The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 34th day, with self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma taking the stand for the second day runningIn Friday's sitting, Theuma told jurors that he began secretly recording the businessman b...

The Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) has said that the developers behind the controversial hotel planned on Comino will have an obligation to plant 540 new indigenous trees on the island.The authority issued a statement after uproar as it ...

Interconnect Malta has received four submissions following the closure of the Preliminary Market Consultation concerning the potential generation of renewable electricity in North Africa and its transmission to Malta through a dedicated cable link.Th...

ADPD has noted with satisfaction that the new Culture Minister is determined to seek a solution to the problems of the fireworks industry and has called for an in-depth consideration on its impacts on agriculture and food safety. Carmel Cacopard...

A pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries after being struck by a car in an accident on Friday evening, police said.The accident happened in Triq Joe Scibberras in Ħamrun, and preliminary investigations showed that a 69-year-old woman who ...

The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) Maritime Squadron accumulated more than 10,000 operational hours at sea during 2025, carrying out hundreds of patrols, inspections and boardings, law enforcement operations, assistance to vessels and interventions rela...

The trial by jury of Yorgen Fenech reached one of its most anticipated moments on Friday as self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma took the witness stand, spending hours recounting how he says Fenech commissioned, financed and remained in contact wit...

The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 33rd day, with self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma taking the stand.Thursday's sitting heard Dr Adrian Vella recount Yorgen Fenech's deteriorating mental state and cocaine addiction in...

Julianne Vella has been appointed as Malta's new United Nations Youth Delegate and will represent young Maltese people at various United Nations forums over the next two years, the government said in a statement.Minister for Foreign and European Affa...

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has approved the preliminary environmental programme for the proposed Six Senses Comino development, with project developer HV Hospitality saying the decision followed a detailed review process and public...

The General Workers' Union (GWU) has announced industrial action at Dar Emmaus in Gozo and registered an industrial dispute with Malta MedAir, accusing both employers of failing to engage with the recognised union.Industrial action at Dar Emmaus is s...

Aġenzija Sapport increased its budget to a record €40.3 million in 2025 as it expanded personalised services for persons with disabilities, introduced new support programmes and prepared for major legislative reforms, according to its annua...

Sliema and St Julian's continued to command the highest apartment prices in Malta during 2025, while Gozo's Xewkija and Sannat remained the country's most affordable localities, according to new estimates published by the National Statistics Office (...

Opposition Leader Alex Borg said Gozo has the potential to become a place where young people can build careers, businesses and families, arguing that the island needs policies tailored to its unique realities to support investment and economic growth...

Final preparations are underway at the Ta' Qali Concert Area ahead of the seventh edition of SummerDaze, with organisers and officials highlighting the festival's growing role in strengthening Malta's reputation as an international destination for mu...

The trial by jury of Yorgen Fenech continued on Thursday with former family doctor Adrian Vella recounting the businessman's cocaine addiction, deteriorating mental state, and the events leading up to his arrest, while telling jurors he heard Fenech ...

A person who suffered a head injury after falling at Blata l-Bajda, in the limits of Selmun, was rescued during a coordinated operation involving the Civil Protection Department (CPD) and the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM).The Civil Protection Departmen...

The Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM) has elected a new council for the 2026–2028 term, with journalist Nicole Meilak chosen as president following the organisation's annual general meeting held on Friday.Meilak succeeds Matthew Xuere...

The debate over overtourism in Malta has taken an odd turn. Not because the issue itself is new, but because the person leading the country's tourism authority says he does not believe Malta has an overtourism problem.The statement by Malta Tourism A...

Behind the Scenes of Online Casinos - The Technologies That Keep Players PlayingGambling has long outgrown the confines of primitive Flash games. Launching a casino or bookmaker is not about who can spend more on advertising these days, but about who...

CrediaBank reported record financial results for the first half of 2026, driven by strong lending growth, higher recurring revenues and improved operational efficiency, while saying it remains well positioned to complete its planned acquisition of a ...

The Labour government is "once again copying and claiming" a proposal that was put forward by the Nationalist Party as its own, despite having initially criticised it, the PN said in a statement on Thursday.The PN was reacting to news that the govern...

A South Korean satellite has captured the first pictures of the moon's fresh crash scene caused by a stray SpaceX rocket.The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft flew over the impact site soon after the Falcon 9 upper stage inadvert...

The compilation of evidence against John Agius began today with prosecutors presenting a detailed reconstruction of the events that unfolded during the armed standoff at St Julian's on 24 July.Through bodycam footage, drone videos, CCTV recordings an...

A student shot several people at a high school outside Bangkok on Friday, killing three teachers and three students and wounding several others, police said.The shooting happened at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province northwest of t...

Typhoon Dolphin moved over Japan's southern remote islands Friday, causing a main airport on Okinawa to close and grounding all flights in and out of the island, while sending hundreds of people to take shelter at evacuation centres.The typhoon was j...

John Agius is expected back in court today as the compilation of evidence against him continues following the dramatic armed standoff that unfolded in Ta' Ġiorni, St Julian's, on 24 July.The 74-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the charges, inc...

The Planning Board has approved the redevelopment of the vacant Buskett Forest Aparthotel at Ta' Sabbat, Dingli, into a Class 2A elderly care home, a Planning Authority statement said.The project involves demolishing the existing aparthotel and repla...

The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 32nd day, with more witnesses expected to continue testifying before Madam Justice Edwina Grima.Wednesday's sitting saw jurors shown more messages extracted from Fenech's mobile phone, wi...

The Ċirkewwa Marine Park Management Plan has officially been launched, introducing a framework aimed at turning Malta's first marine park from a legal designation into an actively managed protected area through zoning, monitoring, coordinated en...

Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment Jonathan Attard visited the Planning Authority’s offices in Marsa, where he met with Executive Chairman Johann Buttigieg, Planning Board Chairman Emanuel Camilleri, the Authority’s dire...

The Nationalist Party has issued a statement expressing "serious concern" after local media reports highlighted the beach pollution issues being faced at the height of the tourist season around the country.The PN said on Thursday that these reports, ...

Four people were arrested in St Julian’s in connection with drug trafficking, police said in a statement on Thursday morning.Police said that initially, two people were arrested after they were found to be in possession of several illegal subst...

Ninety students attending Hand in Hand's specialised educational programmes were recognised for their progress and achievements during the institution's graduation ceremony.The students, aged between three and 18 and enrolled at the organisation's ce...

France next week will ban unsolicited telemarketing calls under a new law aimed at protecting consumers from intrusive sales pitches and shielding vulnerable people from fraudulent commercial practices.The law backed by President Emmanuel Macron's go...

Sasa, an alert and floppy-eared mixed-breed puppy, did not return home when the remaining containment lines were lifted Wednesday in the wake of a wildfire that swept across mountains and coastal areas near Athens.The pup was one of hundreds of pets ...

Malta is perhaps on the more unique side when it comes to how its households dispose of waste.  With no centralised communal bins, or individual disposal bins, waste is dumped on the pavement for collection every day.There are architectural reas...

Yorgen Fenech's close relationship with a network of high-profile people in Malta was laid bare to the jury tasked with hearing his trial on Wednesday, as investigators shared details from the tycoon's online messaging accounts.These chats included a...

The Health Ministry is planning to replicate the model which has seen the creation of the Ċensu Moran Regional Health Centre in the north of Malta, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.  More than 190,000 patients have received hea...

Culture Minister Malcolm Paul Agius Galea told journalists on Wednesday that the government has begun discussions to find a compromise on village feast fireworks, after a legal precedent may have been set in recent days whereby a court injunction pro...

Public health authorities are investigating a cluster of four cases of Hepatitis A associated with a food establishment located in Qormi, the same authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.The Superintendence of Public Health said that investigati...

The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 31st day, with more witnesses expected to continue testifying before Madam Justice Edwina Grima.Tuesday's sitting saw jurors shown a series of messages extracted from Fenech's mobile phon...

Four people were arrested by police in connection with the illegal sale of peptides, steroids, and other illegal substances in an operation which panned out over the last few days.Police said that three men – a 32-year-old from Zejtun, a 36-yea...

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is set to decide whether to grant Hili Group permission to remove some 800 trees from the Comino nature reserve, as well as issue the go-ahead required for the commencement of construction works, the NGO ...

An orange weather warning is set to be issued for Saturday, with Malta set to face another bout of heavy heat in the coming days, the Meteorological Office said in a statement on Wednesday.The Meteorological Office currently has a Yellow Heat Advisor...

The CEO of HSBC Malta, Geoffrey Fichte, has told The Malta Independent that HSBC Malta's takeover by Greek bank CrediaBank is currently awaiting regulatory approval. Once this sale is approved to proceed, the transaction can be expected to close in t...

Malta Employers has reiterated its call for a coordinated, long-term approach to infrastructure planning, stressing that the recent electricity outages should be viewed as part of broader structural challenges facing the country rather than as an iso...

Michelle Muscat and former OPM security guard Kenneth Camilleri have both stated that Keith Schembri's account in his testimony, where he said that Camilleri's holstered gun once fired a sudden, accidental gunshot in Castille whilst he was standing n...

A 37-year-old woman was arrested by police and charged in court with drug trafficking after she was caught while in possession of a litany of drugs.Police said in a statement that a search in the woman’s St Julian’s residence on Tuesday m...

31 local film projects were given an accumulated €2,883,916 in financial support through the government's Screen Support Scheme on Wednesday.The applications granted this funding include six screenwriting projects, 12 projects in development, fo...

New strategy establishes a forward-looking supervisory framework focused on risk, outcomes and collaboration, supporting Malta's alignment with evolving EU anti-money laundering reforms and the establishment of AMLA.The Malta Financial Services Autho...

A hearing in an assault case against Libyan boxer Mohamed Ali Ahmed Elmushraty, better known as Lilu King, was brought to a standstill after prison authorities failed to bring him to court.Elmushraty was due to appear before Magistrate Ann Marie Thak...

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has paid tribute to Rose Vella on the third anniversary of her death, remembering the mother of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia as a symbol of courage, dignity and resilience.In a social media ...

The Cabinet has approved the transfer of land adjacent to the existing Sports Pavilion in Ta' Qali to the Malta Basketball Association, paving the way for the development of new sporting facilities, the government said.The announcement was made by Pr...

U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday, as Iran and Oman inched toward an agreement to reopen the critical waterway and potentially help bring an end to the war.Israel and the U.S. originally ...

Barely a month after introducing on-the-spot fines for non-residents, the government has already doubled the minimum penalty from €25 to €50.The swift revision is welcome, but it also suggests that the scale of the problem may have been und...

The Nationalist Party said it wants to ensure Malta provides the right environment for businesses to continue investing and expanding, as Opposition leader Alex Borg highlighted the need to address labour shortages and unfair competition during a vis...

The head of the World Health Organization has arrived in Congo to support measures being ramped up to slow the world's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak, the agency said Wednesday, as confirmed cases reach nearly 4,000.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhano...

 The man who prosecutors say orchestrated the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur is scheduled to go to trial Monday, almost 30 years after the fatal drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.Duane "Keffe D" Davis, 63, faces a single count of murder with...

Jurors in the trial against businessman Yorgen Fenech on Tuesday were shown Signal messages in which former Deputy Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta described the businessman as his "best friend," as the court also heard from the businessman's form...

The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 30th day, with the prosecution expected to continue calling witnesses before Madam Justice Edwina Grima.Monday’s sitting saw the testimony of Matthew Caruana Galizia, one of Daphne&...

Rohit Uniyal appeared under arrest before the court charged with intentionally damaging an Audi and a Yamaha motorcycle during an incident which allegedly took place in Swieqi, at around 6am on 1 August.He was also charged with being found drunk and ...

A company pays an interim dividend to its shareholders in June. Several months later, it emerges that the company did not have sufficient distributable profits to justify the payment, or that the accounts relied upon by the directors were inaccurate....

A centenary in operation invites reflection. Yet for a family business, the more important question is not simply what has been achieved, but what each generation has chosen to carry forward.Across four generations, United Group has changed considera...

Facilities at 19 beaches across Malta have been upgraded through works aimed at improving safety, accessibility and comfort during the peak summer season, the government said.The interventions carried out by the Tourist Areas Regeneration Agency incl...

The minimum that can be charged in an on-the-spot fine has doubled from €25 to €50, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Tuesday morning.The change was made through a legal notice which was enshrined into law on Tuesday.“This is a...

Minister for Home Affairs and Security Glenn Bedingfield participated in an extraordinary online Home Affairs Council on Tuesday, convened to discuss the recent migratory developments in Ceuta, Spain's autonomous city on the North African coast.Durin...

Tourism is one of the pillars of Malta's economy. It creates jobs, sustains thousands of businesses and contributes significantly to our country's prosperity. We should continue to invest in this sector and warmly welcome the millions of visitors who...

HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c. delivered a reported profit before tax for the six months ended 30 June 2026 amounting to €44.4million (June 2025: €58.7million). Adjusted profit before tax, after considering notable items amounts to €51.7millio...

Maltese author and poet Immanuel Mifsud has been formally presented with the 2026 European Homer Medal for Poetry and the Arts in recognition of his contribution to international literature.The medal was presented by Dariusz Tomasz Lebioda, president...

The Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supply has announced the return of the Malta International Food Festival.This five-day festival will be held between Wednesday 5 August and Sunday 9 August at the Floriana Granaries.The Malta Internati...

New Guidance Note introduces a transparent and proportionate framework for determining administrative penalties applicable to credit institutions.The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has published a new Guidance Note outlining the methodolog...

The teenage girl made it through the waves to Spanish territory. Her little brother did not, drowning in the Mediterranean, while their mother disappeared in the chaos when tens of thousands of people surged through the breakwater, trying to leave Mo...

The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality on Monday sounded a stark warning: the repeated granting of bail to people accused of violence against women risks endangering victims and the wider public.In a statement, the NCPE expressed conce...

Matthew Caruana Galizia pinpointed Electrogas as the top story that his mother was working on before her assassination in a car bombing, as he told a jury on Monday that “Yorgen Fenech seemed to be at the centre of everything” when it cam...

The skies over Birzebbuga's annual parish feast this past weekend were quieter than previous years after a court injunction blocked the locality's feast enthusiasts from launching most of their aerial fireworks.The injunction was issued after the own...

The Nationalist Party has said that there is a need to assess what has been done so far, identify what more must be done and draw up a clear plan with solutions to address the power-cut crisis that is severely affecting families, workers, businesses ...

The repeated granting of bail to people accused of violence against women risks endangering victims and the wider public, the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality has warned.In a statement, the NCPE expressed concern that insufficient we...

The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 29th day, with the prosecution expected to continue calling witnesses before Madam Justice Edwina Grima.Saturday's sitting heard emotional testimony from Caruana Galizia's widower, Peter ...

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Anton Refalo, visited the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department offices at Għammieri, where palm fronds are being distributed to fishermen as part of the preparations for the traditional lampuki f...

The Malta-Sicily Interconnector 2 (IC2) project has reached another major milestone with the arrival, transportation and installation of key electrical equipment, including an auto transformer and shunt reactors, in both Malta and Ragusa, Sicily, the...

The chief executive of the Malta Tourism Authority, Carlo Micallef, told The Malta Independent that he learned about Noma Island through local media. He said the MTA did not push for its entry into Maltese waters.During an interview with this newsroo...

A 32-year-old chef from Egypt, residing in Mosta, was placed under a three-year probation order after pleading guilty to a series of domestic violence-related offences against his former partner.The accused admitted the charges after being arraigned ...

Minister for Home Affairs and Security Glenn Bedingfield held a meeting with the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE), during which a number of issues of importance to the catering sector were discussed, with particular emphasis on the joint ...

A touching moment unfolded during Pitbull's concert in Ta' Qali on Sunday night when the American artist noticed a fan's sign about Maltese cancer patient Cheyenne Muscat and urged the crowd of around 40,000 people to show their support.The moment be...

A new barometer published by the Chamber of SMEs last Thursday found that close to two-thirds (64%) of businesses feel that Malta is moving in the wrong direction.A majority of businesses (56%) remain uncertain whether the next twelve months represen...

Identità handed 112 people over to the police for further investigations and possible legal action during the first six months of 2026, as the agency stepped up enforcement related to residence permits and its internal processes, figures publi...

The chief executive of the Malta Tourism Authority, Carlo Micallef, does not believe that Malta is experiencing overtourism. He argued that even though Malta welcomed 4 million tourists in 2025 and is expected to welcome some 4.5 million this year, t...

Wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area while destroying at least 600 homes, businesses and other structures, authorities said Sunday.The fires in and around Spokane, the state's second largest...

Malta's economy continued to record robust growth during the first quarter of 2026, despite expanding at a slower pace than in the previous three months, the Central Bank of Malta said.In its latest Quarterly Review, the Bank said economic growth rem...

Malta Public Transport highlighted the expansion of Malta's bus network and the use of shared passenger data in response to questions about overcrowding issues that have been raised in recent times.In reply to specific questions sent by this newspape...

The Ġustizzja għal Artna campaign has welcomed the government's proposed reform of the planning appeals system, describing it as a long-awaited step towards planning justice while urging authorities to implement the changes without watering...

Friday morning, on 24 July, had started like any other day at The Malta Independent.With the weekend edition fast approaching, reporters and editors were busy putting the finishing touches to Sunday stories, preparing pages, and updating our daily li...

Nationalist Party MP Marilena Gauci has said that serving in Parliament amounts to "over and above a full-time job" and has called for a restructuring of the institution, including proper research support for backbenchers and a discussion on whether ...

A 41-year-old man from Ivory Coast, who resides in San Ġwann, suffered grievous injuries after being struck by a car in Gżira on Sunday morning, the police said.The accident happened at around 8am in Triq ix-Xatt.Preliminary investigations ...

There is an old saying that if you give a person a fish, you feed them for a day; but if you teach them how to fish, you feed them for a lifetime. It is a simple thought, but a powerful one. For me, it captures the real value of education: giving peo...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that during this legislature, as part of the implementation of his government’s electoral manifesto, the government intends to provide all officers within Malta’s disciplined forces with health insuran...

Prime Minister Robert Abela wants the country to believe that the controversy surrounding the Bill establishing a National Commission for Human Rights and Equality is simply another case of the Nationalist Party opposing progress. His description of ...

President Donald Trump in a Saturday evening social media post claimed that Mideast allies have reached the parameters of a deal to end the Iran war and said that he would hold off on ordering new strikes in the five-month old conflict for now.Trump ...

San Giljan-Neptunes 13-10 San Ġiljan successfully retained the Knock-Out Cup after producing a commanding display to beat Neptunes 13-10 in an entertaining final.It was the 17th time that San Giljan won this competition, the 10th time in th...