The latest news as we slept last night regarded the complicated agreement to release a number of Israelis in the hands of Hamas since 7 October 2023 in exchange with a superior number of Palestinians in Israeli hands.

This agreement about which all seem so knowledgeable is not signed yet but celebrations have begun around the world. In London and other cities fireworks have been let off and carcades with the Palestinian flag held.

But in Malta absolutely nothing. Not for the first time I ask myself whether we are living in the same world.

The main items in our news bulletins remained resolutely local.

Again, this is not absolute. I am certain the Inauguration of President Trump will be followed in many homes in Malta - we love a parade with flags flying and band marches.

We may not be completely aware of the consequences of Trump's new policies for us. Nor is the rest of Europe.

We may know that there is an election in Germany within days, after the collapse of the previous government. That the French one is on life support.  And so on and so forth. Never has Europe been so weak. So divided.

The war in Ukraine is practically over. Ukraine has lost. Europe came up with lots of rhetoric but did not come up with the concrete help that was needed to stop the Russian behemoth.

There will now be peace but one third of Ukraine remains in Russian hands. Russia lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers but can always come up with more.

Ukraine suffered the death of so many soldiers, a ravaged countryside, a broken down economy and the abandonment by Trump. Still it fights on. Yet its soldiers and its population are dead tired from months of disruption.

Onto this continent on its last legs will now come the Trump tsunami of barriers to trade, America first.

Europe needs more money for its defence. It has allowed millions of non-Europeans to enter and somehow make a living.  And it now watches as Trump bullies the Mexicans and the migrants from Guatemala.

Africa meanwhile is still a continent in the dark.

And here in this isle the peace of noon on Sunday was broken by a man shouting in anger.

It was Robert Abela and he was haranguing his remaining party loyalists and ranting against the Nationalists who didn't want to play ball.

He even let slip a threat of an early election (but disowned it with his next breath).

Meanwhile he and his Cabinet have yet to make their declaration of assets and yet illogically they crucify the Opposition for not presenting its accounts for many years running.

Malta will not be spared of the consequences of the Trump tsunami. It had better begin to focus and prepare for this.

And tackle in the right way the huge issues in the health sector, the backlog in education.

And stop giving out parcels of public land to friends of friends.

And stop considering migrants as disposables and relics of a colonial past and start considering them as allies in the making of future Malta, a modern  state where all feel they're part of a common home.

And let justice run its course.

I pity those who come after us. We must shoulder our responsibility.

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