The Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge (CBTC) has announced a major coup for its 2026 race weekend, confirming that British Long-Distance Runner and World Marathon Champion, Paula Radcliffe MBE, will be the honorary guest speaker.
Radcliffe, a true icon of endurance running, will be in Bermuda for the race weekend, scheduled for Friday, January 16th through Sunday, January 18th.
The celebrated athlete’s legacy is immense; she is a three-time winner of both the London and New York City Marathons, the 2005 World Marathon Champion, and famously held the women’s world record of 2:15:25 for sixteen years.
Samantha Froud, Chubb’s Chief Administration Office Bermuda Operations, expressed delight, noting Radcliffe’s achievements “embody the spirit of excellence and perseverance.” Similarly, Darryl Herrick of Global Atlantic Re, hosts of the Pasta Dinner, believes her presence will bring “unmatched energy and inspiration.”
Erin Wright of the Bermuda Tourism Authority highlighted that welcoming a world champion “showcases Bermuda’s ability to host world-class sporting experiences.”
Radcliffe will speak at the Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge Pasta Dinner, presented by Global Atlantic Re, on Saturday, January 17th, at 6:00 PM at the Hamilton Princess Hotel. Tickets for the dinner are available for purchase online.
Bermuda High School (BHS) has been crowned the champions of the Middle School Girls Six-a-Side Tournament, overcoming defending champions Warwick Academy in a dramatic final decided by a penalty shootout at Shelly Bay Field.
The final was a tense affair that ended in a 1-1 draw after regular time. Warwick Academy looked set to retain their title when Devi Samuels scored in the first minute of the second half, giving the defending champions a crucial 1-0 lead.
However, the drama was far from over. In the final seconds of the game, Amia McCook emerged as the hero for BHS, slipping the ball past the Warwick Academy goalkeeper with literally the last kick of the game to force the final into a sudden-death penalty shootout.
BHS held their nerve in the spot-kick contest, ultimately prevailing 3-2 to claim the championship trophy.
Warwick Academy showcased their strong form earlier in the day, with Devi Samuels again on target alongside Sagely O’Flynn to lead them to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Mount Saint Agnes Academy in their semi-final.
BHS had to battle hard to reach the final, securing a narrow 1-0 semi-final win over Somersfield Academy, courtesy of a lone goal scored by Harper Franklin.
The tournament proved to be a thrilling showcase of talent and tenacity, with BHS ending the day as deserved champions.
Callahj Simons is the fifth Bermudian to address the UK Youth Parliament in the House of Commons
The Government of Bermuda issued the following statement.
The Government of Bermuda London Office is pleased to announce the participation of Ms. Callahj Simons, a distinguished young Bermudian who proudly represented Bermuda at the UK Youth Parliament sitting on 6 November 2025.
Ms. Simons joined approximately 300 UK Youth Parliamentarians in the historic House of Commons, contributing to discussions on issues of critical importance.
She is the fifth young Bermudian to address the UK Youth Parliament in the House of Commons, an opportunity made possible through the kind invitation of The Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons. This initiative was delivered through the collaboration and support of the Office of the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the Government of Bermuda London Office.
Ms. Simons with the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the other Speakers from the Overseas Territories. Image supplied.
During the sitting, Ms. Simons spoke from the despatch box to youth representatives from across UK constituencies and fellow British Overseas Territories, advocating for greater awareness and accessibility of youth services and a stronger sense of belonging among young people.
Ms. Simons added that “addressing the UK Youth Parliament was an invaluable experience. Such a gathering of young people demonstrates the reality that excellence is attainable for those who engage.”
If you’re interested in joining Youth Parliament Bermuda, please email youthparliament@gov.bm
The Government of Bermuda London Office remains dedicated to ensuring that opportunities such as this continue to be afforded to the youth of Bermuda and to fostering meaningful global engagement for young Bermudians.
Left: Ms. Simons with the Speaker of the House of Commons. Right: Ms. Simons with the UK Representative for the Government of Bermuda, Kimberley Durrant & Deputy UK Representative Brandon Sousa. Images supplied.
Seven runners from Bermuda successfully completed the iconic New York City Marathon this weekend, joining a colossal field of 59,141 competitors to take on the famous five-borough course.
The Bermudian contingent delivered strong performances, led by Megan Berry, who was the fastest of the group. Berry completed the 26.2-mile distance in a superb time of 3 hours, 24 minutes, and 0 seconds (3:24:00), placing her high up in the overall field at 6,756th position.
Following Berry, John Harvey crossed the finish line with a time of 3:32:41, securing 9,322nd place. Dan Black was the next Bermudian finisher, clocking 3:39:27 for 11,512th place, while Laura Graham ran a strong race, finishing in 3:46:18 to secure 13,886th place.
The island’s efforts continued with Manuel Lopes, who completed the marathon in 4:08:55, placing him at 23,415th. Bianca Wypior Hoshina finished with a time of 5:02:41 (43,143rd), and Amit Malde completed the contingent, crossing the line in 5:44:20 (51,675th).
The results highlight the dedication and endurance of the Bermudian runners on one of the biggest stages in world marathon running.
The Green Overseas Programme assists countries like Bermuda in gaining access to international funds to strengthen climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts
Press release issued by the Green Overseas (GO) Programme:
As the world gathers for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Green Overseas (GO) Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, will bring a clear message: Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) are not just vulnerable to climate change, they are key actors in global climate solutions – and urgently need access to climate finance to strengthen adaptation and mitigation efforts. The GO Programme is working to bridge this finance gap, supporting OCTs in building resilience, accessing international funds, and calling for their voices to be heard in global climate negotiations.
This year’s COP, described by Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as the “COP of Truth”, calls for real-world progress and solutions that move beyond commitments to measurable change. For the OCTs, this moment is both urgent and defining. Facing rising seas, coastal erosion, and intensifying storms, these territories stand at the frontline of climate disruption, while holding vast marine areas that are essential to global ecological balance.
Mike Eman, Prime Minister of the Government of Aruba commented: “As I reflect, as Prime Minister of Aruba, on the issues to be addressed at COP30, I cannot do so apart from what is happening with our island friends in Jamaica, where Hurricane Melissa has left deep devastation. It is a sobering reminder of how closely our destinies are intertwined as islands in one shared sea. The crises of our century – inequality, ecological collapse, and distrust – all spring from fragmentation. We have forgotten that humanity and nature form one living system – man and his biosphere. The principle of the Common Good offers a path back: it calls us to align policy with the long arc of the common good and resilience, not short-term gain. Guided by this vision, Aruba is reshaping its institutions around a model of broad prosperity. Our decision to definitively dismantle the oil refinery and repurpose its vast site for a sustainable and inclusive new economy marks a clear turning point – from an industrial past toward a regenerative future.”
The Climate Paradox Despite their unique vulnerabilities, OCTs face difficulties in accessing international climate finance mechanisms. Their political status, autonomous but not sovereign, places them outside frameworks designed for developing nations, leaving many without the resources necessary to build adequate climate resilience or implement effective adaptation and mitigation measures. Access to targeted climate finance is therefore critical to ensure OCTs can protect communities, ecosystems, and economies from the escalating climate impacts they are facing as island communities.
Ahab Downer, Director of the Green Overseas Programme said: “The OCTs of the EU and UK are undeniably on the frontlines of global climate change impacts. Though their administrations and peoples exhibit great and admirable resilience and adaptability in the face of climate-related adversity, substantial financial and technical support is imperative to help them meet the mounting challenges they face. The EU-funded Green Overseas “GO” Programme is proud to be proactive in helping to strengthen technical adaptation and mitigation capacities within and across these partner countries and territories and to facilitate their access to climate finance. The GO Programme is thus present at COP30 to participate in reminding decision makers across the globe that it is high time that they align to allocate requisite and necessary climate change support to these extraordinary and remarkable Overseas Countries and Territories.”
From Vulnerability to Leadership Funded under the 11th European Development Fund, Green Overseas advocates for access to finance, strengthening local institutions, and showcasing how OCTs can lead the transition toward clean energy, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience. Green Overseas connects 25 EU and UK OCTs across the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Southern Oceans, as well as the Arctic. Its work focuses on four strategic areas:
Energy Transition – supporting renewable energy adoption and sustainable grid innovations.
Climate Resilience – investing in coastal protection, ecosystem restoration, and disaster risk reduction.
Access to Finance – opening pathways to international climate funds and preparing high-quality project proposals.
Capacity Building – equipping local governments and institutions with the tools to plan and implement long-term strategies.
Through these efforts, Green Overseas acts as both a bridge and a voice, linking island territories with international institutions, climate financiers, and global decision-makers.
Solutions from the Islands Across the globe, OCTs are developing innovative, scalable solutions that transform challenges into opportunities. Examples include:
Saint Helena is reforming its energy regulatory framework to achieve 80% renewable electricity by 2028, proving that small islands can lead on clean energy transitions.
Turks & Caicos is assessing the feasibility of floating offshore wind farms, unlocking the potential of ocean-based renewable energy for island grids.
French Polynesia’s Tuamotu Atolls are creating 30-year shoreline projections to guide long-term coastal adaptation on some of the world’s most vulnerable islands.
The Cayman Islands are taking a data-driven approach to resilience through the launch of the National Resilience Scorecard Project, a first-of-its-kind tool that will guide public and private investment decisions based on their contribution to national climate resilience.
Ms Lina Tode, GO Programme Caribbean Regional Coordinator, Expertise France commented: “The Green Overseas (GO) Programme aims at strengthening the climate resilience of Overseas Countries and Territories. In this framework, the Cayman Islands Resilience Scorecard project will be a strategic tool for evidence-based planning and to provide guidance for public and private investments towards alignment with national climate resilience objectives. Mainstreaming resilience into decision making is at the heart of the GO Programme, and the Cayman Islands Resilience Scorecard project will showcase a comprehensive tool to facilitate the achievement of this objective.”
The Green Overseas team will be present throughout COP30 in Belém, facilitating dialogue, organising and participating in side events, and connecting with global partners to ensure OCT perspectives are represented in international climate negotiations.
The spokesperson confirmed that the EU had received France’s letter urging action, adding that a platform allowing pornographic content or selling weapons violate EU law
International News via Reuters:
The European Commission is in touch with French authorities as well as with Chinese online retailer Shein following a French complaint about Shein allowing pornographic content or weapons sales on its platform, an EU spokesperson said on Thursday.
The spokesperson confirmed that the EU had received France’s letter urging action, adding that a platform allowing pornographic content or selling weapons violate EU law and that this will drive potential next steps from the EU commission.
The spokesperson said he was not aware of similar concerns raised by other member states and that the EU does not have the intention to suspend any platforms EU-wide.
Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; editing by GV De Clercq
Retail trade fell by 0.1% on the month in September, coming short of expectations for a 0.2% rise, while sales were up 1.0% compared to a year earlier, in line with expectations
International News via Reuters:
Euro zone retail sales unexpectedly fell in September, challenging expectations for a consumption-led recovery and offsetting other mildly positive news from the 20-nation currency bloc, data from Eurostat showed on Thursday.
Retail trade fell by 0.1% on the month in September, coming short of expectations for a 0.2% rise, while sales were up 1.0% compared to a year earlier, in line with expectations.
Euro zone households are sitting on ample savings and the European Central Bank has long expected them to start running these down in a boost to growth, but uncertainty keeps consumers cautious and actual figures continue to be disappointing.
Retail sales expanded by 0.2% on the month in Germany, the bloc’s biggest economy and 0.4% in Spain, but there were falls in Italy, France and the Netherlands, among the bloc’s bigger nations.
Still, other data, including sentiment readings and PMI data, show that the economy is holding up and ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said policymakers were now marginally more optimistic on growth.
Non-food products sales dropped by 0.2% on the month, fuel sales were down 1% and food sales were stagnant, Eurostat added.
Reporting by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Alex Richardson
The 35-year-old suspect is a French resident of Oleron, and was previously known to police for petty crimes including drink driving and drug-related offences
International News via Reuters:
The driver who rammed his car into a crowd in western France is suspected of “self-radicalisation” and had “explicit religious references” at home, the country’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday.
“Based on a number of factors that exist with this individual, and the fact that he actually shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, there are religious references in his case that are quite clear and quite explicit”, Nunez said. “Allahu Akbar” is Arabic for “God is Greatest”.
However, Nunez added that it wasn’t clear at this stage if Wednesday’s attack, which injured five people on Oleron island off France’s Atlantic coast, was religiously motivated.
“It is the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office that will determine through a psychiatric evaluation – which took place yesterday after two searches – and a review of telephone records, whether these elements were the trigger for the violent action we have seen”, Nunez said.
Contacted by Reuters, the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said it remained in an observation role at this stage. For now, the inquiry is being handled by the local prosecutor’s office in La Rochelle.
The 35-year-old suspect is a French resident of Oleron, and was previously known to police for petty crimes including drink driving and drug-related offences, officials have said.
Two of those injured in the attack remain in critical condition, Nunez said.
Reporting by Inti Landauro, Dominique Vidalon and Alessandro Parodi, editing by Aidan Lewis
In the Philippines’ hardest-hit province of Cebu, the scale of the destruction became clearer as floodwaters receded to reveal flattened homes
International News via Reuters:
The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Kalmaegi rose to 114 with another 127 people still missing, the disaster agency said on Thursday, as the storm that devastated the country’s central regions regained strength as it headed towards Vietnam.
In Vietnam’s Gia Lai province, some 350,000 people were expected to have been evacuated by the middle of the day as authorities warned of heavy rains and damaging winds that could cause flooding in low-lying areas and disrupt agricultural activity.
In the Philippines’ hardest-hit province of Cebu, the scale of the destruction became clearer as floodwaters receded to reveal flattened homes, overturned vehicles and streets choked with debris.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated in the Philippines ahead of Kalmaegi hitting on Tuesday. Some have returned to find their homes destroyed, while others have begun the arduous cleanup, scraping mud from their houses and streets.
“The challenge now is debris clearing… These need to be cleared immediately, not only to account for the missing who may be among the debris or may have reached safe areas but also to allow relief operations to move forward,” Raffy Alejandro, a senior civil defence official, told DZBB radio.
NEW STORM DEVELOPING
Even as Typhoon Kalmaegi, locally named Tino, exited the Philippine monitoring zone, weather forecasters were tracking a brewing storm east of Mindanao that could strengthen into a typhoon, raising concerns for potential impacts early next week.
The devastation from Kalmaegi, the 20th storm to hit the Philippines this year, comes just over a month after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Cebu, killing dozens and displacing thousands.
As Kalmaegi moved over the South China Sea ahead of its landfall in Vietnam, it was regaining strength. It is forecast to impact several central provinces, including key coffee-growing areas, where the harvest season is currently underway.
Authorities were mobilising thousands of soldiers to assist with potential evacuations, rescue operations, and recovery efforts.
Vietnam’s aviation authorities said operations at eight airports, including the international airport in Da Nang, are likely to be affected. Airlines and local authorities have been urged to closely monitor the storm’s progress to ensure passenger safety.
Reporting by Karen Lema in Manila and Phuong Nguyen in Vietnam; Editing by John Mair
The accidental release of Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu last month compounded the pressure on the government which is struggling with overcrowded prisons
An undated handout image shows Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a teenage girl and another woman in Britain, and who according to the government has been accidentally released from jail. Essex Police/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
International News via Reuters:
Several prisoners are mistakenly released from British prisons each week, a minister said on Thursday, revealing the scale of a problem that came to light with the wrongful release of a migrant sex offender whose offences sparked weeks of protests.
The accidental release of Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu last month compounded the pressure on the government which is struggling with overcrowded prisons and a broken immigration system.
His arrest in July already triggered protests outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, north of London, which then became a touch-paper for wider anti-immigration demonstrations. He was deported following a three-day manhunt.
This week, two more mistaken prisoner releases – including an Algerian national on the sex offenders register who had overstayed his visa – have raised further concerns about the prison system, which has been grappling with overcrowding after the number of inmates in England and Wales doubled in the last 30 years.
The government estimates that 262 prisoners were released mistakenly in the 12 months to March 2025 – marking the fourth consecutive year of increase and more than double the 115 reported the previous year.
“The system is in utter chaos,” Alex Davies-Jones, a minister in the justice department, told Times Radio.
“We are deporting more foreign prisoners than ever before,” she said. “We’re also going to be deporting them on sentencing, rather than waiting for them to serve time in our prisons.”
The accidental releases have also increased pressure on David Lammy, Britain’s justice minister and deputy prime minister, who told parliament on Wednesday that he had toughened the rules to fix the problem, without revealing that he had known about the recent mistakes.
Davies-Jones blamed the crisis on 14 years of “chronic austerity and underfunding in our public services”, as well as the failure to build more prisons, under the previous Conservative government.
Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Sharon Singleton
The daylight robbery raised doubts over the credibility of the world’s most-visited museum as a guardian for its myriad works
International News via Reuters:
France’s Louvre Museum began a security audit a decade ago but the recommended upgrades will not be completed until 2032, the state auditor said in a report on Thursday compiled before a spectacular heist there last month.
The daylight robbery, in which four robbers made off with jewels worth $102 million, raised doubts over the credibility of the world’s most-visited museum as a guardian for its myriad works. Officials have admitted security was not up to scratch.
While investigators have charged four suspects for involvement in the raid, the treasures have yet to be recovered.
Excerpts from the report, which was published on Thursday by the national audit office, known as the Cour des Comptes, had already leaked in the media days after the raid.
Only 39% of the museum’s rooms had cameras as of 2024, the report said, and a security audit begun in 2015, which found the museum was not sufficiently monitored or prepared for a crisis, only led to a tender for security works at the end of last year.
“It will take several years to complete the project, which, according to the museum, is not expected to be finished until 2032,” the report said.
It said the museum’s inability to update its infrastructure was exacerbated by excessive spending to buy artwork, only a quarter of which is exposed to the public, and post-pandemic relaunch projects, as well as inefficiencies and ticket fraud.
Even the development initiatives it announced this year were not based on feasibility studies, whether technical or financial, and did not consider staffing needs, the report said.
The report provided 10 recommendations including a drop in the number of acquisitions by the museum, an increase in its ticket prices and a refurbishment of its digital infrastructure and governance.
In the face of a “chronic under-investment in information systems”, the auditor said, “the museum must strengthen its internal control function, which remains underdeveloped for an institution the size of the Louvre”.
The theft only reinforces some of the considerations made in the report, the auditor’s head Pierre Moscovici told journalists on Thursday.
“The theft of the crown jewels was without a doubt a deafening alarm bell: this pace [of security upgrades] is far from sufficient,” Moscovici said. “The authorities are now realising that they have heard these alarm bells.”
He said the Louvre has sufficient funds for the upgrades needed, and “now it must do so without fail”.
After the robbery, French officials said the Louvre would introduce extra security, including anti-intrusion devices and anti-vehicle ramming barriers on nearby public roads, by the end of the year.
In January, amid growing complaints about disarray at the museum, France launched an ambitious development project involving a new space dedicated to Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous painting, and new security steps to protect its visitors and precious exhibits.
In written remarks published by the audit office, Culture Minister Rachida Dati said she agreed on the urgency of the technical work and reiterated calls for swift corrective measures.
Louvre director Laurence des Cars said in the same document she supported most of the auditor’s recommendations but insisted the museum’s long-term transformation plan is essential to address its structural challenges.
Reporting by Alessandro ParodiEditing by Gabriel Stargardter and Philippa Fletcher
S&P Global’s monthly purchasing managers’ index for the construction industry fell to 44.1 in October from 46.2 in September, extending its longest downturn since the global financial crisis
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s construction sector contracted in October at the fastest pace in over five years, with civil engineering activity declining at the fastest pace since the pandemic, due to weak demand and uncertainty ahead of finance minister Rachel Reeves’ budget, a survey showed on Thursday.
S&P Global’s monthly purchasing managers’ index for the construction industry fell to 44.1 in October from 46.2 in September, extending its longest downturn since the global financial crisis.
Last month’s PMI remained well below the 50 mark that divides growth from contraction, and a Reuters poll forecast of 46.7.
Civil engineering activity was at its weakest since May 2020, when lockdowns during the COVID pandemic halted construction work.
Activity in the residential building sector last month slowed at the sharpest pace since February, with its subindex at 43.6, while commercial building fell marginally.
“Reduced workloads were again widely attributed to risk aversion and delayed decision-making among clients, which contributed to a slower-than-expected release of new projects,” said Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“Subdued demand in the wake of heightened political and economic uncertainty also led to the steepest drop in input buying since May 2020.”
The decline in total new orders accelerated in October. Survey respondents cited weak demand due to political and economic uncertainty, and delays in new project starts.
Recent business surveys have also shown similar concerns about investment, hiring and demand due to concerns about Reeves’ annual budget on November 26, which is widely expected to include further tax rises.
The pace of job-shedding also accelerated in October, with the employment index at its lowest since August 2020, with firms citing less work and higher payroll costs.
But input inflation costs were the weakest in a year and the outlook for the coming 12 months was the highest since July, partly due to the prospect of lower borrowing costs. While the Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates at 4% on Thursday, financial markets on Wednesday were still pricing in a 62% chance of a 25 basis-point rate cut by the end of the year.
The all-sector PMI, which combines the services, manufacturing and construction sectors, rose to 51.4 in October from 49.7 in September.
Reporting by Suban Abdulla; Editing by Hugh Lawson
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.
