Category: CANA News

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’.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of 21 other states and the District of Columbia in pursuing legal action to stop what the it describes as ‘a catastrophic’ new Trump administration policy that would allow immigration officials to punish Caribbean and other immigrants for lawful use of public benefits.

In the lawsuit filed alongside separate legal action by a coalition of cities led by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the coalition challenges a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ‘public charge’ rule that would give individual immigration officers sweeping discretion to deny green cards based on nearly any use of public benefits. James said the coalition are asking the US District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) to block ‘this unlawful measure so that New Yorkers do not have to fear that seeking help today could jeopardize their – or their family members’ – immigration status in the future.

‘Hardworking families should not be forced to go without the support they need because they fear asking for assistance will get them deported,’ James said.

‘This rule preys on that fear and counts on families forfeiting the food assistance, health care coverage, and other public benefits to which they are legally entitled. My office fought this exact policy once before and won, and we are leading the nation to ensure the Trump administration cannot inflict this harm on families again,’ she added.

Mamdani said ‘the new public charge rule seeks to push immigrant families away from the programs that have kept people fed and healthy for decades.

‘New Yorkers will be afraid to see a doctor or ask for help they are legally entitled to. That fear will not stop at the families that the federal government is targeting. Families who remain fully eligible for benefits will feel a chilling effect, and all New Yorkers will pay for it,’ the mayor added.

James said that, for over 140 years, the United States has defined a ‘public charge’ as someone likely to become primarily dependent on the government for long-term subsistence.

She said that, in 2022, the federal government issued a rule limiting public charge determinations to cash assistance for income maintenance or long-term institutionalization at government expense.

The New York Attorney General said the Trump administration’s new rule, taking effect September 18, would let immigration officers count nearly any public benefit, used for any length of time, against an applicant.

She said the rule also includes benefits legally used by family members, even if the family member is a US citizen.

Under the rule, James said a noncitizen parent’s green card application could be at risk because their US citizen child used state-provided health insurance.

She said immigration officers could count a child’s participation in a school’s free lunch programme against their noncitizen parent’s application for citizenship.

‘There is no clear limit on which benefits, or how much use, count against an applicant, leaving families to guess which forms of routine, lawful assistance might put their immigration status at risk,’ James said.

In the lawsuit, the attorneys general note that the states and local governments that administer these programs will bear direct costs, from new communications to staff training to information technology changes needed to manage the disruption.

The coalition is asking a federal judge to declare the 2026 public charge rule unlawful and vacate it, ‘protecting states and their residents from its unlawful harms.’

A former independent candidate will return to court in December after being accused of procuring sex from a 16-year-old girl between June 23 and September 3 this year.

Daquan Swain, 31, was not required to enter a plea to the charge when he made his first court appearance before Magistrate Abigail Farrington, where he was granted US$9,000 bail.

As a condition of his bail, Swain, who could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charge of procuring sex from a minor, must report to the Elizabeth Estates Police Station and have no contact with his alleged victim.

Swain had unsuccessfully contested the 2023 West End and Bimini by-election. The case has been adjourned to December 4 for the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment.

Guyana’s petroleum sector is expected to generate revenue totalling US$6.5 billion for this year, as the sector generated significant economic returns in the first half of 2026, with crude oil exports surpassing US$15 billion, according to the 2026 Mid-Year Report.

The report notes that the export earnings grew by 76.4 per cent to US$16.2 billion during the first six months, largely driven by an 82.1 per cent increase in crude oil earnings to US$15.05 billion.

It said the increase reflected both higher production and stronger international oil prices, with export volumes expanding by 40 per cent while crude oil prices rose by 28.9 per cent during the period.

Guyana produced 163.3 million barrels of crude oil during the first half of 2026, compared with 115.7 million barrels during the corresponding period last year. Average daily production rose from approximately 639,000 barrels per day to about 902,000 barrels per day.

The growth came as four floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels operated simultaneously in the Stabroek Block for the first full six-month period, following the start-up of the One Guyana FPSO in August 2025.

The government is now expecting an even stronger revenue performance for the full year with the Mid-Year report projecting petroleum deposits of US$6.4976 billion for 2026, representing a 136.8 percent increase over the amount projected when budget 2026 was prepared.

Of that amount, the government is projected to earn US$5.9725 billion from the sale of Guyana’s share of profit oil, alongside US$508.1 million in royalties.

The upward revision is attributed to higher crude oil prices, an increase in the projected number of profit-oil lifts, and the continued increased production from the One Guyana FPSO.

The government had initially anticipated 309 profit-oil lifts from the Stabroek Block, with 40 going to the government. The latest projections point to 326 total profit-oil lifts, with the government expected to receive 84, following cost-bank desaturation and increased production from One Guyana.

The fifth FPSO, Errea Wittu, is also expected to produce first oil in the final quarter of 2026, while production from One Guyana is projected to continue ramping up.

Against this backdrop, the oil and gas sector is now projected to grow by 24.2 per cent for the year.

The increased petroleum earnings are also expected to translate into greater resources available through the Natural Resource Fund (NRF). The government is projected to withdraw US$2.3743 billion from the Fund in 2026 in accordance with the NRF Act.

At the end of June, the NRF held a cumulative balance of US$4.2942 billion, inclusive of US$66.9 million in interest income, after withdrawals of US$1.02 billion during the first half of the year.

The expanding petroleum sector has added to Guyana’s economic performance. Real GDP expanded by an estimated 33.3 percent during the first half of 2026, while the non-oil economy grew by 10.1 percent, driven principally by construction, services, and mining.

A 20-year-old man will re-appear in court on February 18 next year after he was remanded to prison following his court appearance on charges of killing three people and the attempted murder of three others during a 20 hour period in August.

Prosecutors allege Milton Burrows Jr and his accomplices shot and killed Kimbo Guerrier, 51, outside an apartment complex on August 21, as well as ambushing and killing 52-year-old Samuel Pascal, whose body was found inside his apartment with multiple gunshot wounds on August 22.

The prosecution is also alleging that Burrows participated in the killing of Eric Stuart, 36, on the same day.

Police said they were able to track down the vehicle with Burrows and three other people, including a woman, with the prosecution alleging that the suspects opened fire on officers, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

Burrows s charged with attempting to murder Constable Leon King, Able Seaman Raynaldo Pinder and Marine Seaman Lerecus Armbrister during the confrontation. Three of the suspects escaped by jumping over a fence, but the female suspect was later found hiding beneath a bus and arrested.

Burrows faces three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder when he appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Ancella Evans.

His co-accused, Diamonique Webster, 18, who was arraigned on last month, has been charged with three counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, three counts of possession of an unlicensed firearm, two counts of possession of ammunition, armed robbery, abetment to armed robbery, stealing and receiving.

Burrows was not required to enter a plea to the charges and was informed that the matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment.

The accused was advised of his right to apply for bail in the higher court before being remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until February 18, 2027, when the voluntary bill of indictment is expected to be served.

The St. Kitts and Nevis government is to present legislation to Parliament that will allow adults born abroad on or after September 19, 1983, and whose parent or grandparent became a citizen of the twin island Federation to apply to be registered as citizens.

Cabinet has given the green light to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2026, saying that it addresses a gap in the law that has stood for 43 years.

Under the Constitution, citizenship passes to a child born abroad where a parent was born in St.Kitts and Nevis. Adults born abroad in the generations that followed have had no route to citizenship based on their descent.

Persons born before Independence stand in a different position, and are generally already citizens under the Constitution.

Members of the diaspora have raised this issue for decades, in correspondence, through the Federation’s overseas missions, through diaspora and family associations, and most recently in a petition presented to the National Assembly in 2025.

The government said that the call has been made to successive administrations.

‘This bill corrects a gap that has existed since 1983 and our diaspora have asked for this for a long time, and this administration has listened,’ said Acting Prime Minister, Dr Geoffrey Hanley.

‘The pathway is a defined one. An adult born after Independence whose parent or grandparent became a citizen at Independence may apply, subject to proof and security screening. It is not a general claim based on ancestry.’

Previously, a 23-year-old born in Hamilton, Bermuda, who has a grandfather born here did not inherit that citizenship, because the Constitution confers citizenship on a child born abroad only where the parent was born in the Federation, and her mother was also born in Hamilton.

Under the proposed new grandparent pathway within the Bill, she may apply on the strength of her grandfather’s birth certificate.

The amendment would also apply to a 30-year-old born in New York in 1996 whose father was born in Brooklyn in 1965 and who became a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis at Independence, because his own grandmother had been born here.

The government statement said that while he was a minor his father could have applied to register him as the child of a citizen, but never did, and that entitlement lapsed on his 18th birthday. Under the Bill he may now apply in his own right through the parent pathway, on the strength of his father’s records.

The Bill now proceeds to the National Assembly for first reading on September 18, and if passed, regulations prescribing the application form, the required documents and the fee will be made, and the Act will come into force on a day appointed by the Minister.

The government said that details of how to apply will be published before the process opens and that members of the diaspora are advised to begin gathering and certifying their family records.

‘Applications should not be submitted until the Government announces that the process is open,’ the statement warned.

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.

It said that these transfers, known as remittances, grew by 94 per cent between 2016 and 2025, far outpacing the 28 per cent increase in the number of migrants from those countries.

The gap shows that growth is not simply the result of more people migrating: on average, migrants abroad are sending larger amounts home.

But IFAD also noted that while the total sent home last year was more than four times global official development assistance and also exceeded foreign direct investment to low and middle-income countries, the growing importance of remittances also leaves families and economies vulnerable to changes affecting migrants abroad.

It said that this particularly evident in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the United States remains the dominant source of remittances.

The report warns that deportations, employment restrictions or weaker labour demand can reduce both the number of people sending money and their ability to do so.

‘Figures right now do not show actually a reduction in remittances,’ said Pedro de Vasconcellos, who manages IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances, told the daily UN briefing when asked about tougher migration policies in the United States and Europe.

He said despite the situation, family needs tend to keep flows resilient during crises.

According to the UN, Central America is among the most exposed. Remittances were equivalent to 30 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in Honduras in 2025, 28 per cent in El Salvador and 27 per cent in Nicaragua.

A study cited by IFAD also found that 61 per cent of returnees surveyed in Guatemala had been the main income earner in their household, showing how involuntary return can mean a sudden loss of income for relatives left behind.

Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the fastest remittance growth of any region, rising 132 per cent to US$168.6 billion, while Asia and the Pacific remained the largest recipient region overall, receiving US$384.9 billion, or 53 per cent of the global total.

Africa received US$124.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 86 per cent over the decade, with Egypt overtaking Nigeria as the continent’s largest recipient.

IFAD said around three quarters of remittances go towards immediate needs such as food, shelter and utilities. The remaining quarter – more than US$180 billion each year – is used for healthcare, education, housing, savings and businesses.

Almost $233 billion, roughly one dollar in every three sent hom, reached rural economies in 2025, where access to jobs, financial services and public infrastructure is often weakest. Remittance-receiving households also invest an estimated $22 billion annually in rural agrifood systems.

The report also highlights their role in helping families cope with climate-related shocks, from replacing lost income to rebuilding after disasters.

de Vasconcellos stressed, however, that these are private family resources and ‘cannot substitute’ for public investment, social protection, humanitarian assistance or climate finance.

The report found that more than half of remittances now begin digitally, but many still end with someone collecting cash. Only 35 per cent of services measured in 2025 were fully digital from sender to recipient.

Digital transfers are cheaper, costing an average of around 4.6 per cent compared with 7.3 per cent for non-digital services.

‘Technologies really can help. But it’s not enough,’ de Vasconcellos said, stressing that families also need reliable and affordable ways to receive and use the money.

IFAD is calling for cheaper and more transparent transfers, better access to financial services and more opportunities for families to save, insure themselves and invest so they can build greater resilience over time.

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 at La Bocana.

The Bahamas were the next highest Caribbean team, placing 43rd with 538 points. Trinidad and Tobago followed in 49th with 303 points, while St. Lucia finished 51st with 266 points. Jamaica rounded out the Caribbean contingent in 55th with 173 points.

Barbados’ 30th-place finish put it ahead of every other Caribbean nation in the final team standings, though none of the regional teams reached the podium.

At the top of the table, Australia continued its junior surfing dominance, claiming a historic 10th team gold medal and a third consecutive title.

The Australians were powered by six individual medals, half of them gold, including three new World Junior Champions.

Australia’s victory extended a remarkable run that began with their first team gold in 2004 and included a five-year winning streak from 2006 to 2010, another win in 2013, and a return to the top in 2024, 2025 and now 2026.

The remaining team medals mirrored 2025, with the United States taking silver, Brazil bronze and Peru copper.

The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) Tuesday said that laboratory tests have confirmed as cocaine the contents of more than 300 sealed packages it seized during an operation at sea on Monday.

The authorities say they have detained four people, including three nationals and a Venezuelan after the TTCG intercepted the vessel near Huevos Island.

In a brief statement, the Coast Guard said that the analysis had been undertaken by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and that the seizure amounted to 440.20 kg with an estimated street value of TT$204,534,528 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents).

‘The exhibits have been processed in accordance with established evidential procedures, and the matter remains with the relevant law enforcement authorities as investigations continue,’ the TTCG said, adding it remains committed to protecting the country’s maritime space ‘and disrupting the flow of illegal narcotics through our waters’.

Meanwhile Defence Minister Wayne Sturge has hailed the continuing efforts of law enforcement, saying that the authorities were ‘winning’ the battle against drug traffickers and would remain relentless in confronting the cartels.

‘Drug trafficking is lucrative for the cartels so they will continue to try to find ways to evade law enforcement. It is our job to be one step ahead of the cartels and to anticipate them. We are winning at this point and we will continue to do everything in our power to keep on top of our game,’ he said.