The government issued a new law to allow people selling property to use the proceeds from the sale to settle outstanding tax arrears. As a reward they get exempted from paying any tax on the sale of the property. The new law, published four days ago as a legal notice by order of the finance [...]

189 different types of donkeys have been identified in the world, but there is another type of donkey that has been forgotten in this list: nations that continue to support their country's government foolishly no matter how bad it is! - Mehmet Murat ildan Never in its chequered modern history did Malta have such a [...]

Anywhere else, yesterday’s Jacob Borg story would have changed the course of politics in the country. Perhaps one of the reasons we don’t appreciate journalists in Malta is that since the consequences that should follow ground-breaking stories never happen here. Then it feels like there are no ground-breaking stories. Yesterday’s investigation, tracing payments designed to [...]

From my article in yesterday's The Sunday Times: "Mizzi’s central claim is that electricity bills are cheaper thanks to him. Cheaper than what? Simply saying they are cheaper than they would have been had the Nationalists stayed in power might have been true in 2014 when the government reduced rates before they had done anything [...]

Within hours of his replacement being sworn-in, Joseph Muscat went back to Castille with representatives of the owners of three formerly public hospitals to pressure the Maltese government to give them more money. Although details are sketchy it appears that Joseph Muscat may get his way. Today’s The Sunday Times of Malta front page story [...]

There’s an article by Joe Brincat on it-Torċa today that is a laboratory sample of warped logic and incorrigible rejection of common sense that should be dunked in formaldehyde and sent on a tour of museums. He criticised Repubblika’s sit-in protest in front of the police headquarters where activists led by Repubblika’s Numbers One and [...]

Interpol has cancelled all notices calling for the arrest of Maria Efimova’s husband Pantelis Varnava who is wanted by the Cypriot authorities for a number alleged crimes. Interpol’s decision came after an internal report by the agency’s independent authority that reviews its files found that the case against Varnava was “predominantly political” and a consequence [...]

I suppose there’s a tactical thinking behind the inclusion of Franco Debono in a list of candidates nominated by the opposition leader to chair the Broadcasting Authority. What can one call it? Appeasement? Reconciliation? Cajoling? Flattery? It may be all of those things and I suppose there is a type of voter who might like the [...]

If Owen moves to Filfla we should consider granting the island independence and let him proclaim himself Emperor. At least some of the lizards will be less smart than him. Maybe. You're embarrassing.

What will Robert Abela do now? Will he again say Karl Stagno Navarra behaved unacceptably when he filed a false report on an MP ignoring the so-called evidence he himself had likely doctored which showed that Karol Aquilina had done nothing wrong? Or is lying about MPs acceptable to Robert Abela if the MPs belong [...]

I have come across Facebook posts by grand-children of President Ċensu Tabone who was Malta’s foreign minister 33 years ago. They were referring to a speech he gave to the General Assembly of the United Nations about climate change and how, rightly, proud they are their grand-father and their country had the foresight to warn [...]

Even if against all odds, as polling surveys consistently premise, the Partit Nazzjonalista could still be an enlightening intermediary institution for our democracy and society at large. Bernard Grech, like his predecessors, may be the renaissance of his party and the country. The electoral political programme on its own focusing on improving people’s lives, proposing [...]

In 2013, successful criminal lawyer Manwel Mallia, decided to enter politics. He was elected and appointed by disgraced Prime Minister Joseph Muscat as minister for home affairs. He was soon in the limelight because in his first declaration of assets he declared storing €500,000 in cash at home, snugly under some mattress one would presume. [...]

How can you not sympathise with people of the younger generation that have given up on this country? If any of them watched the session of the Public Accounts Committee today they would have seen our democracy in action. It is embarrassing. There’s no better way of saying it. Konrad Mizzi said the same thing [...]

If the standard of conviction at the Glasgow climate crisis summit is met by Robert Abela, the planet is done for. And to be fair, it probably is the standard. Every leader from every country attending has their turn to speak and you won’t expect them to say that climate change is a hoax and [...]

A Malta-distributor of a specialised toothpaste for children was forced to apologise to dentists in Malta after their product featured in Rosianne Cutajar’s Halloween campaign. Images posted to Facebook by Rosianne Cutajar over the Halloween weekend shows “goody bags” distributed to children included sweets and tubes of Vitis Junior tooth-paste. Cutajar’s Facebook post drew attention [...]

Artist Kevin Scerri has donated a copy of his Press Freedom Sculpture to Repubblika in recognition of its efforts to promote press freedom. At a presentation event, Mr Scerri said that "the Press Freedom Sculpture is being awarded as a token of respect, a sign of recognition for the work done, and as an inspiration [...]

Government members did not think so, but Bernard Grech struck the right tone yesterday at the sitting marking 100 years since the first Maltese Parliament convened. Government members expected “kelmtejn tal-okkażjoni”, some bland self-congratulation in a half-hearted circle jerk about the greatness of our democracy. Right now, our democracy is as far from great as [...]

In a reply to Opposition MP Claudette Buttigieg, Prime Minister Robert Abela confirmed that he’s been working for months on drafting an anti-SLAPP law “to strengthen the protection of journalists”. The MP asked the question because just recently the PM said the law was days away from being presented to Parliament. Where’s the law then? [...]

A libel court has rejected a claim by Raphael Vassallo against me over a piece I wrote in October 2019 which discussed the 1980s introduction of specific Italian laws to fight the mafia. In the article I made reference to the concept of omertà, which, I said, also includes situations where journalists mislead their readers [...]