Latest news with #Montserrat
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Cirino joins Gillingham on short-term deal
Gillingham have signed former Blackburn Rovers defender Lenni Cirino on a short-term League Two side have not disclosed the length of the left-back has featured for the Gills in pre-season and is available for their season opener away to Accrington Stanley on 22, came through the academy at Ewood Park but was released in the summer of 2024. He joined Premier Northern League side Clitheroe last has made four appearances for the Montserrat national team, making his international debut in June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier.
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- The Guardian
‘I'm here': Montserrat 30 years on from devastating volcanic eruption
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the volcanic eruptions that devastated the small Caribbean island of Montserrat. In July 1995, the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted for the first time in centuries, leaving 80% of the self-governing British overseas territory uninhabitable. Soufrière Hills, exclusion zone, Montserrat, 2024 The area known as the exclusion zone is now deserted and overgrown. The eruptions forced a mass exodus, depopulating the island from 14,000 to just over 4,000 people and rendering it one of the world's least populous sovereign states or dependencies. Those who stayed migrated north while Brades, once countryside, became Montserrat's de facto capital. The sense of what could have been permeates the island. Montserratians – including Alvin Ryan, the director of the Disaster Management Coordination Agency – are proud of the island's heyday. The holder of the proverbial and literal keys to the exclusion zone, Ryan speaks wistfully about a nation once on the precipice of independence, priding itself on its economic sustainability – exporting agricultural produce to neighbouring islands – and a robust musical and cultural identity. Shanna Johnson and Sheviyona Thomas take a break from the Miss Montserrat pageant opening ceremony at Carnival City, Little Bay As we drive into the boundaries of the exclusion zone, Ryan radios the Montserrat Volcano Observatory to announce our arrival – 'Two souls, one vehicle' – emphasising just how secure this area truly is. Once inside, he reminisces about his past life, from boiling eggs in the volcanic hot springs as a child, to believing in the myth of a beautiful mermaid living at the peak of the mountain, unaware then that it was an active volcano. There is an implicit kinship with those who hail from the same village in the old Montserrat or 'town' as it is affectionately called. This is what binds them – shared fond memories of belonging, flickered with grief. The interior of a dilapidated building, filled with ash in Plymouth – the centre of the exclusion zone Alvin Ryan in front of the supermarket he was in on the day of the first eruption in 1995 While we admire the scope of Soufrière Hills, Ryan's radio crackles with the voice of Montserrat's then governor, Sarah Tucker, imploring us to leave the zone immediately because of volcanic activity. We jog back to our vehicle. 'I always park my truck facing the exit in case I have to leave quickly,' says Ryan, crystallising the realities of life in the shadow of an active volcano. Despite this risk, a recently introduced government incentive is offering returning nationals duty-free concessions on materials to rebuild or fix abandoned homes in Cork Hill, an area on the periphery of the exclusion zone. This incentive is part of a wider governmental drive towards capital development and ecotourism, including a new seaport to accommodate bigger cruise ships and super-yachts. Allyaha entertains her little cousin outside their home in Davy Hill Even with this potential to increase economic activity on the island, Alford Dyett II, a young architect who splits his time between London and Montserrat, has his doubts. 'At some point there's not going to be enough people to sustain this country and we're getting very close,' he says. 'The people won't say it, the British government won't say it … a lack of population might be a reason why we have [low] crime and a great sense of community … but within this tranquillity we have no economy. We have a population crisis.' It is a catch-22 situation. Foreign investment can increase job opportunities, which are scarce (many young people feeling compelled to leave the island after secondary school graduation). It can also intensify fear of potential economic exploitation. Miss Montserrat 2021 to 2024, Nia St Claire, watches the procession as she anticipates handing over the crown Those remaining in Montserrat often juggle multiple jobs to survive. This is the case for Nia St Claire, Miss Montserrat between 2021 and 2024, who has several customer service jobs to stay afloat. The exclusion zone is incredibly fertile because of volcanic nutrients in the soil, but local residents are unable to take advantage and farm on it. As a result, fresh produce is scarce. Those not growing their own produce are dependent on processed foods. 'There are major health issues on the island like high rates of cancer and diabetes because of these processed foods,' says John Osborne, Montserrat's minister of agriculture. In an effort to contribute to the food economy, groups of men defy boundaries by camping off grid for days or weeks to illegally hunt in the exclusion zone. With limited access for rescue vehicles and the prospect of being mauled by wild pigs, they are risking their lives to catch and sell their bounty. Beyond this, it seems to be a peaceful protest – a noble persistence to roam a land they feel is rightfully theirs. Young masqueraders prepare for their performance at the opening ceremony of Montserrat carnival in Carnival City, Little Bay 'Sometimes I spend more than two weeks out in the bush,' says one of the island's hunters, who has agreed to speak on condition of anonymity. 'I love it. It's beautiful. And people pay big money for hogs – alive or dead.' The hunters are an anomaly, since many Montserratians have never returned to their villages after having to evacuate. Carmelita Kirwan stands outside her home with her family 'I've never been back,' says Carmelita Kirwan, a mother of 13. 'I don't go past Caulk Hill.' Kirwan's youngest, Joshua, a member of the local masquerade group, dreams of gaining an overseas basketball scholarship. Her third youngest, Kenville, is a popular musician on the island. When Kirwan and I first meet she insists she is 'here' – 'I always have been. I'm here.' Her emphasis on the word seems to betray a desire to be witnessed so her existence is not overlooked or forgotten. 'I am Montserrat's history, and my children are too,' she says. 'I stay here, and I give Montserrat 13 children. They will carry it on. [I hope] that someday we will turn to some brightness.' Zeekee and his dog pause before descending into the valleys of Silver Hills Montserrat is grappling with this need to be remembered – a desire to move beyond a past shaped by natural disaster and British colonial rule. The quotidian is demanding, yet it is remarkable how much people have forged a new identity in the past 30 years. There is much to be proud of. It is more than resilience – it is fortitude. It is no wonder that hunting, easy communing on patios and bars, elegant pageantry and everyday family life add up to both a way of living and a quiet persistence of sorts. Montserratians are determined to remain on a land that has shaped its people, irrespective of how much of it they are able to inhabit.
Irish Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Dark Laboratory: On Columbus, the Caribbean, and the Origins of the Climate Crisis – a trenchant account of colonialism
Dark Laboratory: On Columbus, The Caribbean and the Origins of the Climate Crisis Author : Tao Leigh Goffe ISBN-13 : 978-0-241-62855-3 Publisher : Hamish Hamilton Guideline Price : £22 Montserrat is the only country aside from Ireland to celebrate St Patrick's Day as a public holiday. It's not just a chance to go on the beer but recalls the African rebellion against Irish slavers which took place in 1768. The rebels deliberately chose the date for the uprising, knowing that the Irish overseers and planters would be getting drunk at Government House. Tao Leigh Goffe recounts this and many other stories of black and indigenous resistance to Caribbean slavery in this trenchant account of Caribbean colonialism. Goffe contends that race, labour and colonialism are absent from environmentalist debates and suggests the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean in 1492 is not only the 'ground zero of colonial conquest', but the starting point for the modern-day climate crisis. Along the way, the author takes a deserved swipe at western multinationals operating in the Caribbean for damage wrought on black and indigenous communities in places such as Jamaica – while strangely defending Chinese companies for the same sins – arguing that it is the 'global majority' who must lead the ecological conversation. Only by interrogating the history of western scientific and anthropological inquiry in the region, Goffe adds, will a solution be found to the climate crisis. This leads her to decry archival research – European archives and natural history museums are described as 'evidence lockers full of crimes against humanity' and 'death cults of colonial worship'. READ MORE Goffe unashamedly argues from a subjective standpoint, drawing much on her own family's fascinating history, one which embraces not only the Caribbean, but also China, Hong Kong, Britain and the United States. This could have been the starting point of a more nuanced journey through those regions most affected by the climate crisis and an objective analysis of the environmental destruction wrought by European colonialism in the Americas. [ From the archive: Meeting islanders with Irish ancestry on Montserrat Opens in new window ] Instead, while positing interesting ideas about the impact of colonial thinking on the Caribbean environment, Goffe often fails to support them, preferring to spend time on academic bunfights. Archival research may be 'cold, unethical and extractive' but it's also how one finds the bodies.
ABC News
02-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Auditor-General's report casts 'significant doubt' on Shire of Coolgardie's viability
An outback shire unfairly dismissed two staff, used restricted funds to cover shortfalls and improperly employed a man working remotely from a Carribean island, Western Australia's government watchdog has found. Those are just some of the issues identified by a comprehensive audit of the Shire of Coolgardie by the office of WA's Auditor-General, casting significant doubt on the small council's future. The audit found that a former employee who questioned former chief executive James Trail about whether he was manipulating the council's tender processes was one of two people involved in unfair dismissal claims that were settled by the shire for a combined $150,000. The audit, which covers the 2023-24 financial year, also alleges the council's purchasing policies were not followed in regard to a $1-million housing project. It also revealed that a charter airline that sued for $214,203 had no formal agreement with the council. The audit confirmed the shire was in dire financial straits months before Mr Trail was suspended on November 14, which eventually led to his resignation on April 17. The shire's chief financial officer was also suspended on November 6. An investigation by external consultants is ongoing. The audit revealed that a senior project officer employed by the Shire of Coolgardie from October 2023 to October 2024 was working remotely from the Caribbean island of Montserrat. The audit found the recruitment was directly undertaken by the ex-chief executive, bypassing the shire's recruitment and selection policy. The staff member, who was not named, was also in breach of a 417 working holiday visa. "We inquired but did not receive a response from shire management on how the staff member performed their duties efficiently while being in a different jurisdiction with a 12-hour time difference from Perth," the audit stated. "Additionally, we noted that the staff member is currently working for the government of Montserrat. The audit stated that the employment contract was terminated on October 2, 2024, but the laptop provided to the staff member had not been recovered. The audit was publicly released by the shire this week after being referenced in state parliament by Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley, who declared "shocking mismanagement" had left the council in a "financial mess". The audit – certified by the Auditor-General's senior director of financial audit Tim Sanya – showed the shire incurred a net loss of $4.6 million for the 12 months to June 30, 2024. It found the council's liabilities exceeded its asset base by $14.2m and that there was $4.8m in overdue payments to vendors. "These conditions indicate a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt about the ability of the shire to continue as a going concern," the audit said. The audit prompted Ms Beazley to hold a meeting on Monday with Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent and the Shire of Coolgardie about a potential merger with the neighbouring City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. "It was a really productive meeting … the beginning of those discussions," Ms Beazley told the ABC, using the term "boundary adjustment" rather than "amalgamation". Coolgardie Shire President Malcolm Cullen said the minister's ultimatum came too close to this year's council elections. "The three-week time-frame for these discussions provided by the minister does not allow time for genuine and open negotiations," Mr Cullen said in a statement. "Such a decision deserves careful consideration and should not be made at a time of transition." In a statement, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder said Mayor Glenn Wilson and chief executive Andrew Brien would brief councillors on the meeting's outcomes on Wednesday. It declined to comment further. Three modular houses built by the Shire of Coolgardie in Kambalda also raised red flags. The units were constructed for government regional officer housing (GROH) amid Kambalda's struggle to attract police and teachers. The audit found the shire did not undertake any tender process, which was in breach of its purchase policy applied to contracts in excess of $250,000. A $1m loan from the Commonwealth Bank was obtained in the 2022-23 financial year for the works, but the funds were not used for the purpose they were obtained for, the audit stated. As of June 30, 2024 invoices totalling $965,151 were overdue to Modular Proprietary Limited for the construction of the houses. The audit also found there was no formal agreement between the shire and Casair Proprietary Limited, which operated private charter flights into Kambalda. Casair filed a writ last year for $214,203 for incorrect fees and charges. In February shire councillors unanimously agreed to make repayments at a rate of $6.60 per passenger over the next 12 months in order to ensure both parties regained "trust and a working relationship". In the long-delayed 2023-24 annual report, which was released alongside the audit, Mr Cullen noted the "less-than-desirable closing balance". He agreed "wholeheartedly with community sentiment that these results are extremely disappointing".
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Barcelona investigates street sweeper's death as Spain trapped in heatwave
Spanish authorities are investigating the death of a street sweeper in Barcelona, amid concerns that an intense heatwave gripping the country may have been a contributing factor. The woman, who had been cleaning the city's old town on Saturday afternoon, died later that day at her home, her sister told the Antena 3 TV station. The Barcelona city council confirmed on Monday that an investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of death and its potential link to the extreme temperatures. Her sister said the 51-year-old woman, identified just as Montserrat, had told a colleague she thought she "was dying." Temperatures reached 30.4 degrees Celsius (86.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in Barcelona on Saturday, weather agency AEMET said. Extreme heat can kill by causing heat stroke, or aggravating cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, with older people being among the most vulnerable. The City council said on Monday it would investigate the woman's death. Last year, there were 2,032 deaths attributable to heat in Spain, according to the Health Ministry. That number was still lower than heat-linked fatalities in 2023 and 2022. The first heatwave of the summer hit Spain during the weekend and is set to last until Tuesday. It comes as two men have died in separate incidents in Italy, one from illness on a construction site and another reportedly drowning amidst flash floods to the west of Turin. The Mediterranean Sea was up to 6 degrees Celsius warmer than usual for the time of year, hitting a record of as much as 30 C (86 F) in Spain's Balearic Sea as a heat dome trapped hot air above Europe, the country's Aemet weather forecaster said. Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, heating up at twice the global average, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, making extreme heatwaves occur earlier in the year, and persist into later months. In France, the heat was set to peak on Tuesday, reaching 40-41 C in some areas and 36-39 C in most others, weather forecaster Meteo France said. Sixteen departments will be on the highest level of alert from noon, with 68 on the second highest. Some 1,350 schools will be fully or partially closed due to the heat, up significantly from around 200 on Monday, the Education Ministry said. The top floor of the Eiffel Tower will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, with visitors advised to drink plenty of water. The extreme heat also raised the risk of field fires as farmers in France, the European Union's biggest grain producer, start harvesting this year's crop. Some farmers were working through the night to avoid harvesting during peak temperatures in the afternoon. In the Indre region of central France, which has seen a spate of field fires since late June, authorities banned field work between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
