Gibraltar Today

Today’s episode of Gibraltar Today was recorded live from Brussels, the heart of European politics, where top level meetings were about to take place to see if it’s possible to do the deal.

The Foreign Secretary David Lammy spent the morning in Gibraltar and held a meeting with cabinet ministers. This unannounced visit from David Lammy to Gibraltar increased speculation that a deal is imminent. The Foreign Secretary then boarded a private flight, together with the Chief Minister, to Brussels.

At the time of recording, a high-profile meeting between Mr Lammy, Mr Picardo, Jose Manuel Albares and Maros Sefcovic was imminent. It would be the first top level meeting between the four of them in a year.

Jonathan Scott, alongside GBC News Editor Christine Vasquez, speculated on how the day could unfold, as they wait for the arrival of Fabian Picardo and David Lammy at the European Commission HQ.

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Brazilian jujitsu is on the up! Not just globally but here on the Rock too: this past weekend a local contingent enjoyed success across the border at the Copa Kimura in Malaga. Dualta Doherty and Jordan Celecia of the 'Angry Chill' club both came home with medals.

Joe Gingell is calling out to the public to help piece together the history of one of the most important events in Gibraltar’s history: the evacuation. We invited him to the studio to chat about what he hopes to achieve from compiling these stories.

Anjali Soneji is a jewellery designer, launching her own brand, De Roms, back in 2024. It’s rooted in storytelling, and inspiration comes from literature and art, and now she's been short listed for an award at the UK Jewellery Awards 2025. She told us where her your inspiration comes from.

The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society is putting on “A Celebration of Opera at the Holy Trinity Cathedral tonight. It’s the last concert for the season and will feature highly-acclaimed tenor Matteo Lippi, together with soprano Aitana Sanz, and distinguished pianist Ugo D’Orazio. We spoke to all three performers in the studio

And, the Miss Gibraltar pageant is around the corner! It’s one of the biggest events of the year and this one is extra special, as its a special 60th anniversary edition! This special show will be produced by No 1 Models Gibraltar: we spoke to organiser Kelvin Hewitt.

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It was a powerful and emotional event that brought people together in the fight against cancer and your dedication made a real impact. GBC and Radio Gibraltar were at the Relay for Life this weekend. It was emotional for those of us working, but a real privilege to help heroes, survivors to tell their stories with care, heart and integrity. Shelina Assomul was also covering the event.

Jose Mari Ruiz talked sport as Gibraltar are in action again tonight in their 4th world cup qualifier, the second match in this international window after a 7-0 loss to Croatia. He also covered the latest in dressage, Brazilian jiu jitsu, bowling, and women’s cricket.

The University of Gibraltar’s conference ‘Research that Benefits Gibraltar’ is in its third edition! It's a chance to highlight the work of PhD Students, Faculty, and Adjunct Researchers. They cover four main topics: marine science, environmental science, health science, and business, management, and law. We spoke to Leon Leanse, University of Gibraltar’s Research Programme Coordinator, as well as PHD students Julia Tibot and Tyson Holmes.

St. John - the charity for health and first aid in our community. They always have a presence at big local events, including the Relay for Life this last weekend. Matthew Turnock told us how it went, and spoke about the recent visit of Mark Compton, the Lord Prior of the Order of Saint John since 2019.

And, we took a deep dive into the ocean as we spoke to Lewis Stagnetto and Alex Soiza of the Nautilus Project on how World Ocean’s Day was marked in Gibraltar yesterday. It came at the end of Blue Week, where the organisation were busy teaching school kids on invertebrates.

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Today’s episode was recorded live from the Sunborn for the Aspire Conference. Its a gathering of industry professionals and government ministers talking about how to make Gibraltar more sustainable.

We start the podcast by speaking to the organiser Candice Marsh from GSBG. She told us about some of her highlights from the conference.

Christopher Martin is a designer for Urban Movement, they work in shaping transport and movement in sustainable ways. He gave us his thoughts on this for Gibraltar’s uniquely small and dense space, and with Gibraltar’s high car usage.

Ella Martin Vasallo was representing Bayside School as their Net Zero Learner Ambassador at the conference. She told us how much she’s learned from today’s talks.

David Richardson is a Chartered Surveyor has been to the Aspire Conference in the past; he told us how it’s vital to keep an eye of the changes in regulations and technologies available.

Sophie Garbarino is the CEO Montagu Group has been involved in putting the conference together. She felt a strong sense of unity in working together to make Gibraltar more sustainable.

Gemma Arias-Vasquez MP Minister for Town Planning gave a talk giving an update on the Development Plan, and stated that there are plans to publicise a draft the plan later on this year, and looking for feedback from the public.

Dr Emma Fieldhouse from Future We Want knows that people care about climate change, but knows that telling stories about the impact of climate change will help people to make changes in their lives to better the environment.

We spoke to the CEO of the Department of the Environment Stephen Warr said that the conference has given him a different way of looking at developments that he feels would be great for Gibraltar.

And Javier Torres from Gamma Architects told us how the conference is a great way to get people from the construction industry together, to talk about how we can do better when it comes to designing new developments.

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A GBC investigation has found the removal of physical barriers at the frontier – if a treaty is reached – would be limited to the crossing area. Sources suggest critical installations such as the MoD estate, customs zone and airport infrastructure will remain fenced off. The port and airport would be the controlled entry points, with Gibraltar and Schengen checks there. We analysed the report in greater details with our News Editor Christine Vasquez.

We also spoke to Police Superintendent Paul Chipolina briefly regarding the potential changes at the frontier. He has a busy few months ahead, with more leisure activities during the summer months as well as preparations for National Day. He shared how the force is preparing for this busier period.

Matchday minus one. A World Cup qualifier takes place tomorrow, as Gibraltar host Croatia at the Estadio Algarve in Faro. On Saturday it will be 10 years to the day that we last played Croatia, a friendly that we lost 4-0. Jose Mari Ruiz was at the press conference in Faro.

The Citizens Advice Bureau celebrated the contributions of volunteers around Gibraltar. Their annual awards to mark Volunteer Week usually only apply to those who have worked with the Bureau directly. This year - for the first time - the bureau extended its criteria to recognise volunteers from any charity, with five nominees highlighted for their work at an awards ceremony. We spoke to two of the winners Conchita Triay and Jayne Wink.

And, plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet — even in our bodies in the form of microplastics. The science is unsettled, but researchers say there is cause for concern. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution, by drawing inspiration from nature. Beth Gadd and Rhian Guillem spend their lives admiring and learning from nature – they’re putting together an open day at the Alameda Gardens this weekend.

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"We exist to beat cancer and to make breakthroughs tomorrow, we need your help today". That is the message from Relay for Life, and Gibraltar's biennial event takes place this weekend at the Lathbury Sports Complex. Francesca Makey, Sofia Baglietto and Steph Stevens have been working hard ahead of Saturday.

This morning Citizens Advice Gibraltar announced the winners of the Volunteer of the Year 2025 Awards. Whilst a similar event has been organised in the past to recognise its own volunteers, CAB have for the first time opened it up to other charities and organisations. Ian Triay Clarence was there.

Last night, Gibraltar's inaugural women's Nations League campaign reached its conclusion with a 4-0 home defeat to Moldova.It also marked the end of Scott Wiseman's stint in charge, he'll now focus on his role as men's national team head coach, exclusively. We discussed lessons learnt, positives to take, and everything in between with captain Shania Robba, Nicole Nash, and our very own Stefan Borge was commentator at yesterday’s match.

The Gibraltar Fashion Collective will be launched next week. It's an exciting venture bringing together young people interested in fashion, and next week's event in collaboration with Dorcas Fashion Academy, features a wide range of names, from well-known local fashionistas to young people. Grace Manfred told us what this fashion collective is all about.

And, we discuss two big names in local photography: Johnny Bugeja was the subject of photographer Steven Hermida’s portrait that went on to win the ‘Discovering Our People’ competition! Steven was in the studio to discuss why he chose use Johnny as his subject, and told us what he thinks is fundamental to taking a good photograph.

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After being closed for renovations, the Mario Finlayson gallery has now reopened and is looking better than ever to mark its 10th anniversary. The gallery celebrates Gibraltar’s heritage and identity, featuring work from Mario Finlayson, Gustavo Bacarisas and others, and has added a new room with works by Christian Hook. Today’s episode was recorded live from the Mario Finlayson gallery, as they hosted an open day for its reopening.

Minister for Culture Christian Santos was a friend of Mario Finlayson and no stranger to City Hall from his time as Mayor. He told us how grateful he was that Mario Finlayson was able to experience the gallery before his passing.

One of Gibraltar’s most renowned current artists Christian Hook highlighted how important it is for locals to see the evolution of Gibraltarian art and inspire future generations of artists, and told us how Mario Finlayson encouraged him to pursue a career in art.

Mercedes Corbacho knows Gibraltarian art very well. She’s the Director of Museo Cruz Herera de La Linea, and also works as a restorer. As a result, she has a close relationship with Gibraltarian artists and their pieces.

Alice Mascarenhas has family ties to Mario Finlayson, and has fond memories of interviewing him throughout her career. She told us how Mario carried the history of local art with him, and felt strongly that Gibraltar needed a national art gallery. She’s put together a panel that will be celebrating the legacy of Mario Finlayson.

From one family member to another: Richard Gomila, known from the band Vibrations, also happens to be Mario Finlayson’s nephew. He recounted how much creative flare Mario had, and how he loved not just painting but other forms of art too.

Chief Cultural Officer Seamus Byrne has, along with his team, have worked incredibly hard to renovate the gallery. He feels strongly about how every painting tells a story, and how their work will be remembered for generations to come.

Davina Barbara is part of the team from Cultural Services told us how thrilled she is to see such great feedback from visitors to the new and improved gallery. We put her on the spot to try and pick a favourite Gibraltarian artist, but found that she was spoilt for choice.

And having recently won the Spring Visual Arts competition, local artist Naomi Duarte shared her excitement in being part of the renovation project, and how inspiring it is to be surrounded by so many local works. She’s keen to promote Gibraltarian art to young people in the future.

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Professor Daniella Tilbury has been doing environmental work internationally for some years now. In recent weeks, she delivered the Gladwyn Lecture at the UK Parliament on “The Commonwealth’s Response to Sustainable Development”, she's co-authored a book called "Education and Learning for Sustainable Futures: 50 Years of Learning for Environment and Change", and in recent days she's been in Geneva for the 20th Session of the UN Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) Steering Committee on Sustainable Development in Geneva.

Today marks the start of Nautilus Blue Week! As part of the Senegal Appeal, the Nautilus Project are encouraging you to do your bit! They've teamed up with Recycle.gi and Metalrok Ltd offering the public an opportunity to donate clean, usable textiles and pre-loved running shoes in support of communities in Senegal. Lewis Stagnetto of The Nautilus Project and Jean-Paul Lugaro from Recycle.gi told us more.

Jose Mari Ruiz gave us a round-up of the weekend sport including who won the futsal Rock Cup, a charity pool tournament, and a busy weekend for the under 14s basketball squad. He also looked ahead to the Gibraltar women’s final National League match for the season against Moldova.

Aspire Gibraltar is a gathering of industry professionals, experts and enthusiasts, Government ministers, officials and NGOs, all seeking to deliver a more sustainable Gibraltar. A conference at the Sunborn Hotel on Friday will provide a platform for participants to share their expertise, discuss current trends and challenges and network with like-minded individuals. Organiser Catherine Walsh and Candice Marsh of the Gibraltar Sustainable Buildings Group joined us in the studio.

Invasive species are non-native organisms that, when introduced to a new environment, cause ecological, economic, or environmental harm. They can be animals, plants, or even diseases, and they often out-compete native species for resources or disrupt ecosystems. Here in Gibraltar, University student Emma Ocaña is monitoring the Atlantic Blue Crab - how and why have they turned up in our waters? We spoke to Emma alongside her father Terrence, who also studied marine life as a student.

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Why does the huge country India have an interest in tiny Gibraltar? The High Commissioner of India to the UK is on the Rock. Vikram Doraiswami has been speaking at an event at the Finance Centre Boardroom with The Financial Services Minister Nigel Feetham and industry professionals.

OTWO were the winners of the Gibtelecom Business Innovation Awards. The company organises a magazine, the Eco Festival and Green Week. We spoke to Vanessa Byrne and Margherita Haiduk.

Jose Mari Ruiz brought us up to speed with local sports, as the women’s squad prepare for their last nations league matches, the latest in the badminton nationals, a visit from Taekwondo Grand Master Neil Guest, and a 8 ball pool tournament for GBC Open Day.

Beauty with a purpose: Miss Gibraltar Shania Ballester is one of 108 contestants from around the globe who will compete for the Crown of Miss World 2025. Tomorrow's grand finale in Hyderabad, India will be broadcast live on GBC. So, how will Shania be feeling ahead of the occasion? Who better to ask than someone who's, not only lived it, but worn the crown too - Kaiane Lopez. 

The Muga Sports Complex is the place to be tonight for Back to the Classics! After the roaring success of last year's show, this time they're going bigger and better! It’s a collaboration of the best local musicians covering classic hits from the ???? to the noughties! We asked organiser Dion Mifsud whether the stage is set for tonight.

And, Bloomsday, a day to celebrate the works of James Joyce, is just around the corner! His most famous work Ulysees has strong ties with the Rock, with the character Molly Bloom being a llanita! Patrick Sacarello, known for his love of art, has brought PJ Murphy to Gibraltar to help develop Bloomsday locally in the future. PJ runs one of the Joycean centres in Dublin at Sweny’s (the chemist that appears in Ulysses) and is heavily involved in the Bloomsday festival in Dublin.

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In this episode of Gibraltar Today...

What’s happening with the public sector pay claim? Unite and the GGCA had a meeting at the CM’s office this morning, we get the latest from Donovan Correa and Darren Cerisola

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A sporting send-off for the Victoria Stadium, we find out more from the GFA’s Steven Gonzalez and Kim Macedo

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Patricia Linares and Kayla Livingstone tell us about a Funds and Investment Association event for the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Society.

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And, who is going to judge GBC’s new reality tv make up programme, Face Off? Deepak Ramchandani has the exclusive

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