Gibraltar Today

The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister have arrived at the European Commission in Brussels, ahead of the meeting to discuss the progress towards a UK-EU treaty for Gibraltar. They will meet UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. Mr Albares spoke to the press ahead of the meeting: he said Spain had put forward solutions that were fair, just and good for both Gibraltar and the Campo. He said he did not, for Spain's part, see obstacles towards advancing to an agreement. We spoke to our news editor Christine Vasquez live from Brussles. A month or so ago, Calpe City issued apress release announcing the closure of the club.Calpe alleged Europa Point, with whom it had an agreement, had failedto fulfil its obligations, leaving Calpe no option but to shut down operations.Since then, they've been liaising with the Gibraltar Football Association andseem to have come to an encouraging compromise. Calpe City president SeamusByrne and GFA youth football coordinator Tiago Lino Da Costa joined us inthe studio. And, the Global Dance Open is one of thefastest growing dance competitions worldwide with the 2024 edition set totake place this summer. Over 35 countries have held their respectivequalifiers over the last few months to determine their entries inJuly's finals. Gibraltar held their qualifier earlier this month, inwhich an impressive haul of medals were won by the Mediterranean Dance School.Head coach Genyka Celecia, alongside two of her students, Lewis Llamas andJayce Caetano, told us more. 

The Chief Minister is travelling to Brussels today to join the Foreign Secretary, Lord David Cameron, at a meeting with European Commission Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and the Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. On the agenda: a UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar. Our news editor Christine Vasquez brought us the latest. They say that “there is nothing more truly artistic than love." Well, earlier this week husband and wife, Karl and Chrisanne Ullger both claimed prizes at the 2024 Spring Visual Arts competition. Karl, claimed the top prize for his painting "Los Nazarenos”, while Chrisanne won the Gibraltar Theme award with "La Moto de Mr Bourne". And, some might say that food is a form of art, whether it's a chicken tikka roll with cocktail sauce or a good torta de acelga. Que bueno! If you're a foodie then take note because the 6th of July will be food heaven. Calentita night is back and there is still time to sign up. We were joined by the event’s organizer Owen Smith.

The Chief Minister has told GBC treaty negotiations are progressing well and that it could be time to take stock of where we are in the negotiations and how it compares to a no deal scenario. He added that if negotiations had to continue, it would not be Gibraltar who left the table first. Fabian Picardo says a treaty of some form could have been ready earlier, but it had needed to be acceptable. What is Dyslexia? What tend to be a dyslexic person’s strengths and weaknesses? The charity Dyslexia Gibraltar is holding a workshop designed to support parents. It’s happening on Thursday and will be led by Dyslexia Assessor Jessica Byrne and Special Needs teacher Clare Francis.The Royal Shakespeare Company are back on the Rock and are performing unique renditions of his works geared to a young audience. The theatre group aim to engage with upper primary and comprehensive school students and introduce them to Shakespeare’s plays in a fun and playful way. Ian Triay Clarence was able to see one of their performances.And, RifCom is a non-profit charitable organization run by volunteers from Gibraltar and Spain. To mark their 15th anniversary they have a special challenge planned later this year: a 100km trekking challenge. It’s a great opportunity to experience the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert. We spoke to Julian Campbell, Tom Cawthorn and Anthony Ladislaus from RifCom about their plans.

The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs says the joint use of Gibraltar airport is an element of the treaty which has been decided. Jose Manuel Albares says he remains optimistic that a broad agreement will be reached. We also heard the reaction from the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. Kevin Ruiz followed this morning's press conference in Madrid. Davie Wilson brought us the latest local sports news, including a memorable end of the football season. St Joseph’s needed a win while Lincoln needed a draw; and in the end it came down to a goal for Lincoln in the very last minute of the game that secured the league title for the club. In recent days, have you seen some woodwork taking place at a parking space outside one of Gibraltar's upper primary schools? It's an initiative to temporarily convert parking spaces into biodiverse spaces. Park 2 Park sees middle school children at St Anne's, St Joseph's, St Bernard's, the Hebrew Upper Primary and Bishop Fitzgerald creating mini-parks in parking spaces next to their schools. Catherine Walsh, Energy Officer at the Department of the Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change and Heritage, told us more. A new classical music society is being launched on the Rock, just a mere 16 centuries after the genre originated in the 5th century in Europe. The initiative is a continuation of the work done by the Harmonics and Incantus Choirs. We invited Phillip Borge and Anthony Roper to the studio to share what inspired the idea and what is planned for the future of the society.And, today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Week - the initiative looks to reduce stigma around the topic. Clubhouse has a series of events planned every day this week. We spoke to the charity's Maryanne Nacimiento and Clubhouse member Yvonne Bosano, who gave us a breakdown of week's events.

The McGrail Inquiry has heard 5 weeks of evidence. A public inquiry is a major investigation, convened by the government. They don’t happen very often. The reason for this one is public concern about the events that led to the early retirement of Ian McGrail as Commissioner of Police. Following an ‘open justice’ application by GBC, more than 100 hours of this played out across Gibraltar’s homes and offices on radio, on television and on our website. GBC’s CEO James Neish has overseen all of those broadcasts.And, after months and months of financial turmoil, with reports of unpaid player wages, local football club Manchester 62 revealed the news earlier this week of a $20m investment. We spoke to the owner and CEO of the club, Michael Monsour.

It’s the last day of the main hearings at the McGrail Inquiry. Former Governor, Nick Pyle, continues to give evidence. He’s refused to withdraw his comment that the police vessel involved in the deadly collision at sea was ‘weaponised’. And he’s stood by his evidence there would have been greater accountability if two Gibraltarians had died. Lawyer for the RGP Nick Cruz put to Mr Pyle the suggestion the officers aboard the vessel were looking for a bit of excitement to spice up a dull evening was undermined by the fact the call came from Windmill Hill, an MoD facility. Our reporter Jonathan Sacramento helped us to unpack it all.  The Gibraltar National League is going right down to the wire! Just two points separate the top two and tomorrow they go head to head on what is the final weekend of the season. League leaders and current champions Lincoln Red Imps take on St Joseph's in what is effectively a winner-takes-all title decider. Victory for St Joseph's would see them claim their first League title since 1996. For Lincoln, it would be a fourth league title in a row. We were joined in the studio by two men who will be involved tomorrow night: Ethan Britto of Lincoln Red Imps and Ethan Jolley of St Joseph's. And, for decades and decades people have taken great pleasure in listening to music, but in recent years podcasts have become just as popular - a series of long-form conversations on a particular topic or theme. Michelle Rougeroni hosts her own podcast "On the Sofa with Rouge" and this evening she'll be live on stage at the Ince's Hall, joined by a diverse line-up of local musicians - spilling the tea about their journeys and more. We spoke to Michelle ahead of the event tonight.

The McGrail Inquiry is coming to an end, with the former Governor Nick Pyle giving evidence today. Mr Pile stated the collision at sea as the defining moment in which he lost confidence in the former Commissioner. He said he had aske Mr McGrail for the location of the collision several times, and believes the former Commissioner withheld from him the fact it had happened in Spanish waters. The former Governor said this detail was important for Anglo-Spanish diplomacy. Jonathan Sacramento told us more.  And, do you work in a positive work environment? How much importance is placed on your well-being at the workplace? GibSams are hosting a conference on this topic with keynote speaker, Dr Amy Bradley. She'll be talking about Sustaining Success Amidst Overwhelm and Burnout. We spoke to the charity’s marketing coordinator Marie Harrington, GibSams Trustee Kerstin Andlaw and panel moderator Pete Cush about the event.

Fabian Picardo has stressed the former Commissioner of Police lied to his face, in his office, about the advice given to him on something that affected Gibraltar’s reputation, namely the execution of a search warrant at the office and home of Hassans Senior Partner James Levy KC, who Mr Picardo described as a friend, business partner, and Gibraltar’s main “rainmaker”. Jonathan Scott was joined by Jonathan Sacramento to discuss the Chief Minister’s latest evidence in greater detail. The Gibraltar Academy of Dance is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Their latest production, “The Fire Within”, is a tribute to 40 years of the Academy and its contribution to local dance and culture. The show is both produced and directed by the Academy’s principal Paulette Finlayson. We invited her to the studio to reflect on the last 4 decades. And, Cultural Services has celebrated reels in this year’s Youth Arts Jamboree. Participants had to create short-form video with their phones to express what culture means to them, or how they view culture and the arts. And we were joined by the winners of the competition, Ana Victory & Stella Bossano. 

This morning the McGrail Inquiry has been hearing evidence from the Chief Minister. The former Police Commissioner Ian McGrail has accused Fabian Picardo of forcing him to leave the force early after investigating Mr Picardo’s business partner and close friend. Mr Picardo has told the Inquiry his relationship with the former Police Commissioner changed following the incident in Spanish waters that led to two deaths. The CM’s evidence is that Mr McGrail had to leave his job because there was a “catastrosphic loss of confidence” in him.If you have ever had to call for an ambulance, your call would have gone through the Gibraltar Fire & Rescue Service. But after 20 years the service has been handed over to the GHA along with a new dispatch system. Your call will now be managed by GHA dispatchers and Clinicians. To tell us more we welcomed GHA Director General, Kevin McGee to the studio.And, have you ever considered a career in Banking? Turicum Private Bank has launched a 2-year graduate programme designed to nurture talent, foster professional growth, and create future leaders in banking. It's an opportunity to work closely with experienced professionals, gain hands-on experience in various private banking operations, and develop a deep understanding of customer needs and financial products. We spoke to Deputy CEO Dr. Benjamin Moss and Chief Investment Officer Michael Cuby about the programme.