A wave of freezing temperatures across the United Kingdom played havoc with the footballing pyramid this weekend, leaving several members of Bermuda’s overseas contingent watching from the sidelines as frozen pitches forced a string of postponements.
While many matches in the lower leagues fell victim to the icy conditions, a handful of Bermudians were able to take to the field, though it proved to be a difficult afternoon for those who saw action.
In the Northern Premier League, defender Harry Twite and his Loughborough Students FC teammates were left wondering how they finished empty-handed following a five-goal thriller against Mickleover.
The Students appeared to be in total control of the contest, surging into a commanding 2-0 lead as they exploited gaps in the Mickleover backline. However, the visitors staged a spirited second-half fightback, dismantling the two-goal cushion to eventually edge the contest 3-2. For Twite and the Loughborough defence, it was a harsh lesson in game management as Mickleover’s late surge denied them a crucial result on the road.
Further down the pyramid, Roger Lee was involved in a gritty United Counties League encounter as Heanor Town FC travelled to the Microlise New Manor Ground to face Ashby Ivanhoe FC.
In a match defined by physical duels and difficult underfoot conditions, Heanor struggled to find their rhythm against a clinical Ashby side. Despite a resilient performance in midfield from the experienced Bermudian international, Heanor eventually succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. The result sees Ashby Ivanhoe leapfrog their rivals in the table, leaving Lee’s side to turn their focus toward a busy January schedule in hopes of climbing the standings.
The cold snap has prompted a significant backlog for club secretaries across the National League and regional divisions. Several other Bermuda internationals, including those in the National League North and South, saw their fixtures postponed early on Saturday morning following failed pitch inspections.
Meteorologists expect temperatures to remain low through the beginning of next week, meaning more uncertainty for the island’s professional and semi-professional exports in the UK.
Nonprofit Alliance of Bermuda Third Sector Spotlight: It Takes a Village Foundation
Images supplied.
By Fiona Dill, Executive Director, It Takes a Village Foundation
“Thank you again It Takes a Village – we are very grateful for what you have done in support of us through our birthing journey!”
These are the words of a mother who came to us after a traumatic first birth that left her fearful of giving birth again. With therapy, childbirth classes (suggested by her therapist) and the support of a doula, she was able to face her second pregnancy with a confidence that she never thought would be possible. She described feeling safe, reassured and physically and emotionally stronger after her birth journey. Her story reflects what we know to be true: with the right support and knowledge, pregnancy and birth can be empowering, even life changing. Without it, the experience can be overwhelming and sometimes experienced as traumatic with short and long-term impacts.
At the It Takes a Village Foundation, our mission is to ensure that all pregnant women in Bermuda – regardless of financial status – have access to childbirth education, doula services and nutrition support.
Why does this matter? Pregnancy can be one of the most extraordinary but also most challenging times in a woman’s life. Add financial strain, fear of the process, or lack of support and the research shows that risks to a mother’s physical and mental health increase significantly. This care clearly does not replace that of the medical/nursing/maternal health care team around her at this vulnerable time but having a trusted and skilled professional with you before, during and after the birth experience research shows, makes all the difference.
Thus, the evidence-based solution is clear: good, evidence-based childbirth education and doula support can improve outcomes for mothers, babies and families. The data shows that childbirth education improves confidence and that doulas reduce c-section and epidural rates, increase breastfeeding rates, and lower the risk of post-partum depression and anxiety disorders. Yet in Bermuda, 50% of women surveyed gave birth without attending childbirth classes – and even fewer had access to a doula. Cost is often the primary barrier.
In partnership with the Women’s Resource Centre, we offer free Community Birthing Classes, where participants consistently report increased knowledge, confidence and empowerment. One new mother said: “I felt completely unprepared before this class – now I feel so much more confident.” Another shared: “The facilitator was amazing! I feel empowered to advocate for myself during labour.”
It Takes a Village also provides bursaries for private childbirth education and doula services. Our recent survey found that mothers who attended classes had lower c-section rates (30%) compared to Bermuda’s national rate of about 40%, with even greater reductions when a doula was present. This is in line with international data. Given the potentially higher risks associated with c-sections, this impact can also be life-changing.
Beyond education and birth support, we help meet families’ basic needs. Through our nutrition program and food vouchers, monthly diaper donations in collaboration with the Government Health Visitors, access to essential baby items and (soon) breast pump provision, we aim to reduce financial stress and promote healthier starts to parenthood.
To grow this work we must build capacity in Bermuda. We have funded scholarships through Childbirth International, enabling two community doulas, two post-partum doulas, and a childbirth educator to complete or work toward certification. This investment ensures that more women and families can be supported with skilled, compassionate care.
The feedback we receive reminds us why what we do matters. One young mother with little family support told us: “I was very nervous, but having someone to talk to who understood made all the difference.” A social worker recently said after making a referral: “You have made my day. I had no idea you offered this service—it will make all the difference to my client.” And finally this from a colleague at the Family Centre, “I know without a doubt that if it wasn’t for the education, guidance and doula support that my fifteen-year-old, client received from the It Takes a Village Foundation before, during and after the birth, that she wouldn’t be the mother she is right now. It has impacted her in a very positive way to make her, I believe, a better mother.”
At It Takes a Village, we believe that every mother deserves care, dignity and choice in her birthing journey. By providing education, support, and essential resources, we are not only improving individual outcomes but also building a healthier, happier community—one birth at a time.
The Pickleball Association of Bermuda addresses pickleball’s noise pollution problem
As pickleball’s popularity rises internationally, so too have complaints about the sport’s distinctive sound—prompting some communities abroad to restrict or even relocate courts. But here in Bermuda, the Pickleball Association says the island has avoided those conflicts by being strategic about where courts are placed. President George Thomas explains why the issue has been far less disruptive locally.
Mr Thomas says there are practical solutions available. And like they have done here at Mizzentop, he would like to see communities exhaust those options before considering any move to restrict or ban the sport in certain areas.
Local entrepreneurs are being invited to apply for vendor spaces within the Royal Naval Dockyard ahead of the upcoming cruise ship season.
According to the Bermuda Land Management Corporation, the Dockyard Entrepreneur Program “was created to support small Bermudian start-up businesses by providing an opportunity to sell their products and grow before committing to a permanent storefront.”
During the summer season, Dockyard can attract up to 10,000 visitors daily, giving entrepreneurs the chance to operate in a high-traffic cruise destination.
The BLMC added: “Priority is given to unique products and services that complement, rather than compete with, existing Dockyard businesses.”
“If you’re ready to showcase your business, test your concept, and grow in a supportive environment, this opportunity may be for you.”
One-year licences run from April to March and require a full-year commitment, including the winter months.
More information on the vendor programme is available on the BLMC website. The deadline to apply is January 31.
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party which is currently highest in the opinion polls, said he believed the U.S. actions broke international law
International News via Reuters:
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain was not involved in the United States’ strikes on Venezuela on Saturday and that it was important to uphold international law, and that he wanted to speak to U.S. President Donald Trump and find out exactly what had happened.
Trump said in a post on social media early on Saturday that U.S. forces had captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and removed him from the country while Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said she did not know Maduro’s location or if he was still alive.
Asked if he condemned the U.S. action like the leaders of Britain’s left-leaning Liberal Democrat and Green parties, who both called it unlawful, Starmer said he first wanted to understand exactly what had happened.
“It’s obviously a fast-moving situation and we need to establish all the facts,” he said in a statement to British broadcasters.
“I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies. I can be absolutely clear that we were not involved … and I always say and believe we should all uphold international law,” he added.
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party which is currently highest in the opinion polls, said he believed the U.S. actions broke international law “but if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing”.
Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, also said the foreign ministry was working to ensure the roughly 500 British citizens in Venezuela remained safe.
Britain’s foreign ministry advises against all travel to Venezuela.
Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Toby Chopra
Ahead of the overnight strikes, the U.S. had accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and rigging the 2024 election
International News via Reuters:
The U.S. attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, President Donald Trump said, in Washington’s most direct intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Ahead of the overnight strikes, the U.S. had accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and rigging the 2024 election.
The Venezuelan leader, a 63-year-old former bus driver handpicked by the dying Hugo Chavez to succeed him in 2013, has denied those claims and said Washington was intent on taking control of his nation’s oil reserves, the largest in the world.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said Maduro was captured by special operations forces and whisked by helicopters to the Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship in the Caribbean, ahead of his transfer to New York.
The fate of Maduro’s government remains an open question.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is in Russia, four sources familiar with her movements said, stoking confusion about who is next in line to govern the South American country. Russia’s foreign ministry said the report that Rodriguez is in Russia was “fake”.
Details of the overnight intervention have not yet been made public. Trump told Fox the raid had been planned for several days earlier but had been repeatedly delayed because of weather.
The U.S. has not made such a direct intervention in its backyard region since the invasion of Panama 37 years ago to depose military leader Manuel Noriega over similar allegations.
Venezuela’s ruling “Chavismo” movement, named for Maduro’s revered predecessor, said civilians and military personnel died in Saturday’s strikes but did not give figures.
It was unclear if the U.S. would now stand back while other senior figures in Venezuela’s ruling party – like vice president Delcy Rodriguez – fill the void or if there would be pressure for their ouster as well. The opposition, headed by recent Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, had no immediate comment but has said for 18 months that it won the 2024 election and has a democratic right to take power.
MADURO MAY FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES IN U.S.
Trump said the operation was carried out “in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement,” promising more details at an 11 a.m. (1600 GMT) press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Maduro was captured by a team that included elite U.S. special forces, including the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, a U.S. official told Reuters. Republican U.S. Senator Mike Lee said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him Maduro would stand trial on criminal charges in the U.S. and that no further action was anticipated inside Venezuela.
Maduro was indicted in U.S. federal court in 2020 on narco-terrorism and other charges for running what prosecutors called a scheme to send tonnes of cocaine to the U.S. through an alleged “Cartel de Los Soles”. He has always denied that.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X about Maduro and his wife.
In the Panama case, Noriega ended up in prison for 20 years.
Vice-president Rodriguez said she did not know the whereabouts of Maduro or his wife and demanded proof of life.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino condemned the intervention. “In the unity of the people we will find the strength to resist and to triumph,” he said in a video message.
Another senior official, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, appeared on a street wearing a helmet and flak jacket, urging people not to cooperate with the “terrorist enemy.”
With Rodriguez potentially taking the presidency but Padrino and Cabello having significant influence over the military, Venezuelans were nervously guessing what might come next. Analysts say military backing had helped keep Maduro in power so long despite his unpopularity on the streets and significant evidence that he lost national votes.
VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MACHADO’S WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN
Venezuela’s opposition says Maduro has repeatedly cheated it of power in votes, as well as crushing street protests and jailing opposition figures.
Maduro has mocked Machado as being in Trump’s pocket.
Her whereabouts, after recently fleeing Venezuela in disguise to pick up her Nobel prize, were unknown.
One source close to the opposition, who asked not to be named, said Maduro’s removal was an “inside job” aided by Venezuela’s military. “For now no more military action, but this was a message to the rest of the members of Venezuela’s government – look what the United States is capable of, get out now and negotiate,” the source said, without offering evidence.
At around 2 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Saturday, explosions rocked Caracas with blasts, aircraft and black smoke seen for about 90 minutes. The Venezuelan government said attacks also took place in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
Residents expressed shock and fear as they captured video of billowing smoke and bright orange flashes in the sky. “My love, oh no, look at that,” said one woman in a video, gasping at blasts in the distance.
Carmen Marquez, 50, a resident of the eastern part of the capital, said she went to her roof and could hear planes at different altitudes, though she could not see them.
“Flare-like lights were crossing the sky and then explosions could be heard. We’re worried about what’s coming next. We don’t know anything from the government, only what the state television says,” she said.
A local media outlet allied with the ruling Socialist Party said explosions had taken place near the Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota military bases. State TV images of La Carlota showed what appeared to be a destroyed tank and buses.
While various Latin American governments oppose Maduro and say he stole the 2024 vote, direct U.S. action revives painful memories of past interventions and is generally strongly opposed by governments and populations in the region.
Trump’s action recalls the Monroe Doctrine, laid out in 1823 by President James Monroe, laying U.S. claim to influence in the region, as well as the “gunboat diplomacy” seen under Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s.
‘NEW DAWN, THE TYRANT IS GONE,’ US OFFICIAL SAYS
“A new dawn for Venezuela! The tyrant is gone,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X.
The streets of Venezuela appeared relatively calm as sun rose. Soldiers patrolled some parts and some small pro-Maduro crowds began gathering in Caracas.
Others, however, expressed relief.
“I’m happy, I doubted for a moment that it was happening because it’s like a movie,” said merchant Carolina Pimentel, 37, in the city of Maracay. “It’s all calm now but I feel like at any moment everyone will be out celebrating.”
Venezuelan allies Russia, Cuba and Iran were quick to condemn the strikes as a violation of sovereignty. Tehran urged the U.N. Security Council to stop the “unlawful aggression.”
Among major Latin American nations, Argentina’s President Javier Milei lauded Venezuela’s new “freedom” while Mexico condemned the intervention and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said it crossed “an unacceptable line.”
In the run-up, Trump had sought a “blockade” of Venezuelan oil, expanded sanctions against the Maduro government and staged more than two dozen strikes on vessels the U.S. alleges were involved in trafficking drugs, killing more than 110 people.
It was unclear under what legal authority the latest U.S. strikes were carried out.
Trump’s move risks a backlash from the U.S. Congress, which has the constitutional right to declare war, and from his own political base, which favors an “America first” policy and largely opposes military intervention abroad.
Venezuelan state-run energy company PDVSA’s oil production and refining were normal and its most important facilities had suffered no damage according to an initial assessment, two sources with knowledge of the company’s operations said.
MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic said oil prices were likely to jump on the near-term risk to supply but that the U.S. strike could be bearish in the medium term if a new Venezuelan government results in sanctions being lifted and renewed foreign investment.
Reporting by Reuters bureaux worldwide; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by William Mallard, William Maclean
Single-lane restrictions planned across three locations
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment is advising the motoring public of three upcoming single-lane closures on public roads to accommodate essential infrastructure upgrades and paving works.
Orange Valley Road, Devonshire – Saturday, 3 January to Monday, 19 January 2026
A single-lane closure will be in effect on Orange Valley Road between Middle Road and Parson’s Lane to facilitate water main replacement and resurfacing works. The closure will begin on Saturday, 3 January 2026, and continue through Monday, 19 January 2026. During this period, there will be no through access for general traffic. Access will be restricted to residents and authorised vehicles only. Working hours will be from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Motorists should use the detour via Parson’s Lane to reach Jubilee Road.
Middle Road, Southampton – Monday, 5 January to Saturday, 10 January 2026
A single-lane closure will be in place on Middle Road, Southampton, from the junction of Benevides Lane to Industrial Park Road. This closure is to allow for water trenching works and will be active from Monday, 5 January to Saturday, 10 January 2026, between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily. Traffic controls will be managed by Invisible Trenching representatives using stop-and-go signs during peak periods and temporary traffic lights throughout the day.
North Shore Road, Smith’s – Tuesday, 6 January to Monday, 12 January 2026
Final paving works will require a single-lane closure along North Shore Road west of Flatt’s Village, east of Flatt’s Bridge, and near the Aquarium. These works will run from Tuesday, 6 January to Monday, 12 January 2026, between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Stop-and-go signs will be in use to manage the flow of traffic.
Motorists are urged to plan their journeys accordingly and to drive with caution through these areas. The Ministry appreciates the public’s patience and cooperation while these important works are carried out.
Please refer to the attached original Road Traffic Notices for further information.
Police say the extent of the man’s injuries is unknown at this time
Images: Bermuda Police Service
A motorcycle rider was taken to hospital last night after a “serious road traffic collision” involving a car.
It happened near the junction of Cobbs Hill Road and South Road, Warwick.
After 9 pm, Police said the roadway was blocked while the scene was proceeded. Diversions were in place at Cobbs Hill Road and Ord Road, Warwick as well as at South Road and Harvey Road, Paget.
A BPS spokesperson added:” It is understood the 41-year-old male motorcycle rider sustained injuries, the extent of which is unknown at this time. He has been transported by ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment.”
The comments echo previous statements by Maduro about his willingness to dialogue with Donald Trump, even as the U.S. president has escalated pressure on Maduro
International News via Reuters:
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said in a New Year’s interview that his country is willing to receive U.S. investment in its oil sector, coordinate in the fight against drug trafficking and hold serious talks with the United States.
“We must start to speak seriously, with the facts in hand,” Maduro said in his annual interview with a Spanish journalist, originally published in Mexican newspaper La Jornada and broadcast on Venezuelan state television on New Year’s Day.
“If they want to speak seriously about an agreement to battle drug trafficking, we are ready…If they want Venezuela’s oil, Venezuela is ready to accept U.S. investments like those of Chevron, when, where and how they want to make them.”
The comments echo previous statements by Maduro about his willingness to dialogue with Donald Trump, even as the U.S. president has escalated pressure on Maduro – including expanded sanctions, a ramped-up U.S. military presence in the region and more than two dozen strikes on vessels allegedly involved in trafficking drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Maduro said the pressure is an effort to gain control of Venezuela’s vast natural resources.
“What is the goal of the United States? They’ve said it,” Maduro said in the interview. “To grab all the oil of Venezuela…the gold, the rare earths.”
COMBATTING DRUG TRAFFICKING
Trump this week said U.S. forces hit a dock in Venezuela used for loading drugs, but gave no details of its location. Maduro did not confirm the attack in the interview, but said he may discuss the issue in the coming days.
“What I can say is that our national defensive system, which combines popular, military and police forces, has guaranteed and will guarantee territorial integrity (and) the peace of the country,” Maduro said.
A blog tied to Venezuela’s ruling party said this week the location of the attack was a thin spit of coast on the La Guajira peninsula. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Maduro has always denied U.S. accusations of running a narco-state. He said cocaine smuggled through the region originates in neighboring Colombia and that Venezuela has “the perfect model” to combat drug trafficking.
SANCTIONS HALVE OIL EXPORTS
U.S. sanctions and recent seizures of oil tankers have halved Venezuela’s normal rate of oil exports, though U.S. major Chevron, which has a special license from the United States to export Venezuelan oil, has continued to export.
Foreign currency flows to Venezuela’s private sector are set to fall on the reduction in oil exports, stoking inflation and worsening already difficult economic conditions for Venezuelans. The bolivar currency depreciated 83% over 2025.
Venezuela’s defaulted international bonds are trading at deeply distressed levels though have broadly doubled in price since Trump came into office in January 2025, fuelled by hopes of a change in government.
Reporting by Reuters and Corina Pons, additional reporting by Emma Pinedo and Karin Strohecker, writing by Aislinn Laing and ; Editing by Ros Russell
The parasite was detected and treated in a goat in the State of Mexico, which borders capital Mexico
International News via Reuters:
Mexican authorities reported a case of the New World screwworm parasite late on Thursday, the second case reported in two days as Mexico works to contain an outbreak that has kept the U.S.-Mexico border closed to Mexican livestock.
The parasite was detected and treated in a goat in the State of Mexico, which borders capital Mexico City, the ministry said, adding that the 20 other animals at the site tested negative and were given preventive treatment.
On December 31, the ministry reported a case in a six-day-old cow calf in the northern state of Tamaulipas, also the only positive case on site.
Mexico has so far reported a total of 13,106 cases since November of 2024, according to government data through December 31, 2025. Of those cases, 671 were active currently.
The southern border state of Chiapas has the most confirmed cases, followed by Oaxaca, Veracruz and Yucatan.
Screwworms are parasitic flies whose females lay eggs in wounds. Their larvae burrow through the flesh of animals, eventually killing their host if left untreated.
Mexico has been working to contain an outbreak of the screwworm, which has spread northward from Central America, rattling the livestock and beef industries of both the U.S. and Mexico.
Because of the outbreak, the U.S. has kept its southern border largely closed to Mexican livestock since May.
Although U.S. officials say the pest has not yet breached the U.S. border, it threatens $1.8 billion in damage to Texas’ economy alone, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate.
Reporting by Raul Cortes Fernandez and Ana Isabel Martinez; additional reporting by Cassandra Garrison, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama
Bermuda’s first baby of 2026 was born today, Friday 2 January 2026, the Bermuda Hospitals Board has shared.
Born at 11:18am to parents Emily and Ryan Sousa, baby Henry weighed 8lbs and 7.2 oz and is the first sibling for sister Charlotte, who turns five next week.
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