“Political rhetoric” … A phrase used by BELCO president Wayne Caines recently when he listed obstacles to progress on the issue of power plant emissions.
In part two of his exclusive interview with Mr. Caines, Qian Dickinson asked if there was a disconnect between the work he is doing as President of BELCO and his role as a member of the PLP.
Various PLP ministers have openly criticized BELCO over soot emissions, most recently Labour & Economy Minister and area MP Jason Hayward. Mr. Caines says it’s not about the PLP versus BELCO.
As global warming driven mostly by fossil fuel emissions alters weather patterns, wildfires have become more frequent and extensive around the globe
International News via Reuters:
Wildfires likely to have been made more frequent by climate change made significant contributions to air pollution last year, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Friday.
The World Health Organization says ambient air pollution causes 4.5 million premature deaths a year, and the WMO report for 2024 pointed to pollution hotspots in places that experienced intense fires such as the Amazon basin, Canada, Siberia and central Africa.
As global warming driven mostly by fossil fuel emissions alters weather patterns, wildfires have become more frequent and extensive around the globe, adding to the airborne particles also produced by the burning of coal, oil, gas and wood as well as transport and farming.
“Wildfires are a big contributor to particle pollution and the problem is expected to increase as the climate warms, posing growing risks for infrastructure and ecosystems and human health,” the WMO said in a statement.
Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett added: “Climate change and air quality cannot be addressed in isolation. They must be tackled together in order to protect our planet, our communities, and our economies.”
Though the WMO report covers 2024, the WMO also said record wildfires in southern Europe this year had contributed to pollution across the continent.
However, there were some positive signs, with particle pollution in Eastern China falling thanks to reduction efforts.
Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Kevin Liffey
The duchess will be best remembered for her close association with Wimbledon, where from 1969 she helped to hand out the trophies
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s Duchess of Kent, the wife of a cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth and best known for her long association with the Wimbledon tennis tournament, has died aged 92, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
Born Katharine Worsley, she joined the royal family when she married Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, in 1961 after meeting him five years earlier when he was stationed at a military barracks in northern England.
Buckingham Palace said she had passed away peacefully on Thursday night at her home in Kensington Palace surrounded by her family.
“The King and Queen and all Members of the royal family join the Duke of Kent, his children and grandchildren in mourning their loss and remembering fondly the duchess’s life-long devotion to all the organisations with which she was associated, her passion for music and her empathy for young people,” it said in a statement.
The duchess will be best remembered for her close association with Wimbledon, where from 1969 she helped to hand out the trophies.
She famously comforted Jana Novotna when she burst into tears after losing the singles’ final in 1993, literally giving her a shoulder to cry on.
“I know you will win it one day, don’t worry,” the duchess told her, and was proved right when Novotna won the title five years later.
However, her relationship with the tournament turned sour in 1999 after she was refused permission to bring the 12-year-old son of a bereaved friend into the royal box.
The duchess also made headlines when she converted to Roman Catholicism in 1994, becoming the first British royal to do so since King Charles II, who turned to the faith on his deathbed in 1685.
In doing so, she went against an early 18th century law forbidding members of the monarchy from becoming Catholic.
The duchess, who had three children and 10 grandchildren, was also passionate about music. As well as supporting musical charities, she taught music for a number of years at a school in Hull, in northeast England.
“She brought compassion, dignity and a human touch to everything she did. Many will remember that moment at the Wimbledon Ladies Final, when she touchingly comforted the runner-up, Jana Novotna,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
“Later, when it was discovered she had been giving her time and working anonymously as a music teacher at a school in Hull, it seemed typical of her unassuming nature.”
Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Alistair Smout, William James and Gareth Jones
National team footballer Zeko Lewis was in town today helping to promote merchandise ahead of tonight’s big game against Jamaica.
Kendal Trott caught up with him at the Lookie Lookie store, where they are selling Bermuda team jerseys.
In the Washington mall , Lookie Lookie is selling the official jerseys of the Bermuda national team. Store owner Kimwana Eve is encouraging fans and the community to show their support. With five games still to play after tonight’s match, she says it’s the right time to back the team.
BELCO says the emergency response required a crew of up to 12 people working for roughly 17 hours
The early morning commute came as a relief today after Harbour Road finally reopened following Wednesday night’s collision.
Huge lines of traffic were seen yesterday during both rush hours, with commuters reporting on social media journey times of up to three hours.
The source of the gridlock: a late-night crash that snapped a BELCO utility pole in half. The incident forced the closure of a stretch of Harbour Road in Paget between Lover’s Lane and Chapel Road.
According to police, the female driver was arrested for driving while impaired and will appear in court in the coming days.
BELCO says the emergency response required a crew of up to 12 people working for roughly 17 hours. The roadway eventually reopened around 1:30 this morning.
BELCO Managing Director Shelly Leman said: “Our crews worked around the clock to restore both power and road access to commuters. This was a complex emergency response that required immediate action to ensure public safety while restoring essential services.”
Crews completed restoration work by about 11:30 last night, installing a new utility pole and transferring conductors. But the road remained closed until other utilities completed their repairs just after 1 am.
BELCO also acknowledged the significant inconvenience caused by the closure, and thanked residents for their patience and cooperation with traffic diversions.
Still, the gridlock has raised new questions about Bermuda’s traffic management during major incidents.
Bermuda Broadcasting reached out to the Ministry of Public Works and other authorities for comment and explanation, and we will be following up next week.
In the meantime, BELCO says it will pursue accountability. A spokesperson stated: “BELCO will work collaboratively with relevant authorities to ensure appropriate accountability regarding this incident and to pursue fair compensation for the emergency response costs and resources deployed.”
The Commission said Google favoured its own online display technology services to the detriment of rivals and online publishers and that it abused its market power since 2014
International News via Reuters:
Alphabet’s Google was hit with a 2.95-billion-euro ($3.45 billion) EU antitrust fine on Friday for anti-competitive practices in its lucrative adtech business, marking its fourth penalty in its decade long fight with EU competition regulators.
The move by the European Commission was triggered by a complaint from the European Publishers Council and comes amid a threat by U.S. President Donald Trump to retaliate against the European Union for any push against Big Tech.
The EU competition enforcer had originally planned to hand out the fine on Monday but opposition from EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic on concerns about the impact on U.S. tariffs on European cars derailed EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera’s plan.
The Commission said Google favoured its own online display technology services to the detriment of rivals and online publishers and that it abused its market power since 2014 until today.
It ordered Google to stop the self-preferencing practices and take measures to cease its inherent conflicts of interest. The company has 60 days to inform the Commission how it plans to comply with this order.
The Commission reiterated its preliminary view that Google should divest part of its services but said it wants to first hear and assess Google’s compliance efforts.
“Google must now come forward with a serious remedy to address its conflicts of interest, and if it fails to do so, we will not hesitate to impose strong remedies,” Ribera said in a statement.
“Digital markets exist to serve people and must be grounded in trust and fairness. And when markets fail, public institutions must act to prevent dominant players from abusing their power,” she said.
Google criticised the EU decision and said it would challenge it in court.
“The European Commission’s decision about our ad tech services is wrong and we will appeal. It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money,” Lee-Anne Mulholland, Vice President, Global Head of Regulatory Affairs, said in a statement.
“There’s nothing anticompetitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever before.”
The latest fine compared with a record 4.3 billion euro penalty handed out to Google in 2018, 2.42 billion euros in 2017 and a 1.49 billion euros in 2019.
Reuters reported last week that the fine would be modest, marking a change in Ribera’s approach with her predecessor’s deterrent hefty fines.
The UN health agency declared the emergency – its highest level of alert – in August last year
International News via Reuters:
Mpox is no longer an international health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said on Friday, after experts reported falls in infections from the dangerous disease in hot spots across Africa.
The UN health agency declared the emergency – its highest level of alert – in August last year, when an outbreak of a new form of mpox started spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries.
There had since been “sustained declines in cases” in Congo and other affected countries including Burundi, Sierra Leone and Uganda, WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV, are all at higher risk of complications.
The WHO said Mpox was still a public health concern across the world, but it had decided to downgrade it based on advice from its Emergency Committee, which meets every three months to evaluate the outbreak.
“While we are removing the emergency, we need to keep the urgency,” Professor Dimie Ogoina from the Emergency Committee said.
“This is not a time for us to reduce the investments in terms of financial investment, partnership, solidarity, especially for most affected countries in the African continent,” he added.
Out of the recorded cases, there had been worrying levels of deaths among people living with HIV AIDS, particularly in Uganda and Sierra Leone, and signs of vulnerability among infants and children in Congo, Ogoina said.
The new form of Mpox, clade Ib, continues to predominantly impact sub-Saharan Africa. There have also been travel-related cases in Thailand, Britain and other countries.
Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing by Ludwig Burger and Andrew Heavens
Shabana Mahmood, currently the justice minister, is expected to replace Cooper at the home office – or interior ministry
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s David Lammy will be replaced as foreign minister by interior minister Yvette Cooper, Guardian newspaper Political Editor Pippa Crerar said in a post on X.
If confirmed, the appointment would be the most significant of a ministerial cabinet reshuffle being carried out by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Local media reports said Lammy would become deputy prime minister and justice minister.
Shabana Mahmood, currently the justice minister, is expected to replace Cooper at the home office – or interior ministry.
The reshuffle was triggered by the resignation of deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, after she admitted underpaying property tax on a new home.
Reporting by William James; Editing by Kate Holton
Bermudian cyclist Conor White has taken his talents from the road to the track, making an impressive debut at the South London Grand Prix at the iconic Herne Hill Velodrome. In his first-ever UCI track event, White delivered a series of strong performances, securing a podium finish and a top-ten result in the overall omnium.
White competed in multiple events on a single day, showcasing his versatility and endurance. He finished 10th in the Men’s 10km Scratch, 8th in the Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome Men’s Elimination, and a fantastic third place in the Convene ESG Men’s Madison: 30km. He capped off a successful day by finishing sixth overall in the Balfe’s Bikes Men’s Omnium IV: 25km.
Reflecting on his performance on social media, White expressed his excitement and pride. “I had an awesome time racing my first UCI track event, I learned a ton and still plenty more to pick up, but I’m proud of the progress since only starting track back in April,” he posted.
His results are a testament to his rapid development in a new discipline. White concluded by looking to the future, “I’m excited to keep building and looking forward to the next one next month.” The performance marks a promising start to his track cycling career.
The agreement makes Greece one of the first countries to implement ChatGPT Edu, a specialized version of ChatGPT designed for academic institutions
International News via Reuters:
Greece and OpenAI signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to broaden access to AI tools in secondary education and foster innovation among small businesses, the U.S.-based artificial intelligence company said.
The agreement makes Greece one of the first countries to implement ChatGPT Edu, a specialized version of ChatGPT designed for academic institutions, OpenAI said in a statement.
Under the memorandum, Greek startups focused on healthcare, climate change, education, and public sectors will gain access to OpenAI’s technology and credits to support their projects.
Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Anthony S. Papadimitriou, President of the Onassis Foundation, and Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer at OpenAI signed a memorandum on Friday.
“From Plato’s Academy to Aristotle’s Lyceum—Greece is the historical birthplace of western education,’ OpenAI’s Lehane said in the statement.
“Today, with millions of Greeks using ChatGPT on a regular basis, the country is once again showing its dedication to learning and ideas.”
Last month, OpenAI launched its GPT-5 artificial intelligence model, the highly anticipated latest installment of a technology that has helped transform global business and culture.
OpenAI’s GPT models are the AI technology that powers the popular ChatGPT chatbot.
Reporting by Ivana Sekularac, Editing by Louise Heavens
It was a challenging day for Bermuda’s athletes as they began their campaigns at the 17th World Wushu Championships in Brasília, Brazil. All three competitors faced difficult circumstances and tough opponents in their opening events.
Kaelin Cox had a disappointing start on the Taolu carpet, scoring 6.896 in the southern broadsword discipline. He struggled with his routine, failing to land a number of degree of difficulty movements and receiving deductions for going over the time limit.
In the sanda, or combat discipline, Krista Dyer went down in her match against a tough opponent from Turkey, Sudenaz Gulay. Dyer faced a pre-fight challenge when she received her protective gear late from the organizers, leading to her being called to the lei tai (the fighting platform) numerous times and receiving a warning at the beginning of the match. Despite this, she took to the ring to compete.
Ryah Symonds also faced a formidable opponent in her sanda bout, taking on Iran’s Soheila Mansourian Semiromi. Symonds battled hard but ultimately lost by a 12-point spread to the powerhouse from Iran.
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