The jury trial of brothers Robert and Adrian Agius, known as the 'Ta' Maksar' brothers, along with Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio who are accused of the murders of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and lawyer Carmel Chircop will conti...

Hours after Pope Francis' death was announced, Israel's Foreign Ministry posted a short message on X: "Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing." Several hours later, it was deleted without explanation.Coming at a time of&n...

Few moments in Pope Francis' papacy better exemplify his understanding of climate change and the need to address it than the rain-soaked Mass he celebrated in Tacloban, Philippines, in 2015.Wearing one of the cheap plastic yellow ponchos th...

President Myriam Spiteri Debono left Malta this morning for Rome, where she will be attending the funeral of Pope Francis tomorrow.She will return on Sunday.In her absence, Speaker Anglu Farrugia will serve as Acting President.Francis Zammit Dimech, ...

The tuna fishing season has begun, with the first tuna catch having been brought into St Paul's Bay on Wednesday, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Animal Rights stated.The secretariat said that the first tuna catch of the...

Archbishop Charles Scicluna leaves Malta today to attend the funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis, which will be held tomorrow, at 10am in St Peter's Square at the Vatican, the archdiocese said Friday.Archbishop Scicluna will represent the Malte...

It was good to hear that the government's major urban greening proposals are still on the cards, although some plans have changed.During an interview published in The Malta Independent on Sunday, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli was asked about proj...

The jury trial of four men accused of the murders of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and lawyer Carmel Chircop began on Thursday, as prosecutors made their opening arguments.The accused — brothers Robert and Adrian Agius, known ...

Pope Francis' doctor found the pontiff with his eyes open and breathing normally, but unresponsive when he was called to the Vatican early Monday morning, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported Thursday.Dr. Sergio Alfieri coordinated...

The proposed development of a 140-bed hotel and 16 bungalows was approved by the Planning Authority on Thursday, with the vote passing 8-1, despite the Ghajnsielem Local Council declaring that they are against the project due to concerns raised by th...

The funeral of Francis Zammit Dimech, Acting President, and former Nationalist Minister and MP, was held on Thursday afternoon at the Balluta Parish Church in St Julian's.Zammit Dimech, who was born in St Julian's on 23 October, 1954, passed away on ...

St James Hospital Group on Thursday said that it had been the target of a “sophisticated cyber-attack” which was immediately contained.In a statement, the company which runs St James Hospital said that the incident occurred on 18 April an...

There were no injuries reported after an explosion rocked an apartment in Gzira.The explosion happened at around 6pm in Triq Edgar Bernard in Gzira.A police spokesperson told The Malta Independent that nobody was injured.Commenters of social med...

The Commissioner for Animal Welfare, Alison Bezzina, said the certification of the abattoir for halal is not the real problem - the issue is the exaggerated consumption of meat.In her statement, Commissioner Bezzina said that from an animal welfare s...

So many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter's Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just a...

The National Palliative Care Strategy 2025-2035 has been launched, the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing stated on Thursday.Health Minister Abela said that the main objective of the strategy is to continue strengthening access to palliative care ...

During the opening session of the EU Startups Summit that is being hosted for the second year running in Malta, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced the imminent launch of the Malta Startup framework regulations. These regulations will lead to the s...

A magistrate has ruled that Jason Azzopardi's claim of a cross-border conspiracy to introduce abortion in Malta was not defamatory to American national Andrea Prudente.The case goes back to 2022 when Prudente and her partner, Jay Weeldreyer, were hol...

Developer Michael Stivala has lost the libel case he had instituted three years ago against Momentum Chairperson, Arnold Cassola, the party said Thursday.Stivala had felt that his honourabilty had been attacked when Cassola had written that that the ...

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg and UAE Minister of State Ahmed Bin Ali Al Sayegh co-chaired the inaugural session of the Malta–United Arab Emirates Joint Commission in Abu Dhabi, on Thursday. Th...

In 2024, foreign students attending English language courses at 33 local licensed English Language Teaching (ELT) schools amounted to 80,946, marking an increase of 2,379 over 2023, the NSO said ThursdayThe majority of students attending English lang...

MaltaPost on Saturday will be issuing a stamp in memory of Pope Francis.Pope Francis 1936-2025 Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected pope on 13 March 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.He ch...

Family remains the cornerstone of a healthy and functioning society. It is the preferred environment for a child's development - emotionally, socially, and psychologically. Yet, for a growing number of children in Malta, this fundamental unit is eith...

Residents from Maghtab, St Paul's Bay, Naxxar and other localities strongly opposed plans to construct a thermal treatment facility in Maghtab, during a public consultation meeting held on Wednesday afternoon.The meeting was hosted by the Environment...

Former Labour Party general secretary Jimmy Magro has been sentenced to four years, eight months in prison after being found guilty of corruption-related charges.Magro was found guilty of trading in influence and corruption. His lawyers said they int...

The Office of the President of Malta has informed the public that President Myriam Spiteri Debono will attend the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis, which will take place next Saturday."At the invitation of the Vatican State for a five-person Malt...

Mohammed Anas Boualam on Wednesday admitted to killing Joseph Carabott during a 2023 heist at the victim's jewellery shop in Żurrieq.Court proceedings on the 2023 heist continued on Wednesday, with prosecutors announcing they would be amending c...

Thousands of people filed through the central aisle of St. Peter's Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday, the start of three days of public viewing ahead of the pontiff's funeral.Throngs of ordinary faithful ...

The Ministry for Lands and the Implementation of the Electoral Program said that "it is not true" that it has changed its position from what it promised the residents of Żurrieq in May of last year, regarding public land in Żurrieq known as...

The claim that young couples are buying two properties instead of one is proof of how completely disconnected this Government is from the people's reality, the Nationalist Party said.The PN was reacting to an article published in The Malta Independen...

AC Milan hasn't achieved much this season - except when playing city rival Inter Milan.Milan ruined Inter's bid for a treble and advanced to the Italian Cup final with a 3-0 derby win Wednesday courtesy of two goals from Luka Jovic.It was M...

One more point.That's all Liverpool needs to secure a record-tying 20th English top-flight title after second-place Arsenal drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday.Arne Slot's runaway leaders can take care of business on Sunda...

Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church's teaching in areas such as the death penalty and nuclear weapons, upheld it in others such as abortion, and made inroads with Muslims and believers who long felt marginalized.Where Francis, who died on Monday...

A man was grievously injured in a crash in Mellieha.The Police were informed of a traffic accident on Selmun Hill, at 3.15pm on Wednesday.Police officers went to the scene, and from preliminary investigations, it resulted that a collision had occurre...

The government led by Robert Abela continues to make decisions that clearly show it does not distinguish between the executive role of the Government and the political role of the Partit Laburista, the Nationalist Party said Wednesday. The PN sa...

The Nationalist Party has taken aim at the appointment of former Minister Justyne Caruana as a legal advisor to the Customs Department.It was reacting to a story posted by The Shift News, which reported that the Commissioner for Inland Revenue, Josep...

Residenti taż-Żurrieq, together with another seven resident groups and Il-Kollettiv, have condemned the Government's stance on the Tal-Bebbux saga, where public land used for agricultural purposes is being used as an accessory to private co...

German fintech powerhouse RS2 has positioned itself as a serious contender to buy HSBC Malta, pledging to revive the Mid-Med Bank brand.Times of Malta reports RS2 confirmed that it had been invited to submit a bid for HSBC Malta.The company has ambit...

Robert Abela is responsible for half of this total debt, the Nationalist Party said Wednesday. Our country had just over €5 billion in debt when Abela took over from Joseph Muscat. This means that under Robert Abela, the debt has more than doubl...

The Labour Party launched the programme of activities related to the Workers Day feast at a news conference held in Valletta, during which it was announced that the theme chosen for this year is 'Through Work: Wealth for the Maltese' (Bix-Xogħol...

 Pope Francis was thankful that he was able to greet throngs of people in St. Peter's Square on Easter, a day before he died, though he initially had some doubts given his poor health, Vatican News reported Tuesday.The Argentine pontiff, wh...

Malta is on track to exit the European Union's excessive deficit procedure earlier than expected, with the country's deficit expected to stand at the 3% limit by the end of 2026, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said.He also announced that government h...

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana cautioned on Tuesday that HSBC's takeover process cannot drag on indefinitely, warning that prolonged uncertainty could negatively affect shareholders, employees, and the broader economy.Caruana acknowledged that a tran...

Cardinal Kevin Farrell remembers the day Pope Francis asked him to be the camerlengo, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See after the death of one pope and before the election of another. They were flying back to Rome from the 2019 World Youth D...

Youth participation in society and politics is a cornerstone for the development of vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic communities. The importance of this participation cannot be overstated, especially in the context of events like the National Youth Or...

Introduction In 'Ruth Magro v. Ir-Registratur tal-Kumpanniji' decided by the Court of Appeal on the 25th of February 2025, the Court of Appeal held that the guarantee of peaceful possession granted by the seller to the buyer in the context of a real ...

The Vatican has released first images of Pope Francis, showing him in his casket with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him. Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Here are the key things to know about the death of t...

The motorcycle used in the fatal Rabat crash on 27 August last year, which claimed the life of 33-year-old Cristi Robles, was travelling at 100km/h, a court heard on Tuesday.The fatal crash took place on 27 August 2024 at Triq it-Tabija, Rabat when t...

A man was found dead off Comino on Tuesday afternoon, the police said.The police were informed at 12.45pm that a body was floating face down in the water near the small island.The police sought assistance from the Armed Forces of Malta to lift the bo...

Prime Minister Robert Abela led a Labour Party delegation to the Nationalist Party headquarters where he signed a book of condolences following the death of former PN minister and MP Francis Zammit Dimech.Zammit Dimech died on Monday, aged 70, after ...

Russian drones battered the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and glide bombs hit Zaporizhzhia, local authorities said Tuesday, as the Kremlin again warned that negotiators are unlikely to obtain a swift breakthrough in peace talks on the war.Ukrainian, B...

Pep Guardiola celebrated wildly as Manchester City took a big step toward Champions League qualification with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Tuesday.With clenched fists, the City manager roared with delight after Ma...

He was a pope who understood the power of a simple touch: caressing the deformed head of a man in St. Peter's Square, washing the feet of a Muslim prisoner, sinking to his hands and knees to implore South Sudan's rival leaders to make peace.Pope Fran...

An Italian woman was grievously injured in a traffic accident at around 1pm, the police said.She was injured in an accident on Triq ix-Xatt ta' Bormla, Bormla.Preliminary investigations found that she was hit by a Nissan March, which was being driven...

A new bypass which is set to cost around €8 million will be built to connect Zabbar with Smart City in Kalkara, with works slated to start in a month’s time.In a briefing on Tuesday morning, Transport Malta architect Antoinette Conti told ...

- Pope Francis, who died on Monday, had an informal, lighthearted speaking style, and sometimes he even created words in a combination of his native Spanish with the Italian that he spoke as pope.Some of his memorable quotes:A simple, initial greetin...

In the last 18 months of his life, Pope Francis had a frequent evening ritual: He would call the lone Catholic church in the Gaza Strip to see how people huddled inside were coping with a devastating war.That small act of compassion made a big impres...

A man who was allegedly stabbed in his back during an argument in a road in Gżira following a dispute over an unreturned car battery, told the court he did not see the accused attack him.The compilation of evidence against 32-year-old Aaron Samm...

The Acting President of Malta, former Minister, former Member of the European Parliament, and former PN Secretary General Francis Zammit Dimech will be given a final farewell in a celebration of his life this coming Thursday, 24 April, at 2pm at the ...

A change in popes - through death or resignation - is a complicated process, with centuries-old rituals involving the transition in leadership for both the spiritual head of the global Catholic Church and the Vatican's head of state.These are the nee...

Easter Monday brought with it the sorrowful news that Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88."At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of hi...

Officers from the disciplined forces have started to receive payments from the government as recognition for serving for more than 29 years, the government said.€1.22 million has been paid out through the first payment, covering 1 October 2023 t...

Cardinals have taken their first decisions following the death of Pope Francis, setting Saturday as the date for his funeral and allowing ordinary faithful to begin paying their final respects starting Wednesday, when his casket is brought into St. P...

A son of Italian immigrants, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 December, 1936, it was only natural for Pope Francis to focus a lot on the plight of migrants, refugees and all uprooted people in his vision of a Church of mercy.His pontifical conc...

An initiative launched by a 12‑year‑old boy will see a parcel of land within a development zone in Swieqi transformed into an open space for the enjoyment of other children and the wider Swieqi community. The plot - about 450 square ...

Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, has died Monday. He was 88."At 7:35 this ...

Former Nationalist Party MP Francis Zammit Dimech, who in this legislature was also named Acting President, has died after a long battle with cancer.He was aged 70.His death was announced by Nationalist Party Leader Bernard Grech.Zammit Dimech was bo...

The Vatican said Monday the cause of Francis' death was a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.It also said the pope had decreed that he will be buried in St. Mary Major Basilica in a simple underground tomb.The basilica is home t...

Malta has declared tomorrow, Tuesday 22 April, as a national day of mourning as a show of respect to Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday morning.In a statement, the government also said that the day of Pope Francis’ funeral – whi...

Tributes have been flooding Maltese social media after the death of former PN MP Francis Zammit Dimech.His death was announced Monday afternoon by Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech, following his long battle with cancer.Colleagues and political ...

Church bells tolled in mourning. Well-wishers flocked into pews. Tributes to Pope Francis poured in from around the world on Monday after the Vatican announced the pontiff's death at age 88.The 266th pope was praised for his groun...

The death of a pope sets in motion a series of carefully orchestrated rites and rituals well before the conclave to elect his successor begins. They involve the certification of death and public display of his body for the faithful to pay their respe...

Pope Francis was the third pope to visit Malta, coming over for a two-day visit in April 2022,His papal visit marked the first visit to the country in 12 years, since Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2010. Francis was on his 36th official trip as head of...

The President, the government, the Speaker and the Nationalist Party have paid tribute to the memory of Pope Francis, who died today. "Pope Francis will be remembered for his humility, the particular attention he gave during his term to the poor...

A Requiem Mass for his Holiness Pope Francis, who passed away early this morning at the age of 88, will be held on Tuesday, 22 April, at 6:30pm at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, the Archdiocese announced Monday. The mass will be led by Archbisho...

Key events in the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis and died on Monday:Dec. 17, 1936: Jorge Mario Bergoglio is born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the eldest of five children to Mario Jose Bergoglio, an accountant from Italy, a...

The death of a pope starts a centuries-old ritual involving sacred oaths by the cardinals electing a successor, the piercing of ballots with a needle and thread after they're counted, and then burning them to produce either the wh...

Former Labour Party backbencher Silvio Grixti has publicly denounced the Chief Executive of the Housing Authority, Matthew Zerafa, for the comments he made in an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday yesterday.Grixti, who is a medical doctor...

To reduce the backlog of cases and provide a fair and expeditious hearing for all Based on recently collected data, the Planning Authority announced Monday that it is increasing the Planning Commissions to four, with responsibilities being apportione...

It’s not the first time this newspaper has written about the need for proper enforcement and deterrents against planning irregularities, and unfortunately it probably won’t be the last either.We have consistently insisted that enforcement...

The government has received 16 offers for the development of Malta's first large-scale utility battery energy storage systems, Minister for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness Miriam Dalli told The Malta Independent.Interconnect Malta...

The effective population of Malta peaked at 628,058 in 2023, with that number being registered during August, "the peak tourism month", the National Statistics Office stated.A country's effective population includes both the resident population as we...

Around 520 children in Malta are growing up outside their biological families, in alternative care.For the Director of Alternative Care at the Foundation for Social Welfare Services Remenda Grech, each one is a name, a face, a story, worthy of outrea...

Momentum Chairperson Arnold Cassola penned a letter to Standards Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi requesting an investigation on alleged breach of ethics by Transport Minister Chris Bonett over a promotional video which he said publicised the recently a...

The types of properties being constructed in Malta should be diversified to meet evolving contemporary needs, including the fact that there is a growing trend that couples in a romantic relationship are buying two properties, rather than one, Housing...

The Maltese government's recently enacted reform on magisterial inquiries has drawn sharp condemnation from legal experts, civil society, and the Nationalist Party, who describe it as a serious erosion of democratic principles and a blatant attempt t...

Pope Francis emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St. Peter's Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause as he continues his recovery fr...

The amount of mixed waste collected reduced by over 30% between 2018 and 2024, Minister for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness Miriam Dalli told The Malta Independent on Sunday.Specifically, 35% less mixed waste was collected, this newsro...

The University of Malta’s Academic Staff Association (UMASA) said that it was “alarmed” at a decision to remove part-time lecturers thereby reducing the number of elective study units on offer for students.In a statement, the UMASA ...

Easter Sunday stands as the pinnacle of the Christian liturgical calendar, especially for Catholics, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is considered the foundation of the Christian faith, for as the Apostle Paul states, "If C...

Archbishop Charles Scicluna led the Solemn Vigil of the Resurrection of the Lord on Saturday evening at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, during which 19 adults were baptised into the Catholic Church.The ceremony formed part of the Easter Saturday ...

"You put the small thief in prison, but the big thief lives in a palace," Graham Greene, a British writer and journalist, once wrote.Greene's words may have been penned decades ago, but their sting has not dulled with time. If anything, they feel mor...

Oscar Piastri has shown he has the pace to fight for the Formula 1 title. In winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, he showed he can win an argument, too.For the first time this season, a penalty played a key role in deciding a rac...

 The Premier League title is so close Liverpool can almost touch it.Trent Alexander-Arnold's second-half strike in Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Leicester on Sunday pushed the Merseyside club to within one more win of a record-equaling 20th ...

 Inter Milan has a history of recent struggles at Bologna and Sunday proved no different.Riccardo Orsolini's stoppage-time bicycle kick lifted Bologna to a 1-0 victory over the Serie A leader and left the Nerazzurri level with sec...

Journalist Ksenia Lutskina served only half of her eight-year prison sentence in Belarus after being convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the government. She was pardoned after she kept fainting in her cell from a brain tumor diagnosed during pr...

The hunting season for Turtle-doves has not yet opened, but the national quota of 1,500 Turtle-doves has already been illegally reached, BirdLife said Saturday,This is based on footage and observations made by BirdLife Malta's Spring Watch teams, who...

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine starting Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons, as Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds of captured soldiers in the largest exchange since Moscow's full-...

For more than 400 years, Catholic and Orthodox churches have used different ways to determine the date of Easter. But this Sunday will mark a special moment for Christians, as the churches celebrate of Jesus' resurrection on the same day.What's more,...