The Bacchanal Run took place on Saturday over the weekend as part of the Cup Match festivities. Hundreds filled the streets with energy and color as they danced their way from Frog Lane in Devonshire to Bernard Park.
Here are some highlights.
Bacchanal Run 2025: Live from the Streets
German minister: EU must become stronger in Trump tariff talks
Klingbeil said there needed to be a quick solution to the trade conflict with the U.S. as companies needed planning certainty
International News via Reuters:
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said the European Union had been too weak during trade negotiations with the United States and it should become stronger, as much still needed to be clarified on the deal the two sides struck last month.
“Overall, as Europeans, we must become stronger,” Klingbeil said in Washington ahead of a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“Then we can also stand up to the U.S. with more self-confidence. Not against the U.S., but in dialogue with the U.S.”
Klingbeil said there needed to be a quick solution to the trade conflict with the U.S. as companies needed planning certainty.
“Even though I am not the one negotiating today — that is the task of the European Commission — a close line of communication between me and Scott Bessent can help clarify things,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the Transatlantic relationship.
Apart from tariffs, Klingbeil and Bessent will discuss how to deal with cheap Chinese goods that are flooding the markets in both the U.S. and Europe, as well as the G20 presidency that the U.S. will take at the end of the year.
“I believe it is important that we, from the German side, keep sending a clear signal: We want to work closely with the American government, we seek dialogue, we do not shy away from difficult topics and are looking at how we can solve problems together,” Klingbeil said.
The EU’s trade deal with Trump in July was greeted with a mix of relief and anger, with tariffs set at 15% for most products but negotiations continuing for certain sectors, including steel and aluminium, which carry tariffs of 50%.
Klingbeil would advocate for a quota system on steel exports to be included in the trade deal, he told reporters.
Reporting by Maria Martinez; Writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Alex Richardson
Cricket-England v India 2025 – an all-time classic series
The stadiums were packed and it was a series that featured all the best things that make test cricket such compulsive viewing
International News via Reuters:
England v India 2025 will go down as one of cricket’s greatest test series of all time, five matches crammed into seven weeks of unrelenting, see-saw drama ending in a 2-2 draw after India’s extraordinary six-run win in the final game on Monday.
Over 7,000 runs were scored, including a record-equalling 21 individual centuries, the sun shone most of the time and every match went into the fifth day.
The stadiums were packed and although tensions flared at times on the pitch – perhaps inevitable given the immense pressure – it was a series that featured all the best things that make test cricket such compulsive viewing.
With more and more one-day cricket around the world, it was a timely boost for the longest format of the sport which many people believe is fighting for its existence.
“It’s been an incredible series, all five games going down to day five, so much has been put into this series from both teams,” England captain Ben Stokes said.
“The commitment and energy has been outstanding. Stood here now, we’re bitterly disappointed we couldn’t get the series win but, being a massive advocate of the game of test cricket, this series has been an unbelievable advert for it across the world.”
It all started at Headingley where three India batsmen made centuries, before a collapse that was to become a feature of the series, as they posted 471 and England replied with 465.
Rishabh Pant’s second hundred of the game led India to 364 before Ben Duckett’s stroke-laden 149 inspired England’s textbook chase of a huge target of 371 to complete a five-wicket win.
ONE-SIDED TEST
The second test at Edgbaston was by far the most one-sided.
India captain Shubman Gill made a brilliant 269 in his side’s first-innings 587.
Harry Brook’s 158 was the foundation of England’s 407 in reply, but Gill made 161 to take his match tally to 430 runs and the hosts could muster only 271 as India levelled the series with a crushing 336-run triumph.
On to Lord’s and as if to prove how well matched the teams were, they posted identical first-innings totals of 387, only the ninth time in test history that has happened.
Joe Root’s 104 and KL Rahul’s 100 were the major contributions on a tricky wicket devoid of pace.
England could manage only 192 second time around but, as happened so often, the pendulum swung when they then reduced the touring side to 58-4 at the close on day four.
At lunch on the final day, India were teetering on 112-8 but Ravindra Jadeja batted for well over three hours, and it was deep into the last session when spinner Shoaib Bashir bowled Mohammed Siraj to complete a 22-run England win.
BAT DOMINATED
At Old Trafford, the bat dominated once more.
India made a respectable 358 before England racked up a massive 669, highlighted by Root’s 150 and 141 from Stokes. Chris Woakes then took two wickets in the first over to reduce India to 0-2 before Rahul and Gill led a brilliant recovery.
Gill made another hundred but when they both fell on the final morning England had plenty of time to take the six remaining wickets with India facing a seemingly impossible run chase.
Jadeja and Washington Sundar had other ideas, however, and doggedly resisted, both reaching three figures after England effectively gave up and were reduced to bowling part-timer Harry Brook to allow the batsmen to get to their milestones quicker.
The draw left England 2-1 up going into the final game at The Oval with the exertions of the series taking a heavy toll on both teams.
England were missing all-rounder Stokes and fast bowler Jofra Archer while India were forced to leave out Pant and the world’s top-ranked bowler in Jasprit Bumrah.
England skittled India for 224 before eking out a narrow first-innings lead of 23.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s second century of the series lifted the touring side to 396 and left England needing 374 for victory with two days remaining.
TWIN CENTURIONS
The hosts stumbled to 106-3 before twin centurions Root and Brook shared a superb fourth-wicket partnership of 195 to put England firmly in the driving seat with only 66 runs required.
Brook’s reckless dismissal, however, gave India hope and, led by the tireless Siraj, they picked up two more wickets before bad weather forced an early close to leave England needing 35 runs on the final day.
The Oval was packed for an incredible one-hour cameo that encapsulated the entire series as England began the day with a more than 80% chance of victory, according to the Winviz predictor.
But Siraj was inspired again and with England’s batsmen losing their heads and their wickets, Woakes arrived at the crease wearing a sling to protect his dislocated shoulder.
Even then, England edged towards their target as Gus Atkinson farmed the strike and hit Siraj for six, only for the abrasive fast bowler to end proceedings with a brilliant yorker.
It was just reward for India, who lost the toss in all five matches, as they claimed their narrowest-ever test win.
“All the doubters saying test cricket is dying a death, this series has said the opposite,” Stokes added.
Reporting by Ed Osmond; Editing by Ken Ferris
Bermudians in action: Mixed start to football season
Bermudian footballers in England have had a busy weekend as the season begins, pre-season preparations continue and early cup ties got underway, with a mix of wins and challenging results for the island’s players.
Nahki Wells made an impactful debut for Luton Town, who secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon. In a game of few clear-cut chances, it was a late own goal that sealed the win. The decisive moment came when a ball from Wells was headed into his own net by a Wimbledon defender, giving Luton a fortunate start to their new season.
There were victories for Keziah Martin and Deniche Hill, whose Buxton side secured a 2-0 win over Warrington Town. Reggie Lambe’s Needham Market also claimed a 1-0 friendly win over Lowestoft Town, while Milan Butterfield’s Halesowen Town took home the Brookes-Clark Charity Shield with a 2-0 victory over Stourbridge.
In competitive action, Harry Twite and Loughborough Student FC battled to a 1-1 draw against Barton in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round and will face a replay on Tuesday.
It was a tough day for some of the other Bermudian players. Justin Donawa had a difficult time in Brackley Town’s 2-1 pre-season defeat to Stratford Town, unfortunately scoring an own goal in the 88th minute. Willie Clemons’ Leiston FC went down 3-0 to Norfolk in their final friendly, and Remy Coddington came off the bench for Bracknell Town as they were defeated 3-1 by Dulwich Hamlet.
Meanwhile, midfielder Roger Lee has made a move, leaving Quorn to join UCL Premier North side Heanor Town, making his debut in a 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Dudley Town.
‘Wicked’ phone scammer foiled by senior
Recognising the deception, 89-year-old lady told scammer they will go ‘straight to hell’
Phone scammers are once more targeting the most vulnerable amongst us – but a local lady recently got the better of them.
89-year-old Sheila Porter received a call in the mid-afternoon, “when most people ‘over 21’ are resting, and all the family are out at work.”
“They pick their time very well,” she said.
Ms Porter said a “nice sounding female with a very strong accent” asked if she had made large card purchases from Amazon for $1,700, $800 and $500.
“I started to panic, as one would, and I said no”, Ms Porter said.
“She said, ‘when did you last use your card?’… I said, ‘last week’.”
The lady on the phone asked if the transactions could have been performed on a computer or a cell phone, to which Ms Porter responded “no, not at all”.
At this point, Ms Porter started to suspect it was a scam…
“I said, ‘are you asking me about my credit card or my debit card?’… she said, ‘your debit card, and please would you give me the last four digits of your debit card?’.”
“I said, ‘well, I no longer have a computer, I no longer have a cell phone, and I certainly do not have a debit card. And you are a cruel human being, and when you die you’re going to go straight to hell’.”
“And she said, ‘have a good day’. And that was basically it.”
Ms Porter immediately called her bank and the police to report the fraud, and says she has been scared to answer the phone since the call.
“It’s frightening to think that somebody can come into your home, even on the telephone… it’s horrible, it’s wicked.”
“There are a lot of people who are not well, and would pick up the phone and just, you know, go ahead and give them all the details of their finances.”
Ms Porter advises other people in Bermuda who are ‘over 21’ to be “very, very careful.”
She suggests screening calls and listening to the message first “to see if you recognise the voice before you pick the phone up.”
If already on the call, she suggests saying that you will call back once a relative is home. “Just don’t go on with the conversation”, she says.
Past Victims
Last September, Police reported that three seniors had collectively been defrauded of more than half-a-million dollars in online and phone scams.
Police told us today that scams are always evolving and fraudsters continue to target Bermuda residents, using various tactics.
Police strongly recommend the public “hang up on callers who ask for personal or bank information. Instead, call the specific business to confirm if there is a problem, or call the police on 211, for advice.“
“The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) renews previous advisories to stay vigilant and urges members of our community to remain suspicious of any unexpected calls received by landline and mobile phone, as well as any unsolicited communication through e-mails, text messages or social media.“
“In addition, immediately report any suspected fraud to the relevant bank or appropriate company, using their official contact information. Suspected fraud should also be reported to the BPS by phoning 211, or through the online community reporting portal, https://portal.police.bm.”
As for Ms Porter, although she is shaken by the recent experience, she’s managed to fend off previous scams.
A deceptive caller once asked for access to her computer…
“I said, ‘well, hold on, my computer is upstairs’… I didn’t have a computer. I just put the phone down and kept them waiting for 15 minutes.”
“I thought, well, I’ll spend your money on this with your long distance call instead.”
Bermudian athletes shine at Canadian Wushu Championships
Members of the Bermuda Sanshou Association have delivered a strong performance at the 2025 International Martial Arts Festival & National Championships in Canada.
Kaelin Cox was a standout, securing first place in all three of his open taolu divisions: nanquan, nandao, and nangun. This success serves as a major boost for Cox ahead of his training trip to Peru and preparation for the World Wushu Championships in Brazil.
Jashae Allen-LaMontagne also had a successful championships, winning gold in both Open Barehand and Traditional long weapons, in addition to two bronze medals.
Ryah Symonds showcased her fighting spirit, bouncing back from a first-bout loss to win her second match decisively. Unfortunately, Cole Durham’s tournament was cut short by a shoulder injury in his first round.
The results highlight the growing talent within the Bermuda Sanshou Association, with these performances providing a positive outlook for the future of the sport on the island.
Harvey just shy of national record in Singapore
Bermuda’s Olympian Jack Harvey has had a strong showing at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, though he narrowly missed out on setting a new national record.
Competing in the Men’s 50m Backstroke, Harvey clocked a time of 25.55 seconds. According to the latest updates to the Bermuda Long Course Records, this was just shy of the 25.21 record he set earlier this year at the TYR Pro Series in Fort Lauderdale.
While the performance in Singapore was a solid one, his time places him 40th overall in a highly competitive field. Harvey will look to continue his impressive form as he builds towards future competitions, further cementing his position as one of the region’s top Backstroke swimmers.
Jessica Lewis secures third medal with 200m gold
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Bermuda’s Paralympian Jessica Lewis has concluded a hugely successful Canadian Track & Field Championships, winning a gold medal in the Women’s 200m Wheelchair event.
The victory marks her second gold of the championships, adding to her win in the 100m and a silver in the 400m. Lewis clocked an impressive time of 30.18 seconds in the final, an improvement on her preliminary time.
She faced a strong challenge from her training partner and rival, Nandini Sharma, who took the silver medal with a time of 30.30 seconds. Jessi Guerrier rounded out the podium with a time of 39.39 seconds.
Lewis’s medal haul in Ottawa underscores her status as a top-tier competitor and highlights her versatility across multiple distances on the international stage.
Swiss luxury watchmakers’ shares drop after Trump tariff shock
The sector is already under pressure from a stronger franc and falling global demand
International News via Reuters:
Swiss luxury watchmakers’ shares, including Richemont and Swatch, were volatile in early trade on Monday, reflecting the challenge for the industry after U.S. President Donald Trump set a 39% tariff on Swiss imports.
The sector, which exported watches worth 26 billion Swiss francs ($33 billion) in 2024, is already under pressure from a stronger franc and falling global demand.
Watch exports are on track to hit their lowest levels since the pandemic in 2020.
“The impact of the U.S. tariffs, if they stay at 39%, could be devastating for numerous brands in Switzerland,” said Jean-Philippe Bertschy, an analyst at Vontobel.
Shares in Richemont and Swatch were both down around 1% at 0906 GMT, paring back losses after earlier falling as much as 3.4%, and 5%, respectively.
Bertschy linked the move to hopes of Switzerland still getting a better deal – the tariffs are effective as of August 7.
Swatch Group Chief Executive Nick Hayek called on Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter to meet Trump.
“Tariffs can change at any moment due to the unpredictability of the Trump administration,” said Georges Mari, co-owner of Zurich-based investment firm Rossier, Mari & Associates, which holds shares in Swatch, adding that it is “impossible to make a serious forecast”.
Monday was the first day of trading following the U.S. tariff announcement, as markets were closed on Friday for the Swiss National Day holiday.
The U.S. is Switzerland’s leading foreign market for watches, accounting for 16.8% of exports worth about 4.4 billion francs, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.
While Richemont generated 32% of its full-year 2025 sales in the watches category, its exposure to the United States market should be just below 10% of overall sales, analysts at Jefferies said.
Swatch, meanwhile, generated 18% of its 2024 sales in the United States, with its CEO saying the company had raised prices by 5% following the first tariffs announcement in April.
Reporting by Isabel Demetz and Helen Reid; Editing by Adam Jourdan, Joe Bavier and Toby Chopra
Philip Morris’ shares hit as ZYN falls behind high sales expectations
Shares in the world’s largest tobacco company by market capitalization dropped about 7% in New York trade even as the company raised its full-year profit guidance
International News via Reuters:
Marlboro maker Philip Morris International missed second-quarter revenue expectations on Tuesday as shipments of its ZYN nicotine pouches disappointed.
Shares in the world’s largest tobacco company by market capitalization dropped about 7% in New York trade even as the company raised its full-year profit guidance.
PMI has been faster than its peers to transition from traditional tobacco products to smoking alternatives such as ZYN, which has grown rapidly to become PMI’s star product and by far the U.S. market leader.
CEO Jacek Olczak told Reuters that he wants ZYN, which is expanding internationally, to become the dominant pouch brand much like the company’s Marlboro label was to cigarettes.
“I want to continue to be a leader,” he said, adding that in markets where the nicotine pouch category is less developed, this can be achieved in just one or two years.
British American Tobacco’s Velo is currently the No. 1 nicotine pouch brand outside of the United States.
While PMI’s total sales rose 7.1% to $10.14 billion in the second quarter, they fell short of analysts’ average estimate of $10.33 billion, as per data compiled by LSEG.
Volumes in PMI’s nicotine pouch business rose 23.8%.
However, ZYN shipments of 190 million cans were behind the 203 million expected by analysts, Bernstein’s Callum Elliot said in a note, adding that PMI’s strong performance in recent quarters has led investors to set high expectations.
“These numbers risk being not quite ‘good enough’ for the higher bar that PMI is likely to be held to today,” he wrote.
PMI said it also saw steady growth in inhalable alternative nicotine products, notably its flagship heated tobacco device IQOS.
The company said this, as well as a “resilient” performance in cigarettes and record net revenues, meant it would raise its full-year guidance.
It now expects an adjusted profit of $7.43 to $7.56 per share for the year, compared with its prior forecast of $7.36 to $7.49.
Its second-quarter adjusted profit of $1.95 per share beat market estimates of $1.86 per share.
The company aims to generate two-thirds of its net revenues from smoking alternatives by 2030.
Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru and Emma Rumney in London; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli, Savio D’Souza, Kirsten Donovan, Susan Fenton and Mark Porter
EU to suspend US tariff countermeasures for 6 months
EU officials have said they expect more executive orders to follow soon
International News via Reuters:
The European Union will suspend its two packages of countermeasures to U.S. tariffs for six months following a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, a Commission spokesperson said on Monday.
The EU-U.S. agreement leaves many questions open, including tariff rates on spirits, and Trump’s executive order last week setting tariffs on most EU goods at 15% did not include carve-outs such as for cars and car parts.
EU officials have said they expect more executive orders to follow soon.
“The EU continues to work with the U.S. to finalise a Joint Statement, as agreed on 27 July,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“With these objectives in mind, the Commission will take the necessary steps to suspend by 6 months the EU’s countermeasures against the US, which were due to enter into force on 7 August.”
The retaliatory tariffs are in two parts: one in response to U.S. steel and aluminium duties, and the other to Trump’s baseline and car tariffs.
Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by Toby Chopra
Funding for refugees in Uganda will run out next month, UN warns
A funding crisis is threatening programmes for people fleeing there from strife-torn countries in the region
International News via Reuters:
Emergency funding to help hundreds of thousands of refugees in Uganda will run out next month unless more support comes in, a United Nations agency said on Monday.
A funding crisis is threatening programmes for people fleeing there from strife-torn countries in the region including Sudan, and Uganda’s neighbours South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said.
“Emergency funding runs out in September,” Dominique Hyde, the agency’s Director for External Relations, said in a statement.
“More children will die of malnutrition, more girls will fall victim to sexual violence, and families will be left without shelter or protection unless the world steps up.”
UNHCR and other UN agencies face one of the worst funding crises in decades, compounded by U.S. and other donor states’ decisions to slash foreign aid funding.
Uganda is home to 1.93 million refugees, more than a million of them under 18, according to UNHCR figures.
An average 600 people are still coming in every day and the overall figure, already the largest in Africa, is due to rise to 2 million by the end of the year, the agency says.
It said it would only be able to meet a third of the costs associated with supporting Sudanese refugees in Uganda – and would have to cut its monthly funding to $5 per refugee from $16 unless more money is found.
Malnutrition rates are rising as food, water, and medicine supplies shrink, while the risk of suicide is increasing among young refugees due to a reduction in mental health staff, the agency added.
Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Andrew Heavens
