Malta has an obligation to provide people rescued at sea and disembarked in the country with access to the asylum procedure for those seeking asylum, and accommodation in suitable and adequate reception facilities, the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) tol...

The agriculture ministry has “deplored” the Pitkala Association’s decision to stop the Farmer’s Cooperative and other non-members from selling their products at the Pitkalija. The pitkala are locked in a dispute with the gover...

Pope Francis prayed that people don't feel lost amid the problems of the pandemic as he listened to children's poignant accounts of sorrow and loneliness, which provided the motif for an unusual Way of the Cross torch-lit Good Friday procession in St...

42 new Covid-19 cases were reported by authorities on Friday, as the number of active cases dipped below the 700 mark.94 people recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, meaning that Malta currently has 687 active cases of Covid-19.Another patie...

A 70-year-old shopkeeper was slightly injured in an attempted hold-up on Friday evening.The case took place in Triq San Luqa in Marsascala at around 8:15pm, the police said.The aggressor, a man who was armed with a knife, demanded that the cashier ha...

On the 13th March, we clamoured editorially for a circuit-breaker lockdown of three to five weeks – and the government duly obliged. Ever since, the results have been there for all to see. In just three weeks, the infection rate fell by 90% fro...

Two flights had to be diverted away from Malta after an incident at the Malta International Airport this morning, the airport said in a statement.The MIA confirmed that an incident involving an aircraft being towed occurred at 11:29 on Friday morning...

It is unacceptable that people are allowed to play the lotto but not allowed to attend Mass, an angry Archbishop said on Thurdsay.In his homily on Maundy Thursday, Mgr Charles Scicluna said that while the Church followed instructions given by the hea...

Daphne Caruana Galizia would still be alive today if Malta had effective criminal law provisions in place to avoid the development of a de-facto state of impunity, Moviment Graffitti said on Friday.Moviment Graffitti also addressed the concerning iss...

A British football coach is facing a life sentence after being convicted of dozens of sex attacks on children, including nine rapes, Sky News reports.Stephen Walker, 68, preyed on young football players for more than 40 years.  His youngest vict...

A man made off with an undisclosed amount of cash in a hold-up in Fgura on Thursday evening, the police said.In a statement, the police said that the man, wearing a hoodie and carrying a knife, approached a woman from The Philippines who resides in F...

European nations' immunization campaigns against COVID-19 are “unacceptably slow” and risk prolonging the pandemic, a senior World Health Organization official said Thursday.Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO's regional director for Europe, said vaccine...

A Holy Thursday service in Paris was held at Notre Dame cathedral, which is still under construction after it was ravaged by flames just days before Easter in 2019, its spire crumbling in a shocking blaze.The ceremony involved a foot-washing ritual t...

Christians in the Holy Land are marking Good Friday this year amid signs the coronavirus crisis is winding down, with religious sites open to limited numbers of faithful but none of the mass pilgrimages usually seen in the Holy Week leading up to Eas...

Italy may be in a strict coronavirus lockdown this Easter with travel restricted between regions and new quarantines imposed. But a few miles offshore, guests aboard the MSC Grandiosa cruise ship are shimmying to Latin music on deck and sipping cockt...

A vehicle rolled down a hill and smashed into a passing train, partially derailing it outside a rail tunnel in Taiwan and killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens. Survivors climbed out windows and onto roofs to reach safety in Taiwan's deadlie...

52 new cases were reported on Thursday by health authorities, as the decrease in Covid-19 cases continues.146 people have recovered, meaning that the number of active cases now stands at 740. 32 of those cases are in Gozo.Two men aged 69 and 71 passe...

200,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne revealed on Facebook. This number is the total number of doses, thus meaning that a percentage of these are second doses.Malta has continued to administe...

Superintendent of Health Charmaine Gauci has confirmed that police officers have been delegated the authority to enter private property to check if Covid-19 measures are followed, so long as a report is filed.This was first reported by The Malta Inde...

Should the government open a spring hunting season, parts of Mizieb and Ahrax will be restricted to the public for certain times of day, the Federazzjoni Kaccaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti (FKNK) confirmed with The Malta Independent, highlighting th...

Malta will be one of the safest places to travel to this summer, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne said during an interview on CNBC.The Health Minister was asked about the Covid-19 situation, as well as the vaccination process in Malta.He noted that...

A number of people seemingly chose to ignore recently implemented public gathering measures in favour of going for a spring-time swim at St. Peter’s Pool on Thursday.A picture sent to this newsroom shows groups of people – including one w...

The works ongoing at Comino are as per an ERA permit, the Gozo Ministry has said, while adding that no development is taking place, only the fixing up of existing infrastructureThe Gozo Ministry has said that the ongoing works at the Blue Lagoon, Com...

Bird migration is that spectacular journey many birds make. Some of these journeys are short - like coming down a mountain to spend winter in the lowlands - and some are seriously, mind-bogglingly long. Whether or not you believe that the pigeon-size...

The Chamber of Advocates has again called for lawyers who frequently work in a courtroom setting to be vaccinated. In a statement, the Chamber said that it had noted reports in the media earlier this week stating that all court personnel are to ...

The process to extradite former Allied Group managing director Adrian Hillman has kicked off, although it may take some time to conclude.The Times of Malta reported on Thursday that Maltese authorities had sent a detailed extradition request to UK au...

Coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response, a coalition of international freedom of expression and media freedom organisations filed a submission to the Public Inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia."Since its establishment in ...

Inspire Foundation will be launching the campaign “What Autism Has Taught Me” intending to raise more awareness about autism among the public. The campaign will run throughout April, in line with World Autism Awareness Day which is celebr...

A batch of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine failed quality standards and can’t be used, the drug giant said Wednesday.The drugmaker didn’t say how many doses were lost, and it wasn’t clear how the problem would impact ...

The road resurfacing works ongoing in Comino do not require permission from the Planning Authority, a spokesperson for the authority told The Malta Independent.On Monday, Friends of the Earth Malta had condemned what it called ‘illegal roadwork...

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg last week unveiled visuals for what he described as a “national park” in Ta’ Qali.The problem is that the plans, which have been approved by the Planning Authority, look more like Borg&...

A 19-year-old man was arrested by police shortly after he held up a catering establishment in Qormi.The case took place on Tuesday in Triq San Bartolomew, the police said.The man allegedly held up a 34-year-old shopkeeper with a knife and demanded mo...

Pharmacists should be involved in the Covid-19 vaccination programme, the Nationalist Party’s Covid Action Team said.It was reacting to a report published by The Malta Independent in which the government said that no agreement has been made or ...

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced a three-week nationwide school closure and a month-long domestic travel ban, as the rapid spread of the virus ramped up pressure on hospitals.In a televised address to the nation, Macron said ne...

The head of the European Medicines Agency said Wednesday that there is “no evidence” that would support restricting the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in any population, as Germany has now done amid concerns...

MEP Alex Agius Saliba is pressuring the European Commission to ensure the small Member States, such as Malta and their citizens, have access to affordable pharmaceutical products, especially during the COVID pandemic.With an urgent question to the Eu...

The Degiorgio brothers have expressed concern over their Presidential pardon request, highlighting the possible conflict of interest by those granting the recommendation to the President of their request.This is due to them saying that they can revea...

40 new cases of Covid-19 were registered on Wednesday, as the number of active cases continues to drop.The healthy authorities, in their daily update, said that 101 more people have recovered from the virus.Two more people have lost their lives while...

Pharmacists have protested over government's statement, that pharmacies will not be involved in the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccines.The Health Ministry had made this clear with The Malta Independent when it was contacted earlier this week.The K...

One in three adults in Malta have received the first Covid-19 jab, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne revealed in a Facebook post today.Malta has been fighting against the spread of Covid-19, with a number of restrictive measures having been introduc...

A Maltese company is participating in an international research program which brings together academicians from the UK, Italy and Malta to further develop a scientific and technological capacity in marine structural design for a greener industry.Mini...

The government has dispelled rumours that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be administered by pharmacies, saying that "no agreement with any pharmacy has been or will be made to provide the vaccine".This newsroom contacted the health authoritie...

Pfizer announced Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective in kids as young as 12, a step toward possibly beginning shots in this age group before they head back to school in the fall.Most COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out ...

President of Malta George Vella, Prime Minister Robert Abela, and Leader of the Opposition Bernard Grech participated in a wreath-laying ceremony on the occasion of Freedom Day, at the monument dedicated to the historic event in Birgu.On 31 March, 19...

Freedom means having the peace of mind that the institutions work with complete independence and impartiality, Prime Minister Robert Abela said, stressing that the government has strived to achieve this.Abela shared a public message on Facebook to ma...

Germany's first World Cup qualifying loss in 20 years added another blemish to the final months of coach Joachim Löw's 15-year reign in charge of the team.Germany’s 35-match unbeaten run in World Cup qualifying — a streak dating back...

Brian Tonna and Karl Cini had prepared backdated documents to satisfy due diligence requirements after a magisterial inquiry started probing their actions, a police inspector said in court.Testifying in the compilation of evidence against Nexia BT pa...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has sent an official letter to Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa calling on him to investigate all the revelations connected to the secret company Macbridge which were published on Monday.In a story on Monday, the Times of M...

A new WasteServ sorting line is processing around nine tonnes of ferrous metal that is thrown in the black bag every day, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia said.He added that this new line is recovering 600,000 ...

A 39-year-old motorbike rider was grievously injured in an accident on Dawret San Pawl, St Paul's Bay.The accident occurred at 11.45am. The biker collided with a car driven by a 21-year-old Mgarr resident.The 39-year-old from Birkirkara was rushed to...

A €9 million project at the Sant'Antnin plant will allow farmers to dispose of farm waste in a more sustainable way, which will in turn lead to an increase in the production of New Water, a government statement read.Thanks to the investment carr...

An alley in the heart of Dingli was the latest battleground for NGO Graffitti, which has been at the forefront of all major confrontations in favour of the environment and against development.But, this time, it was not a multi-storey high-rise buildi...

Malta expects to see more tourists coming to the island and taking advantage of Malta’s tourism sector at the beginning of this coming June, Tourism and Consumer Protection Minister Clayton Bartolo said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoo...

The United Arab Emirates has provided all the information requested by Maltese authorities in connection with investigations into the once secret company, 17 Black, PN MEP David Casa said on Tuesday.In a statement, Casa revealed that he could confirm...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has launched a White Paper on cannabis law reforms.The proposals were issued for public consultation."This problem has been with us for ages" Prime Minister Robert Abela said during a press conference."It is not acceptable...

Prime Minister Robert Abela is showing how he wanted to be the element of continuity from his predecessor Joseph Muscat in his failure to shoulder political responsibility over the Electrogas scandal, PN MP Therese Comodini Cachia said on Tuesday.The...

The Prime Minister has defended the Electrogas power station, saying that it results in lower energy bills and contributes to a better quality of life for the people.The Prime Minister was being asked about the latest Macbridge revelations. In a stor...

The number of active Covid-19 cases has dropped to below 900 for the first time in five months as two more deaths were registered, the health authorities said.In all, 55 new Covid cases were reported, while 286 people recovered, the authorities said....

Keith Schembri and two of his business associates have been denied bail by a court as they face money laundering proceedings.It means that Schembri and business associates Robert Zammit and Malcolm Scerri will return to prison as proceedings against ...

Malta suffered three goals in the second half as Croatia grabbed the second consecutive victory in the group. It was arguably the most difficult match for the Maltese who fizzled out gradually after suffering the first goal.Malta held its ground in t...

Belgium and the Netherlands scored 15 goals combined in big routs in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday, while Portugal got one from Cristiano Ronaldo in its victory against a Luxembourg team that tinkered with another shock result.Belgium crushed Belar...

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) is satisfied with the 'Tourism Recovery Plan' as announced by the Clayton Bartolo, Minister of Tourism and Consumer Protection, following extensive consultation with its members.MHRA President Tony ...

Bank of Valletta (BOV) reported significantly less profits for the year 2020 when compared to 2019, with €15.2 million profits before tax recorded as opposed to the €89.2 million recorded in 2019, CEO Rick Hunkin revealed on Tuesday. When a...

Court employees will start being administered the Covid-19 vaccine within a fortnight, a union has said.This confirmation came in the wake of the insistence made for the past weeks by UĦM Voice of the Workers during which it was in communication...

Karol Aquilina has tendered his resignation as the Nationalist Party spokesperson for justice and electoral reform and as the parliamentary group’s secretary after he was advised by police that legal action will be taken against him over a driv...

In its partial decision in the case of Fenech v. Malta, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has unanimously declared the application partly inadmissible.The case concerns the aftermath of the applicant’s arrest in 2019 on suspicion of inv...

The German state of Berlin has again suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for those aged under 60 due to new reports of unusual blood clots in people who have received the shots, officials said Tuesday.The decision was taken a...

Italy has imposed a five-day quarantine on people entering the country from other EU countries in a bid to deter Easter getaways and limit the spread of the coronavirus.Health Minister Roberto Speranza says he signed the new ordinance Tuesday. It req...

Shanghai Electric Power – which owns a 33% stake in Enemalta – said on Tuesday it was not aware or party to any illegal activity.It also said it adheres to a number of principles, including that of “zero-tolerance to corruption.The ...

Minister for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing Julia Farrugia Portelli has launched a public consultation document on autism together with the Prime Minister’s wife Lydia Abela.Speaking in a press conference, Farrugia Portelli said that the public...

A man was injured after falling three metres in a warehouse, the police said.The accident took place in John Michael Testa Street, Qormi, today at 9.15am.The man, aged 50 of Zebbug, was given first assistance by a medical team before being taken to M...

Two women were arrested after they were caught with drugs ready to be trafficked, the police said in a statement.The two women, aged 47 and 72, were arrested in Kalkara after the police found sachets containing cocaine in a residence.More cocaine was...

More than 20 heads of government and global agencies called in a commentary published Tuesday for an international treaty for pandemic preparedness that they say will protect future generations in the wake of COVID-19.But there were few details to ex...

It's been dubbed Happy Monday — the day people could put on a bathing suit and swim in an outdoor pool for the first time in months, or rusty golfers strove to hit their drives down the middle of the fairway.Following a near three-month coronav...

The European Union’s home affairs commissioner on Monday stressed the need for solidarity among the bloc’s member states in tackling migration, and called on Turkey to resume accepting the return of people whose asylum applications are re...

A Chinese negotiator involved in multi-million euro deals by Enemalta is behind a secret company which, along with Yorgen Fenech’s 17 Black, is suspected of being set up to pay kickbacks to Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, the Times of Malta ha...

A new amendment to the Animal Welfare Act will make it so that pet-owners who have abused their pets will not be able own animals or live with animals.This announcement was made last Friday, by Minister of Justice Edward Zammit Lewis.The amendment wi...

The Daphne Caruana Galizia has called for fresh charges to be pressed against Yorgen Fenech, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, and for Cheng Chen to be extradited to Malta to face justice.The call comes after an international consortium of journalists...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has stated that Prime Minister Robert Abela has to take immediate action by dissolving the country’s ties with Electrogas.This comes after the Times of Malta reported that a Chinese negotiator involved in multi-m...

A decision regarding a fresh request for bail for Keith Schembri will be made on Tuesday morning.Edward Gatt, lawyer to Keith Schembri, put forward his bail submissions during a court hearing on Monday afternoon. The crux of Gatt's argument is t...

63 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Monday as the number of active cases continued to plummet.During the last 24 hours, a 73-year-old man passed away at Mater Dei Hospital while positive for the virus – taking the nu...

No less than 10 birds of prey have been illegally shot, forcing the birds’ migration journey to Europe to be cut short, BirdLife Malta has said.The announcement was shared on BirdLife Malta’s social media platforms, alongside pictures sho...

Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo said in a Facebook post that “we must not let criminal networks of informal and illegal powers take over this country. We must fight against them, because if we don’t, by virtue of law, they will r...

Former journalist and long-time publicist Godfrey Grima has passed away at the age of 79, after contracting Covid-19.He was a regular on Maltese programmes.Grima had founded the Associated News Group, his publicity firm. He had been its chairman for ...

A canal service provider says that workers have successfully set free a colossal container ship that for nearly a week has been stuck sideways across the Suez Canal, one of the world's most crucial arteries for trade.Leth Agencies said that the vesse...

Magistrate Rachel Montebello has asked the police to investigate several leaks concerning messages that came from murder suspect Yorgen Fenech’s mobile phone.In a decree delivered on Monday, Montebello said that exchanges that appeared in artic...

A minority shareholder in Allied Newspapers Ltd and the nephew of Mabel Strickland has spoken out after former company officials were implicated and charged in a money laundering scandal over the past week.Robert Hornyold-Strickland claims to be the ...

Nationalist MP Mario de Marco said this afternoon he is not a director of Allied Newspapers, nor of Progress Press.Former PN deputy leader de Marco was referring to a statement issued by Mr Robert Hornyold Strickland.It has been alleged in a court of...

Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne took immediate action after The Malta Independent on Sunday’s story regarding queue jumping in the vaccination drive.The Malta Independent on Sunday reported that as Malta's vaccination drive intensifies, peop...

A 42-year-old Gozitan man was grievously injured on Monday after he fell from a tree.The accident took place at around 1.15pm at a residence in Triq 20 ta’ Lulju, in Sannat, the police said.The man fell from a height of around three metres. He ...

The Nationalist Party has called on the government to provide psychological support to medical front liners in view of the stressful conditions they are facing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.In a statement, PN mental health spokesman Mario Galea referr...

Children are yearning for green and safe open spaces, according to an in-depth study which revealed that 61% of those interviewed are unhappy with the limited recreational areas.An online survey, carried out by the Children's and Young Persons' Counc...

Live casino is forecast to generate half of all global online gambling sales by 2023, tallying upwards of US$47.5bn in revenue every year. Those forecasts were made before the Covid-19 pandemic which has further accelerated growth due to the closure ...

A joint WHO-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that transmission of the virus from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak is “extremely unlikely,” according to a draft copy obtained ...

Prime Minister Robert Abela scrapped the controversial contract issued by the Education Ministry to former Malta footballer Daniel Bogdanovic when he found out about it, he said on Sunday.MaltaToday had reported that the former footballer, who is a f...

MUMN today expressed its disappointment and disapproval that more wards at Mount Carmel Hospital are closing down at the detriment of the patients and the service.In these last eight years, eight wards were closed down due to non existent maintenance...

Friends of the Earth Malta has condemned the illegal roadworks at the iconic Blue Lagoon in Comino, works which were spotted in the past days.“This has become a worrying trend – from Dingli to the island of Comino and other places which h...

The government announced new, harsher restrictions yesterday as part of efforts to reduce the transmission of Covid-19. These measures came as a surprise to many, given that strict measures were already in place for the Easter period, however this sh...

The General Workers Union has issued a number of directives for public healthcare workers over issues related to their collective agreement.The union’s Public Entities section said it has been trying to reach an agreement on the Sectoral Worker...