National interest and ethical stands make uneasy bedfellows in foreign affairs – except for the sort milords pursue. At least Athens was run by honourable men, but its external policies were guided only by the state’s strategic and pecuniary interests. Today, little countries like Mauritius – and Britain – have little choice but to prostrate themselves to such new masters as India, China and Saudi Arabia. Maybe some stick a finger into the country’s elections but, despite base rumours, none has yet tried to impose direct rule.

One of the most important principles in Athens was freedom of speech. The press today is one of the guarantors of that freedom – even if not all journalists are whiter than white. As well as past press censorship and more recent dawn raids on journalists’ homes, the press here has suffered regular verbal attacks. When carried to extremes, the dangers become evident. After his election in 2016, Duterte declared; “Just because you’re a journalist you’re not exempted from assassination.” Five journalists were shot in The Philippines in 2017. To think that way back in Greece – and China – messengers were normally a protected species.

Jamal Khashoggi’s murder has shown how little morality there is in international relations. While France and the UK have muttered a few words, Mutter Merkel may be one of the few prepared to take a real stand. Like you, The Donald’s trapped between the devil and the desert but, unlike some of his supporters, despite hating CNN, even he might balk at the idea of killing its journalists. Not that he helps by alleging fake news when he himself is an addict – like Vladimir, his ex-comrade in arms, unashamed of being caught red-handed in Salisbury. The sooner we convert fully to renewable energy sources the better.

At least in Slovakia, the PM was forced out after the murder of Jan Kuciak, who was investigating ties between businessmen, politicos and a notorious Calabrian mafia. In 2017, outside natural causes like war, Mexico scored highest for messenger murders, not least of Javier Valdez Cárdenas, slaughtered for exposing drug traffickers. Mauritius hasn’t reached that point yet but there have been strange incidents in police custody.

There’s also often a strange silence. Has anything been said here of the murder in Bangalore of Gauri Lankesh, whose last editorial claimed fake news had contributed to the BJP’s election victory in 2014? Of course, the situation is often muddied. Three people have been arrested for the murder of Caruana Galizia in Malta but it remains unclear whether the government was involved. In Bulgaria, who knows whether Viktoria Marinova was murdered by a rapist or because of her investigation into corruption?

Back here, the signing of three loan agreements might have been an achievement at any other time but, in the midst of the Khashoggi scandal, suggests a lack of sensitivity. Don’t let’s pretend – Zeus’ thunderbolts on Monday night were no mere co-incidence. Only one or two politicos have dared speak out. What a contrast there would be if Israel used a grinder – or a salmi slicer – on a critical journalist…

Perhaps the Emir has had a quiet word with MbS – that’s often the way diplomats operate – but that seems unlikely given his record, as he’s a récidiviste notoire where journalists are concerned. With national pride so insulted by the Saudi murder in Turkey, you in turn might suggest to Mons Erdogan it’s about time he released his journalist friends. Incidentally, as Finance has been working on the country’s OECD image, how about demanding a certificate of morality from travellers to or from Riyadh – and MPs and advisers while you’re at it – rather than not just from former athletes?

Yours sincerely,
Epi PHRON