The Pembroke Panthers secured a hard-fought four-wicket victory over the Sandys Spartans as high-octane action resumed at the National Sports Centre North Field. The win keeps the Panthers chasing tournament momentum after successfully hunting down a tricky target.
Choosing to bat first, the Sandys Spartans struggled to build sustained partnerships against a disciplined Pembroke bowling unit. Isaiah O’Brien anchored the innings with a top score of 36, while the explosive Kamau Leverock offered a quick-fire 26.
However, the Spartans’ middle order was completely dismantled by Johnathan Van Lange. The Panthers’ standout bowler returned extraordinary figures of 4-1-25-4. International star Gerhard Erasmus proved equally parsimonious, tightening the screws with a tidy spell of 3-0-17-2.
The run chase looked precariously balanced early on, but the Pembroke Panthers ultimately crossed the line, reaching 132 for the loss of six wickets.
The undisputed hero of the pursuit was Dominic Sabir, who compiled a flawless, match-winning 58 not out from just 47 deliveries, punctuated by four boundaries and two towering sixes. Sabir found a crucial ally in Allan Douglas, who cracked a vital 34 to break the back of the required run rate.
Despite a highly economical counter-attack from O’Brien—who returned figures of 3-0-14-1 for the Spartans—the Panthers kept their composure to seal a vital victory.
Bermudian international striker Nia Christopher has etched her name into FH Hafnarfjörður lore, delivering a sensational substitute performance to secure a historic hat-trick in Iceland’s Women’s Top Division.
Coming off the bench against Fram, Christopher turned the match completely on its head to seal a dominant victory for the hosts. In doing so, she became only the third player in FH history to score a hat-trick in the women’s top flight, supplementing a stunning debut season that already included a cup-competition treble.
FH found themselves under severe tactical pressure before the international forward was introduced to spearhead the frontline. However, the gamble reaped immediate rewards.
It took the clinical Bermudian just four minutes after entering the pitch to make her mark, latching onto a loose ball to draw her side level with a devastatingly calm finish.
Buoyed by the equalizer, Christopher began to terrorize the Fram rearguard with her explosive pace. She struck again just past the hour mark, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to restore Hafnarfjörður’s lead and shift the psychological momentum entirely.
The crowning moment arrived deep into stoppage time. With seconds remaining, FH were awarded a spot-kick under maximum pressure. Showing elite composure, Christopher stepped up to convert the penalty, sealing her historic top-flight treble and rounding off a breathless afternoon.
The Bermuda Senior Men’s National Team endured a highly demanding evening on the pitch, falling to a comprehensive 4-0 defeat against Rhode Island in an international warm-up fixture.
The match carried significant emotional and tactical weight, pitting the national squad directly against Rhode Island head coach Khano Smith—the iconic former Bermuda international captain who has been rapidly forging an impressive managerial career in North American professional football.
Ultimately, it was Smith’s highly disciplined, tactically sharp outfit that dictated the terms of the contest, leaving the island selectors with plenty of structural homework ahead of their upcoming competitive cycle.
Bermuda entered the exhibition contest looking to establish a fluid passing rhythm and integrate emerging domestic talent into the senior setup. However, Rhode Island’s high-pressing system caught the visitors completely cold in the opening exchanges.
Exploiting spaces out wide and moving transitively between defensive and attacking phases, Smith’s men sliced through the Bermudian rearguard to bag two quick-fire goals before the half-hour mark.
Despite frantic technical adjustments from the Bermuda coaching staff from the technical area, the team struggled to retain possession in the final third or provide adequate service to their isolated forward line.
The pattern of dominance continued well into the second half as Rhode Island utilized their deep bench to maintain a blistering physical tempo.
Two further goals resulted from clinical counter-attacking sequences, ruthlessly punishing unforced turnovers in the center of the park.
While the 4-0 scoreline makes for sobering reading, the exercise provided the Bermudian coaching staff with a vital, high-intensity evaluation tool, exposing critical defensive vulnerabilities that must be urgently addressed before the squad embarks on its formal qualification campaigns later in the summer.
The framework is part of the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) and the global Basel III banking standards that are to strengthen risk measurement in banks’ trading
International News via Reuters:
The European Commission will delay the introduction of a new market risk capital framework for banks for three years to see how the U.S. and Britain implement the same international standards, it said on Thursday.
The framework is part of the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) and the global Basel III banking standards that are to strengthen risk measurement in banks’ trading and make sure their capital accurately reflects the risks they take.
Pushing back the implementation of the capital requirement rules related to trading risk is meant to avoid putting European banks at a disadvantage to peers in the U.S. and Britain until it is clear how the two jurisdictions will proceed.
“Europe’s banks must be able to compete on equal terms with their international peers,” EU Commissioner for Financial Services Maria Luis Albuquerque said.
“These targeted and time-limited measures help preserve a level playing field in global financial markets while maintaining our commitment to the Basel standards.”
“They… give us the necessary time to monitor developments in other major jurisdictions before determining the most appropriate long-term approach,” she said.
Under EU law, the new capital requirement rules would have otherwise applied in full from January 2027. The Commission’s new regime, unless vetoed over the next six months by either EU governments or the European Parliament, will run from 2027 to the end of 2029.
The three-year delay has been agreed with the European Central Bank and the European Banking Authority, officials said.
Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Jan Harvey
The spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists is due to travel to the Indian capital on Friday from his home-in-exile in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala
International News via Reuters:
The Dalai Lama will receive medical treatment on his left knee in New Delhi this month, his office said on Thursday, as the 90-year-old deals with a series of health issues.
The spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists is due to travel to the Indian capital on Friday from his home-in-exile in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala. His followers, concerned about his health in recent years, typically hold elaborate prayers ahead of any planned medical procedures.
“He will undergo medical treatment on his left knee,” the Dalai Lama’s office said on X, adding that he was expected to travel to India’s Ladakh region by the end of June for an extended stay.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner had surgery on the same knee in New York in 2024, though he told Reuters months later it was “nothing serious”, despite walking gingerly with the help of aides. He now uses a golf cart for longer distances within his compound.
The 14th Dalai Lama said last year he hoped to live beyond 130 years, extending his earlier prediction, and has reassured followers that he will be reincarnated after his death.
The longest-serving head of Tibetan Buddhism has lived in Dharamshala since fleeing Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
China, which seeks to consolidate its control over Tibet, regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist and says it must approve his successor, citing a centuries-old ritual. The Dalai Lama has urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing.
Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi; Editing by Kate Mayberry
The virus, which is harmless to humans but highly contagious and deadly in pigs, was reported on a farm in the village of Vallaj, in the eastern county of Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg
International News via Reuters:
Hungarian authorities ordered the culling of 3,000 pigs on a farm after African swine fever was reported in domestic pigs for the first time in the country, the National Food Chain Safety Office said in a statement on Thursday.
The virus, which is harmless to humans but highly contagious and deadly in pigs, was reported on a farm in the village of Vallaj, in the eastern county of Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg.
“The culling of the herd of approximately 3,000 pigs is underway, and an epidemiological investigation to determine the origin of the infection and its possible further spread is also taking place,” the food safety authority said.
It added that authorities have designated a protection and surveillance zone around the location.
African swine fever has spread from Africa to Europe and Asia, and has killed hundreds of millions of pigs, leading to trade restrictions and affecting global meat markets.
Cases have been detected and prompted the culling of pigs in recent years across Europe in Croatia, Spain, Germany, Italy and Estonia.
The food safety authority said that the outbreak could cause significant economic damage.
Hungary had about 2.9 million domestic pigs at the end of 2025, according to the website of the Central Statistics Office.
Reporting by Anita Komuves;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle
Dawa Sherpa, 52, was returning with a Polish climber after failing to reach the 8,849 m (29,032 ft) summit, when he went missing between Camp III and Camp IV
International News via Reuters:
A Nepali Sherpa guide has been rescued from Everest after surviving about a week on the slopes of the world’s highest mountain without food or oxygen in a rare case of survival in such conditions, a hiking official said on Thursday.
Dawa Sherpa, 52, was returning with a Polish climber after failing to reach the 8,849 m (29,032 ft) summit, when he went missing between Camp III and Camp IV.
He was last seen on May 29. His client returned to base camp, but it was not clear how they got separated.
They were among the last climbers on Everest this season, which ended last month.
Lama Kazi Sherpa, of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, said his team located Dawa above base camp near the Khumbu Icefall and brought him down to safety. His team was cleaning up after the season ended.
Dawa, still in a climbing jacket, was rushed from the helipad to hospital on a trolley.
Dawa’s family said he was doing well and undergoing treatment for frostbite and other complications.
“He recognised me … is good and speaks,” said Mhendo Lhamo Sherpa, the guide’s daughter. “We are happy.”
“Dawa survived alone for nearly a week without food, water, or supplemental oxygen navigating the treacherous Khumbu Icefall (even after the fixed ladders were removed for the season),” the Nepal Mount Everest hiking company said in a social media post. “This is nothing short of a miracle.”
A record number of more than 1,000 climbers and their guides scaled Everest this season, with the government issuing 494 permits.
Five climbers and guides died on Everest this season, officials said.
Many climbers were stranded at base camp after a towering block of glacial ice delayed the opening of the route to the world’s tallest peak in April.
Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Sharon Singleton
The events on and around the central Beijing square on June 4, 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire to end student-led pro-democracy protests, are not publicly discussed in China and the anniversary is not officially marked
International News via Reuters:
China on Thursday blasted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments on the deadly crackdown on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square 37 years ago as “smearing” the country’s political system, as Taiwan told China to face up to history.
The events on and around the central Beijing square on June 4, 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire to end student-led pro-democracy protests, are not publicly discussed in China and the anniversary is not officially marked.
Rubio said on Wednesday that Beijing’s censorship could not erase memories of the military assault.
“Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday,” he said in a statement that followed past practice of the United States’ top diplomat marking the anniversary.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said the government had long reached “a clear conclusion” about the “political turmoil that occurred in the late 1980s”, reiterating Beijing’s stance.
“China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to the U.S. distorting historical facts, smearing China’s political system and development path,” Mao said of Rubio’s statement.
She also accused the U.S. of interfering in China’s internal affairs “on the pretext of” democracy and human rights, and defended Beijing’s “path of socialism with Chinese characteristics”.
Public commemorations of the crackdown take place in overseas cities, including Taipei, where senior Taiwanese government leaders often use the anniversary to criticise China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory.
Writing on his Facebook page, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said a truly great country should not “blindly believe in military might or engage in militarism”.
“I sincerely hope that China can face up to the June 4 incident of 37 years ago, acknowledge the truth, soothe the pain, and open the door to reconciliation and dialogue,” he added.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request seeking comment on Lai’s remarks.
China calls Lai a “separatist” and has rebuffed multiple offers of talks from him. He says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
VIGILS OVERSEAS
Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square before dawn on June 4, 1989, crushing weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations by students and workers.
China has never provided a full death toll, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into thousands. China blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the ruling Communist Party.
In Hong Kong, where a candlelight vigil in the city’s Victoria Park once drew tens of thousands of people each year, public remembrances came to an end after Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020.
The football pitches at the park have instead been turned into a multi-day regional food and cultural bazaar hosted by pro-Beijing groups for a fourth year running.
Vigils were once hailed as a symbol of the Asian financial hub’s relative freedom compared to mainland China, but the anniversary in the city is now marked by a heavy police presence and few visible remembrance activities.
Several vigils were still expected to take place in a number of cities around the world on Thursday, including four in Germany and one in Australia.
Online, the British embassy in China posted a 16-second animation without caption on X, paying tribute to the lone unidentified man who famously obstructed the tanks. The clip had no narration but played a recording of “L’Internationale,” a Communist anthem that was sung widely by the protesters.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei, Liz Lee and Ju-min Park in Beijing; Additional reporting by the Beijing and Hong Kong newsrooms; Editing by Kate Mayberry and Thomas Derpinghaus
The European Union is preparing an economic support package worth an initial amount of €50 million ($58.1 million) for Armenia after Russia hit Armenia with some trade restrictions
International News via Reuters:
The European Union is preparing an economic support package worth an initial amount of €50 million ($58.1 million) for Armenia after Russia hit Armenia with some trade restrictions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.
“Today I spoke with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about Russia’s recent restrictions targeting Armenia. This is nothing short of economic coercion, and it is unacceptable,” said von der Leyen.
“By extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponising economic relations for political pressure. We know this playbook all too well. This is why Europe stands firmly with Armenia. We are preparing an EU support package.”
($1 = 0.8601 euros)
Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Alex Richardson
EVs have been gaining ground in Europe as rising fuel costs, largely driven by global oil shocks from the Iran war, steer customers toward alternatives
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s new car sales rose 7.1% in May, the strongest for the month since 2019, driven by resilient retail demand, especially for electric vehicles, according to industry data released on Thursday.
EVs have been gaining ground in Europe as rising fuel costs, largely driven by global oil shocks from the Iran war, steer customers toward alternatives.
Overall new car registrations in Britain rose to 160,662 vehicles last month, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Battery electric vehicles (BEV), the biggest under EVs, climbed 34.2%, the most among all car categories.
“We’re seeing surging interest linked to macro shocks earlier in the year now materialise into real consumer demand,” said Melanie Lane, CEO of EV charging provider Pod.
BEV sales share is now around 24% of total sales this year, short of the 33% target, highlighting broader challenges amid the UK’s push for faster adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
“The EV transition is progressing, but consumer uptake still lags behind even today’s targets, let alone the ambition set out in the latest Carbon Budget,” SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said, referring to Britain’s long-term targets.
Total registrations from individual buyers jumped 17.2% in May, SMMT said, helped by a wider model choice, competitive offers from retailers and the government’s backing for schemes such as the Electric Car Grant intended to boost electric vehicle uptake.
Earlier this week, Britain set out a target to reduce emissions by around 87% in the period 2038 to 2042, down from baseline levels set in 1990.
Separate data from New Automotive showed on Wednesday new car sales rose about 6% year-on-year, driven by demand for plug-in vehicles.
SMMT and New Automotive use different data sources and calculation methods, explaining the differences in the figures.
Reporting by Nithyashree R B and Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Harikrishnan Nair
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