Scott Barnes clinched 3 titles in at the Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix in Illinois
Karting sensation Scott Barnes achieved a remarkable feat on the final day of racing at the 2025 Rock Island Grand Prix, securing three championship titles.
Barnes was crowned the Ignite 100 Masters Champion, the Open Shifter Champion, and the coveted ‘King of the Streets’.
In the highly competitive Open Shifter Division, Barnes showcased his exceptional speed and skill, clocking a 10-lap winning time of 5:46.320.
His dominance continued in the 100cc Ignite 100 Masters race, where he drove to victory with a 20-lap time of 12:29.010, leaving his rivals trailing in his wake.
This triple crown solidifies Barnes’ place as a true legend of the Rock Island Grand Prix.
Good evening, guests, members of the BEDC team, proud families and friends, and most importantly, our student entrepreneurs—welcome.
As the Minister of Economy and Labour, it is a privilege to be here with you this evening as we celebrate the conclusion of the Summer Student Entrepreneur Programme.
I always find these evenings inspiring because they remind me of the creativity, innovation, and determination that lives within Bermuda’s young people.
Over the past two months, you have stepped into the role of business owner—learning practical skills, building confidence, and turning your ideas into real products and services. This programme has given you a head start and a hands-on look into the world of entrepreneurship.
Tonight, you join a growing network of more than 60 young Bermudians who have completed this programme. Over the eight cohorts, these entrepreneurs have generated in excess of $62,000 through the sale of products and services, including more than $18,000 generated by this cohort alone. That figure is more than a number; it proves what happens when talent meets opportunity.
The range of businesses developed this year speaks volumes. From digital marketing and anime merchandise to fashion, natural beverages, therapeutic toys, and landscaping, you have shown that entrepreneurship is alive and thriving among Bermuda’s youth.
To the BEDC team, I thank you for your continued commitment to nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs. This programme is a powerful example of the impact that mentorship, resources, and encouragement can have when combined with bold ideas.
As a government, we remain firmly committed to entrepreneurship, particularly youth entrepreneurship. It is a key part of our Economic Development Strategy 2023–2027, especially Strategic Priority 3, which focuses on supporting small businesses and creating opportunities for Bermudians to chart their own paths. By supporting youth entrepreneurship, we are investing in individual dreams and Bermuda’s long-term economic resilience.
While this programme may be concluding, I want you to know that the BEDC will support you long after tonight. Whether you choose to grow your business or explore new ventures, you now have the skills, experience, and confidence to succeed.
Congratulations once again on all that you have achieved. May this be only the beginning of your entrepreneurial journeys. Bermuda is proud of you, and we look forward to seeing how far you will go.
1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze in Barbados for Bermuda’s young cyclists
Press Statement from the BBA:
Bermuda’s juniors produced a series of determined rides today at the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships in Barbados, highlighted by a silver medal for Charlotte Millington in the junior women’s road race.
Millington battled throughout the 68-kilometre event before conceding only to Martinique, securing second place and adding a seventh career medal at the regional championships — her last as a junior.
In the same race, Skye Ferguson finished just off the podium in fourth, showing consistency in her third consecutive year representing Bermuda at this level.
In the junior men’s race, Keon Stevens impressed in his championship debut. After being distanced from the peloton, he dug deep to complete the course strongly on his own, marking a promising first race outside Bermuda.
The 15/16 juvenile men’s category brought mixed fortunes. Andrew Thomas suffered a mechanical issue that left him chasing with a rider from the Bahamas. Meanwhile, Jacob Wright rode aggressively, spending long stretches at the front of a hesitant peloton unwilling to chase a solo Barbadian rider who went on to win. In the final bunch sprint, Wright was unable to make the podium but gained valuable experience in the tactical demands of international road racing.
Team Manager and Coach Peter Dunne and Mechanic/Coach Chequan Richardson supported the riders across the championships.
“Every one of our riders can return home proud of their efforts,” said Dunne. “The experience they gained here in Barbados will only help their continued development and progression in the sport.”
Bermuda concludes the championships with a total of four medals, gold for Millington in the junior women’s time trial, silver in the junior women’s road race, bronze for Ferguson in the junior women’s time trial, and bronze for Wright in the 15/16 men’s time trial. It was a strong showing against the region’s best and proof of the depth of emerging cycling talent on the island.
The Aviators Alliance of Bermuda, an aviation industry network held their second community event to expose young people to the variety of career paths in the sector
The Aviators Alliance of Bermuda held a ‘Skies ‘N’ Ties’ social event on Friday to connect locals with aviation professionals and company representatives operating in Bermuda.
The event drew a crowd of around 30 attendees including parents, students, educators, pilots, representatives from Skyport, BCAA, Blue Sky Flights and others at the L.F. Wade International Airport.
Co-Founder of the Aviators Alliance of Bermuda, Tariq Lynch-Wade, who is a Bermudian pilot said, “I recall being a young man with a dream of becoming a pilot and it felt like a lonely journey at the time.
“And I always promised myself that when I get in a position with enough experience that I would come together with other like-minded individuals which has now created the Aviators Alliance of Bermuda.”
Eight aspiring pilots and air traffic controllers met and exchanged contact information to stay connected on their respective journeys.
He added, “That way we can increase visibility and to assist other who have the dream and give them an opportunity to meet each other, strengthen their network. Also, identify where the opportunities are on island.”
Officials say flooding has been worsened in Punjab – home to half of Pakistan’s people and a major producer of wheat, rice and cotton
International News via Reuters:
Pakistani authorities have evacuated more than a million people from homes in Punjab province this week, officials said on Thursday, as the worst flooding there in four decades caused havoc in hundreds of villages and submerged vital grains crops.
Torrential monsoon rain and neighbouring India’s release of excess water from its dams swelled three rivers that flow into the eastern province, forcing authorities to breach river banks in some places – causing flooding in more than 1,400 villages, Punjab’s disaster management authority said.
Residents of villages such as Qadirabad were walking through water up to their chests on Thursday after the River Chenab overflowed, causing sudden flooding.
“We spent the whole night awake and frightened,” Nadeem Iqbal, 26, a labourer, told Reuters as he waded through the water with one of his children.
“Everyone was frightened. Kids cried. Women were worried. We were helpless,” he said.
Officials say flooding has been worsened in Punjab – home to half of Pakistan’s people and a major producer of wheat, rice and cotton – by the release of water into the three rivers, the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab, from Indian dams that were full.
India, which routinely releases water from dams when they get too full, passed on three flood warnings to its arch rival Pakistan this week, calling them a humanitarian measure.
Both countries are battling a heavy monsoon season that has unleashed flash floods. At least 60 people have died this month in hard-hit Indian Kashmir, while Pakistan’s death toll since late June stands at 819.
At least 12 people have died this week in Punjab province, said Marriyum Aurangzeb, a senior minister in the provincial government.
‘THREAT EVADED’
The waters of the Chenab threatened early on Thursday to burst through a 3,300-foot (1,000-metre) concrete barrage at Qadirabad that regulates flows, siphoning some of the water into a canal irrigation network. A collapse of the barrage would have inundated two nearby towns.
To avert the danger, authorities deliberately blew up part of the riverbank at two places to release water onto nearby land before it reached the barrage, the provincial disaster management authority said.
By Thursday afternoon, the level was down to 754,966 cusec, having reached nearly 1 million cusec overnight – well over its capacity of 800,000 cusec. A cusec is a flow of volume equivalent to one cubic foot, or 28 cubic litres, every second.
“We have evaded the threat,” a spokesperson for the authority said.
Officials said shifting weather patterns were to blame for the floods in Pakistan, which has repeatedly been battered by flooding in recent years.
In 2022, unprecedented flash floods caused by historic monsoon rains washed away roads, crops, infrastructure and bridges, killing at least 1,000 people.
The head of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Agency, Inam Haider Malik, said that for the first time, weather systems coming from the east, south and west had converged over Pakistan this monsoon season.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said climate change “is the new normal”.
“But it isn’t unmanageable,” he added.
On the other side of the India-Pakistan border, Himalayan river levels began to recede after days of downpours and forecasters said they expected the rain to start easing from Thursday.
Reporting by Akhtar Soomro in Qadirabad, Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore and Fayaz Bukhari in Srinagar; Writing by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Helen Popper
Leo was elected pope by the world’s cardinals in May after the death of the late Pope Francis
International News via Reuters:
Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born leader of the global Catholic Church, prayed on Sunday that God would “stop the pandemic of arms” after a mass shooting on August 27 at a Minnesota Catholic school that killed two children.
“Our prayers (go) for the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass in the American state of Minnesota,” Leo, speaking in English, said in a weekly prayer with crowds in St. Peter’s Square.
“Let us plead God to stop the pandemic of arms large and small, which infects our world,” said the pope.
Leo was elected pope by the world’s cardinals in May after the death of the late Pope Francis. He has shown a different style to his predecessor, rarely speaking off the cuff and usually preferring a more cautious tone in his public appeals.
Sunday’s appeal was also a rare instance of the pope addressing a world event in his native English. Leo usually prefers to use Italian, the language of the papacy.
Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Hugh Lawson
The group also says it is concerned about culture, wages, traffic, housing and water supply, environmental destruction, infrastructure, hospitals, crime and loss of community
International News via Reuters:
Thousands of Australians joined anti-immigration rallies across the country on Sunday that the centre-left government condemned, saying they sought to spread hate and were linked to neo-Nazis.
March for Australia rallies against immigration were held in Sydney and other state capitals and regional centres, according to the group’s website.
“Mass migration has torn at the bonds that held our communities together,” the website says. The group posted on X on Saturday that the rallies aimed to do “what the mainstream politicians never have the courage to do: demand an end to mass immigration”.
The group also says it is concerned about culture, wages, traffic, housing and water supply, environmental destruction, infrastructure, hospitals, crime and loss of community.
Australia – where one in two people is either born overseas or has a parent born overseas – has been grappling with a rise in right-wing extremism, including protests by neo-Nazis.
“We absolutely condemn the March for Australia rally that’s going on today. It is not about increasing social harmony,” Murray Watt, a senior minister in the Labor government, told Sky News television, when asked about the rally in Sydney, the country’s most-populous city.
“We don’t support rallies like this that are about spreading hate and that are about dividing our community,” Watt said, asserting they were “organised and promoted” by neo-Nazi groups.
March for Australia organisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the neo-Nazi claims.
Laws banning the Nazi salute and the display or sale of symbols associated with terror groups came into effect in Australia this year in response to a string of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars since the beginning of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.
COUNTER-PROTESTERS EXPRESS ‘DISGUST, ANGER’
Some 5,000 to 8,000 people, many draped in Australian flags, had assembled for the Sydney rally, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported. It was held near the course of the Sydney Marathon, where 35,000 runners pounded the streets on Sunday, finishing at the city’s Opera House.
Also nearby, a counter-rally by the Refugee Action Coalition, a community activist organisation, took place.
“Our event shows the depth of disgust and anger about the far-right agenda of March For Australia,” a coalition spokesperson said in a statement. Organisers said hundreds attended that event.
Police said hundreds of officers were deployed across Sydney in an operation that ended “with no significant incidents”.
A large March for Australia rally was held in central Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state, according to aerial footage from the ABC, which reported that riot officers used pepper spray on demonstrators. Victoria Police did not confirm the report but said it would provide details on the protest later on Sunday.
Bob Katter, the leader of a small populist party, attended a March for Australia rally in Queensland, a party spokesperson said, three days after the veteran lawmaker threatened a reporter for mentioning Katter’s Lebanese heritage at a press conference when the topic of his attendance at a March for Australia event was being discussed.
Katter was “swarmed with hundreds of supporters” at the rally in Townsville, Brisbane’s Courier-Mail reported.
In Sydney, March for Australia protester Glenn Allchin said he wanted a “slowdown” in immigration.
“It’s about our country bursting at the seams and our government bringing more and more people in,” Allchin told Reuters. “Our kids struggling to get homes, our hospitals – we have to wait seven hours – our roads, the lack of roads.”
Reporting by Sam McKeith and Hollie Adams in Sydney; Editing by William Mallard
Two groups of anti-asylum protesters marched to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow Airport before some demonstrators tried to break in
International News via Reuters:
British police said they arrested five people on Saturday after masked men tried to force their way into a hotel used by asylum-seekers, a day after the government won a court ruling on the use of another hotel to house migrants.
Two groups of anti-asylum protesters marched to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Heathrow Airport before some demonstrators tried to break in, London’s Metropolitan Police force said.
Two police officers suffered minor injuries, it said.
“We understand strength of feeling on these issues, but where peaceful protest crosses the line into criminality, including injuries to our officers, we will take immediate action,” Commander Adam Slonecki said in a statement.
In a separate incident, three men were arrested late on Friday outside another hotel used to house asylum-seekers in Epping in east London.
The government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday won a court ruling that overturned a previous court decision that asylum-seekers would have to be evicted from the hotel in Epping where a resident was charged with sexual assault.
Concern about immigration has risen to the top of the political agenda in Britain after an increase in migrants using small boats to reach the country.
More than 32,000 migrants were being housed in around 200 hotels across the country at the end of June, according to government figures.
Writing by William Schomberg; editing by Barbara Lewis
The Gina Spence Program offers grief support through outreach counselling and other programs for the islands vulnerable populations including children, seniors, and families
Full press release from The Gina Spence Program:
The Gina Spence Program (Registered Charity #856) joins communities worldwide today in recognizing National Grief Awareness Day.
While this is a national observance, GSP also leads and hosts Bermuda Grief & Loss Awareness Day (BGLAD) on the First Friday of March Annually. BGLAD was created to reflect the island’s unique experiences with loss, from the impact of violence and small-community dynamics to the cultural ways Bermudians grieve and heal.
In March 2025, GSP proudly hosted the first-ever BGLAD on the steps of City Hall, giving voice to more than 40 types of loss people may experience in a lifetime, including bereavement, divorce, incarceration, illness, and job loss. Now an annual gathering, BGLAD serves as a powerful reminder that grief touches every life, yet each story is unique and worthy of compassion.
Since its rebranding on May 13, 2024, GSP has embraced its role as Bermuda’s leading grief support charity. Our mission remains clear: to create a Bermuda where no one has to face grief alone, and every individual has access to the resources and support they need to heal and thrive.
This mission is lived our through its core programs:
Healing Hearts Program – affordable grief counseling.
GriefConnect Program – education and awareness.
Champions Program – wraparound care for children who have lost a parent to gun and gang violence.
Each One Reach One Back-to-School Campaign – gently used uniforms and first day starter kits for educational success.
Christmas Gift of Giving Campaign – pharmaceutical gift cards for seniors, toys, and food hampers for children and families
Dr. Gina Spence, Founder and Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist, shared: “National Grief Awareness Day is more than a date on the calendar. At GSP, we have walked beside children, seniors, families, and even those incarcerated. Our commitment remains the same, that every broken heart deserves a safe place to heal.”
Executive Director Mykiee Jones added: “Today we honor the courage it takes to face grief. By standing together in Bermuda and beyond we show that compassion, healing, and hope are stronger than sorrow.” On this National Grief Awareness Day, GSP renews its promise: to serve, to listen, and to walk with every person through their grief journey, until no heart grieves alone.
If you or someone you love is in need of support, call (441) 296-0016 or visit www.gspcharity.com. To help us provide subsidized counseling for those who cannot afford care, please consider donating to our Hardship Fund. Together, we can make healing possible.
Bermudian footballers in action in the US and the UK
It was a day of mixed results for Bermuda’s footballers and coaches across a variety of leagues, with some teams celebrating crucial wins while others were left to ponder missed opportunities.
In the NWSL, Mia Fishel and her Seattle Reign FC teammates were held to a 0-0 draw by San Diego Wave FC in front of a record crowd at Lumen Field. The match, billed as the “RISE Together Match,” was a tightly contested affair, with both defenses holding firm to ensure a clean sheet. Fishel came on as a late substitute, but the Reign were unable to find a winner.
In the USL Championship, Khano Smith’s Rhode Island FC secured one of their biggest results of the season with a late 1-0 victory over second-placed Charleston Battery. The win was a testament to Rhode Island’s defensive solidity, as they limited one of the division’s most potent attacks to a season-low five shots. The result also extends their club-record home shutout run to four and moves them back into the playoff picture.
In the USL Super League, Nia Christopher’s Fort Lauderdale United FC were involved in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Carolina Ascent FC. The point means Fort Lauderdale have taken points from both of their opening fixtures in the 2025/26 campaign.
Across the Channel, Kenni Thompson’s Bournemouth Women and Exeter City shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw on home turf. The result maintains parity between the sides, with both teams taking something from a close contest.
Dashun Cooper’s QPR Women edged a tight affair against Chatham Town, winning 1-0 and securing a clean sheet. In contrast, it was a difficult day for K’Shaela Burch Waldron’s Sutton United Women, who were beaten 4-0 by Saltdean United.
In other FA Women’s National League action, Camryn Lines and her Bridgwater United Women teammates produced a convincing attacking display, running out 4-1 winners over Keynsham Town to take all three points. Finally, in the North West Women’s Regional League, Keunna Dill gave her FC United of Manchester Women team the lead, but they were held to a 1-1 draw by West Didsbury & Chorlton.
Press release: The Southampton Parish Council recently awarded scholarships to students of Southampton Parish to assist with their further education. This year’s Recipients are:
Ms. Myeisha Sharrieff, a Swimmer who competes for Bermuda and Howard University. Myeisha is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance with a concentration in Risk Management and Insurance while committed to a gruelling training and competing schedule.
Mr. Enrique Mendes, a student athlete and aspiring Architect who is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis on Entrepreneurship and Small Business Science Degree at Husson University in Maine, USA.
Ms. Jahkaida Francis-Hollis is pursuing a Bachler’s of Science Degree in Nursing, with an intention to return to Bermuda as Paediatric Nurse. Ms. Francis-Hollis is gaining invaluable experience working part-time at Rehabilitation and Health Center while studying.
Ms. Sanjayah Allwood is continuing to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Health & Social Work at the University of Bolton. A deeply empathetic young person, Sanjayah volunteers in Bermuda and abroad serving vulnerable people with care and compassion.
After exceeding all expectations in secondary school, Ms. Alay Burgess-Rocker a proud, driven, and self-confident young Bermudian is pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Actuarial Science at St. John’s University.
Mr. Noah Hayward with a myriad of hobbies and skills from steel pan to field hockey, ispursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree with a concentration in Forensic Science atOntario Tech University.
Scholarship Committee Chair Mr. Corey Butterfield stated:
“Along with reading books to Southampton’s school children on World Book Day, tangibly assisting Southampton’s students achieve their academic goals is extremely rewarding. Each year we are impressed with the quality of Scholarship Applicants and this year they were exceptional. In fact, the Committee voted to alter its policy to ensure the maximum number of Candidates were awarded. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming year.”
The Department of Social Insurance reminds employers and the public that, further to the House approval and official Gazette notice dated July 28th, the standard social insurance contribution rate has been revised to $75.30, effective Monday, August 4th, 2025.
We encourage all individuals and employers to review the full details of the updated rates and related guidance by visiting socialinsurance.gov.bm.
Thank you for your attention and continued cooperation.
Category of person
Payable by Employee
Payable by Employer
Total
Employed person over school-leaving age and under the age of 65
$37.65
$37.65
$75.30
Employed persons over the age of 65
n/a
$37.65
$37.65
Self-employed persons over the school-leaving age and under the age of 65
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