Gibraltar Today

Thanks for joining us for todays edition of Gibraltar Today...

It’s World Radio Day - a day designated by UNESCO to celebrate the wonders of radio. I look forward to chatting to Radio Gibraltar’s Lucinda Snape and Ben Lynch.

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Developers of the proposed eight storey office block at the site of the old Amars bakery say they are reviewing their design following a number of objections.

Campaigner Lee Everest will tell us how the College Lane Action Group feels about the news.

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Women’s rugby is a sporting success story, internationally and on the Rock. 

The Gibraltar national squad is jetting off for their first overseas trip.

We speak to Captain Sophia Lombard and head coach Stephen Payas.

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"Yo el Agua, tu el Fuego"

We find out about a live music show in a few weeks from jazz flamenco guitarist extraordinaire Eli Massias.

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The Government says it put a fair and reasonable offer on the table earlier this month towards a pay claim by Special Needs Learning Support Assistants. A demonstration was held by Unite outside the Chief Minister's office yesterday. The Government says it looks forward to the next scheduled meetings and to bringing the matter to a reasonable conclusion. Our news editor Christine Vasquez was there.

This February is Multifocal Motor Neuropathy month - observed globally to raise awareness for the rare condition, with a reported prevalence range of just 1 to 3 cases in 100,000. We spoke to John Navarro Jr, who  is the only known patient in Gibraltar.

Did you feel the tremors on Monday night? An earthquake registering 5.1 on the Richter scale struck northern Morocco, extending its reach to parts of Portugal, Spain and Gibraltar. Luckily, there were no official reports of casualties. Kenneth Cardona is a retired geography teacher - proficient in the field of earthquakes - and joins us to share some insight.

Developers of the former Coviran supermarket on Devil's Tower Road have told GBC they had erected a tall hoarding all the way round which made their site secure and safe. Works have not yet started on the planned mixed-use development. An 11-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of arson, following Sunday's fire. In total, seven young people have been arrested, none charged.

And, Kindness matters. Primary school children from Governor’s Meadow School were at Casemates today, learning about kindness and spreading the love. An uplifting story that Kevin Ruiz shared with us.

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Former Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, has expressed his condolences on the death of former Chief Secretary Ernest Montado. In a letter to the Chief Minister, the United Nations Under Secretary-General said Mr Montado's loss was felt by all those who had the honour of working with him in the common pursuit of a better future. Number Six says it shares the sentiments expressed by Mr Moratinos. News Editor Christine Vasquez highlighted that these comments tell us something of the significant contributions Ernest Montado made.

Solo instrumentals, vocal performances, duets, ensembles and choirs - you name it - the 20th Festival of Young Musicians had it! Organised by GAMPA, the festival had entries as young as 4 to 18 years old competing in different categories. We met lots of the winners: Lea Cortes, Bella Navas, Sarah Bensadon, Mya Gonzalez, Aditya Dhanwani, David Ashton Garcia, Nathan Belilo, Noah Virvescu, Luna Lee and Kate Williamson.

A young girl's demise, coupled with a lack of shared accountability, triggers a fatal sequence. 'Tragic Waste' is a locally produced film and airs tonight on GBC! Nigel Canepa wrote and directed it and joined us in the studio ahead of its showing.

And, after a successful 'Wear Red Day’, the Cardiac Association is already looking ahead to their next event. Walk the Mile & an evening ceremony at Commonwealth Park on Tuesday 25th February, 2 weeks today exactly. Suyenne Perez Catania & Vanessa Bautista from the Cardiac Association told us more.

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A fire at the old Coviran site on Devil’s Tower Road prompted the evacuation of Northview Terrace residents shortly after 7pm yesterday. Today’s episode was recorded live from the scene of the fire.

Fire crews from both the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service and the Airport Fire and Rescue Service working for more than three and a half hours to fully extinguish the blaze. We caught up with senior officer of the GFRS Adrian McComb, who oversaw last night’s operation, and senior fire officer Nicky Viñales from the AFRS.

Residents of Northview Terrace were evacuated shortly after the flames broke out, and returned home at midnight after fire crews declared the building safe. Eugine Pons and Darren Golt are both residents who were evacuated.

Devil’s Tower Road was completely closed off to all traffic and pedestrians, with the runway reopened temporarily to traffic to accommodate diverted routes. Sergeant Dan Ruffle spoke to us about the traffic management operation both last night and this morning.

The Government was making contingency plans for residents in the area should they have been unable to return to their homes. We spoke to Ministers Christian Santos and Leslie Bruzon.

And, Jonathan Sacramento brought us the latest on the McGrail Inquiry. The Judge hearing the inquiry, Sir Peter Openshaw, has ordered that it reconvene to examine further evidence. A live-streamed, three day hearing will see a number of witnesses questioned about missing WhatsApp messages.

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The rise of the far right in Europe - are you concerned? Unite the Union’s Community Branch is holding a seminar on this in the coming days. We were joined in the studio by one of the organisers Michael Netto, speaker at the event Henry Pinna and on the line by Simon Dubbins, Unite the Union Director of International.

Today is 'Wear Red Day’, with the local community asked to wear red to raise awareness of heart disease and support for good heart health.Leading the way, the Cardiac Association encourages everyone to wear red and donate if possible. As part of their fund-raising and educational efforts, the Association has donated a chest compression device to the Ambulance Service.

The Representation in Westminster Movement says it's ready to exercise patience and perseverance. The group left a meeting with the Chief Minister on Wednesday morning, saying that while not totally happy, it was at least clearer on where it stood. The Representation in Westminster Movement told GBC it has been assured the matter will form part of discussions by the Constitutional Reform Select Committee. The Committee has not yet met, pending the result of treaty negotiations. We spoke to Wilfred Stagnetto and Emilio Reyes from the Movement.

‘Between the lines’ is back. The GBC TV series looks at the work of eleven writers and poets, looking at their personal journeys and creative struggles. Poets, writers, lyricists, playwrights …. Artistry is about vulnerability, about putting yourself out there. We caught up with three local lawyers who are also creative writers: Levi Attias, Tim Garcia & Tessa Rosado Standen.

And, there’s some big sporting fixtures happening this weekend. Jose Mari Ruiz filled us in on the action happening this weekend, including the women’s hockey final, the highly anticipated football match between Lincoln Red Imps and St Joseph’s, and the darts JDC World Championships. He also shared some news in the world of boxing.

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The first Gibraltar Finance Summit has been held at the Sunborn. It brought together government officials, industry leaders and regulators for open discussions about what’s happening and what changes are on the horizon. Minister for Finance Nigel Feetham told us more about the event.

AmCham Europe has conducted a survey with 89% of respondents expecting the transatlantic trade and investment relationship to worsen. A majority of companies have a pessimistic outlook on how potential policy changes on both sides of the Atlantic. Europe is critical to the global operations of American companies, with 75% describing the region as ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important. We broke down the survey results further with AMCham Gibraltar’s James Lasry.

What do you know about the Catalan language and culture? Earlier this year, local historian Joe Brugada received a prestigious award from the Institut de Projecció Exterior de la Cultura Catalana (IPECC) - for his lifelong dedication to promoting Catalunya. He told why promoting the Catalan language and culture so important to him.

And Back to the Classics... is back! After the success of the last two years... it would've been rude not to have a third edition! It’s a nostalgic journey through the golden eras of music covering the 70s, 80s and 90s, with 00s being added to the lineup this time round. Dion Mifsud is one of the organisers.

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A report into the collision of the OS35 with an LNG tanker has concluded the Master of the vessel made an error of judgement when leaving the Western Anchorage.While vessels leaving Gibraltar waters are not required to have a pilot on board, the report also highlights that had one been present, the collision would ‘very likely’ have been avoided. We spoke about the report in greater detail with Captain of the Port John Ghio.

Exactly forty years ago today, the frontier reopened fully. A very significant moment in our history which set Gibraltar on a new course. It is one of those important dates that those who lived it will no doubt remember. Some people were excited - many families who had been divided and separated for so long could start reworking and rebuilding their relationships. Many saw opportunities - not just for business and economic growth, but also for personal growth. We discussed this further with Kevin Ruiz.

And, Clubhouse Gibraltar has been rolling out mental health first aid training in offices & workplaces. It’s a program to teach the skills to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use. We spoke to Mary Anne Nacimiento, who has been involved in delivering the training, as well as Claire Hernandez, Aimie Desoisa and Kathy Sanchez who have received the training. 

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Gibraltar’s Cancer charities come together to mark the day in Main Street, with contributions from:

Louis Baldachino (Pancreatic Cancer),

Nadine Delgado (Blood Cancer),

Heidi Jeffries (Breast Cancer Support),

Said Ben Tahayekt (Prostate Cancer),

Annette Goodman (Cancer Relief Centre)

and Kate Howarth (Cancer Research UK Gib)

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Good afternoon, on this edition of Gibraltar Today...

Sacred Heart Church has been closed due to structural issues and health and safety concerns. We speak to the Bishop Carmel Zammit, who says the works will be completed without delay. 

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Drugs and alcohol can hijack the pleasure/reward circuits in your brain and hook you into wanting more and more. 

The Drug Rehabilitation Team’s Aiden Lane tells us about the help available.

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The Chief Minister and the Former Police Commissioner have exchanged statements after this years sold out GibTalks event.

Claire Hernandez bring us more.

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Jose Marie Ruiz is here to give us the latest sports news, including Fishing!

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And Violinist Charlie Reyes is organising a variety concert in aid of the Alzheimer's & Dementia Society.

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On today's episode of Gibraltar Today...

We speak about how the steep price hike in cocoa has affected locally businesses here on the Rock.

Sharon Garcia of Piece of Cake joins us in the studio.

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Property Trends are always a big discussion on the Rock, we chat to Aiden Montero to find out more...

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Ros Astengo keeps us up to date on Unite the Union and their currant stance regarding the industrial action taken by AquaGib staff recently.

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