Latest news with #Bermudian
National Geographic
14 hours ago
- National Geographic
Photo story: uncovering the charm of Bermuda
Photographs by Michael George Bermuda is often mistaken for a Caribbean island, but in reality, it is located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. A British Overseas Territory, this subtropical paradise is situated on approximately the same latitude as North Carolina and is just a two-hour flight from the East Coast of the United States. Millions of years ago, it formed as part of a volcanic seamount near a section of the Atlantic known as the Sargasso Sea. While stories of mysterious disappearances in the "Bermuda Triangle" may be fictional, its shipwrecks are very real. Bermuda is home to over 300 shipwrecks, earning it the nickname "shipwreck capital of the world." Here, tour boats visit the HMS Vixen, an intentionally sunk wreck that dates back to World War II. The HMS Vixen is located a short boat ride from shore. Companies such as Bermuda Watersports offer tours and provide snorkel gear rentals. Locals affectionately refer to Bermuda as "de Rock" due to its abundance of aeolian limestone cliffs. Admiralty House Park in Hamilton has long been a favorite spot for cliff jumpers, but for Bermudian Grant Farquhar, it holds a different allure: rock climbing. The author of Climb de Rock: A Climber's Guide to Bermuda, Grant has mapped rock climbing routes throughout the island. Bermuda's distinctive "boiler" reefs, seen here near the South Shore Beaches, create a churning effect in the water that resembles boiling. Bermuda sees an influx of part-time residents in the spring and summer: Longtails. These black-and-white tropicbirds, named for their long feathered tails, spend the winter at sea and return to Bermuda from March through August to nest in its cliffs and crevices. Bermuda's cliffs and shore reefs make for scenic coastal kayaking. Here, a couple paddles in clear-bottom kayaks in the parish of Somerset past a structure with a uniquely Bermudian stepped limestone roof designed to catch rainwater. One of Bermuda's most iconic structures is the Unfinished Church in the Town of St. George. As its name suggests, this Gothic-style church from the 1800s was never completed. St. George's is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest English settlement in the New World still in existence. The town dates back to 1609 when British passengers aboard the Virginia-bound Sea Venture were shipwrecked on the uninhabited island. A staff member at the Hamilton Princess Hotel in downtown Hamilton, Bermuda, wears a traditional outfit: Bermuda shorts worn just above the knee, high socks, a button-down shirt, and a blazer. The evolution of Bermuda shorts as we know them today is often attributed to Nathaniel Coxon, a Bermudian tea merchant in the 1920s who adapted British military uniforms to make them more comfortable in the island heat. Pictured in the background is a Bermuda moongate. Influenced by Chinese architectural design, Bermuda moongates symbolize love. It is a tradition for newlyweds to stand beneath them. Gombey dancers, wearing vibrant costumes, prepare to perform in the streets of Bermuda. This tradition dates back to the early 1800s and blends African, British, Native American, and Caribbean influences, reflecting the island's diverse heritage. Historically, enslaved individuals were permitted to dance only once a year, using masks to protest injustices without fear of retribution. Today, Gombey performances are a symbol of Bermudian identity, featured during holidays like Boxing Day, New Year's Day, and Bermuda Day, as well as at festivals and public celebrations. The traditional Gombey costume features a peacock feather headdress, painted mask, bells, and tassels, but each dancer adds their own twist to the ensemble. The word "Gombey" is thought to come from an African term meaning "rhythm," highlighting the role of drumming and percussive beats in their performances. Two locals offering a taste of Bermudian culture are Doreen Williams-James (left) and Julie Barnes (right). Williams-James, founder of Wild Herbs N Plants of Bermuda, leads foraging tours across the island, teaching guests how to identify wild herbs and plants like nasturtium and sea purslane for culinary and medicinal use. Barnes, recently voted the best bartender in Bermuda, has spent the past 28 years at the Swizzle Inn, where she serves up Bermuda's national drink: the Rum Swizzle. While every bar puts its own spin on the cocktail, a Rum Swizzle typically includes rum, fruit juices (such as orange, pineapple, and lemon), falernum or grenadine, and Angostura bitters. For a bird's-eye view of Bermuda's reefs, landmarks, and distinctive fishhook shape, visitors can take to the skies with Heather Nicholds, owner of Blue Sky Flights. Nicholds offers 25-minute discovery flights and 45-minute full sightseeing tours around the island in her small plane. The view underground is equally stunning. In Bermuda's East End, the Crystal and Fantasy Caves invite visitors to explore the island's subterranean wonders. For those who like to venture off the beaten path, Bermuda is full of hidden gems—including Blue Hole Park. This striking blue swimming hole is tucked within the lush jungle of Walsingham Nature Reserve, a place that, in the words of the late Bermudian singer Hubert Smith, makes Bermuda feel like 'another world.'
AFP
3 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
No evidence of mandatory face scans for Canadians at US border
"Facial recognition checks now mandatory for Canadians entering the U.S. by car," reads the text inside a May 19, 2025 Facebook photo. The caption accompanying the image, which was also shared on TikTok, claims new border screening procedures would include photographing travelers for the purposes of verifying their identification documents. Separate posts spread similar claims about required facial recognition scans for Canadians at land border crossings on Facebook and Instagram. Image Screenshot of a Facebook post taken May 30, 2025 With an emphasis on immigration enforcement, have been marked by concerns of potentially unlawful deportations and moves to scrap the longstanding birthright citizenship policy. The president's occupation with border security precipitated trade tensions with Canada, after he alleged his country's northern neighbor fails to stop the dangerous drug fentanyl and undocumented migrants from reaching the United States. The changing relationship between the two countries already led to misleading claims about commerce and travel, and the rumor that Canadians would now be subjected to mandatory facial recognition scans are similarly . Recent reporting from the tech magazine Wired found CBP was planning to photograph every traveler entering and exiting the United States in personal vehicles to match their face to their identification documents (archived here and here). According to the CBP website, biometric data collection, which can include face scans and fingerprinting, is currently in testing for entries by vehicles at border crossings into Buffalo, New York and Brownsville, Texas (archived here and here). Publications from the CBP about the Buffalo and Brownsville crossings, as well as a report on a testing period for the technology at entry points into Arizona and Texas, said the system would attempt to take photos of each occupant of a vehicle entering through certain marked lanes but that travelers may still opt out of the data collection by crossing the border through different gates (archived here, here and here). Image Screenshot of a US Customs and Border Control report taken May 30, 2025 Expanding biometric collection (archived here). Len Saunders, an immigration lawyer practicing in Blaine, Washington close to the border with British Columbia (archived here), said he had seen travelers prompted to take face scans at nearby crossings when entering on foot, but not by car. "Are they going to hold up a camera and take everyone's picture? Well, if they do that it's going to delay the whole process," Saunders said. Wired reported the system testing was still turning out errors and that CBP was calling for pitches from tech companies for tools which could scan the faces of people inside vehicles. US citizens have the option to refuse scans at pedestrian land and air entr (archived here). The fact-checking organization Snopes reported Canadian and Bermudian passport holders travelling to the United States for tourism are not required to provide biometric data. The Government of Canada's online travel advice states most Canadian citizens entering the United States are exempt from biometric collection except those who require a visa or documentation of their arrival and exit dates (archived here). For Saunders, new facial recognition procedures do not necessarily raise privacy concerns as travelers already consent to screening when they cross a border, but he said the addition of data collection categories could be "a slippery slope." Read more AFP's reporting on misinformation and disinformation in Canada here.
Business Mayor
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
US life insurers' offshore reinsurance liabilities breach $1tn
Unlock the Editor's Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. US life insurers have shifted more than $1tn of liabilities offshore, offloading more risk to foreign jurisdictions despite regulators' concerns about protections for retirement savings and broader financial stability. Private capital-owned groups such as Apollo's Athene and KKR's Global Atlantic, as well as traditional insurers such as Prudential and MassMutual, last year moved more than $130bn of liabilities to offshore reinsurers primarily based in Bermuda, according to new figures from S&P Global Market Intelligence. US life insurers' and annuity providers' total reserves ceded abroad, including liabilities moved to jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands and Barbados, reached $1.1tn by the end of 2024, S&P said. The reinsurance deals come despite regulators and credit rating agencies warning of rising risks, with questions about whether the reinsurers have adequate assets to back up their promises to policyholders. Scrutiny intensified last year after the meltdown of 777 Re, a private equity-owned Bermudian reinsurer that had taken on significant exposure to assets connected to Josh Wander's Miami-based investment company, which collapsed last year after a failed attempt to buy football club Everton. The fallout hit US insurers that had ceded billions of dollars in assets to 777 Re through risk-transfer deals, and Utah's insurance commissioner asked a judge to place an insurer and two reinsurers connected with 777 Re into rehabilitation in March. Life insurers have used the global reinsurance sector for many years to spread their risks, such as customers living longer than expected. Read More What if you can't afford long-term care? But so-called asset-intensive or funded reinsurance, where the risks associated with both liabilities and the assets backing them are sent offshore, is raising concerns among regulators. Insurers' growing ties with alternative investment managers could also create conflicts of interest, according to Fitch Ratings. Athene, acquired in 2022 by Apollo, had transferred the risk associated with liabilities worth $193bn to its offshore affiliates by the end of 2024, according to a Fitch analysis of regulatory filings for the Financial Times, in a strategy that helped to fuel a record-breaking year of US annuity sales for the insurer. But traditional insurers such as MassMutual, with asset manager Centerbridge, and Prudential, with private equity group Warburg Pincus, have also made greater use of vehicles, in a sign of how private equity groups have reshaped retirement savings. Following the 777 scandal, Bermuda's financial watchdog said that it would more closely monitor connected-party assets. Both the Bermuda Monetary Authority and the US National Association of Insurance Commissioners have also recently announced new supervisory measures, such as additional reporting requirements on insurers' investment portfolios, which analysts at Fitch told the Financial Times had helped to address their concerns. Suzanne Williams-Charles, chief executive of a trade body for Bermuda reinsurers, told the Financial Times: 'We believe that the Bermuda reinsurance market — specifically, the life sector — does not pose a systemic risk.' But fresh concerns have emerged in other offshore jurisdictions over capital requirements, with prominent Bermuda reinsurers recently seeking to distance themselves from practices in the Cayman Islands. Athene chief executive James Belardi warned investors earlier this year of 'unabated growth' in the Cayman Islands, where he said that $150bn of insurance reserves were 'supported by a fraction of the capital required by the US or Bermuda'. The research from S&P found that total reserves ceded by US life insurers and annuity providers to reinsurers, including onshore groups, grew to more than $2.4tn at the end of last year.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Fact Check: No proof Canadian citizens will face mandatory facial-recognition scans at US border
Claim: Canadians entering the U.S. by car will face mandatory facial-recognition scans. Rating: In May 2025, claims (archived) circulated online that Canadians entering the U.S. by car would face mandatory facial-recognition scans. A Facebook post on the topic read: Canadians entering the U.S. by car will now undergo mandatory facial recognition checks, as part of expanded border security measures. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed the rollout includes photographing travelers and comparing images to passport or visa records in real time. The move, already in place at airports, is now being implemented at land crossings to streamline identity verification and detect fraud. Privacy advocates warn the technology raises serious concerns about data use and oversight. The claim was popular on Facebook (archived), but also appeared on (archived) Reddit (archived). Snopes readers also searched our site for information about the claim. However, at the time of this writing, we found no credible reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection was introducing new regulations to make facial-recognition scans mandatory for Canadian citizens (archived, archived, archived, archived). A CBP spokesperson told Snopes via email that "biometric data collection is not a new process." The spokesperson also confirmed that "Canadian and Bermudian citizens traveling as tourists on only a passport" were not required to comply with biometric testing, which can include facial scans, on entry and exit. Therefore, we rate this claim false. We reached out to Global Affairs Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to ask whether regulations around facial-recognition scans for Canadians entering the U.S. were due to become mandatory and await a reply. The claim could be loosely based on a report by the technology-focused outlet Wired published on May 9, 2025. The report detailed CBP plans to expand existing efforts to use facial-recognition technology on travelers entering the U.S. by car to those exiting, as well. Other (archived) reports (archived) published later in May, nearer to when the claim circulated, also based their reporting on the Wired report. That report, however, did not say that specifically Canadian travelers would be subjected to mandatory facial-recognition scans when entering the U.S. The claim took Wired reporting a step further by claiming that facial-recognition scans at the border were something new and would be mandatory. Biometric facial-comparison technology — where cameras take a photo of a person's face as part of identity checks — was "in testing" for travelers crossing into the U.S. in "personally owned vehicles" in May 2025, according to CBP's website. Peace Bridge in Buffalo, New York, and Veterans-Los Tomates in Brownsville, Texas, were the only two locations listed on CBP's website that used facial biometric comparison technology on travelers in vehicles in May 2025. CBP said in September 2023 (Page 21) and in November 2024 that people traveling through Veterans-Los Tomates and Peace Bridge border crossings respectively could opt out of biometric testing if they wished during the test period. CBP used facial biometric comparison technology to admit pedestrians at land border crossings in seven states in May 2025. The agency currently allows U.S. citizens to opt out of "facial photo capture" at border points that use this biometric data to process travelers. The Intercept, a nonprofit investigative news organization, reported in August 2024 that CBP asked private-sector businesses to help it develop facial-recognition technology to identify and screen passengers inside a moving vehicle before it approached a border point. CBP said in November 2024 it was testing a similar system to that described in The Intercept's report at the Peace Bridge point of entry on the U.S.-Canada border in New York. According to a news release, travelers could opt in to use designated "biometric" lanes when entering the U.S. at this crossing. CBP said: "As travelers approach the vehicle lanes, the camera will attempt to take a photo of each occupant in the vehicle and match it to photos of those travelers already in government holdings, such as passport, visa, or prior encounters, to verify identity." Travelers who wished to opt out could use alternative lanes where staff would continue to carry out the "standard manual document check," CBP said. According to CBP's website, though it initially said this test would run until March 2025, vehicle biometric technology was still in use at the Peace Bridge entry point in May 2025. We found no evidence that using the designated biometric lanes at Peace Bridge was mandatory for Canadian citizens in May 2025. However, a September 2023 Department of Homeland Security report (Page 11) on biometric technology at Brownsville points of entry said that once the system was "fully realized" only U.S. citizens and other "non-in scope travelers" could opt out. Some Canadian citizens could be included in "non-in scope travelers" as defined by Immigration and Nationality Act and thus still be able to opt out, the report said. This is in line with the CBP spokesperson's confirmation that Canadian citizens "traveling as tourists on only a passport" were exempt from biometric requirements at the U.S. border. The DHS, which is CBP's parent agency, has been working toward a biometric entry-exit system to the U.S. since at least 2004, when it featured as one of the 9/11 Commission Report's (Page 389) recommendations. 8 USC 1101: Definitions. Accessed 23 May 2025. Biddle, Sam. "Homeland Security Still Dreams of Face Recognition at the Border." The Intercept, 27 Aug. 2004, Biometrics Locations: Land Border Ports of Entry | U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 23 May 2025. Biometrics: Overview | U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 23 May 2025. CBP Announces Facial Biometric Test for Inbound Vehicle Travelers at Buffalo, Peace Bridge Port of Entry | U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 23 May 2025. Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Impact Assessment Update for the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Modernization. 26 Sept. 2023, Haskins, Caroline. "US Border Agents Are Asking for Help Taking Photos of Everyone Entering the Country by Car." WIRED, 6 May 2025, ---. "US Customs and Border Protection Plans to Photograph Everyone Exiting the US by Car." WIRED, 9 May 2025, Mandatory Facial Recognition Scans Us Canada - Google Search. Accessed 23 May 2025. Mandatory Facial Recognition Scans Us Canada - Search News. Accessed 23 May 2025. Mandatory Facial Recognition Scans Us Canada - Yahoo Search Results. Accessed 23 May 2025. Mandatory Facial Recognition Scans Us Canada at DuckDuckGo. Accessed 23 May 2025. Silvestre, Irish Mae. "U.S. Border Agents Will Force Canadians to Undergo Facial Recognition Checks." blogTO, Accessed 23 May 2025. ---. "U.S. Border Control's Facial Biometrics Plans Will Affect Canadians | National." Daily Hive, Accessed 23 May 2025. The 9/11 Commission. 12. What To Do? A Global Strategy. 22 July 2004,
Toronto Star
22-05-2025
- Toronto Star
I found jewel-blue waters, blush-pink beaches and crystalline caves on a treasure island — less than a three-hour flight from Toronto
I'm first struck by the profusion of colour. Homes are painted in shades of cantaloupe and lemon yellows as bright as a Bermudian kiskadee's chest feathers, and voluminously draped in pink oleander. Bermuda cedar trees, which look like giant mascara brushes, stand poised next to hedges aflame with red hibiscus. Meanwhile, everything is surrounded by an ever-glittering cerulean sea. Bermuda is only about 1.5 kilometres wide, so you're never far from an endless and impossible blueness. When my husband, son and I check into the historic Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa — where 85 coral-pink cottages are set on a lush 23-acre peninsula in the quiet northwest — I spot a coffee-table book, 'Treasure! A Diver's Life,' by Teddy Tucker, the Bermudian marine explorer. Tucker recalls his magical childhood by (and mostly in) the sea, nursed on tall tales of piracy and hurricanes and ocean storms, of ships and Spanish galleons, wrecked on Bermuda's perilous coral reefs, with their cargoes of gold and emeralds and ambergris.
