Minister urges caution, guidance on youth social media use
Government reviewing impacts, but parents play a key role in protecting children online
Could Bermuda ever ban social media for children under 16?
It’s a question that might be on some people’s minds, as countries like Australia move to restrict youth access to social media and the UK considers similar measures.
The discussion comes amid growing concern over adolescent mental health. A 2023 study by researcher Daniel Cavanagh et al. found that, out of more than 2,500 adolescents in Bermuda who self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety – nearly one-third showed signs of moderate to severe depression.
When asked whether a social media ban is being considered locally … Tinee Furbert Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors said while the matter is on the Government’s radar, it would require extensive discussion.
Premier heads to Middle East for digital finance talks
Bermuda delegation to attend Satoshi Roundtable and World Government Summit
The Government of Bermuda issued the following media release.
The Premier, the Hon. David Burt JP, MP, has travelled to the Middle East, where he will lead a Bermuda delegation to the Annual Satoshi Roundtable and the World Government Summit (WGS), the latter of which is hosted by the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai.
The Satoshi Roundtable is an invite-only event that has been running yearly since 2014. The Government receives invitations recognising Bermuda’s continued leadership in digital finance, and has sent a delegation consisting of officials from the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) to this event every year since 2019.
Following the Satoshi Roundtable, the Premier will attend the multilateral World Government Summit, which convenes hundreds of heads of government, ministers, and global leaders annually to discuss future forward approaches to governance.
The Premier’s participation reflects Bermuda’s growing profile as a jurisdiction that contributes meaningfully to global conversations on financial innovation and public-sector modernisation.
The Premier will be speaking at the Government Services Forum and will lead a fireside chat with CNN’s Eleni Giokos.
On the sidelines of the WGS, Premier Burt has been invited as a special guest and speaker to the 10th edition of the Arab Fiscal Forum, which convenes a dozen Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors from the Gulf and Arab countries, as well as the Managing Director of the IMF, to discuss strengthening fiscal policies and institutions.
While in the region, the Premier will also travel to the Kingdom of Bahrain to advance bilateral engagement and strengthen ties between Bermuda and Bahrain. The Premier will be received by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
The Premier will be joined by the Minister of Economy and Labour, the Hon. Jason Hayward, JP, MP, and the Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Alexa Lightbourne, JP, MP. The delegation will be supported by the Government of Bermuda’s Special Representative for the Middle & Africa, Ms Alexia Hefti, Esq.
All airfare and accommodations for the Premier, Ministers and the delegation are being covered by the Government of the UAE.
Premier Burt said, “Returning to the Satoshi Roundtable and participating in the World Government Summit reflects Bermuda’s continued leadership in digital finance and our commitment to engaging at the highest levels internationally. This visit also provides an important opportunity to continue strengthening relations with partner countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, including the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain, and to advance cooperation that supports economic opportunity for Bermudians.”
Weather alert: Winter gale to impact the island this weekend
BWS warns of heavy rain, gale-force winds from Saturday afternoon through Sunday
Residents are advised to be cautious as a strong winter gale moves toward the island this weekend. The Bermuda Weather Service reports that a complex low-pressure system will move in tomorrow, with conditions rapidly deteriorating from Saturday afternoon through Sunday as gale-force winds develop, along with rain and showers that could become heavy at times.
Michelle Pitcher, consultant with the BWS, provided a breakdown of what residents can expect.
Meanwhile, BELCO says its crews are standing by to respond should the weather result in any power outages.
Global equity funds attract inflows for third week in a row
Global equity funds attracted $33.39 billion worth of inflows in the week, compared with about $9.5 billion worth of inflows in the previous week, LSEG Lipper data showed
International News via Reuters:
Global equity funds had a third straight week of inflows in the week to January 28 on upbeat earnings expectations, while safe-haven assets like gold and bond funds also saw solid demand amid uncertainty over potential U.S. tariff moves under President Donald Trump.
Global equity funds attracted $33.39 billion worth of inflows in the week, compared with about $9.5 billion worth of inflows in the previous week, LSEG Lipper data showed.
By region, European equity funds led with $11.03 billion worth of inflows, the largest amount in three weeks. Investors also added $10.73 billion and $6.95 billion to U.S. and Asian funds respectively.
Among sectoral funds, industrial, tech, and metals and mining funds were the top gainers with weekly inflows of $3.04 billion, $2.7 billion and $2.24 billion, respectively.
Global bond funds had roughly $18.02 billion worth of net investments as investors extended their recent run of net purchases into a fourth successive week.
Short-term bond funds were popular, securing approximately $3.8 billion, the largest amount in three weeks. Investors also added corporate bond funds of a significant $3.45 billion.
Money market funds witnessed $10.31 billion in net inflows, with investors turning net buyers after two successive weeks of net sales.
The gold and precious metals commodity funds attracted a net $2.25 billion weekly net investment, the largest amount for a week since December 24.
Emerging market (EM) equity funds attracted $12.63 billion in net inflows last week, the largest since at least 2022, lifted by their cheaper valuations and growth prospects. EM bond funds also had a net $3.51 billion worth of weekly inflows.
Reporting by Gaurav Dogra. Editing by Jane Merriman
Mexico to seek diplomatic solution after US threatens Cuba oil tariffs
Mexico is one of Cuba’s only remaining suppliers of oil and its shipments are a lifeline for the island
International News via Reuters:
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday her country would seek diplomatic solutions and alternatives to help Cuba after the United States threatened tariffs on nations that supply the Caribbean nation with oil.
“We need to know the scope because we don’t want to put our country at risk in terms of tariffs,” Sheinbaum said in a morning press conference, adding that she had instructed her foreign minister to reach out to the U.S. State Department.
Mexico is one of Cuba’s only remaining suppliers of oil and its shipments are a lifeline for the island.
Sheinbaum said cutting off oil shipments could cause a serious humanitarian crisis in Cuba, affecting transportation and key infrastructure including hospitals and electricity generation.
“Applying tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba could trigger a far-reaching humanitarian crisis, directly affecting hospitals, food and other basic services for the Cuban people, a situation that must be avoided,” she said.
Sheinbaum did not say whether Mexico would cut shipments of oil or refined products to Cuba, which Sheinbaum said accounted for 1% of Mexico’s production, but emphasized the country is looking at alternatives to help the island.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Sheinbaum spoke on Thursday morning, hours before his administration announced the tariffs, but he did not mention the measures, she said.
Reporting by Sarah Morland and Adriana Barrera; Editing by Kylie Madry and Emily Green
Siemens Energy, Thyssenkrupp to join German economy minister on Saudi Arabia trip, sources say
Reiche is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia from February 1 to 3 to expand economic relations
International News via Reuters:
German industry bosses including the CEOs of Siemens Energy and Thyssenkrupp will join Economy Minister Katherina Reiche on an upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, highlighting a push by Europe’s biggest economy to further diversify its energy supply.
Reiche is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia from February 1 to 3 to expand economic relations, a spokesperson for her ministry said, only days after she highlighted the need for new alliances in light of rising geopolitical tensions.
The trip will focus on energy, a critical issue for Germany — Saudi Arabia’s most important economic partner in the European Union — which has suffered from soaring costs after losing access to cheap gas from Russia.
Christian Bruch, CEO of power equipment maker Siemens Energy, and Miguel Lopez, who leads industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp, will be part of the business delegation travelling with Reiche, the sources said.
Uniper boss Michael Lewis, EnBW CEO Georg Stamatelopoulos and Egbert Laege, in charge of SEFE Group, will also take part, they added.
Thyssenkrupp, EnBW and Sefe confirmed the participation of their CEOs.
Siemens Energy and Uniper declined to comment.
The ministry spokesperson said a number of memorandums of understanding would be signed on the trip, “focusing on energy projects, innovation, deep technology, artificial intelligence, and especially in the start-up sector”.
Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke; Editing by Hugh Lawson
Guterres warns of UN’s ‘imminent financial collapse’
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly spoken about the organisation’s worsening liquidity crisis but this is his starkest warning yet
International News via Reuters:
The U.N. chief has told member states that the organisation is at risk of “imminent financial collapse”, citing unpaid fees and a budget rule that forces the global body to return unspent money, a letter seen by Reuters on Friday showed.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly spoken about the organisation’s worsening liquidity crisis but this is his starkest warning yet, and it comes as its main contributor the United States is retreating from multilateralism on numerous fronts.
“The crisis is deepening, threatening programme delivery and risking financial collapse. And the situation will deteriorate further in the near future,” Guterres wrote in a letter to ambassadors dated January 28.
The U.S. has slashed voluntary funding to U.N. agencies and refused to make mandatory payments to its regular and peacekeeping budgets.
U.S. President Donald Trump has described the U.N. as having “great potential” but said it is not fulfilling that, and he has launched a Board of Peace which some fear could undermine the older international body.
Founded in 1945, the U.N. has 193 member states and works to maintain international peace and security, promote human rights, foster social and economic development, and coordinate humanitarian aid.
In his letter, Guterres said “decisions not to honour assessed contributions that finance a significant share of the approved regular budget have now been formally announced.”
He did not say which state or states he was referring to, and a U.N. spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
‘KAFKAESQUE CYCLE’
Under U.N. rules, contributions depend on the size of the economy of each member state. The U.S. accounts for 22% of the core budget followed by China with 20%.
But by the end of 2025 there was a record $1.57 billion in outstanding dues, Guterres said, without naming them.
“Either all Member States honour their obligations to pay in full and on time – or Member States must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse,” he said.
Guterres launched a reform task force last year, known as UN80, which seeks to cut costs and improve efficiency. To that end, states agreed to cut the 2026 budget by around 7% to $3.45 billion.
Still, Guterres warned in the letter that the organisation could run out of cash by July.
One of the problems is a rule now seen as antiquated whereby the global body has to credit back hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent dues to states each year.
“In other words, we are trapped in a Kafkaesque cycle expected to give back cash that does not exist,” said Guterres, referring to author Franz Kafka who wrote about oppressive bureaucratic processes.
Reporting by Emma Farge, Editing by Miranda Murray, Ludwig Burger and Hugh Lawson
Government appoints new department heads
Today, the Head of the Public Service, Cherie Whitter announced the appointments of two Director posts within the Government.
Mr. Richard Lau has been appointed to the role of Chief Information Officer and Ms. Melonie McDermott has been appointed to the post of Land Registrar.
Mr. Lau will work under the policy direction of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for the Cabinet Office & Digital Innovation. He will oversee the Information and Digital Technologies (IDT) office, implementing IT strategy, infrastructure modernization, and cybersecurity.
Mr. Lau is an accomplished technology executive who brings over 25 years of experience to the Government of Bermuda. His career spans information technology, cybersecurity, and the modernization of critical infrastructure, having held senior leadership roles at Ascendant Group and One Communications Ltd. Committed to the community, he is a member of the National Youth Triathlon coaching team, serves as a Director for the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Foundation, and previously sat on the Bermuda E-commerce Advisory Board. Mr. Lau holds an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability and a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors.
As Land Registrar, Melonie McDermott will work under the policy direction of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
She will be responsible for managing and overseeing all operations of the Land Title Registry Office, including adjudicating land title disputes and ensuring compliance with the Land Title Registration Act 2011. Ms. McDermott will assess complex legal decisions regarding land registration, title certification, and maintaining the accuracy of property record
Melonie McDermott has a decade of experience in Land Law, practice and procedure. She is a qualified Attorney-at-Law in both Jamaica and Bermuda.
She was previously employed at the National Land Agency, Jamaica where she served in the posts of Legal Officer 2, Legal Officer 3 and Supervisor of the Caveat Department. Ms. McDermott joined Bermuda’s Land Title and Registration Department on the 1st of December 2022 as the Land Title Legal Officer. As a goal oriented and determined person she is confident that she will make positive contribution to the Public Service of Bermuda. Ms. McDermott expressed her excitement at being able to serve in her new capacity as Land Registrar.
Ms. McDermott holds a BSc in Sociology with a minor in Psychology, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a Legal Education Certificate and an MSc in Surveying (Real Estate).
Both posts are currently effective.
Bermuda U17 women’s clinical edge displayed in record-breaking qualifying run
Bermuda’s Under-17 Women’s National team concluded their Group B qualifying campaign with a series of commanding performances that solidified their reputation as one of the region’s rising powers. Despite finishing as runners-up to Panama on goal difference, the Lady Gombey Warriors displayed a level of technical proficiency and offensive firepower that suggests a bright future for this young squad.
The statistics from their three-match run tell a story of dominance and efficiency. Bermuda recorded an impressive 36% goal conversion rate, finding the net 16 times from just 50 total shots. This clinical nature was underpinned by a sophisticated possession-based game, with the team completing 817 passes over the course of the tournament.
At the heart of this creative engine was Zelaye Showers, who acted as the primary distributor with a team-high 145 successful passes. Her ability to dictate the tempo from midfield allowed Bermuda’s attacking duo to thrive. Milan Gibbons-Thomas emerged as one of the tournament’s standout finishers, leading the Bermuda scoring charts with six goals, including a spectacular four-goal haul in the opening match against Suriname. She was expertly supported by Daley Outerbridge, who contributed four goals of her own, highlighted by a clinical hat-trick against Bonaire.
While the attack flourished, the defensive unit proved equally resilient under pressure. Goalkeeper Kyra Simmons was a pillar of strength between the posts, recording 15 crucial saves to keep Bermuda competitive in the high-stakes final showdown against Panama. The team’s physical commitment was evident in the 28 fouls conceded, though this aggression occasionally boiled over, with Daley Outerbridge and Riley Khan each picking up two yellow cards during the campaign.
Bermuda now waits to see if their unbeaten record and significant goal difference will be enough to secure one of the two coveted best runner-up spots for the final round. Regardless of the final outcome, this campaign has set a new benchmark for youth development on the island.
Denkins names squad for Under-17 World Cup qualifying mission
The Bermuda Football Association (BFA) has officially unveiled the 21-member squad set to represent the island at the upcoming Concacaf Men’s Under-17 World Cup Qualifiers in Honduras. The announcement marks the beginning of a vital campaign as the young Gombey Warriors eye a spot in the expanded FIFA U-17 World Cup, which has now shifted to an annual format to provide consistent competitive exposure for emerging talent.
Bermuda has been drawn into Group H, where they will face a challenging route to qualification against Guyana, Suriname, and host nation Honduras. Under the current tournament regulations, only the winner of each group will punch their ticket to the World Cup finals, scheduled to take place in Qatar this November.
Head Coach Aaron Denkins, who recently transitioned from the under-20 women’s setup to lead the under-17 men, believes the draw provides his side with a realistic path to success.
“This is the second of the yearly FIFA World Cups, and we are excited to participate again after hosting our group last year,” said Denkins. “We have a foundation of players with experience at this level, and several are continuing their football journeys with overseas clubs. We are looking forward to doing well and qualifying for Qatar”.
The squad features a mix of veteran stability and rising talent, including goalkeeper Nuri Latham, who signed for UK Championship side Preston North End last year, and forwards Jeon Wolfe and Na’im Zuill.
The team is scheduled to depart for a final training camp in Orlando, Florida, before traveling to Honduras for their opening fixtures.
- February 6, 2026: vs Guyana
- February 8, 2026: vs Suriname
- February 11, 2026: vs Honduras
The Full 21-Man Roster
- Goalkeepers: Nuri Latham, Curtis Jackson Jr, Ethan Adderley.
- Defenders: Amir Weller, Milliun Hill, Kayuri Tucker, Joshua Smith.
- Midfielders: Amir Brangman-Johnson, Deacon Wade, Mateus Amaral, Roman Wilkinson, Rylan DeSilva, Tyler Steede, Z’Ani Jennings, Shiia Davis.
Forwards: Jeon Wolfe, Kaiyuri Albuoy, Na’im Zuill, Shiloh Waite, Norico Furbert, Zydon Lightbourne-Furbert.
