‘The strength of our public services rests in people’
Long-serving public officers honoured
On January 16, the Government of Bermuda was delighted to recognize 389 public officers for their years of dedicated service at the Long Service Awards Ceremony held at the Hamilton Princess.
Honourees represented milestones of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 years of commitment to Bermuda’s public service.
The ceremony was held in partnership with the Bermuda Public Services Union (BPSU) and the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU), and hosted by the Premier the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, and Head of the Public Service Cherie Whitter.
Premier Burt expressed his deep gratitude to the recipients saying, “Public service is not easy. It is often thankless and subject to constant scrutiny. Yet, despite this, you continue to serve the people of Bermuda every day with professionalism. The long hours and weekends that you have sacrificed to keep critical services going through unprecedented challenges such as the pandemic, a cyberattack, numerous hurricanes and more, will never be forgotten by me.
“On behalf of the Government and the people of Bermuda, I thank you for your many years of devoted service. I am grateful for all that you have given, and I look forward to continuing to work with you as we build a fairer Bermuda for all Bermudians.”
Cherie Whitter, Head of the Public Service, encouraged long serving public officers to share their stories of longevity and dedication.
She said, “Speak about your career path, the education and skills development requirements, the decision to join and remain in the Service. Let the next generation hear about your journeys. By doing so you will inspire others to consider careers in public service, fostering a new wave of commitment and excellence for Bermuda’s future.”
Mr. Armell Thomas, President of the Bermuda Public Services Union, highlighted the human strength behind Bermuda’s institutions. He said, “This Long Service Awards Ceremony is a powerful reminder that the strength of our public service does not rest in buildings or policies alone, it rests in people. Each of you being honoured today has answered that call year after year, often behind the scenes, without fanfare, but always with purpose.”
And Mr. Chris Furbert, President of the Bermuda Industrial Union, commended the honourees for their perseverance, saying, “Through changing administrations and evolving policies, you have demonstrated reliability and perseverance in carrying out your duties. You have helped maintain stability, continuity, and institutional knowledge within the public sector, and the Bermuda Industrial Union has been proud to advocate on your behalf along the way.”
This year’s Long Service Awards Ceremony stands as a testament to the resilience, professionalism, and unwavering dedication of Bermuda’s public officers.
From five years to half a century of service, each honouree has played a vital role in strengthening Bermuda’s institutions, supporting the island’s communities, and ensuring that Bermuda continues to thrive.
Their contributions, along with the support of their families, embody the very spirit of public service and set an inspiring example for future generations.
Bermudian duo Smith and Jackson clinch gold in Florida
Maclean Smith and Leslie Jackson have furthered Bermuda’s burgeoning reputation in international pickleball by claiming the gold medal at the 2026 Marco Island Police Foundation Pickleball Slammer.
Competing in the Women’s Doubles Skill 3.000 to 3.999 division, the duo produced a masterclass in consistency to navigate an undefeated path to the podium. The victory marks another successful overseas foray for the veteran pairing following Jackson’s gold at the Cayman Islands Open late last year.
Smith and Jackson set an authoritative tone at the Marco Island YMCA, recording clinical 11-3 victories in their opening two rounds before easing past Lynlee and Laiklyn Dunigan 11-4 in the third. Their momentum remained unchecked in the semi-finals, where they brushed aside Jacqueline and Julianne Rudemiller 11-3 to book their place in the showpiece match.
The final saw a spirited rematch against Sandra Marshall and Jennifer Dayton. While it proved to be the most competitive contest of the tournament, the Bermudian pair maintained their composure during the critical exchanges, eventually closing out the match 11-7 to secure the title.
European Union imports of cheap ecommerce parcels jump 26% in 2025
The EU’s “de minimis” customs duty exemption for parcels valued at less than 150 euros ($174) has helped fuel rapid growth at online shopping platforms such as Temu and Shein
International News via Reuters:
The number of low-value ecommerce parcels entering the European Union increased to 5.8 billion in 2025, a 26% rise from the previous year, the European Commission said on Monday as the bloc plans to impose fees on the cheap products currently imported duty-free.
The EU’s “de minimis” customs duty exemption for parcels valued at less than 150 euros ($174) has helped fuel rapid growth at online shopping platforms such as Temu and Shein, which send packages from China direct to consumers.
EU lawmaker Dirk Gotink, chief negotiator on the new customs legislation, said imports of low-value packages were growing “at an unsustainable rate”.
“It underlines the urgent need to frontload the European handling fee to July this year and to finalise the customs reform within the next months,” Gotink said in a statement.
The EU plans to impose a 3 euro fee on low-value parcels starting on July 1, as a temporary measure before a final agreement is reached to scrap the duty exemption.
The issue gained new urgency last year when the U.S. scrapped its de minimis policy, raising fears that cheap Chinese products would be redirected en masse to Europe.
The Commission has previously said it estimates some 65% of small parcels entering the EU were undervalued to avoid customs duties, and it also sees risks of harm to consumers from non-compliant products and of damage to EU industries, notably retailers, from the import surge. The majority of the parcels come from China.
Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Alex Richardson
BP interested in cross-border opportunities with Venezuela, company’s Trinidad head says
BP and Shell had been granted licenses by the U.S. and Venezuela to develop offshore natural gas projects at the maritime border, where vast reserves have been found
International News via Reuters:
BP’s head of Trinidad and Tobago said on Monday the oil and gas major is still interested in cross-border opportunities with Venezuela, despite the government in Caracas suspending all bilateral energy agreements with its neighbor last year.
BP and Shell had been granted licenses by the U.S. and Venezuela to develop offshore natural gas projects at the maritime border, where vast reserves have been found.
“There is an industrial logic that says there are resources across the border where people are perhaps more cautious to invest, right next to our underutilized assets like Atlantic LNG and Point Lisas,” BP’s David Campbell said.
“It is an obvious project to have,” Campbell added in reference to Cocuina-Manakin, the gas project BP and Venezuela’s state-run PDVSA had been planning.
Cocuina-Manakin has gas deposits that extend into the waters of both countries, so a joint development is needed to begin output, after the exploration phase was completed years ago.
BP expects continued decline of its aging fields in Trinidad’s shallow waters, but the company sees major opportunities in deepwater, Campbell said.
BP’s 3.5-trillion-cubic-foot Calypso discovery, which is operated by Woodside, is seen as an important opportunity for Trinidad to get more gas for the twin-island country as are the deepwater blocks the firm is jointly exploring with Shell, the executive said at an energy conference in the country’s capital Port of Spain.
About 10% of all of BP’s upstream capital spending worldwide this year will go to energy projects in Trinidad, Campbell said.
Reporting by Curtis Williams, Editing by Alexander Smith and Andrea Ricci
EU to make WhatsApp more responsible for tackling harmful content
The Commission said on January 15 it was considering designating WhatsApp’s “channels” feature as a very large platform
International News via Reuters:
The European Commission on Monday said it had formally designated Meta’s WhatsApp as a “very large platform” under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), making it more responsible for tackling illegal and harmful content.
The Commission said on January 15 it was considering designating WhatsApp’s “channels” feature as a very large platform. The messaging service is not affected.
The channels had 51.7 million average monthly active users in the EU in the first six months of 2025, more than the 45-million-user threshold set out in the DSA.
The DSA requires such large platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content, which can become costly for the platforms given the volume of data to be scanned, and raises questions of privacy.
Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Google’s YouTube, TikTok, Temu and Microsoft’s LinkedIn are some of the companies labelled as very large online platforms under the DSA subject to this requirement.
“Following the designation, Meta, the provider of WhatsApp, has four months, i.e. by mid-May 2026, to ensure WhatsApp complies with the additional DSA obligations,” the Commission said in a statement.
A spokesperson for WhatsApp said that, as its channels keep growing in the EU and elsewhere, “we remain committed to evolving our safety and integrity measures in the region, ensuring they align with relevant regulatory expectations and our ongoing responsibility to users”.
Reporting by Yun Chee Foo, writing by Louise Rasmussen; editing by Inti Landauro and Kevin Liffey
UK banks commit to $15 billion lending package to help firms expand abroad
The announcement comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, struggling in opinion polls, searches for ways to generate growth from Britain’s relatively sluggish economy
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s five leading banks – NatWest, HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and Santander – on Monday committed to lending a combined 11 billion pounds ($15 billion) to help firms invest and expand into new international markets, the government said.
The announcement comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, struggling in opinion polls, searches for ways to generate growth from Britain’s relatively sluggish economy, and weeks after the Bank of England urged commercial banks to lend more.
“Strengthening Britain’s export potential relies on British businesses having the means, motive, and opportunity to succeed in new overseas markets,” business and trade minister Peter Kyle said in a statement.
The government said lending capacity would be available immediately and be drawn entirely from the banks’ own balance sheets. UK Export Finance, the government’s export credit agency, will guarantee up to 80% of eligible loans issued by each bank.
However, there is no guarantee the banks will lend the full amount and firms are likely to still try and ensure any such money loaned is on a commercial basis and will be repaid.
($1 = 0.7308 pounds)
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James and Alex Richardson
Berkeley’s Stripes crowned inaugural All-Star champions in Atlanta
Bermudian rugby standout Nisaiah Berkeley and her Team Stripes teammates were left celebrating in Georgia this weekend after clinching the first-ever National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Women’s All-Star Championship XVs title.
In a high-intensity assembly of collegiate talent at Silverbacks Park, the Stripes navigated a grueling, weather-truncated schedule to secure the hardware. The tournament featured four elite regional sides—the Hawks, Bison, Stars, and Stripes—competing in a round-robin format designed to showcase the premier talent in the national system.
Berkeley, a junior 8-man at Wheeling University and a defending national champion, was a vital component of a Stripes unit that displayed both attacking flair and defensive grit. The champions got their campaign off to a flyer on Saturday morning, recording a hard-fought 14-10 victory over the Hawks to set the pace at the top of the table. They followed that performance with a convincing 24-12 win over the Bison, moving within touching distance of the trophy.
With the title on the line in their final fixture, the Stripes faced their sternest test against a stacked Stars roster. In what many expected to be a battle of attrition, Berkeley’s side held their nerve to secure a 28-12 win, ensuring they finished the tournament as the only undefeated team.
For Berkeley, the victory adds another prestigious accolade to an already glittering collegiate resume. Having been a key figure in Wheeling’s perfect 2024-25 season and their subsequent DI National Championship win, her success at the All-Star event further cements her reputation as one of the most promising Bermudian athletes currently competing in North America.
Pickering pushes Olympian close as Bermudian archers shine in Lancaster
Archer Camerin Pickering demonstrated his international pedigree at the 2026 Lancaster Archery Classic, battling through a field of over 100 competitors to reach the high-stakes elimination rounds.
Competing at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Pennsylvania, Pickering successfully navigated a grueling qualification phase that featured 113 elite archers in the Men’s Olympic Recurve division. Scores at the top of the leaderboard remained incredibly tight throughout the 60-arrow round, but Pickering’s consistency ensured he comfortably secured 29th place overall to book his spot in the knockout brackets.
In the elimination round of 32, Pickering was handed a formidable draw against American Olympian Jack Williams. In a tense, point-for-point encounter, the Bermudian pushed the former World Cup gold medalist all the way before eventually falling 123-113. Despite the defeat, Pickering’s ability to maintain a high scoring average under the pressure of the elimination lights marks another significant step forward in his senior indoor campaign.
Success for the island continued in the youth ranks as Elektra Smith made an impressive start to her campaign in the Easton Youth & Collegiate Trophy Tournament. Competing in the Women’s 18-20 Junior Division, Smith found her range early to post a new personal best score of 475 out of 660.
Her performance was enough to secure 9th place within her group, a position she maintained in the final overall standings. The result highlights Smith’s continued development on the international stage as she transitions into the higher age brackets of the sport.
Bermuda’s ‘Longtails’ secure historic CAC Games return
Netball Bermuda has officially confirmed its participation in the 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, marking a historic return to major multi-sport competition for the national program. The Games are scheduled to take place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from July 24th to August 8th, 2026, with the netball competition tentatively slated for the final week of action between August 3rd and 7th.
Bermuda’s inclusion in the regional showpiece follows a dramatic shift in the qualification standings. While participation is typically reserved for the host nation and the top five ranked countries in the Americas region, a vacancy opened after St. Vincent and the Grenadines withdrew their participation. This withdrawal allowed Bermuda, as the next eligible nation, to secure a coveted spot in the six-team tournament.
The qualification is a direct result of Bermuda’s rapid ascent in the World Netball rankings over the past year. After a multi-year absence from international competition, the “Longtails” made a sensational return during the Battle of the Isles tournament held in St. Maarten and St. Eustatius last October.
The national squad secured a silver medal at the event, recording dominant wins over Guadeloupe 83-6, the British Virgin Islands 47-17, and the host nation, with their only defeats coming against regional powerhouse Canada. This stellar run propelled Bermuda into the updated World Netball rankings in 20th position overall.
Crucially, the new global standing has placed Bermuda among the elite in the Americas. The island now sits as the fifth-ranked nation in the region, trailing only traditional heavyweights Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and the recently withdrawn St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
For Netball Bermuda President Kimale Evans and captain Debré Evans, the achievement represents a strategic milestone that validates years of intentional development behind the scenes. The upcoming trip to Santo Domingo will serve as a vital high-performance platform as the team builds toward the 2026 Americas Netball World Cup Qualifiers later that year.
Dr. Ewart Brown’s virtual court hearing gets underway
Lawyer argues that former Premier’s rights have been repeatedly breached
A Supreme Court hearing began this morning in an abuse of process case involving former Premier Dr. Ewart Brown.
During a virtual session, defense lawyer Jerome Lynch KC argued that his client’s rights have repeatedly been breached over the past 15 years, preventing the presumption of innocence before trial.
Mr. Lynch alleges that the public has been drip fed accusations made by officers of the state against Dr. Brown without formal charges being laid – making a fair trial impossible.
Reference was made to allegations of corruption in 2011 and accusations that Dr. Brown ‘over tested’ patients when he was working in association with the Lahey Clinic in Boston.
The virtual courtroom was attended by more than 50 members of the public this morning.
The abuse of hearing case, which is being overseen by Martin Forde KC, who is based in the U.K., is expected to last several days.
We’ll have more details in subsequent posts.
