THE SUNDAY TIMES: MPs: crisis of leadership

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2019-01-06T08:46:34+01:00Sun, 6th Jan '19, 08:46|

From my article in The Sunday Times today: "You’d expect all those self-appointed apotheoses of leadership – 65 MPs – to be doing something about the allegations. But they are not, because they turn out not to possess one leadership bone in all their bodies. "All these MPs, sitting across the House, are concerned with [...]

Guest Post: Undying loyalty?

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2019-01-04T15:19:11+01:00Fri, 4th Jan '19, 15:19|

By a guest writer known to me who in the past served in positions in the PN. A moral dilemma is exactly that: a situation pregnant with ramifications, torn between equally-important principles or values. Finding oneself in such a situation can be challenging. This is what came to mind when I read the latest litany [...]

When in doubt, sing.

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2019-01-04T16:07:08+01:00Fri, 4th Jan '19, 15:10|

Adrian Delia has made a habit of bursting into song every time conversation runs dry. His poems (pronounced poy-eems) are largely of a uniform theme: a Saint Sebastian rolling his eyes in ecstatic fervour grateful for the arrows puncturing his supple body releasing his hot martyr’s blood to demonstrate his status of the victim. When [...]

Repubblika: Alliance between party TVs is choking free speech

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2019-01-04T12:55:08+01:00Fri, 4th Jan '19, 12:55|

This is a statement by Repubblika issued earlier today: The Labour Party and the Nationalist party are using their TVs and their media to suffocate free speech and crush the right to protest. Repubblika is deeply concerned by the disproportionate and unfair retaliation of the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party that have used and are using their media to carry lies and [...]

Women’s rights activists say domestic violence claims must be investigated. And Simone Cini?

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2019-01-04T12:11:57+01:00Fri, 4th Jan '19, 12:10|

The Malta Confederation of Women's Organisations made a statement last night saying it does not matter who is involved, any claims of domestic violence should be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. "It takes a lot of courage for survivors of Domestic Violence to lodge a claim and try to bring an end to it. For [...]

14 days alone at sea

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2019-01-04T10:46:07+01:00Fri, 4th Jan '19, 10:46|

If you think you're cold right now, you should try to imagine what it's like at sea. Thirty-two children, women and men, saved from drowning out at sea, have been stuck on the boat that saved them since before you bought your turkey. They're just over our horizon, stuck there because no government in Europe [...]

‘Erba’ biċċiet bloggers’ Or ‘Stand by your man’

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2019-01-03T17:37:22+01:00Thu, 3rd Jan '19, 17:37|

Pierre Portelli is right. The Nationalist Party is not a bunch of bloggers that believe they have some claim on the party. It most certainly isn’t. His statement on Facebook of today is a whiff of grapeshot that upgrades the case for Adrian Delia’s defence from the character witnesses — his law office partner of [...]

Did you see it coming?

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2019-01-03T10:52:19+01:00Thu, 3rd Jan '19, 10:52|

I promise not to reveal punchlines. Well, just one. I went to see the Comedy Knights last night. The experience was not quite as intense as last year’s but there was a more enthusiastic appetite for laughter and the crew fed that appetite most heartily. As I always like to say when I write these [...]

Race to the bottom

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2019-01-03T09:49:08+01:00Thu, 3rd Jan '19, 09:49|

In 2015 Anton Borg was President of the Chamber of Commerce. He received Simon Busuttil and a PN delegation to discuss the PN’s economic program of the time. It was a case of the Opposition trying to project the image of a government in waiting. But Anton Borg had other things on his mind: “it [...]

Unanswered question

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2019-01-02T14:59:32+01:00Wed, 2nd Jan '19, 14:57|

The US’s National Public Radio published on New Year’s Eve a link to important international stories from 2018 that readers and listeners may have missed in “the year’s relentless news cycle”. Some stories are too important to just walk away from even when Donald Trump is putting into question the deepest mores of western liberal [...]

Annoyed Kuwaitis

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2019-01-02T10:02:32+01:00Wed, 2nd Jan '19, 10:02|

Then Foreign Minister George Vella visiting the Emir of Kuwait al-Sabah in 2015 There was a time when in Kuwait they knew about Malta because that was where the UN General Assembly President who argued for international intervention after Iraq invaded and occupied their country was from. The Arab Times — a Kuwaiti English language [...]

It’s just allegations

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2019-01-02T09:29:25+01:00Wed, 2nd Jan '19, 09:29|

Rob Porter with Donald Trump. Picture: Reuters. Donald Trump’s White House is not a model of civic virtue and accountable public administration. You’ll be forgiven if you’ve forgotten this episode from almost a year ago. It’s one of so many. David Sorensen resigned his job as a speechwriter at the White House after his wife [...]

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

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2019-01-02T08:52:05+01:00Wed, 2nd Jan '19, 08:52|

You would want to assume it’s just an accident. But just when PN script-writers are trying to dispel the suspicion they are in the thrall of Labour and are seeking to imitate it instead of defeating it, Adrian Delia is given a speech for the new year headlining a Labour Party slogan. True, no one [...]

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