Agimeg is a specialised Italian news agency interested in the gaming industry. They asked me some questions in view of the recent sparks between Malta and Italy about the use of Malta by mafiosi to launder their money here. Here's the interview. There will be the usual hackles accusing me of treason. The zombie troll [...]

Last boxing day, Steward Health Group announced on its Facebook page it had purchased the concession of three hospitals in Malta. Its regular readers were none too pleased. The general message was they were not too happy with the service they were getting and they were not expecting things to get better now their hospital [...]

Remington Outdoor Company Inc, that like Steward Health Group is owned by Cerberus Capital Management, has filed for bankruptcy to slash a debt load just shy of a billion US dollars. Remington is one of the largest American firearms manufacturers. A Reuters report quotes Remington saying it will receive $145 million in bankruptcy financing to [...]

Not that I was falling over myself to join, but today's Istitut tal-Ġurnalisti Maltin statement "condemning" Daphne Caruana Galizia's sister for stopping a self-described "One TV journalist" in his line of duty, should be enough to get any self-respecting autonomous person to walk out immediately. Their statement is an act of collaboration with an oppressive [...]

The Economist Intelligence Unit has in a report issued today analysing the impact of the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia concluded that "the international focus on corruption and organised crime in Malta in the wake of Ms Caruana Galizia's murder does not appear to have had a negative impact so far on the country's business environment. [...]

I am way beyond the stage of describing Martin Scicluna as the poorer signatory of a Faustian deal. Doing so perpetuates the fiction that he is some objective analyst who uses knowledge, experience and professionalism to rule independently in favour of Joseph Muscat like the one year old’s innocent grasp of kinky underwear at their [...]

Israel’s police have recommended prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu be charged over alleged bribery. While the attorney general assesses the recommendation, which can take months, Benjamin Netanyahu pledges to stay on as prime minister. He says he’s convinced the charges will amount to nothing. Some people have pointed this out to me highlighting how proper institutions [...]

Today’s Valletta Council meeting and the decision not to vote on a Councillor’s motion to destroy the Daphne Caruana Galizia memorial in front of the Court house is no cause for celebration. The Mayor’s decision, perfectly correct, to rule the motion outside the Council’s competence, does not address the question the motion raised: not whether [...]

The Local Council of Valletta is at 6.30pm this evening debating a motion from one of its Councillors to remove the flowers, candles and messages left at the Great Siege Memorial in memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia and in protest for the continued impunity of those who ordered her death or otherwise caused it to [...]

Written by Lizzie Eldrige. Produced by Pia Zammit. https://youtu.be/J8ExZO3t5s0  

I kept thinking how, in the midst of the general euphoria for the emancipation of 16 and 17 year-olds, I was going to explain my queasiness about this notion. And then I saw the picture below and perhaps without having to say much I can be better understood. Is this what we need for our democracy [...]

I will not go into the merits of if and when and where a permanent memorial for Daphne Caruana Galizia should be erected. If I try I suppose I can form an opinion on the subject but I don't think this is really the most important thing on the national agenda right now. When I [...]

Specialist industry journal GamingCompliance quoted "high-ranking Maltese sources" saying that all Italian online gambling licences in Malta will be investigated to root out connections with illegal betting shops in Italy. Not a moment too soon. This is welcome news for an industry tarnished by ineffective policing on the mafia who has been using Malta to [...]

Neville Gafà is pitying himself for having a rotten reputation of corruption, particularly for extorting money from immigrants seeking an entry visa. He tweeted his anger at PN MP Claudette Buttigieg for retweeting someone who first tweeted Neville Gafà when quoting newspaper reports that a quarter of the American University’s student body vanished after they [...]

It is high time for the other unions to speak up about the privatisation of hospitals. MAM, the doctors’ union, has issued a statement today (see below) reminding everyone how it has stood, mostly alone, against the dismantling of our national health service since this corrupt idea first popped out of Konrad Mizzi’s genius.  And [...]

Rosianne Cutajar, Labour MP, has tweeted her support for Joseph Muscat's transition from prime minister of a parliamentary democracy to president of a presidential republic with enhanced and concentrated executive power. She expressed her support of the notion with her characteristic kiss-my-sweaty-balls attitude in response to a tweet asking whether Joseph Muscat's intention for constitutional [...]

Joseph Muscat gave a rare interview today. From the Times report: “Dr Muscat also spoke at length about the changes to the constitution and did not exclude a referendum to get a strong mandate once the discussions are concluded and the changes proposed. He said work was underway behind the scenes to ensure there is [...]

Great twitter thread by BugM. Everyone loves a rags to riches story. 1/ Meet Ikona Artworks, a #Maltese "boutique" (aka small & unknown) design firm owned by Joel Saliba and Margaret Pace, of crumbling jablo #V18 statues & friends in #Malta Gov fame. pic.twitter.com/Fbv9XYdzMR — BugM (@bugdavem) February 8, 2018 2/ In 2012, Ikona Artworks, [...]

You wouldn't want Edward Zammit Lewis to suffer hardship after losing his job as a Minister. He did not make it to Cabinet after the 2017 election which entitled him to a soft-landing allowance equivalent to half a year's pay as a Minister. When he eventually did make it to Parliament he got the MP's [...]