The compilation of evidence against Adrian Agius, his brother Robert Agius, and their associates Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio continues today.Robert Agius and Jamie Vella are charged with supplying the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia in O...

A new Covid-19 restrictive measure instructing fathers to leave hospital immediately after the birth of their child has posed a challenge to many expectant parents in Malta. The measure was put in place by the health authorities and Mater Dei’s...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that he has “never defended” former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.The Malta Independent approached Abela on Monday morning and asked him if he still believes and defends Schembri following his arra...

191 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Monday as another patient passed away in the last 24 hours.A 99-year-old woman passed away at the Good Samaritan Long Term Care Facility, becoming the 373rd person to die in Malta while...

Former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri has made another request for bail. The request, filed by his lawyers Edward Gatt and Mark Vassallo, will be decided on Friday.Schembri was remanded in custody on Saturday evening after he was charged with corr...

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Monday that the Nationalist Party is only interested in getting revenge against him and his family.His comments came after the PN called for the Egrant inquiry to be reopened after the latest developments invo...

Auditor Chris Baldacchino was denied bail on Monday after being arraigned over charges of money laundering.Baldacchino and his two companies pleaded not guilty to the charges, which alleged that he was the brains behind the laundering of money for an...

The Nationalist Party has called for the Egrant inquiry to be reopened after two of the key figures in the scandal – Nexia BT’s Brian Tonna and Karl Cini – were charged with, amongst other things, forgery and giving false informatio...

Daphne Caruana Galizia’s hitmen abandoned initial plans to gun her down with an AK47 assault rifle because operating a bomb is “easier”, a court heard.Testifying in the compilation of evidence against the bomb suppliers, convicted m...

The much-awaited Moneyval report is expected to be delivered to the government in the next week or two, sources have told The Malta Independent on Sunday. In September 2019, Moneyval, the European branch of the Financial Action Task Force, or FA...

Further clarification should be made on who will keep an eye out for any wrongdoings and investigate people in positions of trust in the newly proposed Persons of Trust Bill, Standards Commissioner George Hyzler said in a parliamentary committee.The ...

The Labour Government does not realise the suffering that it has put the country through due to its corruption, PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami said on Monday.This comes after last Saturday, 11 people were charged with money laundering, with Keith Schembri ...

Facebook has remained Malta’s most popular social media platform, a survey on social media use conducted by Misco in association with the Ornate Group reveals.While nearly nine in ten of people in Malta go online at least once a day, according ...

AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States, the company announced Monday.AstraZeneca sa...

It is still too early to predict what summer will be like, Gozo Tourism Authority (GTA) CEO Joe Muscat told The Malta Independent, highlighting that it depends on a number of factors.With the latest Covid-19 restrictions calling for limited trips to ...

Infrastructure Malta on Monday went ahead with works to build a road in an outside development zone in Dingli, much to the chagrin of residents, farmers and activists who descended once more on the street to try and stop the works.The agency stopped ...

Allied Newspapers Ltd has said that it never received any money from Former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.Allied Newspapers Limited issued a statement in response to a story that appeared in the Illum newspaper, which read that The Times of Malta...

Standards Commissioner George Hyzler and Civil Service Head Mario Cutajar will be present to discuss a report that was issued by the Standards Commissioner during a debate surrounding a Persons of Trust Bill in the Parliamentary Consideration of Bill...

The first few days of bird migration have been marred by several instances of hunting and trapping illegalities, Birdlife Malta said.On Sunday, with easterly winds and an overcast that forced birds to seek refuge by flying towards Malta and Gozo, var...

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has reacted to the news that his former Chief of Staff has been charged in court, saying that he will wait for justice to take its course "as I always have."Former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri was charged in c...

Four Georgians have been arrested in connection with several thefts after their car was spotted by an off-duty policeman.The police said that, following intensive investigations by the Major Crimes Unit and the Mosta District, the foreign men and the...

The closing down of schools has brought with it a significant number of challenges for parents, but ultimately the decision taken to do so was the right one.At a time when Covid-19 numbers were hitting record highs, the protection of our children and...

All students have missed out on their education as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and online learning, and an honest exercise on how they can regain what they lost needs to be carried out, Education Minister Justyne Caruana said.Caruana was being ...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech called for an urgent Parliamentary Group meeting earlier on Sunday, during which the PN MPs condemned the government for the damage that they have caused to Malta.The meeting was called in light of yesterday's court pr...

224 new cases of Covid-19 were registered on Sunday, while three more people have died while positive for Covid-19.The latest three victims are a 93-year-old woman and a 78-year-old man who died at Mater Dei Hospital, and a 71-year-old man who died a...

Prime Minister Robert Abela did not say whether the government's defence of Keith Schembri up until the latter's resignation as the former Prime Minister's Chief of Staff back in 2019 was in the national interest, saying: "I can only answer for what ...

11 people, including former Office of the Prime Minister Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, have been charged in court in connection with two magisterial inquiries this evening.The arraignments were in connection with a recently concluded magisterial inq...

Some are saying that post-Covid-19, the world is going to go through a recession. Do you agree?GV: Yes, it is very possible that as a result of Covid-19 the world would experience a widespread recession. It might, however, be technically difficult to...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has said the "there is a lot of truth" that needs to come out to "expose criminals" closely involved with the Labour Party, following the arraignment of Keith Schembri and 10 other people last Saturday.Grech addressed ...

Do you think the measures in place are enough to curb the spread?The current measures are important in the current situation we find ourselves in. But, I have to say that these are measures which came in place too late and when the number o...

Two men - a 36-year-old from Zabbar and a 47-year-old Italian who resides in Fgura, were caught trying to steal from a construction site, the police said.The inicident took place at Noon, on Triq Giuzeppi Lanzon in Marsascala.After the two were arres...

Two men arrested were arrested over drugs today, the police said.At 10.30am, the Rapid Intervention Unit was conducting inspections on a number of roads and shops in relation to Covid-19 regulations, and noted a man acting suspiciously in a public ga...

The Covid-19 reproduction rate - the r-factor - has gone down to 1.1 from 1.4 last week, statistician Vincent Marmara told The Malta Independent on Sunday in his weekly video blog.The reproduction number of the virus is one of the key figur...

21 March marks the fifth anniversary of the day when death ushered Archbishop Mgr Joseph Mercieca into the kingdom of peace and eternal light.Born in Victoria, Gozo, on 11 November 1928, Joseph Mercieca was ordained priest on 8 March 1952. After grad...

Jean-Paul Fleri Soler was born on 5 June 1964 in Guardamangia. He is married to Clarissa née Jones and they have two children, Ella and Edward.The first thing that Jean-Paul talked about was his childhood memories and the importance of his fat...

Vincent Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, has requested a second presidential pardon in exchange for information on three more crimes, according to a report by the Times of Malta.Muscat, who recently confessed to being one of the hitmen who killed...

Valletta: Empire Pharmacy, 77, Old Theatre Street; Ħamrun: National Pharmacy, 17, St Mary Street; Santa Venera: Collis Williams Sta Venera Pharmacy, 532, St Joseph High Road; Birkirkara: The Local Dispensary, Kan. K. Pirotta Street; Gżira: ...

210 new cases of Covid-19 were found over the past 24 hours, and five patients have died, the health authorities said in their daily update.There are now 2,873 active cases, and the death toll has reached 369.The patients who died were; two males age...

Time-barring should be removed for all cases of sexual abuse since victims often take years to open up about their ordeal, the director of Women's Rights Foundation, Lara Dimitrijevic, told The Malta Independent.The head of the Church's Safeguarding ...

Do you think what happened to Sarah Everard could happen in Malta?In Malta, we do ultimately have a long and gruesome history of femicide. Just last year, we had the murder of Chantelle Chetcuti. In February of this year, a woman filed a report again...

A 41-year-old motorcyclist was grievously injured on Saturday in a traffic accident in Mellieha.The accident took place in Triq Selmun, at around 10:45am, the police said.The man, who is from Mellieha, lost control of his Suzuki bike, which then cras...

World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated today, 21 March, across the world. The day is hugely important to those with Down Syndrome and their families. Locally, this year is a special year, as Down Syndrome Association Malta celebrates its 40th annivers...

A scientific survey and national conference will analyse how the Maltese national identity is evolving, President George Vella announced on Saturday.The initiative, under the theme ‘L-Istat tan-Nazzjon’ (State of the Nation), is being tak...

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Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that he will not take any action until confessed murderer Vince Muscat il-Kohhu identifies the minister who was involved in a “big job” that allegedly also involves former Economy Minister Chris Cardon...

A 25-year-old man from Marsa was arrested for drug possession and is expected to be arraigned in the coming days, the police said.He was arrested by members of the Drug Squad after officers noted that he was acting suspiciously.The man was found to b...

Former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri expects that he will be charged in court in the coming days over the conclusions of a magisterial inquiry, he wrote on Facebook, while maintaining that he did not do anything wrong.The post came after Schembri...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced that the life-saving medication needed to help Cystic Fibrosis patients will finally be added to the government formulary.This comes following pleas made by 26-year-old Mandy Vella who suffers from Cystic Fib...

The Socialists and the Democrats have blocked a request by the EPP to hold a debate at the European Parliament on the latest developments in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.The EPP made the call earlier this week following the testimony given by...

Former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri is one of several people expected to be charged in court on Saturday, following the conclusions of a magisterial inquiry relating to money laundering allegations.The magisterial inquiry had been requested by f...

Investment in mental health, continued enforcement and keeping childcare centres open are among the recommendations put forward by the Chamber of Commerce to help the workforce focus on wellness and remain resilient during the Covid-19 pandmic.The re...

The European Union's drug regulatory agency says experts have concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not linked to an overall increase in the risk of blood clots and that the benefits of use outweigh the risks.The finding from the European Medicin...

St. Julian’s mayor Albert Buttigieg early on Thursday morning put up signs objecting the Captain Morgan expansion in Balluta bay stating that Balluta Bay is not fit for use as a commercial port.Buttigieg was acting on behalf of the St. Julian&r...

The Nationalist Party has condemned hate speech against MP Maria Deguara, which was posted on a Tiktok account called ‘Laburisti sal-mewt’.Some of the comments referred to the MPs age and said Deguara should not be given the Covid-19 vacc...

Police officers and members from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter have successfully cracked down on illegal bird trapping during the closed season this spring, CABS said.Since last weekend six severe infringements were reported to the Enviro...

A 37-year-old man from Fgura has been arrested in connection with a number of thefts from cars, the police said.The man was identified following weeks of investigations and surveillance.The thefts took place on 15 and 16 March from a car in Paola and...

179 new cases of Covid-19 were found over the past 24 hours, and one patient has died, the authorities said.This was the lowest number of new cases found in weeks.There are currently 2,898 active cases, and the total number of cases since the start o...

Melvin Theuma had the impression that Keith Schembri chose recruits for the Security Service as shed light on more recordings played in court today.Theuma was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yor...

When the government introduced a ban on organised sports as part of the measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, it resulted in a certain amount of confusion.People were reporting to newsrooms that some people were playing sports despite the ban, ...

A man has died after the roof of a public toilet in Dwejra, Gozo, collapsed in on him on Thursday morning, a police spokesperson confirmed.The victim has been identified as Charlie Attard - a 52-year-old man from Xewkija.  Police said that he wa...

Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has expressed his frustration with the actions of Maltese EPP MEPs Roberta Metsola and David Casa, saying that that while the rest of the European Union is focused on tackling the pandemic, they "are focusing on...

An Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) patrol boat ended up grounded in Birzebbuga, only minutes after it took to the water after maintenance was carried out on it, this newsroom is informed.Onlookers at Birzebbuga told this newsroom of how AFM patrol boat P...

Two Gozitan priests who stand charged with abusing a young altar bay have been released on bail, One News reports.Despite being named in the past, it is understood that the court has banned the publication of the names of the priests, both of whom ar...

Three out of four new Covid-19 cases found this week were linked to the UK variant, Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said today. Speaking during her weekly briefing, Gauci said that the percentage of cases linked to the more transmissible v...

A delegation from the Opposition has met with President of Malta George Vella to discuss the government's Bill to amend the Interpretation Act, saying that it breaches Malta's Constitution.The delegation, which was led by Opposition leader Bernard Gr...

The decision to open a spring hunting season for one bird species, the Common Quail, is “a sad ploy by the Government to allow hunters to shoot protected birds in spring,” Birdlife Malta said.The Ornis committee yesterday recommended a sp...

The Commission on gender-based violence and domestic violence shall be initiating another online awareness-raising campaign, this time about same-sex intimate partner violence (SSIPV) - #umanilkoll / #weareallhuman. The aim of this campaign is to edu...

People in Malta may have a higher level of satisfaction with jobs, finances and relationships than their European counterparts, but are then less satisfied with their use of time and leisure, according to the initial findings from the first wellbeing...

Vince Muscat has refused to name the sitting minister who he claims was involved in a “big job” that took place a few years ago, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Wednesday.In comments to Times of Malta, Abela said he won’t act on...

The spring hunting season will open between the 10 and 30 April if the government approves the recommendation put forward by the Ornis committee.An FKNK statement revealed on Wednesday that the committee had voted in favour of recommending the openin...

Two people, both aged 75, were injured after the roof of their house collapsed overnight, police said on Thursday morning.Police said that the incident happened at around 4am in St. Paul’s Street in Sliema.Police said the preliminary investigat...

An elderly man was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Ta’ Qali on Thursday.The accident took place in Triq il-Kbira at around 9:30am, the police said.The 80-year-old, who lives in Naxxar, was driving a Mitsubishi pickup that was involv...

Spring brings with it many things in Malta – a turn of milder weather, Easter, and – of course – the ever controversial spring hunting season.This week, in what may be seen as yet another episode of de ja vu, we heard how the spring...

On a pine-covered hill above the sparkling Aegean Sea lies a boy’s grave. His first boat ride was his last — the sea claimed him before his sixth birthday.“He drowned in a shipwreck,” his gravestone reads. “It wasn&rsquo...

Helen Asciak née Degiorgio was born on 29 January 1963. She married Gordon Asciak in 1985 and they have two children, Gordon Jnr and Matthew.Helen is the youngest of five children and incidentally it was her sister Vicky who introduced her to ...

Two people were grievously injured when a car crashed into a tree in Zabbar on Wednesday evening.The accident took place on Triq il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa at around 7pm, the police said.The car, a Honda Accord, was being driven by a 35-year-old woman fro...

211 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Wednesday as four more patients passed away in the last 24 hours.Authorities said that during the last 24 hours, three men aged 83, 68, and 62, and a woman aged 84 passed away at Mater Dei Hospital while Cov...

The Superintendent of Public Health has published a list of sporting activities that are currently allowed, as well as standards that need to be followed during such activities.This comes after measures were introduced which banned all “organis...

The number of households who can meet in a single residence has reduced from four to two, the Health Ministry said in a statement today.Answering questions during a Times of Malta Q&A, Gauci stated that a legal notice will be issued today to furt...

The compilation of evidence hearing against George and Alfred Degiorgio ended abruptly today after the defence continued to insist on having all Melvin Theuma recordings played in court before the cross-examination can continue.The magistrate ruled a...

With summer looming and tourism-reliant countries anxiously waiting for the return of a steady influx of visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic, the European Union's executive body presented a proposal Wednesday that would allow the bloc's 450 millio...

Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti (FKNK) has called out against a “discriminatory” project being put forward by Natalino Fenech through Kaċċaturi San Ubertu (KSU).The FKNK lamented that this project will...

Dog shelter Noah’s Ark in Mellieħa has launched a fundraiser campaign seeking to raise €10,000 in donations to refurbish the shelter’s dog pens and infrastructure to better service do...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has called on the government to withdraw a Bill on administrative fines and discuss the way forward with the Opposition.Grech was taking part in the debate on the bill that seeks to allow any public officer to impose a...

3,279 divorces have been registered since 2013, Minister for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement Byron Camilleri said in an answer to a parliamentary question asked by PN MP Therese Comodini Cachia.No information could be provided as ...

The reported problems with the Astra Zeneca vaccine are very few in number and are ‘likely coincidential’, the President of the Medical Association of Malta Martin Balzan told The Malta Independent.Balzan was contacted by this newsroom as...

Captain Morgan has applied to occupy the left side of Balluta Bay, taking public land for their exclusive use, NGO Moviment Graffitti has claimed. This application comes after the Planning Authority giving Captain Morgan the authority to operate...

A plan to murder  "a police officer" was being concocted at the same time that Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassins were plotting her execution, Vince Muscat has testified.Without mentioning the name, under cross-examination by parte civile lawyer...

More professional staff is being added to the contact tracing and case management teams to deal with the backlog in cases, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.This newsroom reached out to the ministry to ask about the backlog the teams are facing, a...

The daily Covid-19 figures remain high, and it does not look like they will be decreasing any time soon. While it might be a bit too early to say whether the recently introduced measures are working, it is probably safe to say that the spread of the ...

313 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday, as three more patients passed away during the last 24 hours.Health authorities said in their daily update that two 70-year-old women and a 73-year-old man had passed away at Mater Dei Hospital while...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has asked the police to identify the minister mentioned by Vince Muscat in connection with a 'big job', which also allegesly involved Chris Cardona, Lovin Malta reports.Testifying in court on Tuesday in the Caruana Galizia...

There were 821 people detained within the Corradino Correctional Facility in February 2021, the majority of whom - 763- were men.The information was tabled in Parliament by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, in response to a set of parliamentary ...

In the second hearing of the Interpretation Act, opposition members of parliament Adrian Delia and Joseph Ellis expressed harsh criticism of the proposed changes with Delia threatening to challenge the changes constitutionally, in court, if it passes...

Vince Muscat's testimony in court continues to show the ties between organised crime and the Labour Government, PN MP Karol Aquilina said in a statement."For the second time in a week, testimony in court has shown Prime Minister Robert Abela's lied w...

The alleged hitmen behind the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia were also planning to murder somebody working within the police force at the same time, Vincent Muscat has told a court.Muscat – one of the three who was accused of carrying out the...

The Ministry for Finance and Employment has announced that Malta received, from the European Commission, the second tranche of €123 million nominal in financial support in the form of loan given on favourable terms under the SURE Instrument."Thi...

Suspended Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar said she is holding the owner of Mdina property at the centre of a scandal responsible for damage to her political career.In a counter protest filed in court, Cutajar has also denied claims that she ...

The US embassy in Malta has nominated Matthew Caruana Galizia for the US Secretary of State’s International Anti-Corruption Champions award.Matthew, who is the son of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia – who was assassinated in 2017, is an...

St. Julian’s, Marsa, and Hamrun are amongst the nine localities which will be added to Malta’s community policing scheme in the coming weeks to help residents feel more secure. The extension of this community policing scheme was announced...