Free tennis programme a hit with seniors
They’ve still got game and this year, they’re serving up more energy, more smiles, and more swings than ever before. Bermuda’s Tennis Treasures are back on court, and with 76 seniors registered, this year’s programme is the biggest yet.
Detective Chief Inspector Kenten Trott is leading the search to locate 15-year-old Ja’Dore Wilson who has been missing for 2 weeks
Police officers and new recruits leaving “no stone will be left unturned” as they carry out door to door searches in Pembroke neighbourhoods to locate15-year-old Ja’Dore Wilson.
The teen was last seen on Wednesday, September 17th at her North Terrace home in Pembroke.
Jasmine Patterson and Ra’ees Tankard were there this morning.
15-year-old Koral McCann was last see near the Apothecary on South Shore Road in Smith’s parish
Full news release from the Bermuda Police Service:
The Bermuda Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 14-year-old Canadian National, Koral McCann
She is described as being 5, 4” in height, with black hair and light complexioned (white).
She was last seen in the area of the Apothecary, South Shore Road, Smith’s at noon Wednesday.
At the time, she was wearing a white off the shoulder t-shirt and white basketball shorts with black trim.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 14-year-old Canadian National, Koral McCann, is asked to immediately call the main police number 295-0011.
There was no clear path out of the impasse, while agencies warned that the 15th government shutdown since 1981 would halt the release of a closely watched September employment report
International News via Reuters:
The U.S. government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as deep partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long, grueling standoff that could lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs.
There was no clear path out of the impasse, while agencies warned that the 15th government shutdown since 1981 would halt the release of a closely watched September employment report, slow air travel, suspend scientific research, withhold pay from U.S. troops and lead to the furlough of 750,000 federal workers at a daily cost of $400 million.
Republican President Donald Trump, whose campaign to radically reshape the federal government is already on track to push out some 300,000 workers by December, warned congressional Democrats that a shutdown could clear the path for more job cuts.
Vice President JD Vance issued an unusual warning about air safety, noting that air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration personnel — essential staff who work through shutdowns — would be worried about delayed paychecks.
“If you’re flying today, I hope, of course, you arrive safely and on time, but you may not arrive on time because the TSA and the air traffic controllers are not getting paid today,” Vance said on Fox News.
The U.S.’s longest-government shutdown, which stretched over 35 days in 2018-2019 during Trump’s first term, ended in part after flight delays caused by air traffic controllers calling in sick.
Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a stopgap measure to fund the government through Nov. 21 over Republicans’ refusal to attach an extension of health benefits for millions of Americans that are due to expire at the end of the year. Republicans say the issue must be addressed separately.
Both sides were posturing to blame the other and looking for advantage in the 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.
Senate Republican Leader John Thune scheduled another series of votes on Wednesday, hoping to pressure Democrats to break ranks.
WALL STREET SLIPS
The shutdown was set to delay the release of some government economic reports, adding unease to Wall Street investors at a time of economic uncertainty.
Wall Street opened lower, gold struck a record high and Asian stocks wavered as investors worried about delays in the release of key data and the impact of job losses. The dollar hovered near a one-week low versus major peers.
At issue on the government funding front is $1.7 trillion for agency operations, which amounts to roughly one-quarter of the government’s total $7 trillion budget. Much of the remainder goes to health and retirement programs and interest payments on the growing $37.5 trillion debt.
Independent analysts warn the shutdown could last longer than the budget-related closures of the past, with Trump and White House officials threatening to punish Democrats with cuts to government programs and the federal payroll.
“Donald Trump and Republicans have shut the government down because they don’t want to provide healthcare to working-class Americans,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Thune said Democrats had routinely backed similar funding bills in years past.
“What’s changed is President Trump is in the White House. That’s what this is about. This is politics. And there isn’t any substantive reason why there ought to be a government shutdown,” the South Dakota Republican told reporters.
Trump’s Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress, but legislative rules require 60 of the 100 senators to agree on spending legislation. That means that at least seven Democrats are needed to pass a funding bill. On Tuesday, three of them voted for the Republican bill.
DEMOCRATS FOCUS ON HEALTHCARE FUNDING
Democrats are under pressure from their frustrated supporters to score a rare victory ahead of the 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress for the final two years of Trump’s term. The healthcare push has given them a chance to unite behind an issue that resonates with voters.
Along with the extended health subsidies, Democrats have also sought to ensure that Trump will not be able to undo those changes if they are signed into law. Trump has refused to spend billions of dollars approved by Congress, prompting some Democrats to question why they should vote for any spending legislation at all.
University of Chicago professor Robert Pape said the polarized U.S. political climate could make it harder for party leaders to reach a deal to reopen the government, which would likely anger their most vocal partisans.
“The rules of politics are radically changing, and we can’t know for sure where all of this is going to end,” he said.
Reporting by Richard Cowan, Nolan D. McCaskill, Bo Erickson and David Morgan; additional reporting by Doina Chacu, Jasper Ward and Katharine Jackson; writing by Andy Sullivan; editing by Scott Malone, Nick Zieminski and Lincoln Feast
Runner Gabriella Cechini has continued her cross country season in commanding fashion, running to victory in the Women’s 5K Varsity race at the annual Family Weekend Cross Country Races hosted by Mercersburg Academy.
Gabriella Cechini dominated the women’s field, crossing the line with a winning time of 18 minutes and 19.93 seconds. Her exceptional performance spearheaded the women’s team effort, guiding them to a first-place finish with a strong total of 57 points.
The Cechini family success extended to the men’s race, where Joseph Cechini delivered a solid top-15 performance. Competing in the Men’s 5K Varsity, Joseph stopped the clock at 18:34.81, earning a respectable 12th-place finish. His contribution helped the Mercersburg Academy men’s team secure second place overall with 67 points.
The opening meet provides a strong benchmark for the Academy’s cross country program, with the Bermudian siblings already proving to be key assets for both the men’s and women’s squads this season.
Britain dropped a mandate for the iPhone maker to provide a backdoor that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American as well as British citizens
International News via Reuters:
The British government has issued a new order to Apple to create a backdoor into its cloud storage service, this time targeting only British users’ data, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Britain dropped a mandate for the iPhone maker to provide a backdoor that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American as well as British citizens, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in August.
U.S. lawmakers had raised concerns that such a move could allow encrypted user data to be exploited by cyber criminals and authoritarian governments.
APPLE SAYS IT WILL NEVER CREATE A BACKDOOR
Apple, which has said it would never build a backdoor into its encrypted services or devices, appealed against the earlier order at the UK’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), the IPT confirmed in April.
A British government spokesperson said: “We do not comment on operational matters, including, for example, confirming or denying the existence of any such notices.
“We will always take all actions necessary at the domestic level to keep UK citizens safe.”
Apple withdrew its Advanced Data Protection feature for UK users in February after the initial order.
The feature allows iPhone and Mac users to ensure that only they — and not even Apple — can unlock data stored on its cloud.
“Apple is still unable to offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users, and current UK users will eventually need to disable this security feature,” Apple said on Wednesday.
“ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, which means the data can only be decrypted by the user who owns it, and only on their trusted devices.”
The company said it was committed to offering users the highest level of security and it was hopeful it would be able to do so in the future in Britain.
“As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will,” it added.
Reporting by Jaspreet Singh and Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru and Paul Sandle and Sarah Young in LondonEditing by Tomasz Janowski, Sarah Young and David Goodman
The Oktoberfest will reopen on Wednesday evening after police found nothing suspicious in a major operation prompted by a bomb threat
International News via Reuters:
The Oktoberfest will reopen on Wednesday evening after police found nothing suspicious in a major operation prompted by a bomb threat and the discovery of explosives in a Munich residential building after an incident that left at least one person dead.
“We haven’t found anything unusual that could be related to this potential threat scenario,” a Munich police spokesperson told reporters, adding that the search had involved nearly 30 sniffer dogs from across Bavaria.
The Oktoberfest, which last year attracted 6.7 million visitors who consumed about 7 million litres of beer, will reopen at 5:30 p.m. (1530 GMT), its website said.
DISAPPOINTED REVELLERS WAITED OUTSIDE
However, on Wednesday the Ferris wheel and roller coaster stood eerily still as lederhosen-clad revellers stood around nervously outside the venue. The festival opened on September 20 and will end on October 5.
Police had kept it shut due to an uncertain situation involving explosives in a house in northern Munich where a shooting took place between family members and a threat made to the Oktoberfest.
The exact connection between the two is unclear.
Police said the residential building had been deliberately set on fire in a family dispute and one person had died.
Special forces were brought in to defuse booby traps found in the building, according to police, and neighbours within a 200-metre radius were evacuated.
A burnt-out van and fire-damaged cars were also found near the building.
Earlier, police said a 57-year-old German was suspected of setting fire to a building due to a family dispute.
Initial findings pointed to the suspect committing suicide near a lake. He was carrying a backpack which is believed to have contained an explosive device that had to be defused, police said.
Bild and other media outlets reported that the suspect had shot dead his father and that the dispute was over inheritance. Police said they were still trying to establish whether anyone else was in the building.
Two other people were injured in the incident, said police, the 81-year-old German mother of the suspect and his 21-year-old daughter, who is a German-Brazilian citizen.
Reporting by Ayhan Uyanik, Writing by Miranda Murray and Madeline Chambers; Editing by Kim Coghill and Ed Osmond
It was a day of mixed results for Bermudian professionals in English football, marked by a comeback draw in the league and a disappointing exit in the FA Cup.
Nahki Wells and his Luton Town teammates showed great character to fight back and claim a valuable point on the road against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, drawing 2-2. Luton went two goals down, but rallied to secure the comeback draw, thanks to goals from Jordan Clark and a 91st-minute penalty from Gideon Kodua. The point keeps the Hatters firmly in the mix at the top of League One.
However, goalkeeper Nathan Trott and his Cardiff City side suffered their second defeat in three league games. Hosting Burton Albion FC at the Cardiff City Stadium, the Bluebirds went down 1-0. The result is a significant setback for the promotion hopefuls and their Bermuda international stopper.
The Emirates FA Cup Third Qualifying Round Replays brought an end to one Bermudian’s cup run:
Milan Butterfield’s Halesowen Town bowed out of the competition, falling 1-0 to Aveley in their replay match at The Grove.
Despite the exit, other Bermudians were in action elsewhere:
Willie Clemons and his Leiston FC teammates secured a comfortable 3-0 victory away to Walsham Le Willows FC in the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Football Association Premier Cup 2nd Round.
Reese Jones Jr. and Aunde Todd’s Binfield FC went down 3-2 at home to Leatherhead FC in the Isthmian Football League clash at Hill Farm Lane.
The 106th Archbishop will replace Justin Welby, who resigned last November over a child abuse coverup scandal
International News via Reuters:
Britain is expected to announce the next Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday, with two women among the favourites to lead the Church of England and become the symbolic figurehead for 85 million Anglicans worldwide.
The 106th Archbishop will replace Justin Welby, who resigned last November over a child abuse coverup scandal, and will inherit an institution that has long grappled with theological schisms over the approach to gay Christian couples and the role of women in the church.
According to the bookmakers, the CoE could get its first woman Archbishop of Canterbury, a decade after it began consecrating women as bishops.
SOME CONSERVATIVE ANGLICANS OPPOSE WOMEN BISHOPS
Leading contenders include Bishop Rachel Treweek, the CoE’s first-ever female diocesan bishop, and Iranian-born Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani, who came to Britain as a refugee with her parents following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Balancing expectations between conservative Christians in African countries – where homosexuality is outlawed in some nations – and their generally more liberal counterparts in the West has proven a difficult task for previous office-holders.
Appointing a woman archbishop could compound that. The conservative Global Anglican Future Conference, which says it represents the majority of Anglicans worldwide and had rejected Welby’s approach to homosexuality, believes only men should be consecrated as bishops.
Another frontrunner for next archbishop is Bishop Martyn Snow, who stepped away from leading the CoE’s process to bless same-sex couples, saying he could not unite the Church, while media reports have also named Pete Wilcox, Bishop of Sheffield.
APPOINTMENT FOLLOWS LENGTHY VETTING PROCESS
Unlike the Catholic Church, which elected Pope Leo just 17 days after Francis’ death, the CoE has taken nearly a year to make its decision due to a complex vetting process, led by a former spy and involving senior bishops and global representatives.
Appointing a woman to the Archbishopric would mark a historic shift for global religious institutions.
While the Catholic Church, the world’s largest Christian denomination with 1.4 billion members, does not ordain women as priests, the CoE under Welby embraced female leadership, with women now making up close to a third of all bishops in England.
Jonathan Evans, a former head of the MI5 spy agency who was chosen by the government to lead the 20-strong selection commission, said in July he wanted to avoid a list of candidates where all were “white, Oxbridge, male and come from the southeast of England”.
The commission comprised 17 voting members, including five representatives from the global Anglican Communion, three from Canterbury, and six from the CoE’s governing body.
Under the rules, the commission makes a recommendation to the prime minister, who puts it forward to King Charles for consent. In Britain, the monarch has been supreme governor of the CoE since it broke from the Catholic Church under Henry VIII in the 16th century.
Predictions have been incorrect in the past, with Welby – a former oil executive – being a surprise pick when he was appointed to replace Rowan Williams in 2013.
Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton and Gareth Jones
In one of the most significant moments for Bermudian sport in years, highly-sought after basketball prospect Ralph Scott has committed to the University of Tennessee Volunteers. Scott chose the Volunteers on Tuesday afternoon, selecting them over a final list that included Houston, Purdue, and Texas A&M.
Scott’s journey to becoming a blue-chip recruit—and potentially the first Bermudian men’s player in NCAA Division I basketball history—is anything but traditional.
Born in Connecticut but raised in Bermuda, an island where cricket and soccer dominate, Scott’s passion for basketball was cultivated not by a formal system, but by family history.
“My family has always been into basketball,” the 6-foot-8 wing told RTI. “My grandfather coached the Bermuda National basketball team. I’ve always been around him, watching basketball like that and seeing him in that environment.”
Scott’s early basketball experiences were limited by the scale of the island, which is so small that its entire population couldn’t fill a single major US arena. “There’s not a lot of people in Bermuda so I didn’t play organized, in a proper gym basketball until I was like 10 or 11,” he explained.
The Cat 2 storm is expected to close in on us in the early hours of the morning
Image from the Bermuda Weather Service
Hurricane Imelda continues to barrel towards Bermuda.
According to the noon update from the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS), the now Category 2 storm is expected to pass within 25 nautical miles of, or directly over, Bermuda at 1 am, Thursday, October 2.
After a short reprieve from Hurricane Humberto today, the BWS says Imelda will move in by late afternoon with more rain, showers and possible thunderstorms.
Overnight, you can expect conditions to deteriorate including winds of 30-50kt with gusts to 70kt later in the evening. There is also the chance for winds to peak at 60-80kt with gusts to 100kt, especially over elevated or exposed areas.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, data from Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph (155 km/h) with higher gusts.
The NHC also said some additional strengthening is possible before Imelda passes close to Bermuda tonight.
Currently, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles (370 km), according to the NHC.
By early Thursday morning, the BWS forecasts that Imelda will be east of Bermuda, resulting in a few showers before conditions likely start to brighten into the afternoon.
EMO provides latest updates on Hurricane Imelda
Satellite image of Hurricane Imelda from Zoom.Earth
Government press release:
The Ministry of National Security advises that the Executive of the Emergency Measures Organisation (EMO) met today, Wednesday, 1 October, to consider the latest updates on Hurricane Imelda.
Hurricane Humberto passed the Island earlier this morning, and the focus now shifts fully to Hurricane Imelda.
As of this morning, Hurricane Imelda was located 343 nautical miles west-southwest of Bermuda, moving east-northeast at 18 knots (21 mph). Maximum sustained winds are near 80 knots (92 mph), with gusts up to 100 knots (115 mph).
On its current track, Imelda is forecast to pass within 25 nautical miles of Bermuda – or directly over the Island – around 1:00 am Thursday.
Minister of National Security, the Hon. Michael Weeks, JP, MP, stated: “By now, all preparations for Hurricane Imelda should be completed. Conditions are already deteriorating, and everyone should be off the roads by 4.00 pm today. The public must also remain off the roads throughout Thursday until we issue an official all-clear.
“We have activated the Emergency Measures Operations Centre hotline at 444-1447, which is open from noon today to take requests for assistance with structural damage or road clearing. All other emergencies must be reported to 911.
“The Emergency Broadcast Station at 100.1 FM will go live this evening to provide official updates during the storm. I remind all residents to keep a portable FM radio on hand in case of power outages. If you have mobile data, you can also listen via the live stream on www.gov.bm.”
Key EMO Decisions and Updates
Minister Weeks added: “I urge everyone to check on neighbours, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, and make sure they are safe. Please remember that preparation saves lives.
“Stay indoors, remain off the roads until an official announcement is made that the roads are safe, and follow only official sources of information as we ride out Hurricane Imelda together.”
The EMO will continue to monitor conditions closely and provide further updates as required.
For official weather information, visit the Bermuda Weather Service at www.weather.bm.
