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OLIVE PRESS GIBRALTAR
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Vol. 4 Issue 102 www.theolivepress.es July 31st to August 13th 2019
Big Mack with flies
THE Government has revealed an ambitious plan to double the theatre capacity of John Mackintosh Hall. The iconic venue will see its current 408-seat space replaced with a new theatre big enough for an audience of over 900. A 13-metre stage, improved lighting, and new rigging - aka flies - are among the other features of the project.
Spacious
The current theatre will be dismantled, while the Hebrew High School Institute, adjoining the building will remain unchanged. A more spacious library and changes to the usage of Queen’s cinema room complete the upgrades. Minister of Culture, Steven Linares, said: “We are developing excellent facilities for the sports community and we maintain the same commitment to raise the great Performing Arts family in Gibraltar to an even higher level than today.”
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Carrying its spectacular beauty and exclusive seclusion with a carefree air, this haunt of global A-listers holds much to be valued, discovers Tim McNulty and Maya Eashwaran
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area (below) is full of upscale restaurants and sailing yachts TCHED carefully into the Rutherford crown of Spain’s south- Knowles, or the BBC’s Nick in the port of Sotogrande. who all have homes “It’s so cosmopolitan ern coast, Sotogrande is in the and with resort. a low crime rate - if any at all. a gem that shows no sign And then there are the footbalof losing its glimmer. Continues on page 22 The country’s largest pri- lers, including Glenn Hoddle vately-owned residential ‘su- and Glen Johnson, who have per-state’ has long been the bought homes in Sotogrande. first port of call for the cream of Internationally renowned for its polo, golf and sailing, as well European high society. The radiance of this million- as a burgeoning gastronomic aire’s playground lies in its scene, this ‘mini Monaco’ of low-density living, stunning high net worth residents has all beaches and mountain back- the hallmarks of what is often drops, plus its amazing marina considered the top private resort in Europe. and golf courses. Its privileged views of the Rock Different from other ‘celebrity’ TYRE CENTER of Gibraltar and the Rif moun- resorts where talk of wealth tains of Africa have been en- and fame is de rigueur, in SoCan you afford to joyed by the likes of ex-UK PM togrande they like to keep such wait 7 to 10 days? Tony Blair, the British royal talk, appropriately, ‘sotto voce.’ family and countless European Mention the palpable sense of tel: 956 794 657 celebrities, who don’t want to community, however, and you’ll C/Sierra Bermeja s/n, be spotted, unlike those who discover how that is the privileged enclave’s true treasure. Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro venture to nearby Marbella. But keep your eyes peeled and “Sotogrande is a very friendly Opposite you might spot Irish motor rac- place. You get all the different Iceland ing guru Eddie Jordan, former nationalities here and they all Genesis keyboard player Mike just blend in,” estate agent BriA7 132 KM an Nelson tells us at his office
Photo by Great Golf Magazine
SHINE ON
‘Becoming Spanish would be suicide’
How an innocent British MoD worker on Gib was locked up for a YEAR with killers... FULL STORY P6 opportunity for Spain, Morocco and Portugal as an economic engine.” He blamed former Spanish dictator Franco for the anti-Gibraltar sentiment that shaped Spanish right-wing policy. He suggested that just as street names were getting changed in recent years so should the attitude towards Gibraltar. The GSLP party leader went on to describe the recent tax talks with the Rock’s closest neighbour as ‘very positive’. “The way we do our taxation is totally asymmetric to the way Hacienda does it,” said Picardo. “Spain looks to have come out better out of the tax agreement but only because it needs much more information for tax purposes. “The deal has shown that we have absolutely nothing to hide. We can now show that we have no Spanish money hiding from taxation in Gibraltar.”
BECOMING Spanish ‘doesn’t even enter into the Gibraltarian conscience’. That’s the verdict of Chief Minister Fabian Picrdo, who explained just how alien to locals that would be and why it would ‘go against everything that we are.’ “To get out of the Commonwealth and get into the Spanish civil code and Europe with the UK is almost suicidal for us,” Picardo said in Parliament. “Gibraltar within the Commonwealth represents an enormous
Going overboard? Captain of tanker detained in Gibraltar accuses British soldiers of using excessive force
THE captain of the tanker seized in Gibraltar while carrying Iranian oil has accused the Royal Marines who detained his ship of using excessive force. The elite commandos had helped authorities seize the Grace 1 on suspicion it was carrying Syria bound oil in breach of EU sanctions. The Ministry of Defence has defended the raid arguing it ‘complied with international rules and norms.’ The statement last night came as the captain claimed marines made his unarmed crew kneel on the deck at gunpoint. The incident took place on July 4 and saw 30 marines from 42 Commando flown in at the request of the Gibraltar government. The unnamed captain said police radioed him with a request to board his ship
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DRAMATIC: Grace 1 and (right) Royal Marines
and he lowered the ship’s ladder. Before the authorities had a chance to board, a military helicopter landed on the ship in a ‘very dangerous’
move, according to the Indian national. The man identified himself as the captain but was ignored by marines who instead trained their guns
on the crewmembers and shouted ‘look forward, look forward,’ he continued “They didn’t care whether I was master… there was no regulations… we had 28
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unarmed crew. “I was in a state of shock, everybody was in a state of shock. “How do you come on a ship like this with armed forces and such brute force. For what reason?” Asked whether his ship’s cargo contained anything illegitimate, the captain replied he ‘followed company procedures’ and knew nothing of the sanctions. Meanwhile the MoD has described the operation as a ‘standard boarding’ and added that British armed forces were ‘held to the highest standards of professional.’ The seizure of the tanker sparked a diplomatic crisis between the UK and Iran, with the British flagged Stena impera tanker by seized by Iranian forces in retaliation.