Train takes MEPs to Disneyland instead of Strasbourg
The European Parliament's monthly plenary session is taking place in Strasbourg from the 16th till the 19th October. Labour MEPs Cyrus Engerer and Alex Agius Saliba were among hundreds of European legislators and their staff who boarded a Strasbourg-bound train from Brussels on Monday morning, but were surprised to find themselves at an unexpected destination: Disneyland Paris....
European Union
“The stakes are high”
MEP Alex Agius Saliba asserts that the current social challenges in Europe require an unprecedented European response. “For us, what was bluntly absent from this speech were all the social dimensions of the current situation. There are millions of families suffering with inflation, with the cost of living, with the cost of housing,” Pedro Marques, Vice Chair of the Socialists...
Voices
Of worn out belts and environmental policies
It is so sad, so sad indeed... In reaction to an amateur video uploaded by the PN’s starlet MP, some commented that Eve Borg Bonello’s belt is heavily worn out and that she should have bought a new one before such an appearance. But that’s least of her problems. She still hasn’t...
Global News Digest
Global News Digest – 16th October 2023
Today's world news, in a nutshell. Israel-Gaza war Reuters reports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his country’s expanded emergency cabinet for the first time Sunday, saying the national unity on display sent a message at home and abroad as the country geared up to “demolish Hamas”...
Contemporary literature
The adopted family
This short story is a sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s opus ‘A Doll’s House’. This short story is a sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s opus ‘A Doll’s House’. Sequels to it must be numerous but they are in script for the stage. This is in prose. And, whereas most others, if not all, adopt the theme of what became of Nora Helmer, this sequel takes up...
Stories
Fresher’s Week: an all-you-can-consume affair?
There’s a lot more going on, that sadly doesn’t attract half the media attention. POV: You step onto campus during Freshers’ Week as a student. The main quad is bustling with activity, with colourful tents and booths lining the pathways. There are many commercial stands vying for your attention. Amongst the attractive discounts and freebies,...
Voices
Serving the people
Throwing the baby out with the bathwater would be a huge mistake. Each time an election looms, the two mass political parties go all out to appeal to voters, using catchwords and slogans underpinned by the notion of national unity, hailing the values of meritocracy and pledging equal opportunities for all. The list of key words and...
Voices
Shifting our mindset
It is time to accept those things we cannot change and change our perspective. More importantly, it is also time to find the strength to truly make the changes needed to improve the quality of life for everyone in our small nation. Feeling a bit claustrophobic? Do you yearn to find some quiet, open space or drive in roads devoid of traffic at a time other than 3am? We cannot blame you if you do because Malta is one of the most densely populated countries in the world – the fourth in the...
Voices
The plan has been hatched
PN leader Bernard Grech himself first proposed, and then staunchly defended, the idea to liberalise the transmission and distribution market. The price stability in the local energy market is now taken for granted by both the general public and the business community. The cushioning of such a major inflationary contributor has brought other factors to the fore with inflation in certain areas, such as daily...
Voices
Sex Work: A matter of morals or damage control?
Sex work remains a strong taboo, with many legal models crafted without the consideration of the people whom they will ultimately affect. Often termed the world’s oldest profession, sex work has stood the test of time, even when the Church dominated everyday life and enjoyed almost limitless power. Nevertheless, sex work remains a strong taboo, with many legal models crafted without the consideration of...
Stories
Not shying away
Despite its unique challenges as a small island nation, Malta's strategic and comprehensive climate action plan aims to make significant contributions to the global fight against climate change. Only time will tell. As a European Union, have we have been quick enough to address the unrelenting climate crisis that has been increasingly manifesting itself through extreme weather patterns like heatwaves, forest fires, floods, and droughts all around the globe?...
Voices
The silly season
The Partit Laburista and the Partit Nazzjonalista are engaged in a life-or-death struggle where no quarters are spared. The new editor of The Journal saw fit to invite me to start writing again now that The Journal is being revived. I presume he thought I might have something relevant to say, or perhaps he thought he would challenge a 78-year-old to come up with 800 words which...