Jasmine Spence and England secured a crucial first victory at the World Minifootball Federation (WMF) Women’s World Cup, edging Czechia 1-0 on Day Three in Mali Lošinj.
Following back-to-back defeats in their opening group fixtures, England arrived knowing only a win would arrest their slide and revive their tournament campaign.
They duly delivered under pressure, mounting a gritty defensive display to hold off a determined Czech side and pocket three vital points. Spence helped set the tone, bringing her trademark energy and international pedigree to disrupt Czechia’s rhythm and dictate the tempo in the central third.
After finding the decisive breakthrough, England weathered sustained second-half pressure, closing down space on the tight small-sided pitch to preserve their lead.
With a first clean sheet and maximum points safely secured, the result marks a pivotal turning point as England take crucial momentum into the remainder of the group stage.
Saltus Grammar School were crowned Bermuda School Sports Federation (BSSF) Middle School Girls Six-A-Side champions after edging past The Whitney Institute 1-0 in a tense final at the National Sports Centre.
On an afternoon dominated by disciplined defensive structures at the NSC South Field, clear-cut chances remained at a premium until a moment of individual brilliance broke the deadlock.
Saltus forward Kiera Broadley-Samuels unlocked the stalemate, cleverly jinking past the final defender before coolly slipping the ball past the advancing Whitney goalkeeper.
Both sides had booked their spots in the showpiece with commanding 2-0 semi-final shutouts:
Saltus 2-0 Bermuda High School: Broadley-Samuels and Kiana Simmons found the net in a clinical display.
Whitney Institute 2-0 Warwick Academy: Cush Belboda and Amira Whitter struck to dispatch Warwick Academy.
Whitney pushed hard for a late equaliser, but Saltus maintained defensive composure in the closing stages to see out the result and lift the BSSF crown.
Britain’s Christian Hamilton led the charge into the Bermuda Gold Cup quarter-finals as a dramatic four-way tie decided the opening round-robin stage in Hamilton Harbour.
Hamilton, at the helm of Khumbu Racing, claimed eight victories from 11 matches to finish locked at the summit alongside France’s Aurélien Pierroz, Sweden’s Oskar Engström, and Denmark’s Jeppe Borch. All four skippers secured direct entry into the knockout quarter-finals.
The opening phase produced an immediate upset as top seed and World Match Racing Tour leader Chris Pool missed out on automatic qualification by a single win. The American finished fifth with seven victories, dropping into the eight-boat repechage for a final shot at reaching the last eight.
Sweden’s Anna Östling seized early momentum in the repechage, taking back-to-back wins from her opening two fixtures.
Only the top four finishers from the repechage will progress to complete the quarter-final lineup alongside Hamilton and the top seeds in the battle for the King Edward VII Gold Cup.
Bermuda staged an impressive fightback at the International Bowling Federation (IBF) World Cup in Munich, climbing 13 places on the team leaderboard after a gritty showing on day two.
Following a demanding opening round, the island side quickly found their rhythm on the German lanes, knocking down a collective 6,169 pins to leap into 17th position overall.
Leading the charge was Anthony Hayward, who delivered a standout campaign in Group C. Hayward finished seventh in his section with a cumulative score of 1,930 pins, anchored by an impressive 217 in game two to spearhead the revival.
The 13-place climb provides crucial momentum as the squad looks to maintain their upward trajectory and close the gap on the world’s upper tier.
The Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation in May into whether Microsoft’s position in software used by around 20 million people a month in Britain was uncompetitive
FILE PHOTO: A view shows a Microsoft logo at Microsoft offices in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France, March 21, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s competition watchdog proposed designating Microsoft with “strategic market status” in business software, potentially paving the way for interventions in how the US tech major bundles products such as Excel, Teams and its Copilot AI assistant.
The Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation in May into whether Microsoft’s position in software used by around 20 million people a month in Britain was uncompetitive.
On Friday, the regulator said it had found that Microsoft had a strong position in personal computer operating systems and productivity, security, server and database management software, reinforced by barriers customers faced when switching.
A Microsoft spokesperson said it did not share the CMA’s view.
“All our products — including Copilot — are open and interoperable, giving customers the ability to use them alongside competing services,” the spokesperson said.
AI COMPETITION
The CMA said it would investigate whether customers could freely choose AI tools and whether rivals could compete with Copilot.
It would also examine whether Microsoft’s bundling of security products limited choice and how its licensing practices affected customers’ cloud options.
CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said business software and cloud services underpinned workplaces across Britain, from small firms to vital public services.
“Organisations should be able to choose the products that work best for them, switch provider when they want to and combine services from different suppliers,” she said.
“We want to ensure businesses have the freedom to choose how they use Microsoft’s products alongside alternatives.”
The regulator will invite views on the proposed designation and will then make a final decision by February.
If designated, Microsoft would become the third company subject to Britain’s new digital market powers. Alphabet-owned Google was designated in online search, while Google and Apple were designated in mobile platforms in October 2025.
In June, the CMA imposed new conduct requirements on Google’s search services, including allowing publishers to stop their content being used to power the US company’s AI features and requiring greater transparency over how its search rankings work.
The CMA also said on Friday that Amazon Web Services and Microsoft needed to address remaining barriers to switching between cloud providers and using multiple cloud services.
Both companies had taken steps to support greater choice, including connecting their data centres with rivals, starting with Google, and removing data transfer fees for customers switching providers. But the CMA said more could be done.
The regulator said it would continue working with the companies while keeping the possibility of launching a formal investigation into the cloud sector under review.
“We welcome the CMA’s acknowledgement that Microsoft’s market position in cloud does not justify a Digital Markets Competition Regime designation,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.
AWS said it also welcomed the update. “We’ve continued to invest throughout 2026 in new AI, multicloud, and open-standard capabilities that give customers more control over how they build and operate,” AWS said.
Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru and Paul Sandle in London; Editing by Jochelle Mendonca, Janane Venkatraman and Susan Fenton
The Financial Conduct Authority said it had lifted the bans on Colin Bermingham, Philippe Moryoussef, Jonathan Mathew and Christian Bittar, and had removed the related final notices from its public records
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s financial watchdog said on Friday it had revoked bans on four former traders previously sanctioned over the LIBOR and EURIBOR manipulation scandal after the Court of Appeal overturned their convictions earlier this month.
The Financial Conduct Authority said it had lifted the bans on Colin Bermingham, Philippe Moryoussef, Jonathan Mathew and Christian Bittar, and had removed the related final notices from its public records.
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by Sarah Young
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index edged 0.08% lower to 10,831.70 points by 10:12 GMT, but was on track for its best week since early April, while the midcap FTSE 250 rose 0.55%
A worker walks near an LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) branded cube inside the LSEG headquarters in Paternoster Square, London, Britain, September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s main stock indexes were heading for weekly gains on Friday, as investors sought refuge in defensive sectors from a rout in AI-linked equities globally, while a dip in bond yields boosted risk sentiment ahead of next week’s inflation figures.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index edged 0.08% lower to 10,831.70 points by 10:12 GMT, but was on track for its best week since early April, while the midcap FTSE 250 rose 0.55%.
• The defensive healthcare sector was set for a nearly 5% gain for the week, despite falling over 1% on Friday
• Drugmakers AstraZeneca and GSK fell 1.8% and 1%, respectively, on the day
• The personal goods sector was up 7.2% for the week
• Heavily weighted banks slipped on Friday after the Guardian reported British finance minister John Healey was set to tax the lenders in the budget later this month
• “While big international banks in the UK are likely to be less affected, domestic names are in the firing line,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, in a note
• NatWest Group and Lloyds Banking were down 2.2% each
• Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said signs of second-round inflation were limited ahead of next week’s data release for September
• Traders are pricing in four BoE rate hikes over the next 12 months, according to LSEG data
• The UK’s 10-year benchmark yields were heading for weekly declines after three straight weeks of gains
• Defence stocks helped limit the losses on Friday: BAE Systems, Melrose Industries and Babcock International rose between 1.5% and 3.7%
• E-commerce group THG rose 6.7%, extending a surge of 16% on Thursday after it raised its annual adjusted core profit forecast
Reporting by Darshan Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed
The pound hit its highest level against the dollar in more than three weeks on Friday and was set to snap a four-week losing streak
International News via Reuters:
Sterling was on track for a third consecutive weekly gain against the euro as the single currency remained under pressure following the French bond selloff at the turn of the month, with investors closely watching UK economic data and the fiscal trajectory.
The pound hit its highest level against the dollar in more than three weeks on Friday and was set to snap a four-week losing streak.
Britain’s economy beat forecasts in August as a further jump in the computer programming sector offered fresh evidence that AI is boosting growth.
“The economy’s resilience gives the Bank of England room to raise rates without running the risk of putting additional pressure on an already weakening economy,” Thu Lan Nguyen, head of forex and commodity research at Commerzbank, said.
“It also takes some pressure off the Chancellor, who remains committed to reducing the budget deficit,” she added.
British finance minister John Healey said his first budget to be delivered on October 29 would include measures to offer “a bit of breathing space” to the country.
The euro recently touched its lowest level of the year against the pound, suggesting markets are confident the UK government can strike a balance between maintaining fiscal discipline and supporting growth. Still, recent experience suggests investors should not underestimate the residual risks surrounding the UK’s fiscal plans.
The single currency was on track for a 0.24% weekly fall versus the pound and was last down 0.12% at 84.41 pence on Friday.. It reached 84.28 pence on Wednesday, its lowest since June 2025.
Sterling was set for a weekly rise of 0.66% against the dollar and was last up 0.40% at $1.3329, its highest level since September 23.
Investors remained focused on the Bank of England’s rate path amid concerns that rising yields could hurt economic growth and put further pressure on public finances. Markets expect the BoE to raise rates by 25 basis points at its next meeting on November 5, according to LSEG data.
BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said on Friday soaring energy prices so far appear to be having limited wider effects on British prices, but it is too soon to draw firm conclusions about how strong such second-round effects will be.
reporting by Stefano Rebaudo; editing by Xevi Fontdegloria
The inaugural Bermuda Black Film Festival officially kicked off today, bringing together local and international filmmakers, industry professionals and creatives for four days celebrating Black storytelling and cultural exchange.
Under the theme “Connecting Voices Across the Diaspora,” the festival features film screenings, panel discussions, networking opportunities and workshops, with 30 films representing more than 15 countries and territories.
Kendal Trott was there for the opening day and spoke with festival founder Dr. Dana Selassie and festival producer Sia Spence, who highlighted the women participating in today’s panel and shared what audiences can expect throughout the remainder of the festival, which runs through Sunday, October 18th.
Shortly before 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, 15th October 2026, police were dispatched to a report of a disturbance at the Southampton Rangers Sports Club.
Upon arrival, officers established that a male had sustained stab wounds. He was transported to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
One man has been arrested in connection with this incident.
Police are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information that could assist with the investigation, and has not yet spoken with detectives, to contact the police on 211 at the earliest opportunity.
Police enquiries into the circumstances surrounding this incident are ongoing.
Digicel Bermuda says it has invested tens of millions of dollar in the five-year project to modernise the island’s telecommunications infrastructure
Digicel Bermuda is entering the final phase of its island-wide copper-to-fibre migration, marking a significant step in the modernisation of the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Several millions of dollars have poured into the network upgrades which Digicel say will place Bermuda in a stronger global position.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
