The Bermuda Women’s National Netball team concluded a physically gruelling day with a well-earned silver medal at the Battle of the Isles Tournament. The ‘Longtails’ achieved their massive target of boosting world ranking points, despite falling 61-32 to the dominant Canadian side in the final.
The day began with a decisive performance against Guadeloupe. Bermuda needed the win and the goal difference, delivering a crushing 83-6 victory that allowed them to rest key starters for the evening. Jahkenya Trott was the scoring machine, netting 41 goals in the warm-up match, a clinical execution that perfectly set up the final.
In the final, Canada’s defence proved too formidable. Bermuda kept pace early, trailing just 13-9 after the first quarter, with Inshan-Nae Smith and Zakiyah Durham scoring. However, Canada’s defensive pressure restricted Bermuda to only five goals in the second period, building a commanding 32-14 halftime lead.
Bermuda showed resilience, managing to find a better offensive rhythm in the final quarter, scoring 11 goals, but the deficit was too large to overcome. Trott and Durham finished the final with 12 goals each.
The silver medal caps a successful campaign of six wins and only two defeats (both to the champions), confirming the significant progress being made by the National Netball Programme on the international stage.
The FIRST Global Challenge 2025 is one of the world’s premier international robotics competitions
Bermuda National Robotics Team
The Bermuda National Robotics Team will represent the island on the world stage as they depart on October 27 for Panama to compete in the FIRST Global Challenge 2025 – one of the world’s premier international robotics competitions. This year’s challenge, “Eco Equilibrium,” brings together 194 countries for a fast-paced celebration of innovation, engineering and global collaboration.
Bermuda enters ranked #82 out of 194 nations, an impressive standing that reflects the programme’s rapid progress and growing ambition. The team’s competition robot, nicknamed “Lo-Quat,” was designed and built entirely by Bermudian students to tackle this year’s sustainability-focused tasks – showcasing technical skill, creativity and problem-solving.
“This isn’t just about building robots, it’s about building the next generation of innovators and leaders,” a team spokesperson said. “We want every student in Bermuda to see themselves as capable of competing and excelling in technology.”
Twenty students from public and private schools comprise the full national squad. After months of preparation, training and technical development, five student representatives have been selected as the travel team to compete in Panama, where they’ll join global peers, form alliances, and take on a series of engineering challenges.
Beyond the competition, the Bermuda National Robotics Program is advocating for robotics to be formally recognized as a national sport – creating more pathways for students to compete, innovate and proudly represent the island, while gaining teamwork, critical thinking and real-world STEM skills.
This year’s campaign is supported by sponsors including Connectech Coding, Ark, CG Insurance and Paradise Mobile.
The team departs with pride, passion and purpose – ready to wave the Bermudian flag high at the FIRST Global Challenge 2025.
China’s expanded controls of rare earth exports have caused a global shortage, prompting an escalation in global trade tensions, particularly with the United States
International News via Reuters:
European Council President Antonio Costa said on Monday that high-level officials from China were scheduled to visit Brussels in the coming weeks to discuss Beijing’s export curbs on rare earths.
China’s expanded controls of rare earth exports have caused a global shortage, prompting an escalation in global trade tensions, particularly with the United States.
Beijing controls more than 90% of the world’s supply of rare earth materials, which are essential for high-tech manufacturing, including electric vehicles, semiconductors and missiles.
“We are very concerned about the trade relationship with China, especially the recent measures that China adopted regarding the export control of critical raw materials,” Costa told selected media in an interview on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.
“A high-level delegation from China is going to Brussels in the coming weeks and we hope to address these in the proper way.”
Costa said China was also the country best placed to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, adding that Beijing underestimates its leverage over Moscow.
He also said the European Union would look to finalise trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines soon, following his participation at a meeting of leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Malaysian capital.
The EU would not send observers to war-torn Myanmar for an election, Costa added, as the European bloc does not recognise the authority of the military-led administration in the Southeast Asian country.
Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by David Stanway
The memorial is designed to honour those currently serving and commemorate veterans affected by the British military’s ban on LGBT officers, which was lifted in 2000
International News via Reuters:
King Charles will on Monday unveil a memorial dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military personnel, marking his first official engagement in support of the LGBT community.
The government-funded “Open Letter” memorial is designed to honour those currently serving and commemorate veterans affected by the British military’s ban on LGBT officers, which was lifted in 2000, 33 years after male homosexuality was partially decriminalised in England and Wales.
A bronze sculpture, it resembles a crumpled free-standing letter containing words from personal messages that were used as evidence to incriminate individuals.
Charles, the commander-in-chief of the British armed forces, is expected to lay flowers at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Claire Phillips, a lesbian brigadier who joined the army in 1995 when being openly gay was still banned, said the memorial’s design resonated deeply with her and is “such an amazing way of representing people who are so incredibly damaged by the ban.”
“This design uses the words of our veterans and service personnel to describe how it felt to be subject to the ban… to begin that process of reconciliation,” she told Sky News. “I’m just deeply, deeply honoured to be here today.”
Alastair Smith, a gay sergeant who joined the army in 1998, told Sky News that while it took time for attitudes to change in the army he had not faced any prejudice there, but had done in civilian life.
“There are people from the LGBT community who have that gusto, that determination and that drive to perform for their country despite whatever insurmountable odds they may face elsewhere,” he said.
The unveiling of the memorial follows recommendations from an independent investigation commissioned by the British government, which reported systemic abuse, including sexual assault and dismissal of LGBT service members.
The government has offered financial redress of up to 70,000 pounds ($93,947) to those impacted.
($1 = 0.7451 pounds)
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Conor Humphries
HSBC acted as a service provider to several funds that invested with Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC
International News via Reuters:
HSBC Holdings said on Monday it would book a $1.1 billion provision in its third-quarter results after losing part of an appeal in a long-running lawsuit tied to Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, history’s biggest ever such fraud.
HSBC acted as a service provider to several funds that invested with Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Herald Fund SPC sued HSBC’s Luxembourg unit in 2009 seeking restitution of assets it said were lost in the fraud.
Last Friday, the Luxembourg Court of Cassation rejected an appeal by HSBC’s unit over the restitution of securities claimed by Herald, although it accepted its appeal on a separate cash restitution claim, the bank said.
Herald had alleged that HSBC failed in its duties as a custodian to protect it from the fraud, previous court documents from the case show.
HSBC PLANS TO APPEAL FURTHER
The adverse ruling for HSBC dragged its shares down 1%, threatened to mar its quarterly earnings due on Tuesday, and showed how banks are still vulnerable to long-running litigation, often tied to the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis.
HSBC now plans to lodge a second appeal with the Luxembourg Court of Appeal and, if unsuccessful, the bank said it would contest the amount to be paid.
It added that the eventual financial impact could differ significantly from its current estimate.
Europe’s largest bank by assets said in July that Herald, which is in liquidation, was seeking the restitution of securities and cash worth $2.5 billion plus interest or damages of $5.6 billion plus interest.
HSBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the separate securities and cash amounts that Herald is seeking. The principal liquidators of Herald also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The bank estimated that the provision would have an impact of around 15 basis points (or 0.15 of a percentage point) on its common equity tier 1 capital ratio, meaning little lasting impact on the key measure of financial strength, which stands at 14.6%.
That would come on top of a 125 basis points impact arising from its $13.6 billion deal to take its majority-owned Hong Kong unit Hang Seng Bank private.
FALLOUT LINGERS FROM HISTORY’S BIGGEST EVER FRAUD
The charge could weigh on sentiment slightly but the impact should be limited as HSBC has already suspended share buybacks for the next three quarters due to the acquisition of Hang Seng Bank, said Lorraine Tan, director of equity research (Asia) for Morningstar.
Madoff’s fraud was estimated as much as $64.8 billion, making it the biggest-ever Ponzi scheme, a kind of fraud whereby old investors are paid off with funds from newer ones while the organiser siphons off some of the money for themselves.
It went undiscovered for years until Madoff confessed to his sons in December 2008, one day after his firm’s Christmas party. Madoff eventually pleaded guilty to 11 criminal counts. He died aged 82 in April 2021 while serving a 150-year prison sentence.
HSBC in 2012 settled with Kalix Fund for an undisclosed amount, also over losses the fund had suffered during the collapse of Madoff’s financial empire. The fund had sued the bank for $35.6 million.
Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru,Selena Li in Hong Kong, Lawrence White in London. Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Mark Potter
Credit growth to businesses eased to 2.9% in September from 3.0% a month earlier while loan growth to households rose to 2.6% from 2.5%
International News via Reuters:
Bank lending to euro zone firms edged down last month but remained near two-year highs, while credit to households expanded at its best pace since early 2023, the European Central Bank said on Monday.
Credit growth to businesses eased to 2.9% in September from 3.0% a month earlier while loan growth to households rose to 2.6% from 2.5%, its highest rate since March 2023.
The M3 measure of money circulating in the euro zone, often an indicator of future activity, meanwhile expanded by 2.8%, a drop from 2.9% a month earlier but in line with expectations.
The U.S. Federal Reserve wraps up its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday, while rate decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan are due on Thursday
International News via Reuters:
The U.S. dollar was mixed on Monday, coming off a six-day rally against the yen and a three-day losing streak versus the euro, as investors braced for a week packed with central bank meetings and trade negotiations.
The U.S. Federal Reserve wraps up its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday, while rate decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan are due on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. and China were set to “come away with” a trade deal, as he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week in South Korea.
The Chinese yuan rose to a more than one-month high against the dollar of 7.1103 ahead of that. Prior to the market open, the People’s Bank of China set the official yuan midpoint rate at 7.0881 per dollar, the strongest since October 15, 2024, and above a Reuters estimate of 7.1146.
EYES ON BOJ AND ECB MEETINGS
The yen extended its slide against the dollar for a seventh straight session, pressured by the appointment of new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, seen as a fiscal and monetary dove, while surging oil prices added further pressure on the currency and other oil-importing peers. But after the dollar touched 153.26, its highest since October 10, it fell back to trade down 0.05% at 152.80 yen.
Several analysts expect the so-called Japanese fiscal premium – due to concerns about Japan’s deteriorating fiscal outlook – to remain elevated and limit the scope for yen appreciation.
Meanwhile, with the ECB set to keep policy and messaging unchanged this week, the market’s focus is likely to be on the BoJ meeting on Thursday.
“There is risk that the Bank of Japan will hike rates, and any hawkish guidance could move the yen significantly,” said Bob Savage, head of markets macro strategy at BNY.
The BoJ is likely to debate this week whether conditions are right to resume rate hikes as worries about a tariff-induced recession ease, though political complications may keep it on hold for now.
FED EXPECTED TO CUT BY 25 BPS
With a 25-basis-point Fed rate cut long priced in, markets will closely watch for any signs that the central bank may be preparing to wind down its quantitative tightening programme.
Barclays strategists said the most market-moving outcome would be “an immediate end of QT along with a signal for imminent outright bill purchases to shore up bank reserves.”
They noted that similar shifts in the past have typically lifted risk assets, which are now showing a stronger positive correlation with the dollar.
“We also think the (U.S.) central bank, facing ever-tighter funding rates as reserves decline, will curtail quantitative tightening,” BNY’s Savage said.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against some major peers, was little changed at 98.90.
The euro was steady at $1.1628, while the common currency strengthened to as high as 178.13 yen, an all-time high. The Swiss franc reached 192.27 yen, also a record.
Robust euro zone data last week bolstered expectations that the ECB will keep interest rates elevated for longer, offering fresh support to the single currency.
The Australian dollar gained 0.4% versus the greenback to $0.6541 as signs of progress in trade talks between the U.S. and China bolstered demand for higher-yielding assets.
“Looking ahead we think that (U.S.) dollar firmness is likely to remain in the near term,” Mahjabeen Zaman, head of foreign exchange research at ANZ, said on a podcast.
“Fed cuts are fully priced in for October and December meetings. So if anything, any cautious communication from the Fed would likely be more supportive for the U.S. dollar.”
In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin rose 1.8% to $115,441.69, and ether jumped 4% to $4,227.56.
“We’ve obviously had a pretty risk-positive start to the week, given the weekend news on the various trade discussions,” said Ray Attrill, head of foreign exchange research at National Australia Bank. “At the moment, I’d say positive risk sentiment is still, at the margin, playing negatively for the U.S. dollar.”
Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo and Rocky Swift. Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Mark Potter
Melissa has maximum sustained winds of up to 140 mph (220kph) and is expected to strengthen as it heads towards Jamaica
International News via Reuters:
Hurricane Melissa has developed into a Category 4 hurricane heading towards Jamaica and Cuba and is expected to bring catastrophic floods, landslides and storm surges to the region, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Sunday.
Melissa has maximum sustained winds of up to 140 mph (220kph) and is expected to strengthen as it heads towards Jamaica, where it should make landfall Monday night or Tuesday morning. It is likely to hit southeastern Cuba late Tuesday.
In Jamaica, authorities have implored residents to evacuate to nearly 900 shelters around the country, providing assistance to those wanting to leave. On Sunday night, Prime Minister Andrew Holness issued mandatory evacuation orders for Port Royal in Kingston and six other areas.
“Many of these communities will not survive this flooding,” Desmond McKenzie, minister of local government, said at a press conference earlier in the day. “Kingston is low, extremely low … No community in Kingston is immune from flooding.”
Both international airports were closed.
Earlier on Sunday, some residents were choosing to stay put, and authorities said some have refused to board evacuation buses.
“We are riding out the storm, we’re not going to go anywhere. Just sitting down and watch everything, make sure everything’s working good,” said Douglas Butler, a local boat captain in Port Royal. “I just take things easy. As long as I have my food, I can eat. That is the most important thing.”
The NHC said Melissa is expected to bring 15 to 30 inches of rain to Jamaica and southern Hispaniola with a local maximum of up to 40 inches. Eastern Cuba is expected to receive 10 to 15 inches, with local amounts of up to 20 inches.
Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s information minister, said the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency is ready to provide assistance, and several international partners have already pledged support.
“We’ve heard the rainfall numbers. They’re numbers we’ve never heard before,” Morris Dixon said.
Reporting by Gursimran Kaur and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru, Zahra Burton and Maria Alejandra Cardona in Kingston; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Leslie Adler and Edwina Gibbs
The visit, Starmer’s first to Turkey since taking office last year, comes as the NATO allies deepen defence cooperation
International News via Reuters:
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to discuss the pending sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey on Monday when he meets President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
The visit, Starmer’s first to Turkey since taking office last year, comes as the NATO allies deepen defence cooperation, and as Ankara seeks to leverage the advanced jets to bolster its air power and make up ground on regional rivals including Israel.
Last week Reuters reported, citing a source, that Ankara had proposed to its European allies and the U.S. ways it could swiftly procure advanced fighter jets, amid talks to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoons as well as U.S. F-16s and F-35s.
A person familiar with the matter said that under a deal it is nearing with Britain on the Typhoons, Turkey would promptly receive 12 of them, albeit used, from previous buyers Qatar and Oman to meet its immediate needs, with 28 new jets coming in future years.
In July, Ankara and London signed a preliminary purchase deal approved by Eurofighter consortium members Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Last week, Erdogan visited Qatar and Oman in part to discuss the purchase plan.
Erdogan’s office said he and Starmer would also hold talks on bilateral ties and regional and global issues.
Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Gareth Jones
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said U.S. and Chinese officials hashed out a “substantial framework” for a trade deal which would avoid 100% U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods
International News via Reuters:
Oil prices fell over 1% on Monday after U.S. and Chinese economic officials sketched out a trade deal framework, easing fears that tariffs and export curbs between the world’s top two oil consumers could dent global economic growth.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said U.S. and Chinese officials hashed out a “substantial framework” for a trade deal which would avoid 100% U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and achieve a deferral of China’s rare-earth export controls in impending trade discussions this week.
Brent crude futures fell 75 cents, or 1.1%, to $65.19 a barrel by 0758 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 71 cents, or around 1.2%, to $60.79.
The trade deal framework helps allay concern that Russia could offset new U.S. sanctions, targeting Rosneft and Lukoil, by offering deeper discounts and using shadow fleets to lure buyers, said IG market analyst Tony Sycamore.
“However, if sanctions on Russian energy are less effective than expected, oversupply pressures could return to the market,” said Haitong Securities analyst Yang An.
Meanwhile Iraq, the OPEC group’s biggest overproducer, was in negotiations over the size of its quota within its available capacity of 5.5 million barrels per day, oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said at an oil conference on Monday.
The group, which pumps about half of the world’s oil, has reversed course this year to regain market share and helped in part to keep a lid on oil prices.
Last week, Brent and WTI rose 8.9% and 7.7%, respectively, on U.S. and EU sanctions on Russia.
“We are unsure the risk from Russian sanctions is ‘priced in.’ The moves from the latter part of last week are definitely in reaction to the surprise change in narrative from the U.S. Administration (on Russia), and how the market was most likely overextended to the downside,” said PVM Oil Associates analyst John Evans.
Reporting by Seher Dareen in London, Sam Li and Colleen Howe; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Bernadette Baum
Firearms incident on Saturday evening under investigation
Hillview Lane, Warwick, on Saturday night.
Police Statement:
UPDATE 12:59 Monday (time correction in bold)
The Bermuda Police Service, (BPS), is investigating a reported firearms incident which occurred in Warwick on Saturday evening, October 25, 2025.
Around 9:50pm, Police received reports of a gunshot heard in the area of Hillview Lane, Warwick.
Officers attended and conducted an extensive search of the location. There was nothing recovered at that time, to confirm a firearm had been discharged.
However, upon their return to the area during daylight hours, the officers’ attention was drawn to a spent shell casing.
Checks at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital revealed no one attended seeking treatment for a firearm related injury.
Police are particularly interested in speaking with anyone who may have seen two individuals on a motorcycle, leaving the area via Hillview Lane, shortly after the gunshot was heard.
Anyone with information is asked to call the main police number, 295-0011, the non-emergency reporting number, 211, or use the BPS Community Reporting Portal at portal.police.bm.
You may also call the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers number, 800-8477 or share the information with a police officer you know.
Two men in their 30s and originally from the capital’s Seine-Saint-Denis suburb – which includes some of the country’s most deprived areas – were detained on Saturday evening
International News via Reuters:
Suspects have been arrested over the brazen jewellery heist at the Louvre, just as one of them was about to fly out of France, the Paris prosecutor said on Sunday.
Two men in their 30s and originally from the capital’s Seine-Saint-Denis suburb – which includes some of the country’s most deprived areas – were detained on Saturday evening, according to Le Parisien newspaper, which first broke the story.
They were known to French police and one of the suspects was about to fly to Algeria from Charles de Gaulle airport, the newspaper said.
There was no indication on Sunday that any of France’s stolen crown jewels had been recovered.
PROSECUTOR ANGERED BY LEAK
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau did not say how many people were arrested or give any more details about them. In a statement, she deplored the fact that information about their arrest was leaked.
“This revelation can only hinder the investigative efforts of the 100 or so mobilised investigators, both in the search for the stolen jewellery and for all the perpetrators. It is too early to provide any specific details,” Beccuau said.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, under public pressure to deliver results a week to the day after the robbery, congratulated investigators in a tweet, but gave no more detail.
Four hooded thieves made off with eight precious pieces worth an estimated $102 million from the Louvre’s collection on October 19, exposing security lapses at the world’s most-visited museum.
They broke in using a crane to smash an upstairs window during opening hours and escaped on motorbikes.
News of the robbery reverberated around the world, prompting soul-searching in France over what some regarded as a national humiliation.
The stolen treasures included a tiara and an earring from the jewellery of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense from the early 19th century.
The crown of Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, was found damaged outside the museum. The thieves apparently dropped the piece, made of gold, emeralds and diamonds, as they made their getaway.
Built in the late 12th century, the Louvre Palace used to be the official residence of the kings of France, until Louis XIV abandoned it for Versailles. It was turned into a museum for the royal art collection in 1793, four years after the French Revolution.
Its huge collection of masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo statue, brought in 8.7 million visitors last year.
Reporting by Michel Rose and Kate Entringer; editing by Aidan Lewis, Mark Heinrich and Andrew Heavens
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