National team footballer Zeko Lewis was in town today helping to promote merchandise ahead of tonight’s big game against Jamaica.
Kendal Trott caught up with him at the Lookie Lookie store, where they are selling Bermuda team jerseys.
In the Washington mall , Lookie Lookie is selling the official jerseys of the Bermuda national team. Store owner Kimwana Eve is encouraging fans and the community to show their support. With five games still to play after tonight’s match, she says it’s the right time to back the team.
BELCO says the emergency response required a crew of up to 12 people working for roughly 17 hours
The early morning commute came as a relief today after Harbour Road finally reopened following Wednesday night’s collision.
Huge lines of traffic were seen yesterday during both rush hours, with commuters reporting on social media journey times of up to three hours.
The source of the gridlock: a late-night crash that snapped a BELCO utility pole in half. The incident forced the closure of a stretch of Harbour Road in Paget between Lover’s Lane and Chapel Road.
According to police, the female driver was arrested for driving while impaired and will appear in court in the coming days.
BELCO says the emergency response required a crew of up to 12 people working for roughly 17 hours. The roadway eventually reopened around 1:30 this morning.
BELCO Managing Director Shelly Leman said: “Our crews worked around the clock to restore both power and road access to commuters. This was a complex emergency response that required immediate action to ensure public safety while restoring essential services.”
Crews completed restoration work by about 11:30 last night, installing a new utility pole and transferring conductors. But the road remained closed until other utilities completed their repairs just after 1 am.
BELCO also acknowledged the significant inconvenience caused by the closure, and thanked residents for their patience and cooperation with traffic diversions.
Still, the gridlock has raised new questions about Bermuda’s traffic management during major incidents.
Bermuda Broadcasting reached out to the Ministry of Public Works and other authorities for comment and explanation, and we will be following up next week.
In the meantime, BELCO says it will pursue accountability. A spokesperson stated: “BELCO will work collaboratively with relevant authorities to ensure appropriate accountability regarding this incident and to pursue fair compensation for the emergency response costs and resources deployed.”
The Commission said Google favoured its own online display technology services to the detriment of rivals and online publishers and that it abused its market power since 2014
International News via Reuters:
Alphabet’s Google was hit with a 2.95-billion-euro ($3.45 billion) EU antitrust fine on Friday for anti-competitive practices in its lucrative adtech business, marking its fourth penalty in its decade long fight with EU competition regulators.
The move by the European Commission was triggered by a complaint from the European Publishers Council and comes amid a threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to retaliate against the European Union for any push against Big Tech.
The EU competition enforcer had originally planned to hand out the fine on Monday but opposition from EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic on concerns about the impact on U.S. tariffs on European cars derailed EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera’s plan.
The Commission said Google favoured its own online display technology services to the detriment of rivals and online publishers and that it abused its market power since 2014 until today.
It ordered Google to stop the self-preferencing practices and take measures to cease its inherent conflicts of interest. The company has 60 days to inform the Commission how it plans to comply with this order.
The Commission reiterated its preliminary view that Google should divest part of its services but said it wants to first hear and assess Google’s compliance efforts.
“Google must now come forward with a serious remedy to address its conflicts of interest, and if it fails to do so, we will not hesitate to impose strong remedies,” Ribera said in a statement.
“Digital markets exist to serve people and must be grounded in trust and fairness. And when markets fail, public institutions must act to prevent dominant players from abusing their power,” she said.
Google criticised the EU decision and said it would challenge it in court.
“The European Commission’s decision about our ad tech services is wrong and we will appeal. It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money,” Lee-Anne Mulholland, Vice President, Global Head of Regulatory Affairs, said in a statement.
“There’s nothing anticompetitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever before.”
The latest fine compared with a record 4.3 billion euro penalty handed out to Google in 2018, 2.42 billion euros in 2017 and a 1.49 billion euros in 2019.
Reuters reported last week that the fine would be modest, marking a change in Ribera’s approach with her predecessor’s deterrent hefty fines.
The UN health agency declared the emergency – its highest level of alert – in August last year
International News via Reuters:
Mpox is no longer an international health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said on Friday, after experts reported falls in infections from the dangerous disease in hot spots across Africa.
The UN health agency declared the emergency – its highest level of alert – in August last year, when an outbreak of a new form of mpox started spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries.
There had since been “sustained declines in cases” in Congo and other affected countries including Burundi, Sierra Leone and Uganda, WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV, are all at higher risk of complications.
The WHO said Mpox was still a public health concern across the world, but it had decided to downgrade it based on advice from its Emergency Committee, which meets every three months to evaluate the outbreak.
“While we are removing the emergency, we need to keep the urgency,” Professor Dimie Ogoina from the Emergency Committee said.
“This is not a time for us to reduce the investments in terms of financial investment, partnership, solidarity, especially for most affected countries in the African continent,” he added.
Out of the recorded cases, there had been worrying levels of deaths among people living with HIV AIDS, particularly in Uganda and Sierra Leone, and signs of vulnerability among infants and children in Congo, Ogoina said.
The new form of Mpox, clade Ib, continues to predominantly impact sub-Saharan Africa. There have also been travel-related cases in Thailand, Britain and other countries.
Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Ludwig Burger and Andrew Heavens
Shabana Mahmood, currently the justice minister, is expected to replace Cooper at the home office – or interior ministry
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s David Lammy will be replaced as foreign minister by interior minister Yvette Cooper, Guardian newspaper Political Editor Pippa Crerar said in a post on X.
If confirmed, the appointment would be the most significant of a ministerial cabinet reshuffle being carried out by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Local media reports said Lammy would become deputy prime minister and justice minister.
Shabana Mahmood, currently the justice minister, is expected to replace Cooper at the home office – or interior ministry.
The reshuffle was triggered by the resignation of deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, after she admitted underpaying property tax on a new home.
Reporting by William James; Editing by Kate Holton
Bermudian cyclist Conor White has taken his talents from the road to the track, making an impressive debut at the South London Grand Prix at the iconic Herne Hill Velodrome. In his first-ever UCI track event, White delivered a series of strong performances, securing a podium finish and a top-ten result in the overall omnium.
White competed in multiple events on a single day, showcasing his versatility and endurance. He finished 10th in the Men’s 10km Scratch, 8th in the Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome Men’s Elimination, and a fantastic third place in the Convene ESG Men’s Madison: 30km. He capped off a successful day by finishing sixth overall in the Balfe’s Bikes Men’s Omnium IV: 25km.
Reflecting on his performance on social media, White expressed his excitement and pride. “I had an awesome time racing my first UCI track event, I learned a ton and still plenty more to pick up, but I’m proud of the progress since only starting track back in April,” he posted.
His results are a testament to his rapid development in a new discipline. White concluded by looking to the future, “I’m excited to keep building and looking forward to the next one next month.” The performance marks a promising start to his track cycling career.
The agreement makes Greece one of the first countries to implement ChatGPT Edu, a specialized version of ChatGPT designed for academic institutions
International News via Reuters:
Greece and OpenAI signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to broaden access to AI tools in secondary education and foster innovation among small businesses, the U.S.-based artificial intelligence company said.
The agreement makes Greece one of the first countries to implement ChatGPT Edu, a specialized version of ChatGPT designed for academic institutions, OpenAI said in a statement.
Under the memorandum, Greek startups focused on healthcare, climate change, education, and public sectors will gain access to OpenAI’s technology and credits to support their projects.
Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Anthony S. Papadimitriou, President of the Onassis Foundation, and Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer at OpenAI signed a memorandum on Friday.
“From Plato’s Academy to Aristotle’s Lyceum—Greece is the historical birthplace of western education,’ OpenAI’s Lehane said in the statement.
“Today, with millions of Greeks using ChatGPT on a regular basis, the country is once again showing its dedication to learning and ideas.”
Last month, OpenAI launched its GPT-5 artificial intelligence model, the highly anticipated latest installment of a technology that has helped transform global business and culture.
OpenAI’s GPT models are the AI technology that powers the popular ChatGPT chatbot.
Reporting by Ivana Sekularac, Editing by Louise Heavens
It was a challenging day for Bermuda’s athletes as they began their campaigns at the 17th World Wushu Championships in Brasília, Brazil. All three competitors faced difficult circumstances and tough opponents in their opening events.
Kaelin Cox had a disappointing start on the Taolu carpet, scoring 6.896 in the southern broadsword discipline. He struggled with his routine, failing to land a number of degree of difficulty movements and receiving deductions for going over the time limit.
In the sanda, or combat discipline, Krista Dyer went down in her match against a tough opponent from Turkey, Sudenaz Gulay. Dyer faced a pre-fight challenge when she received her protective gear late from the organizers, leading to her being called to the lei tai (the fighting platform) numerous times and receiving a warning at the beginning of the match. Despite this, she took to the ring to compete.
Ryah Symonds also faced a formidable opponent in her sanda bout, taking on Iran’s Soheila Mansourian Semiromi. Symonds battled hard but ultimately lost by a 12-point spread to the powerhouse from Iran.
Statement by Shadow Minister of National Security Robert King, MP:
What message are we sending to survivors of sexual abuse? And what is the government doing to ensure this issue is a priority and being urgently addressed?
As was recently reported in the media, a man who admitted having sex with a 15-year-old girl was handed an 18-month suspended sentence after court delays resulted in the case taking four years.
For the survivor and her family, it is a devastating outcome. For Bermuda, it is a wake-up call: our system is failing to protect children and failing to hold offenders accountable. It sends a message that crimes against children can be minimised, that the trauma endured is negotiable, and that our system is willing to look away.
This ruling does not exist in isolation. It comes at a moment when members of the public are already expressing deep frustration about sexual offenders being seen and harassing people in our community, without sufficient oversight.
The Non-Profit Alliance of Bermuda outlined in a recent report that one in three Bermudians have been the victim of child sexual abuse and one in two women in Bermuda has experienced child sexual abuse.
Recently on social media, dozens of parents and women shared experiences of being harassed, intimidated and even approached by a known repeat sexual offender. Bus drivers described the fear of having him near their routes. Parents recounted children no longer feeling safe walking home. These are not abstract concerns – they are real experiences of fear and retraumatisation, and they point to a justice and corrections system that is failing to protect our children and community.
Justice delayed is justice denied. Survivors who bravely come forward often wait years for cases to move through the courts, only to face outcomes that minimise the crime and embolden offenders. The impact on victims and their families is profound: it compounds trauma, discourages reporting and reinforces the perception that child sexual abuse is not taken seriously in Bermuda.
But the problem is bigger than sentencing. As a country, we lack the infrastructure to deal with sexual offenders in a way that prioritises both justice and prevention. Bermuda does not have a dedicated correctional treatment centre for high-risk sexual offenders. Without proper intervention and monitoring, incarceration alone becomes a revolving door. Releasing untreated offenders into our community without safeguards or accountability puts our children, vulnerable persons and women at risk.
We must do better – because protecting the community is our responsibility. I have put forward a a plan that includes;
● Bail ineligibility for serious and repeat offenders
● Stronger sentencing guidelines that reflect the gravity of crimes against children.
● Mandatory treatment and monitoring for offenders, so they cannot simply walk free.
● A specialised correctional and rehabilitation framework, and forensic unit must be resourced so that offenders are not just punished but are also prevented from reoffending.
● Faster court processes, so survivors are not retraumatised by years of waiting and appropriate sentencing that makes the victim’s rights a priority.
We must also strengthen prevention. Organisations like SCARS continue to train parents, teachers, coaches and community members to recognise signs of abuse and to act swiftly. But prevention cannot fall only on the shoulders of families and advocacy groups. It requires a justice system that delivers consistent protection and a government that makes child safeguarding a priority.
It is unacceptable that court delays are benefiting the perpetrators of serious crimes and not the victims. How do current practices increase motivation to adhere to the laws and for victims to report crimes against their person? It also has the knock-on effect of supporting the attitudes around vigilante justice, we can and must do better!
Bermuda cannot afford complacency. As a community, we must decide: will we continue to tolerate a system that fails our children and victims of sexual assault? Or will we summon the courage to put their protection at the centre of our justice system? Every child deserves to grow up safe, and every survivor deserves justice that acknowledges the harm done to them.
The safety of our children, vulnerable persons and women is not negotiable., We must act – not after the next headline, but now.
Statement by Ben Smith JP, MP, Shadow Minister of Education:
Every September should feel like progress. Students should be returning to classrooms that are safe, fully staffed, and ready to inspire. Teachers should be feeling supported, not overburdened.
Parents should know exactly what lies ahead. Sadly, in Bermuda today, too many families are returning to uncertainty.
The Government pledged to eliminate middle schools and replace them with Parish Primary Schools and stronger senior programmes.
This year, Elliot and Harrington Sound will open as the first Parish Primary Schools. Yet older students remain caught in a cycle of shifting promises.
Instead of confusion, we need a clear and published transition map showing exactly where each year group will be learning, from this September through the next two years. Parents shouldn’t need rumours or guesswork to know their child’s path.
Reform cannot succeed if classrooms are not ready and teachers are stretched thin. Every year we hear about unfinished works, a shortage of substitutes, and counsellors sharing limited space.
The Opposition believes the first priority must be classroom readiness. That means completing facility upgrades before term starts, guaranteeing every school has functioning student support spaces, and ensuring health and safety standards are published and met.
At the same time, we need a teacher-first approach: build a reliable substitute pool, expand para-educator support, and fast-track recruitment to keep class sizes manageable. No reform can succeed without teachers who feel valued and supported.
The Government has spoken of an Education Authority in multiple throne speeches. We agree—but it must be independent and transparent. That means publishing true literacy and numeracy outcomes, graduation rates, and attendance data on a regular basis. It means quarterly reports that parents and teachers can access, so progress is measured by results, not announcements.
This year’s education budget is the largest in history, yet the budget still displays the high cost of TN Tatem because the accounting still hasn’t been updated to show where the money is actually being spent.
The Opposition would prioritise direct investment in students and teachers—upgrading facilities, hiring staff, increasing counseling services and funding learning resources. Parents must see that dollars are being spent where they make the greatest impact.
Back to school should not be about uncertainty; it should be about opportunity. The Opposition’s approach is clear:
Publish and update a national transition map for all year groups.
Guarantee classroom readiness before day one.
Put teachers first through staffing, support, and morale-building.
Establish an independent Education Authority with public performance measures.
Prioritise classroom investment
Report progress quarterly so the public can see results, not spin.
Our children deserve more than promises. They deserve delivery. And Bermuda deserves an education system that builds confidence, trust, and excellence from the first day of term to the last.
The Bermuda Cricket Board announced the schedule for the three upcoming 40-Over Knockout Cup fixtures, which will be held at Somerset Cricket Club and St. David’s Cricket Club on Saturday, September 6th, and at St. David’s County Cricket Club on Sunday, September 7th.
On Saturday, September 6th, the Semi-Finals will see the Premier Division 50 Over League Champions, St. David’s Cricket Club faced Warwick Workmen’s Club, who ended the season in 4th place.
The second semi-final will see St. George’s Cricket Club (runners-up) facing the Somerset Cricket Club, who ended the season in 3rd place.
The winners of each semi-final match will advance to the BCB 40-Over KO Cup final on Sunday, September 7th at St. David’s Cricket Club.
All matches will start at 11:30 am, and the entry fees are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, and children 12 and under are free.
The Bermuda Cricket Board appreciates the cooperation and understanding of all clubs and supporters as we continue to promote the growth and excitement of domestic cricket.
Bermudian harness driver Kiwon Waldron had a productive night at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Indiana, securing a win and two top-five finishes across a busy three-race schedule.
Waldron’s night started in RACE 2 in the Trot Class, where he guided Wiggy Hill to a fourth-place finish with a time of 1:57.7. He followed that up in RACE 9, also in the Trot Class, where he and K-lyn finished fifth with a time of 1:59 flat.
The highlight of the evening came in his final race, RACE 13 in the Pace Class. In the sulky of Firing Onall Fours, Waldron powered to a winning time of 1:55 flat, securing the victory and ending his night on a high note. The win is a testament to Waldron’s consistent form and growing success on the competitive US harness racing circuit.
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