The Department of Information last night issued what must be, in the annals of its hallowed history, the most despicably iron-curtain piece of Newspeak ever to have been officially published by a government not bearing a hammer and a sickle on its badges. It took plenty of time to reach its point. There’s that classic [...]

Twenty-nine years ago a great Italian movie won the best foreign language film Academy award. It was Cinema Paradiso that had been made two years before by Giuseppe Tornatore. Twelve years later the director revisited that film and gave it the Director’s treatment. It told the story of a young boy who grew up in [...]

As one commenter put it on the YouTube post of this video, this is the Pet Shop Boys song you never thought you needed. Another one said this could become the national anthem of a few countries now. https://youtu.be/P9jEuHbB0GQ

Watch these 49 seconds of venom first. It will do miracles for your digestion. https://www.facebook.com/robertabelaPL/videos/302895860420894/ This tribalism is mainstream. A Labour Party MP who is not part of government out of his own strategic and cunning choice telling supporters Labour must “take care of its own” is not shocking in a country where political parties [...]

Skilled Tunisians will be granted work visas for Malta on a renewable yearly basis, the Tunisian press is reporting. The news comes out of the ongoing State visit by the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi who is leading a government delegation here. The work visas will be granted by the two countries on a reciprocal [...]

This morning I commented on how remarkable it was to see the daughter of the victim of a terrorist attack chide racists for attributing collective responsibility to all Somalis because of the crime committed by the Somalis who had just murdered her father. She didn’t but I called the people who think like this, stupid. [...]

Joseph Muscat was asked to react to Franco Debono’s post where he accused him of owning or being close to the owner of Egrant and of being the most corrupt Prime Minister in Maltese history. Joseph Muscat’s retort — smug, superficial and hardly spontaneous — was “freedom of speech”. It’s one of those Joseph Muscat [...]

A couple of weeks ago Jason Azzopardi proposed in Parliament the appointment of a magistrate focusing only on corruption. He said the magistrate should be appointed by the President with the power to investigate corruption on their own initiative and without needing to rely on the Police. That’s not an entirely original idea. Alfred Sant [...]

She had just heard her father had died, shot by terrorists in Somalia. Never mind the shock and anguish and sorrow at the great loss. Just think of the logistical nightmare that a mourning daughter has to face to get things done properly in a situation like this. And yet the daughter of Paul Anthony [...]

I don't think the government think much about the flowers, candles and protest messages left every day at the Great Siege Memorial. From their point of view the 'problem' has been addressed. Their own supporters no longer call them to harass them and use sexist metaphors about men in power not having the balls to [...]

The Nationalist Party is exactly where Labour want it to be: trailing so far behind they cannot even smell their sweat. MaltaToday’s monthly survey published today shows almost twice as many respondents would vote Labour rather than PN. Month on month the rate of respondents determined not to vote — 13% — remains stable. Those [...]

Watch this feature (in Italian) broadcast on Rai Uno following up on what happened in Slovakia since the murder a year ago of the second journalist assassinated in the EU in recent times. Jan Kuciak's girlfriend, Martina Kusnirova, was killed as well when both were shot in their apartment. https://youtu.be/pJT3KW74rEY The film, by Maria Grazia [...]

Repubblika sent this letter to the President: 1 February, 2019 The PresidentThe PalaceValletta Madame President, Re: Constitutional Reform Repubblika is a non-governmental organisation which was founded to promote civil rights, democracy, the rule of law, freedom of expression, personal liberties, social inclusion, the protection of the environment, economic sustainability and equal opportunity.  Its aim is [...]

"Galadriel: Will you look in the mirror? "Frodo: What will I see? "Galadriel: Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror shows many things. Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass. "From The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) "It is 2036 and Maltese democracy could [...]

Franco Debono is nothing if not a controversial figure. Actually, he’s a bit more than that. He’s the Commissioner of Laws whom Owen Bonnici described in 2013, when he appointed him to the post, as “responsible for removing conflicting laws and other legislation which the Constitutional Court deemed unconstitutional and in breach of fundamental rights” [...]

Maria Efimova, who testified at the Egrant inquiry which the Prime Minister says exonerates him of the accusation of bribery and money laundering, reacting today to Joseph Muscat's statement in court. Well, don't want to sound heroic, but I will stand by what I've witnessed even if all the others withdraw. https://t.co/ZZa4I3IiDD— Maria Efimova (@MariaEfimova7) [...]

Joseph Muscat put journalism on trial today. And found it guilty. Read first what happened in the court room this morning. Get the detail from the court reports but in brief Joseph Muscat was testifying in the case he brought against Daphne Caruana Galizia accusing her of defamation when she reported his wife, and therefore [...]

You take a step back for a minute and what is at first inexplicable, starts making sense. Anton Refalo is accused of beating his son. Again I will not go into the reasons why the circumstances  might explain his behaviour. In every situation there may or may not be extenuating circumstances but I have no [...]

The European Court of Human Rights ordered today the Italian government to “to take all necessary measures, as soon as possible, to provide (Sea Watch 3 migrants trapped outside Syracuse) adequate medical care, food, water and basic supplies". The Court also ordered Italy to give 15 unaccompanied minors aboard the Sea Watch "adequate legal assistance [...]

If you thought that asking for justice was the way you would get it, then you haven’t been paying attention. Simon Busuttil is achieving one thing, if nothing else: he is exhausting all possible avenues in the pursuit of the application of the principle that justice is equal for all and that when someone in [...]