Holiday travel has taken off at Malta International Airport, and as people return home from near and far to reunite with their loved ones over the next two weeks, the airport team is all set to give departing guests a festive send-off and arriving gu...

Even before the government yesterday announced new measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, several partygoers had already started to attempt to sell their tickets for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve parties.These attempts multiplied after it ...

In what was a quite frankly unprecedented – and wholly out of the blue – development in the latest chapter of the Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri saga, the US State Department announced a travel ban against the duo and their families on W...

Preliminary data suggests that people with the omicron variant of the coronavirus are 50% to 70% less likely to be hospitalized than those with the delta strain, Britain’s public health agency announced Thursday in a finding that one researcher...

Italy on Thursday again tightened COVID-19 restrictions, focusing on the unvaccinated and on New Year’s Eve celebrations as the new omicron variant pushed recorded infections to the country's highest one-day total ever.Under the new rules, peop...

Nearly €40,000 in undeclared cash were intercepted by Customs Canine Charlie, the Customs Department said Friday€15,000 in undeclared cash were sezied when the dog giving a positive indication on a checked-in luggage at the MIA loading tunn...

The biblical town of Bethlehem is gearing up for its second straight Christmas Eve hit by the coronavirus -- with small crowds and gray, gloomy weather dampening celebrations Friday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.A ban on nearly all incoming ...

Two cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have been found by Mater Dei Hospital's genetics lab in the past hours, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced on Thursday.He said that these are people who tested positive some days ago, which suggests th...

The remaining opening days of the Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem animation show have been cancelled, the organisers said.In view of the current circumstances in connection with the high increase of new Covid-19 cases, and in view of the new restrictio...

214 migrants on board the NGO ship Sea-Eye 4 have found a port of safety in the form of Pozzallo in Sicily, the NGO said in a statement.The ship was assigned the port of safety on December 23rd and is scheduled to arrive on the morning of Christmas E...

733 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Thursday – the second record day of cases in a row.It eclipses the previous record number of cases of 582, reported on Wednesday. 92 people meanwhile have recovered from the virus...

Prime Minister Robert Abela said Thursday that that the Covid-19 wage supplement being given to businesses will be revised nearing the end of January, and, if necessary, will be extended further.Speaking on ONE Radio, Abela said that the country is d...

The United Kingdom detected 119,789 new Covid infections in the past 24 hours, a 139% rise on the 50,023 new cases recorded on Thursday two weeks ago.A further 147 people died from Covid-related causes, compared to 146 deaths recorded on Th...

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) said that the festive season was the one chance businesses had to recoup some of the losses suffered earlier in the year but they are now in a situation of great uncertainty. Indeed, the loss of inc...

The Church has offered to accommodate a number of migrants who are stranded at sea, while calling on the authorities to let them disembark in a safe port. Over 220 children, women and men rescued by the Sea Eye a week ago in Malta’s search and ...

The most wonderful time of the year is set to bring with it rather wonderful weather, as mostly clear skies with dry conditions will enable incoming travellers and locals alike to soak up the festive atmosphere around the Maltese islands without any ...

The Nationalist Party said today that Prime Minister Robert Abela has left educators, students and parents in the dark of what will now happen to the ministry for educationfollowing the resignation of the minister responsible.In his interview on the ...

The Covid-19 booster remains the best way to protect against the known risks of COVID-19 in pregnancy for both mother and baby, the Malta College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MCOG) said.In a statement, it said that, in line with the European ...

A man was grievously injured on Thursday after he fell three storeys into a shaft.The accident took place inside a building in Xatt il-Mollijiet, Marsa, at around 1pm, the police said.The casualty is a 52-year-old man from Pembroke. He was assisted b...

Bank of Valletta Chairman Gordon Cordina admitted that the €2.6 million fine imposed on the bank last week by FIAU was justified, and processes have been implemented immediately to overcome the shortcomings in the identified breach. Speaking to ...

Former Minister Justyne Caruana is contesting a law which she had described as being monumental when she was addressing Parliament before its implementation, NGO Repubblika said.Caruana resigned from Education Minister after the Standards Commissione...

The New Year’s Eve event due to be held in Valletta has been cancelled, the Valletta Cultural Agency said.The decision was taken following discussions on the recent developments regarding the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malta.A televi...

A woman who fell one storey in a shaft in a residence in Nadur on 8 December died in hospital today, the police said.The woman, aged 66, had suffered serious injuries in the fall, which took place in a residence in Ramla Street at 11.15am.A magisteri...

Two new British studies provide some early hints that the omicron variant of the coronavirus may be milder than the delta version.Scientists stress that even if the findings of these early studies hold up, any reductions in severity need to...

Two teenagers and a woman are in hospital after a traffic accident which took place in Mosta on Wednesday evening, the police said.The accident involved a Toyota Corolla, driven by a 19-year-old man of Mosta, who had another 19-year-old from St Paul&...

From Justyne Caruana, to Silvio Grixti, to Ian Castaldi Paris.Robert Abela and the Labour government are facing three different crises, all three treated differently, but with a common thread.Once again, Labour exponents were involved in situations t...

Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri has inaugurated restoration works done on two old niches at the entrance to Cittadella, while also announcing an investment which will see the installation of benches in the Cathedral Square.Camilleri stated that thi...

Austria announced a slate of new restrictions Wednesday aimed at slowing the spread of the omicron variant, including closing restaurants earlier and imposing stricter entry requirements for people from countries where the variant is already dominant...

Justyne Caruana has resigned from her post as Education Minister, the government announced on Wednesday, and will not contest the next general election.Caruana tendered her resignation to the Prime Minister earlier today, which resignation was accept...

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne said that the government has a plan for when the Omicron variant arrives in the island.“During the summer and autumn, Malta managed to control the spread of the virus because of the vac...

In a legal case filed on Wednesday afternoon, Caruana challenged the constitutional validity of the law whereby she was targeted for investigation by the Standards Commissioner.Caruana resigned as Education Minister on Wednesday, following a report b...

Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi have been banned from travelling to the United States over their “involvement in significant corruption,” the State Department said.Their immediate families are also ineligible for entry into the US.“...

A public health consultant has urged people to avoid travelling and to self-isolate at the very first sign of symptoms.Speaking to Newsbook, Tanya Melillo from the Infectious Diseases Unit also warned that Mater Dei Hospital is “close to breaki...

A record number of 582 Covid-19 cases were reported by health authorities on Wednesday, as two virus patients have passed away.The daily number of cases is the highest that Malta has reported since the pandemic arrived on its shores – with the ...

The UK recorded 106,122 new Covid cases on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since the beginning of the pandemic and the first time cases have passed 100,000, the Guardian reports..Government figures showed a further 140 deaths were ...

President George Vella and his wife have found themselves in quarantine after a person they had contact with in recent days tested positive for Covid-19.The President’s office said in a statement on Wednesday that they had had contact with some...

Opposition leader Bernard Grech said that the Robert Abela’s government is in total collapse, condemning the PL for its huge irresponsibility as it “stands idly by while the island suffers.”“Instead of being honest with the Ma...

The current surge in COVID cases is worrying many employers, and inaction on the part of government might lead to a serious economic slowdown during the first quarter of 2022, the Malta Employers Association said on Wednesday.The association said tha...

Seven straight wins. Six straight without conceding. Eleven straight unbeaten.Inter Milan concluded the year with a 1-0 win over Torino on Wednesday to confirm its control of Serie A and intention of securing consecutive Italian league titles.While I...

Last week President George Vella signed a law legalising cannabis for recreational use, in spite of protestations by a number of NGOs and the medical professionals who expressed their concern, the same concern that Vella himself had spoken about just...

The Association of Catering Establishment (ACE) has backed statements by Health Minister Chris Fearne on focusing on promoting and administering Covid-19 booster shots rather than reintroducing more restrictions such as the closure of restaurants. Th...

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has called for more drastic measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, saying that Mater Dei Hospital is facing a “crisis”.Wearing a mask in public is just a political measure with no scientific signif...

Air Malta has successfully settled 88% of all its Covid-related refund requests to date, the airline told The Malta Independent. In answering questions sent by this newsroom, an Air Malta spokesperson said: "The pandemic has created an ever-chan...

Christmas and New Year’s bookings in restaurants within the local community remain in full swing for the holiday season despite the rise in Covid-19 cases and the pending arrival of the Omicron variant in Malta. President of the Malta Hotels an...

A worker is in a critical condition in hospital after a fall while he was installing solar panels, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority said.In a separate statement, the police said that the worker, whose identity is still unknown, fell one a...

PN spokesperson for Justice Karol Aquilina and PN spokesperson for Human Rights and Good Governance Therese Comodini Cachia have condemned the delay in affronting Minister Justyne Caruana’s case of breach of ethics for giving preferential treat...

That staff from the Malta Tourism Authority offer ‘logistical support’ to foreign artists holding events in Malta is totally understandable. The MTA must ensure that guests are well taken care of and have everything they need when they ne...

The World Health Organization’s top official in Europe urged governments on Tuesday to prepare for a “significant surge” in coronavirus cases across the continent due to the omicron variant, which is already dominant in several coun...

Germany announced new restrictions Tuesday that will begin after Christmas to slow the spread of the new omicron variant, rules that will fall short of a full lockdown but will include contact restrictions even for vaccinated people.“I can unde...

A judge has dismissed a case for the dissolution of a rural lease filed by the owner of a field in Qrendi in a landmark ruling protecting farmers from eviction.Judge Lawrence Mintoff, presiding over the First Hall of the Civil Court in its Constituti...

A man has died while working in an underground fuel storage tank, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority said.The police later said that the victim is a man from Gambia, aged 46.OHSA said it was informed of an accident at work which took place ...

The Superintendent for Public Health has issued a reminder on what one should do if they test positive for Covid-19 through either a PCR test or a rapid test.In a statement, the health authorities said that if a person receives a positive Covid-19 te...

386 Covid-19 cases were reported by health authorities on Tuesday – the second highest tally since the start of the pandemic back in March 2020.The highest number of cases reported during the pandemic was on 10 March 2021 when 510 cases were re...

In September 2021, the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”) delivered a preliminary ruling in relation to the interpretation of the provisions of Regulation (EU) 1177/2010 concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland...

The Nationalist Party has cancelled a planned exchange of Christmas greetings with party leader Bernard Grech and his wife due to the recent increase in Covid-19 cases.The activity was set to take place on Thursday 23 December between 11am and 1pm at...

The case against former European Commissioner John Dalli has been postponed again after, this time because the lead prosecutor is abroad.Dalli is facing charges related to a €60 million bribery scandal involving his former aide Silvio Zammit.The...

Prime Minister Rober Abela has lost control of the government, the Nationalist Party said on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference, election candidate Justin Schembri referred to recent scandals involving Labour MP Ian Castaldi Paris, who owes &euro...

Juventus ended the year on a positive note by beating relegation-threatened Cagliari 2-0 on Tuesday to close the gap to the top four in Serie A.Moise Kean and Federico Bernardeschi scored as Juventus moved to within four points of Atalanta, which was...

Psychiatrists today said they feel cheated by lawmakers who disregarded any consultation on mental health issues before enacting the cannabis law.Suggestions made in the run up to the passing of the cannabis bill “fell on deaf ears”, the ...

A three-year-old girl was grievously injured when the car she was in was involved in a crash on Monday night, the police said.The accident took place in Rinella Street, Kalkara, at 9pm.It involved a Toyota Corsa driven by a 33-year-old man of Kalkara...

Video-clips issued by MAPFRE Middlesea and Malta Public Transport serving as education on road-safety have fallen under scrutiny over its implications of racial and gender stereotypes and have subsequently been 'paused' by the company.The National Co...

There is no such thing as responsible cannabis, only a drug that causes harm to people's health, the Medical Association of Malta said.In a statement, MAM condemned without reservation the promotion and blatant advertising of “responsible canna...

Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers show...

A British court on Tuesday ordered the ruler of Dubai to pay his ex-wife and their children close to 550 million pounds ($730 million), in one of the most expensive divorce settlements in British history.The High Court said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid...

Labour MP Silvio Grixti has resigned from parliament after being interrogated by the police, MaltaToday reports.Speaker Anglu Farrugia told The Malta Independent that Grixti had communicated his wish to resign but must now do so officially, in writin...

The European Union’s drugs regulator gave the green light Monday to a fifth COVID-19 vaccine for use in the 27-nation bloc, granting conditional marketing authorization to the two-dose vaccine made by U.S. biotech company Novavax.The European M...

A man was seriously injured after he fell off a ladder on Monday afternoon, the police said Tuesday.The accident took place at the Hal Far industrial estate at 4pm.The man, a Rumanian aged 36, was working on a construction site.He was taken to hospit...

On Christmas and New Year’s Day Gozo Channel will be suspending its ferry service between noon and 3pm. The ferry service will be suspended in order to allow Gozo Channel employees, who will be on duty on these two days, to lunch with their res...

Labour MP Ian Castaldi Paris said he will not contest the next election.The announcement comes a day after it was reported that the MP must pay €300,000 in tax dues.After months of talks with tax authorities, it seems that the MP must pay €...

A man was taken to hospital with grievous injuries after he was hit by a car on Monday afternoon, the police said Tuesday.The man, aged 68, of Cospicua, was hit by a Mazda 2 driven by a 31-year-old man of Zabbar.The accident happened in San Nikola St...

Many of us associate Christmas with cheer, family, friends. Others look at it as a time where many appointments have to be made to meet relatives who perhaps some don’t completely get along with, or get overwhelmed by the stress of it all.But t...

Extra strain is being put on the health services as the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has shot up to 42, with five of them in intensive care, the health authorities said Monday.There were 30 people in hospital with Covid on Sunday, with ...

Robert Abela’s government is in “total collapse,” Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said on Monday.The web of criminality is crumbling piece by piece and is no longer tenable, he said in a statement.“In just one day we saw an MP...

The health authorities will know in the coming days whether the recent increase in Covid-19 cases was caused by the Omicron variant, Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said.Speaking to Times of Malta, Gauci explained that the genome sequencing &nd...

All government members must shoulder the responsibility for their actions, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Monday, when asked about a damning report on Education Minister Justyne Caruana.Last week, Standards Commissioner George Hyzler found that ...

Five migrants were sentenced to 84 months in jail between them after they were found guilty of taking part in a riot at the Safi detention centre.Seven migrants had been charged with the offences, which took place on 18 September, 2020. Two of them, ...

Britain’s main nurses’ union warned Monday that exhaustion and surging coronavirus cases among medical staff are pushing them to breaking point, adding to pressure on the government for new restrictions to bring down record-high...

Malta Tourism Authority staff stayed at Valletta hotels on more than one occasion when events were being held in the capital, the Tourism Ministry has confirmed.Times of Malta reported earlier this month that MTA staff had booked rooms at the five-st...

The Criminal Court has denied a bail request made by Jamie Vella, one of the men indicted over charges of procuring the bomb which killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.Vella, who stands accused together with Tal-Maksar brothers Adrian and Robert ...

The Disruption® Company was recognised for its business growth, creative product, innovation focus and strength around the world. TBWA\ was awarded the prestigious title of 2021 Global Agency of the Year by Adweek, the leading source of news and ...

Jordan Azzopardi, 32, of Iklin, was sentenced to seven months in prison after being found guilty of threatening two persons and assaulting a man and leaving him naked in the street.Azzopardi, known as the El Chapo of Malta, was charged with another p...

Pieter Omtzigt, the Parliamentary Assembly's General Rapporteur on the protection of whistleblowers, has strongly criticised the reform of the Maltese law on whistleblower protection."Last Friday's deadline for the transposition of the EU Directive o...

The Nationalist Party’s COVID Action Team appealed for more transparency with regards to the control of the pandemic as the Omicron variant rapidly spreads across Europe. The Omicron variant will inevitably enter the country and there needs to ...

Infrastructure Malta will be using new landing facilities in Cospicua for ferry passengers during the first half of 2022.The facilities form part of a €5 million project partially financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and ai...

Serious shortcomings still exist despite there being new people tasked with the roles of Attorney General and Police Commissioner, President of NGO Repubblika Robert Aquilina said.He accused the two entities of not bringing to court the ex-Chairman o...

House prices in Malta rose by 41.6% between 2010 and 2020, Statistics issued by Eurostat show.Malta’s price rise is steeper than the EU average, which rose by 26% during the same period.Looking at the trend in house prices between 2010 and 2020...

Questions as to whether or not to reform Malta’s electoral system have long been around, while reforms to Malta’s constitution have already started to be made.Over recent years, there has been a lot of talk as to how we should change the ...

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it harder for Caritas to help those suffering from loneliness on Christmas Day, but the NGO is doing what it can, Caritas Director Anthony Gatt told The Malta Independent.While Christmas is often seen as a time to spend...

A teacher has filed a judicial protest against the health authorities, claiming that her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine caused her a shoulder injury.The protest was filed against the Ministry of Health, the Superintendent of Public Health and the...

A court has thrown out an allegation of illegal arrest filed by a prison inmate who is serving a 25-year sentence for the 1998 murder of hairstylist Alfie Rizzo.Rizzo died after being stabbed 17 times by Aimen Said Giali El Baden, from Libya, at his ...

The Eden Leisure Group has lost a bid for a prohibitory injunction against the award of the national lottery concesssion to National Lottery PLC. The warrant of prohibitory injunction was filed by Eden Leisure Group and Italian co...

A woman was grievously injured on Sunday evening when she was hit by a car, the police said.The accident took place in Marfa Road, Mellieha, at 7.30pm.The woman, aged 27, was hit by a Peugeot 107 driven by a 33-year-old man of St Paul’s Bay.She...

Three men were treated for injuries after a crash involving two cars early this morning, the police said.The accident took place in Hal Far Road at 12.30am.It involved a Peugeot 407 driven by a 29-year-old man of Dingli and a Suzuki Baleno driven by ...

FELTOM, the Federation for English Language Teaching Organisations in Malta, has called on the government to extend the Covid-19 Wage Supplement until spring.In a statement, the federation welcomed the Government’s recent announcement that the ...

Germany should implement stricter measures this week to slow the spread of the omicron variant, the German government's new expert council said Sunday, a day after the government announced it would impose travel restrictions on people coming from Bri...

During 2021, Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta – SEM, implemented a project entitled ‘Promoting Improved Social Dialogue in Malta’ (PRISM). This project was supported by Norway through the Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the P...

A man was grievously injured on Sunday evening after his car overturned in Gozo.The accident took place in Triq il-Belliegħa, Victoria, at around 9:15pm, the police said.The man, 48, from Xewkija, lost control of his Hyundai Accent, with the car...

Malta and Qatar have agreed to explore joint action to increase  cooperation between the two countries in the fields of  energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, sports medicine, community sports facilities and sports academies, a government state...

Workers at Santa Claus Village, a holiday theme park on the edge of the Arctic Circle, chipped away at a frozen dome, using chisels to put the final touches on an ice restaurant-hotel filled with sculptures of snowmen, penguins and huskies.The Christ...

The “competent authorities” should launch further investigations into any possible financial mismanagement and misuse of public funds in connection with the deal which saw government award three public hospitals to Vitals Global Healthcar...