President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers, using his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. Trump’s action, just hours after his return to the White House, paves the way for the release from prison of people found guilty of violent attacks on police, as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of failed plots to keep the Republican in power after he lost the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden. The pardons are a culmination of Trump’s yearslong campaign to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack that left more than 100 police officers injured as...

Prime Minister Robert Abela’s intent to amend the way in which magisterial inquiries can be requested or initiated by citizens is an admission that he is leading a government of criminals, Nationalist Party Leader Bernard Grech said as he spoke during an appearance on party media on Sunday. The Prime Minister has said that the government does not want to remove inquiries, but wants to prevent the abuse of magisterial inquiries, and that the reform is intended to eliminate abuse and protect honest people against attacks. Grech said that after spending years ridiculing anyone presenting inquiries and evidence in the courts, Abela is now trying to move the goalposts. “He is no longer credible,” Grech commented. The Opposition Leader remarked that those who have repeatedly said that they did nothing wrong are now trying to introduce amendments to avoid consequences. He continued that Abela knows what type...

St Michael Hospice in Santa Venera was inaugurated on Sunday, enabling Hospice Malta to expand its dedicated palliative services to over 1,500 patients annually, a statement by the Archdiocese on Malta read. The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said that this facility has been launched with an investment of around €9 million from the National Development and Social Fund as well as European funds. It said that the complex offers a number of services, including psycho-therapy. In this complex, the OPM said, training will be provided to professionals in the field of palliative care. It said that the comprehensive services which will be provided will be enjoyed by people who no longer receive treatment in hospitals and cannot live in their residences. It continued that there is also an accessible garden, which offers serenity to patients and their families during a delicate phase in their lives.  Myriam Spiteri Debono,...

For what feels like the umpteenth time in this legislature, the country’s courts and its judiciary are once again the crossfire of a political debate. This after Magistrate Nadine Sant Lia ruled against challenge proceedings filed by the NGO Repubblika wherein it had requested that the Police Commissioner to charge people in relation to Pilatus Bank. The NGO held a press conference two days later and said that it disagreed with the magistrate’s sentence, calling it a perversion of justice, and saying that it would be appealing. In a post on Facebook, Prime Minister Robert Abela responded by saying that the “extremist branch” of the Nationalist Party had been exposed as abusing the judicial system, and is now resorting to attacking the courts. “These are only extremists who want the courts to decide in their favour. This is not justice, but persecution,” the PM said. Once their...

ADPD-The Green Party is ready to call for an abrogative referendum to annul any laws that aid and abet abuse in the public sector, should the Prime Minister consider laws to protect abuse and their enablers in the said sector ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said Saturday while addressing a news conference in front of Parliament together with Greens’ Secretary General Ralph Cassar. Cassar referred to what the Prime Minister Robert Abela said during a political event last Sunday, during which he said that he wants to change the law such that public officials who abuse their position of power would not be criminally liable in their personal capacity.  “It now seems that Robert Abela is waving goodbye to accountability and good governance.  The reason for such an announcement is obvious. It is because of calls for the investigation into numerous allegations of public officials in...

Last month continued the trend observed month by month in 2024, closing the year with drier-than-average weather. In fact, in December, the Meteorological Office measured 43.6 mm of rainfall, 41.2 mm below the quota. The 5th of December was the wettest day, with the Meteorological Office recording 11.6 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours. Although the days following the Feast of the Immaculate Conception were characterised by relatively stable weather, rain returned on 15th December with 7 mm of rainfall. During the Christmastime the amount of rain was not significant. During the same month, the Maltese Islands experienced three thunderstorms. Unstable weather often brought strong winds. In fact, the average wind speed for December was 9.8 knots, which is 0.7 knots stronger than average. The strongest wind gusts were recorded on the 20th and 23rd days of December, blowing from the west and reaching 45...

Amad Diallo keeps coming up with big late goals for Manchester United. There were three of them Thursday in a remarkable 12-minute flurry that rescued United from an embarrassing loss to the Premier League’s worst team. Diallo, a 22-year-old winger from the Ivory Coast, scored a hat trick from the 82nd minute to earn United a 3-1 victory over last-place Southampton – just when it looked like his team was heading for a fourth straight home loss for the first time since the 1930s. “In football you have to believe. We believed until the end,” said Diallo, who signed a new five-year contract with United last week as a reward for becoming one of its most important players. That’s because Diallo is proving a man for the big occasion. Two weeks ago, he scored an 80th-minute equalizer at Anfield to secure a 2-2 draw against Liverpool; a month ago, he scored...

An area that had previously been completely abandoned in Qajjenza has been turned into a garden for the Birżebbuġa community, the Environment Ministry announced on Friday. This is the first community garden as well as the first open space in this area, accessible to people of all ages and abilities.  As part of this project, several trees and shrubs were planted. To ensure everyone can access the garden, ramps were installed to connect two adjacent roads.  Additionally, 200 metres of walking paths were introduced, and play equipment for children made from recycled tyres and recycled plastic was installed.  “Qajjenza is a highly urban area that never had a recreational space, and today it has its first garden. And it will not be the only one, as we have other projects planned for the Qajjenza area. This project is another clear example of how we can transform urban...

The Labour Party has actively tried to obstruct justice in relation to a number of government scandals because it is scared of justice and the truth, former Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil said when he spoke during a vigil for Daphne Caruana Galizia outside the court building in Valletta on Thursday evening. “The Labour Party has become a refuge for criminal politicians,” he said, “It is scared that its politicians will end up in the machine of justice.” Busuttil said that he has no doubt that the PL will never admit that it has made terrible mistakes, as he added that the PL has yet to admit that it made a mistake with what the people have experienced throughout the last twelve years. With that in mind, the former Leader of the Opposition said that until the PL “comes to its senses”, it is the people who will continue to...

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) have conducted over 20,000 enforcement inspections in 2024, the authorities said. A joint statement issued by the two authorities on Thursday said that figures from both authorities for 2024 reflect their commitment to raising standards in workplaces and construction sites. Throughout the past year, the BCA conducted over 12,750 inspections, issuing 670 fines and 240 stop-work orders. Compared to the first full year since the Authority’s establishment in 2022, this represents a 19% increase in inspections, the statement said. On average, the BCA carried out 1,063 inspections per month in 2024. In 2024, OHSA inspectors carried out around 9,400 inspections across various work sectors, including construction sites, issuing approximately 550 penalties and 331 stop-work orders. The OHSA also issued 960 notifications for workplace improvements. The authority conducted an average of 782 inspections per...