Read this report by the Index on Censorship ‘Mapping Media Freedom’ project on the extreme pressure places on European journalists to quit the story. The report identifies under-financing and business models that don’t over proper support for journalism and a “litany of methods” employed as a direct means to censor journalists as the two sides [...]
Now, what explanation could there possibly be for Keith Schembri to refuse to answer questions in court on 17 Black and Macbridge? That sounds a bit facetious, I get it. But consider that the case we’re talking about here is one he instituted himself in his own defence when Simon Busuttil drew his own conclusion [...]
When the story of our time is told, they won’t be talking much about the great architectural feats of the towers on St George’s Bay or the prosperity on the back of sold passports. They will be writing about us going out to dinner while people drown at sea. In 1996 Daniel Goldhagen took a [...]
The author, Annika Palome, is a freelance journalist and a Master in International Law, currently doing a post-graduate degree in International Cooperation and Development Sciences. This is the first in a three-part series. When Western Europeans talk of an authoritarian regime, they would usually refer to communist or fascist states such as North Korea, China or Cuba. But the road from democracy to authoritarianism is much more conceivable than we would think; it does not require an overthrow of the government, revolution, or coup d’état. All [...]
Joseph Muscat, Karl Izzo and sundry mates The Opposition MPs who voted against the nomination of Karl Izzo for the ambassadorship in Montenegro went to some pains to insist their objections were not because Karl Izzo was a buddy of Joseph Muscat. Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and Herman Schiavone were right to vote against the nomination [...]
Sent in by May Borg in response to one of the posts post ghost-writing-gate. Thank you, May. Manuel, I appreciate your concern and your hurt. This was one under the belt for you but I refuse to continue to discuss you. So I am going to post other questions which still need an answer. Who really killed Daphne? Where is Yorgen Fenech, is he being investigated? Why are Keith Schembri and [...]
In agreeing to ghost-write for Adrian Delia, for the reasons that I already gave for doing so, I helped in a small, likely irrelevant, way the person who I eventually came to think was not suited to be the leader of the party. I did not form an opinion on him before hearing him speak [...]
Pierre Portelli spoke yesterday about his University days. He graduated with a first degree in Communications in 1998 around the time the TV station he now runs, NET TV, was being created. As a graduating mature student he felt it was appropriate to ask political parties how they felt about owning TV stations and made [...]
I don’t have copies of the articles I drafted for the signature of Adrian Delia during his campaign. But the ‘finished product’, as it were, is online. I don’t overestimate the significance of the articles to the final outcome of that election perhaps because that helps me sleep at night. Somehow all those “issa l-Partit [...]
As a matter of background, for the benefit of the One TV 'journalists' who follow this blog, Sammi Davis is a woman. The rest of her great qualities can be gleaned from her writing. Mario used to live on my street a few doors down. He had two cars; a brand new, enormous black SUV [...]
Huawei Chairman Liang Hua warned his company could move away from Western countries if it continues to face restrictions and focus instead on countries where it is welcome. He was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos addressing decisions by multiple countries to restrict the use of Huawei technology in their strategic telecommunications network. [...]
The European Commission will in a report today warn that so-called ‘golden visa’ schemes pose a risk to EU security. Malta’s citizenship for cash scheme will be named along with other investor visa or passport schemes offered by European countries including the UK. This sort of report gives some comfort to those looking for moral [...]
Pierre Portelli testified in court today to say it was his decision for the PN media to refuse to cover my response to a story they reported that said this blog had reported the PN voted for the cannabis law. I had not reported that. They refused to correct it. And I insisted in court [...]
From my article in The Sunday Times today: "Our democracy is not working. Our parliamentarians have no mission. Being an MP is not a job. There is no task, no vocation, no ambition. Parliament is a waiting area for promotion and prestige. The process of seeking re-election is not liberating, it is paralysing. They’re at [...]
https://youtu.be/bp6uGdab3yg Today marks 14 months since the country lost its most prominent journalist. 14 months of anger and frustration, of protests and determination. But we are 14 months closer to justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia. I would like to read a short passage taken from a piece titled ‘Like a Nervous Pigeon, My Unsettled State [...]
Sent in by Lake: I was always proud to call myself a Nationalist. Proud in the thought that my party and the majority of its supporters shared my same values. Values built on the foundations of a fair and functioning democracy, equal justice for all and ultimately freedom of speech. Those same values that Eddie Fenech Adami taught [...]
https://youtu.be/1B4ywpMrbqY 15 months ago our lives changed. 15 months ago we recoiled in shock as we learned about the brutal assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. 15 months ago we watched in horror as the people who are supposed to lead us, failed to react appropriately. We knew then that we couldn’t be silent. One of [...]
https://youtu.be/hVc4qJMr-FA Demokrazija. Libertà. Żewġ kelmiet differenti li ma jgħaddux mingħajr xulxin. Xi tfisser id-demokrazija? Xi fisser il-libertà? Hawn min jaħseb li biżżejjed li poplu jmur jivvota darba kull 5 snin biex pajjiżu jkun jista’ jiġi kwalifikat bħala wieħed demokratiku u ħieles. Naħseb li lkoll taqblu miegħi li dawn il-kliem ifissru wisq iżjed minn hekk. Fost [...]
A Satabank customer is unable to pay for urgent hospitalisation to treat his medical condition because his €23,000 are still trapped at the bank. The customer who has spoken to this website opened his account when he came to Malta to stay with his family in 2016 while he was studying for a university degree [...]
