Marie-Lyne Dore and Ashley Couper both successfully completed the gruelling IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, delivering impressive age-group performances as the iconic race hosted both male and female competitors on the same day.
Marie-Lyne Dore was the quicker of the two, securing a phenomenal 8th place finish in the highly competitive Female 40-44 Age Group. She crossed the line in a superb overall time of 10 hours, 22 minutes, and 7 seconds (10:22:07).
Dore backed up her strong swim (1:11:53) and bike (5:27:08) with a swift marathon time of 3:32:04, placing her as the 93rd female finisher overall.
Ashley Couper also completed the ultimate endurance challenge in style. She finished the course in 11:07:06, earning a respectable 27th place in the Female 45-49 Age Group.
Couper, a strong runner, posted splits of 1:20:14 for the swim, 5:45:09 for the bike, and a 3:44:50 for the run, confirming her position as the 297th female finisher overall.
Bermuda’s golfers celebrated a highly successful final day at the Caribbean Golf Association (CGA) 4-Ball Championship in Jamaica, claiming two gold medals and a silver medal to cap a fantastic tournament.
The pairing of Tracy Burgess and Ann Symonds were in commanding form, shooting a final round of 76 to finish at 4-over par overall, securing the Ladies 45+ Division gold by a massive eight-stroke margin over Jamaica.
In the most senior category, Quinton Sherlock Sr and Hav Trott also claimed gold in the Men’s 70+ Division, finishing at 1-under par, two strokes ahead of the Bahamas.
Mark Ray and Roger Brangman secured a second medal for the island, finishing runners-up in the Seniors Division at 1-over par, behind champions Jamaica.
Elsewhere, the pair of Morgan Lightbourne and Sarah Dwyer finished third in the Ladies 25+ Division at 33-over, while Richard Marriott and Jonathan James finished a respectable seventh in the Mid Amateurs.
Dale Brangman and his crew Tre’sure Nanette dominated the light airs in St. George’s Harbour to win the Game Fish Inn Regatta, hosted by the East End Mini Yacht Club.
The duo delivered a masterful performance in the challenging conditions, securing the overall victory with a low total of just four points across the three races sailed.
Brangman and Nanette’s consistency was unmatched, finishing the day with two race wins and one second-place finish.
The runner-up position went to Gladwin Lambert and his crew Gregory Proctor, who finished second overall with six points.
Maxwell Curtis and Wesley Tucker rounded out the podium positions, finishing the regatta in third place with a total of 11 points.
Mexican authorities have deployed thousands of personnel to help evacuate, clean up and monitor areas in Gulf Coast and central states most affected by the rains
International News via Reuters:
Torrential rains that lashed Mexico last week have left at least 64 people dead and 65 missing, the government said Monday, after downpours triggered landslides, cut off power in some municipalities and caused rivers to burst their banks.
Mexican authorities have deployed thousands of personnel to help evacuate, clean up and monitor areas in Gulf Coast and central states most affected by the rains, which lasted through much of last week.
Laura Velazquez, national coordinator of civil protection, said Hidalgo and Veracruz were the states worst affected, with 29 deaths and 18 missing reported in Veracruz, and 21 deaths and 43 missing in Hidalgo.
Electricity was cut off for municipalities in five states of Mexico but has been largely restored, authorities said.
Reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez; writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher; editing by Mark Heinrich
Bermuda’s S-25 GL Construction / S-25 Team Bermuda concluded their campaign in the 2025 SuperStock Racing Group National Series Finals with a seventh-place finish overall in Florida.
Driver Steven Bridges and throttleman David Selley were competing at the high-stakes Englewood Beach Waterfest, which determined multiple championships.
Despite starting strongly with an excellent third-place finish in Heat One, the Bermudian duo ultimately secured the seventh position in a competitive field of 11 boats.
The overall National Series title went to Raymarine / Big East, crewed by Cole Leibel and multi-time World Champion Gary Ballough. They took the top spot ahead of Coco’s Monkey in second and Allen Lawn Care in third, concluding the SuperStock season.
A decade on from Volkswagen’s ‘dieselgate’ scandal the claimants are suing rival manufacturers in one of the largest mass lawsuits in English legal history
International News via Reuters:
Some of the world’s biggest carmakers manipulated diesel emissions tests because they “would rather cheat than comply with the law”, lawyers for over 1.6 million claimants told London’s High Court on Monday, at the start of a huge trial.
A decade on from Volkswagen’s ‘dieselgate’ scandal, which cost the German automaker billions of euros, the claimants are suing rival manufacturers in one of the largest mass lawsuits in English legal history.
Owners of diesel vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Nissan, Renault and the Stellantis-owned brands Peugeot and Citroen between 2012 and 2017 allege the companies cheated emissions tests.
The manufacturers are accused of using unlawful “defeat devices”, which detected when vehicles were being tested and ensured nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions were kept within legal limits under test conditions.
The claimants’ lawyers say NOx emissions were far higher when the cars were on the road – in some cases up to 12 times test limits – causing harm to the environment and entitling consumers to compensation.
The manufacturers, however, say the claims are fundamentally flawed and argue there are justified reasons why systems to control emissions are calibrated to work differently in certain conditions.
They also reject any similarity with the scandal that erupted in 2015, when VW admitted using defeat devices, and which has hung over the motor industry ever since.
‘DEFEAT DEVICES’ TRIAL BEGINS
The trial, which will conclude next year with a judgment expected in mid-2026, will focus on a sample of 20 diesel vehicles produced by the five manufacturers, who are being sued by nearly 850,000 of the claimants.
The High Court will determine whether those sample vehicles contained prohibited defeat devices, with any damages owed to be decided at a further trial next year.
The court’s ruling will also be binding on another 800,000 or so similar claims against other manufacturers including Stellantis-owned Vauxhall/Opel and BMW.
It is not the first time London’s High Court has been asked to decide on defeat devices, having ruled against VW in 2020. VW settled those claims without any admission of liability in 2022.
VW has had to pay more than 32 billion euros ($37 billion) in vehicle refits, fines and legal costs, while former Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn faced criminal charges, though his trial was suspended on health grounds earlier this month.
The scandal has stretched beyond VW to other manufacturers and suppliers, some of whom have paid fines and reached settlements in the United States and elsewhere to resolve investigations into diesel vehicle emissions.
Tom de la Mare, one of the claimants’ lawyers, said manufacturers across the industry made “a conscious decision” to prioritise customer convenience over preventing pollution.
He described the carmakers’ approach as being that “we would rather cheat than comply with the law”.
AUTOMAKERS REJECT ‘LONG SHADOW’ OF VW SCANDAL
The manufacturers at the centre of the trial, though, reject that and say the claimants have been distracted by the “long shadow” of VW’s troubles.
Renault’s lawyer Alexander Antelme said in court filings that the claimants were working on the “false assumption that the features of ‘VW dieselgate’ applied across the entire automotive industry”.
The carmakers also stress that lower NOx levels often mean higher amounts of other pollutants are emitted and that there are good engineering or safety reasons for regulating emissions.
All methods of emissions control involve “trade-offs between different emissions and the need for the diesel engine to operate properly and safely”, Antelme argued.
The current group of claims has previously been valued by the claimants’ lawyers at around 6 billion pounds ($7.97 billion).
($1 = 0.8645 euros)
($1 = 0.7528 pounds)
Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Peter Graff
The country’s emergency medical services said 16 people suffered moderate or serious injuries and at least 50 were lightly injured
International News via Reuters:
Two trains collided in eastern Slovakia on Monday, derailing an engine and a carriage and injuring at least 66 people, emergency medical services and police said.
There were no reports of deaths in the crash, which police said happened in front of a tunnel near the village of Jablonov nad Turnou, about 55 km (34 miles) west of the eastern Slovak region’s main city Kosice.
The country’s emergency medical services said 16 people suffered moderate or serious injuries and at least 50 were lightly injured.
Police footage on Facebook showed mangled wreckage, and a locomotive and a carriage that had come off the tracks lying on the side of a hill following the crash, which happened just after 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT).
There were about 80 passengers on the trains, police said.
Slovak Railways said the two trains collided at a point where tracks cross and turn into a single line, and that the cause was under investigation.
Reporting by Jason Hovet and Jan Lopatka in Prague;Editing by Alison Williams, Aidan Lewis, Alexandra Hudson
A military source told Reuters that Rajoelina flew out of the country on a French military aircraft on Sunday
International News via Reuters:
Madagascar’s president has fled the African nation, the head of the opposition and other officials said on Monday, the second time that young protesters have toppled a government in weeks of worldwide Gen Z unrest.
Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, leader of the opposition in parliament, told Reuters Rajoelina left Madagascar on Sunday after units of the army defected and joined the protesters.
“We called the staff of the presidency and they confirmed that he left the country”, he said, adding that Rajoelina’s current whereabouts were unknown.
The president’s office, which had earlier said Rajoelina would address the nation at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Monday, did not reply to requests for comment.
PRESIDENT LEFT ON FRENCH MILITARY PLANE
A military source told Reuters that Rajoelina flew out of the country on a French military aircraft on Sunday. French radio RFI said he had struck a deal with President Emmanuel Macron.
The source said that a French Army Casa aircraft landed in Madagascar’s Sainte Marie airport on Sunday. “Five minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transferred its passenger into the Casa,” the source said, adding that Rajoelina was the passenger.
Demonstrations had erupted in the former French colony on September 25 over water and power shortages but quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including corruption, bad governance and lack of basic services.
The anger mirrors recent protests against ruling elites in countries including Nepal, where the prime minister was forced to resign last month, and Morocco.
LOST SUPPORT OF ARMY, GENDARMERIE
Rajoelina had appeared increasingly isolated after losing the support of CAPSAT, an elite unit which had helped him seize power in a 2009 coup.
CAPSAT joined the protesters over the weekend, saying it refused to shoot on them and escorting thousands of demonstrators in the main square of the capital Antananarivo.
It then said it was taking charge of the military and appointed a new army chief, prompting Rajoelina to warn on Sunday of an attempt to seize power in the island nation off the coast of southern Africa.
On Monday, a faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie supporting the protests also took control of the gendarmerie at a formal ceremony in the presence of senior government officials, a Reuters witness said.
The president of the Senate – a focus of public anger during the protests – was relieved of his functions, the Senate said in a statement, and Jean André Ndremanjary was appointed on a temporary basis.
In the absence of a president, the leader of the Senate takes the post until elections are held.
“THE PRESIDENT MUST QUIT”
On Monday, thousands of people gathered in a square in the capital, shouting “the president must quit now”.
Hotel worker Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, 22, told Reuters his 300,000-ariary ($67) monthly salary was barely enough to cover food, explaining his reasons for joining the protests.
“In 16 years the president and his government have done nothing except enrich themselves while the people stay poor. And the youth, the Gen Z, suffer the most,” he said.
At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and the security forces since September 25, according to the UN.
Madagascar, where the median age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million – three-quarters of whom live in poverty, with GDP per capita plunging 45% between independence in 1960 and 2020, according to the World Bank.
While the country is best known for producing most of the world’s vanilla, other exports including nickel, cobalt, textiles and shrimps are also vital to foreign earnings and employment.
Reporting by Lovasoa Rabary and Tim Cocks; Additional reporting by Giulia Paravicini, Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Bate Felix, Ammu Kannampilly, Timothy Heritage, Alexandra Hudson
Retired lawyer Warren Cabral debuts The Lakeland Mysteries, blending classic storytelling with contemporary adventure
A Bermudian writer who once practiced law has turned his focus to children’s fiction, trading legal briefs for literary adventures.
Alisa Bernardo spoke to Warren Cabral about his newly published fictional series, The Lakeland Mysteries, which intends to charm young readers with fantastical plots of suspense and imagination.
Demonstrations in the former French colony erupted on September 25 over water and power shortages but have quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances
International News via Reuters:
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina will address the nation on Monday, his office said, after he lost the support of a key army unit that joined thousands of youths protesting against corruption and poverty and demanding his resignation.
Demonstrations in the former French colony erupted on September 25 over water and power shortages but have quickly escalated into an uprising over broader grievances, including bad governance and lack of basic services.
Rajoelina warned on Sunday of an attempt to seize power in the island nation off the coast of southern Africa after losing the support of CAPSAT, an elite unit which had helped him seize power in a 2009 coup, following more than two weeks of Gen Z protests.
PRESIDENT’S WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN
Rajoelina has not been seen in public since last week. The country’s public security minister said on Monday that she did not know his whereabouts.
The president’s spokeswoman said on Sunday that he was still in the capital, Antananarivo, in response to rumours that he had fled the country.
CAPSAT said over the weekend it was taking charge of the military and appointed a new army chief. On Monday, a faction of the paramilitary gendarmerie supporting the protests also took control of the gendarmerie at a formal ceremony in the presence of senior government officials, a Reuters witness said.
The president of the Senate – a focus of public anger during the protests – was relieved of his functions, the Senate said in a statement, and Jean André Ndremanjary was appointed on a temporary basis.
In the absence of a president, the leader of the Senate takes the post until elections are held.
GEN Z PROTESTS MIRROR THOSE IN NEPAL AND KENYA
On Monday, thousands of people gathered in a square in the capital, shouting “the president must quit now”.
Hotel worker Adrianarivony Fanomegantsoa, 22, told Reuters his 300,000-ariary ($67) monthly salary was barely enough to cover food, explaining his reasons for joining the protests.
“In 16 years the president and his government have done nothing except enrich themselves while the people stay poor. And the youth, the Gen Z, suffer the most,” he said.
At least 22 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and the security forces since September 25, according to the UN.
The anger mirrors recent demonstrations in countries including Morocco, Nepal and Kenya against ruling elites, with protesters sporting T-shirts and flags with the same symbol – a skull with a straw hat from the Japanese manga series “One Piece” – used by their counterparts in Asia and Latin America.
The protests have spiralled into the most serious challenge to Rajoelina’s rule since his re-election in 2023.
General Nonos Mbina Mamelison, who took over as the head of the gendarmerie on Monday, told reporters when asked about who was in command of the unit: “Exceptional situation, exceptional measures. And all the orders come from the gendarmerie command.”
Watching his appointment was the minister in charge of the army and General Demosthene Pikulas, the new army chief of staff appointed by CAPSAT at the weekend.
Madagascar, a former French colony where the median age is less than 20, has a population of about 30 million – three-quarters of whom live in poverty, with GDP per capita plunging 45% between independence in 1960 and 2020, according to the World Bank.
While the country is best known for producing most of the world’s vanilla, other exports including nickel, cobalt, textiles and shrimps are also vital to foreign earnings and employment.
Reporting by Lovasoa Rabary and Tim Cocks; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Bate Felix, Ammu Kannampilly, Timothy Heritage, Alexandra Hudson
At least 19 children died in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after taking the syrup
International News via Reuters:
India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu has cancelled the licences of a cough syrup-maker linked to the deaths of several children over the past month, it said on Monday, as authorities search some of the firm’s sites on suspicion of money-laundering.
At least 19 children died in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after taking the syrup, which was banned after a test this month showed it contained nearly 500 times the permissible limit of diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical.
The medicine was only sold domestically but the incident revives quality concerns about India’s pharmaceutical industry, a major global exporter whose syrups were linked in 2023 to the deaths of 10 children in Cameroon, Gambia and Uzbekistan.
“The manufacturing licenses of Sresan Pharmaceuticals have been completely cancelled, and the company has been shut down,” the state government said in a statement.
Financial crime-fighting agency the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is searching seven premises linked to the company in Chennai, the state capital, on accusations of money laundering, a source said.
Some of these are homes of top officials of the state’s drug control office, said the source, who sought anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to media.
Telephone calls to seek comment from G. Ranganathan, owner of the Tamil Nadu-based firm, Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, who was arrested last week, went unanswered.
The ED did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
India, known as the ‘pharmacy of the world’, supplies 40% of generic medicines used in the United States, and more than 90% of all medicines in many African nations.
Indian law requires drugmakers to test each batch of raw materials and the final product, but exports of cough syrup must undergo further testing at government-mandated laboratories since 2023.
Last week the World Health Organisation flagged India’s “regulatory gap” in screening domestically-sold medicinal syrups.
Indian authorities, who have stepped up scrutiny of such syrups since the recent deaths, have also warned against consumption of two more sold domestically, Respifresh and RELIFE, which were found to contain the same toxic chemical.
These are made by Shape Pharma and Rednex Pharmaceuticals, based in the western state of Gujarat, but officials of neither company responded to calls from Reuters seeking comment.
Reporting by Rishika Sadam and Praveen Paramasivam; Additional reporting by Nikunj Ohri; Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Tom Hogue and Clarence Fernandez
The lender, one of the biggest players in motor finance, had previously set aside about 1.15 billion pounds in what is set to be one of the costliest consumer scandals for British finance
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s Lloyds Banking Group said on Monday it would take an additional charge of 800 million pounds ($1.1 billion) to compensate customers for the motor finance mis-selling scandal, bringing its total provision to 1.95 billion pounds.
The lender, one of the biggest players in motor finance, had previously set aside about 1.15 billion pounds in what is set to be one of the costliest consumer scandals for British finance.
Lloyds said the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) proposed redress scheme showed that more historical cases dating back to 2007 were likely eligible for compensation, and that it would seek to challenge the regulator on its methodology.
The regulator’s redress calculation approach was “less closely linked to actual customer loss than previously anticipated,” suggesting payouts could be higher than the bank initially modelled, Lloyds said.
Shares in the bank, which had fallen last week when it flagged a possible “material” hike in provisions, rose 1.6% in early London trading.
LENDERS TO PERSUADE REGULATOR TO ADJUST REDRESS SCHEME
“There is some relief today that “material” top-up didn’t equate to a much larger number given that the regulator had said in their consultation that 51% of the burden would fall on banks,” Benjamin Toms, an analyst at RBC, told Reuters.
Lenders will now aim to persuade the regulator to adjust the redress scheme to align more closely with customer losses and resolve discrepancies between the consultation paper and the Supreme Court ruling, he said.
Last week, the regulator proposed a redress scheme for consumers with motor finance compensation claims, estimating a total bill for lenders at about 11 billion pounds.
Shares in lender Close Brothers, which said last week it would likely need to set aside more money for compensation, also rose on Monday.
($1 = 0.7492 pounds)
Reporting by Raechel Thankam Job in Bengaluru, Simone Lobo and Tommy Reggiori Wilkes in London; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Bernadette Baum
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