Times Talk by Times of Malta
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Über den Podcast
A Times of Malta podcast that takes a closer look at the stories shaping Malta today. Hosted by award-winning journalist and assistant editor Mark Laurence Zammit.
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The Lassana Cisse murder trial: The verdict
One of the men accused of killing Lassana Cisse was acquitted of the murder on Sunday evening, in a verdict that shocked many and prompted more questions than it answered.Court reporter Clara Farrugia sat down …
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One of the men accused of killing Lassana Cisse was acquitted of the murder on Sunday evening, in a verdict that shocked many and prompted more questions than it answered.
Court reporter Clara Farrugia sat down with Mark Laurence Zammit the day after the verdict, for a Times Talk episode that unpacks all that happened in courtroom on Sunday night and what went down the moment the jurors acquitted the 29-year-old former soldier.
The Lassana Cisse murder trial: Lorin Scicluna's testimony
The trial of Lorin Scicluna, charged with the 2019 racially-motivated murder of Lassana Cisse entered its second week.In this Times Talk episode, court correspondent Clara Farrugia examines the former soldier’s …
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The trial of Lorin Scicluna, charged with the 2019 racially-motivated murder of Lassana Cisse entered its second week.
In this Times Talk episode, court correspondent Clara Farrugia examines the former soldier’s testimony, the prosecution’s challenges to his account and the questions jurors wanted answered.
The Lassana Cisse murder trial: Week 1
A black man was shot dead late one night seven years ago. His murder has since been called the first racially motivated homicide in Malta's history. One of the alleged killers has gone on trial this week, and …
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A black man was shot dead late one night seven years ago. His murder has since been called the first racially motivated homicide in Malta's history.
One of the alleged killers has gone on trial this week, and in this Times Talk episode, court reporter Clara Farrugia tells Mark Laurence Zammit how the first few days in the trial of Lorin Scicluna unfolded - and why this will likely be remembered as a landmark case.
Murder middleman Melvin Theuma: 'I told the whole truth'
In an exclusive interview with Times of Malta, Melvin Theuma, the middleman who helped arrange Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, tells Mark Laurence Zammit why he stands by every word of his evidence against …
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In an exclusive interview with Times of Malta, Melvin Theuma, the middleman who helped arrange Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, tells Mark Laurence Zammit why he stands by every word of his evidence against Yorgen Fenech, and why the acquittal has not changed what he knows.
The verdict that stunned the nation
At the end of an intense trial that lasted over two months, the nation held its breath on Wednesday evening as the jury announced a verdict that acquitted Yorgen Fenech of all charges over the murder of Daphne …
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At the end of an intense trial that lasted over two months, the nation held its breath on Wednesday evening as the jury announced a verdict that acquitted Yorgen Fenech of all charges over the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, by eight votes to one.
Reactions, comments and protests stretched late into the night. And the morning after the verdict Clara Farrugia sat down with Mark Laurence Zammit to unpack what happened during the verdict and its aftermath, for a Times Talk episode that will be the last in the series produced during the trial.
Your questions about the Yorgen Fenech trial, answered
Editorial note: A version of this episode with English subtitles will be available on the Times of Malta YouTube channelAs the trial of Yorgen Fenech approaches its end, Clara Farrugia answers some of the many …
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Editorial note: A version of this episode with English subtitles will be available on the Times of Malta YouTube channel
As the trial of Yorgen Fenech approaches its end, Clara Farrugia answers some of the many questions readers have sent us about this trial.
Is any vote by jurors valid? If Fenech is acquitted, will Melvin Theuma be charged with perjury? Why don't courts use lie detectors during trials?
Herman Grech hosts this episode in the absence of Mark Laurence Zammit.
Yorgen Fenech testifies in his own trial
A version of this show with English subtitles will be published on the Times of Malta YouTube channel.Yorgen Fenech is the man in the dock. This past week, he was the man on the witness stand, too.The Tumas …
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A version of this show with English subtitles will be published on the Times of Malta YouTube channel.
Yorgen Fenech is the man in the dock. This past week, he was the man on the witness stand, too.
The Tumas Group heir and business magnate spent four days testifying in his own trial, as he seeks to defend himself from charges of complicity in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Fenech said many things while testifying. Some we had heard before. Others were new. His central argument - that he is being framed by his old friend Keith Schembri and taxi driver Melvin Theuma - remained unchanged throughout.
In this Times Talk episode, Mark Laurence Zammit and Clara Farrugia go over what Fenech said, what prosecutors asked and what jurors will have to think about after hearing from the man at the heart of this criminal trial.
The day the trial almost fell apart
One of the biggest and most consequential criminal trials in history almost fell apart on Friday.After 45 days of intense hearings, the defence demanded the judge dissolves the trial of Yorgen Fenech after …
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One of the biggest and most consequential criminal trials in history almost fell apart on Friday.
After 45 days of intense hearings, the defence demanded the judge dissolves the trial of Yorgen Fenech after court was told that the jurors had access to news headlines about the trial.
In the short time judge Edwina Grima allowed herself to come to a decision, court reporter Clara Farrugia left Hall 22 to sit down for the weekly Times Talk rundown with Mark Laurence Zammit.
The two explain what happened, what led to this point and why the judge's decision matters so much in the bigger picture.
Before they could finish recording the episode, the second bombshell of the day dropped: Yorgen Fenech took the stand for the first time since he was arrested in 2019, and he began to lay out his version of events.
What happened when the trial went silent
When the live blogs from the trial of Yorgen Fenech went silent on Friday, social media was flooded with people asking why no journalist would tell them what was going on.In this special episode of Times Talk …
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When the live blogs from the trial of Yorgen Fenech went silent on Friday, social media was flooded with people asking why no journalist would tell them what was going on.
In this special episode of Times Talk, court reporter Clara Farrugia and Mark Laurence Zammit unpack all that happened when Yorgen Fenech, the judge, witnesses and all jurors, lawyers and journalists visited the sites connected to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in a convoy of vans and armoured vehicles amid high security police escorts and army surveillance.
Melvin takes the stand against Yorgen Fenech
The taxi driver who says Yorgen Fenech paid him €150,000 to have Daphne Caruana Galizia spent five gruelling days on the witness stand this week, answering questions from prosecutors and defence lawyers.Melvin …
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The taxi driver who says Yorgen Fenech paid him €150,000 to have Daphne Caruana Galizia spent five gruelling days on the witness stand this week, answering questions from prosecutors and defence lawyers.
Melvin Theuma - the pardoned middleman who is the prosecution's star witness in the case - had a lot to say.
Mark Laurence Zammit and Clara Farrugia unpack a week's worth of blistering testimony in one of the most important criminal trials in Malta's history.
Unpacking week 6 of the Yorgen Fenech trial
From WhatsApp chats and an infamous video to a huge Electrogas investigation, a lot happened this weekA week is a long time in politics, they say, and so it seems in the trial of Yorgen Fenech as well. A lot …
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From WhatsApp chats and an infamous video to a huge Electrogas investigation, a lot happened this week
A week is a long time in politics, they say, and so it seems in the trial of Yorgen Fenech as well. A lot has happened in court this week, and Times Talk unpacks it all in the latest episode about the murder trial.
Court reporter Clara Farrugia and journalist Mark Laurence Zammit go over the heartbreaking testimony of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s son, Matthew, who described the day of his mother's murder and what the two were doing at home just before. He also shed light on a major Electrogas investigation they were both working on.
A sex abuse victim and the priest who told her to move on
In June 2025, a retired Maltese bishop caused a stir when he said on TV that abuse victims should first be encouraged to forgive their abusers before going to the police.As backlash grew, George Frendo …
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In June 2025, a retired Maltese bishop caused a stir when he said on TV that abuse victims should first be encouraged to forgive their abusers before going to the police.
As backlash grew, George Frendo apologised, saying he had not meant that forgiveness should substitute reporting such crimes to authorities.
But the bishop’s initial statement left its mark on one woman. They were the same words Frendo had told her years ago, when as a child she was abused by a man they both knew.
In this Times Talk episode, the woman speaks out about her years of abuse at the hands of a relative, the damage Frendo’s advice did to her and why she has decided to go public now.
We also speak to Frendo, who explains why he felt it was not his place to report the abuse at the time, and what he wishes he had done differently.
Inside week 5 in the trial of Yorgen Fenech | Times Talk
The latest episode of Times Talk unpacks the last two days of Keith Schembri's testimony during the trial of Yorgen Fenech earlier this week.In the 30-minute episode, court reporter Clara Farrugia and Mark …
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The latest episode of Times Talk unpacks the last two days of Keith Schembri's testimony during the trial of Yorgen Fenech earlier this week.
In the 30-minute episode, court reporter Clara Farrugia and Mark Laurence Zammit take a deep dive into some of the toughest questions the former OPM chief of staff faced from Yorgen Fenech lawyer Giannella de Marco.
How did police find Schembri and Fenech when they arrested them? What was the two men's reaction as they were being detained? How did Schembri learn when his name was raised during police investigations into the murder, and what is the deal with the alleged naked lawyer at Castille?
This week Schembri also revealed some new details about that time he claims Yorgen Fenech hinted to him that he had been involved in the murder and how the pistol of one of Joseph Muscat's security staff went off by mistake inside Muscat's own home.
Catch the latest episode on Times of Malta, YouTube, Spotify, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Times Talk: Why we're breaking our usual schedule to bring you this episode
Times Talk on the trial of Yorgen Fenech usually comes out on the weekend and includes a run-down of all that happened that week.But as former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri took the witness stand on …
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Times Talk on the trial of Yorgen Fenech usually comes out on the weekend and includes a run-down of all that happened that week.
But as former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri took the witness stand on Tuesday, things got heated and prompted this mid-week episode about what happened before and during his testimony.
How is Yorgen Fenech reacting to all of this in the courtroom, and what is the atmosphere like in the room at this stage?
Times Talk unpacks what all of this means and why it matters, as more details continue to emerge in the trial that has got the country glued to its screens.
The trial of Yorgen Fenech - Week 4
It was a week of claims, counterclaims and secret recordings as the fourth week of the Yorgen Fenech trial drew to a close.Times of Malta court reporter Clara Farrugia and editor-in-chief Herman Grech sat down …
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It was a week of claims, counterclaims and secret recordings as the fourth week of the Yorgen Fenech trial drew to a close.
Times of Malta court reporter Clara Farrugia and editor-in-chief Herman Grech sat down for a new episode of Times Talk to unpack the latest courtroom drama gripping the country.
At the centre of the week’s proceedings was Johann Cremona, a business associate of Fenech, who spent four days on the witness stand before his testimony ended in a tense exchange with the defence team.
The episode also examines the testimony of former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar and Edgar Brincat, known as il-Ġojja, who had links to murder middleman Melvin Theuma.
Hours of complex testimony, distilled into a 20-minute episode of Times Talk, with one key question in the end: what happens when other people are being implicated in the crime?
Watch the full episode on Times of Malta or YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The trial of Yorgen Fenech - Week 3
As the third week of Yorgen Fenech's trial comes to a close, Times of Malta court reporter Clara Farrugia and editor-in-chief Herman Grech sat down for a new Times Talk episode to unpack the details of the …
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As the third week of Yorgen Fenech's trial comes to a close, Times of Malta court reporter Clara Farrugia and editor-in-chief Herman Grech sat down for a new Times Talk episode to unpack the details of the courtroom drama that is gripping the country.
Among the most chilling moments in Hall 22 this week was the testimony of Alfred and George Degiorgio, two of the three convicted hitmen, who linked Keith Schembri and Chris Cardona to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The episode also explains the role of the other witnesses who testified this week, including Vince Muscat, il-Koħħu.
Times Talk: Inside the second week of the trial of Yorgen Fenech
As the second week of Yorgen Fenech's trial comes to a close, Times of Malta court reporter Clara Farrugia and Mark Laurence Zammit sit down for a new Times Talk episode to unpack the details of the courtroom …
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As the second week of Yorgen Fenech's trial comes to a close, Times of Malta court reporter Clara Farrugia and Mark Laurence Zammit sit down for a new Times Talk episode to unpack the details of the courtroom drama that is gripping the nation.
Among the most chilling moments this week was the testimony of Frans Sant, the last man to see Daphne Caruana Galizia alive. Sant shared a heartbreaking account of her final seconds, describing how she panicked behind the wheel after a small initial spark, just moments before the main bomb tore through her car.
The episode explains how experts discovered the assassination unfolded in this two-stage explosion, giving the victim a brief, terrifying realisation of what was about to happen.
Times Talk - The trial of Yorgen Fenech week 1
The trial of Yorgen Fenech, who is charged in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, is one of the most consequential criminal trials in Malta's history.Three days into the proceedings, Mark …
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The trial of Yorgen Fenech, who is charged in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, is one of the most consequential criminal trials in Malta's history.
Three days into the proceedings, Mark Laurence Zammit sits down with Times of Malta's court correspondent Clara Farrugia to unpack the prosecution's opening case, explain how the jury was selected and discuss what to expect in the weeks ahead.
Times of Malta will bring you weekly round-ups of the trial until the jury delivers its verdict.
The winners and losers of Malta's general election
Political analysts Pierre Portelli and Robert Musumeci help Mark Laurence Zammit dissect the current state of Maltese politics.They discuss the performance of the Labour and Nationalist parties in the 2026 …
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Political analysts Pierre Portelli and Robert Musumeci help Mark Laurence Zammit dissect the current state of Maltese politics.
They discuss the performance of the Labour and Nationalist parties in the 2026 general election, Robert Abela's cabinet appointments and the (in?)justice of parliament's gender corrective mechanism.
Times Talk: The secret life of your ballot
The country's going to the polls in less than 48 hours, and this latest episode of Times Talk is an essential guide for the perplexed.It breaks down the mechanics of Malta’s electoral system - one of the most …
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The country's going to the polls in less than 48 hours, and this latest episode of Times Talk is an essential guide for the perplexed.
It breaks down the mechanics of Malta’s electoral system - one of the most democratic, yet complex, in the world.
Our speakers trace where your vote will go from the moment you slide it in the ballot box on Saturday till all MPs are elected next week.
But the episode also uncovers the lid on a second election at play – an often overlooked, but perhaps more heated – battle between candidates of the same parties within districts.
Times Talk - Are election polls lying to us?
With just over a week remaining before Maltese voters head to the polls to choose Malta's next prime minister, the latest episode of Times Talk delves into the science and controversy behind political polling …
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With just over a week remaining before Maltese voters head to the polls to choose Malta's next prime minister, the latest episode of Times Talk delves into the science and controversy behind political polling, as current surveys continue to indicate a significant lead for the Labour Party.
Times of Malta fact-checker Neville Borg and Esprimi CEO Morgan Parnis joined the podcast. Borg gives an overview of what the polls are showing while Parnis explains the results and why some polls differ from others, even when they are carried out during the same period.
If you have questions about the polls, this episode will attempt to answer as many of them as possible.
Times Talk - Entitled voters, shackled leaders
It is very worrying the the election campaign has, so far, almost entirely revolved around 'what's in it for me', according to political analysts Lou Bondi and Michelle Attard Tonna.The two were speaking on the …
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It is very worrying the the election campaign has, so far, almost entirely revolved around 'what's in it for me', according to political analysts Lou Bondi and Michelle Attard Tonna.
The two were speaking on the latest episode of Times Talk Campaign Watch during which they dissected the third week of the election campaign.
The lavish promises are creating a sense of entitlement in people while making it very hard for the next prime minister - whoever it may be - to lead effectively in a very volatile global climate, they warned.
Even worse, there are several issues no party seems to be addressing during the campaign.
Watch the episode on Times of Malta, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Times Talk - The elephants in Malta’s election room
The second week of Malta’s 2026 general election campaign sparked its first controversies. As Labour leader Robert Abela and Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg make their political pitches, mainly through cash …
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The second week of Malta’s 2026 general election campaign sparked its first controversies. As Labour leader Robert Abela and Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg make their political pitches, mainly through cash bonanzas, are the country’s (medium-to-long term) problems being ignored?
In this episode of Times Talk, Times of Malta editor-in-chief Herman Grech sits down with former Labour deputy leader and president Daniel Micallef and former PN chief of staff Ray Bezzina to dissect the campaign narratives, the long-term economic impact of today’s pledges, the racism directed at Omar Rababah, and the growing debate over overdevelopment.
It was a candid discussion on the issues shaping Malta’s election, and the ones politicians may prefer to avoid.
Times Talk - Power, underdogs, and a supermarket of promises
Prime Minister Robert Abela has called an early general election for May 30.The campaign’s opening days have already seen a wave of pledges and voter-focused measures, as the main parties begin to draw their …
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Prime Minister Robert Abela has called an early general election for May 30.The campaign’s opening days have already seen a wave of pledges and voter-focused measures, as the main parties begin to draw their battle lines.
With the Labour government firmly in the driving seat and making full use of its incumbency advantage, the question remains: can the Nationalist Party, led by a relatively new leader, close the gap and defy the opinion polls?
In the first political Times Talk podcast of the campaign, Herman Grech, editor-in-chief of Times of Malta, sits down with Kurt Sansone, executive editor of MaltaToday, and sociologist Michael Briguglio to discuss Election 2026.
Twannie The mystery around Malta's schoolboy murder
The youngest daughter of Ġiġa and Leli Camilleri has called for the reopening of the Twannie Aquilina murder case, claiming her parents were wrongfully convicted of a brutal crime committed by someone else.In a …
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The youngest daughter of Ġiġa and Leli Camilleri has called for the reopening of the Twannie Aquilina murder case, claiming her parents were wrongfully convicted of a brutal crime committed by someone else.
In a rare and emotional interview on Times Talk, Marthese Camilleri insisted that her brother was sexually assaulted before his throat was slit – a detail she claims was confirmed by an autopsy but never emerged in court.
Accompanied by the Times Talk team, Marthese returned to the very flat in St Dominic Street, Valletta, where the murder occurred 66 years ago, marking the first time she stepped into the crime scene since the time of the murder.
“People continue to judge us and hurt us, and I believe it’s time they hear our side of the story,” she said.
The controversy: Bil-Malti or in English?
Broadcaster Peppi Azzopardi said he learned English as a young boy because the school he went to forced students to wear a sign around their neck that read: ‘I must speak in English’.And while he admitted the …
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Broadcaster Peppi Azzopardi said he learned English as a young boy because the school he went to forced students to wear a sign around their neck that read: ‘I must speak in English’.
And while he admitted the sign was demeaning, he insisted that it propelled him to learn English, as his parents did not know how to speak the language.
Azzopardi was defending his controversial Popolin proposals during a heated exchange on the latest Times Talk episode. Poet and writer professor Immanuel Mifsud and pedagogy expert Jacqueline Zammit were also on the panel, and they dismissed his suggestions as illogical, arguing they would do little to bridge the success gap for working-class children.
Times Talk: A tanker adrift
There is a Russian oil tanker adrift about 100km to the South East of Malta right now.Its crew abandoned it two weeks ago after it was hit by a huge explosion.Russia hasn't come to pick it up and no country …
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There is a Russian oil tanker adrift about 100km to the South East of Malta right now.
Its crew abandoned it two weeks ago after it was hit by a huge explosion.
Russia hasn't come to pick it up and no country - including Malta - will touch it.
Still though, all eyes are on it, as it is loaded with some 700 tonnes of fuel and it could blow up.
In a 20-minute episode that will be out on Wednesday, Times Talk will discuss the inside story of how the Russian tanker story was discovered and revealed, what the authorities are saying and fearing behind closed doors, and how the government went from denying concerns to asking the EU for help.
Times Talk: Some of the biggest mysteries of the universe explained
What are the chances that aliens are real? And if they are, what do they look like, where are they and how come they never visit? And if they were to visit, how would they even do it?Is time travel to the past …
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What are the chances that aliens are real? And if they are, what do they look like, where are they and how come they never visit? And if they were to visit, how would they even do it?
Is time travel to the past and to the future possible? It turns out it is – at least one way.
And what is the likelihood that there are other worlds like ours out there? The short answer is: very likely. The long answer is even more interesting.
In a wide-ranging 90-minute discussion on Times Talk, astrophysicist professor Joseph Caruana breaks down the staggering reality of our existence – from the probability of humanity living in a computer simulation to the probability of time travel.
During the episode the 39-year-old Oxford-educated researcher and University of Malta lecturer explains why most of the universe is still a mystery and how scientists have managed to trace back its beginning 14 billion years ago. And along the way he answers a myriad of other questions.
When will the world end? Will the universe end? What happens to us after we die? And how is human consciousness the way the universe finally knows about itself?
And from all that he knows about the universe, does it look like there is a God? Does the universe need a creator to keep it going? Did it even need a creator?
And is it possible that we are all living in a computer simulation? Short answer is: quite possibly.
Watch the full 90-minute Times Talk episode to find out.
The shooting that sparked Black Monday
Forty-six years ago, a man walked into Castille with a gun. Gunshots rang out. The man was dragged out bleeding. He was accused of trying to kill Prime Minister Dom Mintoff. That same day, thugs destroyed Times …
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Forty-six years ago, a man walked into Castille with a gun.
Gunshots rang out. The man was dragged out bleeding. He was accused of trying to kill Prime Minister Dom Mintoff.
That same day, thugs destroyed Times of Malta offices and ransacked the home of Mintoff’s rival, Eddie Fenech Adami.
In this episode, Times Talk explores one of the darkest days in Malta's modern history.
How Times of Malta editors saw 2025 | Times Talk
There was no single news event that overshadowed all other Times of Malta headlines in 2025. But that does not mean it was a year without interesting events. From a building collapse in Paceville to family …
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There was no single news event that overshadowed all other Times of Malta headlines in 2025.
But that does not mean it was a year without interesting events.
From a building collapse in Paceville to family tragedies, the (second) rise of Donald Trump and the potential sale of HSBC Malta, Times of Malta journalists were kept busy right to the end of the year.
In this episode, Mark Laurence Zammit sits down with Times of Malta editor-in-chief Herman Grech, online editor Bertrand Borg, print editor Anthony Manduca and news editor Diana Cacciottolo to get their insights into the stories that made 2025
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