The government will focus on a “stepped approach” when it comes to restarting Malta’s air routes, which aims to ensure “the right mix of destinations and frequencies,” a spokesperson for the Tourism Ministry told The Mal...

Many Europeans are desperate for a coronavirus vaccine. But not just any vaccine.As AstraZeneca shots are rolling out to European Union nations this month, joining the Pfizer and Moderna doses already available, some people are balking at being offer...

Home Affairs minister Byron Camilleri has hinted at changes to the law governing cannabis after the arrest of two youths in a hotel room over the weekend.Camilleri was reacting to the arrest of a couple – a 21-year-old man and a 19-year-old wom...

Airborne particulate matter (PM), apart from several toxic components, is also contaminated with tobacco smoke-driven particulates, Dr Noel Aquilina from the Department of Chemistry discovered in a study with other researchers.Noel Aquilina, alongsid...

For the second time in as many weeks, Hamrun Spartans fans are being investigated for breaching protocols related to Covid-19.Two weeks ago spontaneous celebrations that erupted in the streets of Ħamrun as well as a club after the Spar...

The keeping of exotic animals as pets is one that brings about strong feelings from both sides of the argument.Recently, the authorities found two foxes, dead, in the streets of Zebbug. These were obviously imported animals, and the police are curren...

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their second child, their office confirmed Sunday.A spokesperson for Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, said in a statement: “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duch...

Edward Scicluna, arguably one of Malta’s highest-paid public sector officials, who has a €138,000 package as head of the Central Bank, will be getting another €12,000 as a member of the board of the financial services watchdog –...

The Hospice Malta fundraising telethon, Bl-Imħabba Naslu, which came to an end on Sunday, raised €311,017.The funds will help Hospice to continue to provide its services free of charge to thousands of patients and families each year, a...

138 new virus cases were registered on Sunday, the health authorities said, while 109 people recovered.The number of active cases has risen to 2,370.The health authorities also said that three more people have died with the virus, bringing the total ...

Certain people in the construction industry are not following the laws and more should be done to enforce against these illegalities, MEP Alfred Sant told The Malta Independent on Sunday.This newsroom held an interview with the political veteran to d...

Malta could be among the first EU Member States to introduce the Right to Disconnect, MEP Alex Agius Saliba said on this week's edition of Indepth.The MEP said Minister Carmelo Abela, who is responsible for social dialogue, has indicated that the gov...

A consultant who used his wife’s car to attend to duties at Mater Dei Hospital expressed anger after the vehicle was clamped.Writing on Facebook, Patrick Sammut, Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, said he went to the hos...

A few days ago, Parliament approved the formation of the electoral districts valid for the coming election, which constitutionally needs to be held sometime in the next 18 months.The House accepted the recommendations presented by the Electoral Commi...

The Covid-19 r-factor will start going down as more people are being vaccinated against the virus, which means that fewer people will be at risk of becoming infected, statistician Vince Marmara said. The reproduction number of the virus is one of the...

After four matches  in which they only collected one point, Valletta returned to winning ways beating Sirens 1-0 in a drab affair which only came to life in the last quarter of the match. For Valletta this victory comes after another victory in ...

It won't be a dog's life for a Tennessee canine whose owner recently died.Lulu, an 8-year-old border collie, will be living the good life in Nashville after inheriting $5 million in her owner's will, WTVF-TV reported.Martha Burton, Lulu&rsq...

Four people were arrested during drug raids, the police said.The first was a 48-year-old woman. The police searched her home and found what they believe to be 50 packets of cocaine. The second was a 49-year-old woman from Msida. A package was deliver...

Manchester United’s Premier League title hopes took another blow in a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.Having been top of the standings only 19 days ago, Ole Gunnar Solskjær's second-place side is now seven points behind Manches...

Romelu Lukaku scored twice and took his tally to 300 career goals as Inter Milan moved top of Serie A with a 3-1 win over Lazio on Sunday.Lukaku netted a penalty and doubled his tally at the end of the first half with the landmark goal. He also set u...

If you felt cold today (Sunday), you will feel colder tomorrow (Monday), according to the Met Office.Today’s temperature was 13 degrees Celsius, but it felt like 10. For tomorrow, the highest will be just 8 degrees, while the feel like temperat...

The Malta Chamber of Psychologists (MCP) has reacted to the distressing reports of a young woman's private video footage being shared without her consent, saying that it was an act of abuse.The Chamber noted that the video was even projected on a scr...

Prime Minister Robert Abela predicts that this summer will be a difficult one when it comes to migration.Speaking during a political activity in Floriana, Abela said that like he is convinced that the country will experience a strong economic recover...

The PN has proposed that people charging electric vehicles pay 10.5c instead of 13c cents as a night tariff, Opposition leader Bernard Grech announced on Sunday at a political activity held at the PN's headquarters."Last week I announced a proposed m...

The U.K. government said Sunday that it reached its goal of giving at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot to the most vulnerable people in the country, increasing pressure on ministers to clarify when they will ease a lockdown imposed in early January.So...

A 75-year-old woman from Attard was grievously injured after being hit by a car, the police said.The incident occurred on Triq il-Pitkali, Attard at 10am.The woman was hit by a Citroen C3 which was being driven by a 73-year-old Attard resident. The ...

Street artist James Micallef Grimaud has painted a mural at the skatepark, depicting a crowned Prime Minister Robert Abela as the king of carnival.The mural also depicts hunters and the police along with him, and dead birds, signifying hunting irregu...

The €10 million Infrastructure Malta project to rehabilitate the four main tunnels of the Maltese road network is advancing rapidly and all works are expected to be completed in June, Infrastructure Malta said.  In replies to The Malta Inde...

The government has issued a public call for the appointment of four new judges and will shortly be issuing a similar call for the appointment of new magistrates. This is a very welcome development, given the lack of sitting judges and magistrates, an...

The government no longer intends to sell off the historic Selmun Palace, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told The Malta Independent on Sunday. A few years back, an announcement by former Finance Minister Edward Scicluna that the government was plannin...

This time of year - at least in pre-COVID-19 times - Valletta usually comes to life with people in fancy dress costumes, ornate floats made from papier-mâché, loud music, and an explosion of bright colours, as Malta celebrates its annual...

A traffic accident on Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli in St Julian's at 11pm Saturday night left a woman grievously injured.The woman, aged 23 from Qormi, was driving a Suzuki Swift, lost control and crashed into a tree.Investigations are ongoing. 

New virus variants are spreading fast in multiple regions of France, causing local authorities to order tougher mask rules and a curfew crackdown around the English Channel coast, and prompting growing calls for a new lockdown in the east.Although Fr...

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The notecards poking from bouquets rushing out of a Chicago florist all carry similar messages: “looking forward to celebrating in person.”“The notes aren’t sad,” said Kate Prince, a co-owner of Flora Chicago on the city...

Donald Trump was acquitted of inciting the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding a historic impeachment trial that spared him the first-ever conviction of a current or former U.S. president but exposed the fragility of America’s ...

The European Union on Saturday called on China to reverse its ban on the BBC World News television channel imposed in apparent retaliation for Britain’s pulling of the license of state-owned Chinese broadcaster CGTN.The EU said in a statement t...

Valletta: Collis Williams Pharmacy, 15, Republic Street; Ħamrun: Cosmed Pharmacy, Soccors, 7 Franciscans Street in Villambrosa Street; Qormi: Tal-Ħlas Pharmacy, Ħelsien Street; Birkirkara: St Jude Pharmacy, 213, Valley Road; Gżira...

There were 154 new Covid-19 cases, the health authorities reported, as 206 patients recovered.On Saturday, the health authorities reported two more deaths: two men aged 82 and 63 died at Mater Dei Hospital.In all, Malta has now registered 19,651 case...

Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci received the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccination, health authorities said.Gauci received her first dose three weeks ago.More than 48,000 vaccination doses have been administered.

The Malta Women's Lobby (MWL) said that prostitution can never be considered as a normal and legitimate job.The lobby was replying to comments made by Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar, who said that: “We must be realistic and admit that...

The police are searching for a man who allegedly stabbed another during a fight in Pembroke.The incident took place in Sir Adrian Dingli Street corner with Graziella Street, in Pembroke, at 6.30am.The injured man, a Senegalese aged 24, was taken to h...

Health Minister Chris Fearne accompanied his parents as they are administered the Covid-19 vaccine on Saturday.Fearne’s parents are in the over 80s cohort.Over 48,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered so far. Mument sabiħ ma...

Mario Draghi, the man largely credited with saving the euro currency, took the helm as Italy's premier Saturday after assembling a government of economic experts and other technocrats along with career politicians from across the spectrum to guide th...

Pierre Portelli is no longer a member of the Nationalist Party Executive Committee, saying that his regular absence from meetings automatically meant that he was quitting the post.In a letter to the committee president, Alex Perici Calascione, Portel...

Farmers, residents and activists held a press conference on Saturday morning in Burmarrad on the site of agricultural land and a nearby reservoir that are in danger of being lost due to proposed road works by Infrastructure Malta.The road works consi...

A Land Rover overturned in Marsa, with the driver taken to hospital for treatment, the police said.Initially, the police had said that a truck had overturned and the driver was unhurt.The accident took place at around 8.15am.The driver, aged 34 and r...

Hamrun Spartans gained a deserved and important win against Birkirkara with their hero being Ailton Soares who scored both goals also taking his personal tally to thirteen. This win was another statement of intent by the Spartans who thus remained at...

Jurgen Klopp composed himself, gave a little chuckle, and rubbed his nose.The Liverpool manager had just seen his team collapse at Leicester to a 3-1 loss — a third straight defeat in its faltering defense of the English Premier League trophy &...

Milan missed the chance to extend its lead in Serie A when it lost 2-0 at Spezia, which was playing its first match under new American owners on Saturday.Giulio Maggiore and Simone Bastoni scored their first Serie A goals as Spezia dominated and stun...

Three bikers were injured in separate accidents in Mosta, Kirkop and Gzira, the police said.The first accident took place on Friday at 1.30pm in Ragusa Avenue, Mosta.The biker, a 31-year-old man from Rabat, was riding a Muz Baghira which was involved...

On the occasion of International Radio Day, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela visited a number of radio stations, where the theme of the day for this year is evolution, innovation and connections.This is a day which was f...

Labour MEP Alfred Sant has voted in favour of the European Central Bank’s report for 2020 but expressed unease at how the ECB, not for the first time, seems to assume a leading role in strategic fire-fighting or policy innovation.The European P...

France’s highest health authority recommended Friday that people who have had COVID-19 receive only one dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus.The High Authority of Health, or HAS, said that since recovered individuals had developed an immun...

The head of the World Health Organization said Friday that the drop in confirmed COVID-19 infections around the world was encouraging, but cautioned against relaxing restrictions that have helped curb the spread of the coronavirus.Tedros Adhanom Gheb...

One of the major stories in the news this past week was the appointment of a 19-year-old local councillor who represents the Labour Party to the Board of Governors on FinanceMalta.Carlos Zarb is a local councillor representing the Labour Party on the...

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) and Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi (GħBA) today announced that a collaboration agreement have been struck between the two organizations.The MHRA’s objective to promote and safeguard ...

164 new cases of Covid-19 were found in the last 24 hours while two new deaths were reported, health authorities said on Thursday.Authorities said that during the last 24 hours, an 84-year-old man died at Karin Grech Hospital and an 82-year-old woman...

At the end of 2020, more respondents EU-wide saw things on the right path at EU level in comparison with their own country. Furthermore, nearly three out of four respondents (72%) and a large majority of Maltese (91%) believe the EU Recovery Plan wou...

The general public will be able to start getting vaccinated at the beginning of May, pending the approval of a fourth Covid-19 vaccine, Health Minister Chris Fearne has announced.Speaking on XTRA on TVM, Fearne said that the European Medicines Agency...

The government is putting forward a legal amendment so that social benefits and social housing benefits are protected from having their funds blocked by court orders. During a joint press conference on Friday by Justice Minister Edward Zammit Le...

The Foresta 2000 Nature Reserve has been vandalised, BirdLife Malta said in a statement."The Nature Reserve, an afforestation project in Mellieħa aimed at creating a young and vibrant forest habitat, is unfortunately not new to stories of vandal...

The highest temperature on record for the month of January was recorded on the 9th day of the month, with a temperature of 25.8°C, as the month was drier and warmer than average.In a weather update, the Malta International Airport said that the h...

From January to June 2020, the Malta Gaming Authority issued 9 fines to various companies for a collective value of €2.43 million; an account which includes the financial penalty meted out to an unlicensed operator in MGA’s first regulator...

In its first year as regulator for the private rental market, the Housing Authority recorded the registration of over 30,000 private residential leases.This regulatory role was placed upon the Authority following a white paper process concerning the ...

The Association of Judges and Magistrates welcomed the government’s plans to appoint for new judges, but added that more personnel should be employed to assist the judiciary in its work so as to improve efficiency.In a statement, the associatio...

Despite deep uncertainty over a surge in coronavirus cases and the impact of new variants of the disease, senior European Commission officials on Thursday expressed cautious optimism that European economies will rebound later this year and in 2022.In...

The government is always at the ready when some international agency has something positive to say about its work. We have seen it time and again when rating agencies speak highly about the government’s performance, especially in the economic s...

The remains of Francesca Tereza Parlar, a Maltese mystic and a Dominican Tertiary, will be transferred from the Addolorata Cemetery to the Dominican Church of the Annunciation of Vittoriosa, on 13th February 2021. Francesca Tereza Parlar was born in ...

Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, will begin its third lockdown on Friday due to a rapidly spreading COVID-19 cluster centered on hotel quarantine.The five-day lockdown will be enforced across Victoria state to prevent the virus sprea...

The Met Office has revised the forecast for the lowest temperature expected over the coming days, taking it down a notch from four to three degrees.This feel like temperature of three is expected on Monday, with Malta in the middle of a cold snap tha...

As part of its habitat restoration projects, Ambjent Malta is conducting works at 12th May Street, Żebbug with an investment of €15,000. This was announced by Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugi...

A Maltese court has declared that a fostered girl who was taken away by her biological mother constituted an abduction, with the government now launching new action to have her returned to the islands.The case caused a public outcry last October and ...

Three days after Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in Bidnija, body parts were recovered from a tree, a rescuer testified in court on Thursday.Arthur Grech, who was stationed at the civil protection department’s depot in Xemxija, testified on...

151 new cases of Covid-19 were found in the last 24 hours as no new deaths were reported, health authorities said on Thursday.156 people meanwhile have recovered, meaning that the number of active cases has decreased marginally to 2,401.3,491 swab te...

All construction works on Manoel Island have been suspended by the Planning Authority until a final decision is taken on the application for a master plan for the area, the Planning Authority said on Thursday.The Environment and Planning Review Tribu...

Only 74,380 out of the 384,793 telephone calls made to the emergency number 112 were actual emergencies, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said on Thursday. In a press conference on the day dedicated to the emergency number 112 – the 1...

A public call will be issued on Friday for the appointment of four new judges. The call is open for persons holding the necessary qualifications and experience.“This is another essential measure, continuing the work of the administration of Pri...

A Maltese teenager was among 10 arrested in Europe for allegedly hijacking mobile phones belonging to U.S. celebrities including internet influencers, sports stars and musicians to steal personal information and millions in cryptocurrency, authoritie...

PN MP David Thake blasted the appointment of teenage local councillor Carlos Zarb to the role of Governor on the FinanceMalta board of governors, noting that this is happening while all of Malta is fearing the outcome of the Moneyval assessment.Carlo...

A Turkish cuisine restaurant chain has ended its sponsorship of Siggiewi Football Club after its players allegedly streamed a leaked X-rated video on a television screen at one of its outlets.The Kebab Factory chain posted on Facebook that it was bro...

The United Kingdom remains on Malta’s travel red list as the country published an amber list with some minor revisions.The government announced its revised amber list on Thursday afternoon, with the changes coming into effect as of Saturday 13 ...

A French nun who has become the first woman to hold a voting position at the Vatican said Wednesday that her appointment is evidence the “patriarchal mindset is changing” as more and more women assume high-level decision-making responsibi...

A drug that suppresses appetite has been described as a "gamechanger" in the fight against obesity after research showed it could cut body weight by up to 20%, Sky News reports.The study into the effects of semaglutide on obesity by a University Coll...

A Facebook comment suggesting that Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina should be “hanged and tied to the statue of St Nicholas in Siggiewi” has raised uproar on the social media.Aquilina uploaded a screenshot of the comment made, saying that he...

A discussion paper on camping, caravans, picnicking and hiking is being launched in order to guide policy-making and inform the government on public views towards recreational land uses, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said.The government, he sai...

St Paul’s Bay and Sliema were the two localities that generated the highest amount of mixed waste in 2020, statistics available on the Wasteserv website reveal.Both localities have experienced a population boom and saw quite a bit of developmen...

Animal welfare commissioner Alison Bezzina came out against the keeping of exotic animals, such as foxes, as pets.This comes following the news that two dead foxes were found in Żebbuġ towards the end of January. The two animals, one white ...

The Mtarfa Local Council with the assistance of MEUSAC has been granted €463,000 from the European Regional Development Fund to restore the Clock Tower in the locality and to construct an interpretation centre adjacent to the tower. The project ...

This year’s carnival will not be the same, not even for the hospitality sector, Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) CEO Joe Muscat said. This comes after The Malta Independent received reports that not many bookings are being made in Gozo for the ca...

U.S. government researchers found that two masks are better than one in slowing coronavirus spread, but health officials stopped short of recommending that everyone double up.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported the re...

The appointment of Edward Scicluna to the MFSA's board shows that government is failing to consider Malta's credibility, PN MP Therese Comodini Cachia and Graham Bencini, President Forum Professjonisti PN (FPPN) saidThrough his appointmend as the Gov...

Independent experts advising the World Health Organization about immunization on Wednesday recommended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine even in countries that turned up worrying coronavirus variants in their populations.The WHO experts’ a...

Porn purveyor Larry Flynt, who built Hustler magazine into an adult entertainment juggernaut that included casinos, films, websites and other enterprises as he relentlessly championed First Amendment rights, has died at age 78.Flynt, who had been in ...

The number of vehicles on Maltese roads shot up to above 400,000 for the first time in history, according to statistics released by the National Statistics Office.A number of things will pass through most people’s minds. The first will likely b...

Farmers cannot be progressive and switch towards organic farming if the government works against them, PN MEP candidate Peter Agius told The Malta Independent.This comes after the MEP candidate noted that the government should promote organic product...

Moody's has given Malta a positive governance rating, the government said in a statement.According to the agency, "on the whole, the country benefits from a strong institutional environment."The report notes that the good rating given to Malta reflec...

167 new Covid-19 cases were registered on Wednesday, while 165 people recovered, the health authorities said.Two more people have died with Covid-19 - a 78-year-old man and an 82-year-old woman. Both died at Mater Dei Hospital. This brings the total ...

The procurement of booster shots is important to ensure that European countries are not caught off guard, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne told Politico."We need to make sure that we have the arrangements in place."A booster sho...

Ten organisations have objected "for the fourth time" to the db Group's project on the ex-ITS site.The groups said that the new plans do not address the main concerns repeatedly raised over the past three years in relation to "this massive and intens...