The fence has come down, the till receipts have gone up, the sense of personal safety has gone down, and many Gibraltarians are furious about it on social media. Sometime in the next twelve to fifteen months, we go to the polls for the first time since the border effectively disappeared, by rights, the most consequential election since 1969. Nobody is angry about the open border itself; that part many people wanted.

So, Gibraltar International Airport is no more. From now on it's the "Joshua Hassan Gibraltar International Airport", a name so long you'll need the full length of the runway just to say it before your flight takes off! Announced with a flourish in the Budget address, timed neatly to land a week before Spanish police and customs step inside our terminal for the first time in Gibraltar's history, the Chief Minister told Parliament that "it is entirely fitting that Gibraltar's gateway to the world should carry the name of a man whose life's work was dedicated to protecting our people." Stirring stuff.

No, this isn't about Formula 1 racing (for those who watch it on Sky Sports F1), though the way our tourists disappear when the power cuts out, you'd be forgiven for thinking someone had waved the chequered flag and sent them all home early. So, here we go again. At approximately 1:45pm on Friday 26th June 2026, the lights went out across Gibraltar, all of them.

The Gibraltar Government has quietly done away with one of the most familiar features of our school year, the summer half day. And while some parents/grandparents cheered at the prospect of no more lunchtime pickups, a closer look at what's actually been decided raises some serious questions. Questions that, it seems, the Government would rather not answer. When the Chronicle asked for the rationale behind the changes, the Government provided no response.

When Pat Orfila was appointed Minister for Housing in October 2023, she inherited a portfolio that was already under enormous strain. Action for Housing, the pressure group that holds governments to account on this issue, wasted no time in writing to the newly appointed minister, spelling out what it described as "the magnitude and seriousness" of the housing situation and highlighting ten sample cases, all on the medical list, who had been waiting years and had barely moved up the queue.

The publication of the Gibraltar Treaty text marks the most consequential development for Gibraltar since the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. For us, this agreement is not a theoretical diplomatic exercise; it is a framework that will shape daily life, economic viability, border fluidity, and political stability for decades to come (we hope). The debate now unfolding in sections of the UK political sphere, particularly among some Conservative (Tory) politicians, asserts that Gibraltar has been “sold” to Spain or the EU.

This week’s sitting of the Gibraltar Parliament was not merely disappointing; it was corrosive. What unfolded was not the robust scrutiny that a democracy demands in moments of institutional crisis, but a carefully choreographed exercise in self‑preservation, a Government closing ranks, insulating itself from consequence, and abusing its parliamentary majority to smother accountability. At the centre of the storm was the McGrail Inquiry report and the no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, that never got the chance to expose the rot in Number 6.

Fabian Picardo’s New Year message for 2026 is not a moment of reflection or accountability, it is a carefully constructed exercise in political spin, selective memory, and emotional manipulation designed toneutralise the impact of the McGrail Inquiry and rehabilitate his personal image. It was one of political survival! At its core, the message attempts to rewrite the findings of a damning public inquiry while inviting the public to feel sympathy for a leader who, by the Inquiry Chairman’s own words, ‘crossed the line’ of propriety.

I didn’t sleep last night. Not a wink. I was buzzing. Wide awake. Mind racing. Fingers itching. I knew that once the McGrail Inquiry Report was finally released, I’d be sitting down to write this b…

On International Men’s Day (19 November 2025), an occasion meant to spotlight men’s struggles, wellbeing, mental health and reintegration challenges, Housing Minister Pat Orfila used her appearance on GBC’s radio programme, Gibraltar Today, to defend a decision that sets a worrying precedent for how Gibraltar cares for its most vulnerable men. Instead of marking the occasion with empathy or commitment, she chose to justify why the Bridge House halfway facility for men will be funded through charity rather than government.

When Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told Ros Astengo (Viewpoint programme of 16th Oct) that he might, "if he disliked aspects" of the McGrail Inquiry Report, bring a Motion to criticise any findings he disagreed with, his remark might at first glance sound like routine political disclaimer-speak. But in context, it is terrifying! He said: “of course that possibility exists.” That statement doesn’t just reflect politics as usual.

Gibraltar set for Bloomsday celebration

If you don’t trust Palestinians, maybe you’ll trust Google Maps. Satellite imagery shows the extent of the devastation

Exclusive: Gaming platform accused of ‘troubling disconnect between child-friendly appearance and reality’ * ‘A man approached him’: parents describe their children’s Roblox problems “Deeply disturbing” research exposes how easy it is for children to encounter inappropriate content and interact unsupervised with adults on the gaming platform Roblox. It comes as parents shared their serious concerns about children experiencing addiction, seeing traumatising content and being approached by strangers on the hugely popular website and app. Continue reading...

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose a massive tariff on European alcohol in response to the European Union’s retaliation against his steel and aluminum tariffs – a tit-for-tat esca...

Guardian analysis finds fossil-fuel and mining firms have won $92bn of public money from states, with a growing number of cases backed by financial speculators Read more: Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to…

Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell are a hoot, gamely surrendering to the spirit of Jamie Lloyd’s bonkers production – pink confetti and all

People try many things to fill the void, but respite is short-lived. Learning to tolerate and understand these emotions will give you a more solid sense of yourself I just read an extraordinary article by Anna Parker for this website, and it set my mind…

The former Manchester City and QPR midfielder, 42, is accused of assaulting Georgia Barton in June 2021 The former footballer Joey Barton pushed his wife to the floor before kicking her in the head during a drunken row at their family home, a court has…

Succession star will play the ghost of Adam Smith in James Graham’s ‘operatic’ drama about the 2008 financial crash The Dundee-born actor Brian Cox will return to the Scottish stage for the first time in a decade to play the ghost of Adam Smith, a role…

Having done his best to shut down the social media platform, the new president is now being hailed as its saviour. And once again the Democrats have egg on their faces Politics in the US has had its fair share of stupid moments, but the recent banning…