Health officials warn operators that breaches of Bermuda’s under-18 tattoo laws could lead to fines, imprisonment and licence revocation
The Department of Health is reminding the public and all body‑art operators that no one under 18 can legally consent to getting a tattoo. This reminder comes after Environmental Health Officers investigated a local studio following complaints that minors were being tattooed without their parents’ knowledge or permission. As a result of the investigation, the studio’s operating licence has been suspended.
Under the Public Health (Body Piercing, Electrolysis and Tattooing) Regulations 2001, individuals under the age of 18 are legally prohibited from getting a tattoo unless they meet two strict criteria:
They must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the duration of the procedure.
The parent or legal guardian must provide formal, written consent before the tattooing begins.
“These laws are important safeguards that help protect our young people,” said Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson, JP, MP. “We know from research and from real‑world experience that many individuals who get tattooed before the age of 18 later regret that decision. These requirements are not simply administrative steps; they ensure informed choices, reduce the risk of infections and allergic reactions, and help prevent the exploitation of minors.”
Certified tattooists are legally required to verify their clients’ identities and keep rigorous records. For every single procedure, a tattooist must obtain and securely store the client’s name, address, phone number, age, a copy of their photographic ID, and the signed consent form. These records must be retained for a minimum of two years.
The Department of Health reminds all operators and certified practitioners that non-compliance will be met with strict enforcement action. Violations of the regulations can result in heavy fines, imprisonment, and the immediate suspension or permanent revocation of both personal certificates and establishment operating licences.
Widdecombe was a Conservative member of parliament between 1987 and 2010, and held several junior ministerial positions in former prime minister John Major’s government
International News via Reuters:
British police said they had launched a murder investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe, a 78-year-old former government minister whose death was announced earlier on Friday.
Widdecombe was a Conservative member of parliament between 1987 and 2010, and held several junior ministerial positions in former prime minister John Major’s government.
“Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace,” Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement.
“We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible who we believe to be a white male.”
Police said they were called to Widdecombe’s address around midday on Thursday where she was found to have died and sustained serious injuries. Forensic examinations were continuing at the property, they added.
Interior minister Shabana Mahmood said in a post on X that she was deeply saddened and described the circumstances of the death as “extremely distressing”.
Two serving British members of parliament have been murdered in the last decade.
The Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a Nazi-obsessed loner during the Brexit campaign in 2016. The Conservative lawmaker David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021 by a man inspired by the militant group, Islamic State.
WIDDECOMBE KNOWN FOR SOCIALLY CONSERVATIVE VIEWS
Throughout her political career, Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views, including opposition to abortion and to equalising the age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual relationships.
She also defended a policy of shackling pregnant prisoners during child birth to prevent their escape.
Although unmarried and a self-proclaimed virgin, the Catholic convert praised family values.
After leaving parliament, she appeared on the TV talent show “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2010. Despite her awkward dancing style and criticism from the judges, she was popular with viewers.
She later joined Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party and served as a member of the European Parliament between 2019 and 2020. Her most recent post was as immigration spokesperson for Reform UK, the rebranded Brexit Party, which leads in most opinion polls.
Following the announcement of her death, and before details of the murder inquiry were announced, former colleagues from both the Conservative and Reform UK parties paid tribute to her.
Former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson described her in a post on X as “a heroic Brexiteer and a great speaker who could move Tory audiences to such ecstasy that she was a very hard act to follow.”
Reporting by William James and Andrew MacAskill; editing by David Milliken and Sharon Singleton
The UAE government and approved companies also will now be able to access advanced computing items license-free
International News via Reuters:
The U.S. Department of Commerce loosened export controls on the United Arab Emirates on Friday, making it easier to export military items, certain commercial satellites and spacecraft, according to a U.S. government posting in the Federal Register.
The UAE government and approved companies also will now be able to access advanced computing items license-free, the posting said.
UAE companies G42 and Core42 and U.S. companies operating in the country, including Amazon, Apple, and xAI, are among those that no longer need licenses for AI chips and servers.
In providing the more favorable treatment for certain exports to the UAE, the Commerce Department said the U.S. had worked with the country for decades to counter Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
“More recently, the UAE played a key role advancing U.S. interests during Operation Epic Fury,” the posting said, referring to the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began in February.
Additionally, it noted, the UAE was the largest U.S. trading partner in the Middle East, and that its foreign direct investment in the United States was valued at over $1 trillion.
Under the new regulation, the Commerce Department moved the UAE into a country grouping that allows more license exceptions for military and dual-use items controlled by the department.
The UAE will be the only country in the group that is not a member of multilateral export control regimes. Other countries in the grouping include NATO countries and other allies.
Other countries in the region such as Israel and Saudi Arabia are not members of that group.
Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Additional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Writing by Ismail Shakil; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Andrea Ricci
The plane was scheduled to fly from Thessaloniki to Memmingen airport in Germany but returned to Thessaloniki “when a passenger window dislodged inflight,” Ryanair said in a statement
International News via Reuters:
A passenger was partially sucked through a dislodged window on a Ryanair flight shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki in Greece on Friday, two airport sources said, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing.
The plane was scheduled to fly from Thessaloniki to Memmingen airport in Germany but returned to Thessaloniki “when a passenger window dislodged inflight,” Ryanair said in a statement. It is unclear what led to the broken window.
The airline said one person received medical assistance, but did not elaborate on the cause.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the plane was a Boeing 737 NG. Boeing did not immediately comment.
A similar incident occurred in 2018 in a Boeing 737 NG and raises questions about whether it could be related.
Local media in Greece reported that a piece of engine broke off and smashed a window early in the flight on Friday, causing the cabin to decompress and sucking one passenger partially out of the window. The two airport sources with knowledge of the incident relayed the same details to Reuters.
FlightRadar24 showed a Boeing 737 NG jet en route to Memmingen diverted back to Thessaloniki on Friday morning.
The same plane had diverted back to Thessaloniki on a flight to Sarajevo on Thursday evening, also shortly after takeoff, according to the data and a source, although it is unclear why.
The FAA confirmed that a window broke on Friday’s flight, and said it was ready to support the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) and NTSB in the investigation.
Ryanair uses CFM56 engines from manufacturer CFM International on all of its Boeing 737 NG models.
Ryanair did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on details of the incident, as well as for confirmation on the make of the plane and the engine.
“The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal,” Ryanair said in its statement.
PRECEDENT IN 2018
Unverified videos posted on social media from the inside of the plane showed a broken window and oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.
One of the Greek airport sources said that the aircraft is still on the ground in Thessaloniki and investigators are looking into the incident.
In 2018, a fan blade in the engine of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 NG broke and caused a broken window that partially sucked out a passenger who was killed in the incident. At the time, the 43-year-old was the first person killed in a U.S. passenger airline accident since 2009.
After that incident, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board called on Boeing to redesign the fan cowl structure on 737 NG planes. There had been an engine failure on another Southwest 737 NG in 2016.
The incident prompted regulators to require airlines to inspect the fan blades on a more regular basis, essentially every nine to 12 months.
The accident in 2018 occurred 20 minutes into the flight when a fan blade fractured as a result of a fatigue crack on a Boeing 737-700 jet powered by two CFM International CFM56-7B engines after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
CFM International, the engine manufacturer, is a transatlantic joint venture between General Electric Co and France’s Safran SA. CFM did not comment.
Reporting by Renee Maltezou, Michele Kambas, Padraic Halpin, Ivana Sekularac, Conor Humphries, Tim Hepher and Joanna Plucinska; Editing by Edward McAllister and Susan Fenton
In a summary of her judgment, Judge Sara Cockerill said she had “rejected most of the principal allegations advanced against the manufacturers whose vehicles were examined at trial”
International News via Reuters:
Some of the world’s biggest carmakers on Friday largely won the first stage of a major legal battle over claims that their diesel vehicles were fitted with unlawful “defeat devices” to curtail emissions controls.
In a summary of her judgment, Judge Sara Cockerill said she had “rejected most of the principal allegations advanced against the manufacturers whose vehicles were examined at trial”.
She said that a defeat device under emissions regulation only covered “devices which operate with the intentional and/or impermissible purpose of causing the (emissions control system) to operate differently when it senses the test cycle”.
The case centred on 20 sample vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault and the Stellantis-owned brands Peugeot and Citroen.
Cockerill did make some adverse findings, including over a coolant temperature device used in some Mercedes cars that was removed in a December 2015 update.
However, she said the device did not reduce the effectiveness of the emissions control system.
A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson welcomed the ruling, saying the court had found “very largely in favour” of the company. The automaker said it disagreed with the adverse finding and was considering its options, including a possible appeal.
Lawyers representing the claimants said they were considering a possible appeal against Friday’s ruling, which they said “adopted a significantly narrower interpretation of the law than that applied elsewhere in Europe”.
The trial, which began in October, was the most significant hearing to date in 13 groups of lawsuits brought by around 1.6 million claimants.
Friday’s ruling concerned test cases against five manufacturers but will also apply to roughly 800,000 similar claims involving other carmakers.
A further trial is due to begin in October to determine the consequences of any breaches of emissions rules and whether any claimants are entitled to damages.
The litigation comes more than a decade after Volkswagen’s “Dieselgate” scandal, which cost the German automaker billions of euros.
Rival manufacturers have argued that the case is fundamentally different from Volkswagen’s emissions-cheating scandal and that emissions control systems may legitimately operate differently under certain conditions.
Reporting by Sam Tobin. Editing by William James and Mark Potter
Cup Match season is officially heating up, and the community is invited to start the celebration early at the Somerset Pre Cup Match Explosion, happening on Friday, July 10, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Willowbank Resort in Somerset.
The event is spearheaded by Von-Rica Dickenson, artist, educator, and founder of Community Restoration Group (CRG) and VonJe’ Enterprise, together with lead sponsor Kennette J. Burgess of FOCUS Marketing and Development Solutions Inc. and chief designer of Distinct Apparel.
Created as a community-centered celebration, the Somerset Pre Cup Match Explosion brings together culture, creativity, local business, entertainment, food, fashion, and the friendly team rivalry that makes Cup Match season so special.
And the best part? Entry is completely FREE.
Locals, visitors, families, and Cup Match lovers of all kinds are invited to come out and enjoy an evening at the beautiful Willowbank Resort, where guests can take in the scenic views, enjoy indoor and outdoor vendors, support local businesses, and spend a Friday evening filled with good food, good music, and good company.
Of course, it would not be Cup Match without a little friendly rivalry. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their team colors and represent Team Somerset or Team St. George’s as the event looks to see which side can bring out the most supporters. Whether you are loyal to one team, still deciding, or just showing up for the vibes, everyone is welcome. After all, Cup Match is serious business—but only until the food, music, and fun start.
Food will also be a major part of the celebration. Willowbank will feature an outdoor grilling food area, with Friday’s menu from Breezeway including jerk chicken, Bermuda corn on the cob, fish on a bun, and Willow Fries to mention a few. The Ocean Café will also be open, serving specialty coffee, sweet treats, and beverages, including alcoholic, non-alcoholic, and frozen options.
Guests can also look forward to a lively fashion show featuring Distinct Apparel, designed by Bermudian entrepreneur and designer Kennette J. Burgess, along with other participating vendor apparel brands and retailers. The fashion segment will showcase a variety of Cup Match-inspired looks that celebrate Bermuda’s culture, Emancipation story, team pride, and the fun personalities that come with the season. From loyal team supporters to all-team fans, bandwagonners and even the proud “I’m just here for the vibes” crowd, the runway will bring style, culture, local creativity, and a touch of Bermudian humor to the celebration. Because in true Cup Match fashion, it is not only about who you support—it is also about how good you look while supporting them.
Other fashion designers for the fashion show will include Betty’s Collections, Seven Collection, and Tiny Bermuda.
The evening will also feature local entertainment by DJ Coverboy, who will be launching “Atmosphere” during the happy hour segments, along with a live Gombey performance by SMS to bring even more cultural energy to the event. You can’t miss this event, because Bermuda’s international pianist and son stylist, Wayne Davis will be in full effect.
Families are encouraged to attend, with a kiddy corner, bouncy castle, face painting, and other fun activities planned for the whole family. From the little ones to the elders, the event is designed to be a space where everyone can celebrate, connect, and enjoy the Cup Match spirit together.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to shop from local vendors, including but not limited to The Beat the Heat Treats, G W’s New Look Sporting Goods, Candle Sensation, Kairos XX11 Productions, Island Girl Papercrafter, Nii’s Flake Factory, Flo by Nico, Ava Made with Love, Casual Footware, Seven Collection, Blended, Patch That, Just Face It Face Painting, SCARS, Simply Vanilla Delight & Co, and Steady Snackin.
While admission is free, guests are encouraged to bring both cash and credit/debit cards for food, drinks, snacks, shopping, and other purchases throughout the evening.
The Somerset Pre Cup Match Explosion is proudly supported by sponsors including PIM Contracting, New Line Construction, TRS Traditional Rum Swizzle, On All Fronts, Esso Sandys, BEDC and lead sponsors Vonart, Distinct Apparel and FOCUS Marketing and Development Solutions Inc.
The event will also include many exciting giveaways from sponsors and community partners, including Caesar’s Pharmacy, Bargain Hunters, Brother Black’s TRS, Yo Cherry, Side Kicks, Fit & Fierce and more. Willowbank Resort will also be giving away a special day pass with lunch for two persons, adding even more excitement to the evening.
More than just a pre-Cup Match event, the Somerset Pre Cup Match Explosion is a celebration of Bermuda’s community spirit, culture, family, local business, and the joy of coming together before one of the island’s most beloved holidays.
With free entry, beautiful views, food, fashion, entertainment, giveaways, vendors, and activities for all ages, this is one Friday evening locals and visitors will definitely want to be part of.
Event Details: What: Somerset Pre Cup Match Explosion When: Friday, July 10, 2026 Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Where: Willowbank Resort, Somerset Admission: Free entry Fashion Show: Starts at 7:30 PM
All local residents and visitors are invited to attend. Let’s see which CupMatch team will have the most representation!
Today, the Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Alexa N. H. Lightbourne, JP, MP addressed BELCO’s recent rate increase announcement.
Minister Lightbourne said, “In May 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a Ministerial Direction to the Regulatory Authority under the Regulatory Authority Act 2011. That Direction required fairer and more transparent cost allocation and asked the Authority to consider, within its retail tariff review, differentiated tariff classes for customers who rely on the grid fully, partially, or minimally.
“One year later, action has finally arrived. The unbundling of rates is welcome. Every household and business deserves to see what it pays to generate electricity and what it pays to deliver it. That clarity is long overdue.
“Transparency must not arrive with a higher bill attached. The Ministry commissioned its own review, conducted by a reputable research body, of the impact of distributed generation on other customers. Its findings indicate that residential customers have carried a disproportionate share of the system’s fixed costs for years.
“It is notable that, with that evidence in hand, BELCO and the Regulatory Authority have again found it prudent to raise costs on consumers. A correction of a long-standing imbalance should return value to the customers who carried it.
“To the concerns raised by solar providers, Government policy is settled and consistent. Bermuda needs a growing renewable sector and a fair deal for the grid-reliant household that cannot install panels. Charges that reflect how each customer actually uses the grid serve that fairness.
“At the same time, solar customers have contended for years with a feed-in tariff held low by a flawed calculation at the outset. The public cannot be made to carry the cost of poor regulation, or of mistakes that yield higher prices on them. Fair charges and fair compensation must move together.”
The Human Rights Commission received 215 public intakes in 2025, a five per cent increase over the previous year, according to its newly released Annual Report.
The report found that sex was the most commonly identified protected ground in complaints, accounting for 19 per cent of cases, followed by disability at 18 per cent and ethnic or national origin at 14 per cent.
Employment-related discrimination remained the most frequently reported issue, making up 31 per cent of identified complaints under the Human Rights Act. Concerns involving goods, facilities and services accounted for 17 per cent, while workplace harassment represented 13 per cent.
The Commission also highlighted its work to advance disability inclusion, including the publication of Disability Inclusion in Bermuda: Findings & Recommendations from a National Consultation. The report outlines key barriers faced by people with disabilities and recommendations to improve accessibility and inclusion across the Island.
During 2025, the Commission expanded its public education efforts through presentations, consultations and community outreach, while working with organisations including Ageing and Disability Services, Bermuda Is Love, Vision Bermuda and OUTBermuda to promote equality and human rights.
The Commission said it remains committed to protecting and promoting human rights through education, advocacy, collaboration and enforcement of the Human Rights Act.
The Bermuda Road Safety Council launched its National Road Safety Plan in April this year and has presented recommendations to the Transport Ministry to enhance legislation around traffic
On-the-spot fines for speeding and drunk driving offenses are being proposed under a raft of changes to Bermuda’s road policies.
The Bermuda Road Safety Council is pledging real change to influence behaviours in its five-year Road Safety Plan, aimed at reducing injury and death on our roads.
The move is aimed at strengthening the resilience of financial firms by reducing the risk of widespread disruption from cyber attacks or technology outages
International News via Reuters:
Britain has designated cloud service providers Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Oracle as critical third-party suppliers to its financial sector, bringing them under direct regulatory oversight.
The move is aimed at strengthening the resilience of financial firms by reducing the risk of widespread disruption from cyber attacks or technology outages.
“As banks, insurers and financial market infrastructures become increasingly reliant on cloud services, disruption at a major supplier could affect multiple firms at the same time, potentially impacting services customers depend on,” the government said in a statement on Friday.
The government designated Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd, Google Cloud EMEA Ltd, Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL, and Oracle Corporation UK Ltd as critical third parties, effective July 13.
The firms will be supervised jointly by the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. They will be required to undergo resilience testing, conduct regular self-assessments and report major incidents.
Britain’s approach contrasts with that of the European Union, which in November designated 19 technology and services firms under a similar framework.
A Google Cloud spokesperson said: “With effective implementation and meaningful industry engagement, this new Critical Third Party framework can enhance the long-term resilience of the UK’s financial ecosystem and increase understanding, transparency, and trust between all parties.”
Reporting by Phoebe Seers and Muvija M. Editing by William James and Mark Potter
The figures underscore the challenges facing health workers as they battle to contain the outbreak in the country’s northeast, which has so far infected 1,792 people and killed 625
International News via Reuters:
Four out of every five new Ebola cases in parts of Democratic Republic of Congo have no known link to existing patients, a senior World Health Organization official said, warning that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times larger than official data suggest.
The figures underscore the challenges facing health workers as they battle to contain the outbreak in the country’s northeast, which has so far infected 1,792 people and killed 625, according to government data released on Thursday.
“Eighty percent of the… new patients confirmed are coming outside of known contact lists” in the heart of the outbreak in Bunia, Ituri province, WHO Emergencies Director Chikwe Ihekweazu told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday.
In areas with fewer cases, like North Kivu province, almost all new cases are coming from the contact lists, he added, a sign of some progress.
TESTING POINTS TO INTENSE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION
WHO estimates based on modelling and test positivity rates suggest the outbreak, which was declared in mid-May, may be between two and four times larger than the number of confirmed cases, he said.
About 90% of all reported cases remain concentrated in Ituri province, particularly in the health zones of Bunia, Rwampara, Mongbwalu and Nyakunde, where transmission remains intense.
But the virus has also spread beyond the epicentre to North Kivu province, South Kivu province and, more recently, Tshopo province.
In Bunia, Ituri’s capital and a city of one million, roughly one in two patients tested for Ebola turns out to be positive, a sign of intense, ongoing community transmission, Ihekweazu said.
Preliminary evidence suggests the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus may cause milder symptoms than other types, reducing risk perceptions among affected communities and leading some families to care for sick relatives at home before seeking treatment.
While that appears to improve survival rates among patients who reach treatment centres, it also means infected people may remain in the community longer and continue transmitting the virus.
“Patients are out there much longer than we would like,” Ihekweazu said. “The longer patients are outside of care, the more likely they are to transmit this illness.”
Community deaths also remain a major concern. An analysis of the first 400 Ebola deaths in the outbreak found that roughly 70% occurred outside treatment centres, he said.
Strengthening surveillance remains the biggest challenge for the response, he said. Authorities this week began training 21,000 community health workers to conduct house-to-house visits, identify suspected cases and encourage people with symptoms to seek care.
Reporting by Clement Bonnerot; Editing by Jennifer Rigby, Robbie Corey-Boulet and Sharon Singleton
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