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.
Oil-producing Norway’s rapid switch to battery-powered vehicles contrasts with the rest of Europe
International News via Reuters:
Almost all new cars registered in Norway last year were fully electric, official data showed on Friday, headed by booming Tesla sales as the Nordic country cements its global lead in phasing out petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.
Oil-producing Norway’s rapid switch to battery-powered vehicles contrasts with the rest of Europe, where weak demand for EVs prompted the European Union last month to reverse its planned 2035 ban on internal combustion engine cars.
Driven by tax incentives, 95.9% of all new cars registered in Norway in 2025 were EVs, with that number at almost 98% in December. The annual figure was up from 88.9% in 2024, Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) data showed.
A record 179,549 new cars were registered in Norway during the year, a 40% increase from 2024, the OFV said.
EV TAXES SET TO RISE
Tesla was Norway’s top-selling car brand for a fifth consecutive year, with a 19.1% market share, followed by Volkswagen at 13.3% of registrations and Volvo Cars at 7.8%.
Led by the mass-market crossover Model Y, Tesla sold 27,621 cars in Norway in 2025, more than any other automaker has sold in the country in a single year, overcoming a consumer backlash plaguing the brand in much of Europe over CEO Elon Musk’s support for far-right parties and his backing of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Cars produced in China had a 13.7% market share in Norway in 2025, up from 10.4% the previous year, led by automaker BYD which more than doubled the number of cars it sold in the Nordic country.
Norway, which began taxing EVs in 2023, announced in October that it would add up to $5,000 in value-added tax per vehicle from January 1, 2026, sparking a rush among buyers and car firms to beat the 2025 year-end deadline.
“What we did very quickly was to redirect a number of cars that were not originally intended for Norway, to get them here faster,” Ford Norway’s Managing Director Per Gunnar Berg told Reuters.
CARROT AND STICK PROPELS NORWAY’S EV SHIFT
While some EV incentives have been pulled back, the government has also consistently added charges to petrol and diesel cars to make them more expensive, said Christina Bu, head of the Norwegian EV association.
“That is often misunderstood outside of Norway – they all think it’s about tax exemptions and incentives, but it’s very much also about the whip,” Bu said. “ICE (internal combustion engine) cars are taxed out of business in a way.”
The few fossil-fuel cars registered in 2025 were mostly specialised vehicles such as wheelchair-accessible vehicles or those used by police and other first responders, alongside a few hybrid models and sports cars.
EVs costing less than 300,000 Norwegian crowns ($29,831.75) remain exempt from VAT in 2026, in a potential boost for small cars, executives said.
“I think the tax changes will accelerate the return of compact cars… which used to dominate both Norway and Europe,” Ford’s Berg said.
Ulf Tore Hekneby, head of Harald A Moller which imports Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and CUPRA vehicles, said more combustion engine models would launch as electric and that his company had managed to get more cars late last year by arranging with the factories to accelerate output and prioritise Norway in production allocation.
“There will be a great deal of new launches from our brands for compact cars so we’ll get a new lineup that we haven’t had in many years,” Hekneby said.
($1 = 10.0564 Norwegian crowns)
Reporting by Marie Mannes; Editing by Terje Solsvik, Sharon Singleton and Susan Fenton
Police are urging the public not to continue sharing footage of a reported attempted home invasion in Hamilton Parish on New Year’s Day
Police are urging the public not to continue sharing footage of a reported attempted home invasion in Hamilton Parish on New Year’s Day.
Security camera videos circulating on social media show three individuals, that appear to be carrying two machetes and a crowbar, ascending a staircase towards a property, around 12:30am on January 1st.
It appears they attempt to enter the property, and an apparent scuffle takes place at the door.
Police say it appears as if one of the individuals involved may have been injured by a resident during the attempted invasion.
An investigation has commenced, and Police say none of the residents in the targeted property appear to have been injured during the incident.
Anyone who receives video clips of the incident is urged by police to immediately delete them.
Do not forward or share the videos as the investigation and any subsequent prosecution could be severely hampered, police add.
Instead, anyone with information in relation to this attempted home invasion should contact Detective Sergeant Seymour Foote on 717-2282, or e-mail s-foote@bps.bm.
A narrowing interest rate difference between the U.S. and other economies helped fuel sharp gains against the dollar for most major currencies, with the exception of the Japanese yen
International News via Reuters:
The U.S. dollar kicked off 2026 on a stronger note on Friday after struggling against most currencies last year, as traders awaited a flurry of U.S. economic data next week, including several reports on the labor market, to gauge the path of interest rates.
A narrowing interest rate difference between the U.S. and other economies helped fuel sharp gains against the dollar for most major currencies, with the exception of the Japanese yen.
Worries about the U.S. fiscal deficit, a global trade war and concern about Federal Reserve independence took a toll on the greenback, and those issues are likely to linger into 2026.
Economic data due next week includes a host of reports on the labor market, culminating in the government payrolls report on Friday, which should provide insight as to where the Fed’s policy rate might move.
“Market participants could remain cautious ahead of a dense calendar of U.S. macroeconomic releases next week that could shape expectations for both the dollar and interest rates into 2026,” Joseph Dahrieh, Managing Principal at Tickmill, said in a note.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, rose 0.12% to 98.37, with the euro down 0.11% at $1.1732.
Euro zone manufacturing activity fell in December to its weakest in nine months, a survey showed. The currency surged more than 13% last year, its biggest annual rise since 2017.
Sterling weakened 0.04% to $1.3465 following a 7.7% increase in 2025, also its biggest yearly jump since 2017.
Markets in Japan and China were closed on Friday, leading to thin trading volume.
Investors will also be eyeing who U.S. President Donald Trump chooses to be the next Fed chair as the term of current head Jerome Powell ends in May.
Trump flagged that he would make his Fed chair pick this month, and many market participants expect Trump’s pick to be a proponent of more rate cuts, as the president has repeatedly criticized Powell and the Fed for not reducing borrowing costs at a faster pace and a larger magnitude.
Traders are fully pricing in two cuts this year compared to one projected by a currently divided Fed board.
“We expect that concerns around central bank independence will extend into 2026, and see the upcoming change in Fed leadership as one of several reasons why risks around our Fed funds rate forecast skew dovish,” Goldman strategists said in a note to clients.
YEN REMAINS THE EXCEPTION
The Japanese yen weakened 0.11% against the greenback to 156.84 per dollar after rising less than 1% against the greenback in 2025. It remained close to a 10-month low of 157.89 touched in November that drew policymaker attention and raised expectations for a possible intervention by the Bank of Japan (BOJ).
The BOJ hiked interest rates twice last year but that did little to support the yen performance as investors appeared to be looking for a more aggressive pace.
Markets are not pricing in more than a 50% chance of another BOJ rate hike until July, according to LSEG data.
Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Singapore and Samuel Indyk in London; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Philippa Fletcher, Gareth Jones and Franklin Paul
The One Bermuda Alliance issued the following statement.
The One Bermuda Alliance acknowledges the recent statements by PLP MP Christopher Famous identifying that Bermuda’s housing efforts remain limited in scale and do not fully meet the level of need. Housing affordability and housing security continue to be among the most pressing issues facing Bermudians, particularly in a market with net zero population growth where access to stable housing remains increasingly uncertain.
We recognise that the Government has spoken publicly about a 10-year housing plan, including at the recent Boaz Island announcement. The key question now is how will the Government ensure that outcomes are delivered at the pace and scale required, particularly for young Bermudians, working families, seniors, and Bermudians seeking to return home. A plan alone is not enough; measurable progress, transparency of timelines, and accessibility of housing options must follow.
Shadow Minister for Housing & Municipalities, Michael Fahy, adds: “Every Bermudian deserves the chance to live securely in their own country. In addition to increasing supply, we must be willing to modernise how and where we build, including building higher in Hamilton through mixed-use developments that provide housing options across different income levels. These approaches can help maximise limited space while strengthening the vibrancy of our city.”
Opposition Senator and Housing spokesperson, Dion Smith, says: “In earlier decades, Bermudians faced little to no global competition for opportunity. Today, our people are competing in a global economy where skills are mobile and choices are wider. Bermudians want security, not just housing, but the ability to live balanced lives. We must ask ourselves whether our systems allow people to work to live or force them to live to work.”
As part of this national conversation, the OBA believes Bermuda must be open to exploring practical options such as assessing whether government-owned vacant buildings, including former schools, could be safely repurposed into long-term housing with pathways such as rent-to-buy, prioritising Bermudian families. Other potential tools, including private-sector partnerships and fast-tracked affordable developments, may also warrant consideration through broad consultation.
The OBA also believes attention must be given to systemic barriers that restrict housing availability, including lengthy probate processes that delay properties from entering the market and place unnecessary financial strain on families, particularly seniors. Addressing these inefficiencies is a solvable step that can both ease financial burdens and responsibly increase housing stock.
The OBA will continue to raise the concerns felt every day in our communities and will participate constructively in housing policy discussions with one guiding principle: Bermudians must always come first.
U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered Brian Cole, 30, to be held without bail as he faces two criminal charges related to the attempted bombings of the Democratic and Republican party headquarters
International News via Reuters:
A federal judge on Friday ordered that the man accused of planting pipe bombs in Washington the night before the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack should remain behind bars while his case moves forward.
U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered Brian Cole, 30, to be held without bail as he faces two criminal charges related to the attempted bombings of the Democratic and Republican party headquarters. Cole, who faces two explosives-related charges, has not yet entered a plea.
Federal prosecutors have said in a court filing that Cole confessed to planting the pipe bombs and told investigators after his arrest he thought the 2020 election had been “tampered with.” President Donald Trump had falsely claimed that the election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, was marred by fraud.
According to the filing, Cole said he didn’t like either political party.
The pipe bombs were not discovered until about 1 p.m. on January 6, diverting police resources just as a mob of Trump supporters surged into the Capitol.
Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, appeared before the Sagamu Magistrate Court on Friday in connection with the accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State Police Command said in a statement
British boxer Anthony Joshua gets into an emergency responders’ vehicle after being involved in a car crash, in which he sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital, according to police, in Ogun State, Nigeria December 29, 2025 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. Sodiq Ayo/via REUTERS
International News via Reuters:
Nigerian police said on Friday the driver of the vehicle involved in a crash that injured British former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and killed two of his close friends was charged with four counts.
Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, appeared before the Sagamu Magistrate Court on Friday in connection with the accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State Police Command said in a statement.
It told Reuters Kayode was charged on four counts, including causing death by dangerous driving. The case was adjourned to January 20.
Reuters was not immediately able to contact Kayode or a legal representative. Kayode has not commented publicly on the case.
Joshua, 36, sustained minor injuries when the Lexus SUV he was travelling in collided with another car on Monday. Two of his friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, died in the crash.
Preliminary findings suggested the car was speeding and attempted a wrongful overtaking manoeuvre before hitting a stationary truck, the FRSC has said.
Joshua, who was born in Britain to Nigerian parents, was taken to hospital for checks and remains stable, his promoter Matchroom Boxing said.
President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences to Joshua and the victims’ families, calling the incident a “tragic accident.”
The crash came just over a week after Joshua knocked out American social media star Jake Paul in the sixth round of a bout in Miami. Joshua is expected to fight fellow Briton Tyson Fury later this year.
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, editing by Pritha Sarkar
The Financial Conduct Authority can only identify firms under investigation in exceptional circumstances
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s financial watchdog was allowed to make public for the first time the name of a claims management company it is investigating, following a legal judgment published on Friday.
The Financial Conduct Authority can only identify firms under investigation in exceptional circumstances and last year had to abandon an effort to routinely “name and shame” in the face of widespread opposition from the financial sector as well as members of the former Conservative-led government.
The FCA in a statement on Friday said it had informed the UK-registered claims management company, The Claims Protection Agency, in September that it intended to announce an investigation in relation to sales tactics used to win customers for potential car finance claims.
The Claims Protection Agency, which trades under 12 different names, including My Claim Group, challenged the decision in the High Court but lost, and its appeal was dismissed. It has no further right of appeal.
CLAIMS COMPANY SAYS IT HAS COOPERATED FULLY
In an emailed statement, the company said it has fully cooperated with the FCA in relation to its investigation which it believes “will exonerate our position”.
“Claims on behalf of clients of My Claim Group are conducted by respected legal firms that are vastly experienced and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority,” it said.
The FCA said announcing the investigation allows customers of the claims management company to “consider their options”.
The investigation itself will examine what customers were told about potential redress, whether they were informed claims could be made for free, and whether they were pressured to sign up, the FCA said. It has not reached any conclusions on whether rules were breached and it is unclear when the investigation will be completed.
In August 2025, the Supreme Court published a ruling on the legality of car finance commissions and the FCA in October published a consultation paper on a redress scheme for consumers who were mis-sold car finance, estimating that most customers would be due 700 pounds ($943).
My Claim Group in August said on its website that it was withdrawing material that suggested customers could be owed 4,000 pounds.
The Claims Protection Agency said that estimates for compensation in historic adverts “were based upon reasonable assumptions at the time of publication, and we look forward to further cooperating with the FCA in relation to this matter”.
($1 = 0.7422 pounds)
Reporting by Phoebe Seers; editing by Barbara Lewis
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
