The government is set to announce its strategy regarding cultural events on Friday, Health Minister Chris Fearne said today.As Covid-19 numbers remain low, the government is planning a slow return to pre-pandemic days. In the past weeks, there has be...

Emirates has announced it will resume three weekly services to Malta via Larnaca, Cyprus, from 14 July 2021, further expanding its European network to 34 destinations, and offering customers worldwide more travel choices and enhanced connectivity via...

The European Commission has taken further steps in its infringement procedure against Malta’s ‘golden passports’ scheme, warning the country that Malta is failing to fulfil its obligations towards the EU treaties with its citizenshi...

A number of restaurants will be giving customers an additional €15 for each €15 government voucher used in their establishments, it was announced today.By spending the red €15 voucher the Government is distributing at these select...

Therese Comodini Cachia’s decision not to contest the coming general election leaves a hole in the Nationalist Party.First of all, it is contradictory to the efforts being made by the PN to have veteran MPs moving out of the political scene to ...

Malta's diving sector has been pushed aside throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and will take years to recover, Simon Sciberras, chairman of the Professional Diving Schools Association, told The Malta Business Weekly.While the local diving industry gene...

The police dished out hundreds of fines last week, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said, when asked about illegal gatherings taking place in the Sliema area.Residents have complained about beach parties that last until the early hours of the mo...

Edward de Bono, who developed global fame for his thinking methods, died on Wednesday. He was 88.A doctor and an academic, De Bono held faculty appointments at Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard universities and served as professor at many others.He was a...

One new case of Covid-19 was reported by health authorities on Wednesday, while another three people have recovered.With no new deaths reported for another day, it means that the number of active cases now stands at 68.1,658 swab tests were carried o...

Malta’s exclusion from the UK’s Green List for travel does not seem to have a scientific basis, according to the Tourism Minister.Malta has once again not been included in the UK Green List for travelling, even though the country boasts v...

A man was grievously injured in a traffic accident in St Julian’s.The accident took place in Triq Elija Żammi, at around 2:30pm, the police said.The casualty, a 32-year-old Libyan man, lost control of his Honda motorcycle and crashed into ...

The European Commission has called on Malta to discontinue its practice of finch trapping, even for research purposes, or it could face court proceedings.The Commission called on Malta to correctly apply the Birds Directive. The Birds Directive requi...

The concerns raised in a report by the National Audit Office over the ITS site remain unaddressed, the Malta Chamber of Commerce has said. Just over a year ago, in April 2020, the NAO report on the disposal of the ITS site highlighted a number of ser...

A Malta-based pharmaceutical firm has offered some 60 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine to a state in India, Indian media has reported.A number of Indian news portals have reported how Malta-based Pharma Regulatory Services Limi...

A grant of €8 million will be provided by the government to Hospice Malta in order to change a building in Santa Venera into a care home - St. Michael Hospice Complex.The care home will offer centralised palliative care in a top-notch environmen...

Identity Malta’s strategy for 2021-2023 was launched on Wednesday. The strategy focuses on the need to renew and simplify existing work procedures by doing away with unnecessary red tape and inefficiencies.  Minister for Home Affairs,...

The police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating five people wanted to appear before Malta’s courts.In a statement, the police said that a Magistrate had ordered the request for the public’s help in locating five people &n...

The Nationalist Party today announced a number of proposals dealing with the mental health sector to help patients, families and all professionals working in the field.During a press conference on Wednesday, PN MP Stephen Spiteri said that this is a ...

Torri l-Abjad (White Tower) in l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa has been inaugurated after an extensive restoration project carried out by Din l-Art Ħelwa with the support of the HSBC Malta Foundation. The inauguration took place in the presence o...

The European Commission cannot intervene in the decision taken by the President of Malta not to grant a pardon to brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio.This emerged in a response letter sent by European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders to the ...

The European Parliament on Wednesday endorsed a new travel certificate that will allow people to move between European countries without having to quarantine or undergo extra coronavirus tests, paving the way for the pass to start in time for summer....

SEI Healthcare Europe, a global professional independent medical education organization, has announced a major relocation from the United Kingdom to Malta ‘to better serve clientele’.The mission at SEI Healthcare is to bring together and ...

Maltese champions Hamrun Spartans are set to be excluded from the UEFA Champions League by Europe’s footballing body over a match fixing case dating back to 2013.UEFA decided on Wednesday that Hamrun, who were declared Maltese champions of last...

Gozitan restaurants have told The Malta Independent of their optimism for the summer ahead, as they keep their fingers crossed that the Covid-19 situation will be such that they will not have to close their doors again.Restaurants reopened midway thr...

The UK’s decision to exclude Malta from its green travel list was “political” and not based on scientific evidence, Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo said.Taking to social media to comment on the recent decision by the Britis...

Malta Customs has, once again, succeeded in blocking a huge amount of cocaine from reaching the streets.In a long operation, that spanned from Monday morning till late Tuesday afternoon, Customs Officials, stationed...

In its first week of operation, Gozo Fast Ferry Ltd carried over 6,000 passengers on its high-speed passenger service between Valletta and Mġarr, Gozo and added extra trips to cope with the high demand over the long weekend. The fast ferry ...

755 fines were issued to people this past week for not keeping to the Covid-19 regulations.540 of these were issued for breaching the mandatory wearing of masks regulation. 176 people were caught in groups larger than is currently permissible.The aut...

Around €90 billion of EU funds can now start being used by the 27 governments of the EU’s Member States through various schemes, for the upcoming seven years.A statement by the European People’s Party (EPP) said that this comes follo...

Daphne Caruana Galizia's murderers intended to shoot her on an August night in the summer of 2017, but aborted the plan at the last minute.Convicted murderer Vince Muscat and Alfred Degiorgio were already on site in a field in Bidnija with a clear vi...

There was an element of disappointment last week when Malta was again left out of the United Kingdom’s green list. When the original list published in early May excluded Malta, there was hope and expectations that Malta would be included when t...

The db project, which will see a 12 storey hotel and two residential towers with a height of 17 and 18 floors respectively constructed, is 'one of the worst proposed' NGO Moviment Graffitti has seen, it said during a protest against the proposed proj...

A scientific survey by the Malta Women’s Lobby (MWL), outlining different aspects in relation to prostitution, has shown that the majority of the general public believe that prostitution should not be legalised or decriminalised in Malta. ...

The Cabinet has given its go-ahead for the second Malta-Sicily interconnector, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said on Tuesday.The 200-megawatt cable will cost around €170 million. It will run parallel to the existing interconnector that links Malt...

One new case of Covid-19 was reported on Tuesday, as three more people recovered from the virus, health authorities said in their daily update.With no new deaths reported for a 12th straight day, it means that Malta currently has 70 active cases.1,43...

The vaccines that we have available, notably the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs, are effective and protect against the Covid-19 variants currently found in Malta, virologist Dr Chris Barbara told The Malta Independent.This comes after Malta registered i...

Proposals for lowering commercial utility bills proposed by the Nationalist Party ensure that justice is being done to small businesses without burdening large businesses with new burdens, the PN said today.During a press conference on Tuesday, PN MP...

There are 2,387 families receiving the "strong rent benefit that came into force in 2019," Minister for Social Accommodation Roderick Galdes said. He added that this benefit is one of the best initiatives that has assisted thousands of families.The r...

An Englishman died from car exhaust poisoning on Tuesday afternoon, the police said.The accident took place inside a garage in Triq l-Iżbark tal-Franċiżi, Mellieħa.At around 2:30pm, the police were alerted to fumes coming out of t...

A British police officer has pleaded guilty to the kidnap and rape of a woman as she walked home in south London and whose body was found a week later in the woods.A court at London's Old Bailey heard Tuesday that Wayne Couzens, 48, accepted responsi...

For the third consecutive year, the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning is launching the Saving our Blue campaign with an aim of intensifying efforts against environmental and marine pollution, particularly that which is caused ...

A 31-year-old German man was grievously injured in a motorcycle accident on Tuesday.The accident took place at around 11:15am in Valley Road, Msida, the police said.The man lost control of his Orcal motorcycle and fell. He was given first aid on site...

A 40-year-old Italian man died after falling from a height of four storeys in Hal Far, the police said in a statement.The accident occurred at 11.30am, in the industrial zone. The man was conducting works on the roof of a factory.A magisterial inquir...

The EU’s border agency Frontex has not been sufficiently effective in helping Member States and Schengen associated countries in managing the EU’s external frontiers, according to a special report published by the European Court of Audito...

The Malta International Airport has appealed to the government to introduce digital validation solutions for the verification of passengers’ health documents.“Whilst thanking the local health authorities for establishing the necessary saf...

Avid classic car collector and the founder of the Malta Classic Car Museum Carol Galea has passed away, the museum announced on Tuesday.The Museum, situated in St. Paul’s Bay, was Galea’s brainchild and is described as “his personal...

Every week we are given a list of Covid-related fines dished out by the authorities over the previous seven days. Well over a thousand fines have been issued each week for the past couple of months. Most of the infringements were a failure to wear a ...

Spain jump-started its summer tourism season on Monday by welcoming vaccinated visitors from most countries as well as European tourists who can prove they are not infected with coronavirus. It also reopened its ports to cruise ships.The move opened ...

The Malta Maritime Forum has urged the need for more direction through an updated maritime policy for the sector.The interests of the maritime industry were discussed with the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Minister for Transport during a re...

As announced by health minister Chris Fearne earlier today, no new Covid-19 cases were found overnight.Meanwhile, two people have recovered. There were no Covid-19-related deaths.The number of active cases now stands at 72.The health authorities said...

Today marks the first day with no new Covid-19 cases since last summer, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne has announced.In a tweet, Fearne said it is still essential that people remain disciplined and responsible.The official figures for Monday will...

A man was grievously injured during an argument in Mellieha on Monday, the police said.The incident took place in Triq il-Marfa, at around 12:15pm.The police said an argument broke out between a 32-year-old man from Hamrun, a 42-year-old man from Val...

Prince Harry and Meghan may have stepped away from their royal duties — but family appeared to be top of mind in naming their second child, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, who was born Friday in California.The name pays tr...

Solitary confinement in prison systems should be abolished as it goes against fundamental human rights and causes permanent damage to the persons that have to go through it, the dean of the Faculty of Social Wellbeing said.Professor Andrew Azzopardi ...

The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has confirmed that a permit has been issued to Paradise Exiles in Sliema for the placement of tables and chairs on the public bay.Speaking with The Malta Independent, a spokesperson for the MTA confirmed that the per...

Today is the day in which we commemorate an important national holiday: the Sette Giugno uprisings.We look back at two days of unrest and agitation in 1919, in an event which was momentous for the reason that it represented one of the lowest points i...

A 50-year-old man suffered grievous injuries on Monday after he fell off a ladder.The accident took place in Triq Joseph Stivala, in Paola, at around 11am, the police said.The man was given first aid my paramedics and members of the Civil Protection ...

With summer around the corner, Maltese and Gozitans are gearing up to for an enjoyable season while staying safe and respecting health regulations.With an abundance of Covid measures issued by the health authorities – all of which are in flux &...

As from today, 7 June, the Covid-19 government vouchers can be spent by the public at retail and catering establishments as a way of helping the economy. Around 25,000 businesses will be eligible to receive the vouchers.All Maltese residents and fore...

Recovery is a lifelong journey, Luke says. “Drugs are a giant, a monster that we need to cast aside and fight against every single day”.His first drug was cannabis at age 14. “It was exciting at first. Even the thought of doing...

Works on the €11 million Reverse Osmosis Plant in Gozo have entered their last phase, in order to provide the island with its own independent water production system.The plant will provide Gozitan residents with the provision and improved access...

With Malta having already surpassed the 70% summer quota set by the EU, the Maltese government has set a new target and aims to have vaccinated 80% of the eligible population in the coming days.Malta reached the 70% target last week. With the number ...

Three new Covid-19 cases were reported by health authorities on Sunday.Five people meanwhile have recovered, taking the number of active cases down to 74.No new deaths were reported for another day, meaning that the number of deaths currently stands ...

Over 60 people, most of them foreign nationals, have applied for the financial regulator’s top job, The Malta Independent on Sunday has been informed.Last month, the Malta Financial Services Authority issued a call for applications for the post...

Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri has told The Malta Independent on Sunday that he is against any form of development in the Ħondoq ir-Rummien area, noting that he and the Labour Party are committed to protecting both this zone and Qala’s natu...

We are now officially in the final year of the Labour government’s second consecutive term.Four years have passed since the last election was held on 3 June, 2017, and Robert Abela is now considering his options to choose the best possible date...

Floriana: Floriana Dispensary, 29, Vincenzo Dimech Street; Ħamrun: National Pharmacy, 17, Santa Marija Street; Santa Venera: Collis Williams St Venera Pharmacy, 532, St Joseph High Road; Birkirkara: Remedies Pharmacy, Tumas Fenech Street; Gż...

Maltese wonderkid Haley Bugeja is close to signing with Juventus, as some of the world’s biggest women’s footballing clubs race for the 17-year-old’s signature.L Football magazine, an Italian magazine specializing in Italian women&r...

Former footballer and coach Edward Aquilina has died, aged 75.Aquilina had a blistering career with Sliema Wanderers, winning six league championships and three FA tophies before he moved to join Hibernians, with whom he won another title.He was a re...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has said that Malta’s inability to make it to the UK’s green list of safe travel destinations is due to the government’s inaction on making the right decisions earlier in the year. PN Leader Grec...

Malta’s Covid-19 reproduction rate – also known as the r-factor – has remained low at 0.26, statistician Vince Marmara said in his weekly video blog for The Malta Independent on Sunday.The reproduction number of the virus is one of ...

The Maltese Diabetes Association (MDA) has urgently called on the authorities to provide a clarification on the government’s intentions beyond the six-month pilot project to provide diabetic children with free continuous glucose monitors (CGM)....

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the Group of Seven wealthy democracies’ summit next week to urge world leaders to commit to vaccinating the global population by the end of 2022.Johnson is expected to stress the importance of a glo...

The Ministry for Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children’s Rights and the UĦM Voice of the Workers  signed a strategic partnership to jointly work together through ĠEMMA (the government’s financial capab...

Sergio Pérez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a two-lap shootout after championship leader Max Verstappen crashed while leading with a tyre failure and Lewis Hamilton went off course trying to seize the win on the standing restart.Verstappen w...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has questioned whether there is a motive beyond the environmental in the Nationalist Party’s proposal to buy the Hondoq ir-Rummien area from its current owners.In a telephone interview on party media on Sunday, Abela...

The Labour Party has strengthened its lead to almost 48,000 votes, as the Nationalist slump continued into its worst result since last September, a MaltaToday survey showed on Sunday.The survey – which is carried out every month – showed ...

In a small Normandy town where paratroopers landed in the early hours of D-Day, applause broke the silence to honor Charles Shay. He was the only veteran attending a ceremony in Carentan commemorating the 77th anniversary of the assault that helped b...

The survey carried out as part of the State of the Nation conference has painted a very clear picture of Maltese society, although most of the findings came as no surprise. We knew about them all along, but now they have been confirmed in black on wh...

A 60-year-old man was seriously injured after riding on a sofa boat ride on Saturday evening, police said.In a statement, the police said that at around 6:45pm it was informed that a man had been taken to Mater Dei Hospital after he was injured while...

A 16-year-old boy was grievously injured after he was hit by a car in Marsa on Saturday night, police said.In a statement, police said that they were informed of the accident at 8:45pm at Triq Dicembru Tlettax in Marsa.Preliminary investigations show...

A migrant rescue ship operated by a German charity has been detained in Sicily by the Italian Coast Guard, which found the vessel in alleged violation of safety rules and environmental regulations.A Coast Guard statement on Saturday said inspectors i...

Illegal ‘beach parties’ continue to take place in Sliema on an almost daily basis, despite laws banning gatherings of more than four people.New photos uploaded on social media show two large gatherings of people near Exiles and Independen...

Nine new cases of Covid-19 were found overnight and no deaths related to Covid-19 were registered.The number of active cases is now 76 and the total number of cases so far is 30,568.There were no deaths in the last 24 hours related to Covid-19. The d...

A 59-year-old man was grievously injured on Saturday after he fell a height of two and a half storeys.The accident took place at around 11am in Triq il-President Anton Buttigieg, Żejtun, the police said.The man was carrying out some works inside...

Valletta: Chemimart, 20/21, Republic Street; Ħamrun: Brown's Pharmacy, 706, St Joseph High Road; Santa Venera: Collis Williams Sta Venera Pharmacy, 532, St Joseph High Road; Birkirkara: Pharmaplus, Ganu  Street; Msida: Remedies Pharmacy, 5,...

Fortina has agreed to suspend works in Balluta Bay pending discussions with the St Julian’s Local Council, residents and activists.Earlier this week, activists had blocked works on a controversial new pontoon in Balluta Bay to be used by the co...

The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city’s historic...

A 65-year old man today was accused of sexually abusing a 12-year old girl in his garage in Żejtun.The man was charged with performing sexual acts with the girl and with defiling her. His name cannot be published as per court order.The girl spok...

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has given its thumbs up for plans to develop Manoel Island, after assessing the environmental impacts of construction on the island.In a statement released on Saturday, the regulator said that action need...

A new environmental pressure group aims to save Gozo “from being lost forever.”Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex (DLĦGħ), a new Gozo dedicated branch of the Din l-Art Ħelwa National Trust, was ...

Malta's credit rating has been confirmed at A+ by Fitch ratings. The agency said Malta's credit rating is supported by high per capita income levels, by a large net external creditor position and thea pre-pandemic track record of strong growth and si...

The Nationalist Party will be filing a private members bill in Parliament to ensure that the Government does not facilitate unnecessary construction in Malta, PN Spokesperson for the Environment and Climate Change Robert Cutajar announced.Sharing the...

Over 200 trees and shrubs are being planted at Inwadar Park, as the Arts in the Park event kicked off this morning. The event was launched by the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli.Located in the south ...

The European Championship is the first major international soccer tournament to take place since the coronavirus outbreak and arrives at the end of the most condensed club season in history.Many players will be exhausted. Injuries are a big...

Friends of the Earth Malta condemned the unfounded harsh criticism on environmental activists, including of one of its Board members, in the latest tirade by Valletta Cultural Agency's head Jason Micallef and called on the Prime Minister and the Mini...

Charles Leclerc has his own recipe for pole position in Formula One this season. A street circuit, an unexpectedly fast Ferrari and a crash.Leclerc won the pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when a crash stopped qualifying for the second round in a r...

The number of persons on the social housing waiting list has decreased by almost half, Minister for Social Accommodation Roderick Galdes said on Saturday.Addressing a press conference, he said that back in 2017, there were 3,288 people on the waiting...

Whatever or whoever they are, they’re still out there. U.S. intelligence is after them, but its upcoming report won't deliver any full or final truth about UFOs.The tantalizing prospect of top government intel finally weighing in — after ...