A growing Dutch outcry over the glasses mirrors a broader backlash against smart glasses equipped with cameras
FILE PHOTO: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wears the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, as he delivers a speech presenting the new line of smart glasses, during the Meta Connect event at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., September 17, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
International News via Reuters:
One of the largest Dutch eyewear retail chains said on Friday it had suspended sales of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium amid growing privacy concerns, in one of the first such moves by a retailer.
“This decision follows the ongoing public and political debate surrounding smart glasses and the questions being raised about the conditions under which this technology can be used,” a spokesperson for the Hans Anders chain said.
A growing Dutch outcry over the glasses mirrors a broader backlash against smart glasses equipped with cameras.
In Britain, pub chain Wetherspoon has restricted use of Meta’s glasses over concerns about covert recording, while Meta and Luxottica face a US suit alleging videos captured by the glasses were viewed by human annotators without the knowledge of people filmed.
A Meta spokesperson said the company is continuing to develop the popular glasses. “Every pair with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when you take a photo or video — it can’t be turned off, and the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with it,” they said.
In the Netherlands, privacy regulator AP last month warned that videos made with smart glasses showing identifiable people cannot generally be shared or published without their permission, which would be difficult to obtain in a public place.
Consumer rights group Consumentenbond this week said it would take Meta to court unless the company changes the glasses to comply with privacy law.
Offlimits, a group that combats online abuse, on Friday also urged Meta and Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica to voluntarily remove the glasses from sale until a way can be found to make surreptitious recordings impossible.
EssilorLuxottica could not immediately be reached for comment.
Hans Anders is a subsidiary of Nexeye, which is owned by private equity firm KKR. Nexeye operates 776 stores across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Sweden. It does not sell the glasses in the latter three countries.
The trip comes amid growing clamour from Caribbean and African nations for Britain and other colonial powers to pay reparations for their involvement in slavery, with the issue likely to be prominent at CHOGM
Commonwealth Games 2026 – Opening Ceremony – The Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – July 23, 2026 Britain’s King Charles speaks during the opening ceremony REUTERS/Phil Noble
International News via Reuters:
King Charles will not shy away from Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade when he tours the Caribbean later this month, but will not formally apologise for “the darkest days of our past”, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
Charles and his wife Queen Camilla will visit the Bahamas and Guyana, before heading to Antigua and Barbuda where he will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which is being held from November 1-4 this year.
The trip comes amid growing clamour from Caribbean and African nations for Britain and other colonial powers to pay reparations for their involvement in slavery, with the issue likely to be prominent at CHOGM.
The British government has ruled out paying any reparations though Charles, who remains the head of state of a number of Caribbean nations including both the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda, has previously expressed his sorrow about slavery.
As such, both reparations and apologies were a matter for the government, a palace spokesperson said.
“There are important discussions taking place in various fora about colonial legacy and the intergenerational impact of the transatlantic trade in enslaved persons,” the Buckingham Palace spokesperson said, adding the visit was coming at an important time in the relationship between Britain and Caribbean nations.
“The visit programme will therefore not shy away from ‘the darkest days of our past’, as his majesty has described them, but – in keeping with the wishes of our host nations – it will principally be oriented to the vibrant present and promising future of each country.”
From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted and sold into slavery by European merchants, with Britain responsible for transporting an estimated 3.2 million people, making it the second most active European nation after Portugal.
Charles, who is head of the Commonwealth group of 56 nations – mainly former British colonies – encompassing some 2.7 billion people, has backed research into the British monarchy’s own historical links to the trade.
Last month, the Jamaican government also formally asked him to seek legal advice on whether Britain should pay reparations and said it was “encouraged” by the engagement of Buckingham Palace.
“It is important to note here the work his majesty himself has done over many years both to acknowledge the wrongs of the past and to find creative ways to right inequalities that endure,” the palace spokesperson said.
“As you would therefore expect, opportunities will be found during the visit to reflect and renew his personal, wholehearted, and continuing commitment to that process.”
In February, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey told Reuters she expected its members to make progress towards beginning negotiations on reparations.
Reporting by Liza Premiyak; writing by Michael Holden, editing by Philippa Fletcher
The membership fee was a key component of the defence’s argument in the court this morning, in the legal contest between the Curtis Dickinson campaign and the PLP executive
Questions lingered in the Supreme Court around the determination of who are paying members of the Progressive Labour and who are not.
That membership fee was a key component of the defence’s argument in the court this morning, in the legal contest between the Curtis Dickinson campaign and the PLP executive.
PLP Leadership contender Mr Dickinson took the party executive to court after the Central Committee voted to pass membership amendments.
One of those amendments would have made brand new members ineligible to become delegates who can vote directly during the upcoming leadership election at the delayed Annual Delegates Conference.
Mr Dickinson is on record stating that his campaign has brought in more than 18-hundred new members.
Mark Pettingill cited five bulk membership payments, totalling nearly 46-thousand dollars, coming from Curtis Dickinson’s campaign office.
Mr Pettingill argued that party memberships are personal, and that the language of the payment process is personal.
He referred to Article 7 of the PLP Constitution which states – “upon joining the Party each member shall pay a subscription”… He added that the constitution’s clauses include language that says the Membership Secretary can issue a receipt “to any new member”, and refers to a new member “paying his subscription”.
Therefore, he reasoned that the verification of each person connected to each payment constitutes an essential step that precedes receiving full membership.
Mr Pettingill went on to cite the affidavit of the Membership Secretary – that the large bulk submissions of applications had raised a red flag.
Mr Pettingill, claimed Mr Dickinson’s actions equated to ” branch stacking,” a practice where a party member has gone to various branches to recruit members to increase influence in the party.
He quoted Curtis Dickinson’s affidavit – that his campaign had kept a list of those it had signed up – comprising 1835 new members.
He suggested that Mr Dickinson’s campaign has, quote, “gone about finding the road to the promised land” – the promised land being the PLP leadership.
Speaking to the party having reasonable limits on who can become members, he suggested that counsel for the plaintiff, Delroy Duncan KC, would take the approach that if the Opposition Leader was of age, filled in a form and paid, he should be a member…
It has been repeated by both parties in court that this is a contract case, and Justice Shade Subair Williams interrupted Mr Pettingill to say that her understanding is that, so long as the established membership process is satisfied, a person becomes a member, and it is after becoming a member that they will be subject to any discipline for purportedly acting against the party.
Mr Pettingill argued, “what a nonsense it would create… if you could force your way in [to the party], listen to their meetings…
“Court has to see this for what it is.”
He went on to question if one can really argue that the intention of the PLP in their constitution was all are welcome “even if you are the enemy”,
Justice Subair Williams asked Mr Pettingill if he is inviting the court to say what the party’s rules SHOULD be, rather than what they currently are.
Mr Pettingill said he was not, but added that the matter can’t just be seen in a box of being a strict contract, while ignoring the history and context of the PLP.
Delroy Duncan KC, for the plaintiffs, said that the defence’s points about payment of membership fees had not been raised in the case prior to today, and therefore he requested time to file evidence in response.
Justice Subair Williams adjourned the case until Monday afternoon.
On Thursday, 1 October, the Bermuda Monetary Authority (Authority or BMA) participated in its Annual Community Day event. As part of this dedicated day of service, employees from across the organisation came together to volunteer, connect, and support a variety of programmes in the local community. Now in its fifth year, the annual event demonstrates a long-standing commitment to supporting environmental, social well-being and health-focused initiatives in Bermuda.
This year, the BMA collaborated with eight different charities and community-serving organisations, giving staff the opportunity to choose the organisation they wished to support. Over 230 staff members spent the day volunteering in children and senior care, gardening and environmental conservation, and cleaning, maintenance, and landscaping.
Highlights included:
Windreach Bermuda
Volunteers participated in completing an inventory of a hardware and storage area, management of woodlands, animal care and composting that help to improve the facility for individuals with varying support needs
Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB)
Teams helped to protect Bermuda’s delicate coastal ecosystem by removing litter from various parks and open spaces across the island
Lefroy House Care Community
Volunteers read to and engaged with residents, helped in the activities department and assisted with maintenance projects that contribute to the quality of life and well-being of senior citizens
National Museum of Bermuda
At the museum in Dockyard, volunteers worked on painting, landscaping and maintenance to support this worldclass facility in preserving Bermuda’s cultural heritage
Tomorrow’s Voices
As part of this youth-focused initiative, volunteers participated in activities to help meet the diverse needs of individuals diagnosed with Autism or on the Autism spectrum starting at the age of 2 years old
Westmeath Residential and Nursing Care Home
Volunteers joined caregivers at the facility in providing person-centred care for senior citizens by reading, walking, talking and assisting with events and fundraising activities for senior citizens
Bermuda Zoological Society
Through hands-on landscaping, maintenance and gardening activities, volunteers joined the society’s efforts to establish small but powerful native forests that help to combat climate change and deforestation
The Bermuda National Trust
Dedicated teams put environmental stewardship into action by participating in planting, maintenance and landscaping projects to create a stronghold for native and endemic species while mulching and caring for surrounding woodlands
Shanna Lespere, the Authority’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, stated: “The Annual Community Day reflects the BMA’s deep-rooted commitment to sustainability and to giving back to our island home. It has become a cornerstone of our employee culture and an enduring tradition of service, bringing our people together to make a meaningful difference in the community. Through initiatives like this, we continue to foster empathy, compassion and social responsibility while contributing to positive change.”
The BMA’s first Community Day took place in 2022 as part of the organisation’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. Over the last four years, it has become a way to strengthen community ties and promote social responsibility and community giving.
Mesheiah Keane, the BMA’s Chief Operating Officer, stated: “Our staff worked together tirelessly this year to make a real difference and to enhance the quality of life for the community. We are proud of their efforts, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to each team member who invested their time, skills and talents in these projects. It is your energy and enthusiasm that continue to make this day so worthwhile.”
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 29,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised 133,000 rise in August, the Labor Department’s closely watched employment report showed on Friday
International News via Reuters:
Global shares rose on Friday as wild volatility in bond and currency markets eased and oil prices fell, while weaker-than-forecast US jobs data scuppered chances of a rate hike from the Federal Reserve later this month.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 29,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised 133,000 rise in August, the Labor Department’s closely watched employment report showed on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls advancing 90,000.
Bets on a second rate rise from the Federal Reserve this month faded after the data. Markets now assign a 15% chance of a hike in October from around 25% before the data.
Two top policymakers said this week they wanted more data before deciding what to do next with interest rates. Meanwhile, a move in December is still fully priced in.
Schroders senior economist George Brown said today’s figures may ease some concerns that previous interest rate cuts from the Fed could stoke inflation problems, but that it doesn’t alter the inflation backdrop.
“The Fed looks likely to unwind last year’s cuts,” Brown said.
“The bigger question is whether rates ultimately need to be taken into genuinely restrictive territory to bring inflation back under control.”
Wall Street futures extended gains after the data. Nasdaq futures were up 1.2% and S&P 500 futures gained 0.8%.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield fell 6 basis points to 5.1717%, down from the 24-year high of 5.3445% reached the day before.
The two-year yield, which is sensitive to changes in expectations for interest rate policy, fell 6.5 bps to 4.7204%.
FRENCH BONDS UNDERPERFORM
In Europe, longer-dated sovereign bond prices rose on the day, although those in more indebted countries, like France and Italy, lagged the gains in Germany, reflecting growing investor demand for protection against rising fiscal risks.
The German 10-year yield, the euro zone benchmark, was down 12 basis points on Friday, as investors preferred the relative safety of German bonds compared to their euro zone counterparts. Bond yields move inversely with prices.
In France, the 10-year yield was down slightly at 4.927%, pushing the gap between the German and French 10-year yields to over 154 bps, the widest level since the euro zone debt crisis in 2011.
“I wouldn’t call it a crisis yet, but it looks like it has the potential to be one,” said George Lagarias, chief economist at Forvis Mazars.
“If it goes on for a couple more weeks then we’ll be talking about a crisis in the bond market.”
Global bond markets have been under a sustained selloff in recent weeks as the US-Israeli war with Iran pushed up energy prices again, complicating the inflation outlook and further straining already stretched public finances.
But oil prices fell on Friday, providing some relief for stocks and bonds, as the energy market refocused on signs of recovering supplies from the Middle East and EU countries discussed a proposal to release additional diesel stockpiles.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 3.7% to $89.43 a barrel. Brent crude futures were down 2.7% to $99.45 a barrel, while European gasoil futures, a benchmark for diesel prices, fell about 5% to $1,378 a metric ton.
The relief in oil prices also supported European shares, with the pan-regional STOXX 600 index up 0.8%, although it is still heading for a weekly drop of about 1%.
In Asia, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.1% and settled for a weekly decline of 1.3%. Japan’s Nikkei dropped 0.9% but gained almost 3% for the week.
Mainland Chinese markets are closed through next Wednesday for a public holiday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slid 2.7% on Friday after a holiday.
DOLLAR DIPS AFTER DATA
The US dollar index, which gauges the currency against six peers, fell 0.1% to 101.86 after the US data, having rallied 0.6% the day before to hit the highest level since April 2025. It was still set for a third straight week of gains, up about 0.8%.
The rout in European bonds helped pin the euro lower and benefited the safe-haven yen and Swiss franc.
The euro was at $1.1248, having weakened 0.8% on Thursday to hit the lowest level since May 2025. The Swiss franc was up sharply against both the dollar and euro.
The yen firmed 0.6% to 157.11 per dollar after data showed underlying inflation in Japan’s capital accelerated to an annual rate of 2.7% in September, bolstering the case for further interest rate hikes.
Reporting by Samuel Indyk and Stella Qiu; Editing by Kevin Buckland, Jamie Freed and Emelia Sithole-Matarise
The proposal, discussed on a call involving EU governments, calls for European countries to release 50 million barrels of diesel and International Energy Agency members to release 50 million barrels of crude oil
A person refuels a vehicle at a gas station, as the German government’s tax cut on fuel comes into effect, in Berlin, Germany, October 01, 2026. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt
International News via Reuters:
European Union countries discussed a French proposal on Friday to release diesel stocks in response to US pressure to help cool surging fuel prices linked to the Iran war, three sources familiar with details of the discussion told Reuters.
The proposal, discussed on a call involving EU governments, calls for European countries to release 50 million barrels of diesel and International Energy Agency members to release 50 million barrels of crude oil, the sources said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to chair a videoconference with G7 leaders at 2:30 p.m. Paris time (1230 GMT) focused on the global energy situation, the Elysee Palace said.
Europe would release part of the diesel volumes in a 20-day period, responding to US President Donald Trump’s demand for a rapid release of fuel stocks, two of the sources said.
Oil prices fell more than 2% and European gasoil futures fell by about 5% on Friday after reports of the talks. Benchmark European diesel futures were trading 4.5% lower at $1,384.50 a metric ton at 1245 GMT, LSEG data showed. European diesel refining margins were down 4.4% at $73.30 a barrel, having hit a record of about $95 last week.
The discussions underscore growing pressure on Europe as Trump considers a potential ban on US diesel exports to help lower domestic fuel prices ahead of November 3 midterm elections.
In weighing its response, the EU needs to balance the need to ease soaring fuel costs against preserving emergency reserves to safeguard against uncertain supply from Gulf producers due to disruptions caused by the Iran war.
France’s finance and energy ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
French President Macron spoke with Trump overnight, emphasising the need to work together to combat rising fuel prices and ensure the global availability of refined products, the Elysee Palace said on Friday. France currently holds the presidency of the G7.
Reuters reported on Thursday that the Trump administration had told Germany and France to draw down emergency diesel inventories or face a potential US diesel export ban, according to three people close to the discussions.
The US had demanded large European countries including France and Germany release 100 million barrels of diesel within a 20-day window, two of the sources told Reuters on Friday.
Global diesel supply has been hit by the US war with Iran and a Russian ban on exports after Ukraine damaged many of its refineries. Chinese refiners have also suspended October fuel exports to bolster domestic stocks, sources said.
The proposed 50-million-barrel release equates to approximately 17% of the EU’s total emergency stocks of diesel and gasoil, Eurostat data current as of May 2025 showed.
It reflects around 3% of the bloc’s annual consumption of the fuel, Eurostat data show.
Europe used to mainly rely on Russian and Middle Eastern diesel imports but has increasingly relied on imports from the United States in recent years.
“Having been caught dragging their feet on promised strategic stock releases earlier this year and now jarred by possible U.S. export restrictions, European countries will likely release more diesel and possibly crude from their stocks,” said Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group.
“European strategic stock releases are a necessary, if not sufficient, condition to prevent U.S. export restrictions, which would still remain on the table given acute political anxiety in the White House about high pump prices.”
In the call on Friday, EU countries discussed making a condition for any agreement on diesel stock releases a US commitment to not impose a unilateral diesel export ban, one of the sources said.
The 32-member IEA agreed in March to a coordinated release of 400 million barrels of strategic oil reserves, in response to the Iran war, the largest such release in history.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said this week that members had released about two-thirds of those volumes.
Reporting by Kate Abnett, additional reporting by Forrest Crellin, Ahmad Ghaddar, Robert Harvey and Jarrett Renshaw; editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jason Neely
Electric vehicles have been gaining ground in Europe as rising fuel costs, largely driven by global oil shocks from the Iran war, steered customers toward alternatives
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s new car registrations rose 12% in September from a year earlier to their highest level for the month since 2017, helped by strong demand for electric vehicles, according to preliminary data from a trade body on Friday.
Electric vehicles have been gaining ground in Europe as rising fuel costs, largely driven by global oil shocks from the Iran war, steered customers toward alternatives.
Battery EV registrations rose 36% year-on-year to 99,199 units in September, accounting for 28.3% of the market, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said.
In contrast, petrol car registrations fell 6.7% and hybrid EV registrations slipped 4.2% last month, the data showed.
The global auto industry has also had to contend with a hit to diesel supply due to the US war with Iran and a Russian ban on exports after Ukraine damaged many of its refineries.
There is also growing pressure on Europe as US President Donald Trump considers a potential ban on US diesel exports.
Diesel registrations in the UK rose 11.5% in September, although they are down 7% in the first nine months of 2026, with a shrinking market share of about 4.5% this year.
Petrol cars still hold the biggest share at 41.5% in the first nine months.
Britain is reviewing its zero-emission vehicle targets to ease pressure on carmakers, but the industry faces a further challenge from the EU’s proposed “Made in Europe” provisions, which threaten to deny British-built vehicles incentives and exclude them from EU public procurement.
The UK auto sector has also seen Chinese brands expanding quickly.
Chery’s Jaecoo 7 was September’s best-selling model in the UK, according to SMMT, while BYD’s Sealion 7 was the best-selling BEV after Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y.
BEVs accounted for just 26.2% of sales so far this year, well below the 33% mandated for 2026 and even behind the 28% target for last year.
Overall car registrations in the UK rose to 350,518 units last month, preliminary data showed.
Reporting by Nithyashree R B in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala, Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Louise Heavens
Grayson basketball standout CJ Crumpler has officially landed his first name, image, and likeness (NIL) partnership, teaming up with local Italian restaurant Fratelli’s in a community-focused deal.
The agreement marks a significant commercial milestone for the high school point guard, who underscored the importance of keeping his inaugural sponsorship rooted firmly on home soil.
“Man… my first NIL deal,” Crumpler said. “Just want to say thank you to DJ, my mom and dad, Chef Danny, and the entire Fratelli’s family for making this opportunity possible. It was great getting to meet Chef Danny and officially become part of the Fratelli’s family.”
The ongoing expansion of NIL frameworks across the United States has increasingly enabled emerging scholastic athletes to partner with neighborhood businesses, providing local enterprises with recognizable young ambassadors.
For Crumpler, the decision to align with Fratelli’s was driven as much by personal ties as commercial opportunity.
“I’m super grateful for the opportunity to represent and help promote a local business right here in the Grayson community,” he said. “This is where I live. This is where I play ball. This is where my family is. So it means a lot to have my first NIL partnership right here at home.”
Tear gas clouded the streets in the eastern city of Strasbourg, fireworks were aimed at police lines in Marseille in the south and rubbish bins set ablaze in Rennes in the west
A protester throws a garbage bin into a fire outside the Lycee Deodat-de-Severac high school as part of nationwide protests by high school students to demand the hiring of substitute teachers, increased resources and better learning conditions, in Toulouse as more than 400 schools remain closed following days of student protests that have escalated into violence in some places, France, October 2, 2026. REUTERS/Nacho Doce
International News via Reuters:
Riot police clashed with high school students in cities across France on Friday, as President Emmanuel Macron’s government battled to contain increasingly violent protests over classroom conditions and funding.
Tear gas clouded the streets in the eastern city of Strasbourg, fireworks were aimed at police lines in Marseille in the south and rubbish bins set ablaze in Rennes in the west.
In Paris, where there were also skirmishes, students waved placards reading “We have a future to build, not to endure”.
Six months before next year’s presidential election, opinion polls consistently show the deep unpopularity of Macron and his centre-right-leaning government. Planned budget cuts, which exacerbate the funding crisis in education, have fuelled the discontent.
MINISTER SAYS PARENTS SHOULD PAY REPARATIONS
The protests erupted in the Paris region last week but have turned increasingly violent as they spread nationwide.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin told RTL radio that police had arrested 2,000 people, most of them teenagers, since the protests began. He said that parents of those inflicting damage to property should be made to pay reparations.
Four hundred high schools — roughly 1 in 10 — were closed on Friday due to the unrest and Education Minister Edouard Geffray urged parents to dissuade their children from protesting in the streets.
“In the streets, the children are in danger,” Geffray told BFM TV.
Several students in the Paris region whom Reuters spoke to outside high schools earlier in the week said they were staying away from the protests on Friday due to the escalating violence.
Darmanin said the student protest movement had been hijacked by “outsiders”.
EDUCATION TO GET BELOW-INFLATION BUDGET INCREASE
Students blockading their high schools have voiced anger over overcrowding in classrooms, regular shortages of teachers and dilapidated buildings, blaming years of underinvestment.
“We are 35 per class, we don’t have enough chairs in classrooms, the one hour lunch break (is too short) for everyone to get food,” 15-year-old Kesia told Reuters in the Paris suburb of Pantin before running off as the police used tear gas.
Under the draft 2027 budget presented by the government on Thursday, the education budget is set to increase by a below-inflation 1.7% to €65.53 billion, excluding teacher pensions.
Education is traditionally the largest budget item, but that changes next year with debt servicing costs expected to reach €74.5 billion, according to the draft bill.
HARD-LEFT LFI DENIES STOKING PROTESTS
Intelligence agencies told a crisis meeting on Thursday that the protest movement had been initiated by politicians from the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI). Senior LFI lawmakers rebutted the allegations and accused the government of politicising the protests ahead of the election to replace Macron.
Students and rights groups have accused the police of using heavy-handed tactics against minors, including the use of batons, tear gas and non-lethal flash-ball guns.
Amnesty International cautioned against the excessive use of police force. “Students must be protected, not beaten with batons,” the advocacy group said on social media platform X.
The interior ministry on Friday said that they had opened three investigations into police violence against protesters.
In a sign the protests may spread beyond French borders, some high school students in the city of Liège, in Belgium, began protesting on Thursday. A city hall spokesperson said high schools were closed on Friday.
Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Inti Landauro, Layli Foroudi and Leigh Thomas; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Michael Perry, Kirsten Donovan and Alison Williams
The annual Word of Life 5k returns on Saturday, 10 October 2026, featuring an inventive handicap challenge designed to test pacing intuition alongside raw foot speed.
Headlining this year’s competitive 5k run is a newly minted time-prediction contest. Entrants will submit their projected finishing time during registration, but race day brings a strict ban on watches, GPS monitors, and timing wearables of any kind. Without technological aids, competitors will have to rely entirely on internal rhythm and course feel.
Podium honours await the top three male and female runners who finish closest to their predicted marks, while traditional age-category awards will also be handed out to the fastest finishers.
Action gets under way early with a dedicated one-mile race for junior runners aged 12 and under at 08:00.
The morning’s main events then set off at 08:20, with the competitive 5k run, 5k competitive walk, and 5k non-competitive run and walk all tackling the course simultaneously.
Three-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games record holder Clarance “Nick” Saunders has been appointed Secretary General of the Bermuda Olympic Association (BOA).
Saunders replaces Branwen Smith-King, who is stepping down after six years at the helm.
A celebrated icon of Bermudian track and field, Saunders represented the island at the Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, and Barcelona 1992 Games. He memorably captured gold at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland with a clearance of 2.36 metres—a mark that remains a Commonwealth Games record to this day.
Saunders, who returned to reside in Bermuda in 2025, pairs his elite sporting pedigree with professional experience across insurance and legal studies.
“I’m honored to serve as Secretary General of the Bermuda Olympic Association and give back to the sporting community that shaped my life,” Saunders said. “I look forward to helping Bermuda’s athletes access the support and opportunities they need to succeed.”
BOA President Peter Dunne praised the appointment following a competitive search:
“We are fortunate to have had several highly qualified applicants for the position, and Nick was a standout in a field of excellence,” Dunne said. “His own experiences as an elite athlete can help the BOA continue to act with the interests of athletes first in the framework of the Olympic movement.”
Dunne also paid tribute to Smith-King, highlighting her transformative impact: “We knew that filling Branwen’s shoes was always going to be a difficult task as she has brought a high level of sport administration process to our organization as well as her enthusiasm for sport and athletes.”
Bermudian professional Daniel Augustus showed admirable resolve to bounce back from a punishing opening round, shaving nine strokes off his score on day two of the Tier 1 Clutch Pro Tour Championship at Slaley Hall.
Tackling the demanding, tree-lined Hunting Course in Hexham, Northumberland, the 39-year-old endured a turbulent opening round, carding a 12-over-par 84 that left him adrift in 70th position. His opening card featured just five pars alongside two birdies, eight bogeys, and three costly double bogeys.
However, Augustus steadied the ship in Thursday’s second round with a vastly improved three-over-par 75.
Attacking the flags with sharper iron play, he notched four birdies and eight pars to offset five bogeys and a single double bogey.
The nine-shot swing moved Augustus to 15 over par for the tournament, lifting him to 67th place on the leaderboard as he aims to close out the 54-hole season finale on a positive note.
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