Usually known only by his first name, Valentino was 93, and had retired in 2008
International News via Reuters:
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died, his foundation said on Monday.
Usually known only by his first name, Valentino was 93, and had retired in 2008.
Founder of the eponymous brand, Valentino scaled the heights of haute couture, created a business empire and introduced a new colour to the fashion world, the so-called ‘Valentino Red’.
“Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones,” the foundation said on Instagram.
The lying in state will be on Wednesday and Thursday, while the funeral will take place in Rome on Friday at 11 am (1000 GMT), it added.
Valentino was ranked alongside Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld as the last of the great designers from an era before fashion became a global, highly commercial industry run as much by accountants and marketing executives as the couturiers.
Lagerfeld passed away in 2019, while Armani died in September.
Writing by Alvise Armellini, editing by Gavin Jones
As Davos meeting gets underway, Premier pens article on how Bermuda balances innovation and oversight to remain globally competitive
Image: Unsplash
Ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, the World Economic Forum has published an article written by the Premier, the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, titled, “The Bermuda Triangle approach: How the small but mighty island innovates at scale”, published January 15, 2026.
In the article, the Premier explains Bermuda’s Triangle of Innovation model: Government sets policy, the Bermuda Monetary Authority provides independent regulation, and industry executes within clear standards.
The article outlines how this approach has supported Bermuda’s global leadership in insurance and reinsurance and informed Bermuda’s regulatory framework for digital assets.
Media and the public are encouraged to read the article for a clear explanation of how Bermuda balances innovation and oversight to remain competitive in global markets.
In a report timed for the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the charity said the fortunes of global billionaires jumped 16% in 2025 to $18.3 trillion, extending an 81% rise since 2020
International News via Reuters:
Billionaire wealth surged at three times its recent pace last year to reach its highest level on record, deepening economic and political divides that threaten democratic stability, anti-poverty group Oxfam said on Monday.
In a report timed for the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the charity said the fortunes of global billionaires jumped 16% in 2025 to $18.3 trillion, extending an 81% rise since 2020.
The gains happened even as one in four people worldwide struggle to eat regularly and nearly half the global population live in poverty.
Oxfam’s study, which draws on academic research and data sources ranging from the World Inequality Database to Forbes’ rich list, argues that the wealth boom is being matched by a dramatic concentration of political clout, with billionaires 4,000 times more likely than ordinary citizens to hold political office.
The group links the latest wealth surge to policies under U.S. President Donald Trump, whose second administration has cut taxes, shielded multinational corporations from international pressure and eased scrutiny of monopolies.
Soaring valuations of artificial intelligence companies have added further windfall gains for already wealthy investors.
“The widening gap between the rich and the rest is at the same time creating a political deficit that is highly dangerous and unsustainable,” Oxfam’s executive director Amitabh Behar said.
Oxfam urged governments to adopt national inequality reduction plans, impose higher taxes on extreme wealth and strengthen firewalls between money and politics, including curbs on lobbying and campaign financing.
Wealth taxes are levied in just a few countries such as Norway at present but others, from Britain to France and Italy, have debated similar moves.
The Nairobi-based charity calculates that the $2.5 trillion added to billionaires’ fortunes last year is roughly equal to the stock of wealth held by the poorest 4.1 billion people.
The world’s billionaire population surpassed 3,000 for the first time last year, with Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk becoming the first individual to exceed $500 billion in net worth.
Behar warned that governments are “making wrong choices to pander to the elite,” pointing to aid cuts and the rollback of civil liberties.
The report highlights what it calls the expanding grip of ultra‑wealthy business figures over traditional and digital media.
Billionaires now own more than half of the world’s major media firms, Oxfam said, citing holdings by Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Patrick Soon‑Shiong and France’s Vincent Bolloré.
Reporting by Francesco Canepa, Editing by William Maclean
While weather conditions overnight helped control some fires, the largest were still active, with adverse conditions expected throughout the day, security minister Luis Cordero said at a news briefing on Monday
International News via Reuters:
Wildfires in Chile have left at least 19 people dead, authorities said on Monday, as the government carried out mass evacuations and fought nearly two dozen blazes exacerbated by intense heat and high winds.
While weather conditions overnight helped control some fires, the largest were still active, with adverse conditions expected throughout the day, security minister Luis Cordero said at a news briefing on Monday.
“The projection we have today is of high temperatures,” Cordero said, and the main worry was that new fires would be triggered throughout the region.
Parts of central and southern Chile were under extreme heat warnings with temperatures expected to reach up to 37 Celsius (99 Fahrenheit).
HUNDREDS OF HOMES DESTROYED
Most of those killed were in Penco, a small coastal city just north of the regional capital of Concepcion. On Monday morning, thousands of residents in the area sifted through the rubble of their homes as firefighters continued to extinguish nearby fires.
Ana Caamaño, 51, was one of those residents, rummaging through the ashes of the home in Lirquen that she was raised in and later inherited from her parents. Among the wreckage was the corpse of one of her four dogs, some charred rings and a metal ladle.
“They’re not that important,” Ana Caamaño said, looking at the rings in her hand. “But they’re memories.”
Caamaño and her husband Luis, who was cleaning up the wreckage of their garage to make a temporary shelter, were visiting family on Saturday when the fires broke out.
Their son, Franco, was home and said he was trying to hose down the house when he noticed the blaze getting closer, but a sudden strong wind brought in a black cloud of smoke that forced him to flee, leaving everything behind.
“It came like lightning, it was so quick,” Franco said, echoing what many residents remembered, a fast-moving fire that gave them almost no time to flee.
Authorities say 325 homes have been destroyed and 1,100 more are being evaluated.
STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN NUBLE, BIO BIO
As of Monday afternoon, Chile’s CONAF forestry agency said firefighters were combating 26 fires across the country, the largest of which were in regions of Ñuble and Bío Bío, where President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe.
Over 20,000 hectares (77 square miles) have been razed so far, an area about the size of Seattle, with the largest fire surpassing 14,000 hectares on the outskirts of the coastal city of Concepcion.
Authorities are currently battling the fire as it threatens Manzano prison on the edge of Concepcion and the town of Tome to the north.
Both Chile and Argentina rang in the new year with heat waves which have continued into January. Earlier this month, wildfires broke out in Argentina’s Patagonia, burning around 15,000 hectares.
Reporting by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Andrea Ricci
The National Equestrian Centre played host to a dramatic day of harness racing as season standouts Smart Machine and Candyce Martins set a blistering pace on the Vesey Street track.
It was an afternoon defined by razor-thin margins and elite speed, with the presiding judge called into action to settle multiple high-stakes finishes. In the 1:03&0 and Faster class, Martins and Smart Machine went nose-to-nose with Philip Correia behind Red October. Both ponies stopped the clock at 1:02&3, forcing a judicial review that eventually saw Martins awarded the win in one of the tightest finishes of the season.
The Eighth Heat of the same division saw a pure display of raw speed. Representing Belhaven Stables, Smart Machine once again showcased why he is the pony to beat in 2026. With Martins at the helm, the gelding powered through the final turn to record a 1:02&1 finish—the fastest time of the entire race day. The performance further cements the duo’s dominance in the top-tier division as they continue to flirt with long-standing track records.
The competitive nature of the meet was not limited to the elite class. In the 1:03&1 – 1:04&1 division, Philip Correia found himself on the right side of a close call in Heat Five. Driving Gold Rush, Correia narrowly edged out Tahzii Flood and Huntinforgold, finishing in 1:03&2 compared to Flood’s 1:03&3. The drama continued into Heat Fourteen, where Maurice Raynor, piloting Rockeyed Optimist, managed to hold off a late charge from Teshi and Somegoldsomewhere. Raynor crossed the line in 1:03&3, just a fraction ahead of the 1:03&4 recorded by the runner-up.
David Maycock has emerged as the early frontrunner in the race for a spot on Team Bermuda, establishing a commanding lead after the opening rounds of the 2026 National Championship and Selection Trials.
Competing for the chance to represent the island at the CAC Games and the IBF World Cup, Maycock sat at the summit of the sixteen-man field with an impressive 2,456 pins. His consistency across the challenging professional oil patterns was highlighted by a high game of 244, helping him maintain the top spot he had held since the first round of action.
LeVinc Samuels sits in second place with 2,384 pins, having produced the weekend’s most explosive moment with a blistering 266—the highest single game of the top three so far. Lamar Richardson currently rounds out the podium positions in third with 2,321 pins, having matched Samuels’ low of 146 during a testing middle stretch.
With a grueling 30-game marathon ahead, the leaderboard remains volatile. Dennis Joell, who held third after the opening round, remains within striking distance as the field prepares for the next phase of the trials later this month. The final national champion will be crowned on February 8th, forming the backbone of Bermuda’s international summer campaign.
Taylor White produced a masterful individual performance in the pool this weekend, claiming three gold medals despite Bentley University slipping to a 163.5-120.5 defeat against Southern Connecticut State.
The Bermudian standout dominated the distance events at the Hutchinson Natatorium, starting her afternoon with a commanding victory in the 1650-yard freestyle. Clocking 17:53.26, White showcased her elite endurance to touch the wall nearly 25 seconds ahead of her nearest rival. She followed that with a clinical display in the 500-yard freestyle, where her time of 5:15.19 secured a second win by a staggering 11-second margin.
White’s versatility was further evidenced in the 200-yard backstroke, where she claimed her third individual title in 2:10.62. She also proved vital in the relay events, leading off the Bentley ‘B’ team to help them secure second place in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
While teammate Skyla Lang also secured a hat-trick of wins, the Owls’ superior depth in the sprints and diving eventually told. However, with the Northeast-10 season entering its final stretch, White’s record-breaking form suggests she remains the woman to beat in the conference distance lanes.
OBA’s Michael Fahy says Gov’t should give the electorate the pros and cons of CARICOM before drafting membership, and should say if it is part of a progression towards independence from the UK
The OBA’s Michael Fahy has doubled down on the OBA’s call for a referendum on full CARICOM membership, arguing that it could potentially affect our relationships with other essential international partners.
The Shadow Minister of Housing & Municipalities and Home Affairs says the PLP Government needs to give the electorate the real pros and cons.
Progressing to a draft agreement before that, he suggests, is tantamount to having already made the decision to join, regardless of public opinion.
Gary Foster Skelton questioned whether the electorate had already given the PLP some latitude on CARICOM by voting them in last February, and whether it could be part of a progression towards self-governance.
The PLP’s 1963 Constitution, ratified by Delegates in 2021, cites moving Bermuda towards independence as one of the objects of the party.
In response to our questions, Mr Fahy says if that is one of the aims of joining CARICOM is a progression towards independence, Government should say so.
Bermudian sprinters have enjoyed a landmark weekend on the United States indoor circuit, headlined by a national qualifying performance from Miles Outerbridge.
Outerbridge, representing Montverde Academy, stole the headlines at the VA Indoor Showcase in Virginia Beach. Competing in the Boys 200-meter Adidas Qualifier, he produced a blistering run of 21.34 seconds to claim victory. The performance was as dramatic as it was fast; Outerbridge edged the national qualifying standard by a mere 0.03 seconds in a lung-busting finish, officially punching his ticket to the Adidas Nationals.
Further west, Norre Robinson made his competitive bow for Louisiana Tech at the prestigious Arkansas Invitational. Racing at the world-renowned Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville—famed for its lightning-fast banked turns—Robinson lined up for the Men’s 60m Dash. In a high-calibre collegiate environment where hundredths of a second separate the field, the debutant held his own to clock a solid 7.04 seconds. The time earned him 32nd place overall, providing a strong foundation for his first season in the NCAA.
The event, which is to be held on Wednesday, January 28 from 10 am to 12.30 pm at St Paul’s Centennial Hall, Hamilton
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda (PrivCom) is marking this year’s Data Privacy Day with a Seniors Tea Party. The event, which is to be held on 28 January 2026 from 10 am to 12.30 pm at St Paul’s Centennial Hall, will focus on the theme “Safeguard Your Privacy”. All seniors are welcome.
Data Privacy Day is an international event observed annually to raise awareness about the importance of protecting personal information and respecting privacy rights in an increasingly digital world. This year’s theme, Safeguard Your Privacy, highlights the need for individuals, organisations, and public bodies to place privacy considerations at the forefront of decision making, technology use, and everyday activities.
As part of the 2026 observance, PrivCom will host a Seniors Tea Party, designed to provide older members of the community with essential information on protecting their personal information and clear, accessible tips on staying safe and informed. Attendees can look forward to refreshments, prizes, interaction with PrivCom staff and more.
“Privacy affects everyone, at every stage of life,” said Acting Privacy Commissioner Angie Farquharson. “By focusing on the theme ‘Safeguard Your Privacy and engaging directly with seniors, we aim to empower members of the community with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and to exercise their privacy rights with a sense of empowerment and confidence.”
The Seniors Tea Party will provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions, share experiences, and learn more about how Bermuda’s privacy law, the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA), protect them, all in a welcoming and informal setting. PIPA came into full effect last year, on 1 January 2025.
PrivCom encourages individuals to understand their rights under PIPA and exercise them when necessary. PrivCom is also appealing to organisations to recognise Data Privacy Day 2026 and commit to safeguarding individuals’ privacy by reviewing their information handling practices and privacy programmes. This is also a good time for organisations to hold staff training and awareness sessions. Further details about Data Privacy Day activities and the Seniors Tea Party can be found on PrivCom website and by calling 543-7748.
To RSPV for the Seniors Tea Party, call PrivCom on 543-7748 or visit www.privacy.bm.
Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs on imports from European allies until the United States is allowed to buy Greenland
International News via Reuters:
The German and French finance ministers said on Monday that European powers would not be blackmailed and that there would be a clear and united response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of higher tariffs over Greenland.
Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs on imports from European allies until the United States is allowed to buy Greenland, intensifying a dispute over the future of Denmark’s vast Arctic island.
“Germany and France agree: We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed,” German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said at his ministry, where he met with his French counterpart.
“Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable,” French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said at the same event.
ANTI-COERCION INSTRUMENT ON TABLE
EU leaders are set to discuss options at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday. One option is a package of tariffs on 93 billion euros ($107.7 billion) of U.S. imports that could automatically kick in on February 6 after a six-month suspension.
“We Europeans must make it clear: The limit has been reached,” Klingbeil said. “Our hand is extended but we are not prepared to be blackmailed.”
The other option is the so far untested “Anti-Coercion Instrument”, which could limit access to public tenders, investments or banking activity or restrict trade in services, in which the U.S. has a surplus with the bloc, including in digital services.
Lescure said that although the EU’s anti-coercion instrument was above all a deterrent, it should be considered in the current circumstances.
“France wants us to examine this possibility, hoping of course that deterrence will prevail,” Lescure said. He added that he hoped the transatlantic relationship will return to being “friendly and based on negotiation rather than a relationship based on threats and blackmail”.
Klingbeil said he was not interested in escalation, as it would come at the expense of economies on both sides of the Atlantic.
EUROPE IS ‘NOT WEAK’
Klingbeil and Lescure’s U.S. counterpart Scott Bessent said on Sunday that European “weakness” necessitated U.S. control of Greenland for global stability.
“Our objective in the coming days, weeks, quarters and years is to politely but firmly convince Scott Bessent that he is wrong,” Lescure said.
Lescure said Europe needed to adopt reforms to boost its technological edge and productivity in order to prove that Europe was indeed strong.
Klingbeil said that with 27 European countries and 450 million citizens, the EU must develop strength – economically, in security policy, and politically – so that no one would even suspect Europe is weak.
“What I expect from us as Europeans is that on a question that concerns the integrity and sovereignty of a country, we very clearly put up a stop sign and say: We are not going down this road,” Klingbeil said.
Reporting by Maria Martinez and Leigh Thomas; Writing by Friederike Heine; Editing by Ludwig Burger, Andrew Heavens and Hugh Lawson
Market remedies are measures imposed by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to address and correct competition concerns
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s competition watchdog launched a review of market remedies as part of efforts to ease regulatory burdens on businesses, it said on Monday.
Market remedies are measures imposed by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to address and correct competition concerns.
The regulator has identified 33 remedies, about 60% of those currently in place, that may no longer be necessary to address the problems they were originally designed to fix. A consultation for the same will run until March 2, it said in a statement.
The agency said the review will cover remedies put in place across sectors, including financial services, travel and energy, but excludes those that are “clearly continuing to deliver impact”.
The new review comes after the regulator last week said it was seeking input on how it evaluates competition concerns in mergers.
Reporting by Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair
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