institution.
“As someone who strongly believes in rehabilitation and in alternatives to incarceration where appropriate, it was encouraging to witness a system that is actively working toward those goals,” she added.
“What I saw in the British Virgin Islands was a practical example of the kind of direction Bermuda wants to pursue, a correctional system that is focused not simply on containment, but on change, responsibility and better outcomes.”
She said the visit also served as a reminder that meaningful progress is possible when recommendations are acted upon, and reform is embraced with purpose.
The Ministry of Justice also welcomed the spirit of openness and cooperation shown by BVI officials during the visit, noting that the territory has expressed its willingness to support Bermuda as it advances its own correctional reform efforts.
The Minister reflected: “I am grateful to the Government of the British Virgin Islands, Minister Wheatley, Superintendent Kendall and the corrections team for their warm welcome and for the opportunity to visit.
“Their openness in sharing their experience was greatly appreciated, and I value their willingness to support Bermuda as we continue our work to improve our own system.”
The data showed UK grocery sales increased 0.9% in the four-week period year-on-year, although shoppers were seeking out deals
International News via Reuters:
British grocery inflation eased to 3.8% in the four weeks to April 19 from 4.3% in the previous period, data from Worldpanel by Numerator showed on Tuesday, indicating that the impact from the Iran war had not hit supermarket shelves yet.
The data showed UK grocery sales increased 0.9% in the four-week period year-on-year, although shoppers were seeking out deals.
The Worldpanel data is the most up-to-date snapshot of UK consumer behaviour and provides an early indication of pricing pressures in April ahead of official UK data on May 20.
It said prices were rising fastest in markets such as medicines and treatments and fresh unprocessed meat and fish, and falling fastest in butter and spreads, sugar confectionery and household paper.
Worldpanel said the impact of the Middle East conflict has not yet filtered through to supermarket shelves, while shoppers are increasingly seeking out deals. It noted spending on promoted items over the four weeks rose 7.8% year-on-year.
Separate data on Tuesday from the British Retail Consortium showed overall shop price inflation decreased to 1.0% in April, helped by Easter discounts.
Britain’s official rate of headline inflation rose to 3.3% in March.
The defendant, an Austrian identified as Beran A, was arrested on August 7, 2024, the day before the first of three planned concerts by the U.S. pop star in Vienna
International News via Reuters:
A 21-year-old accused of planning an Islamist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024 that was foiled at the 11th hour pleaded guilty as his trial opened on Tuesday.
The defendant, an Austrian identified as Beran A, was arrested on August 7, 2024, the day before the first of three planned concerts by the U.S. pop star in Vienna.
All three dates were then cancelled, to the dismay of fans and of Swift herself, who wrote afterwards that it was “devastating”.
The trial in Wiener Neustadt, near Vienna, is focused on more than that planned attack.
OTHER ATTACKS WERE PLANNED
Beran A is also accused, along with Slovak national Arda K, of planning attacks in the Middle East they did not go through with, and of providing moral support to a third man who has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a knife attack in Mecca.
“I plead guilty in part,” Beran A said at the start of his questioning by the presiding judge. Asked if he pleaded guilty to the charges relating to the planned concert attack, he said: “Yes.”
Both defendants covered their faces as they entered the courtroom, as is common in German-speaking countries to avoid being identifiable in photographs. Beran A wore a dark blue shirt and jeans, Arda K a light blue shirt and beige trousers.
Prosecutors accuse Beran A of using video instructions by Islamic State on how to make a shrapnel bomb, producing a small amount of the explosive triacetone peroxide and illegally trying to buy weapons including a machinegun and hand grenade for the planned attack.
He has been charged with various terrorism-related offences as well as belonging to a criminal organisation and making a dangerous threat, and faces 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted.
DEFENDANTS PLEAD NOT GUILTY IN PART
Prosecutors also allege the two and the third man, all school friends, had planned to carry out one attack each in the Middle East before the Swift concerts, in March 2024: Beran A in Dubai, Arda K in Istanbul and the third man in Mecca.
While each travelled to his designated city, only the third man is believed to have launched an attack – he was arrested on suspicion of stabbing a security official at Mecca’s Grand Mosque. He is still in custody in Saudi Arabia.
Arda K pleaded guilty to travelling to Istanbul with the intention of carrying out a militant attack, as did Beran A in relation to his trip to Dubai. They pleaded not guilty, however, to providing moral support to the third man, arguing he was already determined and the driving force behind those plans.
Tuesday is the first of four scheduled trial days. The last is May 21, and it is unclear whether more will be needed.
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