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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 1

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GIBRALTAR TIMES Spanish fire shots at Gib fishermen GIBRALTAR TIMES

Y O U R P A P E R F O R T O D A Y, T O M O R R O W A N D Y E S T E R D A Y

Gibraltar accused Spanish customs officers of firing four shots in the direction of one of its fishing boats in latest act of aggression surrounding The Rock

PANISH customs officials have been accused of firing four shots and throwing bricks at a Gibraltar vessel within British Gibraltar Waters, as tensions continue to escalate between the neighbouring nations. In what has been described as an ‘extremely serious escalation’, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the incident “put the lives of innocent Gibraltarian civilians at risk” and “represents an extremely serious escalation of the repeated Spanish violations of BritishGibraltar sovereignty”. The Spanish foreign minister Sr Margallo has reiterated that the waters that surround Gibraltar are Spanish, as if he is the principal judge in the International Court of Justice, and has threatened to continue with the incursions in what are, in fact, legally British waters. The incident which occurred on Saturday afternoon, involved two men on board a Gibraltar registered pleasure boat who reported that, whilst fishing well inside British Gibraltar territorial waters, four pistol shots were fired in their direction by the crew of the Spanish Customs vessel (SVA) ‘AGUILA IV.’ The crew claim that the Spanish vessel ordered the pleasure boat to stop its engines but when this was not done, the AGUILA IV circled the boat and the SVA crew then attempted to board

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it, the pleasure boat then took evasive action. It was during this time that the shots were fired by the SVA crew apparently into the sea near the boat and objects, which they believe to have been bricks, were allegedly thrown at the local men. A Gibraltar government spokesman said that the two men had all the required fishing permits and were not behaving in any way illegally.

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LIVES AT RISK This is the third incident involving the SVA in as many weeks. Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said “this represents an extremely serious escalation of the repeated Spanish violations of British-Gibraltar sovereignty. There is no law enforcement excuse this time. The Spanish authorities have put the lives of innocent Gibraltarian civilians at risk. These actions are crimi-

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MOTORS

nal offences in Gibraltar. Solely by being in the area, the SVA boat was in violation of treaties and the International Law of the Sea” he said. “Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar will not tolerate, under any circumstances, the intimidation or harassment of Gibraltar vessels in British Gibraltar territorial waters. We are working closely together with the UK Government so that necessary and appropriate action is taken to counter this unacceptable threat”.

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BIGGEST NATO EXERCISE SINCE THE COLD WAR

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GIBRALTAR TIMES NEWS

Spanish incursion in Gibraltarian waters continues THE Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clear following the latest incident in British Gibraltarian Territory Waters (BGTW) between the Royal Navy and a Spanish research vessel that it will continue to perform work on behalf of the Spanish Oceanography Institute in Spanish waters because under Spanish law, ”these waters claimed by Gibraltar as British jurisdiction are not recognized by Spain in accordance with Article 10 of the Treaty of Utrecht, so these activities will continue to be made in the future just like before.”

INCIDENT

HE Straits of Gibraltar will play host to Trident Juncture a high visibility exercise that aims to showcase NATO to the world stage. In all 25,000 troops are expected to participate in a series of events during the exercise which will take place between 21st October – 6th November 2015, with Spain and Portugal acting as hosts and Italy providing aerial support. With increasing tensions in Ukraine and Russia increasing its military capacity – NATO is obviously looking to ensure it is ready for all eventualities. Trident Juncture will adapt scenarios to encompass “new world threats” such as cyber defence, incorporating the lessons learned in two decades of operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and other places. The land command will be joined by aerial, sea and special forces, as well as by intelligence, surveillance and recognition elements.

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The incident last week with the ‘Angeles Alvarino’ was of similar nature as the one last year when another Spanish research vessel the ‘Ramon Margalef ’ also decided to conduct research in BGTW by dropping scientific probes into the sea. Activities that were similarly interrupted by the RN Gib Squadron, in the latest incident the RN craft was struck by the heavy probe used to collect marine data. The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo called for a “clear and robust” response from the UK and warned that such incidents could increase over the summer particularly with the Spanish elections later on in the year.

HE residents of Gibraltar have long spoken a mixture of English and Spanish in their daily lives; living so close to the Spanish border has meant the British overseas territory has developed a unique variety of Spanglish known as Llanito. But the dialect - a mixture of English, Spanish with Portuguese, Italian and Jewish influences - is now under threat as younger generations increasingly live and learns in a monolingual environment. “These days, children are taught in English in school and for the past 20 years it has been English, English, English,” Gibraltar historian and author of the world’s first Llanito dictionary, Tito Vallejo Smith said in a recent press article. “We have much less contact with Spain than in the past,” he added, “in the past mothers were Spanish and children spoke English and they communicated in a mixture of the two which was Llanito. Nowadays all the mothers speak English,” he added. The dialect originally came about because of the need for workers of different nationalities, who came to Gibraltar, to communicate effectively. They knew little bits of both languages so melded them together to form Llanito.

Spain’s ‘Chest-Beating’ over Gibraltar is ‘Tedious’ says MEP Julie Girling

P JULIE GIRLING has warned that the ‘chest-beating’ from the Spanish launching incursions into British waters off Gibraltar will continue throughout the year. The Conservative MEP, whose South West Euro constituency also includes the famous Rock, said such incursions were ‘becoming tedious’ to the people of Gibraltar. She spoke out after the incident earlier last week when a Royal Navy speedboat was struck by a heavy oceanographic probe from a Spanish research vessel, which was illegally trying to enter British waters off Gibraltar. The incident sparked a ‘rapid diplomatic protest’ from London to Madrid and is the latest in the series of similar occasions when Spain has tested the Navy over Gibraltar’s waters. The Navy said the Spanish research ship acted in a

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ADIOS LLANITO! Gibraltar’s dialect is under threat GIBRALTAR’S unique ‘Spanglish’ dialect of Llanito is under threat. Is it natural consequences of modern times or are Gibraltarians turning away from Spanish for political reasons? “That is why many Llanito words are workrelated, and these are the ones which are dying out the fastest because these days everyone works in English.” But while some see the decline of Llanito as a natural consequence of modern times, there is a view that renewed tensions with neighbouring Spain are accelerating that decline, with the damage that Spain is inflicting on Gibraltar with its insults and constant bullying it makes it a language of the oppressor. While Gibraltar, a tiny territory on Spain’s south-western foot, was ceded to the British by Spain under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, Spain

still claims sovereignty over the territory and surrounding waters. After a diplomatic thaw towards Gibraltar under the socialist government of Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapatero, tensions over the Rock have escalated since the Popular Party of Mariano Rajoy came to power. A dispute over fishing rights, controls imposed by Spanish at the border and countless “incursions” by Spanish police and military vessels into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters - waters not recognized by Spain - have led to noisy complaints from the UK government to Spain and vice-versa. A Cervantes Institute opened on the Rock in

The mane event A CHARITY event organised by former Miss Gibraltar, Shyanne Azzopardi, raised over £24,000 for Cancer Relief Gibraltar last weekend. The event, held in Casemates Square saw the beauty queen shave of her lustrous locks raising £13,000 for the cause. A 12 hour skip-a-thon by members of Wellington Boxing Club also took place adding £11,000 to the coffers. For more information on The Caner Relief Centre and services offered by Cancer Relief Gibraltar please visit www.cancerelief.gi

‘reckless and dangerous manner’, while the Chief Minister of Gibraltar said Spain was demonstrating an ‘unforgivable lack of common decency’. One of the six MEPs Gibraltar shares with the south west of England, Julie Girling, was equally dismissive of Spain.

2011 was closed earlier this year, a victim of the breakdown in relations and a move that many fear will have a lasting impact on Spanish being spoken and as a result the survival of Llanito. “While the government does what it can to encourage Spanish - it is taught in schools here - it is being spoken less by young people and that is a real shame,” said the Gibraltar government source.

CULTURE “Mr Margallo (Spain’s foreign minister) has not helped by withdrawing the Cervantes Institute from the Rock, which was really the only official cultural link here with Spain,” he explained. “It means inevitably that links with the UK are strengthened even more and adds to the dominance of the English language here,” he added. For Vallejo, the expert on Llanito in Gibraltar, the dialect will continue but in a different form, more as the odd loan word peppering sentences of English. And while younger generations might not grasp the dialect, older Gibraltarians enjoy using it to wind up their grandchildren: “Older people often use Llanito words in conversation when they don’t want the younger generation to understand what they are talking about which causes a lot of ‘Grandma, what are you saaaaaying?’,” laughs Vallejo.

Common Llanito phrases and vocabulary English: Yes, but at the end of the day Spanish: Si, pero a fin de cuentas Llanito: Si, pero at the end of the day English: Man, I’m telling you that I can’t Spanish: Hombre, te digo que no puedes Llanito: Hombre, I’m telling you ke no pue English: Hoover Spanish: Aspirador/a Llanito: Juva English: Salted peanuts Spanish: Cacahuetes Llanito: Saltipina

INCIDENT “This sort of chest beating from the Spanish authorities is becoming tedious to Gibraltarian citizens,” she said. “Thankfully nobody was injured, but as hostilities ebb and flow between the Rock and Madrid in the run up to the Spanish General election later this year, I don’t believe it is the last incident of this type we will see. “I will continue to work closely with colleagues both in Spain and Westminster to ensure the safety of Gibraltarians,” she added.

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‘Evacuation of the Gibraltarians’ £15 Silver Coin AS part of the Gibraltar National Day celebrations and to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Evacuation of the Gibraltarians during World War II, the Government has announced the issue of a new £15 fine silver coin. The new £15 coin, legal tender in Gibraltar will be available to collectors as from Monday 14th September from the Treasury at 206/210 Main Street.

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David Cameron must address Spain bullying over Gibraltar

ONSERVATIVE politician, Andrew Rosindell (pictured left) is urging David Cameron to take Spain to task over Gibraltar during next week’s visit to Madrid, where the Prime Minister will be discussing European Union reform. It follows a high-level meeting between Whitehall and Madrid in which the Foreign Office claimed it had been given “reassurances” that Spain would not repeat last week’s incident where a customs vessel opened fire on a pleasure craft in British waters. However, an official statement by Spain mentioned no such reassurances and spoke only of closer cooperation in anti-smuggling operations. Spanish customs officers fired four shots and threw bricks at a Gibraltar-registered pleasure craft sailing in British sovereign waters last weekend, the third confrontation in as many weeks. According to the Foreign Office, the incident prompted reassurances from Spain “that safety of lives at sea is a top priority for all concerned

and their law enforcement agencies will operate with the utmost respect for this principle in order that this is fully upheld in the future”, however Mr Rosindell, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Overseas Territories, said: “History has shown Madrid to be duplicitous on this issue; they are bullies, they have no respect for democracy and no interest in actually solving this problem. The Foreign Office knows this and it is quite possible that claiming they had received assurances which Spain itself has failed to confirm is the Foreign Office papering over the cracks. He added: “I call on David Cameron to discuss Gibraltar during his visit to Madrid. There can be no dealing with Madrid while this shameful situation is continuing. It is his absolute duty to raise this matter forcefully with the Spanish Prime Minister and to make it clear that Spanish antics are completely unacceptable within the confines of the EU or Nato. If Madrid expects to have any form of relationship with the UK, this bullying must

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GIBRALTAR TIMES NEWS

Gibraltar’s economy, one of world’s fastest growing DETAIL outlined in ministers’ latest budget reports show that the average annual earnings in Gibraltar have reached £28,000 a growth of nearly 20% over the last 4 years; this has ensured Gibraltar remains one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

INCREASE

stop.” Fellow Tory MP Gerald Howarth said EU reform was “absolutely critical” but added: “We cannot ignore the ongoing provocation which another EU country, and NATO ally, inflicts on sovereign British territory.

Criminal hands himself in

A “MOST WANTED” London man allegedly connected to an attempted murder at a south London pub has handed himself in to police in Gibraltar. Robert Mortby, 28, was wanted by Metropolitan Police on suspicion of attempted murder following a shooting outside a London pub in 2012, and last week the National Crime Agency said he turned himself over to a police station in Gibraltar. He had been the target of a joint investigation, called Operation Captura, between the force and the charity Crimestoppers. His surrender comes after a 13 ft high digital screen broadcasting the faces of 18 of Britain’s Most Wanted fugitives was toured around British ex-pat hot spots in Spain as part of Operation Captura, on which Mortby appeared. The digital screen, attached to the back of a van, toured the nearby Spanish Costa parking outside nightclubs, bars, British supermarkets and restaurants and it is believed it could have been this that helped flush him out. Crimestoppers founder Lord Ashcroft said: “This is the third Operation Captura arrest this summer and highlights the pressure wanted fugitives are under because of the collaborative work that goes into the campaign.” The operation, a joint initiative involving British and Spanish police, was launched in 2006 to target most wanted criminals in the southern European country.

Chief Minister Fabio Picardo has announced a pay rise for public sector workers of 2.75% for the next 3 years and the minimum wage has been increased from £6.15 to £6.25. Ministers say that the rises in employment within the gaming and financial services industries are the main drivers of the growth – with fewer than 200 people now unemployed in the British Overseas Territory.

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POTENTIAL REFERENDUM ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY PROVOKES ANGER

UGGESTIONS that Gibraltar may hold a referendum on marriage equality have sparked anger from Gibraltar’s Equality Rights Group (ERG). The reaction came after the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo was quoted on a GBC’s Direct Democracy programme, saying that he didn’t rule out a referendum on the issue. Felix Alvarez, chairperson of ERG voiced his displeasure: “No other sector in this community has ever been singled out for the rest to ponder whether they are worthy enough or deserve to be considered and treated as equals, or not.”

RULING Moves to make civil partnership legal in Gibraltar were part of ruling Alliance’s political platform, and ERG say that the same thing should happen with marriage equality. Civil partnerships for both heterosexual and same sex couples became legal in March 2014 and Mr Alvarez says that referendums should

only be used for constitutional matters. Gibraltar’s Chief Minister has expressed his personal support for equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, although Alvarez says this support makes the suggestion of a possible referendum even more incomprehensible. The Secular Humanist Society Gibraltar (SHSG) has also voiced its support for the ERG’s stance that equality should be part of

a party’s policy manifesto, and suggested that reluctance to make marriage equality a political issue shows a reluctance to alienate some constituents. A statement from the SHSG said: “Of course we at the SHSG have no such dark thoughts, however in solidarity with the ERG we also feel that justice and equality for all citizens is not a referendum matter.” In most countries in recent years, marriage equality for same sex couples has been an issue for governments and the legal establishment. The Republic of Ireland is notable for taking the issue to a public referendum in May this year, where 62 per cent of voters said yes to legalise gay marriage. Gibraltar and overseas territory is an alliance government between the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party and the Gibraltar Liberal Party. Earlier this month another British Overseas Territory, the Cayman Islands, faced calls to put in place a legal framework on same sex marriage or risk being in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights.

A very special team

THE Special Olympic Gibraltar Team returned to Gibraltar International Airport from the Special Olympics Summer Games in LA to a delightful reception with Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Joseph Garcia, Minister for Sport Steven Linares and Minister Samantha Sacramento there to welcome the group as they stepped onto the tarmac. The team which included 22 Special Olympic athletes and 6 unified partners won a total of 15 medals across the 8 different disciplines they competed in. Two of the sports, Open Water Unified Swimming and Golf were new to this year’s summer games, but despite this Special Olympics Gibraltar achieved a gold and silver medal respectively in these events. A second gold was won in bowling with a further 3 silver and 9 bronze medals raked in across the different events. More good news was received in LA when Gibraltar Parliament voted unanimously to honour Special Olympics Gibraltar with the Freedom if The City in what is their 30th Year.

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Spain is again accused of violating UK sovereignty

HE status of Gibraltar is once again the subject of controversy, as Spain and the U.K. are embroiled in a dispute over jurisdiction on the tiny territory at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Last week there were again protests from the British Foreign Office for what it called “a clear violation of U.K. sovereignty”. The British Royal Navy had to once again escort Spanish police ships out of waters around Gibraltar, which the U.K. claimed as British. “Repeated incursions by Spanish patrols into the waters around

Gibraltar are a clear violation of U.K. sovereignty,” British Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire told the press on Monday. A Spanish Foreign Ministry official denied any violation, stating that “the waters were Spanish”. The Spanish police boats were reportedly chasing drug smugglers who were dumping illegal cargo as they fled. Gibraltar was ceded to the U.K by Spain in 1713, but the Spanish government has recently sought to reclaim it. There have been over 600 disputed incursions by Spanish government ships into the waters around Gibraltar over the past two years, according to the U.K. Foreign Ministry. There have

also been repeated disputes between Spain and the U.K. about managing the waters around the isthmus, as both countries have raised conservation and environmental issues with the European Commission. Gibraltar is subject to EU law, although it is not entitled to participate in all Commission programs, the customs union, value-added tax legislation, and the Common Agricultural Policy. Hence why tension over the status of the isthmus continues to rankle both Spanish and British relations to this day.

MAN DIES AFTER BEING GORED BY BULL AT FERIA

32-YEAR-OLD man died in the village of Villaseca de la Sagra in central Spain after being gored in the neck by a bull during the local village celebrations, it was reported on Monday. Town Mayor Jesus Hijosa told Spanish media the victim, named Miguel Sirerol, had been “in the path of the bull which he was filming on his mobile phone.” He was taken to a nearby hospital but pronounced dead on Sunday, prompting the town’s mayor to urge revellers to take care when attending such events. Hijosa explained the bull had “surprised him and gored him in the neck,” during the annual event when bulls run through the streets of the small town of just 1,500 inhabitants in the province of Toledo. Sirerol is the second person who died after being gored by a bull in the Villaseca de la Sagra in the past five years. Another young man was killed in the 2010 fiesta. Every year sees people die as a result of incidents with bulls in local celebrations in Spain.

The most famous bull running event in Spain is the San Fermin Fiestas in the town of Pamplona. Although this year’s event passed without any serious injuries, 15 people have died in the past 105 years at the fiesta.

©Photograph: Ernest H. Brooks II, « Blue in Profile », Edition Fifty Fathoms 2008

Spanish military police boats invading British/Gibraltar territorial waters and (inset) British Foreign Office Minister, Hugo Swire

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 8

B&O BeoLink Multiroom invading every room in your home

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GIBRALTAR TIMES NEWS

IBRALTAR’S only international fashion event, Runway has been instrumental in launching the careers of some of the region’s up and coming designers as well as bringing over internationals to showcase their collections. Doors open at 7pm on Runway 2015 at the King’s Bastion on Thursday16th July and this year the exciting line up features British designers Romero Bryan and Sadie Clayton, as well as Gibraltarian designer and winner of the New Designer Competition 2014, Paul Perez showing his latest collection. In a slight change to previous years Runway will only be having one intermission in the show schedule, during which the audience can listen to funky ukulele fusion band The Hula Hulas and enjoy food and drink in the lounge. The New Designer Competition, in association with Brighton Fashion Week, will see three local aspiring designers show a collection of four looks competing for a chance to win their own show in Brighton in October. The finalists are Kayla Debono, Claire Poggio

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International fashion festival Runway is returning for the third year running to Gibraltar on the 16th of July

and Gabriella Sardena, all from Gibraltar. In usual Runway manner, doors will open at 7pm with the New Designer Competition being first on the bill at 8pm. After a one hour break, the shows will continue back to back starting with Paul Perez, then Sadie Clayton from the UK and finally Romero Bryan, also from the UK.

Tickets to the show are priced at £20 and are available from Colorworks, 104 Irish Town. Another change this is year is the involvement of Gibraltar’s newest super club, The Eclipse Lounge, that is hosting the official Runway after party. For those fashionistas who are only just getting started as the last catwalk show finishes then there is an opportunity to head

to Casemates and mingle with the designers, models and crew. Tickets for the after party (£5 with a free welcome drink) can be purchased separately from The Eclipse Lounge in Casemates or on the door. The first 75 people to arrive at Runway will receive a goody bag of treats and special discounts from sponsors and local businesses.

ABOUT THE DESIGNERS PAUL PEREZ

Paul Perez (pictured here at Runway 2014)is a young and energetic Fashion Stylist, Designer & Blogger. Gibraltar born, Paul 25, has established his name within the fashion industry in Gibraltar and has been tipped by press as ‘up and coming’, working alongside local celebrities and clients within the creative industry, giving the client a whole fashion package. Paul has used his creative instincts and eye for design to create & construct beautiful one off clothing. His designs & styling have featured in Harper’s Baazar India, Essential magazine and Gibraltar magazine his work has also appeared on TV. Paul owns his own studio and boutique in Gibraltar and is also currently a fashion blogger on PivotalFashion and is a recent graduate from the University of the Creative Arts Epsom UK. He also plans on networking in the UK fashion community, and seeking expansion opportunities within it.

SADIE CLAYTON

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In 2013, Sadie Clayton (left) graduated and exhibited her collection at Graduate Fashion Week, garnering an exciting amount of media coverage. Sadie Clayton had arrived and the designer stormed on to present her A/W 14 collection over London Fashion Week. The show was attended by the who’s who of London’s fashion industry: all wanting to catch a glimpse of this up-and-coming designer’s architectural and ornate pieces. The popularity of the collection caught the eye of Ellie Goulding who wore a Sadie Clayton leather bra top at Glastonbury Festival in front of 900,000 fans. In 2014, Clayton was invited to present her collection at Berlin Fashion Week, where she made quite an impression with her S/S ’15 collection. Sadie Clayton continues to show at London Fashion Week, working in collaboration with an impressive roster of creatives, including cordwainer Charlene Ong, an array of milliners and photographer Mark Lebon. Within the AW/15 collection, Sadie Clayton demonstrates her uncanny ability to manipulate industrial materials and silhouettes whilst maintaining a feeling of warmth. This, teamed with Mark Lebon’s raw energy and ability to connect with a viewer resulted in an electric AW15 presentation that captured the attention of i-D, Noctis,1883 and many more. Sadie’s most recent accolade was being chosen to showcase her AW/15 collection at Fashion Scout as part of their Best Emerging Designers exhibition.

ROMERO BRYAN From a young age London-born Romero Bryan (below right) aspired to become a world-renowned fashion designer and he began to hone his skills for design and creation at just twelve years of age. Mr. Bryan has fashion in his genes – both his grandfather and uncle were tailors, whilst his grandmother was a seamstress. Mr. Bryan’s designs first caught the media’s attention in 2001, when UK singer Samantha Mumba attended the BRIT Awards in a Romero Bryan dress with a plunging neckline. Mr. Bryan graduated from the London College of Fashion in late 2005 and his career took off soon after. His designs have been worn by ‘A-List’ celebrities across the globe including Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Jagger, Kelly Rowland, Destiny’s Child and Usher, to name but a few. Romero Bryan’s garments have also been purchased by the likes of Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Katy Perry. Over the years, Mr. Bryan’s clientele has broadened and the “boy wonder” (Vogue.com) has matured into a wonderful young man. Romero Bryan’s talent, hard work, determination and potential have been recognized by Philip Beresford in the predicted ‘Rich List 2020’ compiled for the Royal Bank of Scotland. The list appeared in international publications such as Forbes magazine & the Sunday Times.

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BE WARNED - commuter mayhem AS of the 11th September cross-border commuters ARE WARNED to expect daily delays of up to 30 minutes during morning rush hour with the start of the runway resurfacing project expected to begin. The airfield runway resurfacing project will be the first undertaking in nearly 20 years and was deemed essential to ensuring the future safe operation of the airfield, maintaining RAF Gibraltar as a forward mounting base for Defence and a civilian airport for commercial flights, helping to ensure Gibraltar’s continuing economic development Although the work will mostly be carried out at night, between the hours of 1 pm and 10am to ensure the airport remains fully operational throughout the day in an attempt to minimise disruption to flights it will nonetheless have an impact on the community. As well as delays for commuters, residents living in the vicinity of the airport will experience some levels of noise as the work is carried out daily. In addition the public should also be aware that additional cleaning of the runway will be required during this period and this will cause restrictions to traffic and pedestrians using Winston Churchill Avenue. Access to Winston Churchill Avenue is likely to be severely reduced between 9 am and 10 am in particular. The works are expected to be complete by the end of January 2016.

Safeguarding cyberattacks inside Gibraltar’s secret tunnels 5 00 METRES under the Rock of Gibraltar lies a system of tunnels from where the Allies planned the North African landings during World War II, some of these are now open to the public the others have been transformed into a digital data centre where information about online gamblers and investors from all over the world is stored. The most famous Admiralty Tunnel, the only tunnel that runs from west to the east has now been transformed into a state of the art communications centre where information of customer data from clients as far flung as Bermuda, Bilbao and Hamburg is stored in colossal servers. Huge reels of cables and thick pipes are stored in this kilometre-long passage as part of a network of more than 50 kilometres of tunnels that crisscross the interior of the Rock, which covers little more than six square kilometres. It was in this tunnel in 1942 that General Eisenhower formulated the assault on North Africa ‘Operation Torch’ and some of the very maps from the time still hang on the walls in some of the command rooms looking eerily out of place next to the cutting-edge technology of modern servers used to garner profits from the booming online gambling industry sitting above its head on Gibraltar. As one would expect security is watertight: the area is monitored by CCTV and anybody entering the area must have special pass codes and keys.

PROTECTION The tunnel system was previously the property of the British Ministry of Defence however in 2008 it was handed over to the Gibraltar government, who took the initiative to rent the space out to a private company who specialize in data management around the world. Today ‘Continent 8 Technologies’ are the operators. Continent 8, in addition to data storage also provides sophisticated protection from hacking attacks, which can be carried out for political, criminal or financial reasons. “These types of attacks are very common today,” says a spokesman from the company’s headquarters on the Isle of Man, adding that the facility was subjected to around 35,000 cyberattacks in the first quarter of 2015 alone.

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GIBRALTAR TIMES NEWS Gibraltar MEP, William Dartmouth regrets resignation of the Rock’s Governor

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Resignation regret NEWS

OLLOWING the announcement of the resignation of the Governor of Gibraltar William Dartmouth MEP, who represents the Rock in the European Parliament said, “I am very sad to learn of the resignation of Sir James Dutton. I share his obviously deep sense of frustration at discovering that our Foreign Office regarded his job as little more than ceremonial. He is a man who has taken his responsibility to the Rock and its people with the utmost seriousness”.

DEFENCE Dartmouth went on, “As Governor he represents Her Majesty the Queen directly and not the British government and his role is to be responsible for external affairs, internal security and defence. It is not a job that can be second guessed by a Foreign office bureaucrat. Nor indeed a Government that seems to be more concerned about pandering to Spain. It is doing this as part of its tactical manoeuvring to obtain European Union reform than it is to standing up for the interests and safety of Gibraltar. “Sadly I presume that the next Governor will not have the distinguished military background of Sir James and if that is so there is little chance of Gibraltar having an enhanced Royal Navy presence to halt the persistent incursion of Spain into Gibraltar’s territorial waters. “The Military importance of Gibraltar is higher now than it has been in decades, with the growth of Islamist terrorism in the Maghreb and the current migration crisis in the Mediterranean. Now is not the time to downgrade the Rock or its Governor”.

VINDICATION FOR CONTROVERSIAL REEF LAID IN GIBRALTAR

T has been a source of contention for over two years, the artificial reef that drew furious protests from Spain when it was laid in Gibraltar waters is now “exploding with life” according to Gibraltar’s department of the environment. Reports by the department’s team of divers say that the 70 concrete blocks sunk near Gibraltar airport’s runway are already home to a large range of marine species from octopuses to triggerfish to conger and moray eels. The creation of the reef in July 2013 led to accusations from Spain that it was a deliberate ploy to prevent its fishing fleet from operating in the area. An area that Spain claims as its own, because it doesn’t recognise Gibraltar’s right to territorial waters. In retaliation Spain intensified border checks causing crippling delays for traffic in and out of Gibraltar and has blocked Gibraltar from joining the Single European Sky Project. Greenpeace, Celia Ojeda (Spain) spokesman for oceans and fishing, stated that Spain and Gibraltar have “plenty of other problems to solve in Algeciras Bay, such as the high levels of pollution. This is a diplomatic conflict over maritime sovereignty and not an environmental one”.

Poland removes Gibraltar from Tax Blacklist

POLAND has removed Gibraltar from its list of countries it considers are non-cooperative for tax purposes. The move releases Gibraltarbased companies from previous restrictions. It follows steps taken by the Gibraltar Government to ensure compliance with international standards in the area of tax transparency, including its adoption of the Common Reporting Standard, it’s signing of tax information exchange agreements, and it’s entering into Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) arrangements with the United Kingdom and the US.

JURISDICTION

Poland now joins a number of other countries which have taken similar measures to recognize Gibraltar as an internationally cooperative jurisdiction in the area of tax information exchange. Over the last six months or so, Canada, Estonia, and Italy have also removed Gibraltar from their lists.

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GIBRALTAR TO BE THE FINISH LINE FOR ULTRACYCLING CHALLENGE

REENROCK has once again chosen Gibraltar for the finish of the RACE (Race Across Europe), the toughest cycle challenge in the world. This ultra-cycling event is Europe’s equivalent to the Race across America (RAAM), which started in 1982 with four competitors and is now one of the best known endurance events in the world. The RACE route is 2933 miles long and entrants can ride solo, in pairs or as teams of four, six or eight. In 2013 Team Phoenix set the course record for a team of four with a time of 9 days, 22 hours 16 minutes and 12 seconds. Many Europeans think the Tour de France, whose rider’s cycle 2131 miles in 21 days is the hardest bicycle race in the world. However solo riders in the RACE face 2933 miles in just 15 days, averaging 195 miles and 18 hours in the saddle per day. No transfers, no hotel rooms, no stopping when it gets dark. Riders bring their own support teams and vehicles which follow immediately behind them as they pedal their way across the continent.

Team Phoenix celebrate their arrival and (inset) final GPS checkin

It’s sink or swim time!

ITH only one week remaining it’s time to start planning & building your cardboard craft, because on Saturday 22nd August you can expect to see some wonderful nautical creations and fancy dress costumes in Ocean Village Marina as contenders in this year’s Charity Cardboard Boat race take to the water. Starting with registration and a pre-event showcase of the cardboard boats in Casemates Square from 10:00am, teams will then carry their vessels down to the marina for the races that begin with the junior race at 12:00. They will be competing for prizes and shields in several categories including Best Fancy Dress, Adult Winner, Junior Winner, Most Creative Boat and the coveted Titanic Prize (Best Sinker). The construction of the boats is quite a challenge in itself as they have to be built entirely of cardboard without the use of staples, clamps, nails or screws, cannot be waterproofed or wrapped in plastic and must be able to hold two or more people. This is a great project for clubs, companies or just a group of friends to take part in and all monies raised from the event will go to Gi-

braltar Diabetic Association, Calpe House, The Scout Association and GBC open day. Registration forms are available on Facebook on the Charity Boat Race Gibraltar group page. Entry costs £25 per adult team boat and £10 per junior team boat and is payable on the day at the registration desk located on Casemates Square.

CASA RIO VISTA

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GIBRALTAR BY TRAIN VIA SAN ROQUE Outstanding unique property for sale in

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Train to Gibraltar

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ACHIEVABLE A rider in a team of 8 only has to ride 366 miles in total over 10 days, averaging 36 miles and two and half hours in the saddle per day – which makes it an achievable challenge, and many team entrants are using the RACE to fundraise for a charity close to their heart. The RACE’s 2933-mile route starts from Calais in France then heads east through Germany’s Black Forest, past ski resorts in Austria and Italy to the Vrsic Pass in Slovenia, after which it plunges southwest through Italy, France and Spain to finish at Europa Point in Gibraltar. Riders will cross the Alps twice, the Pyrenees once, climb the notorious Mont Ventoux and the 2744m Col d’Agnel between Italy and France. All riders will carry a GPS satellite tracking system which embeds into the RACE website to show the geographical locations and speeds of the riders. The RACE officially starts on Sunday 23rd August and finishes on Thursday 10 September 2015. Those who finish can proudly say that they competed in, and completed, the hardest cycling event on earth.

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 16

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ST people have heard of the Lost City of Atlantis, proposed to have existed over 11,000 years ago. A land that was populated by powerful, noble people who benefited from great wealth thanks to the island’s rich natural resources they lived virtuous and simple lives for many generations, but slowly greed and power corrupted them. So angered were the gods by these misdeeds they caused violent earthquakes and floods to submerge the island under the sea losing it forever. This is the story told by Plato about 360 BC in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias and ever since, people, including scientists, have poured over Plato’s account searching for clues as to whether Atlantis really did exist and, if so, where is it.

IN SEARCH OF A LEGEND The Lost City of Atlantis is one of the most enduring mysteries of history. The supposedly technologically advanced city that disappeared into the sea remains a mystery to this day.

EVIDENCE Prof Jacques Collina-Girard of the University of Provence, Aix en Provence, claims that it lay before the Pillars of Hercules, what is now the Strait of Gibraltar and is in fact an island called Spartel, a submerged mud shoal just west of the Straits of Gibraltar. Collina-Girard draws heavily on scientific evidence of global climate change. When the last Ice Age ended about 11,000 years ago, melt water flowed into the sea whose level rose by 130 metres, flooding many islands and mainland coastal regions. Contour maps reveal seven submerged islands in the Straits of Gibraltar and the largest of these, Spartel Island, matches the writings of Plato in 360 BC. The only jarring note is that Plato said Atlantis was “bigger than Libya and Asia together”, whereas Spartel Island is only 14km by 5km.

It may well be that the story of Atlantis is fiction and was simply made up by Plato to suit his dialogues plus there is currently no archaeological records that such a civilisation existed and little evidence that such sophisticated civilisations existed around 9,000 BC anywhere in

Plans for new university AT a recent press conference Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar formally launched plans for the establishment of the University of Gibraltar. The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo QC, and the Minister for Education, Gilbert Licudi QC, gave details of the University and confirmed that the University is set to open for business on 1st September 2015.

FACULTIES The former St Christopher’s School site at Europa Point will be the core hub of the University, and will include a number of iconic buildings which lend themselves perfectly for use as a university. There will be four faculties at the University as follows: • Health Studies and Sports Science • Business which will include specialisms in Accounting and Finance, Law as well as ICT • Life and Earth Sciences and Gibraltar/ Mediterranean Studies • Tourism and Hospitality The four faculties will provide a series of undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in collaboration with internationally recognized universities as well as locally developed courses including

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 17

Minister for Education, Gilbert Licudi QC

courses for qualifications in Gibraltar Tax and in Gibraltar Law. The University will also be a centre for research in key areas associated with Gibraltar’s culture, environment and heritage The new website has been launched www. unigib.edu.gi and perspective student are encouraged to go online to see for themselves what the university has to offer.

the world. Nevertheless, the story of the utopian society that thrived in Atlantis continues to fascinate and inspire archaeological expeditions and if the Straits of Gibraltar are home to this mythical legend it would seem somewhat ironic

given that today Gibraltar is indeed a land that is populated by powerful people who benefit from great wealth thanks in part to the tax free status and the island’s riches mostly generated from online gaming and slot machines profiteering from games called “Atlantis Treasure”

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 18

SECURING THE STRAITS

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T is the world’s busiest shipping lane: around 110,000 vessels traveling between south-east Asia, China and the Middle East and the Atlantic coastline of Europe, Africa, and the United States, passed through it 2014, while around half of the world’s trade, a third of its oil and gas, and 80% of the goods and gas consumed by the EU, all move through this 100-kilometer maritime corridor. The Strait of Gibraltar constitutes as a security headache of mass proportions. Ships in the Strait pass along two channels just 2.5 nautical miles wide in either direction, the Mediterranean’s two busiest ports; Algeciras, which has become a strategic point in the transport of goods between East and West, handled around five million containers in 2014, while across the Strait in Morocco, three million more went through Tanger Med I, which was opened in 2007.

ATTACK Between them, these two ports handle more than 13 million containers a year, so any serious event that interferes with the passage of ships – such as a catastrophe, terrorist attack, spill, or accident involving a ferry or oil tanker would bring a halt to the movement of traffic setting of chain reaction that would endanger energy supplies, send oil and prices up, and rock the world economy creating a global crisis. Since the attacks of 9/11, the USA has placed the Strait at the centre of NATO operations to counter the ongoing threat of jihadist groups and their illegal activities most notably drugs, arms, and people trafficking. Morocco is the world’s secondlargest producer of hashish after Afghanistan, and most of this enters Europe via Spain, in fishing boats, speedboats, light aircraft, or containers, only five % of which is checked when arriving via Algeciras port. To counter this illegal activity and to safeguard the Straits there

is a huge military presence: as well as the US and British vessels, the bulk of the Spanish fleet is stationed there. Above, the skies are patrolled by British aircraft station on Gibraltar and Spanish, and US aircraft operating out of the Morón air base, two hours inland in Seville province. The Pentagon was granted Spain’s permission to station up to 3,000 marines at Morón, from where they can be flown to anywhere in Africa as Washington feels this is the hub of radical Islam. The Royal Navy and US fleet have installed sophisticated monitoring equipment throughout the area, there is also an artillery operations centre near Tarifa that is able to detect naval targets

In 2014 Al Qaeda published within its propaganda publications Resurgence to intensify attacks on the planet’s main choke points with the goal of destabilizing the global economy. Among its objectives Al Qaeda mentioned the Strait of Gibraltar.

Corporate Identities Flyers / Leaflets Online PDF’s Posters Invites Web Graphics Adverts Magazines / Brochures Cartoons ...plus much more

up to 20 kilometres away, and Patriot missiles stationed in San Roque that can identify threats at up to 150 kilometres. Across the waters, Morocco has its own naval base at Ksar es Seghir, where its European-made warships are stationed. At a glance, with such military presence you would think war was imminent!

ENCLAVES Around 600 kilometres north of Gibraltar, the Civil Guard’s National Centre for the Coordination of Maritime Surveillance of Coasts and Borders, located in a huge bunker in Madrid, receives information 24 hours a day. This is the Interior Ministry’s eyes and ears on the Strait of Gibraltar. On the huge screen that dominates the room each meter of the border fences around Spain’s North African enclaves in Ceuta and Melilla can be seen, along with the rest of Morocco’s Mediterranean coastline, and every palm tree all the way from France to Portugal. It also monitors each patrol area, whether on land, sea, or air, along the west coast of Africa.This information can also be crosschecked in real time with data supplied by the EU’s Frontex border agency, along with Eurosur’s drones, reconnaissance aircraft and satellites. But are or do these countries working together? After all the peculiarity of the Strait is that there are so many different problems, threats, and opportunities packed into such a small space. There is nowhere else like it on the planet. To begin with, it’s not really one frontier – it’s four: the United Kingdoms with Gibraltar itself; Spain with Morocco at Algeciras; Spain at La Linea; and Ceuta’s with Morocco. Over the centuries, this mix has created unique economies, ways of life, and cities that face off against each other across the border. They all seem to have made the best of it, although diplomatic relations make it seem impossible at times.

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 20

Marbella Club Golf Resort

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 21

GIBRALTAR REJECTS SPAIN’S TAX CRITICISM

IBRALTAR’S Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo (pictured far left), has written to the Spanish Treasury Minister Cristóbal Montoro (left) reaffirming Gibraltar’s

REF: 263-00316P

Government faces calls to increase Gibraltar naval assets

desire to enter into a tax information exchange agreement with Spain. Picardo’s letter follows remarks purportedly made by Montoro on June 19, 2015, to the effect that Gibraltar ought to have featured in the list of 30 uncooperative countries and jurisdictions recently published by the European Commission. Picardo says that he first wrote to Montoro in 2013 expressing Gibraltar’s desire to enter into a tax information exchange agreement with Spain and inviting Spanish officials to visit Gibraltar and verify the territory’s commitment to international standards of tax information exchange. According to Picardo, to date he has not received a reply to that letter. According to the Gibraltar Government, no agreement has been reached between the two countries, despite Gibraltar’s efforts, due mainly to the cancellation of tripartite talks between Gibraltar, the UK, and Spain by the Spanish People’s Party, upon its election, in 2012.

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A Royal Naval speed boat and former First Sea Lord - Lord West

HE government is being urged to increase naval assets off Gibraltar after a Royal Navy speed boat was hit by a probe from a Spanish ship earlier this month. The British boat approached the Spanish vessel, which had been seen collecting samples and readings. The crew demanded it leave territorial waters but the Spanish ship deployed a heavy oceanographic probe, which hit the British boat. There were no injuries reported but the actions of the Spanish ship were described as “reckless and dangerous” and drew a rapid diplomatic protest from the British government. Former First Sea Lord - Lord West - said the Royal Navy needs “larger vessels” to discourage Spain’s “appalling” behaviour in British Gibraltar territorial waters”. Lord West, who was speaking to The Times newspaper after the issue of Spanish incursions was raised in the House of Lords last week, called for a more robust response from Downing Street.

“The Spanish are treating the waters as their own” he reportedly said. “They see the Iberian Peninsula as theirs and that’s why they’re doing lots of surveys of the seabed. Spain is behaving in an appalling way.” Lord West also stated that the Royal Navy’s vessels protecting Gibraltar were inadequate. “We need larger vessels that can stay out at sea longer and that are faster,” he said. A spokesman for the British Government said: “Additional maritime assets would not in themselves prevent incursions. Incursions are a violation of sovereignty, not a threat to it. They do not weaken or undermine the legal basis for British sovereignty over Gibraltar.” These comments coincide with the visit to Gibraltar this week of Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones. This was Vice Admiral Jones’ first visit to the Rock in his current appointment, which is the second most senior post in the Royal Navy.

The tripartite forum had begun to build a framework under which Gibraltar and Spain could discuss contentious issues, including maritime borders, customs policy, and, critically, tax information exchange. Previously it had been thought that through a tax information exchange agreement, relations between Spain and Gibraltar could be markedly improved, including through recognition by Spain of Gibraltar’s status as a transparent, highly-regulated international financial center, independent from the United Kingdom. Picardo said: “I have told Montoro that it is clear that he does not want to face what is obviously such an inconvenient truth to him, namely, that Gibraltar is fully compliant with all EU and international standards on tax transparency and cooperation. Gibraltar’s absence in the EC’s recently published list is entirely justified and reflects the reality of Gibraltar’s compliance. What is more, as Montoro ought to know, I remind him that even though Spain refuses to enter into a bilateral agreement with Gibraltar on exchange of tax information...” “Indeed, the Gibraltar Income Tax Office regularly receives requests from Spain under the EU Directive and responds to all such requests. I have told Montoro that it is therefore difficult to see any justification in his recent statements other than the blind pursuance of the denigration of Gibraltar notwithstanding all the evidence to the contrary.”

OLLOWING the resignation of Sir James Dutton (pictured above), the governor of Gibraltar, earlier this month, there has been growing concern that his replacement could be a civil servant beholden to Whitehall and less likely to stand up to Spanish confrontations than that of a retired general with military experience. Sir James Dutton, the current governor, announced recently that he was resigning after only two years with many quoting that he had become increasingly frustrated at the Foreign Office’s lukewarm interest in the territory, and bored by the pace of the job.

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 22

COULD GIBRALTAR’S 300-YEAR-OLD TRADITION OF MILITARY GOVERNORS COME TO AN END?

The FCO (Foreign & Commonwealth Office) is now searching for his replacement, who is expected to take up the roll in September but fears are growing that the new appointee could be a “grey suit” accustomed to taking orders rather than that of a decorated military leader who gives the orders! “People in Gibraltar are very worried,” said a senior source inside the government of Gibraltar. “They think that Sir James Dutton might be the last military governor and we will now end up with an FCO mandarin.” The FCO has already published an advert for the role of governor, describing the job as “a

key channel of communication between Her Majesty’s Government and HM Government of Gibraltar (HMGoG). The role, with a salary ranging from £85,000 to £162,500, is advertised on the civil service recruitment website and, with wording which has raised eyebrows in Gibraltar, states that it is “also open to existing senior military officers” and recent retirees. A spokesperson said: “The role of the Governor requires an exceptional individual with a wide range of skills, as set out in the job description, to exercise his/her responsibilities. It is essential to appoint the best person for the

job. “The most effective way of doing this is to maximise the number of potential applicants and to allow serving or retired civilian as well as serving or retired military officers to apply. “This is the same approach taken towards the last recruitment process. It will be rigorous and the MoD will be fully involved. It is very possible that, as in previous years, a retired or serving military officer will be appointed, but not a certainty.” The FCO has denied that it is intending to convert the role into a civil service post. But on the Rock, few are convinced.

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 24

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FAMILY FUN DAY OUT... BUT WITH A SERIOUS NOTE

HE backdrop to this annual event on 10th September dates back to 1992. The then chief minister, Joe Bossano, went to the UN to argue for the right to self-determination and in doing so gave rise to the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG). At an initial glance, people new to the subject might wonder why there was any need to raise the issue. Self-determination is, after all, fairly fundamental in the Western world. It hasn’t always been thus and Gibraltar’s right to it has been threatened relatively recently. The SDGG’s site is, happily, most informative on the subject. Gibraltar came under UK rule in a process started when it was taken by allied forces in 1704 in a conflict ending in 1713. By 1960 the colonies were becoming independent as the Empire dissolved and Europe asked for a list of all colonies from all countries. In 1963 the UK presented its list to the UN Committee of 24 but, according to the SDGG’s history, it “neglectfully” didn’t ask the populations themselves. This was a particular issue in the case of Gibraltar because Spain still considered (and in

some quarters still considers to this day) that it had a valid claim to the Rock. So, in 1967 there was a referendum and Gibraltar stayed British, overwhelmingly. After negotiations with the UK a new constitution was put in place in 1969. There have been other refinements since; the Lisbon Agreement in 1980 particularly signalled that things might change and in 1984 there was an agreement to renegotiate relations. But it was Mr. Bossano’s UN visit in 1992 that re-affirmed the need for Gibraltar’s right to self-determination. In order to generate popular support for selfdetermination the newly-formed SDGG held the first National Day in John Mackintosh Square (the Piazza) on 10 September 1992 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the day in 1967 when the sovereignty referendum was held. The first National Day was so successful that the avalanche of people that spontaneously turned up could not fit into John Mackintosh Square, so the following year the location was changed and celebrations were held at the Casemates Square and the Naval Ground. Over the years the format has changed; political speeches have been shortened and in 2007, the Government took over the running of the event from the SDGG and in 2008 the emphasis shifted from political affirmation to a civic celebration.

RED & WHITE

Not even if all the apes and children in Gib smoked THE well-known Gibraltar hater, José Manuel García Margallo, Spain’s Foreign and Cooperation Minister, has been at it again. In an interview on Antena 3 he highlighted the action Spain is taking in the fight against this type of contraband, and the controls they have established to capture the illicit traffic. Although he explained ‘nobody can prohibit a tobacconist from selling tobacco’ or tobacco being exported to Gibraltar, he doubted that the imported tobacco could be consumed ‘not even if all the children and the Barbary apes smoked’. The Spanish Minister who is on record of saying he will not step on Gibraltar until the Spanish flag is flying, spoke about his relationship with Fabian Picardo which ‘had its ups and downs’ but ‘the root of

problem is always the same’ and claimed the problems reside with the economic model of the Rock. “A territory of 6.5 square kilometres which is the third largest economy in the world without natural resources, can only be explained by the contraband tobacco and the tax regime which only benefits the Gibraltarians and not those outside” he said Regarding the British sovereignty of the territorial waters he said “what Spain says is international law must be complied with’”and added he was in favour of negotiations to open the process of decolonisation with Gibraltar. Margallo said he was prepared to talk to the Gibraltar Government, but only ever to defend the interests of Spain.

National Day is now celebrated as a family affair on the Rock, kicking off with Gibraltarians dressing in their national colours of red and white, a children’s fancy dress display before moving on to a massive street party with food and drink stalls including the national dish, calentita. A school choir performs and the Mayor recites the names of people who have received the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour, along with a reading of the Gibraltar National Day declaration. Doves and balloons are released from the Parliament Buildings and the school choir leads the singing of the Gibraltar anthem. There is a bouncy castle for the kids at Casemates Grand Square as part of a fun day and the event rounds off with fireworks. The political element has not been completely lost, however. At the core of National Day is the assertion that Gibraltarians insist on their right to self-determination and always will. Recent British Governments have been supportive of this, with Prime Minister David Cameron sending a video message in support of the day on one recent occasion. In this election year for Gib you can expect the politics to be an important facet of the event. If you’re a resident you’ll be well aware of the implications of Gibraltar National Day and the events taking place during the day; if you’re visiting on the 10th of next month, enjoy the celebrations and have fun.

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BRITISH EXPATS LEFT WITH LESS CHOICE IN PENSION SCHEMES INVESTMENTS changes in the UK.

CURRENCY SWINGS Earlier this year HMRC wrote to overseas schemes that accept UK transfers warning that they must comply with the new pension freedom rules which came into force in April. Under the new rules, which allow savers to take their whole pension pot as cash, pension schemes must prohibit members from access-

Bargain properties becoming scarce T he era of Spanish property bargain hunters is coming to an end, according to new figures, as the number of coastal resorts with rising prices continues to climb. A new report from valuations firm Tinsa highlights the widening spread of rising prices in Spain. Indeed, 35 resorts have seen values increase year-on-year in Q1 2015. A year ago, only four saw prices increase. In Javea, on the Costa Blanca, prices have surged 11.2 per cent. The average sales price there is now 1,658 euros per square metre. “All is not lost,” reassures Tinsa. “There are 29 locations spread across the Spanish coastline whose homes have lowered their prices by more than 10 per cent in the first three months of the year.” Indeed, Pallafruguell in Girona saw prices fall 16.9 per cent in the year to Q1 2015. Data from the General Council of Notaires also shows that prices fell 1.9 per cent in April nationally. Nonetheless, the market is changing. Sales rose 2 per cent in April, according to the Notaries.

DISRESPECT In Marbella, it appears that stock is now running out, with new projects beginning to pop up - and even developers keen to complete previously halted developments. The end of the property crisis has also been confirmed recently by the Bank of Spain and

the government has stated that the country’s economy is growing at its fastest rate since 2008 - close to 4 per cent in the first six months of 2015 compared with the same period last year. The Bank of Spain has predicted growth of 2.7 per cent in 2016.

Estate agency Lucas Fox has released a report to mark its 10-year anniversary, illustrating the changes in the market since 2005. Prices are now steadily beginning to rise, says the report, after falling from their 2007 peak and stabilising in 2014.

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ing their savings before the age of 55, unless the member is retiring early due to ill health; however, many overseas schemes allow under 55s to take some of their funds early in some circumstances, such is if they are suffering financial hardship. They are unlikely to change their rules to accommodate the UK requirements because this would disadvantage their local members.

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The ECB hold rates at record low

Spain - Financial Markets

SAVINGS Nigel Green, chief executive of DeVere Group, many of whose 80,000 clients have transferred their retirement savings into an HMRC-recognised QROPS, explained that while many QROPS which have been withdrawn from the list are highly regulated financial vehicles, they fail the UK’s pension age test. ‘They allow the early payment of benefits before the age of 55 and therefore, these funds do not meet all the stringent requirements needed to be recognised by HMRC as a QROPS,’ he said, adding that he is in favour of the move. ‘This measure further impedes funds being transferred to certain destinations with the sole aim of the pension holder then being able to withdraw a large proportion of the cash as a lump sum. This is not how QROPS were ever intended to be used. They are meant to provide an income in retirement for those living outside the UK,’ he pointed out. ‘HMRC’s stance on this issue and the deployment of more and more of its resources in the area is further evidence that QROPS are fully part of the retirement planning establishment, and that the overseas pension transfer market has fully come of age,’ he added. He also pointed out that ultimately it means that clients are even more protected, making QROPS, with all their enormous financial benefits for expat retirees, an even more attractive option. He added that it is likely that other jurisdictions will benefit from HMRC’s new list, including Malta, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, which have amendments that meet the UK rules.

BARCLAYS SELLS PORTUGUESE RETAIL-BANKING BUSINESS TO SPAIN’S BANKINTER

BARCLAYS PLC has sold its Portuguese retail banking business to Spain’s Bankinter SA, as the British bank scales back its presence in less profitable markets. Bankinter, Spain’s No. 7 bank by market value, said it would pay around €100 million, or about £73 million, for Barclays’ commercial, private and corporate banking units. The purchase is Bankinter’s second international transaction in its history, as small Spanish banks increasMost Active Stocks ingly look abroad to counterbalance sluggish loan demand at home while battling rock-bottom interest rates. Name Last Prev. High Low Chg. % Vol. s Glencore 132.7000 131.8000 137.7000 131.8500 +0.68% 49.55M Barclays isn’t completely exiting from Portugal. It said it would continue to operate its Barclaycard, investment-banking unit s Lloyds Banking 76.3600 75.6700 77.1300 75.8300 +0.91% 49.41M and corporate-banking division that serves multinational s BP 342.5500 336.0000 346.5000 339.4500 +1.95% 19.36M companies. The corporate division that Barclays is selling to s Vodafone Group PLC 229.5750 225.6500 230.7000 227.0000 +1.74% 13.54M Bankinter serves small and midsize businesses. s Barclays 259.3000 253.0000 260.0000 254.0500 +2.49% 12.61M The sales are part of a global retrenchment by the British bank s HSBC Holdings 507.100 494.000 512.100 496.450 +2.65% 11.27M as it seeks to shed less profitable units in its vast banking business. The sale is likely to trigger a loss after tax of around £200 s Tesco 189.8250 185.9500 190.8250 186.2250 +2.08% 9.45M million, or about $306 million, for the British bank, part of s Centrica 239.00 233.40 240.30 234.80 +2.40% 6.25M which will be booked in the third quarter, it said. BT Group 433.800 425.850 436.800 428.050 +1.87% 5.55M With the sale, Bankinter is acquiring 84 bank branches in Pors tugal and 1,000 employees, the Spanish bank said in a regus Legal & General 255.300 250.600 256.300 250.800 +1.88% 5.56M latory filing. A unit jointly owned by Bankinter and Spanish insurer Mapfre SA is also buying Barclays’ life insurance and Top Gainers Top Losers pension unit for around €75 million. Name Last Chg. Chg. % Name Last Chg. Chg. % About a year ago, Barclays sold its Spanish retail banking division to Spain’s Caixabank SA. s Aberdeen Asset Mana. 318.80 +10.70 +3.47% t Whitbread 4,633.00 -78.00 -1.66%

British Expats are seeing the number of overseas pension schemes that they can use to move their investments abroad being cut back drastically. A QROPS is generally regarded as an attractive option for expats who want to invest their pension but are worried about the effect of currency swings on their payments. They offer tax advantages when drawing pension benefits and can be transferred upon death. Transferring a UK pension fund into a scheme can reduce taxation and avoid UK taxation as long as the pensioner remains tax resident outside of the UK. But they are being affected by pension

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 27

United Kingdom - Financial Markets

THE European Central Bank has warned of a slowing economic recovery in the Eurozone and lower-than-expected inflation after the bank voted to keep interest rates on hold at record lows. During a press conference held last week Mario Draghi, ECB president, cited lower oil prices as one culprit for falling inflation and an economic slowdown in emerging markets was blamed for slower growth in the Eurozone. Inflation forecasts for this year were revised downwards to 0.1 per cent from the 0.3 per cent estimate made in June, 1.1 per cent next year from 1.5 per cent and 1.7 per cent in 2017 from 1.8 per cent. Growth forecasts were revised down to 1.4 per cent this year from 1.5 per cent, 1.7 per cent in 2016 from 1.9 per cent and 1.8 per cent in 2017 from 2 per cent. Most Active Stocks Earlier, the ECB governing council voted to hold the benchmark main refinancing rate at 0.05 per cent. The levy charged Name Last Prev. High Low Chg. % Vol. on deposits parked at the central bank remained at 0.2 per cent. s Abengoa B 1.050 1.051 1.112 0.975 -0.10% 29.81M s Santander 5.223 5.164 5.266 5.188 +1.13% 18.70M s B. Sabadell 1.701 1.686 1.719 1.693 +0.89% 7.40M s Iberdrola 5.864 5.845 5.928 5.855 +0.33% 6.74M s Bankia 1.014 1.011 1.024 1.010 +0.30% 6.36M s BBVA 7.941 7.838 8.011 7.877 +1.32% 5.87M s Telefonica 12.065 11.875 12.137 11.963 +1.60% 5.28M s Caixabank 3.667 3.632 3.689 3.630 +2.09% 5.26M s Repsol 11.850 11.705 11.948 11.755 +1.24% 3.20M s Int.Airl.Grp 7.885 7.701 7.965 7.725 +2.39% 2.56M SPAIN was the fastest growing economy among the Eurozone’s ‘big four’ countries in August, racing ahead to record its second Top Gainers Top Losers best period of expansion in over eight years. Figures from the continent’s dominant services sector (PMI) showed Spanish Name Last Chg. Chg. % Name Last Chg. Chg. % businesses recorded their 11th straight month of rising employs Enagas 25.025 +0.765 +3.15% t Acerinox 9.730 -0.305 -3.04% ment and new orders. s Int.Airl.Grp 7.885 +0.184 +2.39% t Sacyr 2.535 -0.052 -2.03% The country’s PMI reading was measured at 59.6 in August, s Caixabank 3.667 +0.075 +2.09% t Obr.H.Lain 11.895 -0.165 -1.37% capping off another strong month for the Eurozone, where acs DIA 5.408 +0.107 +2.02% t FCC 7.480 -0.070 -0.93% tivity rose to 54.3 in August from 53.9 in July. Expansion was also driven by strong performances in Germany and Italy. (Any s Mapfre 2.560 +0.050 +1.99% s Tecnicas Reunidas 42.590 +0.025 +0.06% reading over 50 indicates growth.) Euro exchange rates Spain’s domestic recovery has been proceeding at pace since the country’s banks were bailed-out by international creditors 9.25 Norwegian Krone 7.46 Danish Krone 1.60 Australian Dollars three years ago. “It is Spain that remains the star performer 9.43 Swedish Krona 8.67 Hong Kong Dollar 0.73 British Pounds among the largest Eurozone countries, with the PMI signalling 4.11 UAE Dirham 134.13 Japanese Yen 1.48 Canadian Dollars another 1pc GDP growth spurt in the third quarter,” said Chris 1.12 US Dollars 1.77 New Zealand Dollar 7.13 Chinese Yuan Williamson, chief economist at Markit.

Eurozone’s fourth largest economy set to expand by 1pc in the third quarter while sluggish France lurches back into stagnation

Figures correct at 08.09.2015

N the UK, the tax man, HM Revenue and Customs, has removed thousands of Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) from its approved list. Globally, the number of schemes has fallen from around 3,800 to 663. Australia now (one of the world’s biggest providers of QROPS) has just one Qrop, the Local Government Superannuation Scheme, remaining on the list and more from other countries are expected to be removed soon. In Ireland the number of approved schemes has fallen from 797 to 56, in Switzerland they are down from 100 to just one, in Spain they are down from 16 to two and in South Africa they have been cut to seven from 29. Canada is expected to see a cull in the coming months.

GIBRALTAR TIMES FINANCE

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 28

PEACE OF MIND WHEN YOU MOST NEED IT N

OT a cheery subject, but have you ever thought about how you would cope with the funeral arrangements if your partner passed away? Different customs, difficulties with the language and all at a time when you are grieving. It is often a subject that expats shy away from talking about but in reality the organisation of a funeral in Spain can be quite daunting and is increasing in price all the time. Another consideration is that it is quite common for bank accounts of the deceased to be frozen leaving loved ones with a financial as well as emotional burden. For these reasons you should consider buying a funeral plan. It might seem a morbid purchase but it is practical, will ease the burden on your family and sadly it will one day be used. Why not speak to Ibex Insurance. Our customer advisers can put your mind at ease and go through all the benefits of taking out a

Making life easier for you, your family and loved ones with a helping hand from Ibex Golden Leaves Funeral Plan. You will never be pressured to buy. There are three Plans available to choose from. You pay today´s prices and the funds are invested in an independent Trust Fund on your behalf. So however much the cost of a funeral rises, you still get exactly what you have planned and paid for. No medical or health questionnaires to complete and whatever your age or medical conditions are you can purchase a plan. An important question to ask yourself is ‘who will arrange the funeral and how?’ This may fall on a family member living overseas who would probably have no idea where to start and may not speak Spanish.

With a Golden Leaves Plan it is simple, it is paid for and the family just have to make a call and a Golden Leaves International Counsellor will assist from there – removing all language barriers. From the three Plans available, one even gives repatriation cover and so the funeral can take place in your country of origin, anywhere in Europe. Maybe your plans will change after losing a loved one and do not want to stay in Spain any longer. Don’t worry, your Golden Leaves funeral plan is transferrable back to another country. There are easy payment options available

rather than paying the full price, it is possible to pay over 12 months interest free or if you prefer, you can pay over 3 or 5 years. Once the plan is paid for, that’s it. This is not an insurance policy, where a premium is paid annually until death.

Ibex Insurance...making life easier!

Just call into our Estepona or Fuengirola office and speak to one of the customer advisors who can prepare a personal quotation for you. Donna, Fi or Sam on 952 887 125, Angela & Shauna on 952 581 561. Funeral plans are also available in Gibraltar. Call us on 200 44628.

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GIBRALTAR TIMES

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 29

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 30

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GIBRALTAR TIMES FINANCE

ANY dream of retirement in sunnier climes and with pension freedom the opportunity to take your savings and run is even more tempting but while Spain is still a popular destination, British Expats are seeing the number of overseas pension schemes that they can use to move their investments abroad being cut back drastically. In the UK, the tax man, HM Revenue and Customs, has removed thousands of Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) from its approved list. Globally, the number of schemes has fallen from around 3,800 to 663

CULL Australia now (one of the world’s biggest providers of QROPS) has just one Qrop, the Local Government Superannuation Scheme, remaining on the list and more from other countries are expected to be removed soon. In Ireland the number of approved schemes has fallen from 797 to 56, in Switzerland they are down from 100 to just one, in Spain they are down from 16 to two and in South Africa they have been cut to seven from 29. Canada is expected to see a cull in the coming months. A QROPS is generally regarded as an attractive option for expats who want to invest their pension but are worried about the effect of currency swings on their payments. They offer tax advantages when drawing pension benefits and can be transferred upon death. Transferring a UK pension fund into a scheme can reduce taxation and avoid UK taxation as long as the pensioner remains tax resident outside of the UK. But they are being affected by pension changes in the UK. Earlier this year HMRC wrote to overseas schemes that accept UK transfers warning that they must comply with the new pension

EXPATS ARE BEING LEFT WITH LITTLE CHOICE IN PENSION SCHEMES

INVESTMENTS freedom rules which came into force in April. Under the new rules, which allow savers to take their whole pension pot as cash, pension schemes must prohibit members from accessing their savings before the age of 55, unless the member is retiring early due to ill health; however, many overseas schemes allow under 55s to take some of their funds early in some circumstances, such is if they are suffering financial hardship.

REQUIREMENTS They are unlikely to change their rules to accommodate the UK requirements because this would disadvantage their local members. Nigel Green (right), chief executive of deVere Group, many of whose 80,000 clients have transferred their retirement savings into an HMRC-recognised QROPS, explained earlier this month that while many QROPS which

Bank of England indicates interest rate hikes still far off

THE Bank of England appears to be still far from raising interest rates, after its policymakers showed more unanimity than expected by keeping the key borrowing rate at a record low. Amid concerns over low inflation and slowing growth in Asia, the Bank of England’s policymakers voted 8-1 to leave the rate at 0.5 percent for a 78th consecutive month and opted not to pump more money into the economy. The near-unanimity surprised investors and analysts, who had expected two or even three policymakers to seek a rate increase.Gover-

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 31

nor Mark Carney had signalled recently that the Bank of England is “moving closer” to a rate increase as Britain’s economic growth remains among the fastest among advanced economies. But last week’s decision suggests that the Monetary Policy Committee believes that moment may still be far off. Inflation is at zero percent, way below the bank’s target of 2 percent, meaning there is little pressure to raise rates - even though the central bank upgraded its outlook for economic growth this year from 2.5 percent to 2.8 percent.

have been withdrawn from the list are highly regulated financial vehicles, they fail the UK’s pension age test. “They allow the early payment of benefits before the age of 55 and

therefore, these funds do not meet all the stringent requirements needed to be recognised by HMRC as a QROPS,” he said, adding that he is in favour of the move. This measure further impedes funds being transferred to certain destinations with the sole aim of the pension holder then being able to withdraw a large proportion of the cash as a lump sum. This is not how QROPS were ever intended to be used. They are meant to provide an income in retirement for those living outside the UK.’ He also pointed out that ultimately it means that clients are even more protected, making QROPS, with all their enormous financial benefits for expat retirees, an even more attractive option. He added that it is likely that other jurisdictions will benefit from HMRC’s new list, including Malta, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, which have amendments that meet the UK rules.

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 32

Star economist Piketty set to advise Spain antiausterity party Podemos

HOMAS PKETTY (pictured right) the author of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century”, a hugely popular book about the widening gap between rich and poor, has become an official advisor to Spain’s Podemos, the far-left anti-austerity. He was once close to the French Socialist Party, but has recently become a stern critic of President Francois Hollande, slamming him for reneging on his campaign promise of fiscal reforms. Nacho Alvarez, a Podemos economist, told reporters in the French capital that Piketty and the party would work on “a comprehensive plan to fight against poverty” in Spain, where general elections are due in December.

El Corte Inglés ousts rebel shareholder

POLLS Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his conservative PP party, who took power in December 2011, currently top opinion polls. Rajoy has pushed through tough budget cuts and labour reforms which he says are responsible for Spain’s return to economic growth.The cuts sparked mass street protests by Spaniards, their anger fanned by numerous cases of political corruption. The unemployment rate however remains extremely high at more than 22 percent. Podemos is in third place in opinion polls but could force the PP out by teaming up with the second-placed Socialists which would herald a striking change in Spanish politics which has been dominated by the two big parties since the 1970s. Podemos chief Pablo Iglesias told reporters he wanted to “win the elections. We want to sit down with everyone, and in particular those who come from the Socialist family and who do not agree with the direction this family has taken in the past few years,” he said.

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www.kensingtonfinancialsolutions.org

L CORTE INGLÉS on Sunday ousted a rebel shareholder from its board of directors, in an attempt to quell internal opposition against the recent decision to sell 10 per cent of the Spanish department store group to a Qatari investor for1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) The move came as the, family-run business revealed a 2.6 per cent increase in 2014 sales to €14.59bn. The retailer, a bellwether for the Spanish economy with multi-storey shops in most cities, has been snared in a shareholder row since former Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani bought a 10 percent stake in July. Shareholder Corporacion Ceslar, a vehicle grouping the stakes of some founding family members, said earlier this month that the terms of the investment, via a loan, were too costly and meant an unacceptable loss of value for shareholders. Ceslar complained that the sale was structured in a way that could leave the Qatari investor with a much larger share of the group than

publicly advertised, possibly as much as 15 per cent. It has also raised questions about an unspecified commission that was paid out in connection with the deal, to an undeclared recipient. The group itself has consistently declined to respond to the criticism. But majority shareholders and management hit back at Ceslar at the general shareholder assembly on Sunday all the same, approving a motion to eject the minority shareholder from the board. El Corte Inglés said in a statement that the decision came in response to “repeated violations of Ceslar’s legal obligations as an administrator”. It added that Ceslar had failed to meet its “duties of secrecy and loyalty”, and undermined the “orderly functioning” of the board by passing on information and data to the public. It also stressed that the decision was supported by all shareholders present except by Ceslar itself. Ceslar said on Sunday that it would take legal action against the decision.

EUROZONE JOBLESS RATE LOWEST FOR THREE YEARS Unemployment in the Eurozone has fallen to its lowest rate in July for more than three years, figures have shown

UROPEAN Union statistics agency Eurostat said the jobless rate in the currency union fell to 10.9% in July from 11.1% the month before. The fall was helped by a sharp fall in unemployment in Italy, where the jobless total fell by 143,000. It is the first time the unemployment rate in the Eurozone has been below 11% since February 2012. The wider 28-member EU saw the unemployment rate fall to 9.5%, the lowest rate since June 2011. The lowest unemployment rate was in Germany, at 4.7%. Greece had the highest unemployment rate, at 25%, the latest available data from May showed, followed by Spain at 22.2%. The rate of youth unemployment across the Eurozone also declined to 21.9% in July from 22.3% a month earlier.

‘STEP FORWARD’ A survey released last week suggested that growth in the Eurozone’s manufacturing sector had eased slightly in August, despite factories barely raising prices. The closely-watched Markit Eurozone manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) was 52.3 last month,

below a preliminary reading that suggested it had held steady at July’s reading of 52.4. However, it has remained above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction for more than two years. There was some good news within the data. Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland and Italy all saw strong growth, with Germany’s manufacturing PMI reading jumping to 53.3 in August from 51.8 a month earlier. Rob Dobson, senior economist at Markit, said the data suggested the Eurozone manufacturing sector showed continued resilience in August, with output growth and inflows of new business both strengthening. The manufacturing figures come almost six months into the European Central Bank’s (ECB) €60bn-a-month bond-buying programme designed to inject new life into the Eurozone economy and combat low inflation, which is currently sitting at 0.2%. With inflation still far from the ECB’s target rate of just below 2%, and looking likely to stay there for the foreseeable future, speculation is growing the bank will have to extend its stimulus programme beyond the planned completion in September 2016.

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 33

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 34

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FRAUDSTERS FLOOD OVER 55S WITH PENSION SCAM OFFERS

Protect your home before your holiday

ADVERTORIAL

CAMMERS are relentlessly contacting the over 55s with cold calls, texts and emails to lure them into pension frauds, according to a new survey. Consumer watchdogs in the UK say research suggests 40% of over 55s are regularly targeted by crooks posing as bogus pension advisers and around 10% of those contacted fell for the sting and lost money. The main focus of the scammers involves offers to transfer pension tax-free lump sums into unrealistic high risk investment opportunities. Fraudsters typically offer a high return overseas investment that does not exist to tempt retirement savers to switch their cash into the bogus scheme. The latest scams as reported by the Citizens Advice:

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 35

Kensington FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS

CALL US 1st - CALL US NOW!

- Crooks posing as pension advisers request access to the victim’s retirement savings to reinvest them but fail to explain what the investments are and how they work - Retirement savers agree to take part in a free pension review and are often visited at home by the fraudsters who use the chance to gather personal information that will give them access to the victim’s pension and other financial accounts - High risk investments with reported high returns are offered in return for pension cash, such as fine wine, overseas property. These scams often involve a team of at least two fraudsters. One gathers information while the other pushes switching cash out of the pension. Often these involve investments in South Africa. Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy said: “These fraudsters are deliberately targeting the over 55s time and again with offers of false investment opportunities.“Taking up these offers will result in the money disappearing and will undermine the victim’s chances of having enough cash for a comfortable retirement.”

Fraudsters step up campaigns

LIVING on the Costa del Sol might seem like one long holiday but most of us still like to get away over the Summer months for a change of scene or to escape the intense heat. Of course, you will have your Ibex Travel Insurance policy in place for your trip but do you give enough thought to protecting your home whilst you are away? Here are a few tips to follow which might prevent a stressful return home.

She also confirmed that the watchdog is seeing increased attempts to steal retirement savings since pension freedoms were introduced in April 2015. “In the past few months, more cases have been reported and the fraudsters are changing tack to take advantage of people who trust them with large sums of money,” she said. The research found: - 80% of fraud targets were contacted by an uninvited phone call - Another third were contacted by email - Another third were contacted by post

1) Lock all doors and windows. Blindingly obvious as this may be, it is easy to overlook a window or a garage door and a burglar will thank you for it! 2) Keep valuables out of sight. Maybe you will keep the shutters down but if not then move valuables away from prying eyes. 3) Turn everything off at the socket. Unless you are away for a very long time it is likely that you will keep the fridge & freezer on but disconnect everything else. 4) Drain the water tank and switch off water at the mains. If you can’t do this because you need to keep an irrigation system going then talk to your insurance broker to check

your cover. Return home to water damage is much more likely than returning to a home that has been burgled.

sion that people are at home. Could maybe put a radio on a timer too!

5) Don’t advertise your absence. Until you get home, keep the fact that you are away to close friends and family. Don’t say that you are ‘away’ on a phone answer message. This, of course, includes how you use social media. A prospective burglar would love to know that you are on a beach in Florida!

8) Alarm system. Alarms are good, alarms linked to security firms are better.

6) Luggage labels. Don’t put your home address on luggage labels. Another advert that you are away. 7) Lighting. Security lighting is a deterrent to would be thieves and indoor lights on timers can give the impres-

9) Tell a neighbour that you trust. They can keep an eye on the property, water plants etc 10) Check your insurance policy. Are you covered for loss or damage if you are away for more than a certain number of days? Do you have all risks cover for certain valuables and possessions that you take away on holiday with you? Are there security conditions attached to your policy?

Taking out an insurance policy with the cover you need is important so leave it to the experts and give Donna, Fi or Sam a call on 952 887 125 or Angela & Shauna on 952 581 561. As your local insurance broker Ibex can find the policy to meet your needs.

- 20% received cold-call text messages “If you are contacted by a scammer the two giveaways are they are seemingly offering free advice and some sort of high return investment which is not generally available through a reputable company,” said Guy. She also added that independent financial advisers charge for consultations and that regulators insist high risk opportunities are only offered to ‘sophisticated investors’ who understand the consequences of losing their money.

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Make your money go further Save up to 5% on your overseas money transfers*

SPAIN’S PUBLIC DEBT RISES TO 95.9 PER CENT OF GDP IN JUNE SPAIN’S public debt rose to 95.9 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in June, according to Reuters calculations based on Bank of Spain data and output estimates included in the 2016 budget proposal. Debt stood at 1.053 trillion euros ($1.17 trillion) in June, the data showed on Friday, up 12.64 billion euros from a month earlier, when the debt-to-GDP ratio was 94.7 per cent based on the government’s GDP estimate for 2015. The government expects public debt to reach a high this year of 98.7 per cent of GDP before falling to 98.2 per cent next year and dropping to 93.2 per cent by 2018.

Get in touch +34 952 906 581 costadelsol@currenciesdirect.com currenciesdirect.com *Based on a bank exchange rate comparison as at 21/08/15

SPA - Weekend world 1/4 page - v1.indd 1

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 36

HAS THE ‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’ WORKED FOR THE EUROZONE?

HREE years ago, on July 26, 2012, Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, made his promise to do “whatever it takes” to save the euro. Its impact was little short of miraculous. Since then, despite the drama of the past month in Greece, the capital markets have been brought under control. The threat of the bond vigilantes suddenly kicking a country out of the single currency has been ended. Borrowing rates have fallen dramatically. So long as they knuckle under to the conditions of the bail-out programmes, even the most heavily indebted

Last Sunday marked the third birthday of what, in retrospect, may well have been the most successful speech in central banking history countries can keep themselves afloat. Draghi’s intervention, on that measure, was a spectacular success. The trouble is that, while solving a financial crisis, he created an economic one. The Eurozone is no longer at risk of an imminent financial collapse. But it is facing a grinding depres-

sion that has gone on now for years and sadly shows little sign of ending and given time, it will go on to create a political crisis, just as it has already done in Greece. It is easy to forget just what a dire state the Eurozone was in three summers ago. Greece had gone bust, and so had Portugal and Ire-

land. Bond yields were climbing higher and higher in two of the Eurozone’s largest economies, Spain and Italy. Both breached the 6pc level, at which their debts would become unsustainable. Every government bond auction turned into a nail-biting cliff-hanger, with no one really sure whether the paper would sell. So when Draghi took centre stage at an investment conference in London in July that year, he was determined to end all that. “The ECB is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro,” said Draghi that day. “And believe me, it will be enough.” At the time, it was greeted with plenty of scepticism, but as it turned out he was right. The point of the intervention was that the markets did not believe the ECB was a proper central bank – that is, one which would print the money to prevent a government going bust. Draghi was making it clear that it would.

BETTER TERMS

BRINGING BACK THE CLASSICS During their 1787 trip to the Crimea, Admiral Fürst Potemkin gave his Empress, Catherina The Great, a local vodka which she enjoyed very much. Its recipe was handed down during the ages and is still being used to make a fine Vodka. Fürst Potemkin Vodka is an elegant Vodka with a delicate taste, a pleasant palate and a smooth finish. The recipe for this premium vodka has been composed by Fürst Potemkin himself. It won him the heart of Catherina the Great.

Since then, the bond markets have been brought under control. Extraordinarily, the Italian and Spanish governments can now borrow on better terms than even the mighty US (or, for that matter, faster growing Britain). Spain’s 10-year bond rate is 1.97pc, and Italy’s 1.92pc, compared with 2.3pc for the US. Ireland’s 10-year bond yield, more than 12pc at the height of the crisis, is now below 2pc. It is a dramatic recovery. But is the problem actually solved? In one word NO! If we ignore the problems of Greece, the performance of the rest of the continent remains in turmoil. - Finland, for example is a prosperous northern European country, which has stuck to all the rules. But its economy is a catastrophe. It has been hit hard by a recession, which can only partly be blamed on the decline of the once formidable Nokia. Its economy is still more than 5pc smaller than it was when the financial crash struck in 2008. - The Netherlands is another country struggling with mounting debts – its economy still hasn’t recovered its 2008 output either. - Over in Italy, the never-ending recession grinds relentlessly forwards with no end in sight - Portugal has just about managed to struggle back to growth this year, based mainly on a rising consumer spending, but its debts are still spiralling out of control. - Spain is held up as the one example of an economy that has recovered. True, it has put on a growth spurt – it will expand faster than the UK this year, and unemployment has come down. But it looks very flimsy. Consumer spending is rising by almost 4pc annually, and another building boom is getting going, with construction output rising by 14pc year-on-year. - Germany is not doing so well. Its industrial production has stalled, and retail sales per capita have been declining for a decade now – ordinary Germans don’t have any more money to spend. In reality, Draghi has put a plaster across the Eurozone he has calmed the bond markets and launched a blitz of quantitative easing. But a central banker cannot turn around an economy by himself so sadly the “Whatever it takes” has turned out to be not quite enough!

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GIBRALTAR TIMES

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 37

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 38 Your professional real estate partner for all types of properties in the Marbella area. We can offer you a selection of more than 15.000 properties. You can choose between brand new luxury developments, fantastic well priced resales, and attractive bank repossesions & distressed sales in all price ranges.

Established on the coast since 1998

A-22501-D

Luxurious modern living - Reduced by 60% Set on the slopes of the Sierra Blanca one of the most exclusive areas of Marbella, this avant-garde development captures the Zen philosophy offering an aesthetic use of light, water and space. This spacious development is home to a selection of 58 private luxury townhouses, split into 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms and range from 350m2 to 940m2. The spacious properties have been designed to allow light to enter the rooms at every angle ensuring no dark spaces are visible. High gloss materials, glass, wood, stone and marble have been carefully chosen for their quality and luxurious finish to add to these luxurious properties appeal. Lavish features include ample terraces, private swimming pools, gardens, wine cellars and private lift access from the secure garages below. Under floor heating, intelligent alarm systems and of course air conditioning round off this special development for only the most disconcerting of clients. The development also offers three Spas where you can enjoy the use of saunas, Turkish baths, an indoor pool and a fully equipped gym. This is an urbanisation where luxury has no limits!

€715,455 - 2,600,500 | £529,436 – 1,924,370 Henger Real Estate Hotel Andalucía Plaza Local 26 / N340, Km 174 E-29660 Nueva Andalucía Marbella Tel. (+34) 952 90 87 66 info@henger.es www.henger.es

THORSTEN HENGER (+34) 659 476 421 (+34) 952 908 766 MICHAEL HAAS (+34) 619 161 680 (+34) 952 908 766

Golden Mile Marbella Las Lomas del Marbella Club Urb. Coto Real, Fase 1, Local C/ Sierra Bermeja, s/n E-29602 Marbella

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GIBRALTAR TIMES REAL ESTATE

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 39

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 40

HOME INTEGRATION, DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY BY EZ HOME SOLUTIONS

ERE at EZ Home Solutions we design and install bespoke and easy to use systems to control your media, light, security, temperature and much more. EZ Home Solutions are experts with over 25 years experience in all aspects of home control including home cinemas, home entertainment, lighting design and security control. We will be on hand to create the most reliable and easy to use system that will take the stress out of controlling your home. Home control is a simple expression used to

describe a myriad of hi-tech solutions that make your life easier and more comfortable. Do you want simple control of all the media in your home to get rid of those unsightly boxes and multiple controllers? Do you want to control your sprinklers so your garden is only watered when needed? Do you want to be able to monitor your home for water leaks and security issues from abroad? Do you want to save energy and reduce fuel bills by making sure no lights or electrical appliances are left on when you leave the house? EZ Home Solutions can

do all that using your imagination. EZ Home Solutions will integrate everything into one central system which can be accessed easily through remote control, smart phones or tablet. Our expert designers and engineers will create a bespoke system which effortlessly controls the areas you have identified and integrates all the technology into one simple, userfriendly control system. Our aim is to make complex technology easy to use, by integrating many different components into a system that is reliable and easy to use for the whole family.

Our team can assist you at any stage with all your needs in home automation. We dedicate ourselves to provide the best quality installation from start to end. With years of experience using Crestron Automation products, we have completed many projects in La Zagaleta, Sierra Blanca, La Quinta and Sotogrande. We have also completed larger projects to provide community automation systems in Malibu, Puerto Banus and in Meisho hills, Sierra Blanca. Please feel free to visit our showroom for more information and a demonstration.

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GIBRALTAR TIMES REAL ESTATE

GIBRALTAR TIMES

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 41

Set yourself apart in Midtown

Artist impression.

Presenting truly beautiful 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedroom apartments as well as a number of breathtaking penthouses; Midtown has been arranged to accommodate all aspects of modern life, but crafted with careful consideration to the traditional values of a home.

CONTACT: MIDTOWN DEVELOPMENT +350 200 43511 | info@midtown.gi | www.midtown.gi

Omar Hayat | Sales & Marketing T: +34 952 799 344 | info@e-z-home-solutions.com | www.e-z-home-solutions.com

Disclaimer This layout is for marketing purposes only and does not constitute an offer or contract of any kind but is for general guidance and information purposes only and should therefore not be relied on as containing statements or representations of fact. Accordingly all statements and particulars evidenced herein are made without responsibility or warranty on the part of the vendor, lessor and/or their agents and it is incumbent on any prospective purchaser/lessee to satisfy themselves as to their accuracy. The vendors reserve the right to amend and/or withdraw the same at any time without notice.

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 42

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GIBRALTAR TIMES

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 43

Modern living with

traditional values

This summer marked a significant moment in the regeneration of central Gibraltar as work began on the luxury Midtown development. The first phase of the project will deliver 4 residential buildings, Lexington, Burlinton, Arlington & Providence (which will be home to 91 apartments and 6 penthouses and will include a roof top swimming pool and gardens) along with Madison that

brings 7,000 m2 of office space over 12 floors and overall 1000m2 of street level commercial space. Naomi Quigley, Brand & Marketing Coordinator for the project, said “Midtown is evidence of the progress Gibraltar is making in terms of investing in a solid and secure future for everyone that enjoys life on our unique Rock” she continued

“the development will enhance the heart of Gibraltar, bringing life to a previously underused but central area. With select shops, well chosen restaurants, beautiful green areas and leisure amenities available to all and of course all just below simply stunning residences and offices, Midtown will prove to be the most desirable place to live, work and play” Readers might be interested to know

the reasoning behind the seemingly stateside theme to the project that spans 4.3 acres in the heart of Gibraltar. Naomi Quigley explained “The name Midtown

evolved

quite

naturally,

due to the central location, when development of this site was first mooted a few years back, and of course there is an logical association to the original Midtown in the U.S”

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 44

THE

GIBRALTAR TIMES

Perhaps not surprisingly, midtown Manhattan is the Americas greatest commercial, entertainment and media district and houses the country’s largest business community.

sought freedom and independence and we too are a frontier community with a people determined to forge their own destiny and secure freedom of choice”

“In giving Midtown (Gibraltar) a full identity, we wanted to move away from the usual well-used military and sea references and reflect on something of where we are now and our next evolution as a country and a community. The New England towns that the various areas of the development are named after, not only make for great sounding addresses, but also hold a deeper meaning. There is a strong synergy between the early founding fathers and the people of Gibraltar at this point in time. The pilgrims were brave, entrepreneurial individuals that

As the artist’s impressions and plans of the project circulate, it is clear to see that Midtown has been skillfully designed to provide a contemporary and sustainable hub of residential, commercial and corporate buildings with a strong emphasis on providing green spaces for comfortable living and the whole community. Recent studies by the University of Exeter show that living near parks and gardens in cities or towns actually boosts mental well-being and that these positive benefits are significantly long lasting. Naomi expanded on this ‘green focus’ being one of the

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 45

“Midtown is evidence of the progress Gibraltar is making in terms of investing in a solid and secure future for everyone that enjoys life on our unique Rock”

key objectives in the process “When space is at a premium in a place such as Gibraltar, developers often make the mistake try to maximize every scrap of financial potential and as a result sacrifice some of the things that make for a real home and quality of life. With Midtown a great deal of care has been taken to think about the interior of each apartment, balcony & terrace, the lobbies, the courtyards, the private gardens and public park, all with the objective of creating a really desirable place to live long term. Equally, the areas that are to be used for corporate offices and commercial outlets have had the same amount of forward vision applied and once complete, the development will be an asset to Gibraltar for many generations to come.”

Please turn over to view some of the spectacular apartment floorplans still available in phase 1 of Midtown

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 46

Apartments still available in phase 1

CLAREMONT

£670,000

FROM

HARVARD

Queensway

£620,000

Queensway

Available on floors: | 5 | 6 | 7 |

Lexington

FROM

Key:

• No. of Bedrooms: 3 • Gross Internal Area: 138.34 m2 • Balcony Area: 18.25 m2

Burlington

Arlin

gto

Available on floors: | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

Living Space

Bedroom Space Sanitary Space Circulation

Lexington

Arlin

Living Space Bedroom Space Sanitary Space

• No. of Bedrooms: 3 • Gross Internal Area: 132.88 m2 • Balcony Area: 16.84 m2

Burlington

Storage

Key:

gto

Circulation Storage

Balcony

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GIBRALTAR TIMES

GIBRALTAR TIMES REAL ESTATE

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 47

IT’S THE PITS!

Balcony

18.25 m2

16.84 m2

Living & Dining 33.78 m2

Living & Dining 31.35 m2

Kitchen

12.36 m2

12.31 m2

Utility

Bathroom

En-suite

5.64 m2

6.79 m2

En-suite

Bathroom

5.25 m2

5.23 m2

Hall

17.82 m2

20.09 m2

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 1 Bedroom 3

18.68 m2

18.35 m2

14.57 m2

LIBERTY

FROM

£650,000

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 3

21.67 m2

13.10 m2

12.62 m2

WARWICK

Queensway

FROM

£495,000

Queensway

Available on floor: | 6 |

Lexington

Bedroom 1

• No. of Bedrooms: 3 • Gross Internal Area: 113.86 m2 • Balcony Area: 38.67 m2

Burlington

Arlin

Key:

gto

Living Space Bedroom Space Sanitary Space Circulation Storage

Available on floors: | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

ton

ing

Burl

Arlington

Key:

• No. of Bedrooms: 2 • Gross Internal Area: 112.00 m2 • Balcony Area: 9.70 m2

Providence

Living Space Bedroom Space Sanitary Space Circulation Storage

Balcony 9.70 m2

Balcony 38.67 m2

Living & Dining 39.20 m2

Living & Dining

Kitchen

35.31 m2

10.80 m2

Kitchen Utility

10.55 m2

Bathroom 5.30 m2

En-suite

Bathroom

5.89 m2

4.35 m2

Hall

12.44 m2

13.30 m2

En-Suite 5.60 m2

Bedroom 1 23.47 m2

Bedroom 2 12.45 m2

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 1

13.90 m2

15.70 m2

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: MIDTOWN DEVELOPMENT +350 200 43511 | info@midtown.gi | www.midtown.gi

Fire pits have evolved from caves and campsites to become a central part of outdoor living bringing heat and art to our outdoor environments

UTDOOR fire pits are gaining immense popularity today. They can be used in many locations, and depending on the model you choose, can be moved from place to place to suit your needs. There are several different types of fire pits to choose from. Here is a look at some of the different types of outdoor fire pits. The table fire pit is one which gets the fire pit up off the ground. It can come in many different styles to accommodate any existing décor that you might have on your patio. Table fire pits are very attractive and look more like a piece of furniture instead of just a fire pit. You can get them with grates that allow you to grill over them or just use it as a source of heat. Table fire pits can be made of many different materials. Tile is a great option that is easily

cleaned and can function as a table even when you are not having a fire. Wrought iron is another popular choice and can give a more elegant feel to your space. Gas outdoor fire pits are nice because there is a lot less mess than a traditional wood burning fire pit. You do not have to deal with cleaning up the ashes or keeping wood on hand. If you are using your fire pit to heat a room or space, a gas fire pit is ideal. They give off a lot of consistent heat and you do not need to keep adding fuel. They are easily portable and are great for taking camping with you.

STATEMENT If you are looking to make a statement with your fire pit, stone is the way to go. A stone fire pit is a very attractive addition to any yard. It is a more permanent choice than some of the other options, since stone is quite heavy and

not easily moved. Often these fixtures are cemented to your patio. It lends a great rustic feel to your outdoor living space. If you have an outdoor kitchen, a stone fire pit works really well. When you are designing your stone fire pit, make sure that you choose a stone that will compliment your garden and patio. When you are choosing your outdoor fire pit, make sure you take into consideration the size of your patio. If you have a smaller space, choose a fire pit that will not overwhelm it. A large fire pit will put off too much heat, and will make your family and guests uncomfortable. Likewise, a small fire pit in a large space will not give off adequate heat. Scale your fire pit to the size

of your space, just as you would with any other piece of furniture. If you put some thought into your choice, an outdoor fire pit can be the star of your patio. Choose a fire pit that will meet your needs and work well with your décor and the size of your space. Outdoor fire pits are a great way to add warmth and charm to your home.

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 48

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GIBRALTAR TIMES MOTORS

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 49

SNEAK – PEAK AT FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW 2015:

NEW PORSCHE 911 SET TO BE REVEALED

PORSCHE is set to comprehensively revamp its 911 flagship to keep it fresh before the launch of the all-new generation in 2018. The pictures here show a prototype on a development drive near Cape Town, South Africa. The most significant change is said to be a new turbocharged horizontally opposed sixcylinder engine. This, in 911 Carrera format, will displace under 3.0 litres and develop up to 365bhp. The word is still not out on the size of the turbo engine in the 911 Carrera S, but output

is said to be around 415bhp. Styling changes include a revised front bumper, slender LED daytime running lights and bigger air ducts for more effective cooling. At the rear, apertures on the bumper help to draw hot air from the engine bay. The interior will feature a new steering wheelmounted driving mode control with four settings. There will also be a new multimedia system taken from facelifted Cayenne. The new 911s will be on sale in UK towards the end of 2015.

We protect those you love the most 170,000 businesses and 200,000 households and individuals put their security in our hands. Daily reports of intrusions and robberies occupy the media at an increasing rate. At Prosegur we offer the latest technology in order to maximize the protection of thousands of homes and businesses. The extensive experience, market knowledge and quality of services tailored to each client that makes Prosegur a benchmark in security systems. Our latest la Anti-Intrusion Alarms protects households using the most advanced technology, including video-verification. The equipment is connected to the ARC (Alarm Reception Centre) so that in the event of an alarm going off, Prosegur’s operators can verify the state of the property.

Call Andreea Rosca 620 69 08 07 • www.prosegur.es

Ferrari reveals their stunning 488 Spider convertible THE convertible version of the Ferrari 488 promises to be the most powerful Spider the company has made to date with a planned release in late spring / early summer 2016. Using the same 660bhp engine as the GTB Coupé, the turbocharged V8 Spider has the same claimed 3.0-second time for the 0-62mph dash and a slightly reduced 0-124mph performance of 8.7sec compared to the coupé’s 8.4sec. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are unchanged at 24.8mpg combined and 260g/km. The top speed is 203mph and peak power is delivered at 8000rpm. The folding hard-top is similar to its 458 Spider predecessor’s. Taking 14 seconds to fold up or down, in which position it lies flat on top of the engine, the hard-top is 25kg lighter than a cloth equivalent. Though the 488 Spider is slightly heavier than the 488 GTB, at 1420kg dry with optional lightweight equipment, the difference is only 50kg and it’s 10kg lighter than the 458 Spider. The 488’s space-frame chassis (made of 11 different aluminium alloys plus other metals

such as magnesium) means there is no reduction in the Spider’s torsional rigidity, which is claimed to be 23% higher than the 458 Spider’s. This is Ferrari’s most aerodynamic droptop. Flying buttresses behind the seats send cooling air to the engine cover and intakes, with the rear spoiler (unchanged from the coupé) channelling air through a gap on the rear lip. The GTB’s speed and throttle-adjustable rear diffuser stays too. A three-position electric glass window behind the seats acts as a wind stopper or a noise booster. The 488’s suspension has been made slightly more compliant to reflect the greater likelihood of the convertible being used on the road rather than the circuit. Exhaust noise is also slightly less extreme with the roof off. The Spider will make its official debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September, with a pricing structure expected to reflect the previous relationship between Ferrari coupés and convertibles of a €30k hike. The coupé starts at €250,000, meaning the convertible will probably be priced somewhere between €280,000 and £300,000 with extra’s.

MADE WITHOUT A MIDDLE GROUND

Introducing the All-New 2015 Acura TLX You can’t build a car by consensus. Not when your goal is to engineer a more intuitive and onvolving experience for the driver. With available features like Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™, a new 290-hp direct-injection i-VTEC® V-6 engine, and a 9-speed automatic transmission, the TLX is engineered to performance standards that put the driver first and convention second.

TLX IT’S THAT KIND OF THRILL TLX shown with optional eqiuipment. ©Acura 2014. Acura, TLX i-VTEC, Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, and the stylized “A” logo are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

acura.com/TLX

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 51

LIMITED EDITION AUDI A8 MARKS 21 YEARS OF PROGRESS

LITTLE over two decades have passed since the ground-breaking Audi A8 was first introduced, and to celebrate the enduring appeal of its luxury saloon Audi has announced the launch of a bespoke model – the Edition 21. Incorporating a choice blend of the latest developments in design, technology and luxury from the recently revised A8 range, many of which are fitted as standard exclusively to this version, the A8 Edition 21 will be available in standard and Long Wheelbase formats A tailored selection of interior and exterior styling enhancements sets this special model apart, starting with the recently introduced Sport styling package. Creating a look that references the flagship S8 model, it comprises redesigned front and rear bumpers as well as pronounced side sills, and is normally reserved for standard wheelbase A8 models. Adaptive Audi Matrix LED headlights – which debuted as an option for the new generation A8 and were the first ever fully digital LED headlights on a series production car – are also fitted as standard in conjunction with LED rear lights and dynamic indicators fore and aft. Also unique to this model are 20-inch double spoke alloy wheels with a titanium-look finish that complement the four exterior colour options, which include the Daytona grey pearl effect shade that is only normally available for the 520 PS S8. The model is already available on order, with prices for the SWB version kicking off at €102,630 (£72,520) OTR whereas the LWB model costs €108,241 (£76,490) OTR. Audi says customer deliveries are programmed to start in November.

Land Rover updated

LAND Rover has announced a series of upgrades for its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models. Both the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport have been updated for 2015, with improved performance, more in-car tech and wider scope for personalisation. Available to order now, each model will now feature Land Rover’s InControl connectivity interface as standard. The Remote branch of this system features an integrated SOS Emergency Call function, Optimised Land Rover Assistance and a smartphone app allowing users to connect remotely with their vehicle from anywhere. Meanwhile, the Secure arm tracks your RR in the unlikely event that it’s stolen. Debuting alongside this tech are two new tools, InControl Apps and WiFi. The first allows owners to sync smartphone apps to the vehicle’s touchscreen, and is compatible with Android and Apple, while the second provides instant in-car access to a mobile hotspot that can support up to eight devices at once.

STON Martin’s new 2016 DB9 GT will make its global debut as part of the marque’s presence at the Pebble Beach® Automotive Week from 13 August, accompanied by a glimpse of Aston Martin’s Second Century with the DBX concept, the Lagonda Taraf and Aston Martin Vulcan supercar are all set for appearances. The DB9 GT is the luxury British sports car maker’s most compelling production ‘DB’ to date, designed to offer world-class grand touring and hand-built excellence. Claiming the title of the most potent DB9 yet devised, by virtue of its uprated 6.0-litre V12 engine which now boasts 540bhp – the DB9 GT continues a distinguished tradition of luxury, excitement and style with a raft of engineering, equipment and styling developments calculated to make this the very best of what DB9 can be.

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 52

ASTON MARTIN’S 2016 DB9 GT GLOBAL DEBUT

STRATEGY Aston Martin’s ‘Second Century’ plan was announced by Dr. Andy Palmer after completion of his first 150 days as CEO of Aston Martin. A comprehensive strategy for the ongoing growth and development of the 102-year old sport car maker, the plan laid out the principle mid-term actions, particularly in the area of new product development that will drive the growth of the company. The DBX concept – now confirmed for production – underlines Aston Martin’s growth plans by signalling an expansion into the luxury GT crossover market as part of a wider strategy to develop the strongest and most diverse product portfolio in the company’s history. Offering a challenge to the existing status quo in the high luxury GT segment, the DBX promises stylish, comfortable, practical and environmentally responsible luxury GT travel.

Styled entirely in-house by the Aston Martin design team led by Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman and with a design language hinting at the next generation of Aston Martin sports cars, the Aston Martin Vulcan is pow-

We take care of you wherever you are Your family deserves top security Our goal: to take care of those you love the most as if you were always with them. That's why we offer the most advanced services, so that they are always protected anywhere they go. SOS BUTTON WITH AUDIO VERIFICATION In the event of an emergency, with the touch of a single button, a silent alarm is sent to our CRA, which will implement the security protocol that includes verification by audio of what is happening inside the vehicle and locating it. VEHICLE RECOVERY Reporting and coordination with the authorities for the recovery of your vehicle. IMPACT IM SENSOR Our Alarm Monitoring Centre receives notice of the triggered alarm in the event that an impact takes place

Call Andreea Rosca 620 69 08 07 • www.prosegur.es

ered by the most potent iteration yet of the company’s naturally-aspirated, 7.0-litre V12 petrol engine. With a power plant developed in conjunction with Aston Martin Racing, this mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car draws

extensively on the brand’s rich GT motorsport experience The DBX, which made a surprise global debut at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year has generated interest beyond expectations.

Coys set record price for Ferrari at auction A 1992 Ferrari F40 was sold on Saturday night (8th August) for €1,12 million at Coys auction at the 43rd AVD Old timer Grand Prix in Nurburgring, Germany. Other notable results include a 1937 BMW 328 Roadster, which was sold for €562,000, a 2000 Ford GT for €227,000, a 2003 Ferrari 360 for €182,000 and another record price of €145,000 for a 1971 Lamborghini Espada SII. Chris Routledge, Managing Partner at Coys, said: “The record Ferrari F40 is a remarkable achievement which we are really happy with, proving once again that Coys is one of the leading auction houses in Germany and Europe. This is one of the last privately owned, one owner from new F40s in the world and we were entrusted with its sale by the Italian family who bought it.” He added: “For such an important car to come to the market, it cre-

ated interest from around the world and was in the end sold to a delighted German buyer, followed by a round of applause in the auction room.” Coys auction activity continues at the world’s most exclusive pre-1974 Porsche sale at the prestigious Porsche Classics at the Castle at Hedingham Castle in Essex, United Kindgom, on September 6th. This will be followed by their ground-breaking international auction at the Frankfurt Motorshow on September 26th.

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Incredibly generous in terms of the size of the spaces, degree of comfort, level of service, and profusion of elegance: the Azimut Grande Collection expresses everything that a Boat-owner could asks for in a flagship, perfectly balancing the allure of Italian style with a rigorous design concept, for sheer excellence.

ITALIAN STYLE AT ITS GREATEST From the raised pilothouse to the layout of the crew spaces that to enhance on-board professionalism, every detail has been designed to fulfill – and anticipate - every possible desire.

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OREMOST among the new features introduced by concept and exterior designer Stefano Righini, is the raised wheelhouse. The boat’s name - RPH actually stands for Raised Pilot House, giving some indication of the importance of the decision to separate the wheelhouse from the main deck. This is accomplished by creating a half deck which gives the boat owner and guests more space and maximises privacy from the crew. The designer has also managed to integrate the raised wheelhouse with the vessel’s hallmark exterior lines, retaining that special Azimut Grande family look.

Sense of Liberation Thanks to the raised wheelhouse, the Azimut Grande 95RPH has five cabins - four guest cabins on the lower deck and the boatowner’s cabin on the main deck towards the bow. The exceptional view and large bathroom make the boatowner cabin a veritable suite with an unparalleled sea view. There is also a liberating sense of space in the 95RPH saloon; here, Righini has created a real sense of continuity between inside and outside, thanks in part to the double, floor-to-ceiling picture windows. Another Azimut Grande trump card is without doubt the exceedingly spacious flybridge (+60 m2) - awarded Best in Class; it includes a cushy exterior dinette that seats 10, a mini bar, Jacuzzi, and comfortable sunbathing area.

Luxurious end Elegant The layout sleeps 10 with the boatowner’s suite and four VIP cabins, each with a private bath; there is also a day head. The four-member crew has three cabins and two baths to the bow, with separate access to the kitchen located on the main deck. The luxurious and elegant interiors are by Studio Salvagni Architetti for Azimut Yachts, a proven collaboration that has led to such successful models as Azimut 80, Azimut 84, and Azimut 88. To the stern, there is a garage with pivoting platform for a + 4-metre tender jet; the engine room has two MTU 16V2000 M84 motors which, when combined with the planing hull with skeg, provides for significantly improved directional stability, enabling maximum speeds of 26.5 knots and cruising speeds of 20 knots. The 12,000-litre fuel tank and 2,000-litre water tank ensure great range, even for long crossings. Despite being a vessel with an overall length of nearly 29 metres, the Grande

95RPH falls within the 24-metre cut-off and therefore can be registered as a pleasure craft. In many countries around the world this is a distinction which offers the boat owner serious advantages both in terms of crew management and administration, with significant savings in time and money. This is because pleasure crafts do not require a professional captain or engineer and have reduced crew requirements. In addition, the registration procedures are definitely simplified, with the corollary benefits for charter use: regulations are in conformance with MGN280 guidelines, MCA equivalent for under 24 metres. The Grande 95RPH is the Grande collection’s first model since it was incorporated into the Azimut Yachts family, now with five collections: Atlantis, Magellano, Flybridge, S and of course - Grande. Specs: n Length overall 28,62 m (93’11”) _____________________________________________________________________________ n Beam max 6.94 m (22’9’’) _____________________________________________________________________________ n Draft to keel at full load 2,05 m (6’9’’) _____________________________________________________________________________ n Engines 2 x 2.200 mHP (1630 kW) MTU 16V2000 M84 _____________________________________________________________________________ n Maximum speed 26.5 Knots _____________________________________________________________________________ n Cruising speed 20 Knots _____________________________________________________________________________ n Full load displacement 110 t _____________________________________________________________________________ n Fuel tank capacity 12.000 l (3,170 US gls) _____________________________________________________________________________ n Fresh water capacity 2.000 l (528 US gls) _____________________________________________________________________________ n Cabins 5 + 3 crew _____________________________________________________________________________ n Heads 6 + 2 crew _____________________________________________________________________________ n Building material GRP _____________________________________________________________________________ n Exterior styling & concept Stefano Righini _____________________________________________________________________________ n Interior designer Salvagni Architetti _____________________________________________________________________________ For more information visit: www.azimutyachts.com

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 56

GLORIOUS GOODWOOD WILL BE FINAL BOW FOR RICHARD HUGHES AS CHAMPION JOCKEY SET TO RETIRE R

ICHARD HUGHES (right), 42, the champion Flat jockey for the last three years, is to unexpectedly retire at the end of Glorious Goodwood. The Irishman, who hopes to have his first runners as a trainer this autumn, said: “If you have backed me to win the title, (Jockey’s Championship), I can only apologise. I need to stop being a jockey, sadly sooner rather than later.” Hughes is poised to embark upon a training career as early as this autumn and admitted the demands of preparing for his new vocation, allied to performing to his best on a racetrack, hastened the decision to move forward his retirement plans. He added: “I’ve always given 100 per cent in everything I’ve done and I don’t want to stop doing that now. “To be a champion jockey and to be successful you have to be totally committed. It’s become clear in the last two weeks that I’ve realised what that (training) will entail. I always knew this was going to be my last year, and I’m comfortable with the decision (to retire after Goodwood). Now is the time.”

Big guns set to clash at Qatar Nassau Stakes M

ARKING the end of the summer social season and just weeks after Royal Ascot, the annual five-day Goodwood Festival has been a highlight of the British horse racing calendar for more than a century. Key races include the Goodwood Cup, the Sussex Stakes and the Nassau Stakes on the final day of the event where three Group One winners are on course to compete in Saturday’s clash of the Titans. David Wachman’s 1000 Guineas winner and Oaks runner-up Legatissimo, John Gosden’s Aidan O’Brien

French Oaks winner Star Of Seville and Aidan O’Brien’s Pretty Polly heroine Diamondsandrubies are set to light up the last afternoon as they feature among 11 confirmations. O’Brien may also run Wedding Vow, who broke her maiden in the Kilboy Estate Stakes and Outstanding, who finished third in the Belmont Oaks. However, Investec Oaks winner Qualify was a notable absentee. Mick Channon’s Malabar, fourth in the Guineas, David Elsworth’s Arabian Queen, Luca Cumani’s Lady Of Dubai, third in the Oaks and Gosden’s Jazzi Top, who was two places further back at Epsom, complete the ninestrong three-year-old team.

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Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 57

IR Bradley Wiggins gave everything he had to raise the standard of a “torturous” and “relentless” UCI Hour Record but the Beamonesque mark he targeted was beyond even him. Tickets sold out in seven minutes to watch Wiggins ride around in circles for 60 minutes, targeting fellow Briton Alex Dowsett’s record of 52.937-kilometres. And the 2012 Tour de France champion, four-time Olympic gold medallist and world time-trial champion delivered in 54.526km, he even had the strength to raise his bike above his head in celebration. “I’ve got to be happy with that. I couldn’t have done much more,” Wiggins said. Wiggins had set himself a target of over 55km (220 laps) and a record which would last a generation, thus bearing comparison with Bob Beamon’s long jump world record from 1968 which lasted almost 23 years.

PRESSURE He did everything in his power, even shaving his beard, to perform, but the conditions at the Lee Valley VeloPark - formerly known as the Olympic Velodrome - were not conducive to such a distance and Dowsett may be among those encouraged to try again. Wiggins recorded the same distance to that achieved on Wednesday in a full dress rehearsal at lower - and therefore more favourable - pressure. “I couldn’t have done any more today with the conditions. It was 1030 (bar) pressure,” Wiggins added. For the 35-year-old Wiggins it was a one-time opportunity, with the Rio Olympics next summer likely to be his swansong. “I won’t go for it again,” he added. Wiggins became the sixth rider to win the Tour and claim the Hour Record, which is said by those who have accomplished it to be their toughest athletic challenge. Wiggins had shorn of the beard he has grown since his distinctive sideburns sported in 2012 attracted too much attention. He began ahead of his scheduled start while Sky Sports was on an advertising break.”I was just ready to go. I’ve waited long enough,” Wiggins said. Roared on by the partisan crowd, which included fellow Tour winner and one-time Hour Record holder Miguel Indurain, he speed was consistently around 54.6kph, well ahead of the pace set by Dowsett in Manchester on May 2. He passed Dowsett with just under two minutes to go on a challenge which was more mental as he knew his physical capabilities.”When you’re out there you think it’s never going to end,” he added. Wiggins would like to see multiple road time-trial world champions Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland and Germany’s Tony Martin bid for the record and thinks Dowsett, who is 26, may have another go. His next major goal is next March’s London Track World Championships, where the team pursuit is the big goal, but Wiggins may also ride the 4km individual pursuit in a bid for a fourth world title in the non-Olympic discipline. By then his beard should have grown back.”I feel naked without it,” Wiggins added.

Sir Bradley Wiggins smashes Alex Sowsett’s hour record

MGM MARBELLA SIGN BRITISH CHAMPION AND TWO TIME ABA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION W

ARREN Baister (pictured far left) feels the time was right for him to turn professional because his heart was no longer in the amateur game. The cruiserweight from Sunderland has turned his back on Team GB to join the paid ranks, and will be part of Matthew Macklin’s gym in Marbella. With 14 months until the opening ceremony at the Rio Olympics, the 29-year-old is denying himself the chance of competing at the world’s greatest sporting event, but he believes it is the right thing to do. “I enjoyed my time on Team GB but to-

wards the end it was getting a bit monotonous,” said Baister, who missed out on a medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games when he was narrowly beaten by Samir El-Mais in the quarter-finals. “I’ve seen it all and done it all and to be honest it’s not a nice time to go through in the build-up to a major tournament. It’s quite a stressful time, so to go through all the training camps and build-up, my heart wasn’t in them.” Baister will not be relocating to Marbella as former GB team-mate Tom Stalker did, but will remain in the North East. “I will be

doing camps out there but I won’t be living out there,” he said. “I’ll still be based in Peterlee, working with Dave Binns and training alongside Glenn Foot. “The beauty of being part of MGM (Macklin Gym Marbella) is at any time they can fly me out there at short notice for training camps, so I’ve got the best of both worlds really. “I’m going to be at home, training at home, but when I need to go away for a bit of solitude, I can head out to a camp.” Baister is already eyeing up Matchrom’s planned show for Newcastle in October.

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 58

ROUND UP

POOL A - AUSTRALIA, ENGLAND, WALES, FIJI, URUGUAY

POOL B - SOUTH AFRICA, SAMOA, SCOTLAND, JAPAN, USA Pool B is interesting; obviously South Africa will be firm favourites to top this pool, but there are four other teams in the group who are all capable of beating each other. It’s a tough call between Scotland and Samoa, but it is widely felt that Scotland will edge it on points difference. Prediction: South Africa to win the pool with Scotland as runners up. Game to Watch: Scotland vs Samoa Saturday, October 10 kick off 14.30 (UK time)

POOL C - NEW ZEALAND, ARGENTINA, TONGA, GEORGIA, NAMIBIA New Zealand will begin this pool as favourites, and should win every single game comprehensively. Tonga vs the currently World Champions will be a very physical affair with huge hits coming from both teams. Prediction: New Zealand to win the pool and Argentina as runners up. Game to Watch: New Zealand vs Tonga Friday, October 09 kick off 20.00 (UK time)

POOL D - FRANCE, IRELAND, ITALY, CANADA, ROMANIA Pool D will be interesting, Ireland and France will both expect to qualify from this pool. Italy won’t be afraid of Ireland and France and will target them as two games they could potentially win. If France lose their opening match against Italy, pool D will make for very interesting viewing! Prediction: Ireland to win the pool and France runners up Game to Watch Ireland vs France Sunday, October 11 kick off 16.45 (UK time).

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WILL HAVE A STRONG SPANISH FLAVOUR

FROM 18 September to 31 October the Rugby World Cup will be hosted by England and Wales and is set to become the biggest competition in the sport’s history. The sixweek tournament, encompassing 48 matches at 12 venues in England and at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, is expected to attract 400,000 international visitors and generate as much as £1 billion for the UK economy. A total of 20 teams will compete in the tournament with each team placed into various pools based on their seeding. The pools are as follows:

Labelled as the group of death, group A will be fascinating! With three teams in the same group who could all be considered as potential winners, it promises to be a tense and high quality pool with rivalries to match. England and Australia are two teams that have become synonymous with success on the Rugby World Cup stage. If Wales play to their potential, they have the physicality and strike runners to cause many team problems. Prediction: England to win the pool with Wales as Runner Ups. Game to Watch: England vs Wales Saturday, September 26 kick off 20.00 (UK time)

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There’s something about Bolt FOR 30 years former world 1500-metres champion Steve Cram has been commentating on athletics, but he has never uttered anything more impassioned than the words he used to greet Usain Bolt’s victory inside the Bird’s Nest Stadium on Sunday. “Bolt has saved his title, he’s saved his reputation, he may have even saved his sport,” the BBC’s chief athletics commentator said. “It was the result that everyone wanted, apart from Justin Gatlin. I’ve never been happier commentating on a 100m final.” There is something about Bolt that causes people to put aside any sense of objectivity, add the fact that the men’s

100 meters final included 5 drug cheats it is little wonder Bolts victory was history in the making. Darren Campbell, a British 4x100m relay gold medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, appeared to speak for the entire athletics community when he said: “The sport needs to sort itself out and we have that opportunity to start from a positive position thanks to the great Usain Bolt. Talk about a hero – we’ve witnessed greatness.”

PAIN became the first country to have five teams in the Champions’ League group stage in one season after Valencia squeezed past Monaco 4-3 on aggregate in the playoff round despite a 2-1 defeat on Tuesday. Valencia joined holders Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, who got an automatic berth as last season’s winners of Europe’s second-tier Europa League. On a night of pulsating action, Malmo, Dinamo Zagreb, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Shakhtar Donetsk also booked money-spinning group stage spots in Europe’s premier club competition. Swedish champions Malmo made the group stage for a second straight season after captain Markus Rosenberg and a Dedryck Boyata own goal gave them a bruising 2-0 win and

4-3 aggregate triumph over Celtic to overturn a 3-2 first-leg away deficit. Former European Cup winners Celtic lost their lead after Rosenberg met a corner the ball sliding in off his shoulder. Malmo missed several chances before Boyata’s desperate attempt to clear in a goalmouth scramble ended with the Celtic defender sliding the ball into his own net. “We are at least as good as last year, particularly at home,” Rosenberg told Sweden’s TV6 after Malmo kept a 10th straight clean sheet at home in European qualifying. Dinamo qualified for the third time in the past five seasons, beating Skenderbeu 4-1 at home to complete a 6-2 overall victory against the Albanians.

Feeling hungry? – You will be after watching these guys play! A FEW years ago, a Spanish third division club gained international attention by launching a broccoli themed away kit. The idea came from the fact that broccoli was one of the region’s top exports Well, now the kit-maker that brought you La Hoya Lorca’s “Clockwork Broccoli” kit has a new food based offering for CD Guijuelo: the ham kit.

Guijuelo

Guijuelo is known for its jamon iberico, so why not make Lady Gaga jealous and cover an away kit with images of it? With this new ham inspired kit, there is now an entire meal’s worth of Spanish lower division food themed strips with the broccoli kit (La Hoya Lorca), ham kit (CD Guijuelo), the octopus kit and beer refreshments kit (CD Lugo). Anyone for tapas?

This was a victory that touched a nerve across the sporting world and beyond. Athletics has its hero and it was time to rejoice. Lugo

La Hoya Lorca

Issue 01 September 24 - October Barclays Premier League Table 07, 2015 59 P Team P W D L F A GD Pts 1 Man City 3 3 0 0 8 0 8 9 2 Leicester 3 2 1 0 7 4 3 7 3 Liverpool 3 2 1 0 2 0 2 7 4 Man Utd 3 2 1 0 2 0 2 7 5 Crystal Palace 3 2 0 1 6 4 2 6 6 Swansea 3 1 2 0 5 3 2 5 7 Everton 3 1 1 1 5 4 1 4 8 Norwich 3 1 1 1 5 5 0 4 9 Arsenal 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1 4 10 Chelsea 3 1 1 1 5 7 -2 4 11 West Ham 3 1 0 2 6 6 0 3 12 Watford 3 0 3 0 2 2 0 3 13 Bournemouth 3 1 0 2 4 5 -1 3 14 Aston Villa 3 1 0 2 2 3 -1 3 15 Stoke 3 0 2 1 3 4 -1 2 16 Tottenham 3 0 2 1 3 4 -1 2 17 Newcastle 3 0 2 1 2 4 -2 2 18 Southampton 3 0 2 1 2 5 -3 2 19 Sunderland 3 0 1 2 4 8 -4 1 20 West Brom 3 0 1 2 2 6 -4 1

Sky Bet Championship Table P Team P W D L F A GD Pts 1 Ipswich 4 3 1 0 8 4 4 10 2 Brighton 4 3 1 0 5 2 3 10 Charlton 4 2 2 0 5 2 3 8 3 4 MK Dons 4 2 1 1 5 2 3 7 5 Hull 4 2 1 1 6 4 2 7 6 QPR 4 2 1 1 9 8 1 7 7 Cardiff 4 1 3 0 6 4 2 6 4 1 2 1 4 2 2 5 8 Middlesbrough 9 Birmingham 3 1 2 0 5 4 1 5 10 Sheff Wed 4 1 2 1 5 4 1 5 11 Nottm Forest 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 5 12 Preston 4 1 2 1 2 2 0 5 13 Burnley 4 1 2 1 4 5 -1 5 14 Brentford 3 1 1 1 6 5 1 4 15 Leeds 4 0 4 0 4 4 0 4 16 Derby 4 0 4 0 3 3 0 4 17 Wolves 4 1 1 2 5 7 -2 4 18 Bristol City 4 1 1 2 5 8 -3 4 19 Reading 4 0 3 1 2 3 -1 3 20 Huddersfield 4 0 3 1 3 5 -2 3 21 Fulham 4 0 2 2 4 6 -2 2 22 Blackburn 4 0 2 2 3 5 -2 2 23 Bolton 4 0 2 2 1 5 -4 2 24 Rotherham 4 0 1 3 4 10 -6 1

Spanish BBVA La Liga Table

Who is Aleksandr Kokorin, the Dynamo Moscow striker linked with Arsenal move? ALEKSANDR Kokorin is reportedly on the brink of signing for Arsenal from Dynamo Moscow. But who is the Russian forward? The 24-year-old began his youth career with Locomotiv Moscow before moving to Dynamo Moscow. He quickly became an integral part of the Dynamo side, making 24 league appearances in 2009. Anzhi Makhachkala met his €19m (£13m) release clause in July of 2013, but he never played an official match for Anzhi. He was injured when he signed and then by August, when the whole Anzhi squad was put up for sale he was signed again by Dynamo, ending his brief spell. He has, however, yet to score more than 10 league goals in a single season.

P Team P W D L F A GD Pts 1 Eibar 1 1 0 0 3 1 2 3 2 Celta de Vigo 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3 3 Atl Madrid 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 4 Espanyol 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 5 Barcelona 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 6 Real Betis 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 7 Villarreal 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 8 Real Madrid 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 9 Valencia 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 10 Real Sociedad 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 11 D. de La Coruña 12 Málaga 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 13 Rayo Vallecano 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 14 Sp. de Gijón 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 15 Sevilla 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 16 Levante 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 17 Las Palmas 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 18 Ath Bilbao 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 19 Getafe 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 20 Granada CF 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2 0

Academy of fun this summer

THE Los Arqueros kids golf summer school is run by the M&G (Miguel and Gabriel) Golf Academy. The Academy is based in Los Arqueros and they are running weekly camps during the school holidays for kids, aged from five to 16 years old, who are on holiday here or living in the area. The classes will be run in groups with a maximum of six children per group. The classes will run from Monday to Friday in the mornings and will be about 1 1/2 hours long. The class type will be dependent on natural ability and handicap and groups will be decided by Miguel and Gabriel. The price is 100 euros for the week long course. The groups will be taken on the course to play a few holes later in the week. For registration please contact the caddie master on 0034 952 78 46 00. Mobile: 0034 647 82 32 08 or 0034 626 43 40 18. E-mail: mggolfacademy@ hotmail.com

SPORT

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 60

TIGER WOODS’ PROBLEMS ARE MAINLY MENTAL AND NOT PHYSICAL T

HE former number one suffered his worst professional round as he slumped with a 13-over-par 85 on the third day of the Memorial Tournament in Ohio. Faldo, who is now an analyst of the game, said that this has been ‘going on for a while’. He said that for a golfer, the real problem begins when he fears the shot before hitting the ball, saying that this was the case with Woods and that’s why he was not comfortable. Last week’s round at Muirfield Village, a course at which Woods has tasted victory on eight occasions, was only his third in the 80s in the entire career with Woods still searching for a swing fix during a practice round this week with coach Chris Como, said Faldo.

BOGEYS The weekend’s golf was far from vintage Tiger Woods but at least the 14-times major champion rebounded at the Memorial Tournament to beat his third round score by 11 shots. A day after posting a career-worst 13-over 85 at Muirfield Village, Woods scratched out a two-over 74, showing glimpses of good form but once again countering it with plenty of bad. Buoyed by hitting nine of 14 fairways,

Six times major champion Nick Faldo has opined that Tiger Woods’ slump on the golf course is a result of mental problems the most of the week, Woods had five birdies in his round and at one stage looked like he may have turned a corner at three-under through 12 holes. But two bogeys and two double bogeys on his last six once again exposed flaws in the former world number one. The 39-year-old remained last in the tournament at 14-over 302, the worst 72-hole total of his career, but was pleased with some aspects of play. “Today was a lot better ballstriking wise but I didn’t finish off very good,”

For a golfer, the real problem begins when he fears the shot before hitting the ball, said the analyst and former major champion.

he told reporters. “Today was what I’ve been doing on the driving range and that was finally nice to see. I got solidness back, I was hitting the driver with both shapes, cuts and draws,” Woods said. Woods admitted Saturday’s 85, only the third

time he had failed to break 80, was a humbling experience. But he insisted it was a necessary pain as he continues to go through swing changes with coach Chris Como. With his next start the U.S. Open coming on June 18 time is running out to get it right if he is to halt his major winning drought, which will hit the seven-year mark if he cannot win at Chambers Bay. Woods will now take a few days off to let a blister on his left index finger heel before ramping up his major preparations. “Hopefully, in two weeks’ time things will be a lot better and I’ll be ready to try to win a U.S. Open,” he said.

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‘I want Filipe Luis & Carlos Tevez’ Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone CONFIRMS

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 61

Diego Maradona believes he’ll be a FIFA vice president if Prince Ali wins presidential election

It’s in the “hands of God”

TLETICO Madrid coach Diego Simeone says he hopes to sign a double whammy this summer with Juventus attacker Carlos Tevez and Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis this summer. Atletico have been regularly linked with a move for Argentina international Tevez through recent weeks, with Juventus director general Giuseppe Marotta having recently acknowledged that the 31-year-old could move on. Asked in a recent interview whether he had spoken to Tevez recently, Simeone said no conversation had taken place but he was “excited” about the idea of his compatriot playing at the Estadio Vicente Calderon. “The truth is I have not spoken with Carlos, but I know the club is speaking with his agent,” Simeone said. “It is always exciting to have players like Tevez. He has the best thing about this game -- he bleeds football, apart from the number of goals he is capable of scoring each season. He would be an ideal signing for our idea of football at Atletico Madrid.” Atletico are also keen to sign Luis, who left the Spanish club for Chelsea in a €20 million deal last summer but had little involvement under Jose Mourinho. “Filipe Luis is a player we like a lot as a kid but who also knows us well and has given a lot to the team,” Simeone said. “I hope it happens.”

NOW I’M AIMING A TO REACH FOR THE TOP

FTER the surprising win of Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka at the French Open tennis tournament, at the Roland Garros stadium, Wawrinka still insists he still has ground to make up to be considered on a similar level to that of the big four despite his shock final victory over Novak Djokovic. Djokovic was strong favourite to clinch h i s first title at Roland Garros and complete a career Grand Slam but Wawrinka outplayed the world No 1 to win 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4. It means a second Grand Slam success for the Swiss, who last year won the Australian Open to join Juan Martin del Potro as the

only men since 2005 to lift a Major trophy other than Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. His latest triumph over Djokovic was particularly impressive given the way he overpowered the Serb with a number of brilliant base-line winners, but Wawrinka believes he needs to be more consistent. “I’m trying to be more consistent at every tournament but so far it’s just me. I’m not as strong as the big four. They are winning everything,” Wawrinka said. “But I’m certainly strong enough to win some of the big titles during the coming years. With Wimbledon next on the tennis schedule I’m sure all eyes will be on Warinka. Wimbledon begins on June 29th – July 12th

IEGO Maradona believes he could become a FIFA vice president if Prince Ali of Jordan wins the upcoming presidential election. The Argentine legend and World Cup winner has long been a critic of FIFA and alleged corruption in world football’s governing body, and this is despite having been banned by FIFA for a failed drugs test at the 1994 World Cup and ostracised by his own country’s football association after a failed stint as national team head coach. The 54-year-old sees himself as a perfect fit to help with the upcoming reforms, and claimed on Argentine television that there’s a strong possibility of him stepping into the upper ranks of FIFA if Ali bin AlHussein can beat off the likes of Luis Figo and Michael van Praag in the upcoming ballot. “If Prince Ali wins, I have a great chance of being vice president of FIFA,” Maradona said. “And if I get there, I’m going to clean up everything!”

WHAT HAPPENED? In the final stages of the Italian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton winning comfortably, the Briton was instructed by his race engineer to increase his pace “We need to pull a gap. Don’t ask questions, just execute.” WHY DID THEY TELL HIM TO GO FASTER? At the time it was a mystery – why would Mercedes demand more speed if Hamilton’s car had a problem? However, it seems the team wanted to increase his margin of victory to offset a potential penalty coming Hamilton’s way. A confused Hamilton did as asked and produced some searing pace to win by a margin of 25.042 seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel. SO, WHAT WAS GOING ON? As the race ended, a report from FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer confirmed that both Mercedes cars had been measured with insufficient tyre pressure. The report read: “The measured minimum tyre starting pressure of the left hand side rear tyre of car number 44 (Hamilton) was 0.3 PSI below the specified minimum tyre starting pressure and the measured minimum tyre starting pres-

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 62

So what was Monza’s “Tyregate” all about?

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Lewis Hamilton’s dominant the Italian Grand Prix from start to finish but a bizarre radio message from the Mercedes team subsequently followed by a stewards’ investigation into tyre pressure left everyone wondering what was going on

sure of the left hand side rear tyre of car number 06 (Rosberg) was 1.1 PSI below the specified minimum tyre starting pressure.” WHAT DID MERCEDES HAVE TO SAY? Paddy Lowe, Mercedes technical director, confirmed the team had been summoned to see the stewards, but insisted they had done nothing wrong and the pressures had been approved by tyre manufacturer Pirelli. He said: “We don’t understand it. We’ve been

Red Cloud Bar • Restaurant • Sports Open 12 noon to 12 midnight

summoned to the stewards. We’ll gather and explain it...All I know is we set our pressures fully supervised by the Pirelli engineer. He was perfectly happy with them as they were set. With an abundance of caution, because we haven’t done anything wrong, we thought let’s make a gap.” Hamilton added: “0.3 (PSI) doesn’t have any effect, it doesn’t do anything. I’m sure people can prove it. Pirelli can prove it. It wasn’t the reason we won today. We won because we were the quickest.”

Stewards were happy with Mercedes explanations and thanked both Mercedes and tyre manufacturer Pirelli for following the correct procedure.

SO IS THERE A PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE FROM LOWER TYRE PRESSURE? YES! Lower pressures are favourable in terms of speed and race performance. Pirelli warned about it earlier in the week, and they tested both Mercedes and both Ferraris on the grid.

SO IS THE TESTING PROCEDURE FLAWED? YES! If the tests aren’t carried out in controlled conditions (i.e. constant temperature) then they really aren’t worth doing at all? What’s more, many fans wondered why would you test tyre pressure before the race, then let the Mercedes cars continue after showing illegal levels - especially if it is considered unsafe? Unsurprisingly, the Stewards’ letter says: “The Stewards recommend that the Tyre Manufacturer and the FIA hold further meetings to provide clear guidance to the teams on measurement controls.”

SO WHY WAS NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN? The low pressure was put down to Mercedes disconnecting their tyre warming blankets which meant the tyres were cooler - meaning lower air pressure - than those of other teams.

SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE TITLE? Quite frankly it means Hamilton, now has a 53 point lead over Rosberg, who retired on the penultimate lap with an unrelated engine failure .

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McLAREN are reportedly poised to lose £20m in sponsorship money next year, with two brands ending their association with the team. The Woking-based constructor lost title sponsor Vodafone at the end of the 2013 season and has been without a lead sponsor since then, last year they lost Hugo Boss to Mercedes after a 33-year association and rumour has it that banking company Santander and Johnnie Walker are poised to walk away from the team after the current campaign. It is thought that Johnnie Walker’s investment is worth around £15m a year to McLaren, while Santander pays £5m per season. Johnnie Walker have been with McLaren for a decade and what will be all the more galling for Ron Dennis (picturd above), the McLaren chairman, is that at the end of 2013 season they offered a £43-million a-year deal to be the teams main sponsor and offer Dennis turned down because he believed the offer was too small. A Johnnie Walker spokesman said they are in “ongoing conversations” with McLaren but refused to comment on “speculation McLaren are currently ninth in the constructors’ championship.

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 63

A return to form Lewis Hamilton said he needed a return to winning ways as he took the chequered flag at the Canadian Grand Prix - but stopped short of labelling his victory as a relief.

HE reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton (above) had missed out on a win last time out in Monaco after a late pit-stop allowed Mercedes team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg to seal a second straight success. But Hamilton, like so many times in the past, was untouchable in Montreal as he dominated a race which passed by with very little incident. The win, the 37th of his career, moves him 17 points clear at the top of the drivers’ standings and he insisted it was simply more proof of his ability to lead from the front than any relief at getting back on the top step. “Did I need this? I think so,’’ he said. “I love Montreal. I love this track, I love this city and (it’s been) really just a fantastic weekend, great to get back onto the top step. “I didn’t feel I had the most comfortable balance and had some under-steer but I didn’t feel under too much pressure. It was never too serious. It was a great race. I don’t feel like I needed to be (relieved) - I was quicker all of the previous race weekend. We had the problem that enabled Nico to win. It is not a relief it is good to continue with good strength. It is good that the team continue to be strong and move forwards as well, that is the impressive thing.” Mercedes head of motorsport Toto Wolff was pleased with the performance given the stinging criticism of the team after the decision in Monaco, especially given Hamilton’s race engi-

neer Peter Bonnington lost his father earlier in the week. “I must say that after Monaco, it was very difficult for the team to handle the criticism,” he said. “We were exposed to massive criticism, it looked like all the victories and the world championship was forgotten and suddenly a bunch of idiots were managing the team”.

BATTLING The podium was completed by Nico Rosberg in second place with Valtteri Bottas of Williams, the first non-Mercedes or Ferrari car to finish in the top three this season. Ferrari was third with Kimi Raikkonen fourth and Sebastian Vettel battling up from 18th on the grid to finish fifth. But it was not a good day for McLaren as both of their cars were forced to retire and, for the first time, there was public frustration from Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard hit out at his own team when asked to go into fuel-saving mode. Felipe Massa also progressed well through the field to take sixth for Williams and Pastor Maldonado scored his first points of the season for Lotus as he came home seventh, with Romain Grosjean in 10th making it a good day for the team. Nico Hulkenberg finished eighth for Force India and Red Bull scored minor points with Daniil Kvyat’s ninth-placed finish.

F1 TABLES (after Round 7 of 19) 2015 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship 2015 POSITION DRIVER

TEAM

POINTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Williams Martini Racing-Mercedes Williams Martini Racing-Mercedes Infiniti Red Bull-Renault Infiniti Red Bull-Renault Lotus-Mercedes Sauber Sahara Force India-Mercedes Sahara Force India-Mercedes Scuderia Toro Rosso-Renault Scuderia Toro Rosso-Renault Lotus-Mercedes Sauber McLaren Honda Manor Marussia-Ferrari Manor Marussia-Ferrari McLaren Honda

151 134 108 72 57 47 35 19 17 16 11 10 9 6 6 5 4 0 0 0

Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg Sebastian Vettel Kimi Räikkönen Valtteri Bottas Felipe Massa Daniel Riccardo Daniil Kvyat Romain Grosjean Felipe Nasr Sergio Perez Nico Hulkenberg Carlos Sainz Jr Max Verstappen Pastor Maldonado Marcus Ericsson Jenson Button Will Stevens Roberto Merhi Fernando Alonso

2015 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship 2015 POSITION TEAM

POINTS

1 Mercedes 285 2 Ferrari 180 3 Williams-Mercedes 103 4 Red Bull-Renault 54 5 Lotus-Mercedes 23 6 Force India-Mercedes 21 7 Sauber 21 8 Scuderia Toro Rosso-Renault 15 9 McLaren-Honda 4 10 Manor Marussia-Ferrar 0

Next Race: Austria 21st June

THE

GIBRALTAR TIMES SPORT

Issue 01 September 24 - October 07, 2015 64

MURRAY’S EARLY EXIT IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT… OR IS IT? M

URRAY’S winning streak may have finally run out but his early exit from the US Open doesn’t mean he has anything to worry about. Yes this is his earliest defeat at the Grand Slams for five years having always made it passed the quarter-finals of a major since the 2010 US Open but Andy, came into this fortnight with more matches played than anyone else on the ATP World Tour this season going from Roland Garros to Queen’s to Wimbledon and then back to Queen’s for Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final against France. He hardly had much of a break before starting his North American hardcourt swing in Washington.

HUGELY ENCOURAGING He then travelled on to the Master-level events in Montreal and Cincinnati, before then rolling into New York. So it’s little wonder that Murray didn’t win, but let’s not allow this result to

obscure the reality this has been a hugely encouraging season for him. Why, it was just a couple of months ago that the tennis world was all in broad agreement that he was playing the best tennis of his life. If you think back to last year Murray was still regaining his strength after a back operation, so if anything this season he has shown that he is still very much a contender for the biggest prizes in tennis. The runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, he also troubled the Serbian in the last four at Roland Garros, taking him to five sets and looking (who could have imagined this a few years ago ) like a possible French Open champion of the future. At Wimbledon he had the misfortune, in his semi-final, to be on the other side of the net from Roger Federer’s sharpest serving performance for the best part of a decade but significantly, this summer brought him his first victory over Djokovic in two

years, with that result coming in the Montreal final, he also touched the world No. 2 ranking again, if only for a week before Federer pushed him back into third.

REST AND RELAXATION One benefit of Murray’s early departure from the US Open is that he will now have more time to prepare for next week’s Davis Cup semi-final against Australia in Glasgow, where he will be hoping to take Britain into a first final since 1978. This autumn, he will also benefit from not having to play the manic schedule that he did last season as he went in search of the ranking points he required to qualify for the season- ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. This time, he can relax in the certainty he will be at The O2, having already qualified for a tournament restricted to the best eight players in the world.