Bermuda’s pickleball players produced a sparkling, medal-laden campaign at the Jamaica International Pickleball Open in Kingston, sweeping podiums across open, masters, and prize-money divisions.
Veteran Gavin Manders spearheaded the charge with four gold medals and a bronze. Manders executed a clean sweep in the 40+ category — taking the Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles titles — before claiming Men’s Open Doubles gold alongside Benjamin Jones and bronze in the Mixed Doubles Open.
Jones was equally prolific, amassing an astonishing six-medal haul. Beyond his Open doubles triumph with Manders, Jones secured golds in Men’s Open Singles and Men’s Prize Doubles, silver in both Mixed Open and Mixed Prize Doubles, and a bronze in Men’s Prize Singles.
Patricia Mills delivered four podium finishes, securing silvers in Women’s Doubles Open, Mixed Doubles Open, and Mixed Doubles Prize, while taking fourth in Women’s Doubles Prize and Singles Prize.
Lily Hallett added Women’s Doubles Open silver alongside two mixed quarter-finals, while Naphisa Smith placed fourth in Singles Open. With Mical Russell also reaching the Men’s Open Doubles quarter-finals, the dominant showing capped a memorable collective triumph on the international stage.
The outbreak is the second most lethal on record, behind one in West Africa that lasted from 2014 to 2016
International News via Reuters:
U.N. officials said on Tuesday that efforts to curb Ebola in eastern Congo were beginning to show results but stressed that the epidemic remained “massive” and would take months to bring under control.
“It remains a deadly and a massive epidemic. There are some areas of progress, but nonetheless, in other areas, we continue to see growth in cases,” Julien Harneis, the U.N. special Ebola coordinator, told a Geneva press briefing.
The outbreak is the second most lethal on record, behind one in West Africa that lasted from 2014 to 2016.
Asked about reports that the epidemic had reached a turning point, the World Health Organization’s Olivier le Polain said: “It’s too early to confidently say we have passed a peak.”
He said: “It will take many, many months to get this outbreak under control fully, and it will require significant support.”
CONGO MINISTER POINTS TO ‘ENCOURAGING SIGNS’
On Saturday, Congo Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said there were “encouraging signs” in the fight against Ebola since “the peak reached in mid-August”, and that transmission “has been gradually slowing down”.
He said daily new cases had dropped from approximately 120 “at the peak of the epidemic” to around 80, and that 10 of the 62 affected health zones had recorded no new cases for more than 22 days.
“To me, these figures are a positive sign. They demonstrate that the efforts deployed on the ground are yielding results and that our response strategy is beginning to bend the transmission curve,” he said.
“However, we must remain fully mobilised. While these results are encouraging, they must not lead us to lower our guard.”
Speaking on Tuesday in Ituri province, where the first cases were recorded, Jean-Jacques Muyembe, director of Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, said the situation there had improved considerably.
“Here in Ituri, the indicators are turning green, whereas they were previously all red. We are not saying that we have ended the epidemic, but we are saying that the response teams… have the situation under control,” he said, adding that he hoped the epidemic would be “behind us” by the end of the year.
There have been 7,258 confirmed cases and 3,510 deaths across seven provinces, according to government figures published on Tuesday.
SITUATION REMAINS ‘ALARMING’ IN NORTH KIVU
U.N. officials on Tuesday said they were seeing progress in parts of Ituri, which remains the most affected province, and that in some areas the outbreak is now “under control”. But they said cases are still rising fast in North Kivu, particularly in the city of Butembo.
“It’s such a vast epidemic that it’s difficult to talk about one epidemic, but there’s rather many different locations,” Harneis said.
“We know from past experience that an epidemic can show early signs of improvement and then pick up again quite quickly,” Le Polain, head of epidemiology and analytics for response at the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said.
Aid workers say more needs to be done to curb transmission in North Kivu.
“The situation in North Kivu, with its very complex security situation, high population density and mobility, is alarming,” said Thomas Paerisch, a public health specialist recently deployed to Democratic Republic of Congo with Medecins Sans Frontieres.
North Kivu is the second most affected province, with a cumulative number of 1,269 confirmed cases, including 555 reported in the last 21 days, as of September 12.
Reporting by Emma Farge; Additional reporting by Clement Bonnerot; Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by Miranda Murray, Alexandra Hudson and Andrew Heavens
The EU’s carbon border levy, which came into force on January 1, imposes CO2 emissions fees on imports of steel, fertilisers and other goods to ensure they do not have an unfair advantage over products made in Europe
International News via Reuters:
European Union lawmakers voted on Tuesday to scrap a clause that would let the EU suspend its carbon border levy if it makes imported goods more expensive, setting up a clash with member countries who are in favour of the emergency brake.
The EU’s carbon border levy, which came into force on January 1, imposes CO2 emissions fees on imports of steel, fertilisers and other goods to ensure they do not have an unfair advantage over products made in Europe, where industries pay for their CO2 emissions.
The European Parliament voted on Tuesday in favour of deleting a clause that would allow the EU to temporarily exempt goods from the levy in future if “serious and unforeseen circumstances” increase the price of those goods. Instead, they proposed using revenue from the border fee to compensate industries if the scheme raises prices.
EU countries and the European Parliament will now negotiate the final rules, which will also extend the border fee to new products like washing machines and car parts.
EU countries want to keep the option to suspend the carbon fee under certain circumstances, including that the price of the product concerned jumps by more than 50% over six months.
The European Commission proposed the emergency brake last year, amid calls from France to suspend the carbon fee on fertilisers to reduce costs for farmers. However, it has proved divisive, with some companies warning this would knock low-carbon investments and hurt domestic industries, which the border levy was supposed to protect from cheaper imports.
ALUMINIUM LOOPHOLES
EU lawmakers also voted to extend the carbon border fee to cover smaller shipments of aluminium – 5 metric tons, versus the current 50 tons – a change designed to ensure it applies to imports of high-value, low-weight aluminium parts for cars, doors, and solar panels.
They also backed changes to extend the carbon fee to include post-consumer aluminium scrap. This scrap was not initially covered by the levy, prompting concerns among European aluminium firms that foreign suppliers would start using more scrap to dodge the EU border fee and gain a price advantage over European producers.
“Our companies will get absolutely eaten alive if these problems aren’t solved,” said Paul Voss, director general at industry association European Aluminium.
Reporting by Kate Abnett, editing by Inti Landauro, Kirsten Donovan
Nathan Trott has been ranked 21st among the Championship’s finest goalkeepers following an assessment of second-tier shot-stoppers by Football League World.
The English second tier boasts an exceptionally deep roster of talent between the sticks this season, blending seasoned Premier League veterans with emerging prospects and frontline internationals. It is estimated that there are up to 90 goalkeepers in the Championship overall.
Trott, 27, secured his spot after an unconventional continental route. Developed in West Ham United’s academy, the Bermudian sharpened his craft on European loans with Nancy in France and Vejle in Denmark, before completing a permanent switch to Danish giants FC Copenhagen.
A subsequent loan move to Cardiff City proved transformative. Trott immediately established himself as Brian Barry-Murphy’s undisputed number one, serving as an authoritative, reassuring presence throughout the Bluebirds’ promotion charge.
Now back in the Championship, all eyes will be on whether Trott can sustain that momentum against the relentless demands and elevated quality of England’s second tier.
Sterling eased 0.2% to $1.347, hovering near its lowest since August 7
International News via Reuters:
The pound was stuck at its lowest level in more than a month against a broadly stronger dollar on Tuesday, pinned down by elevated crude oil prices ahead of this week’s interest-rate decisions from the Bank of England and U.S. Federal Reserve.
Sterling eased 0.2% to $1.347, hovering near its lowest since August 7. The dollar firmed against most currencies on Tuesday as markets priced in a near-certain interest rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve later this week.
Oil prices rose more than 2% to $108.2 per barrel as concerns over oil supplies intensified after Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen launched fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia, while Gulf Arab states postponed planned discussions with Iran.
That left the kingdom’s East-West Pipeline offline, raising fears that damage to energy infrastructure and transport routes could take longer to repair.
Britain is prone to risks from higher energy prices given its net oil-importer status. The spike in oil prices has led to global concerns of energy-related inflation, prompting investors to dial up expectations of interest rate hikes.
The rising bets on a Fed rate hike have supported the U.S. dollar this week. The European Central Bank also raised borrowing costs last week.
The Bank of England is expected to keep rates on hold on Thursday but traders are fully pricing in one 25 basis point rate hike and a high chance of another by year-end, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Britain’s jobs market remained weak with pay growth near a six-year low, the fewest vacancies since 2021 and hiring down.
“The softness of the labour market had been the key variable holding back expectations for rate hikes in response to the ongoing energy cost shock. But markets have now moved to price aggressive hiking,” said Felix Feather, an economist at Aberdeen.
The Telegraph reported that the BoE is poised to announce this week that it will stop selling long-dated government bonds which have been hit by a global selloff in debt markets, potentially freeing up some cash for finance minister John Healey.
Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan
Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Association Gears Up for Annual St. John’s Ambulance Trophy Races
High-octane excitement returns this weekend as the Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Association (BMRA) hosts its annual St. John’s Ambulance Trophy road races on Sunday, September 20th.
BMRA President David Jones Sr. announced that spectators can expect a full afternoon of “fast and furious” action on the track, beginning sharply at 2:00 PM.
The day’s competition will showcase a diverse range of machinery and talent, starting with the emerging youth in the Mir MiniGP 110cc Academy. The program will also feature the competitive Street Bike class, before ramping up the pace with the ultra-fast Kawasaki Ninja 400s.
Adding to the afternoon’s schedule is a special demonstration by a drag bike capable of exceeding speeds of 90 mph.
Gates open to the public at 1:00 PM. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12, and free for seniors.
The companies operate food retail and convenience store networks across Britain, with overlapping operations in some areas
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s competition watchdog on Tuesday said retailer Co-operative Group’s acquisition of regional convenience store operator Southern Co-operative could reduce competition in some markets.
The companies operate food retail and convenience store networks across Britain, with overlapping operations in some areas.
• The Competition and Markets Authority said Co-operative Group and Southern Co-operative have until September 22 to offer legally binding undertakings to address its concerns.
• A Substantial Lessening of Competition — a legal test — finding at Phase 1 does not block the deal but signals that the regulator has identified competition concerns that must be addressed before proceeding without a Phase 2 probe.
• Co-operative Group, one of Britain’s largest food retailers, operates more than 2,500 stores; Southern Co-operative runs convenience stores, funeral homes and Starbucks outlets across southern England.
• Southern Co-op’s profits have declined over the past three years, with last year’s cyberattack on Co-op further hurting its performance. The two already work closely through the Federal Retail Trading Society, a buying and supply group.
Reporting by Ankita Bora in Bengaluru; Editing by Joyjeet Das
Shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Monday, September 14, 2026, Police attended a traffic collision involving two motorcycles at the junction of Bishop Spencer Road and Palmetto Road, Pembroke.
It appears a 33-year-old female motorcycle rider was traveling west along Palmetto Road, when she attempted to negotiate a left hand turn onto Bishop Spencer Road. As she did so, a 42-year-old male motorcyclist, also traveling west on Palmetto Road, collided with her.
The male motorcyclist suffered a serious but non-life threatening head injury. The female bike rider sustained a back injury, the extent of which was unknown.
They were both transported by ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment of their injuries.
The bike ridden by the male was unlicensed and uninsured.
The collision resulted in the roadway being closed for approximately three hours while the scene of the incident was forensically processed.
An investigation into this incident is now being carried out and anyone who may have witnessed the collision, or has information that could progress the investigation, is asked to contact Constable Khamp Edwards, by calling the Hamilton Police Station at 247-1704 or, via e-mail, kedwards@bps.bm
Bermuda’s triathletes showcased immense grit and endurance against the world’s elite, successfully conquering a demanding Ironman 70.3 World Championship course.
Will Green led the island’s contingent home with a masterclass in tactical pacing across the Men’s 30–34 category. After clocking 33:38 in the water and a disciplined 3:25:14 on the bike, Green unleashed a blistering 1:44:34 half-marathon split to finish in 5:53:20—breaking the six-hour barrier to place 288th in his division and 2,064th overall.
In the women’s field, Becky Ronaldson delivered a resilient, sub-seven-hour display in the F40–44 division. Following a 43:03 swim and a 3:57:35 bike split, she closed out with a 2:05:26 run to finish in 6:57:21, securing 308th in her group.
Nicola Hallett displayed similar resolve in the F50–54 division, clocking 4:03:28 on the bike and 2:17:24 on the run to cross the line in 7:25:23, taking 233rd in her class.
The day’s standout divisional result came courtesy of Pauline Green in the F65–69 category. Anchored by a 50:09 swim, a 4:13:28 bike split, and a composed 2:24:47 run, Green stopped the clock at 7:48:12 to claim an impressive 25th place in her age group, capping a memorable international outing for the Bermudian squad.
Some 76% of Americans said they believe vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella are safe for kids, down from 84% in a May 2020 Reuters/Ipsos poll
FILE PHOTO: MMR vaccines sit inside a medical refrigerator in Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S., February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Jayla Whitfield-Anderson/File Photo
International News via Reuters:
Americans’ trust in vaccines for deadly childhood diseases including measles has fallen in recent years, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found, a troubling sign for the country as it experiences its worst measles outbreaks in decades.
The four-day poll, completed on Monday, showed that a bipartisan majority of the nation still backs vaccinating children against measles, a disease that largely disappeared from the U.S. for more than two decades until a resurgence took hold in recent years following a decline in vaccination rates.
Some 76% of Americans said they believe vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella are safe for kids, down from 84% in a May 2020 Reuters/Ipsos poll. The declining trust was most pronounced among Republicans, as some in the party have downplayed the importance of vaccines.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in August that called for reducing the number of immunizations on the federal childhood vaccination schedule from 17 to 11. The Republican president’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was a longtime anti-vaccine activist before Trump made him health secretary. In that role, he has sought to overhaul U.S. vaccine policy, pushing for fewer vaccines for children.
WORST OUTBREAK IN 35 YEARS
Pennsylvania, Utah and South Carolina are grappling with measles outbreaks this year. Pennsylvania announced three measles-related deaths in recent weeks. The country has tallied more than 3,000 confirmed infections this year, the most in 35 years.
Measles, which can cause symptoms including fever, rash and respiratory issues, is highly contagious but easily preventable with the measles, mumps and rubella combination vaccine, a routine shot for children that is 97% effective in preventing infection after two doses. It is typically given at age 12 to 15 months and then again at age 4 to 6 years.
Average U.S. vaccination coverage among kindergarten children dropped last year to 92.5%, according to CDC data, below the 95% level experts say is necessary to achieve so-called herd immunity that can protect those in the community unable to get the vaccine.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed just 19% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the measles outbreak, compared with 52% who disapprove. The rest said they didn’t have a view or didn’t answer the question.
ONCE-UNTHINKABLE MILESTONE
Trump has rarely spoken about the measles outbreak, even as the U.S. is widely expected to lose its measles elimination status later this year after outbreaks that began last year led to sustained transmission. That is a once-unthinkable milestone for a country that had prided itself on eradicating the disease more than two decades ago through high vaccination rates.
Registered voters in the Reuters/Ipsos survey picked Democrats over Republicans by 45% to 25% when asked which party has a better approach to stopping infectious diseases like measles.
That might be worrisome for some Republicans as the party seeks to keep control of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections, though vaccines and disease are far from the top concerns to voters.
Some 31% of voters said they were very worried about measles outbreaks, compared to 58% who said the same about their cost of living.
After Pennsylvania announced two measles-related deaths last month, Kennedy again repeated the false claim that the MMR vaccine contains aborted fetus debris and cast doubt on whether measles played a role in the deaths. Pennsylvania announced a third measles-related death this week.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which was conducted online and nationwide, gathered responses from 1,143 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Reporting by Jason Lange and Yasmeen Abutaleb in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Bill Berkrot
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.59% to 10,634.49 points by 1000 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 slipped 0.46%
A worker walks near an LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) branded cube inside the LSEG headquarters in Paternoster Square, London, Britain, September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville
International News via Reuters:
London shares slipped to two-month lows on Tuesday as rising oil prices pushed bond yields higher globally over inflation concerns, while investors assessed a batch of domestic economic data ahead of a central bank policy verdict later this week.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.59% to 10,634.49 points by 1000 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 slipped 0.46%.
• Heavyweight lenders and investment banks and brokerages were the top drags on the index, with Standard Chartered down 1.7% and Aberdeen dropping 2.6%.
• Precious and industrial metal miners also fell 1% and 1.7%, respectively, tracking weaker copper and gold prices. [MET/L] [GOL]
• Global bond yields soared, with 30-year Gilts at their highest since 1998 at 5.91%, as investors bet that escalating Middle East tensions and oil above $100 could prompt central banks to hike interest rates.
• A report said that the Bank of England is poised to announce this week that it will stop selling 20- and 30-year gilts, potentially freeing up some cash for finance minister John Healey.
• On the data front, Britain’s jobs market stayed weak in the third quarter, while a separate report showed grocery price inflation increased to 2.3% over the four weeks to September 6. The official data on inflation is due on Wednesday.
• Traders see the Bank of England leaving interest rates unchanged at its monetary policy meeting later this week, but still see rates rising by at least 48.9 basis points by year-end, LSEG-compiled data showed.
• Wickes Group gained 10% after the home improvement retailer reported strong third-quarter trading, driven by mid-single-digit growth in retail like-for-like revenue.
• Online reviews platform Trustpilot’s shares plummeted 13.7% as its decision to leave its earnings outlook unchanged disappointed investors, despite strong AI-led revenues.
Reporting by Anand Gopal and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru
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