Somerset Cricket Club recovered superbly from an early setback to close the opening day of the 2026 Cup Match Classic on 277 for 6, after persistent rain delayed the start by more than two hours.
Five consecutive days of wet weather left the outfield saturated, forcing the first ball to be pushed back until 2:30pm. After winning the toss, Somerset chose to bat, but their innings could hardly have begun in worse fashion.
Captain Terryn Fray was dismissed from only the second ball of the match, handing St. George’s an immediate breakthrough.
Colt Jaiden Manders responded impressively alongside Kamau Leverock, the pair rebuilding with a 44-run partnership before Manders departed. Tre Manders then joined Leverock to add a further 55 runs for the third wicket, steadying Somerset after the early shock.
When Leverock fell, vice-captain Dominic Sabir took control of the innings. He shared a 33-run stand with Tre Manders before combining with Dion Stovell in the day’s defining partnership, adding 84 runs for the fifth wicket.
Sabir was the standout performer, top-scoring with a composed 67 from 99 deliveries, striking 10 fours and two sixes before becoming one of St. George’s late wickets.
By the close, Somerset had reached a competitive 277 for 6, setting the stage for an intriguing second day. Jonte Smith was the pick of the St. George’s bowlers, returning economical figures of 2 for 16 from six overs as honours remained finely balanced.
As Bermuda prepares for the 2026 Cup Match holiday, the Ministry of Health encourages residents and visitors to celebrate safely, stay aware of seasonal health risks, and look out for one another throughout the long weekend.
Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP, said: “Cup Match is a special time for our island. Whether you’re enjoying the cricket, spending time with family, or taking in the holiday from the beach or the water, please take simple steps to protect your health and wellbeing.”
The Ministry reminds the public to take precautions in the summer heat. Apply broad‑spectrum sunscreen regularly, wear lightweight protective clothing, and seek shade during peak UV hours. Staying hydrated is essential: drink water throughout the day, especially if consuming alcohol or spending extended time outdoors. If drinking, do so in moderation and plan ahead for safe transportation. Never drive under the influence.
Be mindful of signs of heat‑related illness, including dizziness, nausea, or rapid heartbeat. Anyone feeling unwell should move to a cool area immediately and seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
Food safety remains important during holiday gatherings. Keep chilled foods cold, especially seafood and meats, and practise good hygiene when preparing or serving meals. Wash hands often and avoid cross‑contamination between raw and cooked foods.
Minister Wilson also noted that respiratory illnesses continue to circulate in the community: “I encourage everyone to take sensible precautions, particularly to protect our seniors and those with underlying health conditions. If you’re feeling unwell with cold or flu‑like symptoms, please stay home. Wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings or when visiting vulnerable loved ones can provide an added layer of care. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use hand sanitiser, and cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your elbow. These small actions help keep our community healthy.
“Cup Match is a time of joy, tradition, and togetherness. Let’s all do our part to ensure a safe and healthy holiday for everyone.”
Shomari Talbot-Woolridge traces the strong links between Bermuda and the Caribbean
Statement by Shomari Talbot-Woolridge, the PLP Candidate for Constituency #9, Smith’s West, & PLP Youthwing Chairman:
Some of the oldest fortunes in this country were made in the Caribbean.
Not near it. Not alongside it. In it. The land, the boats, the shopfronts, the family names that still carry weight on this island were built out of a relationship with a region we are now told we barely know.
Bermudians did not visit the Caribbean. We settled it.
In 1648 about seventy Bermudians sailed south to found a colony. Twenty eight of them were enslaved Africans. Their ship broke on a reef off Eleuthera. That expedition was the first concerted European effort to colonise the Bahamas. In 1666 another group settled New Providence and built what became Nassau. Bermudians founded the Bahamas. The first settlement and the capital.
From the 1670s we ran the salt trade in the Turks Islands and held it for a century and a half. Our own Assembly claimed seven hundred and fifty of the eight hundred rakers there were Bermudian. In 1710, when the Spanish and French took the islands, Bermuda did not petition London. Bermuda armed a sloop and cleared out the garrison. We fought a war over Caribbean salt.
The economies were one economy. The salt went north. The sugar came back. Salt, sugar and slaves were never three industries. They were one machine, and this island turned it.
Here is the part that should stop you.
Every February, Bermudian owners put enslaved Bermudians on ships and sent them south for the season. Not for a voyage. For six months. Wives left behind. Children left behind. The Crown’s own regulations of 1767 speak of the great number of enslaved people sent annually to those islands while their masters remained comfortably in Bermuda.
The traffic ran the other way too. Most of the people enslaved in Bermuda were not brought here from Africa. They were brought here from the Caribbean. Taken off one island and set down on another. Whole families cut in half by the width of an ocean, and the cut was made by Bermudian hands, for Bermudian profit.
That is how tied together these islands are. Our people are in their ground. Their people are in ours.
Mary Prince was born enslaved in Devonshire in 1788. She was sold at about twelve for fifty seven pounds, sold again, and shipped to Grand Turk to rake salt for ten years. She wrote of standing in salt water to her knees from four in the morning until nine at night, until her legs broke into boils that ate down to the bone. She was taken to Antigua, then to England, and in 1831 she published her account of it.
They printed it under the title The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave, Related by Herself.
A West Indian slave. That is what they called a woman born in Devonshire.
Our National Hero. Her story is the story of us. It always was.
Now the money.
When Britain abolished slavery it paid compensation. Twenty million pounds, roughly forty per cent of the national budget, borrowed. Not one penny went to a freed person. The claims are public record, sitting in an archive at University College London where anyone can read them. Among them are two from St Vincent, settled in July 1836, naming merchants on St Vincent with other members of their family in Bermuda. A hundred and seventy three human beings. Four thousand eight hundred and eighteen pounds.
That money did not leave. It landed here.
Capital placed in the right hands in 1836 does not sit still. It bought land. It bought boats. It became shops that became stores that became banks. It paid for schooling, and for the schooling of the generation after that.
And it became names.
Names on buildings. Names over shopfronts. Names on companies that still trade in this country every day of the week. Names we say without hearing them.
Those names are not neutral. They are receipts.
So consider the arguments we are asked to take seriously now. That the Caribbean has nothing to offer us. That we are not like them. That the fit is wrong.
None of those objections were raised for three hundred years.
The relationship was never judged on whether it was close. It was judged on who was collecting.
What has changed is not the distance. What has changed is the distribution. The proposal on the table is a connection that pays into food security, energy, policing and training. A connection whose benefit reaches a household in Pembroke rather than a ledger in Hamilton.
That is the version we are told to be frightened of.
It was fine when a few were able to profit from the salt, the sugar and the slaves of the Caribbean. It is only a problem now that the profit might belong to everybody.
We have been in the Caribbean since 1648. You cannot join what you never left.
You can only stop pretending.
Happy Emancipation Day!
Happy Mary Prince Day!
Happy Cup Match!
Shomari Talbot-Woolridge is the PLP Candidate for Smith’s West, Progressive Minds; PLP Youthwing Chairman
Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd., (“Fortitude Re”) today announced a $50,000 donation to the Bermuda Education Network (BEN) through Fortitude Re 4 Good, the company’s umbrella for charitable giving, volunteerism and community partnerships. This contribution reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to education and community development across Bermuda.
The Bermuda Education Network is a nonprofit dedicated to improving public education by designing locally relevant curriculum and professional development programs for teachers and students. The donation will fund BEN’s educational programming, including the Fortitude Re Summer Reading Program, which provides primary-level students with additional academic support and enrichment experiences during the school break.
“At Fortitude Re, we know that strong readers become confident learners, and confident learners help build stronger communities,” said Amanda Stewart, SVP, Employee Experience and Executive Sponsor for Fortitude Re 4 Good. “We’re proud to partner with the Bermuda Education Network to help more children develop the literacy skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Investing in young readers today is an investment in Bermuda’s future.”
This contribution builds on Fortitude Re’s long-standing partnership with BEN. Since the collaboration began, Fortitude Re has contributed more than $500,000 to support teacher training, curriculum development, and the creation of BEN’s state-of-the-art Summer Reading Program, helping strengthen literacy outcomes for students across Bermuda. Beyond financial support, Fortitude Re colleagues regularly volunteer their time by reading with students through BEN’s Book Club, reinforcing the company’s commitment to investing in the next generation both inside and outside the classroom.
“The Summer Learning Program has provided unprecedented literacy intervention, free of charge to students who needed additional help,” said Becky Ausenda, Founder of BEN. “We are so grateful to Fortitude Re for their generous support which allowed us to develop the best possible intervention for children at a critical stage in their education career.”
In 2025, the partnership included support for 62 students, with 98 percent demonstrating measurable learning gains. This year’s program is currently serving 57 students. By continuing to invest in education, Fortitude Re 4 Good seeks to empower the next generation of Bermudian learners and ensure equitable access to high-quality educational resources.
Fortitude Re is a leading global reinsurer with more than $100 billion in reserves. Backed by world-class investors, including Carlyle and T&D Insurance Group, Fortitude Re combines deep expertise, disciplined execution, and a strong capital base to help clients navigate significant risk and capital challenges. Powered by a people-first culture that attracts, develops, and retains top industry talent, the company delivers innovative, tailored solutions that create lasting value for clients, partners, and policyholders. For more information, visit fortitude-re.com and follow Fortitude Re on LinkedIn.
About Bermuda Education Network
The Bermuda Education Network (BEN) is a registered nonprofit dedicated to improving public education across Bermuda. BEN connects educators, students, and community partners through curriculum design, enrichment programs, and professional development, helping to reduce literacy gaps and inspire lifelong learning. Visit www.bermudaeducationnetwork.com for more information.
Cup Match 2026 start delayed by three hours at Somerset
The Somerset Cricket Club says heavy rain and winds have forced a three-hour delay to Thursday’s opening of the Cup Match Classic.
The Somerset Cricket Club has delayed the start of the 2026 Cup Match Classic by three hours, citing recent torrential rain and winds that hampered ground preparations.
In a statement issued on July 30, 2026, the club said the decision was made after consulting the Joint Agency Command Centre and reviewing a forecast from The Bermuda Weather Service.
Gates will open at 6am on Thursday, with the first ball now bowled at 1pm, according to the club. The delay applies if there are no further hold-ups.
To make up for the lost time, play on Friday will begin one hour earlier, at 9am.
The club said the safety and general welfare of everyone was of paramount importance. It acknowledged the delay would bring some disappointment.
The Somerset Cricket Club also thanked plot holders who set up their viewing spots amid the heavy downpours that hit Bermuda this week.
The statement was issued in agreement with St. George’s Cricket Club.
Media release supplied by the Somerset Cricket Club, Inc.
The policy ties renewable deployment to least cost outcomes and measures progress against the 2025 average retail rate
Media Release:
The Ministry of Home Affairs has finalised the National Electricity Sector Policy 2026.
The finalised NESP which can be found here: www.gov.bm/articles/national-electricity-sector-policy-2026, replaces the National Electricity Sector Policy 2015 and sets the Government’s direction for Bermuda’s electricity sector through to 2045.
The public will be aware that consultation on the policy closed on 21 May 2026.
The 2015 policy established Bermuda’s first modern framework for the sector. In the eleven years since, the sector changed faster than the policy governing it.
The policy arrived at a time of rapidly moving energy events. In Bermuda, new licence classes were created. Distributed generation has increased. Fuel prices moved sharply due to various geopolitical factors. This has required the evolution of a policy grounded in the community’s needs.
The 2019 Integrated Resource Plan set a target of eighty-five per cent renewable generation by 2035, a figure produced through technical scenario work rather than declared as policy and never established as the least-cost pathway. The distance between the policy and the approved plan carried uncertainty into every investment decision that followed and placed tangible burdens on those who pay for electricity.
The NESP 2026 is intentionally technology agnostic. It endorses no generation technology in advance and prescribes no deployment schedule. Every resource option is compared on a levelised cost of electricity basis through the Integrated Resource Plan, and the shift to lower carbon generation proceeds where it holds or reduces rates against the business as usual case.
Affordability is a requirement linked to measurable customer outcomes rather than an ambition. The policy fixes the 2025 average retail tariff as the reference point against which future tariff performance is assessed.
“Affordability is structural, and this policy treats it that way,” said the Hon. Alexa Lightbourne, JP, MP, Minister of Home Affairs. “Every pathway is costed before it is adopted. Bermudians for too long have carried the price of plans that were never tested against the bill at the end of the month.”
Policy milestones will be agreed, as informed by data. The Regulatory Authority first derives candidate pathways through least-cost modelling. The Minister then declares the milestone by Ministerial declaration under section 7(2) of the Electricity Act 2016, stating the aggregate figure, the checkpoint years, and the evidence relied on. The Authority determines the annual pathway, the procurement volumes, and the technology mix through the Integrated Resource Plan. That sequence follows established practice in Hawaii, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, sized for Bermuda’s grid and institutions.
What has changed since 2015:
Planning authority: The Integrated Resource Plan will be developed and approved by the Regulatory Authority in collaboration with sectoral participants, in place of the previous arrangement once amended in law.-
Costed pathways: Renewable deployment proceeds where technologies are cost effective and deliverable. Targets are set on evidence and reviewed at each planning cycle.
Equity between customers: Tariffs must reflect the true cost of service so that grid-reliant customers do not carry the costs created by distributed generation.
Shared ownership: A Community and Cooperative Energy Licence is proposed, opening renewable participation to renters, apartment dwellers, low-income households, and small businesses.
Transport:Electric vehicles are treated as a driver of electricity sales and tariff stability, supported by a dedicated tariff, smart charging, and battery end-of-life planning.
Energy security: The policy carries an explicit Energy Security Statement covering import dependency, fuel diversification, and storage.
Workforce: Renewable energy installers will be licensed and certified nationally, with training pathways delivered through the Department of Workforce Development.
Accountability: The Regulatory Authority will publish an implementation schedule within six months, a progress report each year, and an interim report at the mid-point of each review cycle.
Minister Lightbourne confirmed that delivery will be measured publicly.
She concluded, “This policy advances energy democracy. The renter, the family in an apartment, and the small business owner should all be able to take part in renewable generation and share in what it returns. We are advancing a just energy transition; inclusive participation, social and economic opportunity, community empowerment, and environmental and climate justice.”
Members of the public can view the finalised NESP at either of these links: www.gov.bm/ministry/home-affairs of here www.gov.bm/articles/national-electricity-sector-policy-2026.
One-way flow will operate around Somerset Cricket Club from 29 to 31 July with police and Royal Bermuda Regiment managing traffic
Media Release:
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment wishes to inform motorists and pedestrians that a change in traffic flow direction will occur on Clyde Best Lane, Cricket Lane, and the Railway Trail. The change in traffic flow will allow a one-way traffic system around the Somerset Cricket Club Grounds.
The change in traffic flow direction will allow one-way traffic to pass through Cricket Lane from Clyde Best Lane to Scott’s Hill from Wednesday 29th July from 12 pm – 9 pm; Thursday 30th July from 6 am – 9 pm; Friday 31st July from 6 am – 10 pm. One-way traffic to pass through Clyde Best Lane from Cricket Lane to Railway Trail for motorcycles only from Wednesday 29th July from 12 pm – 9 pm; Thursday 30th July from 6 am – 9 pm; Friday 31st July from 6 am – 10 pm. One-way traffic to pass through the Railway Trail towards Scott’s Hill Road from Wednesday 29th July from 12 pm – 9 pm; Thursday 30th July from 6 am – 9 pm; Friday 31st July from 6 am – 10 pm.
The road will be managed by Security Associates on Wednesday and by the Bermuda Police Service and the Royal Bermuda Regiment on both Cup Match days.
The Ministry of Public Works and Environment encourages the full cooperation of the motoring public and apologises for any inconvenience that may result.
If there are any questions regarding these works, please contact, Iejah Caines, Superintendent for the Ministry of Public Works and Environment at 501-3038.
According to United Nations figures, 18 Palestinians have been killed in incidents linked to settler attacks so far this year, compared with 17 in the whole of 2025
International News via Reuters:
The U.N. human rights office on Wednesday warned of worsening violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, and urged international action against the killing of Palestinians as well as the creation of settlements, which it said had reached an all-time high.
According to United Nations figures, 18 Palestinians have been killed in incidents linked to settler attacks so far this year, compared with 17 in the whole of 2025. The Palestinian Authority says at least 20 Palestinians have been killed by settlers since the start of the year.
Last Friday, four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers — one of whom acted as a security coordinator for a nearby Israeli settlement — were killed when a crowd of Israeli settlers, some armed, approached the Palestinian village of Tal, southwest of Nablus.
“Settlers and Israeli security forces, often acting together, have attacked local communities, assaulting families, destroying and confiscating property, and burning mosques,” Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.
The Israeli government and military did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The U.N. human rights office said settler violence and actions tantamount to ongoing annexation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank had worsened in the two years since a ruling at the International Court of Justice in July 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn. Israel at the time rejected the finding as “fundamentally wrong” and one-sided.
Violence in the West Bank has surged since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, with the U.N., rights groups and Palestinian officials reporting a sharp rise in settler attacks.
Earlier in July, Israel’s security cabinet approved 1.3 billion shekels ($434 million) to establish 34 new settlements in the West Bank, territory that Israel captured in a 1967 war and which Palestinians seek as the core of a future state.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who advocates for the full annexation of the West Bank, called the move “historic”. U.N. bodies, Palestinians and most countries view the settlements as illegal under international conventions — a stance disputed by Israel — and a major obstacle to peace.
Israel cites biblical and historical ties to the land, which it argues is disputed territory, where Jews have lived for thousands of years.
About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Hugh Lawson
Lisbon relaunched TAP’s long-delayed privatisation in July 2025, aiming to sell a 44.9% stake to a strategic airline partner capable of boosting the carrier’s global reach and competitiveness
International News via Reuters:
Air France-KLM and Lufthansa said on Wednesday they had submitted binding offers for a minority stake in TAP, as the competition for one of Europe’s few remaining standalone flag carriers entered the final stage.
Lisbon relaunched TAP’s long-delayed privatisation in July 2025, aiming to sell a 44.9% stake to a strategic airline partner capable of boosting the carrier’s global reach and competitiveness.
The government has said that TAP needs to be part of a larger airline group, warning that EU state-aid rules prevent further public funding and leave the company vulnerable to future global shocks.
Air France-KLM and Lufthansa emerged as the sole contenders after submitting non-binding offers in April, with the government describing both proposals as “largely equivalent and very ambitious” in strategic, industrial and financial terms.
AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR TAP
Air France-KLM said that, if selected, it would make Lisbon its sole hub in southern Europe, strengthening TAP’s links with the Americas and Africa and building on the Portuguese carrier’s strong position on routes to Brazil.
Lufthansa said that, as the largest airline group outside the United States, it could provide TAP with “necessary scale, experience, and financial stability”, citing its track record in developing SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways while maintaining their national brands.
TAP’s main attraction is its prized and lucrative slots linking its Lisbon hub with Brazil, Portuguese-speaking African countries and the United States, important routes for Portugal’s diaspora, tourism and investment.
Unlike a conventional privatisation, Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz said this month that the decision was a strategic one that should not be reduced to price alone.
The government wants TAP’s next partner to back growth across Portugal, strengthening operations and connections not only in Lisbon but also in Porto, Faro, the Azores and Madeira.
BROADER GLOBAL NETWORKS
Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith said the group’s binding offer was “not just a proposed price” but a long-term plan for TAP, which was backed by partner Delta Air Lines and aimed at creating a European global aviation champion.
Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said Lufthansa’s interest in TAP, its Star Alliance partner, was the next logical step, with the aim of strengthening it within the Lufthansa Group while positioning Lisbon as a strategic South Atlantic hub.
Bernstein analysts valued TAP’s 44.9% stake at around €700 million ($798 million), based on a valuation of €1.5 billion for the entire airline. The government and the airlines did not disclose the value of the binding offers.
Lisbon says recent airline deals in Europe generated synergies, or cost savings, of about 7% of the acquired carrier’s revenue, or €300 million a year in TAP’s case.
($1 = 0.8774 euros)
Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Jan Harvey, Kirsten Donovan
Residents and tourists were evacuated from Krya Vrysi and other nearby villages, locals told Reuters by phone, as high winds pushed the fire out of control near popular holiday spots
International News via Reuters:
Three Greek firefighters died battling blazes during high winds on the island of Crete and the mainland as wildfires spread across Europe on Wednesday after days of devastating fires in Spain and France.
Two firefighters became trapped in the Crete blaze near the village of Krya Vrysi while they were driving between fire fronts. Another died in a separate fire in the Peloponnese region, a fire department spokesperson told Reuters.
Residents and tourists were evacuated from Krya Vrysi and other nearby villages, locals told Reuters by phone, as high winds pushed the fire out of control near popular holiday spots.
“The wind is unbelievable – you can’t stand sometimes. The flames were huge, it was really scary,” said resident Chrissa Gioukaki.
The flames headed southeast towards the coastal town of Agia Galini, where hotels line a hill above a small harbour. Tourists were evacuated on buses and in cars on Wednesday afternoon, said Charalampos Sevvas, owner of the Galini Mare hotel.
Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the EU’s emergency response centre said that Greece and Italy were set to face a heightened wildfire risk in the coming weeks.
Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, has endured record-breaking heatwaves this year, as human-driven climate change is intensifying the heat and drought that allow wildfires to spread faster.
MAJOR SPANISH FIRE STABILISED
Blazes have forced large-scale evacuations of people in Spain and France over the past days, scorching through forests and killing wildlife.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned of “three tough days” ahead, with strong winds and high temperatures, even as the major fire in the Avila and Madrid region stabilised, allowing authorities to lift some of the evacuation and shelter-in-place orders.
Officials meanwhile warned of another fire in the northwestern Spanish province of Zamora. They issued an evacuation order for six towns and asked about 1,000 people to shelter in place.
Spain’s weather agency AEMET said temperatures were expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday in at least six regions, which have been placed on orange alert, the second-highest level.
FIREFIGHTERS WARY OF NEW TEMPERATURE RISE
In France, temperatures in the southwest, hit by devastating fires, were expected to rise from around 33 C on Tuesday to peak at 41 C, according to Meteo France, while dry winds in the afternoon could stoke flames.
French firefighters kept a major blaze west of Bordeaux stable overnight. And near Bordeaux’s airport, which has remained open, tramway services resumed and hotels reopened.
But officials warned the wildfires were far from over. The southwestern municipality of Lege-Cap-Ferret flagged several flare-ups in the area, adding that firefighters had managed to stabilise them.
In Le Temple, around 30 km away, firefighters with trucks and hoses and supported by aircraft worked to extinguish a reigniting fire that set trees and vegetation ablaze.
“We remain vigilant of course today, considering the forecast weather conditions, with a new rise in temperatures and higher wind speeds in the afternoon,” firefighter commander Matthieu Jomain told reporters earlier in the day.
EVACUATIONS AND SHOCK AT RUINED HOMES
The impact on the forests has been widespread. The wildfire in the Landes area west of Bordeaux, a popular tourist destination, has devastated 42,000 hectares (104,000 acres) of mainly pine trees.
Authorities have evacuated about 220,000 people, including holidaymakers and local residents, as the fire threatened the Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast, only accessible by one road. About 60,000 people have been allowed back.
Raphael Fohanno could not believe what had happened to his parents’ house in the small beach town of Biscarrosse, also hit by wildfires in southwestern France.
“It’s a shock, thinking that just an hour earlier I’d been in my room and everything and now, there’s nothing left,” 18-year-old Fohanno said. His parents and sister had been evacuated by helicopter while he was out of the house.
FIRE IN SPAIN’S CASTELLON RAGES FOR FIFTH DAY
From Thursday onwards, danger levels in southwestern France appear likely to decrease thanks to some thunderstorms, lower temperatures and increased humidity, but will remain high in the southeast, Meteo France said.
Four people were arrested in recent days in the area, one on suspicion of stealing jewellery from evacuated houses, two for allegedly stealing food from an evacuation centre in Bordeaux, and one for pretending to be a therapist and offering paid sessions to evacuees, police said.
In Spain, while the situation had improved in the central provinces of Avila and Madrid, a blaze in eastern Castellon remained out of control after burning more than 10,000 hectares as weather conditions triggered several flare-ups.
Around 10,000 evacuated residents were still unable to return to their homes in Castellon.
But in a moment of hope, a veterinary hospital housing dozens of horses was saved from the flames in La Vilavella in the province, thanks to the efforts of locals.
“Miracles exist. We have been saved!” said veterinarian Oscar Quemades.
DEER KILLED IN SPANISH FOREST
More frequent and intense heatwaves are causing thousands of excess deaths and increasingly disrupting everyday life, from snarling road and rail travel to hindering river shipping.
Highlighting the devastation wrought on the countryside and wildlife, Reuters drone footage from El Tiemblo, in Spain’s Avila province, showed charred deer carcasses in a forest burnt to ashes.
A Madrid resident who gave her name as Cintia was horrified by the scene in El Tiemblo, a place she has often visited.
“We used to bring food up for the animals,” she said. “And look where it is today.”
Additional reporting by Edward McAllister and Lefteris Papadimas in Athens, Leonardo Benassatto in La Vilavella, Guillermo Martinez in El Tiemblo, David Latona and Emma Pinedo in Madrid, Inti Landauro, Kate Abnett and Sudip Kar-Gupta in Brussels, Janis Laizans in Bordeaux; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Alison Williams and David Holmes
In a submission to Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority, the iPhone maker said proposed “steering” requirements would go beyond promoting competition and give the regulator a “highly intrusive” role in managing its business
International News via Reuters:
Apple said on Wednesday that proposed UK rules governing its App Store would amount to price regulation, arguing that plans to loosen its control over in-app payments could undermine innovation and investment.
In a submission to Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority, the iPhone maker said proposed “steering” requirements would go beyond promoting competition and give the regulator a “highly intrusive” role in managing its business.
The CMA’s consultation, which closed on Monday, is part of its efforts to boost competition and consumer choice. Its proposed measures would allow app developers to direct users to payment options outside Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store and require any fees charged for such steering to be fair and reasonable.
Apple said the App Store facilitated more than £46.5 billion ($61.8 billion) in UK billings and sales in 2025, with commissions accounting for less than 3.5% of the total. It added that there was no evidence changes to its payment model would lower prices for consumers.
“Under the (consultation), the CMA would not only regulate Apple’s prices, but also restrict the products and services for which Apple can charge a commission,” the company said in its submission.
Gene Burrus, global policy counsel for the Coalition for App Fairness, which has long campaigned for restrictions on Apple and Google app store practices, said Apple’s arguments overlooked the barriers developers face.
“Apple is using its position as the dominant platform gatekeeper to give itself unfair and unwarranted competitive advantages,” Burrus said.
Apple has previously said developers already have multiple ways to transact with users outside its platform.
The CMA consultation is part of Britain’s new digital markets regime, which gives the watchdog powers to impose tailored requirements on companies designated as having “strategic market status”.
Apple and Google were designated under the regime last year.
($1 = 0.7521 pounds)
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti. Editing by Mark Potter
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