The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.4% to 10,558.38 points by 0944 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 slipped 0.8%
International News via Reuters:
London’s stock indexes fell on Monday after the U.S. moved to blockade Iranian shipping following the collapse of the weekend peace talks nL6N40V09S that dimmed hopes of a swift end to the Middle East conflict.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.4% to 10,558.38 points by 0944 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 slipped 0.8%.
• London markets were swept up in a risk-off stance globally as failed U.S.-Iran talks pushed up oil prices to more than $100 a barrel again.
• The two indexes had logged gains last week after a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, though the fragile truce showed signs of strain as fighting continued.
• Heavyweight banks came under pressure on Monday, with HSBC and Barclays leading the declines, down 1.1% and 1.3%, respectively.
• Energy stocks gained, with Shell and BP rising about 1.8% each.
• Travel and leisure stocks declined as oil prices jumped. Cruise operator Carnival was down 3.9%, while airlines also inched lower.
• EasyJet and Wizz Air fell 4.3% and 7.3%, respectively. Bernstein downgraded Wizz to “market-perform” from “outperform”.
• A report said Finance Minister Rachel Reeves would set out her approach to help businesses struggling with higher energy prices later this week, in the wake of the Middle East conflict.
• Homebuilder Vistry appointed insider Adam Daniels as CEO, but its shares fell 4.9% amid broader market declines.
• Wise advanced 5.3% after the fintech group reported a 26% jump in fourth-quarter cross-border transaction volume.
Reporting by Purvi Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar
Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority and Treasury officials are in talks with the National Cyber Security Centre to examine potential vulnerabilities in critical IT systems
International News via Reuters:
British financial regulators are holding urgent talks with the government’s cyber security agency and major banks to assess risks posed by the latest artificial intelligence model from Anthropic, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
Bank of England, Financial Conduct Authority and Treasury officials are in talks with the National Cyber Security Centre to examine potential vulnerabilities in critical IT systems highlighted by Anthropic’s latest AI model, the FT said, citing two people briefed on the talks.
Anthropic did not respond to a Reuters’ request for comment. The BoE, FCA and NCSC declined to comment. The UK Treasury was not immediately available for comment.
Representatives from major British banks, insurers and exchanges are expected to be briefed on the cyber security risks posed by the model, Claude Mythos Preview, at a meeting with regulators in the next fortnight, the newspaper said.
Reuters could not immediately verify details of the report.
Reuters nL4N40T024 reported on Friday, citing two sources, that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had called a meeting with major Wall Street banks on the model’s cyber risk potential.
AI startup Anthropic has said the model is being deployed as part of “Project Glasswing nL4N40Q0LK”, a controlled initiative under which select organizations are permitted to use the unreleased Claude Mythos Preview model for defensive cyber security purposes.
In a blog post earlier this month, Anthropic said the model had already identified thousands of major vulnerabilities across operating systems, web browsers and other widely used software.
Reporting by Mihika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Christina Fincher and Alexander Smith
In a bid to ease the discontent, the government announced 500 million euros ($586 million) worth of spending increases and tax cuts to soften the impact on consumers and businesses
International News via Reuters:
Irish police on Sunday cleared tractors and trucks that had been blocking traffic and blockading oil infrastructure across the country during a wave of protests against surging fuel prices.
In a bid to ease the discontent, the government announced 500 million euros ($586 million) worth of spending increases and tax cuts to soften the impact on consumers and businesses.
Protesters, angered by a more than 20% rise in diesel prices since the outbreak of the Iran war nL6N40S1FU, had used vehicles nL8N40R116 to block an oil refinery, two ports, a fuel terminal and Irish roads.
The protests caused major transport disruption in Dublin and left about a third of Ireland’s petrol stations without fuel, creating what Finance Minister Simon Harris described as a “very dangerous moment” for the country.
Police removed vehicles blocking nL1N40U04B access to Ireland’s only oil refinery on Saturday and cleared a blockade of Galway Port, a major fuel depot, and removed roadblocks in Dublin on Sunday.
The government has refused to negotiate with the protesters, who included farmers, drivers and contractors, who complained that an earlier 250 million euro package nL1N40C0KB to temporarily cut taxes on petrol and diesel did not go far enough.
But after talks with agricultural and transport industry groups, Dublin announced measures including a 10 cent per litre reduction for diesel and petrol and a delay in an increase in a carbon tax. A fuel subsidy support scheme will also be introduced for farming and fisheries, the government said.
A poll in the Sunday Independent newspaper showed that 56% of voters surveyed supported the protesters, but that most supporters of the two governing parties opposed them.
($1 = 0.8533 euros)
Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by David Holmes and Alexander Smith
Results based on 46% of votes counted showed the centre-right, pro-EU Tisza party of Peter Magyar winning 135 seats – or a crucial two-thirds majority – in the 199-member parliament, ahead of Orban’s Fidesz party
International News via Reuters:
Hungary’s veteran nationalist leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after a landslide election https://www.reuters.com/world/hungary/elections/ victory by the upstart opposition Tisza party, in a setback for his allies in Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House.
Results based on 46% of votes counted showed the centre-right, pro-EU Tisza party of Peter Magyar winning 135 seats – or a crucial two-thirds majority – in the 199-member parliament, ahead of Orban’s Fidesz party.
“The election results are not final yet, but the situation is understandable and clear,” Orban said at the Fidesz campaign offices. “The election result is painful for us, but clear.”
Pollsters predicted a record voter turnout, with Hungarian television showing long queues outside some voting stations in Budapest. Data at 1630 GMT, half an hour before polls were due to close, showed 77.8% of voters casting their ballots, up from 67.8% four years earlier.
If the final results confirm the early readings, an end to Orban’s period in government after 16 years in power would have significant implications not only for Hungary, but for the European Union, Ukraine and beyond.
It would likely spell an end to Hungary’s adversarial role inside the EU, possibly opening the way for a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan to war-battered Ukraine blocked by Orban.
Defeat for Orban could also mean the eventual release of EU funds to Hungary that the bloc had suspended due to what Brussels said was Orban’s erosion of democratic standards.
Orban’s exit would also deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of his main ally in the EU and send shockwaves through Western right-wing circles, including the White House.
In Hungary, a Tisza victory could open the way for reforms that the party says would aim to combat corruption and restore the independence of the judiciary and other institutions.
However, the extent of such reforms will depend on whether Tisza can secure the two-thirds constitutional majority it would need to reverse much of Orban’s legacy.
ECONOMIC STAGNATION HURT ORBAN’S SUPPORT
Orban, a eurosceptic, carved out a model of an “illiberal democracy” seen as a blueprint by Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and its admirers in Europe.
But many Hungarians have grown increasingly weary https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/factbox-what-has-changed-hungary-during-orbans-12-year-rule-2022-03-31/ of Orban, 62, after three years of economic stagnation and soaring living costs as well as reports of oligarchs close to the government amassing more wealth.
Tisza’s leader Magyar appears to have successfully tapped into this frustration.
Casting his vote for Tisza in the Hungarian capital, Mihaly Bacsi, 27, said the country needed change.
“We need an improvement in public mood, there is too much tension in many areas and the current government only fuels these sentiments,” he said.
Another voter, who gave her name as Zsuzsa, said she wanted continuity.
“I would really like if all the results that have been achieved in recent years remain – and I am terribly afraid of the war,” she said, referring to the conflict raging in Ukraine, Hungary’s eastern neighbour.
Orban sought to cast Sunday’s election as a choice between “war and peace” nL8N3Z71ND. During campaigning, the government blanketed the country with signs warning that Magyar would drag Hungary into Russia’s war with Ukraine, something he strongly denies.
Additional reporting by Krisztina Than, Anita Komuves, Lili Bayer, Thomas Holdstock, Judith Langowski, writing by Justyna Pawlak, editing by Alexander Smith and Gareth Jones
The strait is under the control and ‘smart management’ of Iran’s Navy, the Guards said in a statement reported by Iranian state media
International News via Reuters:
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that any military vessels attempting to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the two-week U.S. ceasefire and be dealt with harshly and decisively.
The strait is under the control and ‘smart management’ of Iran’s Navy, the Guards said in a statement reported by Iranian state media, adding it is “open for the safe passage of non-military vessels in accordance with specific regulations”.
Reporting by Ahmed Tolba and Hatem Maher; Editing by Alexander Smith
The Department of Workforce Development is reminding all welders operating in Bermuda that National Occupational Certification assessments are mandatory to legally work within the trade
The Department of Workforce Development reminds all welders operating in Bermuda that working legally within the designated trade requires mandatory participation in National Occupational Certification (NOC) assessments.
As part of ongoing efforts to uphold industry standards and regulatory compliance, all welders must ensure they meet the required certification criteria.
Certification Requirements
Mandatory Assessment: All welders must undergo assessment in accordance with National Occupational Certification (NOC) requirements.
Bermudian Welders: Must obtain or maintain full NOC certification in Welding and are required to complete CWB 47.1 certification.
Work Permit Holders: Must complete CWB B31.3 certification as part of their compliance requirements. Work permit holders may also opt to complete CWB 47.1 certification for an additional fee.
Assessment Schedule
Certification testing is scheduled for the week of 20 April 2026.
Registration
All interested individuals must register in advance using the following link: Welder Registration Form.
Fees
A fee of $310 is payable directly to TTech for the assessment.
Compliance Reminder
Only certified welders will be legally permitted to work within the designated trade. Employers are strongly encouraged to ensure that all welders in their employ meet certification requirements. Failure to comply may result in enforcement action.
Contact Information
For further information or assistance, call the Department of Workforce Development on 297-7714 or email Stephen Lewis at sjlewis@gov.bm or Dallanika Hayward-Wilson at dhwilson@dwd.bm.
The Department of Workforce Development urges all welders to register promptly and complete the required assessments to remain compliant, maintain professional standards, and avoid disruption to ongoing or future projects.
Media release supplied by the Government of Bermuda.
Luton Town ended a 17-year wait for silverware at Wembley as a clinical brace from Nahki Wells inspired a 3-1 comeback victory over Stockport County to lift the Vertu Trophy.
In front of a sea of over 30,000 expectant supporters dressed in orange, the Town overcame an early scare to secure their first major trophy since 2009. While Stockport proved to be resilient finalists, the quality of Jack Wilshere’s side eventually shone through in a dramatic encounter under the famous arch.
The afternoon started poorly for the Hatters when Stockport took the lead after just 11 minutes. Adama Sidibeh raced through to beat veteran goalkeeper James Shea, giving the underdogs a dream start. However, Luton restored parity 10 minutes later when Emilio Lawrence rifled a low shot through the legs of Corey Addai.
The turnaround was completed five minutes before the interval. Captain Kal Naismith found Wells on the edge of the area, and the experienced striker showed trademark composure to wrong-foot Addai with a clinical finish.
The second half was a tense affair, with Luton indebted to Shea for a miraculous one-handed save to tip a Josh Stokes header onto the crossbar. With 10 minutes of stoppage time added, Wells finally settled the nerves, firing a low reverse shot into the net to spark bedlam in the stands.
Away from the drama of Wembley, Hayden Dill proved to be the difference-maker for Ecclesfield Red Rose 1915. Dill scored the only goal of the game in the 40th minute to secure a 1-0 victory over Bentley Village in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League.
In the women’s game, Aaliyah Nolan helped Bradford City Women march into the League Cup semi-finals. The Bantams produced a dominant display at the Horsfall Stadium to sweep aside Handsworth 5-1, with Nolan netting her side’s third goal to keep their silverware hunt alive.
The fundraising trivia night takes place on April 17 with funds to support BUEI education
Get ready to put your knowledge to the test for a great cause! In celebration of Earth Day, the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) is inviting trivia buffs, ocean lovers, and fun-seekers alike to make a splash at the Blue Planet Bash Trivia Night, happening Friday, April 17 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at BUEI.
Hosted by Nadanja Bailey, this lively fundraising event combines fast-paced trivia, friendly competition, and fascinating facts about our planet, ocean science, and life beneath the waves. Best of all, every ticket sold supports BUEI’s education programmes and the ongoing care of its exhibits.
Players can sign up solo or form a team, making Blue Planet Bash the perfect after-work outing, family night, or friendly face-off with colleagues.
Tickets are $45 per person, with all proceeds going directly toward inspiring curiosity and ocean stewardship in the community.
The fun doesn’t stop there! Guests can also enjoy:
Wine Pull – take a chance and discover a surprise bottle
Silent Auction – bid on fantastic items while supporting a great cause
Drinks and small bites served throughout the evening
Whether you’re competing for trivia bragging rights or enjoying a night out that supports a meaningful cause, Blue Planet Bash Trivia Night offers a perfect mix of fun and impact. Space is limited, so don’t wait! Tickets can be purchased online at buei.bm/events, through PTix, or in person at BUEI’s Oceans Gift Shop.
Female pronounced dead at scene; foul play not ruled out as authorities await autopsy results
Shortly before 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, police were dispatched to a Southampton residence following a report of an unresponsive female found inside.
Officers secured the scene which was attended by an on-call doctor who subsequently pronounced the female, deceased.
At this time, foul play has not been ruled out. A full investigation has now begun. No further information will be provided until the results of an autopsy in relation to this matter are known.
Media release supplied by the Bermuda Police Service.
Union highlights growing mental health demands and says educators lack resources to meet complex student needs
The Bermuda Union of Teachers today issued the following media release.
There is a growing disconnect between what the Bermuda Department of Education is saying publicly about education and what is being lived daily inside Bermuda Public School System (BPSS) classrooms.
When the Minister of Education was recently asked what is needed to better support students experiencing significant behavioural and mental health challenges, it was an opportunity to speak plainly about what educators across this system already know. Instead, the response fell short of the reality. Because the reality is not complicated, and it is not new: our schools are under- resourced for the needs we are being asked to meet.
Every day, educators and support staff across the BPSS walk into classrooms where student needs are more complex than they have ever been. This is not speculation or exaggeration – it is the consistent testimony of professionals with decades of experience. Teachers with 20, 30, even 40 years in the system are saying the same thing, without hesitation: the students in front of us today are different.
They are not ‘worse’ – but they are carrying more.
They are carrying the effects of trauma, of disrupted early development, of prolonged social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and of growing mental health challenges that extend far beyond the classroom. These realities show up in schools as emotional dysregulation, heightened anxiety, aggression, withdrawal, and an increasing number of students who are simply not equipped to cope with the demands of a traditional learning environment.
And still, the expectation remains that schools will manage all of this with the same – or in some cases, fewer – resources.
Let’s be clear: schools cannot be expected to function as the front line of the mental health system without being given the staff and structures required to do so. Right now, BPSS educators are being asked to meet clinical-level needs without clinical-level support. That is not sustainable. It is not safe. And it is not fair – to students or to staff.
We need more people in our schools. Not in theory, not in long-term plans, but in real, immediate, tangible ways.
We need more paraprofessionals to support students whose needs require consistent, individualized attention. We need more psychologists so that assessments and interventions happen when they are needed – not months or years later. We need more counsellors, educational therapists, and social workers embedded within our schools so that students can access support before they reach a crisis point. We need occupational and physical therapists to address the developmental and sensory challenges that are increasingly present in our classrooms.
And just as critically, we need time.
Time to plan. Time to collaborate. Time to build thoughtful, trauma-informed responses instead of reacting moment to moment. Right now, too many educators are operating in survival mode – managing behaviours as they arise, without the capacity to put the preventative structures in place that would actually make a difference.
This is where the conversation must shift; because this is not about asking for extras. This is not about enhancing the system – this is about making the system functional.
Supporting students with significant behavioural and mental health needs is not optional. It is foundational. Without it, learning cannot happen in any meaningful or sustained way.
And doing what is right for our students should not have to be negotiated.
Educators in the BPSS are not raising these concerns lightly. They are raising them because they are witnessing, every single day, the gap between what students need and what the system is currently able to provide. They are doing everything they can within that gap – but goodwill and dedication are not substitutes for staffing, resources, and time.
The message is consistent, and it is urgent.
We need more staff. We need more support. We need more time.
Anything less is a failure to meet the moment – and a failure to meet the needs of the students we are all responsible for serving.
Solstice has announced the appointment of Dr Brittnie Fowler as Consultant Child Psychiatrist, expanding access to child and youth mental health services on the island.
Solstice has announced the exciting addition of Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Brittnie Fowler to its multidisciplinary clinical team, strengthening access to specialist child, adolescent and early childhood mental health care in Bermuda.
Dr. Fowler is a board certified psychiatrist specializing in infant, child and adolescent, and adult mental health, with expertise spanning the full developmental spectrum from infancy through young adulthood. Her work reflects a strong focus on early intervention and the understanding that early experiences shape lifelong outcomes.
She completed her medical training at Morehouse School of Medicine and advanced fellowship training in child and infant psychiatry at Tulane University. Having grown up in Bermuda, Dr. Fowler maintains strong ties to the island and is now contributing her expertise to support the local community.
Dr. Fowler will initially provide care through telehealth, ensuring consistent access to specialist psychiatric support while dividing her professional time between Bermuda and the United States. She will also return regularly to the island to provide in-person consultations.
Her clinical work focuses on comprehensive psychiatric assessments and medication management, with particular expertise in supporting infants and young children, school-aged youth managing conditions such as ADHD, anxiety and mood disorders, and young adults navigating transitional life stages. Her experience includes work within school-based settings, the juvenile justice system, and consultation with medical professionals and governing bodies.
“We are honored and truly excited to welcome Dr. Fowler to the Solstice team. Her specialist expertise across early childhood, adolescence and young adulthood strengthens our ability to provide truly comprehensive care. There is a global shortage of psychiatrists, and finding someone with Dr. Fowler’s experience and connection to Bermuda is incredibly meaningful. Her addition marks an important step forward in the level of care we can offer to children, young people and families in Bermuda,” said Kelly Madeiros, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Solstice.
“Dr. Fowler’s expertise strengthens our neurodiversity assessment and intervention programme, enabling us to offer medication support alongside our multidisciplinary interventions and gold-standard assessment processes within the Solstice Growing Minds Centre. Expanding access to specialist psychiatric care will help reduce pressure on the public health system, while improving the timeliness and accessibility of care for young people in Bermuda,” said Dr. Eloise Pitts Crick, Co-Founder and Executive Director.
“I’m truly excited to be returning to a place that has always felt like home and to support children, young people, and families in Bermuda. My work is grounded in early intervention and understanding development across the lifespan. I’m passionate about collaborative care working alongside families, schools and healthcare providers to ensure support is connected and meaningful. Joining Solstice, with its breadth of expertise and shared commitment to whole person care, is incredibly special,” said Dr. Fowler.
Dr. Fowler’s addition supports Solstice’s commitment to providing care across the lifespan from early childhood through adulthood. This includes the Growing Minds Centre, which supports children and young people through multidisciplinary, evidence-based care, as well as the Longevity Centre programme, which focuses on older adults and their caregivers ensuring more children and families in Bermuda can access the right care, at the right time.
Solstice is Bermuda’s leading private mental wellness centre, offering multidisciplinary, evidence-based services for individuals, couples, families, schools and organizations. It also offers tailored Employee Assistant programs for organizations looking to include mental health and performance-based support to their employees and their families.
Media release supplied by Solstice. Image supplied by Solstice.
OBA MP Robin Tucker says Bermuda is in the middle of a food‑security crisis and urges structural change
OpEd written by OBA MP Robin Tucker:
Bermuda is in the middle of a food‑security crisis, and the latest figures published by The Royal Gazette should alarm every resident.
According to data released by the Non‑Profit Alliance of Bermuda, the cost of feeding one person has risen from $177 in 2023 to $191 in 2025, even as the number of people receiving help has dropped by 16 per cent.
Due to rapidly increasing costs, fresh meals distributed fell by 36 per cent, food vouchers by 46 per cent, and grocery bags by 14 per cent. This is not a system under pressure — it is a system buckling.
When fully employed Bermudians are waiting in line for food assistance, we are far past the point of incremental fixes.
We need structural change — and we need it now. Charities are spending more and serving fewer people. Families are waiting for access to food.
Fully employed Bermudians — people doing everything “right” — are still unable to keep up with the cost of living. When more than 100 residents are waiting just to access a food pantry, the system is more than strained.
It is breaking.
And yet, even as charities stretch every dollar and volunteers work seven days a week, Bermuda continues to sideline community‑driven solutions that could ease pressure on the system.
The recent controversy over the inhumane treatment of feral chickens is an example. It is not just about animal welfare — it is about a Government that refuses to engage and entertain practical, sustainable ideas that could reduce waste and strengthen food security.
About a year ago, members of a community group I belong to presented an alternative to addressing the feral chicken problem to the Government.
I have been told that we weren’t the only group that presented ideas. Our proposal was simple: redirect feral chickens into a regulated local egg and food source, creating the foundation for a small Bermudian‑owned business.
This would have reduced waste, supported food security, and turned a nuisance into a resource. The idea was dismissed outright. No consultation. No pilot. No willingness to further explore the concept with us. Meanwhile, reports continue to surface of sedated chickens being left behind —scavenged or simply wasted.
At a time when charities are rationing services and families are rationing meals, Bermuda cannot afford to keep rejecting solutions to secure a potential food source simply because they fall outside the Government’s comfort zone. We need a different approach — one that treats food security as a national priority, not an afterthought.
Two potential but practical solutions I think we could consider implementing now.
We could launch a regulated “Food Recovery Pilot” using existing waste streams. This would allow vetted community partners to safely redirect edible surplus – including culled chickens, excess produce, and unused prepared foods – into the food-aid system. Many countries already do this including the US, France, Spain and the UK.
These countries have established systems, legal frameworks, or government‑supported programmes that make surplus‑food redistribution a normal part of their food‑security strategy. If Bermuda was to do this it could reduce waste, lower costs for food‑aid providers, create micro‑enterprise opportunities and strengthen food resilience. It is low‑cost, high‑impact, and entirely achievable.
Another idea is to establish a joint Government-community food security task force – not another committee that rarely meets but an actual working group with authority to coordinate food‑aid schedules, streamline procurement, negotiate bulk purchasing, identify new local food sources, support small‑scale agricultural and livestock initiatives. Some charities are already coordinating among themselves. They could benefit from a Government partnership with real decision‑making power.
Bermuda is full of people offering solutions. Charities are innovating. Volunteers are stepping up. Community groups are proposing ideas that reduce suffering and create opportunity. Food security is not a luxury. It is not optional. It is the foundation of a stable, humane society. Ignoring viable proposals — whether they come from charities, entrepreneurs, or community groups — does nothing to move Bermuda forward.
We have an emerging crisis on our hands. Solutions exist but the question is whether the government will listen and act with urgency?
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