All posts tagged: Gibraltar

Britain Preparing for Mission That Could Clear Strait of Hormuz

Britain Preparing for Mission That Could Clear Strait of Hormuz

Published by Sam Flores

President Trump has fumed repeatedly about Britain’s failing to help the U.S. wage war on Iran. The United Kingdom responded by allowing U.S. bombers to strike Iran from southern England, while Britain’s fighter jets have flown thousands of defensive missions across the region. Now the British military is embarking on yet another phase: to secure the Strait of Hormuz if the war comes to an end, dispatching an advanced destroyer to the region and another ship armed with autonomous mine-hunting equipment. The move to remove mines from the waterway could also serve to deflect further criticism from Mr. Trump. The war with Iran was not Britain’s making, but the country cannot escape the conflict’s far-reaching effects. Halted traffic in the strait has crippled international shipping and driven up energy prices in the United States and around the world. The British military took a handful of reporters on Friday to Gibraltar, a small patch of British territory at the tip of Spain. The trip seemed like an effort to highlight its military capabilities and resolve, and …

Monkeys discover unusual tactic that lets them binge on junk food – don’t try this at home | UK | News

Monkeys discover unusual tactic that lets them binge on junk food – don’t try this at home | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Gibraltar’s famous Barbary macaques have hit upon a clever but dirty solution to the perils of tourist handouts: swallowing soil to settle their stomachs after gorging on chocolate, crisps, ice cream and other junk food. A University of Cambridge study has, for the first time, documented regular “geophagy” – intentional dirt-eating – among the only free-ranging monkey population in Europe. Troops with the closest contact with holidaymakers eat far more soil, with rates spiking during the busy summer season. Researchers believe the high-sugar, high-fat, low-fibre snacks disrupt the monkeys’ gut microbiome and cause digestive misery. Eating dirt appears to act as a natural buffer, lining the gut, supplying minerals and beneficial bacteria, and limiting the absorption of irritating compounds. Dr Sylvain Lemoine, a biological anthropologist at Cambridge, explained: “Foods brought by tourists and eaten by Gibraltar’s macaques are extremely rich in calories, sugar, salt and dairy. This is completely unlike the foods typically consumed by the species, such as herbs, leaves, seeds and the occasional insect.” The behaviour lets the monkeys keep bingeing on calorie-dense …

Africa’s new £26bn gas pipeline to be the ‘new Strait of Hormuz’ | World | News

Africa’s new £26bn gas pipeline to be the ‘new Strait of Hormuz’ | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A new £20billion gas pipeline set to stretch across 13 African countries could transform the continent’s role in global energy markets, positioning Africa as a major new energy player. The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) promises not only to change the continent’s economic landscape but also to become a new strategic energy route, like the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world’s oil passes, but which is currently closed to traffic by Iran. The pipeline will run from Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves all the way to Morocco’s northern coast, covering a distance of approximately 4,000 miles. The ambitious project, once completed, will pass through 13 countries: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania, before ending in Morocco. It is intended to transport 30billion cubic meters per year. Requiring an estimated £26billion investment, around 50% of its gas is then expected to be exported to Europe. The project could also play a vital role in improving energy access for millions of Africans and supporting economic …

Gibraltar Bets on Prediction Markets to Diversify Economy

Gibraltar Bets on Prediction Markets to Diversify Economy

Published by skeptic

Gibraltar has taken a notable step toward reshaping its digital economy, issuing its first-ever license to a prediction markets operator amid pressure on its core online gambling sector. Authorities approved the license for Predict Street Ltd on March 26, formally adding the company to the territory’s register of betting intermediaries. The move was announced in parliament by Justice, Trade and Industry Minister Nigel Feetham, who framed it as part of a broader strategy to modernize Gibraltar’s regulatory framework and reduce reliance on traditional gaming revenues. While Gibraltar is in the process of overhauling its gambling laws, officials processed the application under existing legislation. A more comprehensive reform bill, designed to strengthen oversight and bring the jurisdiction in line with evolving global standards, has yet to come into force. Fast-tracked approval draws attention The pace of the approval caught lawmakers’ attention, with Feetham highlighting what he described as an unusually quick regulatory turnaround. We expect this to be a substantial area of growth for Gibraltar,” he said during the parliamentary session, calling the approval a case …

Gibraltar lawmakers advance sweeping gambling reform bill to replace 2005 law

Gibraltar lawmakers advance sweeping gambling reform bill to replace 2005 law

Published by skeptic

Gibraltar has taken the first formal step toward overhauling its gambling laws, with a new bill introduced in Parliament on Wednesday (March 18). The proposal begins the process of replacing the territory’s long-standing 2005 framework with a broader and more modern system. Lawmakers will now move the bill through its next stages, including a second reading, detailed committee review and a final vote. If it clears those hurdles, it will go forward for Crown assent before becoming law. Framework update for Gibraltar gambling bill The legislation redraws how gambling is licensed, monitored and enforced in Gibraltar. It is designed “to repeal the Gambling Act 2005 and to make new provision for the licensing, regulation and supervision of gambling.” The new structure puts a licensing Authority and a Gambling Commissioner at the center of oversight, backed by defined goals such as protecting consumers, maintaining market integrity and tackling financial crime. The scope of regulation is also set to widen as well. The rules would extend beyond operators to include marketing affiliates, software providers and certain ownership …

Astonishing study claims Spain and Portugal are ‘rotating’ and moving | World | News

Astonishing study claims Spain and Portugal are ‘rotating’ and moving | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

The Iberian Peninsula is moving, scientists say (Image: Getty Images) Spain and Portugal are “rotating” and “moving northwards,” according to a new study. Scientists say the two European countries are slowly undergoing a “clockwise rotation” on their axis. Previously the Iberian Peninsula had been considered by geologists as an “immobile block”. But a new study has found that it is moving northward and heading towards the Eurasian tectonic plate. And while the change, around four to six millimetres a year, isn’t something that will have an impact on daily life, it has changed the way geologists understand the tectonics of Europe, reports Executive. Read more: Huge dementia breakthrough as scientists make bombshell ‘superagers’ discovery Portugal is reportedly moving clockwise (Image: Getty) It comes as scientists have previously concluded that both plates on either side of the Gibraltar Strait are moving, theorising that they will one day close, joining Africa and Europe once more. Researcher Asier Madarieta from the University of the Basque Country, said: “Every year the Eurasian and African plates are moving 4–6 mm …

Suella Braverman Receives Gibraltar Leaders Reality Check

Suella Braverman Receives Gibraltar Leaders Reality Check

Published by Sam Flores

Suella Braverman has been handed a brutal reality check after she hit out at the post-Brexit deal between the UK and European Union over Gibraltar. The former Tory cabinet minister, who defected to Reform in January, said the Rock was “now British in name only” after a draft treaty set out plans for a “fluid border” with Spain. Reacting to a Telegraph report that Spain will have the final say on whether UK travellers can enter the British overseas territory, Braverman said on X: “When I predicted that this was going to happen, the First Minster said I was wrong. “It turned out that he was wrong… or misleading. We have ceded control of Gibraltar to Spain. It is now British in name only. It can’t go on like this.” The “First Minister” is actually Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo. Hitting back on X, he said:“Hi Suella Braverman. You have it wrong, starting with the title of my office. “Please read all the text and the supporting documents and stop playing politics with the People …

Northern Ireland and Gibraltar on opposite sides in UK gambling tax hike debate

Northern Ireland and Gibraltar on opposite sides in UK gambling tax hike debate

Published by skeptic

The fractious and polarized nature of the UK gambling tax hike debate is well publicized, with the ruling Labour government’s plans supported by think-tanks and reform campaigners, in contrast to the defensive position taken by the gambling industry.  However, the multi-faceted situation can be viewed through a different lens, with Northern Ireland and Gibraltar on opposite sides of the UK gambling tax hike debate.  The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is currently consulting and weighing up changes to the gambling tax set-up, as part of wider fiscal measures to shore up the public purse ahead of the next budget announcement, expected on November 26.  At present, remote gaming duties (RGD) stand at 21% of gross profits from online casino and slots, while online sports betting is subject to a 15% general betting duty (GBD).  One proposal as part of the UK gambling tax hike debate was to bring equity by harmonizing taxes on gambling activities into a single remote betting and gambling duty (RBGB) at around 21%.  This would deliver an increase in funds collected for the …