The revived initiative aims to meet the needs of students who demonstrate outstanding abilities beyond their peers
Specialized education for the Gifted and Talented is to be brought back into the public school system.
Senator and education minister Crystal Caesar told the Senate today that work to revive the initiative began in September and has already involved extensive consultation.
“Gifted Education is a necessity,” she said. “It provides intentional opportunities for advanced learners to grow intellectually, creatively, and socially. When gifted learners are not sufficiently challenged, they can become disengaged or frustrated. By contrast, when their needs are met, they develop stronger critical-thinking, problem-solving, and social-emotional skills; the very skills that will enable them to develop as learners and students in ways commensurate to their potential.
Minister Caesar continued: “By reigniting Gifted Education, we are not creating exclusivity; we are creating equity. We are ensuring that every student regardless of ability is supported to reach their highest potential. This initiative represents a crucial step toward an education system that truly recognizes and nurtures the diverse gifts of all Bermudian children.”
Minister Caesar added that community partners are being engaged to provide offsite enrichment opportunities. Among them is NASA’s Coopers Island station, which will host 15 students for a specialized science learning experience.
AI-assisted juror vetting, higher juror pay, and raising the maximum age for service to 75 – these are among several proposals now up for public consultation on jury reform.
Earlier this month, Government launched consultation on what it calls a vital step toward modernizing Bermuda’s justice system.
Residents can share their views online at forum.gov.bm or attend one of the upcoming public meetings.
The next session takes place at Paget Gospel Chapel on Wednesday, November 19th at 5:30 pm.
Speaking in the Senate this morning, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Kim Wilkerson said additional dates and locations will be announced in due course.
The artificial intelligence company argued that turning over the logs would disclose confidential user information
International News via Reuters:
OpenAI asked a federal judge in New York on Wednesday to reverse an order that required it to turn over 20 million anonymized ChatGPT chat logs amid a copyright infringement lawsuit by the New York Times and other news outlets, saying it would expose users’ private conversations.
The artificial intelligence company argued that turning over the logs would disclose confidential user information and that “99.99%” of the transcripts have nothing to do with the copyright infringement allegations in the case.
“To be clear: anyone in the world who has used ChatGPT in the past three years must now face the possibility that their personal conversations will be handed over to The Times to sift through at will in a speculative fishing expedition,” the company said in a court filing.
LAWSUIT CLAIMS OPENAI MISUSED TIMES STORIES
The news outlets argued that the logs were necessary to determine whether ChatGPT reproduced their copyrighted content and to rebut OpenAI’s assertion that they “hacked” the chatbot’s responses to manufacture evidence. The lawsuit claims OpenAI misused their articles to train ChatGPT to respond to user prompts.
Magistrate Judge Ona Wang said in her order to produce the chats that users’ privacy would be protected by the company’s “exhaustive de-identification” and other safeguards. OpenAI has a Friday deadline to produce the transcripts.
Spokespeople and attorneys for the New York Times did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
OpenAI Chief Information Security Officer Dane Stuckey said in a blog post on Wednesday that sharing the logs would violate privacy and security protections and “force us to turn over tens of millions of highly personal conversations from people who have no connection to the Times’ baseless lawsuit.”
The case is one of many pending lawsuits against tech companies over the alleged misuse of copyrighted work to train AI systems.
Reporting by Blake Brittain in WashingtonEditing by Rod Nickel
Bermuda’s young swimmers make a splash at the BASA Pool
The Kattegat Sharks Sprint Meet at the BASA Pool produced fast times and multiple victories in the 15 & Over age group, with numerous athletes securing new personal bests.
The Women’s 100m Freestyle saw a rush of personal bests: Elanna Fulton claimed the win in 1:03.19, narrowly beating Jorgia White (1:03.49), with Lila Connolly (1:06.13) in third. White bounced back to win the Women’s 100m Individual Medley A – Final in 1:16.40.
In the men’s races, Logan Jones dominated the 100m Freestyle final, winning with a time of 54.26 seconds. Joseph Moniz also secured an individual victory, claiming the 100m Individual Medley A – Final in 1:10.08.
Lila Connolly followed her freestyle success with a win in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke A – Final, posting a personal best of 1:25.54. The Men’s event was won by Jamie MacFarlane in 1:12.22. The strong performances across all divisions underscore the competitive level of the local sprint meet.
Football: Brighton Morrison called up to Bermuda’s Senior Men’s National Squad from Benamocarra CF U23 program in Spain
The Bermuda Football Association (BFA) announced that there has been a change to the Senior Men’s Team for the November CONCACAF Qualifiers.
Brighton Morrison has been drafted into the Senior Men’s national team. Morrison’s inclusion is due to an injury sustained by Kieron Richardson in his most recent match. The injury is serious enough that he has had to withdraw.
Coach Findlay commented on this latest development by saying: “It is unfortunate as we consider Kieron to be an important part of our squad now and in the future. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to his return. In his place, we have called up Brighton Morrison from Benamocarra CF U23 program in Spain. Brighton was a member of the Gold Medal Bermuda Island Games team from this past July under the leadership of John Barry Nusum from the senior men’s technical staff, and comes to us as a developing prospect for future senior men’s national team programming.
Morrison plays both CB and FB positions and provides us with another opportunity to assess and evaluate additional players from our long list within a competitive environment at the international level.”
Squash: Taylor Carrick defeated in straight sets in the first round
Bermudian squash player Taylor Carrick has exited the $15,000 Men’s SACC Costa Rica Open 2025 after a tough first-round defeat in San Jose.
The event, which is part of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger Tour 10, is taking place at the Santa Ana Country Club, featuring a competitive international draw.
In his First Round battle, Carrick took on Cesar Segundo Corona from Mexico. Despite a highly competitive start, the Bermudian was ultimately defeated in straight sets: 13-11, 11-6, 11-3 in a match that lasted 35 minutes.
The 13-11 scoreline in the opening set indicates a tight initial battle, but the Mexican opponent proved too strong and consistent, accelerating away in the subsequent games. The loss brings an end to Carrick’s campaign in Costa Rica.
The $15,000 SACC Costa Rica Open is one of the stops on the PSA Challenger Tour 10, a level of competition that is vital for Carrick to gain ranking points and experience against top international professionals.
Last year, Apple allowed software developers to distribute their apps to users in the EU outside its App Store and opt out of its in-app payment system
International News via Reuters:
Lower developer fees implemented by Apple to comply with European Union tech regulations have not reduced prices for users, the iPhone maker said on Wednesday, renewing its criticism of Europe’s efforts to rein in its market power.
Last year, in response to the bloc’s Digital Markets Act, Apple allowed software developers to distribute their apps to users in the EU outside its App Store and opt out of its in-app payment system, which charges commissions of up to 30%.
That reduced fees for developers to an average of 20%.
The U.S. tech giant, however, said a study it commissioned from Analysis Group showed that app developers have not passed on the cost savings to users.
“This study provides further evidence that the DMA is not benefiting consumers in the form of lower prices. At the same time, we know the regulation is creating new barriers for innovators and startups while exposing consumers to new risks,” an Apple spokesperson said.
The report, which covered more than 41 million transactions for some 21,000 products, generating 403 million euros ($470 million) in sales for the period March to September 2024, said that developers kept the same prices or increased them for nine out of 10 products.
It said over 86% of the 20.1-million-euro reduction in commission fees went to non-EU developers.
Bermuda’s premier sporting event poised to tee off
The Butterfield Bermuda Championship is set to begin tomorrow, November 13th, at the scenic Port Royal Golf Club, marking the crucial penultimate event of the FedExCup Fall schedule.
The tournament’s field, focused on the intense top 100 chase for 2026 PGA Tour cards, features compelling storylines.
Headlining the field is the highest-ranked player, Michael Brennan (World No. 42). Weeks ago, Brennan failed to qualify locally for this event. However, he then won the Bank of Utah Championship in only his third career Tour start, securing a two-year PGA Tour exemption and ensuring his spot in Bermuda. He is scheduled to make his third consecutive Tour start this week.
The only other World Top 50 player in the field is Sam Stevens (No. 48).
The local excitement centres on the three Bermudian players who successfully navigated the rigorous Local Qualifier:
Will Haddrell: The amateur finished as the top Bermudian qualifier.
Kenneth Leseur: Secured his spot to compete in the flagship PGA Tour event for the second time.
Oliver Betschart: The young golfer completes the trio, ready to take on the demanding Port Royal course.
The Bermudian players face a demanding test against PGA Tour professionals but will benefit greatly from the passionate local support and their intimate course knowledge.
Behind the shiny facades of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship’s hospitality venues lies a lot of hard work
Continuing our special series in the lead-up to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, which starts tomorrow …
As regular fans know, Port Royal undergoes a spectacular makeover for the annual PGA Tour event, to accommodate thousands of spectators.
Sales and Project Manager Isaias Macedo is tasked with laying down flooring and erecting tents. He leads a team of seven and their vital work ensures that the event is as much a social success as a sporting spectacle.
John Lyttle, who joined M&S as managing director fashion, home and beauty (FH&B) in March, said the 141-year-old retailer has regained its footing after a cyberattack in April
International News via Reuters:
Marks & Spencer is revamping its supply chain from “factory to floor”, the retailer’s new fashion boss told Reuters, as it looks to double annual online non-food sales to nearly 3 billion pounds ($4 billion).
John Lyttle, who joined M&S as managing director fashion, home and beauty (FH&B) in March, said the 141-year-old retailer has regained its footing after a cyberattack in April paralysed online sales and cost about 300 million pounds in lost profit.
He said M&S had done a good job re-establishing its value, quality and style credentials, with FH&B sales up 9% over three years and market share rising to 10.5% in 2024/25, from 9.1% in 2021/22.
It now needs to focus on becoming a truly omnichannel retailer, said Lyttle, in his first interview since joining M&S.
“So from where we make our goods, to how we flow that all the way into our warehouses, how our warehouses operate, and then how we feed those products out to our customers – whether that’s online, whether that’s in our stores,” he said.
Simplifying and cutting supply chain costs has been a priority for many companies after COVID-19, war in Ukraine, Red Sea shipping disruption and broader global trade upheavals, most recently due to U.S. tariffs.
MORE LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS WITH SUPPLIERS
M&S, which mainly sources products from China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Turkey, wants to create more long-term partnerships to reduce the risks to supplies.
While progress has been made in recent years through consolidating suppliers, M&S has “much more opportunity to go after through resetting how we buy, unlocking more margin from our scale, increasing cost discipline and reducing complexity,” said Lyttle.
The cyber hack knocked what had been a strong turnaround under Stuart Machin, CEO since 2022, with M&S’ 2024/25 profit its highest in over 15 years and its stock at near-decade highs.
Dominic Younger, fund manager at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, one of M&S’ top 10 investors, said it had made huge and hard-won strides in fixing the FH&B front-end.
“But one of the most exciting aspects from an investment point of view is that, together with continuing to drive the food division, there is so much opportunity out there in terms of modernising the clothing supply chain,” he said.
With a clothing customer base of 21 million, Lyttle said overhauling M&S’ supply chain can double FH&B’s online sales over the long term from about 1.4 billion pounds in 2024/25, while lifting its online operating margin to double digits.
M&S is also aiming to increase online’s share of total FH&B sales from about 34% to 50% in the medium term, said Lyttle, a former Boohoo CEO who was also an executive at Primark.
“If you look at our online sales participation today versus the market, we’re about 10 (percentage) points behind,” said Lyttle, noting M&S was even further behind some top competitors, such as Next.
Next, an early adopter of warehouse and distribution automation, makes about 59% of its UK sales online.
M&S can increase online sales by optimising the breadth and depth of its product range, encouraging more customers to use its more than 1,000 stores for ‘click and collect’ and returns, and utilising more channels such as lockers, Lyttle said.
It will also introduce more payment methods and relaunch its ‘Sparks’ loyalty programme to drive more frequent purchases.
INVESTMENT IN AUTOMATION
Part of M&S’ plan is a 120 million pound three-year investment in automation to increase capacity, reduce complexity and deliver cost savings worth “multi-millions” of pounds.
M&S is spending 600 million to 650 million pounds on capital investment in 2025/26 of which between 200 million and 250 million is being invested in technology infrastructure, store maintenance and upgrades to its logistics fleet.
In its vast Castle Donington warehouse in central England, M&S is investing in robotic technology that will speed up sorting ‘click and collect’ parcels and extend cut-off times for next-day delivery to nearly midnight.
Further investment at the 900,000-square foot site and another in Bradford, northern England, will increase boxed storage capacity by more than 30%.
M&S is also accelerating the implementation of a new planning platform, with a new merchandising capability already delivered, automating what was previously largely a manual task.
Cost savings will not need to come at the expense of the 63,000-strong M&S workforce, Lyttle said, adding: “Growing our business means we’re moving more product, therefore we need more people to help us do that”.
CYBER HACK LESSONS
While the cyber hack, which forced M&S to revert to manual processes, had not changed its strategy or longer-term plans, important lessons had been learned, Lyttle said.
“It’s not just lessons of the actual incident. It’s just general things that we could have done better, or we could have done faster,” he said, without giving away any specifics.
“You don’t want people who impacted us at the beginning to understand in any way,” he added.
($1 = 0.7451 pounds)
Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Alexander Smith
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation current brings warm water from the tropics northward toward the Arctic, and the flow of warm water helps keep Europe’s winters mild
International News via Reuters:
Iceland has designated the potential collapse of a major Atlantic Ocean current system a national security concern and an existential threat, enabling its government to strategize for worst-case scenarios, the country’s climate minister told Reuters.
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, current brings warm water from the tropics northward toward the Arctic, and the flow of warm water helps keep Europe’s winters mild.
But as warming temperatures speed the thaw of Arctic ice and cause meltwater from Greenland’s ice sheet to pour into the ocean, scientists warn the cold freshwater could disrupt the current’s flow.
A potential collapse of AMOC could trigger a modern-day ice age, with winter temperatures across Northern Europe plummeting to new cold extremes, bringing far more snow and ice. The AMOC has collapsed in the past – notably before the last Ice Age that ended about 12,000 years ago.
“It is a direct threat to our national resilience and security,” Iceland Climate Minister Johann Pall Johannsson said by email. “(This) is the first time a specific climate-related phenomenon has been formally brought before the National Security Council as a potential existential threat.”
Elevation of the issue means Iceland’s ministries will be on alert and coordinating a response, Johannsson said. The government is assessing what further research and policies are needed, with work underway on a disaster preparedness policy.
Risks being evaluated span a range of areas, from energy and food security to infrastructure and international transportation.
RIPPLE EFFECTS
An Atlantic current collapse could have consequences far beyond Northern Europe. It could potentially destabilize longtime rainfall patterns relied upon by subsistence farmers across Africa, India and South America, according to scientists.
It could also contribute to faster warming in Antarctica, where sea ice surrounding the southernmost continent as well as ice sheets atop it are already under threat from climate change.
Scientists have warned that the world is underestimating the threat that an AMOC collapse could become inevitable within the next couple of decades as global temperatures keep climbing.
The Nordic Council of Ministers funded a “Nordic Tipping Week” workshop in October with 60 experts assessing how societies might be impacted. They are finalizing recommendations from the meeting, organizers said.
“There is tons of research on the likelihood of when exactly things are going to happen,” said Aleksi Nummelin, a physical oceanographer at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. “There is much less on what is the actual societal impact.”
On Monday, scientists from more than 30 universities and international organizations sounded an alarm about the accelerated thawing of Earth’s glaciers, ice sheets and other frozen spaces.
Other climate ministries and meteorological offices across Northern Europe told Reuters they are funding more research while weighing possible risks in their climate adaptation plans.
Ireland’s weather service said its scientists briefed the country’s prime minister last year and a parliamentary committee last month. Norway’s environment ministry said it was “seeking to deepen our understanding of the issue through new research” before determining whether to classify AMOC as a security risk.
Britain said it was following scientific reports that suggested an abrupt collapse was unlikely during this century, while directing more than 81 million pounds into research to understand when the Earth’s climate systems might be pushed to a point of no return.
“The science is evolving quite rapidly and time is running out to do anything about it because the tipping point may well be quite close,” said oceanographer and climatologist Stefan Rahmstorf from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Iceland is not taking any chances, as the pace of warming speeds up and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
“Sea ice could affect marine transport; extreme weather could severely affect our capabilities to maintain any agriculture and fisheries, which are central to our economy and food systems,” Johannsson said.
“We cannot afford to wait for definitive, long-term research before acting.”
Reporting by Ali Withers and Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Editing by Katy Daigle and David Gregorio
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