The five are accused of breaking into the Brize Norton Royal Air Force base in central England in June and spraying red paint over two Voyager aircraft used for re-fuelling and transport
International News via Reuters:
Five pro-Palestinian activists pleaded not guilty on Friday to breaking into a British military air base and damaging two planes in protest against Britain’s support for Israel.
The five are accused of breaking into the Brize Norton Royal Air Force base in central England in June and spraying red paint over two Voyager aircraft used for re-fuelling and transport.
Campaign group Palestine Action, which has since been banned by the government, said it was behind the incident.
Lewie Chiaramello, Jon Cink, Amy Gardiner-Gibson – also known as Amu Gib, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie and Muhammad Umer Khalid appeared at London’s Old Bailey court by videolink from prison.
They pleaded not guilty to damaging property and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the interests or safety of the UK.
Brent crude was up 84 cents, or 1.3%, to $64.60 a barrel at 1413 GMT, on course for a fourth consecutive weekly gain
International News via Reuters:
Oil prices rose over 1% on Friday as supply risks remained in focus despite the receding likelihood of a U.S. military strike against Iran.
Brent crude was up 84 cents, or 1.3%, to $64.60 a barrel at 1413 GMT, on course for a fourth consecutive weekly gain. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was up 80 cents, or 1.4%, to $59.99.
At those levels, Brent was on course for a 2% weekly gain and WTI for a 1.4% gain. Brent was up a little more than $1 at its intraday peak as investors continue to weigh the potential for supply outages should tensions in the Middle East escalate.
“While geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have eased, they have not disappeared, and market participants remain concerned about potential supply disruptions,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
Both benchmarks hit multi-month highs this week after protests flared up in Iran and U.S. President Donald Trump signalled the potential for military strikes, but lost over 4% on Thursday as Trump said that Tehran’s crackdown on the protesters was easing, allaying concerns of possible military action that could disrupt oil supplies.
“Above all, there are worries about a possible blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran in the event of an escalation, through which around a quarter of seaborne oil supplies flow,” Commerzbank analysts said in a note.
“Should there be signs of a sustained easing on this front, developments in Venezuela are likely to return to the spotlight, with oil that was recently sanctioned or blocked gradually flowing onto the world market.”
Meanwhile, analysts expect higher supply this year, potentially creating a ceiling for the geopolitical risk premium on prices.
“Despite the steady drumbeat of geopolitical risks and macro speculation, the underlying balance still points to ample supply,” said Phillip Nova analyst Priyanka Sachdeva.
“Unless we see a genuine revival in Chinese demand or a meaningful bottleneck in physical barrel flows, oil looks range-bound, with Brent broadly hovering between $57 and $67.”
Reporting by Robert Harvey in London, Helen Clark in Perth and Trixie Yap in Singapore; additional reporting by Stephanie Kelly in LondonEditing by David Goodman
The ONS is aiming for a November launch of its “Transformed Labour Force Survey”, designed to counter falling survey response rates since the COVID-19 pandemic
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s Office for National Statistics said on Friday it will decide in the summer when to launch its overhauled survey of the UK labour market – a key source of data on employment, unemployment and inactivity that the Bank of England uses to assess the state of the jobs market.
The ONS is aiming for a November launch of its “Transformed Labour Force Survey”, designed to counter falling survey response rates since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it wants the TLFS to offer bigger sample sizes, shorter questionnaires and less bias towards particular types of respondents.
An ONS spokesperson said a version of the TLFS was already being used and additional improvements were due to be implemented in the coming months, allowing for faster completion of the process.
“We will make a readiness assessment in the summer, working closely with key users, before making a final decision on the timetable for moving to the TLFS,” the spokesperson said.
The ONS has previously said the launch of the TLFS might be delayed until 2027 if it is not ready by November.
Bloomberg News earlier cited people familiar with the matter as saying the ONS was preparing contingency plans to delay the launch by up to six months until May 2027.
Reporting by Abu Sultan in Bengaluru; additional reporting by William Schomberg in London; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Tom Hogue and Hugh Lawson
Bermuda’s premier karting export Scott Barnes is back in the driver’s seat this weekend as he launches his 2026 campaign at the 28th anniversary of the Florida Winter Tour.
Competing at the Orlando Kart Center, the Maranello Karts USA driver is set to take on the opening round of the prestigious three-part series promoted by ROK Cup USA. For Barnes, a seasoned veteran of the North American circuit, the event marks a significant shift in strategy as he commits to the full ROK Cup schedule for the first time in his career.
Taking to social media after his initial practice sessions in Florida, Barnes—affectionately known as “Skitchy”—signaled his intent for the weekend.
“Two sessions on track today. Rust knocked off, gave the kart a good shakedown,” Barnes posted. “Ready to go bang some gears tomorrow! Qualifying and Heat 1 tomorrow. Heat 2/3 and Pre-Final Saturday. Final Sunday, let’s Go!”
The Shifter Masters specialist arrives in Orlando in peak form, having capped off a historic 2025 season by being crowned “King of the Streets” at the Rock Island Grand Prix. While Barnes has dominated the SKUSA Winter Series in recent years—securing four successive titles—this year sees him focus his efforts on the ROK Cup program.
Bermuda trio impress as St. Andrew’s College competes at Can-Am Winter Showcase
Bermudians Michael Madeiros and Jah’Zion Taylor, along with Bermuda resident Heris Ziai, made their presence known as St. Andrew’s College (SAC) 1st Soccer competed at the Can-Am Winter Showcase in Geneva, New York this past weekend. With plenty of NCAA coaches toeing the sidelines, SAC stood toe-to-toe with some of the top U19 academies in North America, showing poise, defensive structure, and flashes of attacking brilliance.
Michael Madeiros ’27, SAC’s dependable centre back, was a standout throughout the tournament, leading the defensive unit with maturity, clean tackles, and relentless focus. Heris Ziai ’27 provided box-to-box energy and control, and in the final match, delivered a goal to cap off a strong performance. Jah’Zion Taylor ’27, playing on the wing, brought blistering pace and sharp dribbling ability—repeatedly beating defenders and creating attacking chances with his confidence on the ball and agility in wide spaces.
In their opening match, SAC narrowly fell 1–0 to Syracuse MLS Next U19, despite out-chancing their opponents and displaying excellent defensive organization. On Sunday, they faced powerhouse Northwood School (NY)—one of the top-ranked prep teams in the U.S.—in another tight 1–0 loss that could have gone either way. In their final fixture, SAC secured a 3–2 win over North York Academy, with Ziai scoring and Taylor creating space and width that stretched the backline.
Despite limited goals, SAC’s performances earned praise from coaches and spectators alike for their tactical discipline, resilience, and individual brilliance—particularly from the Bermuda-linked trio.
Coach Adrian Bradbury reflected on the effort: “Our defence was outstanding all weekend — Michael and Heris led by example with their intensity and discipline. Their ability to stay organized and composed under pressure allowed us to compete against top‑tier teams. This showcase was another important step for our programme as we build toward our next events.”
St. Andrew’s College will be on island for the Canadian Boarding School Fair on Monday, January 19, 2026, from 4:30–7:30 p.m. at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI). Families are invited to meet Bruce Keyes, SAC’s Admissions Manager, to learn more about academic pathways, sports programmes, boarding life, and scholarship opportunities. bruce.keyes@sac.on.ca
As one of Canada’s most prestigious independent boys’ schools, SAC offers a world-class education and high-performance athletics—including football, rugby, hockey, volleyball, and a top-ranked soccer programme that continues to welcome and develop Bermudian student-athletes.
Bermuda’s Oliver Betschart is firmly in contention to make the weekend at the 2026 Latin America Amateur Championship, after a battling opening round at the historic Lima Golf Club.
In a championship where the ultimate prize is a life-changing invitation to The Masters, the 17-year-old Betschart coped admirably with the undulating fairways and strategic hazards of the Peruvian layout. He carded a three-over-par 73 to finish the day tied for 32nd in the 107-man field.
Betschart’s round began with a flourish; back-to-back birdies in his opening holes saw him briefly surge into a share of second place. Despite a slight loss of momentum, he reached the turn at one-under-par, appearing well-set to challenge the early leaders, Andy Schonbaum and Andrés Martínez Benedetti, who both set the pace with four-under-par rounds.
However, the “back nine” at Lima proved a sterner test. A run of four bogeys saw the teenager slip back, eventually finishing the day with a statistical card of three birdies, nine pars, and six bogeys. Nevertheless, he remains well within the projected cut line, with the top 50 players plus ties advancing to the final two rounds.
It was a more challenging afternoon for fellow Bermudian Eric West. Making his debut in the prestigious event, the 42-year-old found the thick, parkland rough and tight tree-lines unforgiving during an opening round of nine-over-par 79.
West’s scorecard reflected a “rollercoaster” opening session, including two birdies, eight pars, five bogeys, and three double bogeys. Despite the difficult start, West showed resilience over the closing stretch and sits T80th heading into Friday. He will likely need a significant under-par round tomorrow to move into the weekend’s conversation.
The Bermuda Football Association (BFA) has officially unveiled the 21-player squad set to carry the island’s hopes in the upcoming Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Qualifiers.
Bermuda will host the high-stakes Group B fixtures at the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium, where they will face off against Panama, Suriname, and Bonaire. The group was originally a five-team pool, but the withdrawal of St. Kitts and Nevis leaves four nations to battle for a spot in the Championship round.
Head coach Gary Adams expressed his confidence in the squad’s balance, highlighting a potent mix of local and overseas-based talent. Many of the selected players are no strangers to the international stage, having gained vital experience in last year’s Concacaf Championship.
“I am very excited and look forward to leading this group through the first round of World Cup Qualifiers,” Adams said. “The new structure, which sees an under-17 World Cup every year, is both challenging and exciting. We aim to repeat our success of qualifying for the Championship Round with the ultimate goal of the World Cup later this year in Morocco.”
The qualifiers represent the first step on the road to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Bermuda will look to utilize home-field advantage to secure the top spot in the group, as only the group winners and the best runners-up will advance to the final qualifying phase.
The Bermuda Under-17 Women’s Roster:
Goalkeepers: Semaj Baisden-Scott, Sydney Denkins, Kyra Simmons.
Bermudian all-rounder Katherine Bean-Rosario and her Leeward Islands teammates maintained their perfect start to the Cricket West Indies T20 Blaze with a gritty seven-run victory over defending champions Guyana at the Arnos Vale Ground.
In a clash between two sides who had secured opening-day wins, the Leeward Islands showed remarkable resilience to defend a modest total. Guyana won the toss and elected to field, a decision that appeared vindicated as they restricted the Leewards to 106 for 9 from their 20 overs.
The backbone of the Leeward Islands’ innings was a superb half-century from Reniece Boyce, who struck 51 to anchor the side. Boyce shared a crucial 49-run third-wicket partnership with captain Amanda Edwards, who contributed a valuable 31. However, the Guyana bowling attack, led by the clinical Ashmini Munisar, kept the pressure high throughout. Munisar finished with impressive figures of 4 for 15, while Plaffiana Millington claimed 3 for 11. Bean-Rosario was the final wicket to fall, bowled for a duck by Millington off the last ball of the innings.
The Leeward Islands’ defense was characterized by intense pressure in the field. Guyana struggled to find their rhythm in response and were eventually bowled out for 99, falling just seven runs short of the target. Mandy Mangru was the lone standout for Guyana with 24, as the Leeward Islands’ bowlers tightened their grip.
Captain Amanda Edwards led from the front with the ball, returning figures of 3 for 18 to cap off a brilliant individual performance. Bean-Rosario played a vital role in the field, claiming a sharp catch and providing the assist for a clinical run-out from deep in the outfield. The result leaves the Leeward Islands at the summit of the table heading into their next clash against Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday.
Season’s first fluke ID captured – possible new yearling spotted
Fluke ID of the Dockyard yearling captured by Andrew Stevenson.
An update now on yesterday’s fascinating sighting of humpback whales off Dockyard.
It was an opportunity for researcher Andrew Stevenson to capture his first fluke ID of the 2026 season.
Mr. Stevenson told Bermuda Broadcasting yesterday that he initially thought the pod might include a calf swimming alongside its mother and an escort.
However, after observing the whales’ behaviour firsthand and enlarging photos on his computer, Mr. Stevenson says he is now reasonably certain the “calf” was actually a yearling.
In a post on social media, Mr. Stevenson explained: “It acted like a calf, tail lobbing and carrying on, but it was clearly not 12–16 feet long. This whale was around 26 feet. Interestingly, it had scarring on its back and sides indicative of a previous entanglement. The white spots on its back are likely the scars from fishing or cargo nets entangled in its mouth or around its head and dragging over its backs and sides.”
He added that the yearling was likely still with its mother because its health was compromised by the entanglement.
Mr. Stevenson said this is the fourth time a yearling with these kinds of scars has been seen, accompanied by its mother and likely a male escort. However, the yearling is not in Bermuda’s ID catalogue – something he says is not unusual.
“The black and white patterns on a calf do not set in for many months and it’s only been around for a year so not as likely to have been photographed as an older whale might have been,” he explained.
As for the question that struck many curious minds … why were the whales so close to the shore?
Mr. Stevenson said that yearlings are playful, curious, and like to explore – and that the mother might have had difficulty keeping her adventurous youngster under wraps.
He continued: “Humpbacks, especially calves and yearlings, hang out with bottlenose dolphins. There are bottlenose dolphins within Dockyard… Can they smell them? Hear them? Taste them? Was there any connection between these humpbacks and the presence of dolphins. We don’t know precisely how humpbacks assess their environment. Anything is possible.”
Mr. Stevenson also confirmed the whales were not in danger and did not require rescuing, noting that humpbacks do sometimes come into very shallow water, especially in the evening.
Like other whales migrating through the area from their feeding grounds to their breeding grounds in the Caribbean, he said this particular pod was likely heading south to the Silver Bank, the Dominican Republic, or Turks and Caicos.
Former lecturer and economist Craig Simmons says the potential Corporate Income Tax revenues should be used aggressively to reduce Bermuda’s $3.2bn national debt bill
A local economist and former lecturer has labelled Corporate Income Tax revenues a blessing and curse for the government, as he warns against global uncertainties, national debt and broad pension and tax reform.
Ahead of the Budget, Craig Simmons says prudent management of CIT revenues will be critical for future generations to tackle the $3.2 billion national debt repayment and related interest fees.
He assessed the Finance Ministry’s recent 2026/27 Pre-Budget report.
He believes the government hasn’t quite grasped the impending threats that loom should we fail to significantly reduce the debt.
However, a Ministry of Finance spokesperson responded, “What matters for Bermudians is facts, not commentary that ignores the record. This Government has delivered the first budget surplus in over twenty years, enacted long-overdue public-sector pension reform that independent experts say removed a major fiscal risk, and implemented a corporate income tax that has fundamentally strengthened Bermuda’s finances.”
They add, “Assertions by Mr. Simmons that we are avoiding hard decisions are wrong and ignore what has already been done. We are using new revenues to reduce debt, lower interest costs, and secure long-term stability for Bermudians.”
The budget presentation is expected on February 20th.
The weightloss pill was made available to U.S. patients from January 5, following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month
International News via Reuters:
Shares of Novo Nordisk rose 7% on Friday, touching their highest level since September, and were among the top gainers in Europe, ahead of U.S. prescription data expected from analysts on the Danish drugmaker’s Wegovy pill.
The weightloss pill was made available to U.S. patients from January 5, following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month.
The share price reaction is driven by encouraging early scripts for Wegovy Pill in the United States, said Sydbank analyst Soren Lontoft Hansen.
Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in London and Elviira Luoma in Gdansk; Editing by Joe Bavier
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