Category: CANA News

Immigration advocates have condemned the Donald Trump administration’s proposal excluding Caribbean and other non-citizens from Census 2030, setting up a 14th Amendment challenge.

The Trump administration published a proposal last Thursday for major changes to how the United States government produces census results for Census 2030, which includes excluding US residents who live, work and contribute to their communities but do not hold citizenship or a green card, and eliminating questions about race and ethnicity’The proposed rule change raises serious constitutional and civil rights concerns,’ said Murad Awawdeh, president and chief executive officer of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups.

He told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that historically, the US Census, required by the 14th Amendment, counts ‘the whole number of persons in each State’ and collects demographic data including race and ethnicity.

Awawdeh said census data are then used to determine the distribution of seats in the US House of Representatives and the allocation of federal funding to state and local governments.

‘By excluding large swaths of residents and race and ethnicity data, immigrants and communities of color will have less ability to identify disparities and discrimination, hold institutions accountable, and enforce civil rights protections that ensure equal representation and equal access to resources and opportunities,’ he said.

‘The end result would critically undermine civil rights and voting rights protections. A fair and accurate decennial census is crucial to ensuring a healthy democracy.’

Awawdeh said that the proposed rule change is designed to deprive historically marginalised communities and immigrant-rich states – like New York – of their rightful share of political power and funding.

‘Restricting who is counted and removing information about race and ethnicity is an attempt to erase the power, presence, and diverse needs of our communities from future federal data used for redistricting, enforcing the Voting Rights Act, and other antidiscrimination protections.’

Awawdeh said this is not the first time that the Trump administration has sought to undermine the US Census, noting that in 2018, the administration tried to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, and that NYIC ‘fought them all the way to the Supreme Court and won.

‘Immigrants and communities of colour cannot be denied their Constitutional right to be counted. Elected officials must resist all attempts to undermine the 2030 Census, our democracy, and our legal right to be included in the census.’

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin said Trump’s proposed sweeping changes to the US Census would reshape how US populations are counted.

‘The Census touches every piece of New Yorkers’ lives, which is why an accurate count is crucial. President Trump’s proposal week to exclude anyone who is not a US citizen or permanent resident from the census is not only deeply concerning, it is unconstitutional and undermines the democratic process.

‘US Census data determines how much federal funding we get for our schools, hospitals, housing, transportation, and social services for the next decade. Equally troubling is his proposal to remove questions of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, which provides the critical demographic data needed to enforce landmark anti-discrimination protections like the Voting Rights Act.’

Having led New York City’s Census in 2020, Menin said she understands that ‘these kinds of exclusionary measures hurt us all,’ stating that she will ‘work tirelessly to ensure that every New Yorker gets the representation they deserve, regardless of status.’

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said ‘make no mistake, this is another attempt by Trump to hurt New Jersey – weaponising a nonpartisan issue like the census to rig the system for his own political benefit.

‘This isn’t new: he’s denied New Jersey FEMA recovery funding; he’s started a trade war with Canada, our largest trading partner, raising costs on families and small businesses; and his endless war with Iran has driven gas prices through the roof for millions of New Jerseyans,’ she added.

‘Now, these proposed changes could cost New Jersey federal representation and our fair share of federal funding – even though we send far more tax dollars to Washington than we get in return.. The Constitution is clear, and we won’t stand for another blatant money grab against New Jersey taxpayers.’

Maaz Sadaqat produced a sensational display of power hitting to carry the Jamaica Kingsmen within sight of their first Caribbean Premier League final with a nine-wicket thrashing of the Barbados Tridents in their Eliminator contest on Wednesday.

Player-of-the-Match Sadaqat smashed a boundary-studded 112 off just 49 balls, as the Kingsmen easily chased down the Tridents’ inadequate total of 144 for six, romping to 145 for four in just 14.1 overs to disappoint the large home crowd at Kensington Oval.

It was sweet revenge for the Kingsmen, who were defeated by the Tridents twice in the preliminary stage – most recently last Saturday at the same venue.

They now await the winner of Thursday’s Qualifier between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons for a spot in Sunday’s final.

Despite needing to score at just over seven runs an over, Sadaqat was aggressive from the start of his innings, hitting Daniel Sams for a six and four in the first over.

The Tridents missed an opportunity to dismiss him in the next over when he had scored just 12, but substitute wicketkeeper Rivaldo Clarke failed to hold on to an edge behind the stumps off the bowling of spinner Chris GreenThey would pay dearly for the mistake, with Sadaqat smashing AM Ghazanfar for successive fours in the third over and then hoisting Green for a four and six in the following over to see the Kingsmen speed to 46 without loss after four overs, with Sadaqat responsible for 41 of those runs.

The Pakistani reached his half century in sensational fashion off 22 balls by hoisting Ghazanfar for three successive sixes in the fifth over that went for 21 runs.

Another four off Green at the start of the 10th over brought up the Kingsmen’s 100, and Sadaqat subsequently reached his first-ever T20 century off 44 balls with a single to third man off Sams.

In doing so, the 21-year-old became the youngest batter to score a century in the CPL.

By the time Sams had him caught and bowled, he had bludgeoned nine fours and eight sixes and shared an opening partnership of 138 with Kirk McKenzie, who was a virtual bystander throughout the innings.

McKenzie scored an unbeaten 22 off 34 balls to see his side to victory.

An excellent showing with the ball had earlier put the Kingsmen in prime position to advance.

Skipper Rovman Powell held on to a brilliant catch at cover to dismiss Brandon King in the opening over bowled by Hassan Khan without a run on the board.

Andre Russell then produced a snorter that Kevlon Anderson could only edge behind to the wicketkeeper, also for a duck, and he also had Zachary Carter caught behind off a short-pitched delivery to leave the Tridents in tatters at 10 for three in the fourth over.

Shadrack Descrate fell for a two-ball duck, trapped lbw by Hunain Shah and when Sherfane Rutherford was bowled by Saim Ayub for six, the Kingsmen were in complete control at 30 for five.

Quinton de Kock and Green did well to repair the damage during a partnership of 114 runs for the sixth wicket, with de Kock scoring 71 off 49 balls with five fours and two sixes, while Green finished unbeaten on 57 off 44 balls, inclusive of five fours and one six.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors Women brought an end to three-time defending champions Barbados Tridents Women’s reign in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, defeating them by seven wickets in the Eliminator at Kensington Oval on Wednesday.

In a match that was delayed by almost two hours due to heavy showers and eventually reduced to an eight over contest, the Tridents recovered from a horrible start to post a competitive 69 for four after being sent in to bat.

Tazmin Brits then smashed an unbeaten 35 off 23 balls to guide the Amazon Warriors to 75 for three in 7.2 overs and a spot in Thursday’s final against the Trinbago Knight Riders Women.

The Amazon Warriors will be chasing their first WCPL title, having lost to the Tridents in the 2023 and 2025 finals, while the Knight Riders, who won the inaugural tournament in 2022. will be seeking their second championship.

The Tridents would have been hoping for a speedy start in the shortened match, but an out of sorts Qiana Joseph struggled to get the ball away.

She scored just three runs in 13 deliveries before the Tridents took the decision to retire her out at the end of the third over with just 16 runs on the board.

Kiran Navgire was stumped off the bowling of Erin Burns with the next delivery, but captain Hayley Matthews and Maddy Green took 18 runs off the fifth over bowled by Sheneta Grimmond to help boost their run rate.

Matthews was run out for 22 attempting a suicidal second run at the start of the sixth over, but Green kept the momentum going by blasting an unbeaten 30 off 16 balls, inclusive of three fours and one six.

The Amazon Warriors didn’t get off to the best of starts either, losing Eboni Brathwaite to the third ball of the run chase after she mishit a full toss from Shawnisha Hector into the hands of Harleen Deol at mid-off.

However, Brits found a reliable partner in Shemaine Campbelle, with the pair adding 51 runs in 27 balls to put their side in the ascendancy.

They took 14 runs off the second over bowled by Matthews and 12 runs off Afy Fletcher’s ensuing over to motor to 32 for one after three overs.

Suzie Bates was hit for a six and four in the following over that leaked 14 runs, but Joseph broke the partnership by having Campbelle caught behind for 22 off 12 balls, to leave the score 54 for two at the end of five overs.

Brits, who was named Player-of-the-Match, took charge thereafter, keeping the score ticking over to bring the equation down to one run off the final over.

Nadine de Klerk was bowled off the first ball by Suzie Bates, but captain Chloe Tryon finished the match off in style by smashing the next delivery over long off for six.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Office of the Attorney General have withdrawn their legal battle against 69 year-old Star Sabga, who had been placed under house arrest after she spent several weeks within the prison system under a Preventive Detention Order (PDO) during the state of emergency (SoE) that is due to expire on Thursday.

Lawyers representing the TTPS and the Attorney General’s Office outlined their position in an email on Monday indicating that they will no longer be proceeding with the substantive matter against Sabga, less han 72 hours after Appellate Judge Carla Brown-Antoine granted the State time to consider the future of the appeal, noting that it had effectively become academic following Sabga’s release. Earlier, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander had revoked the PDO against Sabga, who along with her neice Genevieve and her businessman husband, Dominic Hadeed, the managing director of Blue Waters Products Limited, were detained in connection with an alleged plot to murder government officials, including the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

All three were placed under PDOs at the Golden Grove Prison in Arouca, along the ast west corridor, on June 27. The Hadeeds were released on July 23 after Alexander revoked their PDOs. Sabga remained under house arrest from July 27 until her release on Thursday last week.

The Hadeeds’ initial bid for interim release was rejected by Justice Frank Seepersad but later upheld by a panel of the Court of Appeal, which questioned the justification advanced by Alexander for their continued detention under the PDOs.

However, another Court of Appeal panel, led by Chief Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, stayed that ruling pending the outcome of the State’s final appeal before the United Kingdom-based Privy Council. The SoE Review Tribunal subsequently recommended the trio’s release.

The PDOs against the Hadeeds were eventually withdrawn after the Privy Council indicated that it would not hear the State’s appeal until October.

In late July, High Court Judge Vigel Paul ordered that Sabga be placed under the same house arrest conditions previously imposed by the initial Court of Appeal panel in relation to the Hadeeds. The TTPS and the Attorney General’s Office subsequently challenged that decision.

Sabga and the Hadeeds are now pursuing a substantive constitutional claim challenging their detention. They allege that they have been targeted by the Government because of their ethnicity and because of separate legal proceedings brought by the Hadeeds over attempts to terminate their leases for State-owned land.

They contend that their arrests followed what they describe as veiled threats made by Attorney General John Jeremie, during a parliamentary debate on extending the SoE.

Meanwhile, at least 25 people detained under PDO have signaled their intention to seek legal action against the state, according to attorney CJ Williams.

Williams told the Trinidad Guardian newspaper that his law chambers is currently representing at least 25 former detainees and that he expects that number to rise as more individuals seek advice on their legal options.

‘I would say approximately 25 minimum. However, from our clients inside, there are a number of persons who wish to come and ask ..what’s next,’ he told the newspaper, adding that each case would be assessed on its individual merits.

‘What I can say is that some persons have a clear-cut case where they ought to be entitled to some sort of compensation,’ Williams said, adding that a key consideration will be how Alexander exercised his discretion in authorising each PDO.

‘It all boils down to how a minister exercised his discretion on a case-by-case basis. It’s not like one shoe could fit all,’ Williams said.

Under the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2026, which govern the issuance of PDOs, the government included a provision shielding the state from the type civil liability which followed the SoE in 2011.

‘No person shall be liable to any suit or action in respect of any act done under lawful direction and authority pursuant to the provisions of these Regulations,’ according to the

Regulations even though it provide for the possibility of compensation from public funds, at the discretion of the President, where a person is found to have suffered loss or damage as a result of the exercise of certain emergency powers

The Grenada Football Association (GFA) has relocated its 2026/27 Concacaf Nations League home fixtures to Trinidad and Tobago due to ongoing concerns over the playing surface at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium.

Grenada will host two League B, Group C doubleheaders at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on October 2 and 5 2026.

On the 2nd of October, St Kitts and Nevis face Cuba at 5pm, before Bonaire play Grenada at 8pm. On the 5th of October, Cuba meet St Kitts and Nevis at 5pm, then Grenada face Bonaire at 8pm.

The GFA said the decision followed repeated warnings, fines and compliance issues. It was fined over poor field conditions in September 2023 and May 2026.

Concacaf warned in August 2024 that the pitch was below League B standard and later cited dirt patches and waterlogged areas after September 2024 matches.

A Concacaf visit on August 5th 2026 deemed the pitch unsatisfactory.

The GFA said a revised field-maintenance plan and required lighting report had not been provided by the Grenada National Stadium Authority, making the venue ineligible for approval.

According to football officials in Grenada, relocating the matches avoids risking further sanctions and protects Grenada’s competition standing.

GFA President Marlon Glean said Grenada’s first preference is always to play at home, but repeated violations could bring more serious consequences.

Glean added that moving the matches costs money, removes home advantage and deprives supporters a chance to cheer on the National team.

The GFA estimates relocation will cost about EC$336,345.69. It stressed Grenada has not been formally banned from hosting Concacaf matches but acted proactively.

The association wants to work with government and stadium officials so international football can return once the venue consistently meets FIFA and Concacaf standards.

Former prime minister Stuart Young Tuesday said he is ‘certain’ that a number of innocent people had been detained under the state of emergency (SoE) due to expire on Thursday and called for opposition to the government’s plans to reintroduce Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) legislation after the previous attempt to pass the controversial crime-fighting measure failed in the Senate earlier this year.

Young in a video statement posted on his Facebook page, said that the current Kamla Persad-Bissessar government had over the past 12 months implemented the SoE, which suspended ‘all of our constitutional rights.

‘As you’ve seen, it allows the state to lock you up without an arrest warrant, to keep you detained under preventative detention order,’ said Young, who served as eighth head of government from March 17 , 2025, to May 1, 2025.

Young told his audience that it is a government minister, who has the sole power to issue a preventative detention order, a PDO, ‘thereby detaining any one of us.

‘Let’s look at the statistics. Apparently, over 800 PDOs were applied for. The minister approved over 700 of them. Over 500 PDOs were executed, meaning 500 persons were detained and put into detention centres without the right to bail, without the right to habeas corpus, once you’re under a PDO.

‘Importantly, out of that 500 plus people who were detained under PDO, only approximately 200 were criminally charged. We have seen in the last 12 months a number of citizens being detained, and they have been denied their rights.

‘And we now know that a number, it is possible and I am certain, a number of innocent citizens were detained under PDOs,’ Young said, accusing the ruling administration of abusing constitutional rights under these states of emergency.

He said the government is now focused on reintroduucing the ZOSO legislation questioning whether the government with its track record can ‘be trusted with these pieces of legislation that affect our constitutional rights, the movement of constitutional freedom of speech, etc.

‘The answer Trinidad and Tobago is no. So don’t let them fool you that this is about putting pressure on, bullying the opposition and bullying the independent senators,’ Young said, noting that the government ‘has shown us without a shadow of a doubt, they cannot be entrusted to uphold our constitutional rights’.

Last Friday, the government signaled its intention to revive the ZOSO legislation with Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander saying the legislation will form part of the government’s strategy to tackle crime after the SoE ends on Thursday September 17.

He said ZOSOs would combine security operations with community development in designated areas, providing what he described as ‘special measures to uphold the rule of law, public order, citizens’ security and public safety’.

Alexander said the approach should not be viewed solely as a law enforcement measure, arguing that security interventions must be paired with efforts to address conditions in affected communities.

‘The Zones of Special Operations is not simply about sending law enforcement into a community. It is about security and community development working together,’ he said.

The government’s move follows the defeat in January of the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill, 2026, after it failed to secure the required three-fifths majority in the Senate. Parliament records the bill as defeated.

The bill had faced criticism over human rights concerns and safeguards surrounding the proposed powers. Under the bill, the Prime Minister would have been able to designate communities as Zones of Special Operations, with joint police and Defence Force operations permitted within those areas.

The proposed measures included warrantless searches, curfews of up to 72 hours and detention powers. The bill also provided for a Social Committee to coordinate interventions including housing, healthcare and infrastructure.

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has already criticised the government’s decision to bring the legislation back, describing the move as an attempt to create a permanent expansion of State power.

The following is the CANANews and SPORTS Schedule for Tuesday, September 15, 2026

PORT OF SPAIN -Former prime minister Stuart Young Tuesday said he is ‘certain’ that a number of innocent people had been detained under the state of emergency (SoE) due to expire on Wednesday and called for opposition to the government’s plans to reintroduce Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) legislation after the previous attempt to pass the controversial crime-fighting measure failed in the Senate earlier this year.

GEORGETOWN – Less than 24 hours after President Irfaan Ali said he had invited the two major opposition parties in the Parliament to a meeting, tone has responded by rejecting the invitation outright, while the other said its participation will depend on the agenda.

PORT OF SPAIN -The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the Office of the Attorney General have withdrawn their legal battle against 69 year-old Star Sabga, who had been placed under house arrest after she spent several weeks within the prison system under a Preventive Detention Order (PDO) during the state of emergency (SoE) that is due to expire on Wednesday.

HAMILTON -The Bermuda government says the economy has expanded by an estimated 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year building on ‘good momentum and strong growth’ in 2025.

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) says migrants sent an estimated US$728.6 billion home to families in low and middle-income countries, including the Caribbean last year, nearly double the amount recorded a decade earlier.

SPORTS:

SURF CITY- Barbados emerged as the Caribbean’s top performer at the 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC), finishing 30th overall with 1,788 points as the event came to a thrilling conclusion this past weekend in El Salvador.

Julien Alfred has just wrapped the best season of her career. She already has a plan for the next one.

The St. Lucian ended her 2026 campaign with second place in the 100m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, adding to a season that included personal records in the 100m and 200m, a Diamond League title and World Indoor silver.

But after the race, the Paris 2024 Olympic 100m champion was thinking less about medals and more about home.

‘I want to enjoy the offseason,’ Alfred said. ‘I just want to go back home to Saint Lucia, on the beach, party, enjoy my island, nothing about track and field whatsoever, and think about next year when the next season starts.’

That break will not last forever. Alfred is already eyeing 2027, when the World Championships will take place in Beijing.

She plans to train again with coach Edrick Floréal at the University of Texas, alongside fellow Saint Lucians Naomi London and Jady Emmanuel, as well as World Under-20 double champion Mia Maxwell and her twin, Mariah.

Alfred said the extra training partners should help address the biggest issue of her season: her start.

‘I have a lot to work on, especially the start,’ she said. ‘It’s been really inconsistent this season, so now I know what I have to work on. Now I have a lot more training partners to line up with in practice so I can get the repetition and get it under my belt, which I think I was lacking all season.’

In a genuine off year, Alfred raced the 100m just seven times, one fewer than in 2025, when she was heavily focused on speed endurance. In 2022 and 2023, her final years in college, she raced 30 times combined.

Her standout performance came in July at the Monaco Diamond League, where she ran 21.51 seconds in the 200m, now the fourth-fastest time ever over that distance.

She considered it the highlight of her season, but pointed to how much her mindset has grown.

‘I’ve been learning how to lose and how to bounce back from that, so I’m not the type anymore to beat myself up after a race. Now I’ve become a lot more lenient on myself and give myself a lot more grace,’ she said.

‘As you’ve seen, every year I’ve progressed. I’ve got better every single time I line up, and that’s because my mental game has gotten a lot better. Now I am a lot more grateful for where I’m at, knowing I get a chance to represent an island, a tiny island of 238 square miles, and it’s always a proud moment for me. I look at the positive things in life.’

Alfred also told reporters how much it means to her that young people in Saint Lucia can see their flag on the world stage.

Some of her family watched her compete in person for the first time in Budapest, and now that her season is over, she is looking forward to spending more time with them.

The Bermuda government says the economy has expanded by an estimated 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year building on ‘good momentum and strong growth’ in 2025.

Economy and Labour Minister, Jason Hayward, told a news conference that in current prices, gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 2.3 per cent for the first quarter, highlighting the additional impact of rising implicit prices.

‘This growth matters because a stronger economy creates the foundation for more employment opportunities, higher incomes, greater business activity and improved government revenues,’ he told reporters.

Hayward said that the economic growth resulted from increased household expenditure and construction activity noting that consumer spending in the first quarter increased 2.6 per cent year-over-year to US$827.7 million.

He said this increase reflects growth in the total amount of money consumers spent on goods and services during the quarter.

According to the figures released at the news conference, consumption of services increased by 2.1 per cent year-over-year, reflected in higher expenditure for catering, accommodation and postal services.

Spending on durable goods rose 9.7 per cent, with notable increases in purchases of information processing equipment, motorcycles and new and used cars. At the same time, spending rose 1.4 per cent in large part due to expenditures on accompanied personal goods, motor fuels, food and non-alcoholic beverages.

Hayward said that this increase in consumer spending in Bermuda’s first quarter demonstrates ‘a favourable economic environment and positive consumer confidence, with growth in both service consumption and the consumption of goods’.

The official figures show that in the first quarter of 2026, employment income rose by 6.3 per cent compared to 2025 levels with notable increases in employment income being observed across most industries, including construction (12 per cent), public administration and defence (11.6 per cent), banking, insurance and real estate (six per cent), hotels and restaurants (4.5 per cent), international business (5.3 per cent) and wholesale and retail (3.3 per cent)

‘This growth in employee remuneration across most sectors reflects positive economic performance, indicating a robust labour market. Sectors in which employment income abated include business services and transport and communications,’ Hayward said.

According to the official figures, Bermuda welcomed 29,426 air visitors in the first quarter of 2026, an increase from 27,649 for the same period last year. The estimated expenditure by these visitors also rose, reaching US$55.3 million, up from US$48.5 million reported last year.

The government’s consumption decreased by 5.6 per cent to US$190.3 million, reflecting lower expenditure on goods and services. Gross capital formation increased 0.6 per cent to US$198.2 million and construction investment continued its strong performance, increasing by 8.1 per cent.

Investment in machinery and equipment saw a decrease of 6.2 per cent, driven by lower imports of industrial machinery, transportation equipment and medical machinery and Hayward told reporters that Bermuda’s trade balance abated 0.1 per cent to US$831.0 million, as both payments for imports of goods and services and receipts from exports of goods and services declined.

Exports of goods and services decreased by 0.1 per cent during the quarter. In addition to the imports of goods and services decreasing 0.1 per cent.

The government figures show that there were 58 new local businesses registered in Bermuda during the first quarter of 2026 and that total local business registration decreased year-over-year, bringing the complete business register to 3,660.

‘The government is committed to fostering the expansion and sustainability of Bermuda’s economy by cultivating a business environment that allows businesses to flourish. The Q1 2026 economic growth is an important signal that Bermuda’s economy continues to demonstrate resilience and forward momentum,’ Hayward said.

Meanwhile, the government says it has noted concerns raised regarding recent updates to the Closed and Restricted Job Categories affecting certain entry-level positions within Bermuda’s insurance and reinsurance sector.

‘The Government of Bermuda recognises its responsibility to protect job opportunities for Bermudians. Bermuda’s international business sector, including insurance and reinsurance, is critical to our economy. But its success must also create meaningful pathways for Bermudians, particularly young Bermudians seeking their first opportunity to establish a career,’ the Ministry of Economy and Labour said in a separate statement.

It said that the entry-level positions now included in the Closed Job Category are the types of roles through which many Bermudians have built successful careers in insurance, reinsurance, claims, underwriting and broking.

‘Young Bermudians should have opportunities to begin their careers in these industries in their own country. These are not simply jobs. They are entry points into careers, and Government has a responsibility to ensure they remain accessible to Bermudians.’

The ministry said that the policy targets identified entry-level positions and it does not prevent businesses from accessing genuinely specialised expertise where required.

The government said it will continue to consider legitimate operational circumstances within the established immigration framework, while ensuring that genuine entry-level opportunities remain available to Bermudians.

‘Bermuda can remain open to international business while ensuring Bermudians are positioned to participate in the opportunities that business creates. These objectives are not mutually exclusive,’ the statement said, recalling the words of Hayward that ‘avenues for success must remain available for Bermudians, and employment opportunities such as these must remain accessible.’

The updated Closed and Restricted Job Categories took effect on 8 September 2026 and the government said it will continue to work with industry to protect opportunities for Bermudians while maintaining a competitive and successful international business sector.

Police Tuesday said an 18-year-old man is expected to appear in court ‘later this week’ after being charged with the murder of a 60-year-old businessman in July.

In a statement, the police said that David McDonald had been charged in the killing of Mordecai Eleazer Francis, who was fatally shot at a supermarket in Freeman’s Village, a historic, centrally located community, on Thursday, July 23, 2026

Police said that they had received a report of a shooting at the supermarket and responded to the scene. Francis, who was the owner of the establishment, was found unresponsive inside the business with apparent gunshot wounds.

It said following the investigations, McDonald was arrested and formally charged with murder and ‘is expected to appear before the court sometime this week’ expressing ‘appreciation to members of the public for their continued cooperation and assistance’.