Bermudian cyclist Nicholas Narraway has achieved a career-best result in Spain’s gruelling national COPA race series. The ninth round, the prestigious Memorial Valenciaga in the Basque Country, proved incredibly challenging, with a punishing 165-kilometre course featuring seven steep mountain passes.
Of the 175 starters, only 81 managed to finish, highlighting the brutal nature of the race. Narraway, riding for Tenerife–Bike Point–La Sede, was his team’s sole finisher, crossing the line in an impressive 28th place with a time of 3 hours and 56 minutes.
Speaking after the race, Narraway acknowledged the demanding conditions and his tactical approach. His performance in such a tough event, where over half the field abandoned, underscores his growing strength and tactical awareness in the competitive Spanish cycling scene.
Michael Weeks, the National Security Minister made the urgent appeal for information in connection to violent crimes that could prevent future incidents
National Security Minister Michael Weeks made a clarion call to ‘end the madness’ of community violence that has plagued the island.
The near 15 minute long statement was made during the House of Assembly Wednesday morning/
It comes just days after the Bermuda Police Service announced a cash reward for anyone with information that could lead to the apprehension of the two suspects, who still remain at large, in connection to the Legend’s Bar mass shooting event on May 2nd.
This is not about vigilante justice, he said, but rather community strength and re-claiming peace and security.
He said, residents must stand up, speak out and save lives.
Minister Weeks further encourages parents to teach their young one to avoid the ‘no snitching’ street policy that often prevents people from sharing information with authorities.
The Minister also noting enhanced protections such as a witness protection program for those who provide valuable information to the authorities.
Police continue to ask those with relevant information on the double homicide to call them on 295-0011 or the anonymous Crime-Stoppers hotline at 800-8477.
27-year-old located near Lake Edison after nearly three weeks missing
(Images supplied by he Fresno County Sheriff’s Office)
Tiffany Slaton, a Bermudian woman from Georgia, who had been missing for more than two weeks after a solo-camping adventure, has been found safe in a remote area of California.
The 27-year-old was discovered Wednesday afternoon near Lake Edison in Fresno County, after the owner of Vermilion Valley Resort came across one of his cabins unexpectedly occupied.
“The owner was aware of an ongoing search for a missing woman and she matched the description,” the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said. “He immediately contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report his discovery.”
Deputies met the resort owner at the staging point along Kaiser Pass Road after he had driven Tiffany out to meet them. Medics were also on scene and confirmed that Ms Slaton was dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition. She was transported to a hospital for further treatment and observation.
The discovery marked the end of a large-scale search that began after Ms Slaton’s family, based in Georgia, reported her missing on April 29. She had last been in contact on April 20, after heading out on a solo camping trip in the Shaver Lake area.
“It is important to note that the road from Kaiser Pass back to Lake Edison was impassable due to the snowpack,” the Sheriff’s Office noted. “Snowplows cleared the road on Wednesday, which allowed the resort owner to access his property so he could begin preparations to open it up to the public for the summer season.”
The owner had intentionally left a cabin unlocked for emergency situations such as this. “He said he had left a cabin unlocked as a precaution for this exact situation where someone who is lost could seek shelter and increase their chances of surviving the outdoor elements and harsh weather.”
From May 6 to 10, the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (SAR) team conducted a full-scale operation, covering nearly 600 square miles – from Mono Hot Springs to Wishon Reservoir, Pine Flat Lake to Auberry. Despite helicopter surveillance of the Mono Hot Springs and Lake Edison areas, there were no sightings of Ms Slaton or her belongings during that time.
Detectives had previously confirmed sightings of Tiffany at Huntington Lake on April 20 and again near the old Cressman’s General Store on April 24.
Authorities are now arranging to meet with Slaton to better understand her experience and timeline of events during the weeks she was missing.
Her parents, who had remained in Georgia, were notified immediately after deputies confirmed her identity.
The country’s Parliament now must vote to approve or deny the suspension
FILE PHOTO: Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi (r) takes part in a march to demonstrate against the incoming government and its policies, in Wellington, New Zealand, December 5, 2023. REUTERS/Lucy Craymer/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
A New Zealand government committee on Wednesday recommended three Indigenous lawmakers be temporarily suspended from parliament following the performance of a haka during the reading of a contentious bill last year.
The Privileges Committee recommended that co-leaders of Te Pati Maori, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, be suspended for 21 days, while Te Pati Maori representative Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke be suspended for seven days for acting in “a manner that could have the effect of intimidating a member of the house.”
The report found that while both haka, Maori ceremonial dance, and song are not uncommon occurrences in parliament, members were aware permission from the speaker was needed beforehand unless they were performed during their speech.
Parliament now must vote to approve the suspension. The vote is expected to pass with the support of the ruling conservative coalition.
The recommendations come after the three members and opposition Labour Party Pene Henare performed a haka ahead of a vote on a bill that would have reinterpreted a 184-year-old treaty between the British and Indigenous Maori last November.
Ngarewa-Packer is also alleged to have made a hand gesture similar to a finger gun and simulated a firing motion.
The bill has since failed to garner sufficient support to become law.
Te Pati Maori in a statement on Instagram said the proposed punishments were the strongest ever handed down by the committee.
“When Tangata whenua (Indigenous people) resist, colonial powers reach for maximum penalty. This is a warning shot to all of us to fall in line,” it said.
Judith Collins, a ruling lawmaker who heads the Privileges Committee and serves as attorney-general, said it was highly disorderly for members to interrupt a vote while it was being conducted.
“The right to cast one’s vote without impediment goes the heart of being a member of Parliament. It is not acceptable to physically approach another member on the floor of the debating chamber,” Collins told a press conference on Wednesday.
Te Pati Maori had refused to go before the Privileges Committee but did provide a written response, saying it was appropriate “to rise and haka to express anger and opposition to a subject that is abusive and denigrating.”
Henare appeared before the privileges committee earlier this year and apologised to parliament.
Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington; Editing by Lincoln Feast.
State courthouses have proved an attractive venue for federal immigration operations
FILE PHOTO: People walk outside Milwaukee County Courthouse, after Wisconsin county judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by U.S. officials, charging her with helping a man in her court evade immigration authorities in an escalating dispute between President Donald Trump’s administration and local officials over immigration enforcement, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Vincent Alban/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
A Wisconsin judge is set to appear in federal court on Thursday to face charges accusing her of helping a migrant evade an immigration arrest in her courtroom in a case with implications for President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.
Hannah Dugan, an elected judge on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, is set to enter a plea on charges accusing her of obstruction and concealing an individual wanted for arrest.
Prosecutors allege that Dugan sought to derail the planned arrest by directing federal agents away from the hallway outside of her courtroom and escorting the migrant, identified as Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, through a non-public exit.
Dugan’s legal team has said she is innocent. On Wednesday, her lawyers asked for the indictment to be tossed out, arguing that as a judge she is immune from prosecution over official actions and that the case intrudes on state authority.
“The government’s prosecution of Judge Dugan is virtually unprecedented and entirely unconstitutional,” her lawyers wrote in a court filing.
The case came after the U.S. Justice Department under Trump vowed to investigate local officials who impede the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
State courthouses have proved an attractive venue for federal immigration operations, but the practice has drawn resistance from advocates over fears people living in the United States illegally will be deterred from accessing legal services.
Dugan, first elected as a judge in 2016, spent much of her career representing low-income litigants in cases involving civil rights and domestic abuse issues.
The prosecution relates to Flores-Ruiz’s planned appearance in Dugan’s courtroom on assault charges on April 18. Flores-Ruiz was set to appear for a pre-trial hearing after he was accused of striking his roommate and two others during a dispute about loud music, according to a local police report.
Flores-Ruiz had previously been deported to Mexico and federal immigration agents secured an administrative warrant to take him into custody, according to the criminal complaint against Dugan.
The complaint, citing witnesses, alleges that Dugan became angry after learning that law enforcement agents planned to arrest Flores-Ruiz outside her courtroom following the hearing.
She first directed a group of agents to an office down the hallway, where one agent spoke by phone to the chief judge. She then privately addressed the Flores-Ruiz case and waved him and his lawyer through a non-public “jury door,” according to the complaint.
The document notes that Flores-Ruiz was later spotted by law enforcement in a public hallway and that one agent followed him into an elevator. Flores-Ruiz was arrested outside the courthouse after a foot chase.
Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Scott Malone and Mark Porter
Cruise reprises the role of agent Ethan Hunt for the eighth time in the latest iteration in the series
Cast member Tom Cruise poses during a photocall for the film “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” Out of competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
International news via Reuters:
Tom Cruise hit the Cannes Film Festival’s red carpet on Wednesday to a live band rendition of the “Mission: Impossible” theme song as organisers pulled out all the stops to celebrate what may be the action star’s last appearance in the franchise.
Expectations had been high for Cruise’s return to Cannes three years after he had presented “Top Gun: Maverick” with a colourful jet flyover. He could be seen mouthing “wow” and “bravo” to the band during the performance.
Cruise, 62, greeted fans who had been waiting hours in the French Riviera resort town’s unrelenting sun before joining the other stars of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” to walk the carpet.
Fellow cast members Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Greg Tarzan Davis, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales and Hannah Waddingham posed with Cruise, even snapping a few selfies themselves, before heading into the red-bedecked Grand Lumiere Theatre.
U.S. actors Zoe Saldana and Eva Longoria, as well as Andie MacDowell, sporting a suit, and Cannes jury member Halle Berry were also spotted on their way to the Cannes premiere.
Cruise reprises the role of agent Ethan Hunt for the eighth time in the latest iteration in the series from director Christopher McQuarrie due to hit U.S. theatres on May 23.
With a budget of about $400 million, the new “Mission: Impossible” is one of several big-name films that cinema operators are hoping will help them stay on the road to recovery this year, five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Box office receipts totalled $8.6 billion last year in the United States and Canada, 25% below the pre-pandemic heights of $11.4 billion in 2019.
Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Sandra Maler
Tariffs made economic outlook more uncertain for most businesses with international revenues
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen on the side of an ITV office building at Media City in Manchester, Britain, May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Britain’s ITV reported a first-quarter performance in line with guidance and said while it was assessing the impact of tariffs, it did not expect its television-making unit to be hit by U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed film levies.
For the first quarter, the group, which is made up of two units, said its Studios production business reported a 1% rise in revenues, and its Media & Entertainment broadcast and streaming unit, posted total advertising revenue down 2%, as expected.
Trump’s tariffs have made the economic outlook more uncertain for most businesses with international revenues, and ITV Studios said it was continuing to assess the possibility of trade tariffs in the U.S..
“While the macroeconomic environment is uncertain, we remain confident,” chief executive Carolyn McCall said in a statement on Thursday.
The outlook for Studios, which made “Rivals” for Disney, and whose output in the first three months of 2025 included “Run Away” for Netflix and “The Devil’s Hour” for Amazon Prime Video, remains unchanged, ITV said.
Reuters reported in January that ITV was in early-stage talks with Abu Dhabi-backed RedBird IMI to merge their respective production businesses, ITV Studios and All3media.
Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton and James Davey
Sterling edged up against the U.S. dollar following data from the Office for National Statistics
FILE PHOTO: A view of the London skyline, Britain, October 14, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Childs/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Britain’s economy grew more strongly than expected in early 2025, giving a boost to the government and finance minister Rachel Reeves, who nevertheless faces a stiffer test ahead due to her tax hike on businesses and Donald Trump’s trade wars.
Between January and March, the economy accelerated to show growth of 0.7%, up sharply from an increase of 0.1% in the last three months of 2024, official data showed on Thursday.
That was above the 0.6% growth forecast in a Reuters poll of economists and which was also expected by the Bank of England.
In March alone, the economy grew unexpectedly, expanding by 0.2% from February, the Office for National Statistics said. The Reuters poll had pointed to a flat reading of 0.0%.
Sterling edged up against the U.S. dollar after the data was announced.
Reeves, who has been under fire from business leaders and opposition parties for her decision to increase social security contributions from April, said the data was a show of strength in the economy and its potential.
“In the first three months of the year, the UK economy has grown faster than the U.S., Canada, France, Italy and Germany,” she said in a statement.
Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer are trying to kick-start the economy via increased spending on infrastructure and other reforms that they hope will boost investment.
However, the BoE said last week it expected the strong growth in the January-to-March period would prove temporary with output likely to expand by 1% this year, speeding up only slightly to 1.5% growth in 2027.
Trump’s trade tariffs are expected to slow the global economy while British businesses have said they will be hit by big rises in employment taxes ordered by Reeves and in the minimum wage, which both came into effect in April.
Suren Thiru, economics director at ICAEW, an accountancy body, said the first-quarter growth spurt was likely to prove temporary with some businesses rushing to meet orders before the U.S. tariffs took effect.
“This robust quarterly reading is probably the pinnacle for economic growth this year, with activity likely to slow sharply going forward as tax and tariff rises and global uncertainty bite,” Thiru said.
But last week’s new trade deal signed with the United States could limit the blow to Britain’s economy. Under the deal the U.S. will reduce higher tariffs on steel and aluminium but will continue to impose a new 10% tariff on imports of most British goods.
So far, Britain’s consumers have remained largely unfazed by worries about the outlook for the economy. Data published this week showed a rise in their spending over March and April.
The ONS said growth in the first three months of 2025 was largely driven by the services sector although production grew significantly too after a period of decline.
Business investment grew strongly, expanding by 5.9% from the last quarter of 2024, the biggest increase in two years.
Elliott Jordan-Doak, senior U.K. economist at consultancy Pantheon Macroeconomics, said some of the jump in business investment reflected a big increase in imports of aircraft, which count as investment.
Real GDP per head – which gives a better sense of how economic growth is being felt by people – grew by 0.5%, following two consecutive quarterly falls, the ONS said.
Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Muvija M, Mark Potter and Hugh Lawson
Cash spending is now expected to reach 542.4 billion NOK this year, up from 460.1 billion NOK
FILE PHOTO: A Norwegian flag flutters over a shop in Tromso, Norway September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Norway’s Labour Party government plans to spend more than originally planned from the country’s sovereign wealth fund in 2025 to pay for increased support to Ukraine and other priorities, it said in a proposal to parliament on Thursday.
Cash spending from the $1.8 trillion sovereign wealth fund is now expected to reach 542.4 billion Norwegian crowns ($52.19 billion) this year, up from 460.1 billion originally planned last October, the government said in a revised fiscal budget.
“Uncertainty is high, and the risk of a global economic downturn has increased,” the government said in a statement.
Parliament in March agreed to more than double its financial pledge to Ukraine this year to help the country in its fight against the Russian invasion, and Thursday’s spring budget bill formalised the spending.
In its budget, the Norwegian government also cut its forecast for economic growth (non-oil GDP) outside the oil industry to 1.8% in 2025 from a previous estimate in March of 2.0%.
($1 = 10.3926 Norwegian crowns)
Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche and Essi Lehto
Japan is considering a package of proposals to gain U.S. concessions for a number of goods
FILE PHOTO: The U.S. and Japan flags fly together outside the White House in Washington April 27, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Japan’s top trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, could travel to Washington as soon as next week for a third round of trade talks with the U.S., two sources with knowledge of the plans told Reuters on Thursday.
The date of his visit was fluid and would depend on how much progress the two countries can make in narrowing differences in staff-level negotiations, one of the sources said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato is also scheduled to visit Canada next week for a meeting with his G7 counterparts, where he may discuss foreign exchange with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Japan is considering a package of proposals to gain U.S. concessions that may include increased imports of U.S. corn and soy, technical cooperation in shipbuilding, and revision to inspection standards for imported automobiles, the source said.
There is uncertainty on whether the two sides can iron out differences over Japan’s priority, which is to win exemptions from U.S. tariffs on automobile and auto parts – the mainstay of its export-heavy economy.
“We will seek reviews of the range of U.S. tariff measures, such as those on automobiles, auto parts, steel, aluminium as well as the reciprocal tariffs, that are deeply regrettable,” Akazawa, who is also economic revitalisation minister, told a news conference on Wednesday.
On April 2, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 10% tariffs on all countries except Canada, Mexico and China, along with higher tariff rates for many big trading partners, including Japan, which faces a 24% tariff rate starting in July unless it can negotiate a deal with the U.S.
Japanese policymakers and ruling party lawmakers have said they see no merit in striking a deal with the U.S. unless a 25% tariff on automobile imports is lifted, given the industry’s economic importance.
The impact is already evident in the sector. Mazda reported a 45.1% drop in net profit for the fiscal year that ended in March, and held off disclosing earnings estimates for the current year through March 2026.
During his second visit to Washington on May 1, Akazawa made a request to Bessent to review the 25% automobile and auto parts tariffs, though the two sides could not reach common ground.
Initial hope of a quick deal, such as one timed around a summit of G7 advanced economies in June, is fading. Domestic media have reported that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is now aiming for an agreement by early July – ahead of an upper house election slated later in the month.
While Japan was the first major economy to start bilateral trade talks with the U.S., Britain was the first to strike a deal with the Trump administration. China also agreed on a truce with the U.S. in a de-escalation of trade tensions that led to a sharp rebound in global stock prices.
“Slapping tariffs on Japan is less painful for the U.S. than doing so on China. As such, the U.S. doesn’t have a huge incentive to compromise and seek an early agreement with Japan,” said Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute, predicting that bilateral talks will drag on.
Japan’s upper house election also gives Ishiba little room for compromise in politically sensitive areas like agriculture. Ruling party heavyweight Hiroshi Moriyama, who is a close aide of Ishiba, has ruled out boosting imports of U.S. rice.
Reporting by Yoshifumi Takemoto and Leika Kihara; additional reporting by Makiko Yamazaki, Takaya Yamaguchi and Kentaro Sugiyama; Editing by Stephen Coates and Sam Holmes
The European Commission said TikTok failed to comply with the Digital Services Act
FILE PHOTO: TikTok logo is pictured on the U.S. headquarters of the social media company in Culver City, California, U.S. January 18, 2025. REUTERS/Fred Greaves/File photo
International news via Reuters:
TikTok was charged by EU tech regulators on Thursday with breaching EU online content rules following an investigation launched in February last year.
The European Commission said TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has failed to comply with the Digital Services Act’s obligation to publish an advertisement repository which allows researchers and people to detect scam advertisements.
It said the company does not provide the necessary information about the content of advertisements, the targeted users and who paid for the advertisements.
Shadow Home Affairs Minister questions Gov’t consultant costs, and if upcoming summit will just tell us what we already know
How much will it cost to reduce the cost of living?
This is a question being asked by the O.B.A’s Michael Fahy as the Ministry he shadows is spending more than a million dollars on consultants.
He also suggests the upcoming cost-of-living summit may just tell us what we already know.
“This is a ministry that’s talking about cost of living… and yet we’re spending $1.4 million on consultants.”
So says the OBA’s Michael Fahy, who questioned if the Ministry of Home Affairs that he shadows is spending dollars to try and save dollars.
Under new Minister Alexa Lightbourne, Home Affairs is a smaller operation, with responsibilities for Land Valuation and Environment reassigned to other Ministries.
Home Affairs still holds Energy and Land Title Registration, and will once more house the Department of Consumer Affairs, with an added focus on reducing the cost of living.
The salary budget for the Ministry has doubled from $860,000 to $1,734,000 – not necessarily surprising with public sector salary increases, and a doubling Ministry staff with the transfer of Consumer Affairs.
However, Shadow Home Affairs Minister Michael Fahy notes that the budget for Professional services in the paired down Home Affairs department has more than doubled to $1.42 million.
Mr Fahy said, “Almost 40% of the HQ budget is for professional services. Now, Professional Services is essentially consultants… So that is an estimate of what the government is likely to spend on consultants to make changes, to legislate, from what we can gather, based partly on this summit that is due to come in June. Based partly on the survey that has now been completed”
“My point is, it is lack of planning through all of this… We know what some of the major issues are – it remains taxes, it remains import duties, it remains freight issues. None of this is actual rocket science”
“So yes, okay, we’ll attend the summit… anything that comes of this summit, it’s unlikely to see any final report and towards the end of the year. So if people are hurting now, it seems to be taking a long time anyway to get anything off the ground”
Mr Fahy also highlighted that the second Bermuda Integrated Resource Plan, laying out future energy sector plans, is late.
He says, “our integrated resource plan… was in 2019 and it’s supposed to be a new one within five years.”
“It’s now more than five years and we don’t have a finalized plan. You can’t make proper policy and make proper decisions if the plans are not being followed and are not up to date and not being published on time.”
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