Minister says Bermuda must strengthen dementia care as estimates suggest up to 3,000 people may be living with the condition
Government funding for dementia support services is helping nearly 200 people and their families navigate the challenges of the disease, the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors said in the House of Assembly.
Tinée Furbert said a pilot dementia navigation and support programme, delivered with Dementia Bermuda, received a $150,000 government grant in July 2025, covering roughly a third of the programme’s costs.
The programme currently has 199 active clients, with 64 new clients served during the second and third quarters of this fiscal year.
Ms Furbert warned that dementia is becoming an increasingly significant health challenge locally.
“Dementia is one of the most significant and growing public health challenges facing countries around the world, and Bermuda is no exception.”
Research referenced by the ministry suggests around 3,000 people in Bermuda may be living with dementia, highlighting the need for stronger support systems for patients and caregivers.
Programme data also showed the financial strain on families, with 77% of clients reporting financial need, while most caregiving is provided by family members, often women.
Ms Furbert said the Government remained committed to strengthening dementia care and expanding access to support services.
“This Government remains committed to strengthening Bermuda’s dementia care system by supporting programs that provide practical assistance, guidance, and emotional support to those navigating this complex and long-term process.”
Volume of sales down 7% year-on-year, led by sharp drops in building materials and motor vehicles
Government media release:
Today, the Ministry of Economy and Labour released the October 2025 Retail Sales Index publication (attached).
October’s volume of retail sales index decreased 7.0 per cent compared to last year. In value terms, retail sales decreased to an estimated $99.3 million.
All seven sectors recorded year-over-year volume index decreases in October 2025:
The sales volume for Food Stores decreased 6.7 per cent.
The sales volume at Apparel Stores decreased 11.4 per cent.
In the All Other Store Types sector (comprising stores selling household items, furniture, appliances, electronics, pharmaceuticals and tourist-related goods), there was a 1.0 per cent decrease in sales volume.
Selected overseas declarations increased 16.8 per cent compared to October 2024.
Chevening programme invites mid-career professionals from Overseas Territories to apply before May 15 deadline
Media release from Government House:
What if your work could shape how the world understands your territory?
The Chevening Overseas Territories in the Atlantic and Caribbean British Library Fellowship provides the opportunity to do just that. This fully funded, year-long fellowship is open to mid-career professionals from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, St Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands with the ambition to connect their heritage, research and contemporary perspectives with international audiences.
The successful applicant will gain first-hand exposure to rare primary sources that may reshape understanding of regional identity and history, be invited to publish blogs under the umbrella of a world-renowned institution and will have increased international academic visibility
What’s included: • 12-month fellowship placement at the British Library
• Living expenses for the duration of the fellowship • Return economy airfare • Allowance package for fellowship-related activities • Up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses
This unique opportunity is open to one exceptional candidate who can bring their expertise to the British Library and help redefine how this world-leading cultural institution collects, preserves and represents the Caribbean and Atlantic Overseas Territories in its collections.
Are you ready to represent your territory?
Apply now at: chevening.org/fellowship/chevening-overseas-territories-in-the- atlantic-and-caribbean-british-library-fellowship/
Health and personal care, transport and food see some of the biggest year-on-year increases
Government media release:
Today, the Ministry of Economy and Labour released the Department of Statistics’ October 2025 Consumer Price Index (attached).
In summary, consumers paid 2.5 per cent more in October 2025 than they did a year ago for the basket of goods and services included in the Consumer Price Index [CPI]. This level of inflation increased 0.3 percentage points from the September 2025 annual inflation rate. Some highlights for October 2024 to October 2025 include:
The Health & Personal Care division increased 4.3 per cent.
The Transport & Foreign Travel division rose 3.9 per cent.
The Rent division increased 1.9 per cent.
The Food division increased 3.0 per cent.
The Education, Recreation, Entertainment & Reading division advanced 2.5 per cent.
Between September 2025 and October 2025, the average cost of goods and services increased 0.3 per cent. Additional areas of note between September 2025 and October 2025 were as follows:
The Transport & Foreign Travel division increased 1.8 per cent.
The Health & Personal division increased 0.6 per cent.
The Food division rose 0.4 per cent.
The Household Goods, Services & Supplies division increased 0.2 per cent.
*Note: The Government measures the annual and monthly inflation rates. Annual changes are from the same month last year, and monthly changes are from month to month. The October 2025 Consumer Price Index is available online at https://www.gov.bm/consumer-price-index.
Nonprofit Alliance of Bermuda Third Sector Spotlight: Women’s Resource Centre
Each year, International Women’s Day invites reflection on progress made. The day after offers space for something equally important: an honest look at what women still need – not in theory, but in practice.
In Bermuda, the Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) has been responding to those needs for nearly four decades guided by our mission to advance the rights, equity, and well-being of women in Bermuda.
Founded in 1987 as the Rape Crisis Centre, WRC emerged at a time when conversations about sexual violence, domestic abuse, and women’s trauma were largely silenced. Over time, the organisation evolved into the Women’s Resource Centre, expanding its mandate while remaining rooted in a singular truth: women need safe, specialised spaces where their experiences are understood without explanation or defence.
Across all stages of life, women continue to experience disproportionate exposure to domestic abuse, sexual violence, financial insecurity, caregiving pressures, and trauma. These realities shape how women access support – and whether that support is effective.
Many of these needs are complex, deeply personal, and not easily addressed by systems alone. Without specialised, trauma-informed care, women can be left navigating crisis, transition, or recovery without the support required to regain stability and agency.
The Women’s Resource Centre exists to provide gender-responsive, trauma-informed support that reflects women’s lived experience.
Our work is grounded in the understanding that effective support must be accessible, specialised, and delivered in ways that acknowledge the social, economic, and relational contexts shaping women’s lives. This is not about preference or exclusion; it is about relevance and impact.
In recent years, WRC has undertaken a deliberate rebrand – not as a cosmetic exercise, but as a strategic recommitment to clarity, professionalism, and impact. Today, we operate as an evidence-guided organisation providing counselling, advocacy, education, and practical support to women across Bermuda.
Our services support women at moments of crisis, recovery, and transition – including those leaving abusive relationships, rebuilding after trauma, navigating motherhood, financial independence, grief, burnout, or identity shifts. Increasingly, women are also engaging with WRC proactively, recognising support not as a last resort, but as a foundation for stability, wellbeing and forward movement.
The results of this refocused approach are both measurable and meaningful. In the last reporting year alone, 97 women accessed counselling services through WRC, supported by more than 500 hours of therapeutic care. But our outcomes tell a deeper story: 89% reported improved mental and emotional wellbeing; 82% developed clearer personal or professional goals; 76% reported increased confidence in decision-making
These outcomes reflect what happens when women are met with support that is specialised, accessible, and grounded in lived experience.
Women-specific support services exist in virtually every country in the world because they respond to consistent and recognisable patterns in women’s lives. When care is contextual, trauma-informed, and practical, it strengthens not only individual women, but families and communities as a whole.
At its core, WRC exists to serve – meeting women where they are and walking alongside them as they move toward safety, stability, and self-defined success. Through counselling, legal advocacy, hardship support, community education, and therapeutic programmes, we aim to reduce isolation and restore agency.
The Third Sector plays a critical role in holding this kind of space, often responding to needs that are not easily addressed elsewhere. Sustaining this work requires collective commitment – through partnership, advocacy, and community support. As part of Bermuda’s non-profit community, WRC is proud to contribute to a landscape of care that is responsive, specialised and grounded in lived experience.
International Women’s Day marks progress made. The work that follows – quietly, consistently, and with purpose – ensures that women across Bermuda continue to have access to the support they need to heal, thrive, and build secure futures.
Statement by Senator Lindsay Simmons, Junior Minister for Home Affairs; Youth, Social Development and Seniors; and National Security
As a mother and longtime advocate for young people in foster care, I’ve seen how essential a sense of belonging truly is. Now, as Junior Minister for Home Affairs, that understanding guides me as Bermuda begins its national conversation about our relationship with the Caribbean Community.
Bermuda’s story is largely a Caribbean story. It is written into our parish registers, our family names, our foodways, and the rhythms of our Gombey tradition. For more than three centuries, Bermudian vessels sailed the Caribbean Sea. Our sailors worked the salt pans of the Turks Islands. Our shipwrights built the fastest sloops in the Atlantic. The Basdens, Talbots, Harriotts, Tatems, Smiths, Misicks, and Friths appear in both Bermuda and the Turks Islands to this day, living proof of connections that no distance could sever.
The deeper bonds run through enslavement, emancipation, and the long work of self-determination. Many of us grew up in a Bermuda where this history was not always taught as fully as it should have been. But culture carried what classrooms sometimes left out. Our music carries it. Our kitchens carry it. Our churches carry it.
Last September, I wrote about connectivity as the idea that should guide Bermuda’s place in the world, and I still believe that. The cost of living remains too high, our supply chains are fragile, and climate threats are growing. The global trade landscape is changing in ways that will touch every family here. These are not distant policy issues. They show up in the grocery store, in the electricity bill, and in the quiet worries of young families trying to build a life that they can sustain.
Full Membership does not solve these problems overnight. But it does provide tools that Bermuda currently lacks: a vote in regional decision-making on food security, climate resilience, and trade; access to concessional lending facilities we cannot reach as Associate Members; and collective bargaining power with external partners who share our vulnerabilities and understand our realities in a way that larger, distant partners simply do not.
Some Bermudians worry about immigration, sovereignty, or whether such a step was signalled clearly enough in the political conversation before now.
These are fair questions. And they deserve careful answers.
First, the consultation process exists precisely because the Government recognises that decisions of this nature must involve the public. The Green Paper is an invitation to review the evidence, weigh the opportunities and the risks, and contribute to the national discussion before any path forward is determined.
Second, membership does not automatically change Bermuda’s immigration laws. Our work permit system, labour protections, and border policies remain in place.
Third, Bermuda’s identity has never been singular. While our ties to the Caribbean are deep and enduring, we also maintain strong relationships with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Atlantic neighbours like the Azores. That diversity of connections has long been one of Bermuda’s strengths.
Exploring deeper engagement with the Caribbean does not replace those relationships. It simply recognises that our geography, our history, and many of our challenges are shared with the region.
In truth, Bermuda’s story has always been one of balance, in maintaining multiple partnerships while preserving our own independence of thought and action.
That balance will remain essential.
These are facts on which the conversation should be built.
The Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Alexa Lightbourne, has led this process with transparency and rigour. I am proud to support her in it. The Green Paper she has brought forward is thorough, honest, and grounded in evidence. It does not pretend there are no costs. It does not shy away from complexity. It invites Bermudians to weigh the facts and make their voices heard.
Every morning I wake up and think about the Bermuda my daughter will inherit. I think about the children I have fostered, and the futures they are building. The Green Paper asks us to consider whether Bermuda will be better equipped for the journey ahead with the tools that Full Membership provides, or whether we will continue to stand outside the room while decisions are made without us. The Green Paper is available at togetherforcaricom.gov.bm. A public consultation is underway, which will include online surveys, town halls,and an online question portal. I encourage every Bermudian to read it, bring their questions, and participate.
We are the fabric of this community, all of us. Get involved. Come to the Town Halls. Submit a question. Disagree, if you must, but disagree on the basis of facts, not fear. Because this is a conversation about who we are, where we come from, and where we choose to go together.
Division has kept us small. Connection makes us strong.
This process belongs to you.
Senator Lindsay Simmons, JP, Junior Minister for Home Affairs; Youth, Social Development and Seniors; and National Security
The Ministry of Economy and Labour is pleased to support the upcoming Hospitality Industry Careers Fair, which will take place on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Princess Room at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club.
The event is being hosted in partnership with the Bermuda Hotel Association, the Department of Workforce Development, the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce Tourism and Restaurant Divisions, and Bermuda College.
Importantly, the Careers Fair is a direct outcome of the Hospitality Industry Summit held in February, where government, hotel operators, restaurant leaders, unions, and education partners came together to discuss the workforce needs of Bermuda’s hospitality sector. One of the key action items identified by stakeholders was the need to create more direct connections between employers and Bermudians seeking employment or career opportunities in the industry.
The Careers Fair represents the first collaborative step in delivering on that commitment.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet directly with hotel and restaurant employers, learn about current job openings, explore training opportunities, and gain insight into career pathways within Bermuda’s tourism and hospitality sector.
Minister of Economy and Labour, Jason Hayward, emphasising the importance of collaboration in addressing workforce needs, said, “The Hospitality Industry Careers Fair is a tangible outcome of the productive discussions held at the Hospitality Industry Summit earlier this year. Government and industry partners agreed that we must take practical steps to connect Bermudians with opportunities in the hospitality sector. This event reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that Bermudians are aware of and prepared for the wide range of careers available in tourism and hospitality, which remains a critical pillar of Bermuda’s economy.”
Representatives from the Department of Workforce Development will also be present to provide information on training programmes, certification pathways, and career support services available to job seekers.
The Ministry encourages unemployed and underemployed Bermudians, as well as individuals interested in exploring new career opportunities, to attend the event and engage directly with employers preparing for the upcoming tourism season.
Construction works near The Loren expected to last until July
Image: Google Maps
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment advises the motoring public of an upcoming single-lane closure on South Road in Smith’s, near The Loren at Pink Beach, to facilitate wall construction works in the area.
The lane closure will take effect from Monday, 23 March 2026 and will remain in place through Monday, 13 July 2026. Work will take place daily between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Traffic management will be conducted by representatives from Smith Hauling and Excavating, with temporary traffic lights installed to regulate the flow of vehicles through the work zone. Motorists are advised to expect delays and to exercise caution when travelling through the area.
The Ministry encourages the cooperation of the motoring public and apologises for any inconvenience caused. For full details regarding the traffic arrangements, please refer to the attached official Road Traffic Notice.
Earlier in January, the European Commission said it planned to propose suspending duty-free sugar imports to ease pressure on European producers facing falling prices and rising competition
International News via Reuters:
The European Commission plans to suspend some duty-free sugar imports for at least a year to steady prices in the bloc, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen.
The paperwork for the suspension is being prepared, Hansen told Bloomberg in an interview on Friday. “In the next few weeks, it will be on the table,” he said.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
“Currently there are 700,000 tons coming in. I think this will stabilize the market and the prices of European sugar”, Hansen told Bloomberg, adding the suspension will be at least for one year.
Earlier in January, the European Commission said it planned to propose suspending duty-free sugar imports to ease pressure on European producers facing falling prices and rising competition, but did not say when any suspension would begin.
The move now comes amid pressure from local producers grappling with lower prices.
Reporting by Heera Hari in Bengaluru, Editing by Louise Heavens
Yesterday, the Bermuda Institute opened its annual Science Fair to the public, showcasing a wide range of innovative and advanced student projects. The event highlights the creativity and research of students from across grade levels, Kendal Trott reports.
Swiss logistics group Kuehne+Nagel said on Friday that global carriers are prioritizing shipments of healthcare and perishables like food into the Middle East
International News via Reuters:
Air freight rates have risen by as much as 70% on some routes since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, data shows, as the conflict limits flights, blocks some ocean shipments and pushes up jet fuel costs.
Rates on routes between South Asia and Europe have been the most affected by Middle Eastern airspace closures and security issues, industry experts said, after the conflict stranded more than 100 container ships in the area around the critical Strait of Hormuz oil export corridor.
Swiss logistics group Kuehne+Nagel said on Friday that global carriers are prioritizing shipments of healthcare and perishables like food into the Middle East.
Some inexpensive generic medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients from India are shipped on container ships through the strait for eventual export to Europe, Africa and some Arab countries, said pharmaceutical supply chain expert Prashant Yadav.
“The main shift I’ve heard about involves companies moving generic medicines from ocean freight to air cargo,” said Yadav, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
The shift to air cargo is significant because air freight handles about one-third of global trade by value, making rate spikes a potential inflationary pressure on goods ranging from fresh food to pharmaceuticals and electronics.
“Customers are shifting freight from ocean to air, however it is extremely expensive – typically 5x to 10x higher – and those costs are climbing as capacity tightens,” said Steve Blough, chief supply chain strategist at logistics software firm Infios. “More often, shippers are moving a limited quantity by air to bridge a gap.”
JET FUEL PRICE DOUBLES
The jet fuel price has doubled since the start of the conflict, and Danish container shipping giant Maersk said this week its own air cargo service is now applying fuel surcharges and war risk levies. On Friday, Maersk widened surcharges on some ocean cargo from the region. That came as analysts said they expect oil prices to remain elevated in the near term before stabilizing later in the year.
The airspace closures have also cut cargo capacity in freighters and passenger planes as airlines take longer routes to avoid the conflict zone, further pressuring rates.
Dubai and Doha are normally among the world’s busiest air cargo hubs, but operations at those airports have been severely limited by the Middle Eastern conflict.
Niall van de Wouw, chief air freight officer at transportation pricing platform Xeneta, attributed higher air cargo rates to a “dramatic reduction” in capacity at key Middle East transshipment hubs more than higher fuel prices.
Ronald Lam, the CEO of Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways, said many of its freighter flights to Europe normally stop in Dubai to refuel and pick up more cargo.
“But because of the situation in Dubai, we’re now skipping that stopover and we are flying direct from Hong Kong to Europe with some payload restriction, because we couldn’t uplift fuel in between,” he said on an earnings call on Wednesday.
According to an air freight index from freight booking and payments platform Freightos, off-contract spot rates from South Asia to Europe have soared 70% to $4.37 per kg from $2.57 per kg just before the war began. South Asia-North America rates are up 58% to $6.41 per kg, and Europe-Middle East rates have risen 55% to $2.79 per kg. A significant share of air cargo exports from South Asia usually travels through Gulf hubs and some have had to reroute through East Asia, said Judah Levine, Freightos’ head of research.
“That being said, we have seen the price increases on many of these lanes slow, level off or even decline slightly in the last couple days,” he said.
“These trends may reflect Asian and European carriers adding capacity to these long-haul lanes to make up for the missing Gulf capacity, and they may also reflect some of the Gulf carriers – most importantly Emirates – having restarted operations and increasing the number of flights that are now leaving and arriving at these important Gulf hubs.”
Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Julie Zhu in Hong Kong; Editing by Jamie Freed and Andrea Ricci
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