Times Talk by Times of Malta

Toni Abela was a key figure in Malta's political scene before transitioning to the judiciary.

A former president and deputy leader of the Labour Party, Abela can now add 'retired judge' to that resume, having served for nine years in the judiciary.

In this rare interview, Abela reveals what it's like to be a judge in Malta and opens up about how the power of deciding a person's fate weighed on him.

The Nationalist Party is at a crossroads, again.

Bernard Grech’s surprise decision to step aside midway through the legislature caught the party off guard. And with Roberta Metsola deciding not to contest, the PN’s future appears uncertain.

Lou Bondi played a key role within the PN during its electoral heyday. George Vital Zammit was tasked by the party’s outgoing leader with writing its electoral manifesto.

In this Times Talk episode, we ask these two thinkers where the PN got it wrong, and what it needs to do to get back on tra...

Joseph Portelli and Andre Callus met for the first time in their lives at the top of Mercury Towers, for a Times Talk debate that saw the two trade talking points, accusations and even the odd insult.

Portelli is one of Malta’s biggest construction moguls. Callus is arguably Malta’s best-known environmental activist. It is safe to say there is little love lost between the two.

The hour-long debate was moderated by Times of Malta assistant editor Mark Laurence Zammit.

Cardinal Mario Grech was among a handful of names mentioned in Catholic circles as being a potential successor to the late Pope Francis.

In this exclusive interview recorded inside the Vatican, Cardinal Grech says he was relieved he was not the man chosen to lead the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Grech sheds light on the conclave that led to the election of Pope Leo XIV and also touches on various challenges the Church faces, including the problem of many priests not wanting to become bishops.

Bajd u Bejken has carved out a particular niche in Malta's podcasting landscape. Crude, rude and dark, the comedy show has attracted a dedicated audience that delights in its brand of humour.

The laughs stopped this month, though, when the show was accused of humiliating Terry Muscat, a transgender social media personality.

One of the show's three hosts apologised and quit.

In this exclusive interview, Times Talk speaks to the remaining two, Max Vassallo and PJ Xerxen, about that joke, their plans for the show and whether there should be red lines in...

Rebecca Buttigieg has unveiled government proposals for 'Assisted Voluntary Euthanasia' - proposals that, if they become law, would grant people the right to die in certain circumstances.

Although the proposals are not a draft bill yet, they could lead to one, and on Times Talk, Buttigieg fields questions on what could go wrong if the country were to introduce some form of euthanasia.

As cardinals gather in Rome to select the Catholic Church's next leader, Times Talk speaks to Ambassador and Vatican expert Frank Zammit about the conclave and its mysteries.

Zammit explains how the process will unfold and why he believes it could take slightly longer than usual for a puff of white smoke to emerge from the chapel chimney.

He also weighs in on the internal politics that take centre stage during the event, in an election meant to be the work of the holy spirit.

Four men are in the dock, charged with playing a key role in two separate murders.

One of those killings, the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, is arguably the most significant crime in Malta's history.

In this episode, Mark Laurence Zammit speaks to Times of Malta court reporter Monique Agius and online editor Bertrand Borg about the ongoing trial. This episode was recorded on April 29, 2025.

Malta’s new traffic plan has everyone talking but will it actually reduce traffic? In this week’s Times Talk, we sit down with Chris Bonett to clear the air: Who really qualifies for the €25k car grant? What happens if people just switch to cabs? And is asking young people to ride motorbikes really a viable solution? Bonett admits traffic won’t be solved overnight but says a cultural shift is the goal.

A new, groundbreaking discovery has revealed that Malta's human history is at least 1,000 years older than previously thought.

In this episode of Times Talk we meet the first people of Malta - hunter-gatherers who reached the island 1,000 earlier than previously believed, navigating vast open waters before the age of agriculture.

Times Talk follows the journey of the scientists that traced back these prehistoric pioneers and redefined what we thought we knew about the dawn of civilisation in the Mediterranean.

This episode was produced by Mark Laurence Zammit and edited by Karl Andrew Micallef. <...

In this week's episode of Times Talk, we sit down with the unstoppable Jamie Cardona.

Cardona has been on an incredible winning streak this past year - writing and performing in Malta's longest-running solo show, starring in critically acclaimed musical and theatre productions and now, winning the prestigious music competition Mużika Mużika at the first attempt.

Mark Laurence Zammit sits down with Cardona to learn more about what makes him tick, and what he makes of his sudden burst of success.

This episode was edited by Karl Andrew Micallef.

Malta’s nightlife is fueling a rise in cocaine use, with Valletta emerging as a hotspot for open drug consumption.

Times of Malta investigation reveals how the drug culture has seeped into bars, bathrooms, and beyond.

Mark Laurence Zammit speaks to Times of Malta journalists Marc Galdes and Emma Borg as well as medical experts Anton Grech and Godwin Sammut to explore the seedier side of Maltese nightlife.

Hosted by Mark Laurence Zammit. Edited by Karl Andrew Micallef.

Malta’s COVID-19 response was among the best globally, but former Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne acknowledged areas for improvement.

Corradino Correctional Facility is Malta's only prison. It is home to 673 men and 59 women serving time or awaiting trial. And yet very little is known about it, or about prison life in Malta.

Mark Laurence Zammit was granted an exclusive, unprecedented four-hour filmed tour of the facility by prisons director Chris Siegersma, one month after a damning report by the Ombudsman which saw Corradino described as a "factory of evil" by one inmate.

This is what he saw.

Produced by Mark Lawrence Zammit. Filmed by the Correctional Services Agency. Edited by Karl Andrew...

Foreign affairs minister. Tourism minister. Deputy prime minister.

If Ian Borg's many hats are weighing him down, he doesn't show it.

In this interview with Mark Laurence Zammit, Borg - one of Malta's most powerful and recognisable politicians - delves into his plans to reform the tourism sector, "fix" Comino and adapt Malta's diplomatic neutrality to the geopolitics of today.

This episode was produced by Mark Laurence Zammit and edited by Karl Andrew Micallef.

You'd be hard-pressed to find two political figures more different than Jason Azzopardi and Jason Micallef. 

They share a first name and a flair for bombastic posts on social media. The similarities end there. 

Azzopardi is a lawyer and former Nationalist Party MP who crusades against the Labour government. Micallef is a Labour official who has vocally defended Labour figures facing corruption allegations. 

In this hour-long discussion moderated by Mark Laurence Zammit, the two Jasons go head-to-head on some of the hottest political issues in present-day Malta. Expect fireworks. 

Produced by Mark...

Yorgen Fenech is out of prison, more than five years after he was taken into police custody and charged with complicity in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

We still don't know when Fenech - the millionaire heir to the Tumas Group fortune - will stand trial on those charges. What we do know is that he will be sleeping at home until that happens. 

Times of Malta journalist Claudia Calleja was in court when a court granted Fenech bail. Her colleague Daniel Ellul was outside prison when he was released. 

Mark Laurence Za...

On February 2, 1995, a blast rang out at the Malta Drydocks.

The Um el Faroud, a Libyan oil tanker, had exploded "like a tin can".  Nine people lost their lives. 

30 years on, we revisit that disaster with the help of two people who were among the first to reach the scene: court analyst and University of Malta Rector Alfred Vella and Times of Malta deputy online editor Chris Scicluna. 

This episode was produced by Mark Laurence Zammit, written by Matthew Bonanno and edited by Karl Andrew Micallef. 

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In Marsa, dozens of migrants wait by the roadside every morning, hoping to be picked up for casual construction work. Sarjo Conteh, a 31-year-old Gambian man who died in a construction site collapse on July 23, was one of them.

On this episode, we hear the stories of some of those men.

In part two, we catch up with Claudio Camilleri, a marathon runner who found time to stop and help a stranded tourist despite being in the middle of a 190km charity run.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

Lino Cauchi's murder remains one of the great unsolved cases in Maltese criminal history.

Cauchi vanished in 1982, but his body wasn’t discovered until three years later. His family are now seeking compensation for how the investigation was handled by police and the government at the time.

We speak to forensic expert Anthony Abela Medici, who was one of the first people to go down the well where Cauchi's body was found.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

The Nationalist Party is reeling. Its leader, Adrian Delia, has lost the trust of most of his MPs but is refusing to give up the party leadership.

In this episode, Times of Malta journalist Ivan Martin explains how the PN got here and where things may end up in the weeks to come.

In part two, we speak to ultra-runner Claudio Camilleri, who’s attempting to run 190km around Malta and Gozo later this month, all in the name of charity.

Have an idea or story suggestion? Email us at timestalk@timesofmalta.com

All across the world, protest movements are tearing down monuments and statues which represent more divisive moments in different countries' histories. Is there a case for Malta to do something similar?

On this episode, historians Charles Xuereb and Simon Cusens debate whether some of Malta’s colonial monuments should be removed or relocated.

In part two, we speak to John Edward DeMicoli about his fascinating World War II discovery inside a German antique he bought at auction.

Send your suggestions or story ideas to timestalk@timesofmalta.com

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Malta International Airport reopened its doors to commercial airlines on July 1, after more than three months of coronavirus-imposed shutdown. We speak to some of the first tourists to visit Malta in the summer of 2020.

In part two of this episode, we ask epidemiologist Neville Calleja what Malta has done right during the pandemic and get his take on whether we should be concerned about a second wave.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

Times of Malta journalist Jacob Borg explains how he worked with Reuters to expose a 2015 deal linking Malta's energy provider Enemalta to the man accused of masterminding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Borg was speaking before former minister Konrad Mizzi was kicked out of the Labour Party and economic crimes unit chief Ian Abdilla was replaced.

In part two of the episode, expats who used to call Malta home tell us they are packing their bags and leaving for good... because they sense rising xenophobia.

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Former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar is now the subject of a criminal investigation over suspicions he may have tipped off a middleman in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Hours before that probe began, he sat down with Times of Malta for an exclusive interview. Ivan Martin provides insight into the latest developments in a case that keeps twisting and turning.

In part two of this episode, we speak to Valletta business owners about their eight months of misery which began with national protests and continued with a global pandemic. Many tell us they're struggling...

We take to the streets of Valletta and speak to people who attended a Black Lives Matter demonstration and ask if they think Malta has a problem with racism.

In part two of the episode, we hear from swimmer Neil Agius about how he's preparing - mentally and physically - to cross from Sicily to Malta later this month.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

Chris Cardona's name has swirled around the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case in the past. But this week, the former minister was thrown right into the thick of things. Times of Malta's Ivan Martin walks us through the latest developments in the case of the century.

Plus, teenager Leon Bartolo talks about the strains of being a student in Malta, after a global study found that local 15-year-olds face the most schoolwork pressure in Europe.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

How will Malta fare economically once the pandemic blows over? Economist and financial adviser JP Fabri gives his prediction on how the country will weather the fallout from COVID-19.

We also speak to national long jump record-holder Claire Azzopardi about the mental challenges she faced when training during lockdown.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

We speak to Angie Farrugia, who cannot fly to India to pick up her newly-adopted daughter because airports are shut due to COVID-19. Angie is one of a growing number of Maltese choosing to adopt a child. Shirley Mifsud from one of Malta's three private adoption agencies tells us why it's becoming more popular.

Plus, Times of Malta reporter Claire Caruana talks us through the challenges the media has faced while covering the pandemic, as daily COVID-19 briefings come to an end.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

With the situation in Libya deteriorating because of civil war and now coronavirus, will more people try and make it to Malta to escape the desperate situation? Regional expert Mark Micallef explains what life is like in the north African country.

Plus: wondering if you should get swabbed for COVID-19? Times of Malta online editor Bertrand Borg went and took the test, all in the name of research.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

Heritage Malta CEO Noel Zammit explains how he plans to keep the organisation alive during the coming months, without the income from tourists who usually visit Malta's museums and heritage sites.

Plus, musician Glenn Sacco talks about his virtual collaboration with rock legend Jon Bon Jovi.

Background reading: 'Tourism will be the last sector to recover'

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

Archbishop Charles Scicluna discusses whether the Catholic Church is relevant in Maltese society anymore. He also shares his thoughts on greed, social media and hate speech.

Plus, marine biologist Alan Deidun tells us how and why he believes wildlife is thriving across the islands since the COVD-19 pandemic forced us all indoors.

Background reading:

Archbishop slams 'cardboard institutions with no teeth' Dolphins arrive on a coastline quietened by coronavirus

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

She's become a household name ever since coronavirus reached Malta in early March. But who is Charmaine Gauci? We speak to the Superintendent of Public Health to get to know her a little better.

Plus, Times of Malta journalist Jacob Borg explains how Malta gets its electricity, what are the rules it must play by, and why those contracts make it tricky for the government to lower utility rates.

Background reading: Gas is more expensive than interconnector - Electrogas advisers The $1 billion energy deal that's costing Malta millions Enemalta 'is not just the government's company...

Seven weeks into the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, Malta's deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne discusses how and when he feels restrictions will be lifted, and warns "this might not be the only pandemic we see in our lifetime".

In the second part of the episode, we speak to a Maltese teen activist who managed to secure a one-hour meeting with Prime Minister Robert Abela to discuss the rights of migrants.

Learn more about these stories and more at www.timesofmalta.com.

Find out more at https://times-talk.pinecast.co

As those living in Malta continue to stay indoors to stop the spread of COVID19, we ask epidemiologist Neville Calleja what the options are when it comes to reopening the country and staying safe.

And 100 days into the tenure of Prime Minister Robert Abela, we speak to Times of Malta editor-in-chief Herman Grech about how Malta's new leader is handling the hot seat.

Background reading: https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/2020/04/covid-19-risk-management?fbclid=IwAR1suOPHnezFTyc8Vc8FJ_N2F137jh8PA2HncWw6T7c5k311TlxoM1iJ358

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