Some 30,000 people downloaded the consumer vouchers offered by the government as part of an economic recovery campaign.Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said on Facebook that 30,000 had downloaded the vouchers in the first 24 hours since the campaign ...

Two men drowned after finding themselves in difficulty while swimming at St Paul’s Bay early this morning, the police said.The two, both of Nigerian nationality, were swimming in the area known as Dawret il-Gzejjer just after midnight.The polic...

A man and a woman were grievously hurt after they were hit by a car in separate accidents in Pieta and Siggiewi.A man was grievously hurt after he was hit by a car in Pieta on Friday evening, the police said.The man, who resides in Siggiewi, was hit ...

The police have mounted a search for a car involved in a hit and run accident, which would lead them to its owner.The car, the police said in a Facebook post, is a silver or grey Mitsubishi ASX model or Outlander with a missing left side view mirror....

Three packages containing cannabis were intercepted by the Customs Department this week, the department said in a statement.This week in fact, Customs officials, at the postal office, flagged three packages containing narcotics.The first derived from...

Population has always been a very central theme to policy in Malta.It is a fact that Malta is too over populated to be self-sustainable.  This has been the case for a long time – hundreds of years in fact.  The Knights of St John had ...

Well known DJ Joven Grech – known better by his stage name Tenishia – is leading a parliamentary petition which is calling for a reopening plan for mass events following the Covid-19 pandemic.The petition is based of off a disappointment ...

The Pfizer vaccine is expected to be given to adolescents between 12 to 15 year olds before the next scholastic year in September of this year, Superintendent of Health Charmaine Gauci said.Gauci was asked by the press on Friday, during her weekly he...

Six new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Friday, 10 people have recovered, while no new deaths were recorded the last 14 days, health authorities said. The number of active cases currently stands at just 96.2,018 swab tests were carried out on...

Forty-six per cent of businesses noted that issues of mental health and detachment amongst employees increased compared to pre-Covid times, a survey carried out by the Chamber of SMEs shows.The study, which observed the continued effects of the Covid...

Malta has gone two weeks – and counting – without deaths related to the Covid-19 pandemic.The death count has stood at 417 since a 95-year-old woman passed away on 7 May while positive for Covid-19.The good news comes as the number of act...

Over 510 tonnes of waste has been collected so far from Malta’s roads as the national clean-up campaign continues, the office of the principal permanent secretary said in a statement.The ‘Insebbħu Pajjiżna’ campaign has no...

The National Endangered Species Day, celebrated on the 21 May comes only one day before the International Biodiversity Day.  These days are there to highlight important needs to safeguard species and biodiversity in the face of the sixth mass ex...

Once a year, Europeans come together in a flurry of flags, spangles and disco beats to compete for the continent’s pop crown at the Eurovision Song Contest.The coronavirus pandemic canceled the contest in 2020 for the first time in six decades....

An aggrieved family on the verge of homelessness has been left feeling “highly discriminated” against, after attempts to get help from the Housing Authority were ignored, The Malta Independent was told. The mother of two children told thi...

All open-air cultural activities that were planned for the summer have been called off for the second year running, Jason Micallef, who runs the Valletta Cultural Agency, noted on the social media.In a bitter post, Micallef said that he had been info...

Major Maurice Agius, one of Malta’s last remaining World War 2 veterans, has turned 100.His birthday was celebrated with a traditional Maltese dinner at the Simblija care home, where Major Agius now resides.Major Agius was interviewed by The Ma...

Private investors seeking to invest in renewable energy will soon be able to submit their bidding offers for projects with a total energy generation of 31MW. The investment to be generated is of €50 million over 20 years, corresponding to t...

European Union citizens can start packing for summer vacations in the bloc's 27 nations without having to worry about quarantines: they soon should be able to travel freely across the EU.European Union legislators and member countries found a comprom...

A man was grievously injured after the car he was driving was involved in a collision in Zejtun on Thursday evening.The accident took place in Toni Zahra Street at 6.45pm.The man, aged 38 of Mosta, was driving a Chevrolet Aveo which was involved in a...

Valletta Cultural Agency chairman Jason Micallef lamented on Wednesday that, while the Netherlands had allowed a mass gathering for the Eurovision Song Contest, Malta does not allow cultural activities with a minimal crowd. We understand that Micalle...

The remains of an old chapel probably dating back to late medieval times has been found underneath the Madonna tal-Hniena church in Qrendi.The remains were found during the first phase of an archaeological investigation by the Superintendence of Cult...

Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire Thursday, halting a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, brought life in much of Israel to a standstill and left more than 200 people dead.At 2 a.m. local time, just as the ...

A German man fell victim to a violent mugging in Gzira on Thursday night, the police said.The case took place at Ġnien tal-Gżira at around midnight.The man, 46, was assaulted by two men. He tried to escape but the assault continued, and the...

A woman was hospitalised with serious injuries on Friday morning after she was hit by a car in Fgura.The accident took place in Triq San Tumas at around 8am, the police said.The casualty, 54, from Tarxien, was hit by a Toyota Vitz driven by a 31-year...

People can apply to digitally download their stimulus vouchers from today, with the vouchers themselves becoming available as planned from 7 June, the government announced on Thursday.With the scheme – which is the second round of stimulus vouc...

The number of active cases of Covid-19 has decreased to exactly 100, after two new cases were reported by authorities on Thursday.22 people have recovered from the virus, while for yet another day, no new deaths were reported.It means that the number...

The Prime Minister will “take the necessary steps” if any form of proof against OPM minister Carmelo Abela emerges.This comes after the minister was accused of being allegedly involved in the HSBC money heist a few years back.Abela has be...

Long-serving Labour media journalist Felxi Agius has passed away, the Labour Party said in a statement.Born on 21 March, 1948, Agius obtained a diploma in journalism from the Berlin Institute of Journalism and started his career some 50 years ago, jo...

Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa and Minister for Home Affairs Byron Camilleri announced that the Police Force will start using body cams."The effectiveness of police work all lies in the respect and trust they have within the community", Gafa said du...

Magistrate Joe Mifsud has abstained from hearing the compilation of evidence against Aleksandar Stojanovic, who has been charged with the murder of an Egyptian man in Gharb, Gozo, in 2018.The Magistrate said he was abstaining because he had been invo...

BirdLife Malta has put together a video documenting the illegalities witnessed during the spring hunting season which it will present to the EU Commission. “This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we could not welcome international volunteers ...

“Over the last year, there has been a rise in fake Covid Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as swab tests and even ventilators passing through the borders,” Joseph Chetcuti, Customs Director- General told the Malta Business Weekly....

Between 2019 and 2050, Malta is expected to see a 35.4% increase in overall urban population, the highest among European Union countries, Eurostat statistics show. Populations are projected to grow in almost three out of five urban regions of the Eur...

89.7 Bay hosted a 30-hour marathon last month during which they raised €10,517 to donate to local animal sanctuaries Radio presenters Daniel and Ylenia hosted the marathon which was supported by Dr. Lydia Abela. It ran for 30 hours straight from...

The European Union took a step toward relaxing travel rules for tourists from outside the 27-nation bloc Wednesday when EU ambassadors agreed on measures to allow in fully vaccinated visitors.The ambassadors also agreed to ease the criteria needed fo...

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry welcomed the announcement on the second round of €100 stimulus vouchers "which will inject a much-needed impetus into the economy.""The vouchers come at a very critical time for businesses, ...

Malta has the highest employment rate for persons born in other European Union (EU) Member States, with a total of 89.8% recorded in 2020, Eurostat has reported.In a study observing migrant integration in 2020, Malta is among one of the 13 EU Member ...

Nationalist MEP candidate Peter Agius has filed a formal complaint with the European Commission, claiming abuse of taxpayers’ money in a direct order for a €247 million project at St Vincent de Paul home for the elderly.Last month, the Nat...

The European Commission on Thursday signed a third contract with the pharmaceutical companies BioNTech and Pfizer, hence reserving an additional 1.8 billion vaccine doses on behalf of all EU Member States, between the end of 2021 to 2023. It will all...

De Mondion Restaurant, Under Grain, ION – The Harbour, Bahia Restaurant and Noni Restaurant yesterday received the prestigious Michelin Star Award, after being included in the 2021 Michelin Guide for Malta, which is now in its second edition.Ad...

Iceland’s popular Eurovision Song Contest entrant, Dadi og Gagnamagnid, will not perform live at the event after a member of the group tested positive for coronavirus, organizers announced Wednesday.“Dadi og Gagnamagnid have taken the dif...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has promised to answer questions relating to Carmelo Abela at a press call later today.Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela was called in for police questioning over allegations made by Alfred Deg...

A biker was injured this morning after he lost control of the bike he was riding and crashed into a wall.The accident took place in Marfa Road, Mellieha, at 6.30am, the police said.The 36-year-old man, from Marsascala, was taken to hospital with grie...

A Serbian national was arraigned on Wednesday evening in connection with the 2018 murder of an Egyptian man in Gozo.Aleksander Stojanovic, 43, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Walid Salah Abdel Motaleb Mohammed, in Gharb.The victim, also 43, ...

Last week, the Nationalist Party announced that the police have closed the case against one of its MPs, Toni Bezzina.The fifth district candidate was under the spotlight of the police’s financial crimes unit for allegedly using government worke...

Infrastructure Malta has installed a new public artwork to embellish the roundabout of the Santa Lucija Underpass Project, completed earlier this year between Santa Lucija, Tarxien and Paola. N(h)ar is a four-metre high steel artwork created by ...

The printing arm of Allied Group, Progress Press Company Limited, has filed judicial protests in Court against former chief of staff to the Prime Minister Keith Schembri and two of its former managing directors after discovering from criminal proceed...

OPM minister Carmelo Abela has been called in for police questioning over allegations made by Alfred Degiorgio, one of the suspects in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.Abela confirmed this in a Facebook post. He said that, after he had filed lega...

Although he had met Joseph Muscat “three to four times”, Electrogas shareholder Paul Apap Bologna vehemently denied having discussed the project at any point in time with the former PM. He also remarked that he had never met either Keith ...

The Maltese government paid for pushbacks by the Dar Es Salaam 1 “three to four times”, the vessel’s owner has told a judge this afternoon.Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff is hearing the case against Prime Minister Robert Abela, National...

The Finance Ministry has shot down a report that construction magnate Charles Polidano  got a major discount on his tax bill.Times of Malta reported on Wednesday that ‘ic-Caqnu’had managed to get his tax dues – some of which ha...

Three new Covid-19 cases were found in the last day as the number of active cases dropped to 120, the health authorities said.No deaths were again reported, and the number of victims remains at 417.In all, 30,489 cases were found in Malta, with 29,95...

Whether or not Malta makes the UK’s travel green list anytime soon rests on each and every person’s shoulders, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said.Malta is set to open for tourism on 1 June, and the country was surprised to learn that i...

There was no need for a goalscoring goalkeeper this time.Liverpool’s latest win in the Premier League — 3-0 at Burnley on Wednesday — was far more routine than the one secured by goalkeeper Alisson’s sensational stoppage-time ...

Gianluigi Buffon lifted the last trophy of his glittering Juventus career after his team beat Atalanta 2-1 in the Italian Cup on Wednesday to put some shine on a disappointing season.It was a record-extending 14th Italian Cup title for Juventus, and ...

Malta’s Eurovision hopeful Destiny has made it through to the Eurovision Grand Final after a stupendous performance in her semi-final on Tuesday night.In a performance which BBC commentators described as one “which blew the roof off the a...

The new controlled rent reform, approved by Parliament last Tuesday, will come into effect on 1 June and amend Malta’s pre-1995 rent reforms, Housing Minister Roderick Galdes announced on Wednesday.The objects and reasons of the Rent Reform Bil...

Valletta Cultural Agency chairman Jason Micallef took to Facebook on Tuesday night to lament at how the Netherlands had packed an area for the Eurovision, but how Malta does not even allow cultural activities with a minimal crowd.Tuesday saw the firs...

A children’s book chronicling the life of Daphne Caruana Galizia has been picked up by an American publishing house, meaning that the book will be republished and distributed in the United States.Announcing the news on Twitter, the book’s...

Minister for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing Julia Farrugia Portelli has launched a public consultation process on the 2021 Act regarding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Act amending the Equal Opportuni...

After the COVID-19 pandemic halted last year's edition, the Eurovision Song Contest roared back to life Tuesday, spectacularly celebrating not just Euro beats, but also the opportunity for fans to watch the first semifinal live.“We are back, an...

Minister Carmelo Abela is in the eye of a proverbial political storm.He was recently found to have breached ethics with the publication of an advert intended to boost his image rather than provide information of public value. Public funds were used t...

Virtu Ferries has announced the admission prices for its fast ferry service, set to take sail in a few weeks’ time on 1 June.A standard return fare will cost €12 for adults, youths and seniors and €6 for children.A return fare fo...

Air Malta said today it remains committed to its published Summer schedule and will be increasing its flights as planned in June.With added frequencies and the re-start of services to the European cities of Lisbon, Munich, Prague and Vienna, the Airl...

All 400 buses operated by Malta Public Transport now have a contactless payments system on board, Transport Minister Ian Borg announced on Wednesday.“Through this contactless payments system we will continue to raise the quality of service for ...

A Maltese government delegation has visited Libya with the aim of starting the necessary preparations for Malta to open a consulate in the city of Benghazi, the government said.The delegation, led by the Permanent Secretary for Foreign and European A...

A teenage passenger was grievously injured after the car he was in crashed into a wall and a parked vehicle in Zejtun on Tuesday evening.The accident took place in St Gregory Street at 8.15pm, the police said.The passenger, a 17-year-old boy from Zej...

India has set another record for daily COVID-19 fatalities even as infections dipped further.The Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 4,529 deaths in the last 24 hours, driving the overall toll to 283,248. India also confirmed 267,334 new infections...

Elton Taliana, 41, of Birkirkara, is denying charges relating to divulging information on police investigations.He stands accused of leaking information about an ongoing police investigation into a jailed Dutch scam artist named Julian Hofstra to Hof...

Ombudsman Anthony Mifsud tabled a copy of the report over Comino road works, together with correspondence between his office and the Planning Authority, stating that the latter said "it will not adopt the recommendations that deal with such a sensiti...

Just two new Covid-19 cases were reported on Tuesday, meaning that the number of active cases has continued to drop.21 people have recovered from the virus, meaning that the number of active cases now stands at just 128.For another day, no new deaths...

A police sergeant overheard Carmel Chircop on the phone with someone asking about debt payments days before the lawyer's assassination, the court heard on Tuesday.The sergeant, Emanuel Scicluna, told the court that he had seen Chircop one Saturday af...

A planning application has been filed proposing a seven-level, partly underground building on Mdina road, Zebbug. The application lists the area as being outside the development zone. The Planning Authority’s Geoserver however does indicat...

Lara Calleja has become the first Maltese woman to be awarded the European Prize for Literature (EUPL) for 2021, the European Commission has announced.Calleja won the prize for her book Kissirtu Kullimkien – an anthology largely focusing on mas...

Covid-19 measures, most notably mask-wearing and social distancing, have resulted in a marked drop in patients contracting respiratory diseases, including influenza and common colds, The Malta Independent was told.Speaking to President of the Medical...

Even though “Super Frankie Lampard” wasn’t completely forgotten in the repertoire of songs, Stamford Bridge was finally able to serenade Thomas Tuchel and found so much to be appreciative of.Having waited since last year to be allow...

Education Minister Justyne Caruana has dropped a criminal complaint against the ex-wife of footballer Daniel Bogdanovic.The case, where Caruana accused the women of stalking, harassment, causing fear of violence, and uttering insults and threats, was...

What is Cryptocurrency?Cryptocurrencies were introduced to the global market in 2009 as a revolutionary new way to make payments. Devoid of any government interference, money held in this peer-to-peer system is in many ways more secure, and not impac...

A police constable was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Sliema on Tuesday afternoon, police said in a statement.The policeman, who is 29 years old and forms part of the police’s traffic branch, was taken to Mater Dei Hospital after b...

A “pollinator garden” with the aim of protecting the Maltese Honeybee and to increase pollination from butterflies and bees will be built in San Gwann following an investment of €300,000.Marking World Bee Day on the 20th of May, the ...

An agreement was signed between the Civil Protection Department and Projects Plus Ltd to carry out the Floriana Fire Station project through an investment of €3.4 million.This project consists of the construction of a fire station in Floriana, f...

With an investment of around €1 million, more than 3,100 post-secondary students are set to start benefitting from free internet for one year. This measure will benefit stipend-eligible students enrolled in state, independent and church schools,...

Malta is in need of an economy with a long-term vision which invests in sectors of priority and does not tarnish Malta’s reputation, the Nationalist Party said in a statement.Opposition Leader Bernard Grech discussed the need for a well-thought...

The rescue ship SEA-EYE 4, operated by the NGO Sea-Eye, have said that they have rescued over 400 migrants from international waters within the Libyan and Maltese rescue zones in the past four days and are now seeking a port of safety.“People w...

Italian popular singer Franco Battiato died today, Italian media report.He was 76, and had been ill for a time.Battiato died in his home in Milo, close to Catania.He had been born on 23 March 1945, and during his long career ventured into pop and cul...

Malta’s Eurovision hopeful Destiny will take to the stage in the first of two Eurovision semi-finals tonight.Her song ‘Je Me Casse’ has given a sense of Eurovision-optimism which has rarely been seen in Malta, with bookmakers markin...

Around 3,000 Moroccans, a third of whom were presumed to be minors according to Spanish authorities, swam and used inflatable boats Monday to cross into Ceuta, the largest number of migrant arrivals in a single day into Spain's enclave in northern Af...

Personal details on over 21,000 current and former PN members have been leaked online after the Nationalist Party refused to pay a ransom to cyberhackers.The data was stolen in March by a group called Avvadon Ransomware.It is understood that the leak...

Outbound tourists in the first quarter of 2021 decreased by just under 84%, according to data released by the National Statistics Office.Between January and March, total outbound tourists amounted to 18,717, a decrease of 83.8% over the corresponding...

An IT expert has exhibited some 12 terabytes of data from several devices seized by the police in the case against Darren Debono and Jeffrey Chetcuti.Debono and Chetcuti stand charged with money laundering.Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech heard how...

Malta's Resource Recovery and Recycling Agency (RRRA) will be officially rebranded to Circular Economy Malta (CEMalta), to reflect a circular economy model for waste redistribution, Minister for the Environment Aaron Farrugia has announced.In light o...

Drinks were raised in toasts and reunited friends hugged each other as thousands of U.K. pubs and restaurants opened Monday for indoor service for the first time since early January. Yet the prime minister sounded a cautious tone, warning about a mor...

Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar has tested negative for a drug test after a video featuring Cutajar’s partner alongside a man who appears to be taking cocaine surfaced on social media, The Times of Malta has reported.Cutajar and her partner Daniel F...

The investigation that the police is conducting into Minister Carmelo Abela’s alleged involvement in the failed HSBC heist renders his position in the government untenable, and therefore he should "either resign or be kicked out", the PN said i...

While tourist vessel operators have been given the basic Covid-19 wage supplement, the government takes much more from them in the form of licences, the Chamber of SMEs said.It said that, despite promises by the government, these licenses and fees ha...

It’s been just over a week since restaurants and cafes were able to reopen and thus far business seems to have been good.Walking through the streets of Valletta and Sliema, one could see diners sitting at tables again, giving a sense of livelin...

Four new Covid-19 cases were registered on Monday, while 15 people recovered from the virus.This means that the number of active cases has dropped to 147.There have been no new deaths reported, meaning the total stands at 417.424,325 vaccine doses ha...

Alexandra Mamo will become Malta’s first female deputy police commissioner, Minister for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement Byron Camilleri confirmed on Monday.Camilleri confirmed Mamo’s new position in Parliament, after ...

Speaker Anglu Farrugia has urged Standards Commissioner George Hyzler to try and expedite investigations involving Cabinet members who are under suspension, like Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar.The suggestion was made during a meeting of the...