Sunday, November 8, 2026
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Divine edged off podium in superbike thriller

Bermuda’s Aeziah Divine came within a heartbeat of a podium finish as the 2026 ZYN British Superbike Championship season roared into life with a high-drama finale.

Riding for Fibre Tec Honda – MLav Racing, Divine secured a brilliant fourth place in the R&G MOTO4 British Cup after a 12-lap charge defined by heavy attrition across the field. In a finish that required a second glance at the timing screens, Divine crossed the line in 21:41.082—finishing just 0.067 seconds shy of the third-place spot.

While Ryan Frost took the race victory, Divine’s performance was one of the standout stories of the weekend. He navigated a chaotic contest, engaging in a relentless battle with George Bowes as the pair surged through the field into the podium fight.

Reflecting on the intensity of the final outing, Divine praised his team for providing the “perfect bike” to compete at the sharp end of the grid.

“There were many crashes throughout the entire race,” Divine said. “I worked hard to stay focused… We had a very close race all the way to the line. It ended with me taking 4th—just 0.067 seconds off the podium.”

Despite missing out on the champagne by a fraction, the result marks a powerhouse start to the 2026 campaign for the young rider.

Sprinter Robinson clocks lifetime best to secure major qualification

Sprinter Norre Robinson enjoyed a breakthrough day at the Warhawk Classic, clocking a career-best time to secure qualification for two major international championships.

Representing Louisiana Tech at Brown Stadium, Robinson delivered a powerhouse performance in the Men’s 200m dash to finish in second place overall.

However, the headlines belonged to the clock. Robinson crossed the line in a blistering 21.12 seconds, a lifetime best that carries significant weight for his international aspirations.

The time officially sees Robinson dip under the required marks for both the World Junior Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

His performance adds further depth to Bermuda’s traveling contingent for the Commonwealth Games, marking him as one of the island’s most promising rising talents on the collegiate circuit.

No known hantavirus risk to Bermuda, officials confirm

Health Ministry is in contact with international health authorities and are actively monitoring developments

The Ministry of Health is aware of reports of hantavirus infections linked to the Dutch‑flagged ship MV Hondius, which is currently near Cape Verde.

The Ministry’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit is watching the situation closely. Bermuda’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shaun Ramroop, is in contact with international health partners, including the UK Health Security Agency, to make sure Bermuda receives timely updates.

At this time, there is no known risk to Bermuda. The ship has not visited Bermuda during this trip, and there are no suspected or confirmed cases of hantavirus on the island.

Dr. Ramroop said the Ministry is prepared: “We are in continuous communication with international health authorities and are reviewing all available information. Right now, the risk to Bermuda is low, but our systems are ready to detect and respond quickly if anything changes.”

Hantavirus is usually spread from rodents to people through contact with rodent urine, droppings, saliva, or dust that has been contaminated. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, tiredness, cough, or trouble breathing. In some cases, the illness can become serious. Person‑to‑person spread is uncommon. International investigations are ongoing.

Bermuda’s public health systems remain in place to detect and respond to any health concerns. All vessels arriving in Bermuda must continue to submit a Maritime Declaration of Health. Any reports of unusual illness on board will be checked by Port Health before the vessel is cleared to enter. Healthcare providers have been alerted to watch for possible symptoms of hantavirus.

People travelling to affected areas should avoid contact with rodents, wash their hands often, and seek medical care if they develop symptoms. They should also tell their healthcare provider about any recent travel.

Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP, encouraged calm and awareness: “While this situation is unfolding far from our shores, we are taking every precaution to ensure Bermuda remains protected. Our public health teams are actively monitoring developments, and we will continue to keep our community informed with clear and timely updates.”

The Ministry will continue to review new information and will update the public if the risk changes or if any action is needed. The public is encouraged to rely on official Ministry updates.

Media release supplied by the Government of Bermuda.

Premier targets digital finance growth at world’s largest crypto summit

From May 5 – 7, a Bermuda delegation will attend Consensus 2026 in Miami

The Premier and Minister of Finance of Bermuda, the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, will travel to Miami, Florida, from May 5 – 7, 2026, to lead a Bermuda delegation to Consensus 2026, the world’s largest and most influential annual gathering for the digital assets and blockchain industry, organised by CoinDesk.

The delegation will include officers from the Government of Bermuda and representatives from the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA), the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA), and Bermuda-based firms.

Bermuda’s participation in Consensus is an opportunity to strengthen Bermuda’s position as the leading jurisdiction for regulated digital assets and financial innovation – just as Bermuda is recognised for leadership in insurance. The conference brings together more than 20,000 attendees from over 100 countries, including institutional investors, business executives, financial regulators, and government officials, offering global visibility and direct engagement with the ecosystem shaping the future of digital finance. Bermuda has a long-standing relationship with the Consensus conference and the BDA has been a sponsor since 2018, where the Premier first announced Bermuda’s Digital Asset Business Act (DABA).

During Consensus, Premier Burt will participate in a fireside chat with Paul Grewal, Chief Legal Officer of Coinbase. The session will highlight the partnership between Coinbase and the Government of Bermuda, progress on the island’s on-chain economy initiative, and how the “Bermuda Triangle” model of government-regulator-industry collaboration has created a blueprint for responsible digital finance regulation.

The Premier will meet with other major partners, including Stellar, Kraken, and Franklin Templeton, in addition to holding meetings with digital finance companies exploring DABA licensing, institutional operators evaluating Bermuda for fund domiciliation, tokenisation, or stablecoin-related activities.

In addition the Premier will speak at the “Bermuda Reception” hosted by the BDA, bringing together industry leaders across the digital assets sector.

Commenting on the visit, Premier Burt stated, “Consensus is the industry’s most important annual gathering, and Bermuda’s continued presence underscores our commitment to building the world’s first fully on-chain national economy. Since announcing this initiative at Davos in January, we have been working closely with leading digital asset companies, including Circle and Coinbase, to help us execute this vision. Miami provides an opportunity to deepen these partnerships and bring more digital finance companies to Bermuda.”

Media release supplied by the Government of Bermuda.

Premier presents $12,500 grants to 3 youth organisations

Funds seized through criminal activity are being redirected to support youth programmes and community services

Photo from L to R: Zoah Fox, Tawana Lee, Director of PHC Majorette and Drum Corps, Zyah Fox, Bettyann Nolen, Assistant Director of PHC Majorette and Drum Corps, A’bbee Curtis, Premier David Burt, MP Lawrence Scott, MP Denis Lister III, Minister Alexa Lightbourne, Shawnette Smith, President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Rosette Simmons of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and MP Neville Tyrrell.

The Premier, the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, presented grants awarded from the Confiscated Assets Fund (CAF) to three community organisations supporting youth development and social services.

He was joined by the Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Alexa Lightbourne, JP, MP, along with MP Neville Tyrrell, MP Lawrence Scott, and MP Denis Lister II.

The recipients were the Pembroke Hamilton Club (PHC) Drum and Majorette Corps, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and Teen Services.

Each organisation received $12,500 as part of the Government’s continued effort to reinvest seized funds into programmes that strengthen communities and expand opportunities for Bermuda’s youth.

Premier Burt said, “Community organisations are cornerstones of our society. They are where young people find mentorship, where our culture and traditions are maintained, and where essential services reach those who need them most. Through grants from the Confiscated Assets Fund, the Government is taking the proceeds of criminal activity and redirecting them into programmes that serve and strengthen our community. Each of the organisations recognised today is doing meaningful work, and I am proud that this Government can continue to support them in that work.”

Tawana Lee, Director of PHC Drum and Majorette Corps, said, “Our goal is to sustain a tradition that has been part of our culture for many years. We are grateful to be recipients of the Confiscated Assets Fund grant and will use these funds to support our 2025 and 2026 goals and objectives.”

Also in attendance for the presentation to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was Minister Lightbourne, who is a member of the organisation.

Ms. Shawnette Smith, president of Delta Sigma Theta, expressed her appreciation stating, “On behalf of the Bermuda Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., we would like to offer our thanks for the generous donation. This support helped make our Annual Children’s Reading Festival a great success and allows us to continue promoting the importance of literacy in Bermuda while continuing our other worthy programmes.”

MP Scott speaking to the legacy of Teen Services said, “My mother founded what is now Teen Services in 1967, grounded in the belief that young people should be supported, not abandoned. That work continues to shape how we support vulnerable young people today.”

And MP Lister II, echoed the sentiments and added, “My connection to Teen Services is also personal, as my mother, Miranda Lister, taught there in the mid-1990s and helped shape its early impact. It is a privilege to now support an organisation that has served our community across generations.”

Media release and image supplied by the Government of Bermuda.

Fresh forensic leads revive Italy’s infamous Garlasco murder mystery

The case has become a closely followed psychodrama in newspapers and on television, highlighting a potential failure of the Italian justice system

International News via Reuters:

Nearly two decades after 26-year-old office worker Chiara Poggi was found dead in her home in the small northern town of Garlasco, a case that once seemed closed has been reopened, reviving doubts about one of Italy’s most scrutinised murder investigations.

The case has become a closely followed psychodrama in newspapers and on television, highlighting a potential failure of the Italian justice system, and is back under the spotlight as the man convicted of the crime nears the end of his sentence.

Poggi’s student boyfriend, Alberto Stasi, was definitively convicted of her killing in 2015 and sentenced to 16 years in jail, apparently bringing the curtain down on a tragic story that had captivated the country from the start. 

But prosecutors are now pursuing a new theory focused on Andrea Sempio, a friend of Poggi’s brother, raising the possibility that one of Italy’s most infamous murders may yet have another, very different ending.

On Wednesday, Sempio was called in for questioning after prosecutors revealed they now suspect that he was solely responsible for Poggi’s death — something he has denied.

His car was met by a scrum of reporters and shown live on television as it arrived for questioning in the city of Pavia. His lawyers said he would exercise his legal right not to respond to the investigators.

“(The case) has captivated Italy because the whole thing was clearly a travesty of justice,” said Gianni Riotta, a veteran Italian journalist who was head of state broadcaster RAI’s flagship news programme at the time of Poggi’s killing in August 2007.

“The trial was a circus. There were so many holes in the case, and yet they got a conviction,” he told Reuters.

DISPUTED DNA, PERCEIVED INVESTIGATIVE FAILINGS

The case has echoes of the infamous murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia in November 2007, for which two of the prime suspects, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted but ultimately acquitted and released on appeal.

Both cases revolved around disputed DNA evidence and highlighted perceived failures in the police procedures.

It was Stasi who called the police to say he had found Poggi’s body. He quickly became the focus of the investigation and was eventually charged.

He never confessed, the murder weapon was not found and no clear motive was established. Instead, the police case centred largely on forensic traces and disputed timelines about Stasi’s movements on the morning of Poggi’s death.

He was acquitted at his first trial and then again when the prosecution appealed. But Italy’s top appeals court ordered a retrial and he was ultimately convicted, dividing Italy in two over whether or not he was truly guilty.

Fast forward 11 years, and a new team of prosecutors has reopened the case after fresh forensic work raised questions, including a renewed focus on traces of male DNA found under Poggi’s fingernails, which investigators said was compatible with Sempio. Sempio had been cleared in earlier phases of the investigation, and he denies any involvement.

Police are also looking into allegations that Sempio’s family paid money to a prosecutor to help remove his name from the list of suspects — an accusation the family denies.

“People here keep on saying Italy has the best justice system in the world. Well, if that is true, how come we have ended up with this mess,” Riotta said.

Reporting by Crispian BalmerEditing by Keith Weir

Camp Connect platform back online after technical issues

Gov’t confirms families can now access the system and complete their summer camp registrations

The Government of Bermuda advises that the Camp Connect platform is now operational following earlier technical issues experienced at launch.

Technical issues have been addressed, and families can now access the system and complete their summer day camp registrations.

Registration remains open until 15 May, with the lottery scheduled for 25 May. Families can register by visiting: https://ebermuda.gov.bm/

Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport, the Hon. Owen Darrell, JP, MP, stated, “I can confirm that the Camp Connect platform is now running as intended.”

The Government advises that support is available for anyone experiencing difficulties. Users may submit a help ticket by emailing osshelp@gov.bm or calling 907-6767 for assistance during the operational hours of Monday to Friday, 10 am-6 pm.

The Government looks forward to a successful and enjoyable summer camp season.

Media release supplied by the Government of Bermuda.

Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss pill exceeds forecasts, closing gap with Lilly

Shares in the Danish drugmaker were up 5.8% at 0913 GMT and were on track for the biggest daily jump so far this year

International News via Reuters:

Novo Nordisk beat first-quarter profit forecasts and nudged up its full-year outlook on Wednesday, helped by stronger-than-expected sales of its new weight-loss pill as it seeks to close the gap with U.S. rival Eli Lilly.

Shares in the Danish drugmaker were up 5.8% at 0913 GMT and were on track for the biggest daily jump so far this year.

Novo is banking on its pill to claw back ground lost to Lilly in the U.S. and offset intensifying price competition. Novo plans to launch the Wegovy pill in the first markets outside the United States in the second half of 2026.

Novo reported adjusted operating profit was 32.86 billion Danish crowns ($5.16 billion), above the 28.74 billion forecast in a company-compiled poll.

It slightly improved its full-year outlook, forecasting adjusted sales and operating profit declines of 4% to 12% at constant exchange rates, versus a previous range of minus 5% to minus 13%. Lilly last week raised its annual profit and revenue forecasts by a wider margin.

Under CEO Mike Doustdar, Novo is pinning its near-term recovery on the new pill after last year’s price cuts to its Wegovy injection squeezed margins.

But its window as the only oral obesity pill in the U.S. market closed in early April after Lilly won FDA approval for rival drug Foundayo, opening a new chapter in the battle between the two drugmakers.

“We have now been competing with our competitor for about a month…and so far, so good,” CEO Mike Doustdar told journalists on a call.

Total prescriptions for the Wegovy pill reached about 1.3 million in the first quarter and more than 2 million since its January launch, which Doustdar said made it the strongest GLP-1 launch by volume in the United States. He added the company was not seeing significant “drop-offs” of patients who had begun taking the new pill.

NOVO SEEKS TO REBUILD MOMENTUM

The results marked an early test of whether the Wegovy pill can revive growth at Novo.

Sales of the pill reached 2.26 billion crowns, nearly double analyst forecasts.

“The Wegovy pill is the clear bright spot of the day,” said Oskar Bernhardtsen, investment strategist at Saxo Bank, though he cautioned that the guidance upgrade was slightly less than what the market had hoped for.

Adjusted group sales came in at 70.06 billion Danish crowns in the quarter, above the 69.07 billion expected by analysts.

Novo has spent much of the past year on the defensive after disappointing trial results for its next-generation obesity pipeline, weaker than expected sales and a share price slide that has wiped more than $400 billion off its market value since its 2024 peak.

CFO Karsten Munk Knudsen told reporters the company’s market research showed patients were shifting away from the compounded obesity drugs that weighed on Wegovy sales.

The company also said more than half of Wegovy sales in the United States now came through lower-priced self-pay channels, up from just over 10% a year ago, as Novo sharpens its consumer focus to sell its medicines amid mounting price pressure.

Novo shares are down nearly 40% over 12 months, lagging Lilly’s roughly 18% rise, though the stock has edged higher since late March on optimism around the pill launch.

Novo says it has submitted its Wegovy pill to the European Medicines Agency and other regulatory authorities, without naming countries.

Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Maggie Fick; Editing by Terje Solsvik, Louise Heavens and Elaine Hardcastle

Pope to visit Canary Islands, migrant entry point, on trip to Spain

The first U.S. pope will spend the last two days of the trip on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where he will meet with migrants and organizations dedicated to helping them

International News via Reuters:

Pope Leo will visit two of the Canary Islands, major entry points off Africa’s western coast for desperate migrants braving dangerous Atlantic waters to get to Europe, as part of a tour of Spain next month, the Vatican announced on Wednesday.

Leo, who has drawn the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump after criticizing the Iran war and the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies, is visiting Spain from June 6-12 in his first trip to a European Union nation outside Italy.

The first U.S. pope will spend the last two days of the trip on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, where he will meet with migrants and organizations dedicated to helping them.

More than 3,000 people died in 2025 trying to reach the Canary Islands, often in makeshift dinghies, according to NGO Caminando Fronteras.

The pope comes to Spain as Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government has opened a one-year mass amnesty program, allowing an estimated 500,000 immigrants to apply for legal status.

Leo will also visit Madrid, where he will meet King Felipe and Queen Letizia and give addresses at the Royal Palace and the Spanish Parliament.

The pope will likewise travel to Montserrat in Catalonia, where he will visit with the historic Benedictine community, and Barcelona, where he will inaugurate the newest tower of the Sagrada Familia, the famed modernist basilica that has become the world’s tallest church.

Other planned events for the tour include a prayer vigil with young people, an outdoor Mass in Madrid’s landmark Plaza de Cibeles, and a meeting with the nation’s Catholic bishops.

The pope, who on Friday marks his first year leading the 1.4-billion-member Church, has grown more outspoken on the world stage in recent weeks.

During a four-nation Africa tour last month he forcefully decried the direction of global leadership and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants”.

Spain is Leo’s fourth tour outside Italy after also visiting Monaco in March, and Lebanon and Turkey last year.

The pope will make another visit on July 4 to a port of call for migrants entering Europe, travelling to Lampedusa, an Italian island south of Sicily.

The choice to visit the island on the day the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence has drawn wide attention.

Reporting by Joshua McElwee, Editing by William Maclean

Hantavirus-hit cruise ship to sail to Spain; rare Andes strain confirmed

A Dutch couple and a German national who had been on the ship have died, while a British national is in intensive care in South Africa

The cruise ship MV Hondius, which has been hit by an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus, is moored at an unknown location, in this still image obtained from a social media video released May 5, 2026. Kasem Ibn Hattuta/via REUTERS

International News via Reuters:

A luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and marooned for days off the coast of Cape Verde with close to 150 people on board was due to head to Spain, while South Africa confirmed it identified among the victims a strain of the virus that can – in rare cases – spread among humans.

And the Swiss government said a man who returned to Switzerland after being a passenger on the MV Hondius was infected with the hantavirus and was being treated in Zurich. It said there was no danger to the broader population.

A Dutch couple and a German national who had been on the ship have died, while a British national is in intensive care in South Africa. The Netherlands is preparing to evacuate three patients who are on board.

Since the start of the outbreak, the World Health Organization has stressed that the risk to the broader public is low.

HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION IS RARE

People are usually infected by hantavirus through contact with infected rodents or their urine, their droppings or their saliva. Human-to-human transmission is rare.

But a limited spread among close contacts has been observed in some previous outbreaks with the Andes strain, which has spread in South America, including Argentina, where the cruise trip started in March.

A presentation seen by Reuters said tests done by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases revealed that the Andes strain was the cause of infection in the Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg as well as in the British man who is still in hospital there.

“This is the only strain that is known to cause human-to-human transmission, but such transmission is very rare and as said earlier, it only happens due to very close contact,” the presentation said.

CONTACT TRACING IS UNDERWAY

South Africa’s health ministry also said that contact tracing was underway, with 62 contacts identified including flight crew and healthcare workers. The contacts will be monitored until an incubation period has passed and none have been diagnosed with the hantavirus so far.

Cape Verde was meant to be the ship’s final destination, but the nation off West Africa has not allowed the vessel to put passengers ashore because of the outbreak.

Late on Tuesday, the Spanish Health Ministry said it had been asked by the World Health Organisation and the European Union to take the MV Hondius and had given its agreement “in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.”

SHIP TO DOCK IN THE CANARY ISLANDS?

The ship will dock at the Canary island of Tenerife, Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported on Wednesday, citing sources from the country’s health ministry.

The Spanish archipelago’s leader Fernando Clavijo said he was opposed to the move and requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The decision ultimately belongs to the central government, which supersedes regional authorities.

MEDICAL EVACUATIONS

Meanwhile, the Dutch foreign ministry said it was coordinating the evacuation of three patients, one of them with Dutch nationality, to the Netherlands, where they will be provided with care.

“All efforts are aimed at making this happen as soon as possible,” it said. “Exact details of the timing and logistics of this operation can only be shared once they are definitively established.”

Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov and Nellie Peyton in Johannesburg, David Latona in Madrid, Bart Meijer in Amsterdam, Madeline Chambers in Berlin; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Tim Cocks, Andrew Heavens and Thomas Derpinghaus

Greece wins UK ruling on buyback of GDP-linked securities over creditor opposition

Greece had told its investors that it wanted to repurchase all of the outstanding warrants due in 2042 for a call price of just over 25 cents on the euro

International News via Reuters:

Greece on Wednesday won a London court ruling on its plans to buy back GDP-linked securities issued to holders of government bonds as part of the country’s 2012 sovereign debt restructuring.

Greece had told its investors that it wanted to repurchase all of the outstanding warrants due in 2042 for a call price of just over 25 cents on the euro.

The country applied to London’s High Court for declarations that it had validly exercised its option to purchase all of the GDP-linked securities and that its calculation of the call price was lawful and binding.

A group of investors, represented by law firm White & Case, disputed that Greece had validly exercised its option to buy back the securities or calculate the call price.

But Judge Robert Bright ruled in Greece’s favour, a decision which could be challenged on appeal.

Greece’s finance ministry and White & Case did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

GDP-linked warrants are fixed income instruments that usually pay out once economic growth exceeds a certain threshold. They can be highly illiquid and complex to value.

Argentina and Ukraine have issued similar instruments to the Greek GDP warrant in debt restructurings.

Reporting by Sam Tobin; additional reporting by Karin Strohecker and Lefteris Papadimas in Athens; Editing by Louise Heavens

Global stocks surge and oil slides on Iran peace deal report

The report by news outlet Axios said the U.S. expected Iranian responses on several key points in the next 48 hours

International News via Reuters:

Stocks leapt and oil prices dropped on Wednesday after a report said the White House believed it was closing in on a memorandum to end the war with Iran, while momentum in AI-driven trades accelerated.

The report by news outlet Axios said the U.S. expected Iranian responses on several key points in the next 48 hours. A Pakistani source involved in the peace efforts confirmed the report to Reuters on Wednesday.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, dropped 7.5% to $101.70 per barrel.

The Iran war has all but closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global energy normally flows, so a peace deal could alleviate some of the pain for oil and gas markets.

Europe’s STOXX 600 index extended its gains and was last up 2.1% after climbing 0.7% a day earlier. MSCI’s All-Country World Index climbed 0.9% to a fresh record.

Futures for the U.S. S&P 500 rose 0.7%, a day after the index rallied 0.8% to hit its latest record high, driven by strong company earnings and excitement about artificial intelligence.

“It seems equity investors are still looking to put money to work and are jumping on positive-sounding news from the Gulf,” said Chris Turner, head of global markets at ING, responding to an earlier rise in shares after U.S. President Donald Trump touted progress in peace talks.

The U.S. dollar, which has been a safe haven during the Iran war, dropped 0.5% against its major peers, reflecting investor hopes about a possible deal.

Meanwhile, yields on government bonds fell along with oil prices as traders dialled down their bets on central bank rate hikes.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield fell 7 basis points to 4.35%.

The broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan jumped 3.2%. The surge was led by a 6.5% charge for South Korea’s KOSPI, which reopened after a holiday. 

Samsung Electronics jumped 14%, topping a $1 trillion market value and overtaking Berkshire Hathaway.

“Due to the capex spend we are seeing from (AI) hyperscalers in the U.S., the earnings growth trajectory for sectors such as semiconductors, tech hardware, industrials and materials in Asia exceeds anything I have seen in a long time,” said Rushil Khanna, head of equity investments for Asia at Ostrum, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers.

Reporting by Harry Robertson in London and Gregor Stuart Hunter in Singapore; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus, Kirsten Donovan