Gibraltar Today

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Chairman of the Police Authority has told the McGrail Inquiry they invited the Commissioner to retire because they felt he couldn’t continue to function without the confidence of the Governor and the Chief Minister. Joey Britto said it was principally the Governor’s confidence which was important, because he had the power to call for Ian McGrail’s resignation. Mr Britto said he felt he was giving Mr McGrail the dignity to retire on his own terms. Jonathan Sacramento has been following today’s proceedings closely.

And, Together Gibraltar have organised an Employment Workshop on Monday 6th May at the John Mackintosh Hall. The event is aimed at finding the gaps which are keeping locals from the most rewarding jobs. It will also explore what the government and companies could be doing to enable people in the workplace, and will feature a variety of speakers well known to the community. We spoke to Together Gibraltar’s leader Nick Calamaro as well as Karl Ghio, the party’s spokesperson on employment.

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Former Police Federation Chairman, Maurice Morello, has told the McGrail Inquiry he attempted to submit a complaint against the former Commissioner. He says he was told by the Police Authority there was no mechanism in place to submit a bullying claim. Mr Morello, whose relationship with Mr McGrail was fraught, said the GPA was supportive but didn’t have the ‘oomph’ to take on the police. The meeting however was never recorded or minuted, and the GPA denies it took place. Jonathan Sacramento had the details.

Members of the European Scrutiny Committee in the UK Parliament have again expressed alarm over arrangements for entry and exit of Gibraltar being discussed in the Treaty negotiations. We hear the insights from the Junior Brexit Minister David Rutley, as well as the reaction of Fabian Picardo, who has written to the Chaiman of the Committee to say that any impression that British sovereignty may be diminished in a Treaty is “abhorrent”.

GBC has launched a public opinion poll about Gibraltar’s future. The data gathered will be used in a new programme called “The Needle.” The poll covers questions on the treaty negotiations, identity and more, and is a collaboration with Gateway Media. Anton Calderon was in the studio to tell us more about the poll and how it will shape the new programme.

And, Lawrence Riches is driving down from Gibraltar Point in Lincolnshire to Gibraltar in a 101 year old Model T Ford. His drive aims to raise funds for Cancer Relief. We spoke to him to see how the drive has been going – he’s currently just past Sevilla and around 300km away from the Rock.

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The McGrail Inquiry has returned after the long weekend, with Police Commissioner Richard Ullger telling the Inquiry the fraught relationship with the Gibraltar Police Federation was because its Chairman at the time, Maurice Morello, was a difficult person and a rebel who tried to make life difficult for RGP management. He said he particularly disliked Mr McGrail. Mr Ullger says the Federation now has a new Chairman and Secretary and the relationship is much better. Jonathan Scott was joined in the studio by Jonathan Sacramento, who has been following the proceedings closely.

Police Superintendent John Field also gave evidence. He told the Inquiry that the police had received coordinates on the collision at sea from the Guardia Civil a day after the incident. Mr Field was the Gold Commander on shift that night, when two Spanish men died after a collision with an RGP vessel.

And, the LGBTQ+ Community have organised a Walk for Pride event this Sunday. It consists of a leisurely walk to Med Steps, with a chance to grab some food and socialise afterwards. The walk aims to raise money for their main Pride event on the 22nd June. We spoke to Rafa Nuñez from the LGBTQ+ Commitee. 

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The Attorney General did not advise the Chief Minister to stay away from the criminal investigation into the alleged hacking of the National Security Information System in 2020. Michael Llamas KC accepted that - in hindsight - an angry meeting between himself, the Chief Minister and the Commissioner of Police should NOT have happened. Mr Llamas accepted he didn't ask himself: maybe I shouldn’t be in the room for this. But he said it all happened very quickly as Mr Picardo was angry and Mr McGrail was in the building, so they got together. Ros Astengo was in the studio to discuss the latest on the Inquiry in more detail.

And, the Health Authority will be holding its annual Skin Cancer Screening Day soon and is inviting the public to make the most of the opportunity. The Dermatology Team and a visiting Consultant Dermatologist will be on hand to look at any notable skin changes, which could indicate skin cancer. 400 appointments will be available on the 12th May at the Primary Care Centre, on a first come first served basis. We spoke to the Director of Public Health, Dr Helen Carter.

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