Protestors marched down Republic street in Valletta on Thursday evening, advocating for a clean Malta. The protest, organised by Repubblika and endorsed by 21 other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), began with a march from the Parliament building and ended in front of the Law Courts. The march saw several chants from the disgruntled public; these ranged from cries for justice, to “Mafia!”, shouts in support of the late Daphne Caruana Galizia, and other cries to send those complicit in the fraudulent hospitals deal to prison. There were eight speakers who spoke during the demonstration – Megan Mallia (Daphne Caruana Galizia’s niece); Repubblika and Occupy Justice activist Pia Zammit; Norman Vella; KNŻ National Officer Sarah Xuereb; Moviment Graffitti’s Robert Louis Fenech; Repubblika President Vicki Ann Cremona; KSU President Luke Bonanno; and Repubblika’s honorary President, Robert Aquilina. Caruana Galizia’s niece, Mallia, opened the speeches by telling those in attendance that one thought has...

Prime Minister Robert Abela launched the Labour Party’s electoral manifesto for the European Parliament elections during a political activity on Thursday evening. The manifesto has 10 categories, these are: “1) Malta first firm in our beliefs, 2) Malta: the voice of peace, 3) A competitive Malta in a fair single market, 4) Climate change, 5) Immigration, 6) Stronger connectivity, 7) Gozo an island of villages, 8) European funds, 9) Agriculture and fisheries, and 10) The future of the European Union.” During the political activity, he touched on a number of the manifesto points. “We have a manifesto that is based on 10 principles, about how we believe Europe should form its strategy for the coming five years. What are our country’s priorities in the EU, what are the priorities that our country wants to push forward? In order to talk about priorities, I believe you need to have a principle...

Repubblika along with 21 different civil society groups reiterated their call for citizens to attend tonight’s protest to condemn attacks by public officials, to call for resignations, to support for those who do their duty and as a sign of resistance against the undermining of the Vitals magisterial inquiry. The national demonstration will be held tonight, Thursday 16 May, starting outside the Old Theatre in Republic Street, Valletta. “We will gather tonight to express our condemnation of the attacks on members of the judiciary and journalists, who are simply being threatened because they are performing their function in a democracy where the rule of law should prevail,” Repubblika said in a statement on Thursday morning. The organisation said that it also intends to call for political and institutional accountability, “as is expected in any normal democracy,” when public officials and persons in politics are accused by the state of serious...

A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to nine and a half years in jail after he admitted to importing 6kg of cannabis. Lamin Jobe, from Gambia, had pleaded guilty to importing and aggravated possession of the drug during the compilation proceedings against him on March 12 to avoid a trial by jury. Jobe had been stopped by law enforcement at the Malta International Airport on October 11, 2022, upon his arrival on a flight from Bologna, Italy. A search of his suitcase had revealed it to contain 6kg of cannabis, with an estimated street value of between €60,000 and €168,000. In his considerations on punishment, Mr. Justice Neville Camilleri took a number of factors into consideration, particularly the amount of drugs involved, its value as indicated by a court-appointed expert and Jobe’s role and awareness of what he had been doing. Noting that punishment for the offences Jobe was accused...

Prime Minister Robert Abela highlighted family court reforms which the government wants to implement, during a political event on Wednesday. The reforms will be implemented following a consultation process which is ongoing. He said that the public consultation process will lead to a new legislative framework. “We cannot allow children to become victims,” he said. “No matter what the situation, what is sure is that children can never be victims of family problems, or victims of a judicial process where, because the process is  indifferent to the sensitivities of families, we would have children who are traumatised by the judicial process.” “We saw the reality where families that are already suffering due to matrimonial problems, would go to court and enter into a second crisis. Instead of finding a structure through which they can solve the problem or close the chapter and start a new life, instead entered a labyrinth...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has said that the government is trying to control the media and will do anything, including betray its own people, to keep its grip on power. Grech said that it is not true that politics is dirty. He said that, rather, it is dirtied and there are those who attack everyone as they were exposed and are trying to cover it up in court. Grech said that despite the government’s 2013 calls of “you may not agree with us but you can still work with us” and “it doesn’t matter who you know, but what you know”, at its first chance, the PL government kicked out PBS journalist Norman Vella. He went on to salute Vella as he wasn’t willing to do their bidding and even won a court case against the government, with the courts declaring that he was dismissed for political reasons. Grech said...

MEP David Casa re-iterated his appeal to the embattled Governor of the Central Bank Edward Scicluna to do the right thing and resign his post for the good of the country. “Haven’t you pigged out enough?” a streamer put up by the MEP read, with wording lifted from the communications of former Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar who spoke about “pigging out”. Casa said that in his former capacity as Finance Minister, Scicluna had raised the annual remuneration for Central Bank Governor prior to his bid for the same position. Casa, who has worked on the European Parliamen’s Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs, emphasised the reputational damage that Scicluna was causing to the country for no other reason than blind self-interest. “To have a Central Bank Governor accused of fraud is ridiculous and flies in the face of the unwavering efforts of the hundreds of professionals who are upholding a...

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has claimed that his fundamental rights were breached as he was not questioned by police prior to being charged in connection with the hospitals deal. In a judicial protest filed three days after charges were officially filed against Muscat, the former Prime Minister and Labour Party leader argued that he was also unable to effectively prepare a defence because the police had not given him access to the evidence of the case. Muscat is one of dozens who stands charged in connection with the concession which saw three state hospitals to be managed by Vitals Global Healthcare.  He faces charges of money laundering and fraud amongst others.  He has denied any wrongdoing and called the charges against him a “political vendetta.” In the protest, Muscat noted how it was confirmed on 30 April during a sitting in the constitutional court that magistrate Gabriella Vella’s inquiry...

 Crews set off a chain of carefully placed explosives Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and with a boom and a splash, the mangled steel trusses came crashing down into the river below. The explosives flashed orange and let off plumes of black smoke upon detonation. The longest trusses toppled away from the grounded Dali container ship and slid off its bow, sending a wall of water splashing back toward the ship. It marked a major step in freeing the Dali, which has been stuck among the wreckage since it lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26. The collapse killed six construction workers and halted most maritime traffic through Baltimore’s busy port. The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and restore traffic through the port, which will provide...

Former government ministers Chris Fearne and Edward Scicluna will be criminally charged in court on 29 May. Fearne resigned from minister last week following the conclusion of the mahgisterial inquiry into the deal seeing three public hospitals being passed on to the provate sector. Scicluna, who is now Central Bank of Malta, has not resigned in spite of calls for him to quit his job. Fearne and Scicluna are among a list of 15 people set to be charged with fraud amounting to €5,000. They will be charged a day after former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, former Minister Konrad Mizzi and former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri will face different charges related to the same inquiry. The individuals charged alongside Fearne and Scicluna include former permanent secretaries Alfred Camilleri and Joseph Rapa, current permanent secretary Ronald Mizzi, adjudication committee members James Camenzuli, Manuel Castagna, and Robert Borg, financial controller...