Ukrainian forces have for months defended the city against fierce assaults
A Russian military helicopter flies past a flock of birds in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, a Russian-controlled city of Ukraine, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko
International news via Reuters:
Ukraine’s top commander said on Saturday that his forces faced a new onslaught against a key city on the eastern front of its war against Russia, while Moscow said it was making progress in another sector farther southwest.
After their initial failed advance on the capital Kyiv in the first weeks after the February 2022 invasion, Russian troops have focused on capturing all of Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. The city of Kostiantynivka has been a major target.
Ukrainian forces have for months defended the city against fierce assaults, with the regional governor urging remaining residents this week to evacuate as infrastructure breaks down.
Top Ukrainian commander Oleksander Syrskyi, writing on Telegram on Saturday, said the area around Kostiantynivka was gripped by heavy fighting.
“The enemy is surging towards Kostiantynivka, but apart from sustaining numerous losses, has achieved nothing,” Syrskyi said.
“The aggressor is trying to break through our defences and advance along three operating sectors.”
A spokesman for Ukrainian forces in the east, Viktor Trehubov, told the Ukrinform news agency that Kostiantynivka and the city of Pokrovsk to the west were “the main arena of battles and the Kremlin’s strategic ambitions”.
Syrskyi also said that Ukrainian forces had withstood in the past week a powerful attack near the village of Yablunivka in northeastern Sumy region, where Russian forces have been trying to establish a buffer zone inside the Ukrainian border.
Russia’s Defence Ministry, in a report earlier in the day, said Moscow’s forces had seized the village of Chervona Zirka — further southwest, near the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk region.
Russia’s slow advance through eastern Ukraine, with Moscow claiming a string of villages day after day, has resulted in destruction of major cities and infrastructure.
Moscow has insisted that progress towards a settlement of the 40-month-old war depends on Ukraine recognising Moscow’s control over four Ukrainian regions — Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Russian forces control about one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, though they do not fully hold any of the four regions.
Moscow has said in recent weeks that its troops have made advances in areas adjacent to Dnipropetrovsk region, which lies next to both Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukrainian officials have denied those reports.
Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksander Kozhukhar; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama
The prime minister now controls a slim majority coalition
Anti-government protesters gather at the Victory Monument during a protest calling Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign after her leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, in Bangkok, Thailand, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
International news via Reuters:
Thousands of protesters rallied in the Thai capital Bangkok on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, piling pressure on a government at risk of collapse over a border dispute with neighbouring Cambodia.
In the largest such rally since the ruling Pheu Thai party came to power in 2023, crowds braved heavy monsoon rain to demonstrate against Paetongtarn, 38, who is also battling to revive a faltering economy and keep a fragile coalition together ahead of a potential no confidence vote next month.
“She should step aside because she is the problem,” Parnthep Pourpongpan, a protest leader, said.
The latest dispute started with a skirmish between Thailand and Cambodia over a disputed patch of border territory in May. Thai nationalist groups called for Paetongtarn to go after she appeared to criticize a Thai army commander and kowtow to Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, in a leaked phone call with him.
Public criticism of the army is a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. Paetongtarn apologised for her comments after the call.
Parnthep, the protest leader, said many Thai people felt the prime minister and her influential father, Thaksin Shinawatra, were being manipulated by Hun Sen, a former ally of the family who has turned against them.
‘UNG ING, GET OUT’
Blocking the busy intersection at Victory Monument, a war memorial, crowds including many elderly people waved flags bearing Thailand’s national tricolor.
“Ung Ing, get out,” the crowd occasionally chanted in unison, calling the premier by a nickname.
Thapanawat Aramroong, 73, said Paetongtarn’s comments about the army commander and seeming eagerness to please Hun Sen were unacceptable.
The demonstration was organised by the United Force of the Land, a coalition of largely nationalist activists who have rallied against other Shinawatra-backed governments over the last two decades.
In a statement read aloud before the crowds, the group said “the executive branch” and parliament were not working “in the interest of democracy and constitutional monarchy”.
Remaining coalition partners should quit immediately, they said.
While past protests against the Shinawatras did not directly cause the downfall of those governments, they built up pressure that led to judicial interventions and military coups in 2006 and 2014.
Protester Somkhuan Yimyai, 68, said he did not want the military to end up staging a coup and that previous military takeovers had not “provided solutions for the nation in terms of solving corruption or the government’s administration of the country.”
ECONOMIC TURMOIL
The political turmoil in Thailand threatens to further damage the country’s struggling economic recovery.
The prime minister now controls a slim majority coalition following the exit of former partner Bhumjaithai Party last week. Protesters on Saturday called for other coalition partners to quit.
Paetongtarn also faces judicial scrutiny after a group of senators petitioned the Constitutional Court and a national anti-graft body with a wide remit to investigate her conduct over the leaked phone call.
Decisions from either bodies could lead to her removal.
Hun Sen also launched an unprecedented public attack on Paetongtarn and her family, calling for a change of government, in an hours-long televised speech on Friday, which the Thai foreign ministry described as “extraordinary” while insisting that Thailand prefers to use diplomacy.
Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Additional reporting by Napat Wesshasartar; Editing by Sam Holmes and Poppy McPherson
Around 1,000 activists and Venice-residents marched against the event on Saturday
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos leave the Aman Venice hotel, on the third day of their wedding festivities, in Venice, Italy, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
International news via Reuters:
Newlyweds Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez left their luxury hotel on Venice’s Grand Canal on Saturday for a final night of partying, crowning a three-day star-studded wedding extravaganza.
Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged rings on Friday evening on the small island of San Giorgio, across the water from Saint Mark’s Square, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Jordan’s Queen Rania, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian, as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were among the A-listers present.
Saturday’s evening bash — wrapping up celebrations for 200-250 guests estimated to have cost some $50 million — was due to take place in the Arsenale, a former medieval shipyard in an eastern district of the lagoon city.
Around 1,000 people marched against the event on Saturday, groups of activists and residents who object to the wedding and to seeing Venice being gift-wrapped for the uber-wealthy.
Some guests were seen leaving the Gritti Palace hotel in central Venice wearing their pyjamas, sometimes beneath colourful dressing gowns, before boarding small boats to reach the party.
Bezos and Sanchez had a more sober style. He was dressing a black skirt and suit, while she had a soft-colour off-the-shoulder dress. They kissed on the boat while greeting those around them.
At the ceremony the bride wore a high-necked silhouette dress and a tulle and lace veil by Dolce & Gabbana, which she told magazine Vogue was based on Sophia Loren’s dress to marry Cary Grant in the 1958 film, Houseboat.
Sanchez was also wearing a pair of diamond earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, which, according to Vogue, was lent to her in keeping with the tradition that it brings good luck for a bride to wear something borrowed.
Bezos, who is No. 4 on Forbes’ global billionaires list, donned a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt.
BUSINESSES, POLITICIANS WELCOME EVENT
Friday’s ceremony had no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told Reuters, suggesting the couple may have previously wed legally in the United States to avoid the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage.
While some residents and activists raged against Bezos as a symbol of inequality and arrogance, Venetian businesses and political leaders welcomed the luxury nuptials, hailing them as major boost for the local economy.
“Those who protest are in contradiction with the history of Venice, which is a history of relations, contacts and business,” Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Reuters.
“Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality. He is more Venetian than the protesters,” said centre-right mayor, adding that he hoped Bezos, who donated 3 million euros ($3.51 million) to local institutions, would return to the city to do business.
Brugnaro said Bezos had attached no conditions to holding his wedding celebrations in Venice, and City Hall had only learned about his donations after they had already been made.
Bezos, Amazon’s executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
($1 = 0.8552 euros)
Writing by Gavin Jones and Angelo Amante; Editing by Alvise Armellini, Alexandra Hudson andcSandra Maler
Nine-year-old boy was transported to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment
Bermuda Police Service road traffic advisory via press release:
At approximately 7:40 p.m. on Saturday, 28th June 2025, police and other first responders were dispatched to a report of a two-vehicle collision on Middle Road, near the junction with Tribe Road no. 3 in Southampton.
Initial information suggests that both vehicles were traveling in an easterly direction when the vehicle in front, attempted to make a right-hand turn into a private driveway. The second vehicle then struck the rear of the first.
The only reported injury was to a 9-year-old boy, who was transported to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment. The extent of his injuries is currently unknown.
Out of an abundance of caution, the area has been cordoned off while the scene is forensically processed. Traffic is being diverted at Church Road and Lighthouse Road. Motorists are advised to use alternative routes where possible.
Minister celebrates the launch and early achievements of the Job Readiness Programme, offering high school students valuable skills and employment opportunities
Tinee Furbert, Minister of Youth, Social Development, and Seniors has praised the successful launch of the Job Readiness Programme, an initiative under the Office of Youth Affairs that prepares Bermuda’s youth for the workforce.
The programme, a hybrid of the Counselor-in-Training (CIT) and Leadership-In-Training (LIT) models, saw an enthusiastic response from high school students.
Speaking in the House of Assembly on Friday, Minister Furbert said: “Mr. Speaker, this cornerstone initiative directly supports Goal number four (4) of the Government’s National Youth Policy which is to “to increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people. This pivotal Job Readiness Programme has been strategically developed to provide Bermuda’s young people with essential skills and work experience to prepare them for formal employment options.”
The 26th annual event saw hundreds of participants and generated crucial funds to support diabetes prevention and care in Bermuda
The 2025 Lindo’s-to-Lindo’s, now in its 26th year, raised $30,353.07 for the Bermuda Diabetes Association (BDA) with its March event – the biggest fundraiser of the year for the organisation.
As usual, the event featured a 10k competitive run, a 4-mile competitive walk, and a 4-mile fun run/walk, drawing hundreds of participants. The course began at Lindo’s Family Foods in Warwick and finished at Lindo’s Market in Devonshire. Since its inception in 1999, Lindo’s to Lindo’s has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support diabetes prevention and care on the island.
Pictured at the cheque presentation were Sharon Craig, Club Secretary of the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Club (MAAC); Lori Rockhead, Executive Director of the Bermuda Diabetes Association; and Zach Moniz, Manager at Lindo’s.
Zach Moniz, Manager at Lindo’s, said: ‘More than 25 years in, and we’re so pleased to see that this event still brings out the best in our community. We’re proud to have raised more than $30,000 this year for the Bermuda Diabetes Association and to continue supporting their mission of improving the health of all Bermudians.’
Lori Rockhead, Executive Director of the Bermuda Diabetes Association, shared: ‘Each year, this event makes a such a difference to our ability to serve the community. The funds raised will directly support our free health screenings, which are essential to early diagnosis and intervention. These screenings save lives and reduce long-term complications for those living with diabetes. We’re deeply grateful to Lindo’s, MAAC and all the sponsors who make this event possible.”
Organised by the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Club (MAAC) and sanctioned by the Bermuda National Athletics Association, the Lindo’s-to-Lindo’s event is also
supported by BGA, Bermuda Import & Export Co., Butterfield & Vallis, Europa Imports and Island Health Services.
The Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix confirms its return to the Great Sound for two days of high-speed racing on May 9-10, 2026
Image supplied by SailGP
The Bermuda Tourism Authority issued the below media release confirming Bermuda’s dates for SailGP in 2026.
The countdown begins: the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix will officially take place May 9–10, 2026, SailGP has confirmed today as part of its global season announcement. This, as the franchise continues with confirmed expansion plans for 2026 and beyond. The world’s fastest sailing fleet will once again descend on Bermuda’s iconic Great Sound, delivering two days of electrifying racing, international media exposure, and meaningful economic impact.
Bermuda was previously announced as a host city for the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship, and today’s update cements its place on the calendar among international destinations including New York, Saint-Tropez, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and Abu Dhabi. The 2026 season will span 11 months and is expected to be SailGP’s most expansive yet.
This announcement builds on the success of previous Bermuda editions. In 2024, the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix generated $4.9 million in economic impact, drew 4,277 attendees, and reached 13.5 million broadcast viewers, with 41.2 million video views across social media.
“The return of the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix in 2026 marks a strategic milestone for Bermuda,” said Erin Wright, Acting CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority. “This isn’t just a premier sporting event, it’s a catalyst for growth. With global broadcast visibility and international appeal, SailGP strengthens Bermuda’s position on the world stage while driving visitation and local economic impact. It also aligns with our National Tourism Plan leveraging sports tourism as a growth opportunity while reinforcing our shared commitment to sustainability and community engagement.”
The 2026 Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix will mark Bermuda’s fourth time hosting the high-octane series, with national teams racing identical 50-foot foiling catamarans at speeds approaching 100 km/h. Fans can expect an immersive waterfront experience, elevated hospitality, and community-driven programming.
More information on the event and ticketing will be announced in the coming months. Visit SailGP.com/Bermuda for updates.
Top local hotels and staff recognised for excellence in service, engagement, and online reputation.
The Bermuda Tourism Authority issued the following media release.
The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) announced the recipients of the 2025 Bermuda Hospitality Service Standards Awards (BHSSA) during a reception held on Thursday, 26 June at The Botanist Café & Garden Lounge. The BTA-hosted awards ceremony was attended by representatives from the winning hotels, the BTA Board and the Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture & Sport, Owen Darrell who saluted the winning properties.
“We celebrate the successes of our industry partners because they demonstrate what’s possible when service, digital reputation, and staff engagement are prioritised to create unforgettable visitor experiences. These examples set the benchmark for others and help strengthen Bermuda’s hospitality offering,” said Erin Wright, Acting CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority.
In its second year, the BHSSA programme recognises individuals and organisations for high-performance in service delivery across Bermuda’s tourism and hospitality sectors. The awards are based on public nominations, independent assessments, and surveys.
The 2025 winners are:
Customer Service Excellence Award Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa Grotto Bay was selected for its high levels of verified customer service, which were evaluated through a combination of public nominations and third-party mystery shopper assessments.
“At Grotto Bay, great service is personal. Many of our team members have been with us for decades. We have about six who have served almost 40 years, and many others who bring our average length of service to over 12 years. That kind of experience shows. It is the reason we are able to deliver consistent and genuine hospitality that guests remember. This award means a great deal to us because it reflects the heart and hard work of our team.” — Donna Alvarez, Operations Manager
Employee Engagement Award Royal Palms Hotel Simon Weare, Chief Operations Officer at Royal Palms Hotel, expressed pride and delight at being recognised for their workplace culture — a sentiment echoed by General Manager Theresa Harney-Zuill, who noted:
“We are honoured to be recognised as a leading employer in the hospitality and tourism industry. This achievement reflects the deep value we place on attracting and retaining top talent. Our commitment to our people is clear: when we invest in and support our employees, everyone wins. Our guests can feel the difference, and it’s why they choose us time and again. For us, being an employer goes beyond providing jobs — we are a family. This recognition is a testament to the passion, dedication, and excellence of our amazing team. We must all continue to raise our standards and deliver exceptional service.”
Top Online Reputation Award Hamilton Princess & Beach Club Hamilton Princess & Beach Club received the Top Online Reputation Award for the second consecutive year. The selection was based on performance in areas such as guest feedback, review platforms, and digital presence.
“We’re truly honoured to receive the Top Online Reputation Award for the second time. In today’s connected world, how we show up online reflects who we are as a brand. The entire team at Hamilton Princess & Beach Club aims to deliver an authentic, engaging, and reliable presence online. Earning this award once was tremendous — earning it twice is a powerful reminder that consistency, integrity, and customer connection truly matter. We’re proud to continue earning that trust every day.” — Roydell Neverson, Director of Operations
As part of its support for the industry, the Bermuda Tourism Authority offers training resources through its BTA+ platform. The Online Reputation course—available to hospitality professionals who have completed prerequisite introductory module—offers guidance on review management, digital branding, and customer feedback response strategies. Additionally, as part of AnchorBDA, they offer a customer service module, “Excellence In Service: Elevating Bermuda Together assured by City & Guilds. These tools are designed to help local businesses elevate customer service and strengthen their visibility in a competitive online environment.
As a key delegate for the Sargasso Sea Commission, Fae Sapsford spotlighted Bermuda’s pivotal role in global efforts to protect the high seas
Credit: Sargasso Sea Commission
The Sargasso Sea Commission issued the following media release.
Fae Sapsford, delegate for the Sargasso Sea Commission, spoke as part of three events centered on the conservation of the Sargasso Sea at the international conference.
Fae Sapsford, marine research fellow for the Sargasso Sea Commission, attended the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, from June 9-13. At the conference, the Sargasso Sea Commission shared lessons learned from a decade of work collaborating to conserve the Sargasso Sea.
Fae Sapsford meeting José Manuel Bolieiro, President of the Azores. Rui Martins, signatory representative to the Hamilton Declaration for the Azores stands between them. Credit: JP Rouja
“The Sargasso Sea Commission has a lot of experience to share on collaboration for the conservation of a high seas site, including how to build a robust science case for the site, how to engage stakeholders for its conservation, and how to raise global awareness of the need for its protection. We hope these lessons learned from our work will support the swift and effective implementation of the BBNJ agreement when it comes into force,” said Ms. Sapsford.
The Sargasso Sea Commission along with other high seas projects delivered an event in the green zone of the high-level conference, which was attended by governments, intergovernmental organizations, academia, NGOs, and more.
‘From Treaty to Action: Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation for the High Seas’ showcased the voices and roles of different high seas sectors and communities to ensure more harmonious cooperation for ocean conservation. The event was co-organised by the Government of Bermuda, the Government of the UK, the Government of the Azores, and others.
“High seas areas are difficult to protect because they are not owned by any one country – instead they are owned by all countries together, even landlocked ones, and all people on earth simultaneously; those that are here now, and future generations that deserve to benefit from the ecosystem services they provide,” said Ms. Sapsford.
“The system of governance for the high seas is fragmented and often does not prioritize conservation. It has been called ‘an unfinished agenda’. The Sargasso Sea Commission is unique because it is a framework for voluntary collaboration – it is a group of governments and scientific experts getting together to say that we should be doing more to conserve this iconic area – and working to make that happen,” said Ms. Sapsford.
Bermuda has always been a champion of the conservation of the Sargasso Sea. The Sargasso Sea Commission (SSC) was established in 2014 following the signing in Bermuda of the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea.
The declaration has ten government signatories: the Azores, the Bahamas, Bermuda, BVI, Canada, Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Monaco, the UK and the US. It brings together expert scientific Commissioners working in their independent capacities, appointed by the Government of Bermuda, along with focal points from the ten governmental signatories of the Hamilton Declaration to strengthen the stewardship of the Sargasso Sea.
The Sargasso Sea Commission has partnered with organisations such as the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tuna, the North-west Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, the International Maritime Organisation and more to improve the conservation of the Sargasso Sea.
Adopted in 2023, the BBNJ agreement, or its official title ‘Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction,’ will allow for internationally legally binding marine protected areas to be established on the high seas for the first time, among other reforms to the high seas legal regime. The agreement requires 60 ratifications from states to come into force.
“There was a lot of momentum for the ratification of the BBNJ agreement at UNOC,” said Ms. Sapsford. “The agreement reached 50 ratifications (plus the EU, which does not count towards the ratification number because it is not a state) at the conference, so we are now just 10 ratifications away from the agreement being able to come into force.
“At the conference, Ambassador Olivier Poivre d’Arvor reported that following high level conversations with the French Government, he anticipated the 60 ratifications to be reached by late September this year, allowing the agreement to enter into force in late January, with the first conference of the parties to take place before the end of next year.”
As an overseas territory Bermuda cannot ratify the agreement itself, but it can consent to having the agreement extended to itself through the UK when the UK ratifies. The UK government is currently in the process of consulting with the Crown Dependencies and UK Overseas Territories over the extension of the Agreement to them upon or following UK ratification.
Fae Sapsford in front of the Green Zone. Credit: JP Rouja
The Sargasso Sea Commission produced a science case for the Sargasso Sea’s protection in 2011. This is now being updated with funding from the Global Environment Facility Common Oceans Progamme, and the French Facility for Global Environment ‘SARGADOM’ project.
The SSC will produce a socio-ecosystem diagnostic analysis (SEDA) laying out the ecological and economic importance of the Sargasso Sea, along with human impacts upon the ecosystem. This will be the basis for discussion of a strategic action programme for the conservation of the Sargasso Sea, which will be agreed by stakeholders, including signatory governments.
“A variety of measures are being discussed by our signatory governments. Due to the work of the Commission, some seamounts in the North-west Atlantic Fisheries Organisation area overlapping with the Sargasso Sea Commission area of collaboration are already closed to bottom trawling, which can have catastrophic environmental impacts.
“We have also discussed voluntary measures for ships transiting the area with representatives from the shipping industry – we could ask them to record sightings of whales and other megafauna, and slow down when they are in known whale migratory areas. We are also working with the parties to the Convention on Migratory Species to finalize a single species action plan for the European eel, a critically endangered fish which only spawns in the Sargasso Sea,” Ms. Sapsford said.
Ms. Sapsford also spoke at two other events on behalf of the Sargasso Sea Commission at the conference, one on the use of the International Maritime Organization ‘Particularly Sensitive Sea Area’ tool for the conservation of the high seas, and one on BBNJ and ocean governance solutions to the triple planetary crisis with the World Maritime University Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, where Ms. Sapsford is completing her PhD.
At the conference, the Sargasso Sea Commission also collaborated with Jean-Pierre Rouja, Sargasso Sea Ambassador, Founder of the Nonsuch Expeditions and co-founder of BioQuest, as well as with the official Bermuda Government delegation, including Minister Jache Adams, Minister of Public Works and Environment, and Dr Tammy Warren, Senior Marine Resources Officer, Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The Sargasso Sea Commission and 10% for the Ocean, with support from the Nonsuch Expeditions hosted a screening of ‘Ocean with David Attenborough’ ahead of the conference, which was attended by Minister of Public Works and Environment, Jache Adams, the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and Ms. Antoinette Hurtado, U.S. Consul General to Bermuda.
The joint operation has “dismantled a money laundering network”, say Police
Photo provided by Bermuda Police Service
An American was arrested after cash was seized on a boat.
It was a joint operation involving police, Customs, the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard, and others.
A 54-year-old United States national, arrested for money laundering offenses, was aboard a vessel that was intercepted and searched under a Proceeds of Crime Act warrant.
The vessel, along with a significant amount of cash, was seized on Monday.
Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Sherwin Joseph, who led the multi-agency operation stated, “This operation has dismantled a money laundering network, geared towards trafficking the proceeds of criminality to overseas territories, thus denying an organized crime group of their criminal proceeds.”
Lucinda Pearman, the Collector of Customs, added, “this seizure demonstrates the power of coordinated intelligence, operational vigilance, and inter-agency collaboration.”
Bermuda Police Service Press Release:
A joint operation, involving the Bermuda Police Service (BPS), the Department of Customs, the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard, and other key stakeholders, has resulted in the arrest of a 54-year-old United States national for money laundering offenses.
He was aboard a vessel which was intercepted and searched under the authority of a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) warrant, on Monday, June 23, 2025. The vessel along with a significant amount of cash found during the search, were seized.
Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Sherwin Joseph, who led the multi-agency operation stated, “This operation has dismantled a money laundering network, geared towards trafficking the proceeds of criminality to overseas territories, thus denying an organized crime group of their criminal proceeds. Laundering illicit finances can cause significant social and economic harm to our community by fuelling organized crime groups, supporting gang culture and causing harm to Bermuda’s national prosperity and international reputation.”
“This operation further demonstrates that our collaborative mechanisms are appropriate, and our existing processes/procedures to tackle Money Laundering are both effective, and remain in line with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Global Standards and recommendations”
Ms. Lucinda Pearman, the Collector of Customs, added, “This operation demonstrates a strong inter-agency cooperation as well as our ongoing efforts and unified approach to border security and enforcement. This seizure demonstrates the power of coordinated intelligence, operational vigilance, and inter-agency collaboration. We remain committed to protecting our financial systems and national security by identifying and intercepting illegal flows of
money that undermine public trust and fund criminal enterprises. We commend all officers and agencies involved in this successful action. Their professionalism and dedication continue to ensure that our borders are not only secure but also resistant to financial crime.”
Coast Guard Commander Jeffrey Patterson commented, “The Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard, is pleased to have supported the successful execution of this operation with Police and Customs. On a daily basis, we support agencies in the execution of their duties effectively serving as a force multiplier, all in service of our mission to protect Bermuda’s Interests”
The BPS Specialists Investigations Department will continue investigations.
No further information will be provided at this time
Premier David Burt and a half-century of TV and radio colleagues pay tribute to Earlston Chapman
Retiring BBC Chief Engineer Earlston Chapman with Premier David Burt and BBC General Manger Heather Lamb
Today is a landmark day in the history of Bermuda Broadcasting Company.
Our Chief Engineer, Mr Earlston Chapman, officially retired after 47 years with the organization and its predecessor companies.
It’s fair to describe Mr Chapman – known to most of us affectionately as ‘Chappy’ – as a living legend.
He’s the man behind the scenes who for decades has made sure that you, our viewers and listeners, get to enjoy local radio and television.
A master of his craft, Chappy is universally respected both within the media industry and across the country.
Today we enjoyed a special celebration here at the station.
Premier David Burt came along and kindly presented Mr Chapman with a congratulatory plaque from Bermuda Broadcasting…
To mark the occasion of Mr Chapman’s retirement, Julie Matthews-Borchardt gathered testimonials from some of those who’ve had the honour of working with our Chief Engineer over the years…
All of us here at the station wish Chappy a long and happy retirement.
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