Tennis team secures Group III status with win over Aruba
Bermuda has guaranteed a place in Americas Group III for the upcoming season, after edging out Aruba 2-1 in their second Davis Cup match in Costa Rica. Following their impressive opening-day victory over hosts Costa Rica, Bermuda took to the courts at the Costa Rica Country Club looking to maintain their winning momentum. Bermuda took an early lead, with Daniel Phillips delivering a strong performance in the opening singles rubber, defeating Kyle Frankel 6-1, 6-3. However, Aruba fought back as Patrick Sydow proved too strong for Bermuda’s Trey Mallory, levelling the tie at 1-1. With the tie hanging in the balance, Phillips and Mallory teamed up for the doubles. The Bermudian pair engaged in a hard-fought three-set battle against Frankel and Sydow. After losing the first set, Phillips and Mallory rallied to take the second 7-6, before dominating the decider 6-2, securing the win for Bermuda. This victory ensures Bermuda will remain in Americas Group III for the next Davis Cup cycle, a testament to their strong performances in the initial matches of the tournament.
Olympic hopefuls take part in North American Championships
Bermuda’s Olympic hopeful Sebastian Kempe and Olympian Adriana Penruddocke are back in action, competing at the North American Championships in Long Beach, California – a significant venue as it is set to host the sailing events for the LA2028 Olympic Games. After three races on the opening day, both Bermudian sailors are navigating competitive fields in their respective ILCA fleets. In the ILCA6 Fleet, Adriana Penruddocke finds herself in 19th place overall with 61 points. After a couple of challenging initial races, Penruddocke showed her potential by securing her best finish of the day, a strong 6th place in the third race, indicating her ability to compete at the sharp end of the fleet. Meanwhile, Sebastian Kempe came off the water in 11th place in the ILCA7 fleet with 35 points. His three races on the day saw him achieve an 8th-place finish, followed by two 15th-place finishes. Kempe will be looking to maintain his consistency and push into the top ten as the regatta progresses. Competing at the future Olympic venue provides invaluable experience for both Kempe and Penruddocke as they continue their respective Olympic journeys, with the North American Championships offering a crucial opportunity to familiarise themselves with conditions that could be vital for their long-term Olympic aspirations.
Caitlyn Bobb in action at the NCAA Outdoor Championships
Bermudian sprinter Caitlyn Bobb took to the track today for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, representing Virginia Tech. Competing in Heat 1 of the Women’s 400m Semi-Finals, Bobb faced a highly competitive field on the national stage. She crossed the line in seventh place, clocking a time of 52.42 seconds. Her participation at this elite collegiate level marks a significant achievement, bringing her successful collegiate season to a close. Reaching the NCAA Outdoor Championships is a testament to Bobb’s consistent hard work and talent throughout the year. While she didn’t advance to the final, competing at this level provides invaluable experience as she continues her development in track and field.
Opponents will include Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago
The path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become clearer for Bermuda, with the team drawn into Group B for the Final Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers. Bermuda will face formidable regional opponents in Jamaica, Curaçao, and Trinidad & Tobago. The Final Round will feature 12 teams, divided into three groups of four, with each team playing six matches, both home and away, during the FIFA Match Windows in September, October, and November 2025. The stakes are incredibly high. The three group winners will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup 2026, joining co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Adding further excitement, the two best second-place finishers will advance to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament in March 2026. This means the Concacaf region could potentially be represented by an unprecedented eight teams at the men’s FIFA World Cup. Bermuda’s draw into Group B presents a challenging but exciting prospect. They will need to overcome strong footballing nations to secure either a direct qualification spot or a play-off berth. The upcoming matches promise intense competition as teams vie for a place on football’s biggest stage.
Trump took office in January pledging to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally
FILE PHOTO: Masked law enforcement officers, including HSI and ICE agents, walk into an immigration court in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Caitlin O’Hara/File photo
International news via Reuters:
The number of people booked into immigration detention who have been charged only with immigration violations has jumped eight-fold since President Donald Trump took office, government data shows, undercutting his anti-crime message.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention statistics show the number of detainees arrested by ICE with no other criminal charges or convictions rose from about 860 in January to 7,800 this month – a more than 800% increase.
Those arrested and detained with criminal charges or convictions also rose, but at a lower rate of 91%.
Trump took office in January pledging to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally, framing the push as needed to remove serious criminals. The White House said ICE had arrested more than 100,000 immigrants as of early June, putting the daily average at more than double the pace last year under former President Joe Biden.
Still, it remains far below what Trump would need to remove millions from the U.S. Top White House official Stephen Miller in late May demanded that ICE begin arresting 3,000 migrants per day – three times an earlier quota of 1,000.
Raids in Los Angeles and in other parts of the country swept in non-criminals and have sparked protests calling for ICE to stand down.
“When you have an agenda that sets quotas at 3,000 arrests a day, there are not even enough people that pose a public safety threat to meet that number,” said Nayna Gupta, policy director at the American Immigration Council, a pro-immigration think tank.
Under Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has frequently highlighted arrests of convicted criminals. During recent raids in Los Angeles, DHS put out a press release with mug shots of migrants convicted of murder, a child sex offense and drug trafficking, among other serious crimes.
At the same time, DHS stopped issuing detailed statistical reports on immigration enforcement after Trump took office, which makes it challenging to gauge the scope of the crackdown.
Unpublished ICE statistics reviewed by Reuters show people with criminal convictions of any type – including minor crimes – made up only a third of the 177,000 people arrested and booked into detention from October 2024 through the end of May.
Trump took office on January 20, which means the figures include 3.5 months of Biden’s presidency.
Some 62,400 people with criminal convictions were arrested by ICE and placed in detention, the figures show. The top charges were traffic offenses or immigration-related crimes, such as illegal reentry, making up 39% of the total.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment.
NO ONE EXEMPT
Speaking to MSNBC earlier this week, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said ICE raids in Los Angeles focused on criminals but that non-criminals were picked up, too.
“If ICE is there and arrests that bad guy and other aliens are there, we’re going to arrest them,” Homan said.
In a letter this week to Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, six Hispanic Republican lawmakers led by U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales called on the Trump administration to focus enforcement on criminals.
“Every minute that we spend pursuing an individual with a clean record is a minute less that we dedicate to apprehending terrorists or cartel operatives,” they wrote.
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, was forcibly removed from a press conference on Thursday when he tried to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question about immigration arrests.
Padilla was pushed out of the room, shoved to the ground and handcuffed by security.
“You can only imagine what they’re doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers,” Padilla told a press conference after the incident.
Reporting by Ted Hesson; Additional reporting by Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Alistair Bell
France and Saudi Arabia had been set to host the gathering between June 17-20 in New York
FILE PHOTO: The United Nations flag is seen during the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Yana Paskova/ File Photo
International news via Reuters:
A United Nations conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia aimed at forging a roadmap towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed after Israel launched a military attack on Iran, two sources said on Friday.
A Western diplomatic source in Riyadh said the Saudi-French conference would be postponed, partly because of the strikes on Iran. A second source familiar with the situation said some delegations from the Middle East would not, or could not, come because of the developments.
France and Saudi Arabia had been set to host the high-level gathering between June 17-20 in New York, aiming to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel’s security.
President Emmanuel Macron, who had been set to attend on June 18, has previously suggested France could recognise a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territories at the conference, a move opposed by Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration sent a diplomatic cable earlier this week to discourage governments around the world from attending the conference, according to a U.S. cable seen by Reuters.
Saudi Arabia’s government media office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. France’s foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.
Macron is scheduled to hold a press conference later on Friday, where he is expected to talk about the Israeli strike on Iran and the situation in the Middle East.
Reporting by John Irish in Paris and by Pesha Magd in Riyadh; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and William Maclean
Boeing shares were down Friday, falling 3.8%, while GE Aerospace was down 2.4%
FILE PHOTO: Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg testifies before a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Boeing <BA.N> and GE Aerospace are scaling back their public activities following the fatal crash of an Air India jetliner, with the planemaker’s CEO canceling his trip to the Paris Airshow next week and GE postponing an investor day.
More than 240 people were killed when an Air India Boeing 787 jet bound for London crashed moments after taking off from the city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, authorities said, in the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a message to staff on Thursday evening that he and Boeing Commercial Airplanes boss Stephanie Pope had canceled plans to attend the Paris Airshow “so we can be with our team and focus on our customer and the investigation.”
The air show, which runs from June 16 to June 20 at Le Bourget, is the global aviation industry’s largest trade show, where many aircraft orders are typically placed by airlines.
Ortberg had been due to attend for the first time as Boeing CEO since being appointed to lead the company out of a series of back-to-back safety, industrial and corporate crises.
Aircraft engine maker GE Aerospace, whose engines were in the Boeing 787 plane, had planned an investor day on June 17 coinciding with the show.
GE said the briefing had been canceled and it would put a team together to go to India and analyze data from the crashed airplane.
“GE Aerospace’s senior leadership is focused on supporting our customers and the investigation,” the company said. It said it planned to give a financial update later this month.
Safety experts stressed it was too early to speculate why one of the world’s most modern airliners should crash shortly after take-off. Accidents in that phase of flight are rare, said Paul Hayes, safety director at UK consultancy Cirium Ascend.
Most accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors.
Under global aviation rules, India will lead the probe with support from NTSB investigators in the United States, who will in turn liaise with Boeing and GE on technical matters.
The reduced attendance plans came as delegates said the crash had cast a somber mood over the air show, putting in doubt several order announcements and putting safety back in the spotlight alongside concerns over U.S. tariffs.
The world’s largest aviation trade expo, running from June 16 to 20 in Le Bourget, usually gives aircraft and arms manufacturers a key stage to showcase deals and sets the tone for a global supply chain already under pressure from shortages.
Boeing shares were down Friday, falling 3.8%, while GE Aerospace was down 2.4%.
FEWER DEALS
Boeing has cancelled some events and is unlikely to make any commercial order announcements at the show, though it will press ahead with low-key briefings on other topics, delegates said.
One key expected announcement had been a potential order for dozens of Boeing jets including the 787 from Royal Air Maroc. But the airline plans no announcement at the show and this will also affect Airbus which had been expected to win sell it some 20 A220s, industry sources said.
None of the companies had any comment on specific deals.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury on Friday expressed condolences over the accident and the world’s largest planemaker was expected to observe a muted tone surrounding what had been expected to be a busy week for orders to meet high demand.
One delegate said business would continue but with fewer of the high-profile press conferences and in-person announcements associated with the industry’s biggest commercial showcase.
Another said some order announcements could be delayed until later in the year as a mark of respect for victims.
“The show will be a lot more sombre, less celebratory,” said a delegate involved in planning one such announcement, speaking anonymously because the plans have not been publicly revealed.
“The show will go ahead as planned, but it will be more subdued and with less cheerleading,” the delegate said.
Allison Lampert in Montreal and David Shepardson in Washington, Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by Leslie Adler, Jamie Freed and Nick Zieminski
Israel launched a barrage of strikes across Iran on Friday
A building stands damaged in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
International news via Reuters:
The United Nations Security Council will meet later on Friday over Israel’s strikes on Iran, diplomats said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi requested the meeting in a letter to the 15-member body, saying Israel “has now crossed every red line, and the international community must not allow these crimes to go unpunished.”
“Iran reaffirms its inherent right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter and will respond decisively and proportionately to these unlawful and cowardly acts,” Araghchi wrote.
Article 51 of the U.N. Charter covers the individual or collective right of states to self-defense against armed attack.
Israel launched a barrage of strikes across Iran on Friday, saying it had attacked nuclear facilities and missile factories and killed a swathe of military commanders in what could be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran building an atomic weapon.
“These outrageous actions represent not only a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as a sovereign UN Member State, but also constitute acts of aggression and war crimes,” Araghchi wrote.
Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Susan Heavey and Chizu Nomiyama
Italian newspapers have reported that both the mother and child were also U.S. citizens
A security cordon separates the crime scene from public access inside Villa Pamphili park where an American woman and her newborn child were found dead on June 7, in Rome, Italy June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
International news via Reuters:
Italian police arrested a U.S. citizen on Friday in connection with the death of a woman and her baby daughter who were found dead in a park in central Rome, a judicial source said, confirming reports in Italian media.
The man, who was not named, was arrested on the Greek island of Skiathos.
The case has grabbed headlines in Italy since the mother and her child, who was a few months old, were found dead on Saturday in Villa Pamphili, Rome’s largest central city park.
Italian newspapers have reported that both the mother and child were also U.S. citizens, and that investigators believe the child was murdered and are still trying to establish the cause of death of the mother.
Neither the mother nor the girl has been named.
Prosecutors in the case were due to hold a press conference later on Friday at 16:30 (1430 GMT).
Reporting by Paolo Chiriatti; Writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Mark Porter
The leaders discussed the long-held grave concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme
FILE PHOTO: France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz speak during a Ukraine security meeting at the 6th European Political Community summit on May 16, 2025 at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Friday called for all sides to refrain from further escalation after Israeli strikes against nuclear and military facilities in Iran, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said.
Starmer held a call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the situation, Starmer’s office said in a statement.
“The leaders discussed the long-held grave concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme, and called on all sides to refrain from further escalation that could further destabilize the region,” the statement said.
Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; writing by Muvija M; editing by William James
A 2014 inquiry found at least 1,400 children were subjected to sexual exploitation in Rotherham
Skyscrapers of the City of London financial district and St Paul’s Cathedral are seen behind a bus crossing Waterloo Bridge in London, Britain, March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
International news via Reuters:
Seven men who sexually exploited two vulnerable girls in northern England were convicted on Friday in the latest trial over a decades-old “grooming gangs” scandal.
Greater Manchester Police said the men were convicted after a trial involving a total of 50 offences, including rape and indecency with a child, which occurred between 2001 and 2006.
Prosecutor Rossano Scamardella told jurors at the start of the trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court that the group’s two victims were “passed around for sex, abused, degraded and then discarded”.
Scarmardella also said the two girls were known to social services and that it was “no secret” they were having sex with older South Asian men such as the defendants – a situation with similarities to other grooming gangs.
The men had all denied the charges, but were unanimously convicted by the jury after three weeks of deliberations.
The scandal returned to the top of the political agenda in Britain earlier this year following criticism from Elon Musk of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The owner of social media platform X accused Starmer of failing to tackle the scandal when he was Britain’s chief prosecutor, which Starmer angrily rejected.
A 2014 inquiry found at least 1,400 children were subjected to sexual exploitation in Rotherham, northern England, between 1997 and 2013.
The report said the majority of known perpetrators were of Pakistani heritage and that in some cases local officials and other agencies had been wary of identifying ethnic origins for fear of upsetting community cohesion, or being seen as racist.
Grooming gangs in other towns and cities in England have also prompted criminal prosecutions and local inquiries.
Tehran has vowed retaliation for Israel’s early morning attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities that killed several top commanders
CAIRO (Reuters) -The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said Iran, its strategic ally, was “paying the price” for supporting militant groups in Gaza in their decades-long struggle against Israel, after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Friday against Iran. Hamas leaders have repeatedly thanked Iran for its military and financial support to the group in its fight against Israel, including during the ongoing war that erupted in October 2023. “Iran is today paying the price for its steadfast positions in support of Palestine and its resistance, and its adherence to its independent national decision,” Hamas said in a statement. Tehran has vowed retaliation for Israel’s early morning attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities that killed several top commanders. Israel said it was working to intercept 100 drones that were launched by Iran, but had not reached Israel. Hamas armed wing spokesperson Abu Ubaida said in a post on Telegram later on Friday that the group would stand by Iran in its conflict against Israel. “The Zionist enemy is completely deluded if it thinks that these treacherous strikes can undermine the fronts of resistance or stabilize the pillars of this fragile entity in the region,” he said. “On the contrary, it continues to make successive strategic mistakes that will bring it closer to its inevitable demise, God willing.” (Reporting by Nidal al-MughrabiEditing by Gareth Jones)
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