Gibraltar has received yet another inaugural cruise visit, the seventh of the year, when the Royal Caribbean International vessel 'MS Explorer of the Seas' sailed into the port early yesterday morning.
The 'Explorer of the Seas' which has recently undergone major dry dock refurbishment, is a Voyager class cruise ship with a gross tonnage of 138,194 and a length of 311 metres. The spectacular 15-decked vessel can carry 3,114 passengers and has a crew of over 1,100, Minister for Tourism, Samantha Sacramento said she was delighted that the Port of Gibraltar was hosting yet another inaugural cruise call.
The Minister said: "The Gibraltar Government attaches great importance to the cruise industry and all the efforts undertaken by the Gibraltar Tourist Board, working with other government departments such as the Port Authority, to consolidate the Rock as a majorport of call for the global cruise trade.
"It is politically significant, to note that the Explorer of the Seas is the seventh inaugural cruise call that we have received in Gibraltar so far this year, testament to the extraordinary work that we have done since we were elected in December 2011 to promote
Gibraltar as a leading tourist destination in the Mediterranean and shows the confidence that the market has in Gibraltar as a port of call.
"I am confident this will be another successful season for all sectors related to the cruise industry and commerce that are benefitting from this high period of activity we are experiencing. Our untiring commitment the local shipping, tourist and leisure industries will continue."
The Minister added that this had been an extremely busy time for the Port of Gibraltar whose professionalism in the handling of all these megaships had been admirable.
The local ship agent for the Explorer of the Seas is Incargo Shipping Services.
12-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
A fitting close
May 12, 2015
Dear Sir,
The prime objective of such an emotive anniversary celebration was to "remember a generation who selflessly gave their all for our freedom".
It was celebrated with representatives of those who fought with us and against us in order to reinforce the folly and price paid for such world conflicts.
It was therefore somewhat of a shock to see the inscrutable, and for me certainly unwelcome, face of Spanish Ambassador in London, Federico Trillo (currently under investigation in Spain for receiving remuneration for advice to 'wind farm contractors' when a minister) among the guests at Westminster Cathedral. Allies on in name.
Britain with its Commonwealth, U.S. and other European allies boycotted Moscow's remembrance (display of military might) because of their aggression in Ukraine, yet embrace their 'only' historically sworn enemy, and I use the term 'only' loosely, in the nations centre of worship. While Angela Merkel played her hand by flying to Moscow and laying a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin, but I suppose I would too if I lived that close to Moscow. Suddenly a wicked thought flashed through my mind, 'screw Europe, court Putin; might need gas and the Ruble!'
On a kindlier note I wonder how many of today's younger generations heard of Operation Manna? I'm sure many will have heard of the Dambusters (Operation Chastise) Barnes Wallis's 'bouncing bomb', RAF Commander 'bomber' Harris, the Battle of Britain (RAF resounding defeat of the Luftwaffe), Operation Torch (planned inside The Rock) and the Dessert Rats, the Guns of Navarone (battle of Leros), Operation Overlord (D-Day), and closer to home Operation Felix (Hitler's plan to capture The Rock).
Unlike all the above Operations Manna, Chowhound and later Faust were the first humanitarian missions in the last weeks of WWII.
They were airlifts of food to thousands of Dutch civilians by British, Canadian and U.S. Air Forces, in the still unliberated west of the Netherlands, who were on the verge of starvation. The Germans had commandeered all the food for their huge army of occupation.
Last September the Dutch government with representatives of all the allied nations gathered on the East lawn of Lincoln Cathedral where 60 volunteers laid a floral mosaic of 40,000 tulip bulbs depicting Lancaster bombers dropping parcels of food aid. The bulbs flowered in April in time for the VE centenary celebrations at which a Dutch starvation survivor, who has lived in England since the end of the war met and embraced a veteran member of one of the RAF Lancasters who flew in Operation Manna, her saviour.
A fitting close to a memorable yet always poignant commemoration, especially when there are so few veterans and survivors left. Yet no matter how painful the memories 'they must always be remembered'.
Humbly,
Joe Brugada.
Feetham attacks Government's wealth producing investments
May 12, 2015
The leader of the Opposition continued his very public and embarrassing scaremongering campaign yesterday with the announcement of a new GSD executive member.
Daniel Feetham continued to attack the Government's substantial investment in the public infrastructure despite the self-evident fact stated by experts in the construction sector that for every pound invested in our city, we are generating four pounds in return. The investment itself thus creates employment, housing and a more up-to-date health service for everyone.
In yesterday's press conference, Feetham tried to express the fact that he was not the only one directly criticizing the Government's investment for the good of our future generations, while still sounding solitary in the unilateral nature of his words.
Take for example, Clinton's view that it all should be "transparent". He placed himself against the clever fast-tracking of the whole process through holding companies, so the desperate GSD can continue its unnecessary scaremongering tactics that only harm our economic progress.
The GSLP/Liberal attempt to create wealth for all rather than a select few seemed to be the real subject of scrutiny here, but rather than allow for Clinton to explain further, Feetham interrupted him within two minutes to continue his habitual rant about public finances.
Things got even more ironic when Feetham got to his other big political gambit, the power station. "I keep on saying in Parliament that you don't have the money to pay for the power station," he said. This, even though Gibraltar was in need of a power station for the last three terms of GSD tenure, when somewhat conveniently no deal was actually signed for the most vital infrastructural component of any business community.
"We cannot afford to be promising more stuff to more people," said Feetham hinting he was planning to sell off the Bayside school area to a private developer, much in the style of his predecessor. However, he seemed to affirm the same spending he sounded so vehemently against saying he would complete both the tunnel and the beautification of the Estates, a project his party completely disregarded during 16 years in office.
He criticised public health spending almost in the same breath as saying that the "GSD is not about criticism, it's also about positivity" and despite his almost constant monologue on public finances he admitted: "I'm not an economist".
12-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Guardia Civil board local boat in British waters
May 12, 2015
The Gibraltar Government has been informed that the Spanish Guardia Civil boarded a local fishing boat with two persons on board inside British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) early this afternoon.
The Royal Gibraltar Police was alerted to the incident by the local people on board the boat. An RGP officer sustained slight injuries when he boarded the local boat.
The Government considers that it is 'totally unacceptable for the Guardia Civil to operate in waters which are not Spanish and over which they have no jurisdiction. It is even worse that they should board a vessel.'
The Government will be raising the matter with the United Kingdom 'and would like to thank the Royal Gibraltar Police officers involved who went about their duty of upholding the law of Gibraltar in an exemplary manner.'
RGP Statement
Later yesterday, the RGP issued this statement:
"Shortly before 1pm this afternoon a call for assistance was received by the RGP's Marine Section. The caller was one of two local fishermen aboard a locally registered vessel, which, at the time, was approximately 1 mile west of the North Mole and within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. The caller advised the RGP that the vessel had been boarded by a Guardia Civil officer whilst within BGTW.
On arrival at the location, and seeing that a Guardia Civil officer was aboard the local boat, an RGP officer proceeded to board the vessel. He sustained an injury as the fishing vessel was navigated in an attempt to prevent his boarding. Control of the fishing vessel was then taken by RGP officers who returned to port together with the two local men. An investigation into the matter has disclosed no offences by the two local men. The Guardia Civil officers remained at the location of the incident.
The injured officer has received treatment for his injury at St Bernard's Hospital and has since be en released. He has now returned to his duties.
The Commissioner and Senior Management Team are grateful to the Marine Section duty crew for their response to this morning's incident and to the entire Marine Section for their professionalism and dedication to duty, over the last couple of years, in what has been a difficult and trying period.
The RGP would like to reassure the community that it will work to allow all law abiding citizens to freely enjoy the use of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters."
12-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
Hallucinating
May 12, 2015
Dear Sir
The most Foreign Spanish Minister has been hallucinating again, although he may have had a momentary flash of lucidity, after a recent statement that spain would not raise the Gibraltar issue at the UN Security Council (UNSC)!
It must have come as a great relief at the UNSC that Spain will not be putting across any more vomitous arguments dripping in sentimentality, such as the one that the town of Gibraltar resides in San Roque!
So has it has finally dawned on the most Foreign Spanish Minister that there will be no sovereignty talks ever, and that NO means the same in spanish and English and requires no translation?
He also seems to have become somewhat overexcited in "considering" the possibility of a revival of the bird-brained joint sovereignty fiasco in the event of a UK exit from the EU, but our government has been quick to quash that short-lived fantasy!
However, can anyone understand why the fruitcake brigade is drooling over the effects on Gibraltar of a UK exit from the EU, when it would be disastrous for mainly spain's fragile economy rescued by EU taxpayers, as well as for the rest of Europe without the billions the UK pours into Europe?
And how curious that the UK should not be too concerned about UK and Spanish interests in the event of a UK pullout.
In any case whatever the consequences for anyone, for me any catastrophic event would be a price worth paying rather than being spanish, or half, a quarter, an eighth or a pinpoint spanish under a fascist regime.
Yours faithfully,
Isabella Caruana-(Montegriffo)
Walking from Cardiff to Gibraltar
May 12, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Mark Randall is making great strides on his 2125 km charity Walk from Cardiff to Gibraltar and has now completed 500 kms.
The journey has been a fascinating one for Mark so far, and the weather has been kind, he said: "The route has been more or less what I had originally planned but I have made some adjustments to my calculations. I have been lucky with the weather and there has only been four days of rain. I've particularly enjoyed walking across the Cheddar Gorge and Dartmoor and I'm glad I included them in my route."
Mark is currently in Spain and has just left Ribadesella on the Asturias coast. He has been accompanied by some of his supporters along the way: "My daughter Tammy and some of her friends from University and Exeter University Officer Training Corps joined me on the last leg of my journey in the UK and Francis Brancato has just walked 150 km's from Santander with me, which was a tremendous support. I'm hoping that my daughter will join me when I reach Santiago de Compostela and if anyone else would like to join me, at any stage of the journey, they would be very welcome. I can be contacted via e-mail at bufandboy@gmail.com." he said.
Mark is hoping to arrive in Gibraltar on the first week of July. He is raising money for the RG Benevolent Fund and GBC Open Day.
*To sponsor Mark please contact the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Adjutant, Captain John Pitto on 2005 3213 or donations can be dropped into the Royal Gibraltar Association Club in Irish Town.
12-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR