The Malta Women's Lobby has objected to the observation made by the Police that in the case of Paulina Dembska no particular gender was targeted.“This raises serious questions on the lack of knowledge and sheer lack of sensitivity around the is...

Abner Aquilina has pleaded not guilty to the rape and murder of Paulina Dembska. He was arraigned before Magistrate Ian Farrugia.The 20-year-old gave journalists the middle finger as he was being escorted into the law courts.Earlier today, the p...

Paulina Dembska’s murder was not pre-meditated and she was not targeted because of who she was or because of her gender, a police spokesperson said in a crime conference preceding the arraignment of the main suspect in the case on Thursday.20-y...

The Covid-19 wage supplement will be extended to February and, if requered, even until March and April, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Thursday.He was speaking during a meeting with Chamber of SMEs.On Sunday, Abela had said that the wage supplem...

David Thake has announced his resignation from Parliament.This comes in the wake of his VAT scandal.Recent revelations have shown that Thake's companies Vanilla Telecoms and MaltaShopper LTD owe around €270,000 and €550,000 in VAT arrears r...

BERLIN (AP) — Most COVID-19 patients in intensive care in German hospitals aren't vaccinated, data published on Thursday indicates.The data from Germany's intensive care association DIVI showed that 62% of ICU patients whose vaccine status was ...

The state is owed six billion euro in taxes and the Opposition has the gall to criticise the finance minister for saying that companies can no longer get away with not paying tax.This at a time when one of its own MPs (who has temporarily suspended h...

Tennis star Novak Djokovic faces deportation again after the Australian government revoked his visa for a second time.Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Friday he used his ministerial discretion to revoke the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public...

 The authorities identified 462 new cases over the past 24 hours, and 1,261 people have recovered.Fearne said there are 108 patients at Mater Dei Hospital, of which eight are being treated in the Intensive Therapy Unit.In their daily update, aut...

Five hundred people have died with Covid, or as a result of Covid, since the pandemic hit Malta on 7 March 2020.Five hundred people, 315 men and 185 women, whose lives were cut short by the virus.We have seen a rise in the number of deaths in the pas...

The Planning Authority Board has approved an outline Planning Application for an incinerator in Maghtab.An outline development permission, which is what WasteServ is applying for, is an approval in principle of the full development subject to a numbe...

As of Monday, people who have taken the Covid-19 booster shot will no longer need to wear masks in public as long as they are not in groups of more than two people, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne has said.He added that mask wearing remains recomm...

Buckingham Palace said on Thursday that Prince Andrew's honorary military titles and royal patronages have been returned to Queen Elizabeth II with her “approval and agreement."More than 150 navy and army veterans had written to the queen askin...

Fiorentina reached the Italian Cup quarterfinals by beating Napoli 5-2 after extra time on Thursday in a match that included three red cards and a stoppage-time equalizer.Vincenzo Italiano’s side will next face Atalanta, which beat Venezia 2-0 ...

If Granit Xhaka getting sent off came as no real surprise, Arsenal holding out with 10 men at Anfield certainly was a shock.Liverpool failed to take advantage of Xhaka’s 24th-minute red card for a chest-high lunge on Diogo Jota and was held to ...

A local restaurant has been ordered to pay €5,000 to a waitress who was sacked for refusing to serve a cheesecake which had been left out of the fridge for two hours to clients.The Court of Appeal confirmed the industrial tribunal decision, and ...

Since the first week of the New Year, Benna, (Malta Dairy Products Ltd.) has increased its prices on several of their dairy products. Confirmed by local grocery stores and supermarkets, Benna has provided them with a new list of prices at which their...

The Care Home Operators Executive Committee within The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, is concerned about the shortage of nurses within care homes and across the health sector.The Malta Chamber urged the Government to meet the pri...

PN Whip Robert Cutajar said that the government failed to bring forth all studies on alternative sites on the location of the waste incinerator which is being proposed to be built in the Magħtab area. Cutajar told The Malta Independent in a pres...

Health Minister Chris Fearne together with Minister for Senior Citizens and Active Ageing Michael Farrugia announced the launch of a new geriatric care centre at St Vincent de Paul Residence, with the intention of reducing pressure on Mater Dei Hospi...

Sliema murder suspect Abner Aquilina is expected to be arraigned in court at around 6pm today, The Malta Independent is informed.He was released from Mount Carmel Hospital yesterday and his police interrogation resumed.The 20-year-old is suspected of...

The Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) has ordered lecturing grades at the Junior College to initiate industrial actions from Friday.This decision has been taken following a trade dispute with the University of Malta and the Government, which was declared...

The country will bid a final farewell to Dr. Victor Calvagna, in a Celebration of Life service being held this afternoonCalvagna passed away on Tuesday, a week after he was hit by a car in Qawra. He was 63 years old. The popular oncologist, who was o...

It is good that politicians, in particular ministers, speak up when they see something wrong in matters not directly related to their responsibilities.When they do, they would be going beyond what is required of them in their official capacity. As we...

Virtu Ferries has announced the purchase of a new High Speed Ferry for the Mgarr, Gozo to Valletta, Malta route. This €7 Million investment indicates Virtu’s commitment to the Gozo route, the company said.The HSC “Gozo Express”...

Ten years have passed since the Costa Concordia cruise ship slammed into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. But for the passengers on board and the residents who welcomed them ashore, the memories of that harrowing, freezing night r...

Over the period of a few days, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech turned his own version over the advice given by the health authorities regarding Covid-19 upside down, the Labour Party said."On 8 January he said that he was in favour of the new regulat...

A number of unions have demanded clarity over rumours that the government plans to make vaccination mandatory for employees in certain sectors. In a letter to the Prime Minister, F.O.R.U.M president Paul Pace called for an urgent meeting of the Malta...

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus is changing its compulsory quarantine rules for school children in an effort to keep pupils in school amid surging coronavirus infections, the country's health minister said Wednesday.Under the new system, schoolki...

The Nationalist Party has called on the government to scrap the measures set to be introduced on 17 January, “which effectively make the vaccine booster mandatory.”Given that two-thirds of the country have already taken the booster while ...

Four people have died while positive for Covid-19, the health authorities said in their daily update.Three of the four victims were men - aged 77, 87 and 88. The fourth victim was an 86-year-old woman. In total, 496 people have died since the start o...

Sliema murder suspect Abner Aquilina has been released from Mount Carmel Hospital and his police interrogation will resume, The Malta Independent can reveal. Sources said Aquilina will immediately return to a state of arrest and will have to be arrai...

A Homicide Squad inspector has confirmed that several senior Electrogas officers are not being investigated in relation to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, as he defended the 2019 decision to release former Electrogas Director Yorgen ...

Parliamentary Speaker Anglu Farrugia on Wednesday dismissed a breach of privilege complaint filed by ex-PN MP David Thake’s against tourism minister Clayton Bartolo, which was related to the former’s tax arrears.Recent revelations have sh...

23 clients of deceased notary Ivan Barbara have filed judicial proceedings against the notary’s widow, demanding she refund a total of approximately €165,000 held in escrow by the notary as deposits and taxes relating to various property c...

Australia’s prime minister said Thursday his government’s tough policy toward visitors who were not vaccinated for COVID-19 had not changed, as it nears a decision on whether to deport Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic.The men’s te...

The Malta Chamber of Commerce has called for the disqualification of businesses that do not pay taxes from public procurement processes."The Malta Chamber is unequivocable in its position that operators who are not tax compliant are putting compliant...

People who recently tested positive for Covid-19 and who cannot take the booster for now will be exempted from rules that will come into force on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne told Parliament on Monday.He was replying to a parliamentary ...

Substitute Alexis Sánchez scored with the last kick of the match to help Inter Milan win the Italian Super Cup with a 2-1 victory over bitter rival Juventus after extra time on Wednesday.Sánchez’s goal, helped by an error from the...

Even before celebrating his first anniversary as manager later this month, Thomas Tuchel has achieved a first with Chelsea.Defeating Tottenham in the League Cup semifinals means Tuchel has reached every major final unlike any predecessor at the west ...

Roselyn Borg Knight has stepped down as the PN’s International Secretary. Developments in her professional career are cited as being the reason behind her decision.On Facebook she said: “I have taken the decision to step down from my post...

The Nationalist Party has called for clarity on the national airline after reports that talks between the government and the European Commission on state aid for Air Malta have concluded. MaltaToday said on Wednesday that Finance Minister Clyde Carua...

The Covid-19 wage supplement, which has served as a road to recovery for businesses in various sectors following the blow of the pandemic, is being revised to determine which sectors can benefit from it beyond the month of January. Prime Minister Rob...

A surge of absenteeism caused by covid related absenteeism has negatively affected companies, a survey done amongst Malta Employers’ Association members said. A total of 325 employers responded to the survey where it was reported that 32% ...

Covid-19 measures that come into force on Monday will add further pressure on an industry which has already been hit hard by the pandemic, the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE) said on Wednesday.The government had announced in December tha...

A total of two-thirds (67%) of adults who are residents in Malta have received the booster dose against Covid-19, Minister for Health Chris Fearne said in a tweet on Wednesday. Fearne greeted the news with satisfaction, particularly following th...

A two-year government under Prime Minister Robert Abela has shown that he is incapable of taking tough decisions to improve Malta's status and reputation, PN candidate Ivan J Bartolo said.."It is not that Abela does not know the difference between ri...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized Wednesday for attending a garden party during Britain’s coronavirus lockdown in 2020, but brushed aside opposition demands that he resign for breaching the rules his own government had imposed. Johns...

Matthew Caruana Galizia testified in court in the compilation of evidence against brothers Adrian and Robert Agius (known as Tal-Maksar), Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio.He had to revisit the day his mother was assassinated and give testimony again,...

The Faculty for Social Wellbeing has published a document to serve as a guide for political parties as they prepare their electoral manifesto proposals.The document, titled 'A Social Pact', was drafted after what is described in the document as proba...

A court will decide whether or not to amend the freezing order imposed over all of the assets belonging to Nexia BT Financial controller Katrin Bondin Carter, who is undergoing criminal proceedings after allegedly laundering money for disgraced forme...

Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19′s alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.The reason: The variant has proved so wil...

The prosecution in the case brought against two prison warders who stand charged with criminal responsibility over an inmate’s suicide has wrapped up its evidence stage.The compilation of evidence against Annabelle Cauchi, 51, from Żebbu&#...

The balconies have still not been reinstated on the protected building in Balluta which houses the Piccolo Padre and Barracuda restaurants.Works on the building started over the New Year's weekend, despite the application for the project being curren...

The number of new coronavirus infections in the last week jumped by about 55%, although the number of deaths remained stable, the World Health Organization said in its latest pandemic report.In the weekly report issued Tuesday night, the U.N. health ...

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s medical community has scored a victory after a court ordered that a regional government must compensate doctors with up to 49,000 euros ($56,000) for having to work without personal protection suits during ...

SummaryOn the 13 October, 2021, the Court of Appeal (Inferior Jurisdiction) (the “Court”), presided by the Honourable Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff, in the case of Jean Luke Azzopardi (the “Complainant”) versus BNF Bank p.l.c. (...

Malta has lost two giants of a man in a matter of days.Between Christmas and New Year, we learnt of the sudden demise of cardiologist Albert Fenech and the traffic accident which would, one week later, lead to the death of oncologist Victor Calvagna....

Lawyers for Melvin Theuma have asked a court to make the State a party to a case for damages filed by the family of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia against those responsible for her murder. Madam Justice Anna Felice will be issuing a ...

The court has shot down a constitutional challenge that was filed by independent candidate Arnold Cassola over the gender corrective mechanism that was approved by Parliament in April.The 'corrective mechanism' will allow - in case only two parties a...

Three elderly people have died while they were positive for Covid-19, health authorities said in their latest update on Tuesday.Authorities said that two men aged 77 and 81 and an 81-year-old woman had died in the last 24 hours while they were positi...

The government has appointed a committee of experts on the media sector, which includes a number of members of the press, in fulfillment of one of the recommendations of the public inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The board was...

The duties of the President of the European Parliament will be designated to Roberta Metsola as First Vice-President of the European Parliament, this newsroom can confirm.She will assume the duties after EU Parliament President David Sassoli died at ...

The Ombudsman ignored proposals for new procedures for constitutional overseeing institutions, the public service said in a right of reply sent to this newsroom on Tuesday. The right of reply was in response to an article published on Monday tit...

Novak Djokovic knew he had tested positive for COVID-19 when he attended a newspaper interview and photo shoot at his tennis center in Serbia last month, saying Wednesday he made an “error of judgement" and should have immediately gone into iso...

In 2021, 3,347 drug tests were carries out in the Corradino Correctional Facility, and 15 people were found to be positive, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has said.He was responding to a Parliamentary Question posed by PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami...

Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said that a Bill presented in Parliament regarding the Environment Proterction Act promotes good governance and complete transparency.Minister Farrugia presented the second reading of a bill aimed at reforming the ...

The government has allocated €3.5 million to the Carer at Home scheme.Active Ageing Minister Michael Farrugia said that through the funds, elderly persons will be granted financial aid to employ qualified carers of their choice to help them in t...

The Turkish government has appealed to the Maltese authorities not to allow the development of a multi-storey garage complex right next to the Turkish Cemetery in Marsa.Speaking to The Malta Independent, Turkish ambassador Kerem Ahmet Kiratli&nb...

During a meeting of the Employment Relations Board held with the participation of the Superintendence of Public Health, the Data Protection Commissioner and the CEO of the Health and Safety Authority, Chamber of SMEs CEO Abigail Agius Mamo presented ...

In order to upgrade and modernize Malta's national Research and Innovation (R&I) framework, the Maltese government is adopting a new Smart Specialization Strategy.The strategy will also facilitate access to EU funding for R&I in selected econ...

Making femicide a criminal offence is “pointless” because the crime of voluntary homicide already carries the highest possible punishment – life imprisonment – Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said on Tuesday. He was asked...

The possible promotion to a top Vatican position for Archbishop Charles Scicluna could lead to his being replaced as the head of the Maltese Church, sources told The Malta Independent.On Monday, Pope Francis announced changes to the set-up of the Con...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has written to the Prime Minister requesting an urgent Parliamentary debate on a letter sent by the Ombudsman to the Speaker. In the letter, Ombudsman Anthony Mifsud accused the head of the civil service, Mario Cu...

 A man was seriously hurt when he fell off a ladder on Tuesday, the police said.The accident took place in a farmhouse in Hal Farrug Road, Siggiewi at 8.30am, with the police saying it was notified at noon.The man, aged 65 of Santa Venera, was t...

The government will go over the 12 bills presented by the Nationalist Party, based on the legal recommendations made in the Daphne Caruana Galizia inquiry, Minister for Justice and Governance Edward Zammit Lewis said today. The government will consid...

Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said that it was the Attorney General's discretion as to whether or not to grant Darren Debono, known as il-Topo, a pardon, and that he does not interfere in such decisions.Darren Debono, known as it-Topo, se...

A new 3,251 square metre Lidl supermarket is being proposed in Qormi, on the site of the former General Soft Drinks Complex.The site is on Mdina road and Triq il-Vitorja.The application, filed by Mizzi Organisation LTD & Lidl Immobiliare Malta Lt...

Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri launched a new digital strategy which focuses on funds for research on Artificial Intelligence, in collaboration with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA).€125,000 will be allocated ...

David Sassoli, an Italian journalist who worked his way up in politics while defending the downtrodden and repressed to become president of the European Union’s parliament, died at a hospital in Italy early Tuesday. He was 65.European Council P...

As we enter the fifth year since Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination, Malta must not waste any more time in implementing reforms that will prevent future deaths and ensure that the country is set on the right path, a statement by the Daphne Caruan...

The outline application for the construction of a waste to energy plant at the Magħtab landfill has been recommended for approval, and is set to go before the Planning Authority’s board on Thursday.The flagship waste management project aim...

Lawyers for former Education Minister Justyne Caruana yesterday filed an application in her constitutional proceedings against the State Advocate and a judicial protest against the Speaker of the House, asking that the Speaker be admitted as a party ...

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Malta has announced that the University of Malta has made special arrangements together with the Malta Public Health Authorities for international students registered at the University of Malta to receive the booster...

 Italy targeted the unvaccinated with a host of new coronavirus restrictions Monday, with proof of vaccination or recovery from a recent infection required to enter public transport, cafes, hotels, gyms and other popular venues.The new “su...

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije has tested positive for COVID-19, the church said on Tuesday, amid a surge in infections in the country and elsewhere in the Balkan region.Porfirije has develop...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced more allegations that he and his staff flouted coronavirus lockdown rules, this time by holding a garden party in 2020 while Britons were barred by law from mingling outside the home.Opposition politicians c...

The 2022 election will see two new party leaders face each other. Neither has contested a general election as leader of their party.The past two years have seen a lot of changes made. Joseph Muscat was made to resign, Konrad Mizzi is no longer a Labo...

A biker was grievously injured in a crash in San Gwann on Monday evening.The accident happened in Naxxar Road, at 8pm.The biker, a 30-year-old man from San Giljan, was involved in a crash with a Kia Sportage driven by a 35-year-old Libyan who resides...

The prime ministers of Australia and Serbia on Tuesday discussed Novak Djokovic's precarious visa after the top-ranked Serbian tennis star won a court battle to compete in the Australian Open but still faces the threat of deportation because he is no...

PN MP David Thake blamed cash flow problems the outstanding VAT dues of one of his companies, saying that he preferred to pay his employees than pay the government on time.Fielding questions from journalists about VAT issues which two of his companie...

Ombudsman Anthony Mifsud has fired back at civil service chief Mario Cutajar, accusing the latter of unleashing a “direct frontal attack” on his office in a recent report.The Ombudsman was referring to a report titled ‘Governance Ac...

437 cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Monday, as Malta reported another death related to the virus.Health authorities said that an 84-year-old woman had died while she was positive for Covid-19.489 people have now died in Malta...

A tract of ODZ land in Mellieha which was offered up as a tender for beekeeping “will not be touched”, PN MP Robert Cutajar told his followers following a meeting with Prime Minister Robert Abela.Cutajar, who was elected from Mellieha&rsq...

Two departments at Mater Dei Hospital will be named after Albert Fenech and Victor Calvagna, two giants of the medical profession who recently passed away.The news was announced by Health Minister Chris Fearne in Parliament on Monday.The Cardiology D...

Andy Ellul has been officially co-opted to Parliament after he was chosen for the post by the Labour Party.Ellul was sworn in on Monday when Parliament reconvened after the Christmas holidays.He replaces Silvio Grixti, who resigned after it emerged h...

Malta currently has the highest rate of Covid-19 boosters administered in Europe, and subsequently the lowest number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in the continent as well, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Monday.Quoting a dataset from the web...

The Nationalist Party has supported a call by a business lobby group to further reduce quarantine periods for Covid-19 cases to five days, as has been done in the United States.In a statement, the PN said that it supported the call of the Chamber of ...

Mariella Dimech has been appointed as the first Executive Chairperson of the Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis which has been established by means of Act LXVI of 2021, which came into force on the 18th of December 2021, the government...

European Parliament president David Sassoli has been hospitalized in Italy due to abnormal functioning of his immune system, his spokesman said Monday.Roberto Cuillo said in a statement that Sassoli has in the hospital since Dec. 26 and all his activ...