Police said in a statement that they had launched a manhunt for more than 10 suspects following the attack at the Jumpers informal settlement
International News via Reuters:
At least 12 people were killed and nine injured on Tuesday evening when gunmen opened fire at an informal settlement in Cleveland, east of Johannesburg, police said on Wednesday.
Police said in a statement that they had launched a manhunt for more than 10 suspects following the attack at the Jumpers informal settlement.
The motive for the attack is not known.
Police said the suspects arrived in a white Toyota Quantum, entered the settlement from two access points and opened fire at multiple locations before fleeing in the same vehicle.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, averaging about 60 a day.
Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina;Editing by Alexander Winning
Seasonal forecasts indicate above-normal temperatures across large parts of the United States, while moisture flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico could fuel thunderstorms and severe weather during the opening weeks of the tournament
International News via Reuters:
The World Cup will kick off on Thursday under familiar North American summer threats: extreme heat, suffocating humidity and thunderstorms capable of delaying matches with little warning.
Seasonal forecasts indicate above-normal temperatures across large parts of the United States, while moisture flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico could fuel thunderstorms and severe weather during the opening weeks of the tournament.
While conditions for individual matches cannot be predicted this far ahead, sports scientists say there are clear weather-related risks facing a summer World Cup spanning Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The key measure is not air temperature alone but wet-bulb globe temperature, which incorporates heat, humidity, sunlight and wind to estimate heat stress on the body.
World Weather Attribution has warned that roughly a quarter of matches could be played in conditions that exceed recommended safety limits.
INTERNAL HEAT CHALLENGE
Chris Minson, a physiology professor and co-director of the Exercise and Environmental Physiology Labs at the University of Oregon, said elite players generate enormous internal heat even before the weather is considered.
“Seventy-five percent of all the energy that we utilise during exercise gets converted to heat,” Minson told Reuters. “Only about 25% goes to actually doing the exercise.”
In hot, sunny or humid conditions, the body’s normal cooling system begins to struggle. Humidity is a particular concern, since sweat cools the body only when it evaporates.
“One of the hardest things for us is when the humidity is very high,” Minson said.
High-humidity World Cup venues include Houston, Miami, Dallas and Monterrey.
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE
Climate change has increased the likelihood of temperatures high enough to affect player performance at 97 of the 104 tournament matches, according to new research from Climate Central.
The biggest such increase is projected for the June 26 group-stage match between Uruguay and Spain in Guadalajara, where researchers estimated a 70% chance of performance-impairing heat – 37 percentage points higher than it would have been without climate change.
Ryan Calsbeek, a biological sciences professor at Dartmouth College who studies how body type affects athletic performance in different climates, said heat and humidity could influence not only player welfare but the pace and style of matches.
“Higher temperature, higher humidity is likely to slow games down,” he said. “When athletes have to perform for a very long time, they’re just not going to be able to balance the explosive power of their fast-twitch efforts with the more aerobic long-term efforts of a 90-plus minute game in the heat and humidity.”
Nearly half of all matches face at least a 50% chance of temperatures exceeding 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 Fahrenheit) — a threshold linked to declines in sprinting, distance covered and recovery time.
Calsbeek said Mexico City’s altitude – some 2,240 meters (7,350 ft) above sea level – could also prove significant, particularly for those arriving from lower elevations without time to acclimatise. The city is set to host five matches.
FIFA has said every match at the World Cup will include a three-minute hydration break in each half, while scheduling decisions took into account factors including average temperatures, travel, rest days, medical planning and cooling infrastructure.
SAFETY PROTOCOLS QUESTIONED
Several venues feature retractable roofs or climate-control systems, and tournament regulations allow matches to be delayed, suspended, rescheduled or relocated for health, safety or security reasons, including severe weather.
Minson said FIFA should mandate interventions when the wet-bulb globe temperature reaches 26C and should consider postponing matches around 28C to 30C.
Minson also called for six-minute cooling breaks, shaded cooling areas, emergency ice baths and longer halftimes when conditions warranted.
“If you have a player who seems to be having some delirium or not thinking straight, or collapses on the field, you need to cool them down immediately,” he said.
For FIFA, the tournament is a logistical showpiece. For players, coaches and scientists, it may also be a test of how football adapts to a hotter future.
Reporting by Angelica Medina and Janina Nuno Rios, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien
Hudson Ferris honoured as first recipient of renamed leadership award
In recognition of his recent retirement and lasting contributions to the firm and community, Deloitte is proud to announce the renaming of the Deloitte Bermuda Scholarship to the Deloitte Bermuda John Johnston “Leadership with Integrity” Scholarship.
Hudson Ferris has been named the inaugural recipient of the Deloitte Bermuda John Johnston “Leadership with Integrity” Scholarship (The Scholarship).
The Scholarship is awarded annually and provides Bermudian undergraduate students pursuing accounting, actuarial science, or other business-related fields of study with up to $30,000 over a maximum of three years.
Hudson said: “I am honoured to be selected as the inaugural recipient of the Deloitte Bermuda John Johnston ‘Lead with Integrity’ Scholarship. This recognition reflects the values of leadership, initiative, and integrity that have guided my academic journey and community involvement. I am grateful to Deloitte and the Scholarship Committee for their confidence and support, and I look forward to learning from this opportunity and using those experiences to make a meaningful contribution to Bermuda in the future.”
The Deloitte Bermuda John Johnston “Leadership with Integrity” Scholarship Committee was highly impressed by the quality of this year’s applicants, with Hudson distinguishing himself through his academic achievement, initiative, leadership, and strong alignment with Deloitte’s values. He recently completed the International Baccalaureate Programme at Warwick Academy and will begin a Bachelor of Science, Finance and Accounting at the University of Exeter in Fall 2026.
Hudson’s thoughtful engagement with Deloitte first stood out at a career fair, where he approached the team after researching the firm and asked informed, tailored questions about different career paths. The Committee also noted his confidence, preparation, and ability to articulate his strengths, as well as his responsible use of technology as a study aid. Among his standout accomplishments is helping lead the introduction of Bermuda’s first water-cleaning drone, an initiative that required coordinating stakeholders and securing funding, demonstrating exceptional leadership and project management skills.
Hudson will participate in the Deloitte Exclusive Experience Program (DEEP Internship) next summer and, upon completing his studies, intends to pursue his professional designation with Deloitte’s support.
“At Deloitte, we search for people who are innovative and driven to add value to and make an impact through their work,” said Heldar Carreiro, Audit & Assurance Partner and Member of the Deloitte Bermuda John Johnston “Leadership with Integrity” Scholarship Committee. “We want to invest in local talent so that they can reach their professional objectives. Therefore, I am pleased to award the 2026 Deloitte Bermuda John Johnston ‘Leadership with Integrity’ Scholarship to Hudson. He has demonstrated a strong commitment to his studies and to pursuing a career in a business-related field. Deloitte hopes he continues to succeed and looks forward to supporting him both monetarily and via his job experiences.”
Deloitte is a place for the curious. We welcome those who value imagination, natural ingenuity, delivering solutions, and problem-solving. At our firm, you’ll find your unique fit within our multidisciplinary service lines, including Audit & Assurance, Tax, and Consulting. We offer life-changing career and professional development opportunities for those who set no limits on their ambitions. Be a part of the Deloitte network and connect with our global community, gain valuable work experience, flex-work benefits, local and overseas training, volunteer opportunities, and lifelong friendships. Deloitte Bermuda student programs include: High School Work Experiences, DEEP, Co-op Placements, and the Deloitte Graduate Program.
At Deloitte, there is a universe of career options for you, all with endless future possibilities. To discover yours, visit https://www.deloitte.com/cbc/students for more information about our student programs.
Photo caption: Heldar Carreiro, Audit & Assurance Partner and The Scholarship Committee Member, with Hudson Ferris, 2026 Deloitte Bermuda John Johnston “Leadership with Integrity” Scholarship recipient.
The Brians 1 penitentiary, built in 1991 about 40 km (25 miles) outside Barcelona, currently houses around 1,000 inmates
International News via Reuters:
Pope Leo, who has forcefully advocated for the rights of prisoners, visited one of Spain’s largest prisons on Wednesday, urging the inmates to make amends for their crimes and commit to living better lives.
Speaking to detainees at a penitentiary outside Barcelona, in the first visit of a pope to a Spanish prison, Leo said a person’s past “does not condemn the future but rather offers the possibility of changing our decisions and choices”.
Leo, the first U.S. pope, is on a week-long tour of Spain in which he has warned that escalating conflicts have pushed the world into a profound crisis and urged better treatment of migrants.
The centrepiece of the pope’s visit to Barcelona, the second of three stops on the tour, will come later Wednesday, when he will inaugurate the newest tower of the Sagrada Familia, the modernist basilica designed by Antoni Gaudi that has become the world’s tallest church.
The Brians 1 penitentiary, built in 1991 about 40 km (25 miles) outside Barcelona, currently houses around 1,000 inmates.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I haven’t been able to sleep a wink,” said Montse Benavente, an inmate who delivered a testimony before the pope about how she had struggled with her faith and the damage she had done to her family with her actions.
Leo last visited a prison in April, when he braved a heavy rainstorm in Equatorial Guinea during a four-nation Africa tour and heard the inmates cry out for freedom.
The late Pope Francis also advocated for prisoners’ rights and visited a facility in Rome just four days before his death as he was recovering from double pneumonia.
One of the prisoners at the Barcelona facility told El Mundo they were very grateful for Leo’s visit. “No one remembers us,” said the person, identified as Mayte. “It is very easy to forget someone who is in prison.”
Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Additional reporting by Joan Faus; Editing by Charlie Devereux and Alison Williams
The report said the Department for Business and Trade would be holding talks with industry groups this week on proposals that would exclude a greater number of steel products from the restrictions unveiled in March
International News via Reuters:
Britain is drawing up plans to modify a steel tariff regime, including expanding exemptions to more categories of steel, after industry groups warned the measures could impose heavy costs on their businesses, Sky News reported on Wednesday.
The report said the Department for Business and Trade would be holding talks with industry groups this week on proposals that would exclude a greater number of steel products from the restrictions unveiled in March.
The Department for Business and Trade did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reporting by Muvija M, writing by Sam Tabahriti, editing by William James
The utility would avoid some new penalties over four years in return for £700 million investor funding to improve assets
International News via Reuters:
UK’s Thames Water could pay £749 million ($1 billion), including fees to bankers and lawyers, if a proposed deal handing senior creditors control of the utility goes through, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing a creditor submission.
Here are some details from the report:
• Deal would include £160 million in fees to senior creditors and £254 million in other costs
• Thames Water would pay about £285 million in accrued interest to creditors on deal completion, and £50 million in fees owed to other creditors
• The utility would avoid some new penalties over four years in return for £700 million investor funding to improve assets
• Creditors would inject £3.35 billion in new equity and provide £3.25 billion in new debt, plus an option to increase debt by £3.3 billion
• Thames Water will pay £160 million in commitment fees to lenders backing the £6.55 billion debt package
• Apollo will backstop the entire credit facility and could receive a sum of £160 million, with other creditors taking smaller portions
• Thames Water reiterated its focus on securing a recapitalisation to restore financial stability, a spokesperson told Reuters, adding that the deal is intended to support and accelerate a turnaround
• Creditors have proposed a new management plan that could lead to a 2030 IPO
• Ofwat said that it is reviewing the proposals carefully to assess whether they would benefit customers and the environment
• Silver Point and Apollo did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment
($1 = 0.7469 pounds)
Reporting by Bipasha Dey in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Anusha Shah; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Sonia Cheema
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out missile and drone attacks on U.S. military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz
International News via Reuters:
Sterling was broadly steady against the dollar on Wednesday, with investors closely monitoring the latest flare-up between the U.S. and Iran that has cast fresh doubt over prospects for a deal to end the war.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out missile and drone attacks on U.S. military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz.
The exchange, after U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had downed a U.S. Apache helicopter near the strait, marks one of the most significant escalations since Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in April.
However, currency markets seemed to shrug off the latest attacks and remain focused on hopes of the conflict being resolved, with the safe-haven dollar treading water.
Sterling was last up 0.13% against the dollar at $1.3393, having on Monday hit its lowest since May 18. Against the euro, sterling was little changed at 86.24 pence.
Markets are looking to Friday’s UK GDP data, with further fresh impulses for sterling set to come thick and fast next week.
Various economic data points are due then, including inflation and retail sales figures, an interest rate decision from the Bank of England, and the crucial Makerfield by-election will take place on June 18.
The by-election could pave the way back to Westminster for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, the candidate of the governing Labour Party. If he wins, he could ignite a party leadership battle that might see him replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer and revive concerns over UK fiscal policy.
“I think right now we’re in a holding pattern because we haven’t had an awful lot of political news from the UK in the last couple of weeks because obviously everybody’s waiting for the by-election,” Jane Foley, head of FX strategy at Rabobank, said. Following that however, various questions about UK leadership and policy will likely emerge, she said.
“I think sterling could be on the back foot because of political uncertainty,” she said.
The BoE’s interest-rate decision will also come on June 18. Money markets were last pricing in a roughly 90% probability of rates being left unchanged then, but investors will be listening for any hints about the rate outlook.
“There’s the risk that maybe the Bank of England doesn’t hike interest rates as much as the market has been anticipating because of the weakness of the labour market,” Foley said.
Reporting by Sophie Kiderlin, editing by Gareth Jones
A revised collection schedule has been announced for the holiday weekend
The City of Hamilton wishes to advise City businesses and residents that garbage collection will be scheduled on the following dates during the Heroes Day Weekend:
· Saturday June 13 – Collection as normal.
· Sunday June 14 – Trash collection for restaurants and bars only.
· Monday June 15 – no collection.
· Tuesday, June 16 – Normal garbage collection will resume. There will be no collection of kitchen oils until Tuesday June 16.
All garbage should be placed on the sidewalks or designated garbage areas by the time indicated in the Refuse Collection Schedule.
Please DO NOT place garbage out for collection unless a collection is scheduled for that day.
Front Street ceremony will honour King Charles III and feature military, police and youth marching units
Photo courtesy Dept. of Communications//Mark Tatem
The public is invited to attend the annual King’s Birthday Parade, which will take place on Saturday, 13 June 2026, on Front Street, Hamilton.
The Parade will get underway at 10:30 a.m. and will mark the birthday of His Majesty King Charles III.
His Excellency the Governor, Mr Andrew Murdoch, the Premier, Cabinet Ministers, members of the Legislature and other dignitaries and invited guests are expected to be in attendance.
The King’s Birthday Parade will feature marching units from the Royal Bermuda Regiment, the Royal Bermuda Regiment Band & Corps of Drums, the Bermuda Police Service and Bermuda Reserve Police, the Royal Bermuda Regiment Junior Leaders, and the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps. Members of the public are encouraged to come out and support this annual ceremonial occasion.
The public is also advised that traffic restrictions will be in place from early Saturday morning, and motorists are asked to follow the directions of the Bermuda Police Service and traffic marshals.
Media release and image supplied by the Government of Bermuda.
Brent futures fell $4.30, or 4.6%, to $89.95 a barrel at 12:38 p.m. EDT (1638 GMT)
International News via Reuters:
Oil prices fell about 5% on Tuesday after Iran and Israel said they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Brent futures fell $4.30, or 4.6%, to $89.95 a barrel at 12:38 p.m. EDT (1638 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slid $4.95, or 5.4%, to $86.35.
That put Brent on track for its lowest close since April 17 and WTI on track for its lowest close since May 29.
Crude prices briefly pared losses around midday, down by just $2 a barrel, after Trump said Iran shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter that was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz overnight.
Trump added that the U.S., “must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
On Monday, Israel and Iran halted direct attacks on each other after Trump urged them to stop. Tehran said it would resume hostilities if Israel continued to attack the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Israel struck the historic port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, killing at least eight people. Iran has so far held back from attacking.
“The oil market is drafting lower … as the latest shooting match between Israel and Iran was diffused in favor of a ceasefire and as Trump continues to talk the market lower by suggesting that an end of the war with Iran could be reached in 2-3 days with negotiations in their final stages,” analysts at energy advisory firm Ritterbusch and Associates said in a note.
Iran has continued to block most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas. Washington has imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Tuesday that ship traffic in the Gulf and oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz are rising even as Washington and Tehran struggle to reach a deal on ending their more than three-month-old war.
Elsewhere around the world, China’s May crude imports slumped 29% to their lowest levels in eight years, extending a sharp decline in the world’s largest oil importer that is helping keep a lid on global oil prices.
WORLD SUPPLY, DEMAND AND INVENTORIES
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected the Iran war would slash world petroleum production to an average of 99.0 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2026, down from a record 106.1 million bpd in 2025.
At the same time, EIA forecast world oil demand would slide to 102.9 million bpd in 2026, down from a record 104.0 million bpd in 2025. The agency said countries would pull the extra needed barrels from storage, cutting inventories in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to their lowest level since 2003.
Looking ahead, the oil market awaited weekly storage reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API) trade group later on Tuesday and the EIA on Wednesday.
Analysts estimated energy firms pulled 3.4 million barrels of crude from U.S. storage during the week ended June 5.
If correct, that would be the first time energy firms pulled crude out of storage for seven weeks in a row since January 2025. It compares with a decrease of 3.6 million barrels in the same week last year and an average decline of 0.7 million barrels over the past five years (2021 to 2025). [EIA/S] [API/S]
Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York, Seher Dareen and Robert Harvey in London, Pooja Menon in Bengaluru and Emily Chow in Singapore; Editing by Sonali Paul, Tomasz Janowski and David Gregorio
Economist Craig Simmons says we need an opinion from International Business on CARICOM membership, and we need to be cautious when making per capita comparisons
Until we hear from International Business on the idea of full CARICOM membership, many of us need to hold our tongues.
So says economist Craig Simmons, who has urged Bermudians not to take a position on the matter until we have more information on the pros and cons of going all-in with CARICOM – and an opinion from our economy-driving IB sector.
Craig Simmons adds that the potential costs must be put it in context related to other budgeted Government costs, and he urges caution when looking at the potential cost per capita of CARICOM membership.
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