MaltaToday reports that the public has been given only one week to send in comments on the proposed new policy that will affect ODZ (outside development zone areas) “to facilitate the redevelopment of existing farm buildings into agro-tourism establishments or visitor...

The appointment of the legal consultant of the Malta Pyrotechnics Association to the chair of a working group tasked to devise a new policy on fireworks factories is the last in a long string of “inappropriate” appointments being made under the current Labour government. The...

“Go back to your country”, he typed, he thought, he yelled, he spat, he fumed. “They should go back to their country”, he reasoned with friends, he told his politician, he reckoned with the warden, he argued on the promenade. “They’re useless good for...

Only last week I was following the uproar in the UK about “abusive tweets” with a measure of disbelief. We’d been there before – how seriously should twitter and social media statuses be taken? Should the tools who abuse the tools be punished? The UK government was...

The whole US system of spying and snooping that is supposed to protect the world from terrorists and terrorist attacks had fallen under an ugly cloud of bad publicity ever since the Snowden affair hit the news. Only this week Germany cancelled a spy pact that it had enjoyed with the US and UK...

Mohammed Morsi will just not let go that easily. The government installed after Egypt’s turn of the Arab Spring seems to have its days counted and the army has issued an ultimatum for it to step down. As representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood prepare for the last stand, it seems to...

It’s been a while since J’accuse took a look at the what the world around us has to offer. Facebook killed the blogging star (oh-uh-oh) and the blogosphere is a tad bit less self-referential nowadays. At least less than it was eight years back when linking to other blogs was de...

One of the Economist’s leaders this week is entitled “Zombie democracy” and essentially discusses the concept of majoritarianism. Modern democratic governments are elected by popular suffrage and are formed on the basis of majority rule (cue the discussion on representation,...

Edward Snowden is on the run. The US government is attempting to get the former CIA employee and contractor for the NSA  extradited after he shared classified material with the international press – namely with the UK’s Guardian. Snowden’s first leak activity took place in...

You may or may not have heard the news about the closure (and then reopening) of the national TV station in Greece. The ERT is Hellas’  pride and joy that for many represents the Greek heritage. Samaras’ government had decided to shut the whole business down with the hope of...

So they set up a Foundation to organise national festivities. So far so normal. This is after all the Malta of Saints and Fireworks where every raħal worth its globigerina limestone has at least one Kumitat tal-Festi. This is the country of the xalati and illum il-festa tagħna so the...

A news item on a Belgian radio last week spoke of how students were turning to new forms of income to subsidise their studies. One form of income was a new service being provided whereby students agreed to perform cleaning services (the French term is “technicien des surfaces”)...