Gibraltar Today

Childline is addressing school children about how to stay safe from harm. It's blue week - a time when the charity visits schools and educates on the work it does. Childline says that following growing concern amongst the community regarding sexual abuse cases, it felt it was important to speak to pupils in a sensitive way. Our reporter Shelina Assomull told us more.

Gibraltarian archaeologist Dr Kevin Lane has been appointed vice president at UNESCO’s International Council on Monuments and Sites (Water and Heritage) for the Latin America and Caribbean regions. Dr Lane is a senior researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council, and a professor at the University of Buenos Aires. 

The Jewish Community is celebrating Purim. The holiday commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman in the ancient Persian Empire. Purim celebrations are traditionally colourful, with children in fancy dress brightening up town. Our mystery guest, proudly dressed for the occasion, explained how Purim has been celebrated on the Rock this year.

Jose Mari Ruiz filled us in on all the sports events happening on the Rock, including a boxing debut from two brothers, and the final game week before the top six teams go alone to chase the league cup.

And sticking with sports, you've heard of Padel, you've probably heard of Pickleball, but how about Racquetball? This weekend Europa Point will be the venue for the 2025 GSA Racquetball Open. We spoke to the UK and World Number 1 Mike Harris, as well as the Number 1 Seed in Gibraltar Declan Christie and the Association’s Troy Charvetto.

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It’s World Kidney Day, and we met a remarkable husband and wife whose story speaks of love, and the incredible impact of live kidney donation. When Rose Ballester started having issues with her kidney, her husband Freddie made the decision to offer his.

Sebastian Desoisa is the GBC Sports Person of the Year. The 18-year-old golfer took home the top prize at the 2024 GBC Sports Awards on Tuesday night. Now that the dust has now settled, we caught up with and Seb in the studio.

A sensory blanket to soothe your mind: Sensory Snuggle is a Young Enterprise Team. Their blanket features sensory elements designed for neurodivergent as well as dementia patients. Adelle Caetano, Ella Byrne, and Leila Debono told us more about their product.

Rodney Marsh is a former footballer, who won nine caps for England in the early 70's. He later moved in to broadcasting and has worked for the likes of Sky Sports, TalkSport and SiriusXM in the United States. This evening he'll be at the Casino Admiral - "An Audience with Rodney Marsh" - the proceeds of which will be going to the GBC Open Day fund.

And, the Philharmonic Society is holding a Flute & Piano Recital in the Convent Ballroom this evening. One of the world’s leading flautists, Clara Andrada, will be accompanied by pianist Alberto Rosado. Clara brought her flute into the studio.

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Cracking down on “gender ideology” is one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s priorities and for some years there have been concerns about far-right rhetoric in Europe. What does it mean for women? Our news editor Christine Vasquez shared her thoughts ahead of an event by Unite the Union this afternoon as part of International Womens’ Day celebrations.

Described as an emotional drama based on true life events, author Susan Cabezutto is launching her new book, “The Jekyll and Hyde in Him.” All proceeds will go towards the Women in Need charity. Susan told us about her writing process, and her thoughts on being a published author for a second time.

There are events today and tomorrow to mark World Kidney Day - it's a global health awareness campaign focusing on the importance of the kidneys and reducing the frequency and impact of kidney disease. Sunil Chundiramani has spent most of his life dealing with kidney health and leads the charity Kidney Care Gibraltar.

At last night's GBC Sports Awards, Tommy Finlayson was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for decades and decades of service to local cricket. An all-rounder on the field and all-round nice guy off it! We asked Tommy to tell us his reaction to receiving the award.

And there is a Fight Night happening this Saturday, and topping the bill is our very own Tyrone Buttigieg! The WBC Latin Silver Champion will face Venezuelan Dani Núñez at the Casino Admiral in San Roque. He told us how he has been preparing. 

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Prior Park head teacher Paul Martyn says only pupils who have attended Bayside, Westside or the Gibraltar College will be entitled to university grants. He says he was sent an email by the Department of Education stating his students are now no longer automatically entitled to the School Leaver Award. In answers to questions from GBC, the Government says its decision isn't final. Our news editor Christine Vasquez has been following the story.

Gibraltar recently won silver at the under 17s European Netball Championships. The team beat Switzerland and the Isle of Man to come out top. We caught up with Captain Neina Roberts Cantrell, and Vice Captains Arabella Duck and Sophia Shacaluga, and asked them what’s next for the team.

Today is a big day for local sport, with the GBC Sport Awards taking place at the John Mackintosh Hall this evening, celebrating local sporting prowess and achievement. A variety of trophies will be awarded throughout the night, building up to the main award; the ‘GBC Sports Person of the Year’. We spoke to the Awards’ host Robin Sheppard-Capurro live from the hall.

The Sustainable Transport Action Group [STAG] is urging cross-party support to improve Gibraltar’s road network and promote sustainable transport solutions. Over the past two weeks, representatives from STAG met with Transport Minister John Cortes and GSD MP Giovanni Origo to discuss a collaborative approach in implementing transport initiatives that enhance road safety, reduce pollution, and create a healthier, more pedestrian-friendly environment. We spoke to STAG’s Stuart Hedley.

The Youth Service has launched the first Youth Achievement Awards, to celebrate Gibraltar's next generation of leaders, innovators and change makers, and honour the contributions of young people between the ages of 12 and 25. Nominations are being invited from the public for two different age categories; the deadline is Monday 31st March. Senior Youth Worker Abdul Afrah told us more.

And, from one set of awards to another! the Gibraltar Academy of Dance recently announced the Paulette Finlayson Dance Awards, which will take place next month. The awards aim to give young dancers experience of 'adjudication without pressure' and hopes to 'enthuse, educate and inspire students' The Academy's Principal Paulette Finlayson explained how the idea for the awards came about.

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The 2025 Radio Days Europe Conference is underway - this year's motto is: “Designing the Future of Audio”. GBC's CEO James Neish will be one of the contributors in tomorrow's 'Long Live Local' session. We spoke to him live from Athens.

10% of the local population is diabetic. That is substantially more than 6% in the UK. So, what support is there for those in Gibraltar with type 1 or 2 Diabetes? We spoke to mother and daughter, Susan and Courtney Edwards.

The EU Commission has delayed reviewing its list of high-risk jurisdictions after opposition from the far-right grouping in the European Parliament. The Spanish press reports the right-wing coalition, continues to block Gibraltar’s removal from the list. Our reporter Jonathan Sacramento has been following the story.

The Gibraltar Model Soldier Society is hosting an exhibition at the Gustavo Bacarisa Gallery Ahead of its opening this evening, we speak to Joe Martinez of the society, which was founded in 1981. He told us what people can look forward to in this exhibition.

From Spain to Senegal, through deserts and mountains, Dom has dedicated weeks of his life to raise money and awareness of the RifCom charity. Starting in December, he has cycled 4000 km, in what people are calling 'Dom's Desert Odyssey' We caught up with Domien Doms in the studio, along with Julian Camble from RifCom.

And, Louis Parral filled us in with the latest local sports news, with the race for forth spot in men’s football league, and the first time in the athletics association’s history that the local road running season has been so tight.

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International Women’s Day is tomorrow, and last night Katy Docker chaired a discussion on Viewpoint about local women’s issues. She has also compiled a timeline of significant historical moments for women on the Rock. We reflected with Katy how much progress has been made over the years, but also how there is still a lot of work to be done going forward to achieve equality and equity for women. 

The countdown is on! 196 days to be precise - until the start of the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup. Some of the best U21 players from around the world will descend on the rock for a week of elite competition. Organisers Dylan Trenado, Alex Rodriguez and umpire Nadine Pardo-Zammit were in the studio with the official match ball that was recently revealed.

Who doesn't love classical music? Ahead of World Water Day later this month, the Convent Ballroom will host a recital in support of local charity Action 4 Schools water well projects. We spoke to Jimmy Bruzon heads the charity, as well as Nathan Payas who will be performing live.

Abacus is collecting children's winter clothes on behalf of The Orphans Project Morocco to help children in need. They are accepting donations of warm clothes for kids up to the age of 16 and are asking the community for their help. Deena Abboubi is heading up the clothing drive.

Budding entrepreneurs at St. Annes school are getting the chance to pitch their big ideas to potential investors this afternoon... The pupils are taking on a Dragons Den style challenge, as part of their work in the Young Enterprise fiver challenge. Our reporter Shelina Assomull forms part of the judging panel.

And, Louis Parral told us what we can look forward to this weekend in local sport, with athletes setting off for the Winter Special Olympics, and the final stage of the roadrunners league, and the football league title race coming down to the wire.

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Zumba is a fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance.15 million people worldwide take classes weekly - a small percentage of them here in Gibraltar! It's popular on the Rock, and this weekend Boyd's will be the venue for a Zumba charity event! We spoke to Nadia Casciaro and Mimi Drury told us more about the event.

The number of diagnosed cases of skin cancer in Gibraltar have shot up in the last two years. Since 2017 the average was one diagnosed case per year. But in 2022, this went up to 47. And the following year, it rose to 147. For Dr Deardon of Specialist Medical Clinic, the numbers didn’t come as much of a surprise.

Raul Mesa is a familiar name on the rock - Raul is an established fitness trainer and now an author too! His debut book is called 'Searching for Balance' - it aims to help people understand how mental health, nutrition and sports can combine to transform your life.

The Gibraltar Gibunco Literary Festival is one of the highlights of the local cultural calendar, pulling in lots of international names year on year. The dates for this year's festival were announced this week for mid November. Chief Cultural Officer Seamus Byrne.

And today is World Book Day, an opportunity for kids to become their favourite book characters for a day, with schools and Government ministries going all out in honour of the humble book! For the last few years, Cultural Services has put together activities to encourage young and old to get stuck in a book. Davina Barbara from GCS told us about the fun activities they’ve been doing for this year's theme: the classic fairytale.

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Works to demolish the east stand at the Victoria Stadium have started today. This forms part of the groundwork for the construction of a UEFA-approved, category 4 stadium. The works are highly complex and have required close co-ordination with the MOD, to minimise any impact on the runway. We spoke to Ros Astengo who was at the site.

The Justice Minister moves to further protect police officers and emergency workers with stricter penalties for assaults against them. We also got an update from Nigel Feetham on whether the EU might take Gibraltar off its grey list.

It’s Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, 40 days of prayer, fasting, and reflection for Christians. Claire Hernandez was at the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned and spoke to Father Peter.

The new location for the Community Mental Health facility will be announced on the week starting on the 17th March. This was confirmed by Health Minister Gemma Arias Vasquez at last night's GHA public meeting at the University of Gibraltar. Our reporter Jonathan Sacramento was at the meeting yesterday evening.

We are midway through Gibraltar Hearing loss week. This year’s theme is ‘empower yourself!’ - building on 2024's focus on changing mindsets towards hearing and ear care. Edgar Triay of Gibraltar’s association for Hearing Issues and Tinnitus told us more.

And, time flies! It's Gibraltar Today's second birthday. We took the opportunity meet some of the team that help bring the show on our airways and screens: broadcast assistant Kathy Sanchez, engineers Charlie Moore and John Balestrino as well as CEO James Neish.

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The Financial Action Task Force leads global action in tackling money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing. A Crown Counsel from the Rock has completed a training course in Qatar organised by the FATF. The Ministry of Justice, Trade and Industry's Michael Adamberry is currently deployed to the RGP's Economic Crime Unit and the Customs Financial Investigations team.

Today is pancake day! From strawberries and cream to lemon drizzle, to chocolate spread - the options are endless! Local nutritionist Amber Bishop told us what the nutritional value of a pancake is, as well as her favourite toppings.

Ramadan is being observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. The Muslim Youth of Gibraltar will celebrate all of those things at their Annual Public Iftar on Saturday. Volunteer Mouetaz Ziani and spokesperson Youseff El Hana told us more.

And, SSAFA is a UK-based charity that provides trusted support to serving men and women and veterans from the British Armed Forces and their families. Alan Jones of the local branch joins us now ahead of a coffee morning planned later this week.

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Last month, the Gibraltar College awarded certificates to its first ever cohort of fully qualified counsellors. The special ceremony, attended by guests, faculty members, and proud family and friends, marked the culmination of a five-year journey that began in 2019. Sylvana Benrimoj, Mark Montovio and Lourdes Ghio told us more about the course.

Healthy seagrass, healthy planet. That’s what the United Nations thought when designating the 1st of March World Seagrass Day. Lewis Stagnetto of The Nautilus Project told us about about seagrass and how it can help with the climate emergency.

Jose Mari Ruiz was following the weekend’s sporting scene and shared the results of the Rock Cup semi-finals, the latest in horse riding, and news of a medal in Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Project Ghana is a compelling series that follows the journey of a dedicated group of volunteers as they embark on a mission to build a classroom in rural Ghana. The series captures the challenges, triumphs, and profound moments experienced by the team as they work tirelessly to bring education to a community in need. We spoke to producer Alastair Sanchez and volunteers Laxmi Poojary and Michael Mackie

And, over four days, 259 dancers from Gibraltar, England, Spain and Italy took part in the 23rd Gibraltar International Dance Festival, organised by M.O. Productions. The event saw 259 dancers from, England, Gibraltar, Italy and Spain compete in various dance categories. We caught up with the overall winner 15-year-old Lewis Llamas, and Best Choreographer winner for an Adult Formation Genyka Celecia, both from Mediterranean Dance School.

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