The Pembroke local council is rejecting the idea of having a 22-storey tower built on the existing park and ride area close to the Luxol grounds.In a statement on Facebook, the council said that although this seems to be “a preliminary hypothet...

The Pope’s visit to Malta has been postponed to next year.It is the second time that the pontiff’s visit to the islands has been put off.He was originally scheduled to visit in May 2020, but that was postponed because of the Covid-19 pand...

Discussions on prostitution reform are still ongoing, Reforms Minister Owen Bonnici told The Malta Independent.The minister was asked to provide any updates on the proposed reform. “Currently internal discussions are ongoing with the working gr...

The speed cameras as one is driving out of the Santa Venera tunnels have been removed as “they are no longer necessary”.The cameras were removed after the Cabinet approved a recommendation by Transport Malta.Agency chairman Joe Bugeja sai...

A woman was arrested by the police after 900 grammes of cocaine, worth €120,000, were seized on Monday, the police said.The arrest was made by the Vice Squad in an operation with the Customs Department.The woman, a 25-year-old from the Dominican...

Civil Society NGO Repubblika has written to the European Broadcasting Union about a controversial memo issued by PBS to producers of current affairs programmes.Earlier this week, PBS sent out a letter to producers, telling them that they have to pres...

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee resolved on Wednesday to issue another summon for former Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi to testify before in what was a stormy, and sometimes farcical, session. The committee – made up of PL MPs G...

Malta's cannabis reform was revealed by Minister Owen Bonnici, which will allow the cultivation of cannabis as well as the forming of non-profit associations for such an action. The bill's first reading had occurred on Monday in Parliament.Throu...

It happened twice in a matter of a few days.First it was the Malta Developers Association, and then it was the turn of the Hunters and Trappers Federation.A migrant was reported to have been dumped on the side of the road in Selmun after falling two ...

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has ordered the prison monitoring board to launch an investigation into claims that a former inmate was strapped to the ‘punishment chair’ or eight hours.The unnamed former prisoner told Peppi Azzopar...

PN MP Jason Azzopardi asked for an explanation on Wednesday on how the Egrant inquiry has not been reopened despite a call made by the magistrate who carried out the inquiry into Pilatus Bank.Foreign experts had looked into the operations of Pilatus ...

A judge has had to postpone, for the third time, handing down judgment in a constitutional case filed by the man accused of commissioning the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, sharply criticising the Commissioner of Police for his refusal to comply w...

MP Konrad Mizzi said today he was refusing to attend a Public Accounts Committee hearing which was to question him on the Electrogas deal.In a statement on Facebook, the former Energy Minister said he has elected “not to participate in the meet...

The Education Ministry has ordered an investigation into reports that a three-year-old girl was forgotten on a school minibus.According to Lovin Malta, the girl spent around three hours locked into a garage.The girl’s mother raised the alarm af...

The Nationalist Party has branded former Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi as a “coward” and a “chicken” for refusing to face Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and field questions on the Electrogas power station.&n...

Spain ended Italy's record unbeaten run of 37 matches by beating the European champion 2-1 Wednesday in the Nations League semifinals after Roberto Mancini's team was reduced to 10 men.Ferran Torres scored two goals in the first half for Spain, the s...

The Nationalist Party has put forward a number of proposals with the aim of achieving a better work-life balance for workers, by ensuring that every employee would have flexibility at work.The proposals put forward are based on five objectives relati...

Over a thousand people were arraigned on domestic violence charges between January and August of this year, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told Parliament on Wednesday.Replying to a Parliamentary Question by PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami, Camilleri...

18 new Covid-19 cases have been reported by health authorities in their daily update. 43 people meanwhile have recovered, taking the number of active cases down to 267. 8 Covid-19 patients are currently being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, ...

Malta International Airport recorded its strongest month in terms of passenger volumes since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, welcoming a total of 418,473 passengers in September. While the summer holiday season typically reaches its peak in...

A family member broke down in tears and left the courtroom, sobbing, as jurors were shown pictures of the knife used in the murder of Hugo Chetcuti.The echoes of the woman’s sobs as she left the silent courtroom underlined the human aspect of t...

The Public Broadcasting Services this afternoon refuted allegations, made by the Nationalist Party, that it is stifling discussion on its current affairs programmes, but did not withdraw a directive in which it asked producers to decide on topics and...

The Nationalist Party said that a PBS directive to producers who are to submit topics and guests for current affairs programmes two weeks before they are to be aired goes against free journalism and is anti-democratic.An email sent by PBS chairman Ma...

Forty-nine former dockyard workers have received compensation for illnesses they suffered as a result of being exposed to asbestos. Details were announced on Wednesday by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana and Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon. I...

The Malta Chamber welcomed the recommendations proposed in The National Employment Policy launched yesterday by Minister Clyde Caruana, one which identifies the key challenges in our labour market. This Policy takes on board several of the propo...

Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna visited the works at the Adelaide Cini Institute in St Venera, which was transferred by the Church to Hospice Malta to establish St Michael Hospice – the first complex in Malta which will provide comprehensive p...

An elderly man was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Gozo on Tuesday, the police said.The accident took place in San Anard Street, Xewkija, at 5.15pm.It involved the biker, a 73-year-old man of Nadur who was riding a Honda ANC125, and a Peu...

Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo has upheld a request to open a magisterial inquiry into the late notary Ivan Barbara’s wife, Rosanne Barbara Zarb.This comes following a request made by three former clients of Barbara who had asked the court...

Malta’s first victim support centre within the community was launched on Wednesday.This centre, located in Santa Lucia will be followed by the opening of two others − one in the north of Malta and another in Gozo, Ministry for Home A...

Malta needs a change in mentality when it comes to education rather than just contenting itself with building new schools or giving out iPads to students, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said on Tuesday.Caruana was speaking during the launch of Malta&...

PN MP Karol Aquilina will be taking action in due time against the "most corrupt" police officer who "manipulated footage" of him two years ago in an "attempt to accuse him of dangerous driving".The incident in question occurred in December 13 Road i...

Prepare your umbrellas, because rain is expected every day for the next seven days, according to the Met Office.As we head deeper into autumn, rain, strong winds and thunderstorms are forecast over the next few days while temperatures are set to drop...

The start of October always brings with it a special focus on the justice system.At the start of the forensic year, judges and magistrates attend a special Mass led by the Archbishop which is followed by an event in which the Chief Justice and the pr...

The knife used to murder entrepreneur Hugo Chetcuti was found in a pouch-like holster on the person of the man on trial for his killing, a jury has been told.Former Senior Police Inspector Nikolai Sant and other police officers testified to the arres...

Malta is not ready for a four-day work week owing to the share of workers who are low-skilled, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said on Tuesday.“We cannot speak about a four-day work week when 28% of our workers are low-skilled.  We can spea...

Fewer than a third of the number of police officers in Malta who left/concluded their service with the force since January 2020 were replaced, a series of Parliamentary questions have revealed.Between January 2020 and September 2021, 321 police offic...

PL MP Ian Castaldi Paris has been replaced by PL MP Jonathan Attard on the Public Accounts Committee.Castaldi Paris was under fire recently A couple of weeks ago, it was revealed that Castaldi Paris had discussed buying a £16 million Londo...

Malta’s Recovery and Resilience Plan has just been approved by the EU Council of Ministers for Economic and Financial Affairs, known as ECOFIN. This step will be followed by the signing the agreement that will allow Malta to start receiving gra...

Producers of current affairs programmes on PBS need to obtain approval on the topics to be discussed 15 days before the programme is aired, as well as the guests invited.The directive comes into force immediately, a memo signed by chairman Mark Sammu...

Prime Minister Robert Abela kept former parliamentary secretary Rosianne Cutajar as Malta’s representative on the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe for six months in spite of her facing an investigation into an alleged breach of t...

Full right of reply:On October 1st, 2021 the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) had informed Phoenix Payment Limited (the Company) that it has imposed an administrative penalty on the Company for what the FIAU considered as breaches in certa...

Twenty-five new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Malta on Tuesday as the number of patients in hospital rises two eight, up from six.For the fifth day running, however, there are no patients in intensive care.Health authorities said that 27 patients h...

A Malta Enterprise official testified on the Progres Press cash grant when the compilation of evidence against Adrian Hillman continued on Tuesday.The former Allied Newspapers managing director stands charged with money laundering, conspiracy to comm...

In March a primary health care centre is set to open in Rabat, Gozo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne said in Parliament on Tuesday.The government over the past three years has opened 14 health clinics across Malta and Gozo,...

The Nationalist Party has criticised Carmelo Abela, Minister responsible for state broadcasting, saying his interference in PBS reporting continues to hinder the PN and create an imbalance on the national station.PN deputy leader David Agius said tha...

The Treasury announced that by the closing date at 2.30 p.m. on Monday, 4 October 2021, the total value of applications for this year’s issue of the 62+ Malta Government Savings Bond received from new applicants and applicants who already ...

St Julian’s Mayor Albert Buttigieg has told The Malta Independent that he is against any further commercialisation of the locality’s village core.He lamented how the old part of St Julian’s, especially near the Sacred Heart School i...

Achieving the 2050 carbon neutrality targets requires more than just legislative changes but rather a holistic approach from businesses and enterprises, Minister for Energy, Enterprises and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli said. Addressing t...

Rosianne Cutajar said Tuesday that she had asked to be replaced by another Labour MP on the Council of Europe delegation well before she was put under investigation.On Monday evening, Deputy Prime Minster Chris Fearne announced that energy minister M...

3City Design Limited, a company belonging to the wife of former OPM chief Keith Schembri, saw thousands of euro transferred through it from Adrian Hillman, Allied Newspapers, and Schembri himself.During the compilation of evidence against Josette Vel...

A major French report released Tuesday found that an estimated 330,000 children were victims of sex abuse within France’s Catholic Church over the past 70 years, in France's first major reckoning with the devastating phenomenon.The president of...

A man was arrested in Marsa after he was found to be in possession of16 sachets of synthetic drugs, the police said.In a statement, the police said officers on patrol in Pitkali Street noticed that one of four men talking together appeared to be leav...

The Ruzar Briffa complex has been inaugurated after an investment of €15 million.Minister for the Elderly Michael Farrugia inaugurated the complex stating that the works are part of a bigger project which aims at strengthening the infrastructure...

As the days grow colder and wetter, many will look towards indoor activities rather than outdoor ones.This would mean enclosed spaces, heaters and the flu season. Malta has the Covid-19 pandemic under control, and the Covid-19 vaccines have been doin...

As at the end of 2020, the stock position of Foreign Direct Investment in Malta stood at €196.2 billion, while Direct Investment abroad amounted to €58.8 billion, the NSO said today.During the year 2020, FDI flows in Malta increased by &eur...

The Malta Union of Teachers is commemorating World Teachers Day 2021, which is held annually on 5 October. This year’s UNESCO World Teachers’ Day has the theme “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”. One and a half year...

Following the success of the first cultural symposium held jointly with the French Embassy in Malta, the Office of the President shall be holding a second cultural symposium, this time with a focus on the Sovereign Order of Malta. The symposium will ...

Malta-Serbia relations and relations between Western Balkan countries and the European Union  featured during high level meetings attended by Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo in the Serbian Capital, Belgrade. Minister Ba...

Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms are back online after a massive global outage plunged the services and the businesses and people who rely on them into chaos for hours.Facebook said late Monday that “the root cause of this outa...

The European Union’s drug regulator gave its backing Monday to administering booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 and older.The European Medicines Agency said the booster doses “may be considered at least 6 ...

Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa said on Monday that the police investigate all allegations of crime that come to its attention. He was being asked whether the police will be looking into the Pandora Papers revelations.The ICIJ-led investigation has r...

The five-year long transformation strategy for the Malta Police Force implemented last year started bearing fruit as trust rating by the public increased from 49% to 60%.During the publication of the progress report of the transformation strategy 202...

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli has swapped places with Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar in the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly.Cutajar was one of three Maltese MPs to form part of the assembly.  She is accused of breaching ethics when s...

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana this morning hinted that the income tax refund next year could be higher than the one that has just been received by all workers.This year, the lowest refund was of €45 for high income earners while lower-income wo...

Two men and a woman have been arrested by the police over the weekend in connection with €600,000 worth of cocaine that was seized.The police said that five kilogrammes of the drug were discovered.The first arrest took place on Saturday, when a ...

Two vehicles reported to be stolen from Canada were intercepted by the Criminal Investigations Squad Police and the Customs Department officials on Monday.The police said that last week, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) called for the assista...

Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms were down across wide swathes of the world Monday. Facebook's internal systems used by employees also went down.The company said it was aware that "some people are having trouble accessing (the) Faceb...

Minister for Reforms Owen Bonnici on Monday presented the first reading of a cannabis reform proposed by the government.In a post published on Twitter, Minister Bonnici said that the bill will establish a new legal framework governing responsible use...

Malta now accepting vaccine certificates issued by Kosovo, Palestine, Bermuda, Bahrain and Israel.Malta has started accepting Covid-19 certificates from four other nations; the Republic of Kosovo, Palestine, Bermuda and the Kingdom of Bahrain.Maltese...

A six-year-old boy suffered grievous injuries after being mauled by a dog in Marsascala, the police said.The incident took place at the national park at 3.45pm.The boy was mauled and bitten by the dog, and needed hospital treatment for grievous injur...

24 new cases of Covid-19 were registered on Monday the health authorities said, as 23 people recovered.The number of active cases now stands at 294. Currently, 6 people are being treated for Covid at Mater Dei Hospital, none of whom are in the ITU.82...

With over 4,000 students joining the University of Malta community, as it opened its door to a new academic year, University Rector Alfred J. Vella said that the university and its students do not afford to lose another year like last year.“We&...

Malta’s migrant community gathered in Valletta on Monday morning to protest against the inhumane treatment dished out by authorities and public entities like Identity Malta.Presenting a number of proposals to the home affairs minister Byron Cam...

During academic year 2019-2020, students enrolled in pre-primary, primary and secondary education totalled 58,284, an increase of 1.4% over the previous academic year, the National Statistics Office said.“The majority of students enrolled in pr...

Former Finance Minister and European Commissioner John Dalli owned an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands when he was an MP, an investigation by Times of Malta and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) ...

Former PN minister and European Commissioner John Dalli is seeking answers from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists after the publication of what are known as the Pandora Papers, in which it was revealed that when he was an MP o...

Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century, accord...

The secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires has been exposed in one of the biggest leaks of financial documents, the BBC reports.Some 35 current and former leaders and more than 300 public officials are featured in t...

In the last two weeks, this newsroom has taken on a sporting topic with sentiments that are well known, but scarcely reported on.Those involved in Malta’s footballing community – particularly those involved in the lower levels of the game...

The first phase of the proposed metro project would be completed within five to eight years, the experts tasked with designing the mass transport system said on Sunday. Speaking at a technical briefing, civil engineer Peter Adams from Arup &ndas...

The Maltese should vote for a change in government and elect the PN because the Nationalist Party is far more ambitious and can offer better prospects for Malta, according to Peter Agius, the PN’s chief spokesperson.He argues that contrary to w...

Mohamed Salah was too busy being asked about his wonder goal to get the chance to savor it again for himself so soon after full time at Anfield.“I have to watch it to see,” the Liverpool striker said. "It's a good goal. Nothing much to sa...

Napoli bounced back from its first loss of the season to maintain its perfect start to the Serie A campaign.Luciano Spalletti’s side rallied to win 2-1 at Fiorentina on Sunday, with Hirving Lozano and Amir Rrahmani scoring after Lucas Mart&iacu...

ONE TV’s Chairman Jason Micallef told The Malta Independent on Sunday that he believes the discriminatory accusations from the Nationalist Party against the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) are “unfair”.“I have an opinion on...

10 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported by health authorities, as the number of active cases continued to dip.30 people have recovered, meaning that the number of active cases currently stands at 293. Six patients are currently being treated at M...

Qawra Point is set to declared as a no-hunting zone, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said on Facebook on Sunday morning.The decision was taken after four flamingos were shot down by a hunter on Saturday – with a man having been charged in c...

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana stirred a hornet’s nest when he declared that Malta must start thinking of ways how to move away from relying so much on the construction industry.We must shift from having an economy that is heavily based on cons...

Jason Micallef, the Chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency, who recently inaugurated the Valletta Design Cluster (VDC), has proposed the enclosure of Pjazza Teatru Rjal with PV glass, to follow in the footsteps of the VDC’s sustainable buildi...

A small private plane carrying six passengers and a crew of two crashed on Sunday into a vacant, two-story office building in a Milan suburb, and Italian news reports said that all aboard perished.LaPresse news agency initially quoted firefighters at...

A thunderstorm which hit Gozo throughout last night left a trail of damage in the seaside village of Xlendi, with pictures showing the scenes through the night and on Sunday morning.The pictures, published by Facebook page The Weather Page Malta, sho...

The Nationalist Party’s proposal for a metro transport system for Malta will be better than what was proposed by the government this weekend, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.Speaking in a telephone interview on party media, Grech said th...

A foreign man was arrested by police in connection with an argument which occurred on Saturday night in Msida.Police said in a statement that an argument between a group of people happened in an apartment block in Triq Dijonisju Famucelli in Msida at...

The company behind the Comino hotel and bungalow redevelopment project said that it “is in no way proposing to establish a residential complex on Comino.”An Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report about the Comino project was made publ...

The government on Saturday evening published the results of a study which deals with the possibility of having an underground system in Malta.The metro system as proposed will include three metro lines with a total of 35km of tracks and 25 stations a...

Colin Fitz, a presenter and producer on Campus FM, appears to be someone who really loves chocolate. The host at many events and festivals and a popular actor in theatre shops such as The Comedy Knights also sees himself having a conversation with tw...

Prime Minister Robert Abela will be meeting Pope Francis on Friday, with the Pontiff’s December visit on the agenda, a website dedicated to Vatican affairs reports.In its account of papal appointments for October, ACI Stampa said that the two w...

President George Vella yesterday joined the chorus of voices calling on the authorities to protect our natural environment, which is shrinking at an alarming pace. Speaking at an event organised by the Environment and Resources Authority, President V...

Google Cloud, in collaboration with digital native company Amagis Capital, held an event on the 17th of September 2021 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. This event, titled 'Cyber security & Cloud Services', was dedicated to CXO ...

Four men were involved in a fight in Paola, with two of them ending up needing treatment in a health centre, the police said.The fight took place in Ghajn Dwieli Road at around 8pm on Saturday.The four men are aged 68, 47, 85 and 42. The police said ...

The Malta Football Association has rejected the assertion that clubs in lower divisions are being left behind.In a right of reply to the story titled ‘As Malta’s footballing season gets into gear, those in lower divisions feel left behind...