Latest news with #SeanKelly
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Canary Island with most tourists named - but European destination takes top spot
A new report has named one Canary Island destination the most tourist-dense island in all of Europe, and singled out one EU country in particular for overcrowding As housing shortage protests grow in intensity across Europe, one EU country is still taking on the brunt of overcrowding. A new report reveals that Spain is home to Europe's most overcrowded islands. Using data from the European Commission, the report from ranked Europe's islands by tourist density - measured in overnight stays per square kilometre. The spatial metric reveals how physically saturated some destinations have become, especially on islands where land, housing, and infrastructure are limited, according to the analysts. Malta topped the list with the highest tourist density of any island in Europe. Equally significant, the report revealed that four of the top five most tourist-dense islands on the continent are Spanish islands. Across these islands, tourism levels have reached the densities of most major cities. According to the report, while Malta is small enough to fit into London five times over, it sees more than 38,700 overnight stays per km². Of these year-round visitors, British travellers make up the largest share. The tourist impact is most visible at peak sites like the Blue Lagoon on Comino, where daily summer crowds reach up to 12,000. In response, authorities have recently capped visitor numbers at 4,000 per day and introduced mandatory booking to help protect the fragile coastal environment. Protests are also growing across the country and governments are now considering enhanced restrictions to manage the pressure on infrastructure. In Ibiza and Formentera, officials have responded with new Tourism Containment Measures. The reforms ban new short-term lets in apartment buildings and step up enforcement against unlicensed holiday rentals in a bid to ease the strain. On Sunday, June 15, the Menys Turisme Més Vida platform also organised a protest in Palma calling for an end to touristification. The group issued a statement the next day, insisting: 'Let us be clear. We will not stop. This fight does not end here. 'We will not allow one more measure of tourism growth, nor one more attack on our language and culture, on migrants, on the territory, or on the working class." Elsewhere in Spain, governments have pushed back even further on holiday lets, including a crackdown on 65,000 Airbnb listings. In the Canaries, a new holiday rental law could also ban newly built properties from being used by tourists for 10 years after construction. 'Tourism has transformed many of Europe's islands, but the pace and scale are no longer sustainable,' says Sean Kelly, co-founder of 'When local systems are stretched and communities are pushed out, it's a sign something needs to change. That's why it's so important we look at the data, understand where the pressure is highest, and start making more informed choices about where and how we travel.'
Irish Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Chinese diplomats and Barbados ambassadors: Who have Irish MEPs been meeting?
The main cafe in the European Parliament in Brussels is a good politician-watching spot for journalists, lobbyists, and, likely, the occasional foreign spy. There is a steady flow of MEPs walking towards the parliament chamber nearby, or to some meeting. Advisers and other staff also regularly pass through, turning the row of tables and chairs into a wind tunnel of political gossip. For the price of a coffee, you can usually pick up a fair bit of information if you hang around chatting. I've yet to happen across one of the 14 Irish MEPs sitting down with any interesting characters here. That said, members of the European Parliament are required to publish a log of all the lobbyists, interest groups and other representatives they meet, so I don't have to camp out by the parliament cafe to see who has caught their ear. The ambassador of Barbados, Nicolla Simone Rudder, discussed relations between the Caribbean island and the EU with Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly in Brussels last month Irish MEPs found time to chat to Chinese diplomats, associations of football supporters, tech and pharmaceutical lobbyists, and politicians from the disputed territory of Western Sahara, logs show. READ MORE The ambassador of Barbados, Nicolla Simone Rudder, discussed relations between the Caribbean island and the EU with long-time Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly in Brussels last month. They mainly spoke about an EU law combating money laundering, said a spokesman for Kelly. Kelly had sit-downs with Facebook-owner Meta and the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) , entries you might expect to see in any Irish MEPs' diary. The IFA and other farming lobby groups appeared regularly in the meeting logs of most Irish representatives. Perhaps more unusual was a meeting Kelly had with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to talk about animal protection laws. Fine Gael's Regina Doherty met representatives from Twitter, Intel, banking firm JPMorgan Chase and payment app Revolut Many of Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews's meetings related to his role as head of the European Parliament's development committee. Logs show he met Irish aid charity association Dóchas, the World Bank, Oxfam, the Belgian development agency and Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares, among others. Fine Gael's Regina Doherty met representatives from Twitter, Intel, banking firm JPMorgan Chase and payment app Revolut, logs of her meetings show. Records show the European Football Supporters Association spoke to Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan to drum up support for its campaign to require stadiums to provide free drinking water during matches. Representatives of indigenous communities in Colombia, and politicians from Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, who claim sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, also raised their cause with Boylan. Records show Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen met Chinese diplomat Wang Jin, who oversees parliamentary affairs, to talk about trade last December The Dublin MEP had a large number of meetings focusing on Israel's war in Gaza, including with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, Unicef and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees Unrwa. The diary of Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly had a more local hue. The former broadcaster reported meeting organisations representing Irish fish producers and forestry owners, a Co Offaly group opposing a wind farm in Lemanaghan, Edenderry GAA club, a local development association from Kilcormac, Co Offaly, and officials in Roscommon County Council. Mullooly did log a meeting he had with Brussels-based diplomats from the Chinese government last year, to discuss dairy tariffs. Records show Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen met Chinese diplomat Wang Jin, who oversees parliamentary affairs, to talk about trade last December. Cowen, who sits on the agriculture committee, said he was 'always open' to growing new markets for Irish farmers. 'From past experience, I've always found Chinese officials to be pragmatic and focused when it comes to trade and co-operation,' he said. The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, European Horse Network, and Horse Sport Ireland were among those hosted by Fine Gael MEP Nina Carberry, a former jockey and thoroughbred breeder. The pharmaceutical industry has been very active in the parliament, opposing EU reforms that would attach more conditions to the length of time companies can exclusively sell new medicines they develop, without competition from generic drugmakers. Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher was a regular port of call for pharma lobbyists, records show. Kelleher, whose electoral base in Cork hosts a lot of pharmaceutical firms, met representatives from Pfizer, Eli Lilly, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson and others. Fine Gael's Maria Walsh spoke about cyberbullying and online deepfake videos with TikTok and covered some of the same ground with Snapchat, logs show. Google, Amazon, chip giant Nvidia, and ChatGPT developers OpenAI, all met Independent MEP Michael McNamara from Ireland South As co-chairman of a parliament working group on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, lots of tech companies have been knocking on Michael McNamara's door. Google, Amazon, chip giant Nvidia, and ChatGPT developers OpenAI, all met the Independent MEP from Ireland South. McNamara also reported meeting the ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to discuss the Central Asian country's trade with the EU. The former Clare TD said he had an interest in the region due to human rights and democratisation work he was involved in 20 years ago, when he was with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The only Irish MEP who had not published details of their meetings was Labour's Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. A spokesman said the omission was an administrative oversight that would soon be corrected.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plainville man wins $1M lottery prize on ticket sold in Middleborough
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. (WWLP) – A Plainville resident is $1 million richer after winning a top prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery's '$1,000,000 Monopoly Doubler' instant ticket game. Weymouth woman wins $1M lottery prize on ticket sold in North Weymouth Sean Kelly claimed the prize after purchasing the winning scratch ticket at Kurt's Corner, located at 353 Wareham Street in Middleborough. He opted for the cash payout and received a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes. As a reward for selling the winning ticket, Kurt's Corner will receive a $10,000 bonus from the Massachusetts State Lottery. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plainville man wins $1 million in Mass. Lottery's Monopoly game
DORCHESTER, Mass. (WWLP) – A Plainville man is the winner of a $1 million prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery's '$1,000,000 Monopoly Doubler' instant ticket game. Mass. man wins $120,000 prize in Keno Bonus Sean Kelly has chosen the cash option on his prize and received a one-time payment of $650,000, before taxes. The winning ticket was purchased at Kurt's Corner on Wareham Street in Middleborough, which will receive a $10,000 bonus for its sale of this ticket. The '$1,000,000 Monopoly Doubler' is a $5 instant ticket game. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Arab News
05-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia's Port of NEOM installs 1st automated cranes, targets 2026 launch
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's $500-billion giga-project NEOM has installed the Kingdom's first fully automated, remote-controlled cranes at its Red Sea port as it moves ahead with plans to begin operations in 2026. The delivery of next-generation ship-to-shore and electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes marks a key milestone in the development of Terminal 1, which will accommodate the world's largest container ships. NEOM is aiming to position the facility as a global logistics hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa. The facility supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 by contributing to economic diversification through enhanced trade, logistics, and industrial capabilities. As global supply chains shift toward resilience and efficiency, NEOM's strategic Red Sea location positions it as a vital link between Asia, Europe, and Africa. Sean Kelly, managing director of Port of NEOM, said: 'The arrival of our first automated cranes marks a tangible milestone as we lay the foundations for an advanced, future-ready port.' He added: 'We're not only accelerating industrial growth in northwest Saudi Arabia, but we're also setting a new benchmark for performance, efficiency, innovation and establishing a vital trade gateway for the Kingdom and the region beyond.' The new cranes will enable high-efficiency operations while allowing remote control from ergonomic workstations. Infrastructure developments, including a 900-meter quay wall and an 18.5-meter-deep channel, ensure the port can handle the largest vessels transiting the Suez Canal. Terminal 1 will also feature horizontal transport automation, boosting logistics capacity and regional industrial growth. Alongside infrastructure upgrades, the port is investing in local talent development. A specialized program is training Saudi workers, including women, for high-tech roles such as remote crane operations. Ten participants from Saudi Arabia's Tabuk region are currently in a two-year program combining technical training and mentorship. Trainee Hajjer Alatawi said: 'This experience has shown me that port logistics is far more complex than just moving cargo; it's about teamwork, precision and responsibility. Seeing more Saudi women entering this space gives me hope for a future where industries are defined by skills, not gender.' The press release added that by empowering Saudi workers with high-tech skills, 'Port of NEOM is supporting NEOM's vision of being a catalyst for a sustainable, diverse and innovative ecosystem that enables regional economic resilience and advances the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.'
