Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war.Netanyahu said he ...

A duo was charged with money laundering, human trafficking, forgery, fraud and bribery in connection with a stolen identity card racket on Thursday.Maria Rita Spiteri, 32, who is a former Identità employee, and Bernard Attard, a 33-year-old ca...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has defended the work of Magistrate Nadine Sant Lia, saying that attacks on the judiciary are not acceptable in a democratic society.Abela was referring to a press conference given by NGO Repubblika this morning, during wh...

The Labour Party has actively tried to obstruct justice in relation to a number of government scandals because it is scared of justice and the truth, former Nationalist Party Leader Simon Busuttil said when he spoke during a vigil for Daphne Caruana ...

The Nationalist Party and Labour Party on Thursday traded statements accusing each other after two people were charged in court in related to money laundering, human trafficking, forgery, fraud and bribery offences.In its statement, the PN noted that...

Malta International Airport welcomed 8.96 million passengers in 2024, registering growth of 14.8% over the previous year. At a press conference held on Thursday, Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg noted that this is the third-highest annual gr...

Prime Minister Robert Abela knows very well what an attack on the judiciary entails, the Nationalist Party said following the head of government's Facebook statement.It is an attack on the justice system when someone tries to prevent Magistrates and ...

The NGO Repubblika has deemed a ruling by Magistrate Nadine Lia rejecting its challenge proceedings to force the Police Commissioner to charge individuals related to Pilatus Bank as a “perversion of justice and the contrary to justice and good....

Amad Diallo keeps coming up with big late goals for Manchester United.There were three of them Thursday in a remarkable 12-minute flurry that rescued United from an embarrassing loss to the Premier League's worst team.Diallo, a 22-year-old winger fro...

The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola received the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa at the European Parliament.The meeting took place in the immediate hours after the announcement that a deal was sealed for a ceasefire i...

The Natuionalist Party on Thursday called upon the government to take immediate action to improve road safety.In 2016, the Government launched a National Transport Strategy aiming to halve road fatalities by 2030. This strategy also sought to reduce ...

The Floriana local council said Thursday it is its duty to address the challenge of population decline in the locality and take the lead in offering solutions to achieve meaningful regeneration for the locality.Addressing a press conference, mayor Ni...

Infrastructural works are currently underway in Ħal Għaxaq to strengthen electricity and water services. These works are expected to result in better services for the locality’s residents, whose population exceeds 6,000. During a...

The truck driver involved in a freak incident in which Karmnu Micallef, 71, lost his life was handed a two-year prison term, suspended for four years after being found guilty of having involuntarily caused Micallef's death.The Court, presided over by...

After 87 months from the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, our country remains without truth and justice and with a Prime Minister who has broken his own promise to implement the recommendations of the Public Inquiry, the Nationalis...

 President Joe Biden used his farewell address to the nation Wednesday to deliver stark warnings about an "oligarchy" of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and a "tech-industrial complex" that is infringing on Americans' rights an...

Clayton Bartolo has followed orders.Last Monday, in the first sitting of the New Year after the Christmas recess, he stood up to say sorry to Parliament, and by extension to the people of Malta, for what he did.But it was a less than half-hearted apo...

The Prime Minister's proposal that public officers will be protected from prosecution and that the government will instead take responsibility for the actions its officials take in their line of duty would invert a 170-year old legal culture and effe...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a "last-minute crisis" with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airst...

As the California wildfires continue to blaze out of control due to strong winds, nearby residents are evacuating; however, even those who have evacuated and remained in California continue to shudder at the ongoing developments.This was the insight ...

Inbound tourists for the first eleven months of 2024 amounted to 3,371,249, an increase of 19.5 per cent over the same period in 2023, the NSO said Thursday. Total nights spent by inbound tourists went up by 12.9 per cent, reaching almost 21.7 millio...

The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) have conducted over 20,000 enforcement inspections in 2024, the authorities said.A joint statement issued by the two authorities on Thursday said th...

Israel and Hamas have agreed to pause the devastating war in the Gaza Strip, mediators announced Wednesday, raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies.T...

Iga Swiatek rushed through the first set in 26 minutes and completed her 6-0, 6-2 second-round win over Rebecca Sramkova in an hour at the Australian Open.The five-time Grand Slam champion makes a habit of advancing quickly through the early rou...

Malta will continue to do its utmost to foster dialogue, and to support effective diplomacy towards peace and the resolution of ongoing conflicts, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg said during the annual New ...

A 28-year-old childcare worker was charged on Wednesday with allegedly lodging a false bomb threat by way of a prank call made to a Zebbug childcare centre.She pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against her, including the simulation of an offe...

Former Labour Party President Ramona Attard is going to be co-opted to Parliament, sources informed The Malta Independent.She will replace Randolph Debattista, who resigned as an MP to take up an ambassadorial role.When she had announced her resignat...

Yorgen Fenech and ex-Police superintendent Ray Aquilina were charged with various crimes including money laundering and corruption on Wednesday morning.Ray Aquilina, the former head of the Police's anti-money laundering unit, was charged with corrupt...

A decree regarding whether or not Yorgen Fenech, accused of complicity in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, will be granted bail will be handed in chambers today or in the coming days.The Court heard submissions after Fenech, a former ...

The request for a magisterial inquiry filed by Jason Azzopardi concerning the Gozo Aquatic and Sports Centre is "political persecution", Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri said in a statement posted to social media on Wednesday.It was reported on Wednesda...

Lawyer and former PN MP Jason Azzopardi has filed another request for a magisterial inquiry into Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, the Times of Malta reports.This request is for an inquiry over an Olympic-sized swimming pool and aquatic centre that ran ...

The Nationalist Party on Wednesday insisted that Prime Minister Robert Abela should immediately publish his declaration of assets, along with those of his Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries, for the year 2023.It is scandalous that more than a ye...

The President of the Republic of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono, has told members of the  Diplomatic Corps that if current and future generations are to enjoy the tranquillity and security of enduring peace, "we must be vigilant and curb the risin...

A record number of cruise passengers visited Malta in 2024, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 2019, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism said Wednesday.Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg, Minister fo...

Arsenal closed the gap on Premier League leader Liverpool to four points after a 2-1 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday.Mikel Arteta's team took advantage of Liverpool's draw with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, with Leandro Trossard firing the winner...

Inter Milan failed to take advantage of its title rivals dropping points as it was held to a 2-2 draw by Bologna in Serie A on Wednesday.Inter nevertheless moved to within three points of Serie A leader Napoli with a game in hand.But the Nerazzurri w...

Customs officials have seized 250kg of cocaine after it was discovered in a container at Malta Freeport.Officials used profiling techniques to single out a container inbound from Guayaquil in Ecuador, which was destined for the port of Piraeus i...

The Nationalist Party believes that Malta has the necessary capabilities to be at the forefront of international efforts for peace, it said in a statement."As Maltese, we have always made a valuable contribution in international matters, as we did re...

Two motorcyclists were injured on Wednesday morning in separate traffic accidents, the police said.In the first accident, a 21-year-old man of Fgura, who was riding a Suzuki, was involed in a crash with a Totyota Vitz driven by a 21-year-old woman of...

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard on Tuesday tabled the controversial bill which critics say will grant immunity to politicians and their accomplices involved in cases of corruption in Parliament.The bill was tabled for its First Reading on Tuesday wi...

Malta looks forward to assuming the Presidency of the Council of Europe from May to November, "which will coincide with the 60th anniversary of our accession to the organisation," Prime Minister Robert Abela has said.He spoke while exchanging New Yea...

A man was grievously injured when he was hit by a car in Zurrieq on Tuesday, the police said Wednesday.The man, aged 63, of Zurrieq, was hit by a Citroen Saxo being driven by a 19-year-old man of Luqa.The pedestrian was taken to hospital with grievou...

A man was grievously injured in Wednesday morning after falling off a ldder while working on the roof of a private residence, the police said.The man, aged 40 of Hamrun, was taken to hospital with grievous injuries.The accident took place in San Gejt...

Former MP and lawyer Jason Azzopardi said on Tuesday that three due diligence reports regarding investors in the Vitals hospital deal had been withheld from a Magisterial Inquiry by Malta Enterprise.Criminal proceedings against former Prime Minister ...

Repubblika Honorary President Robert Aquilina said on Tuesday that the NGO's request for the courts to order Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa to charge people involved with Pilatus Bank has been rejected.Repbblika had instituted challenge proceedings ...

An introspective Pope Francis has divulged some of the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the secret 2013 conclave that elected him pope and the resistance he has encountered ever since, in his autobiography being released Tuesday that also doubles down o...

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant made some interesting points in last Monday's column for this media house.He said one should be investigating why there are media reports about how the Gozo Ministry has become too powerful, going on to write that it...

On 12 December 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ("CJEU") delivered an important ruling in Case C‑725/23 in the name of M. sp. z o.o. I. S.K.A. v. R.W. The case arose from a request for a preliminary ruling by the District Court ...

 Naomi Osaka's second-round match at the Australian Open could not possibly have started in a worse way. All of 21 minutes in, she sailed a forehand service return well long and, just like that, trailed 5-0.Osaka strode to th...

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks said Tuesday. Mediators the United States and Qatar said Israel and the Palestinian militant group were ...

Parliament on Tuesday discussed a Bill reforming the Conduct Certificate Act, where government is proposing reducing the amount of time a conviction shows on a person's conduct certificate for a number of crimes.Parliament was told that the reform do...

There were 17,580 total births and 16,514 total deaths in Malta from 2020 to 2023 according to statistics provided by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana.Caruana was responding to questions posed by Nationalist Party MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici, who asked the...

A change has been made to the criteria that govern the appointments, among others, of policy consultants as persons of trust, the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement on Tuesday.The OPM stated that the change has been made in a way that c...

A Labour Government, first led by Joseph Muscat and now by Robert Abela, never intended to improve people's lives through the Electrogas powerstation project, the Nationalist Party said Tuesday. The only plan the Labour Government had - and still has...

Liverpool will be glad to see the back of Nottingham Forest.Two games against the big surprise of the Premier League season have yielded just one point for the leaders after their 1-1 draw at Forest's rocking City Ground on Tuesday.Liverpool has lost...

Juventus is earning a reputation as draw specialists, AC Milan as the comeback kings.Juventus was held 1-1 at Atalanta on Tuesday for its seventh draw in its past eight league matches and its 13th out of 20 Serie A games this season. It remains unbea...

The former Minister for Tourism, Clayton Bartolo, gave his apology to Parliament over the ethics breach involving his wife, Amanda Muscat, on Monday evening.He had been ordered to do so by Parliament's Standards Committee back in November.Bartolo, as...

A 19-year-old was arrested by the police after he was caught driving a vehicle without a valid driver's licence or insurance.In a statement Tuesday, police said that during a routine traffic stop in Marsa at around 3:15pm on Monday, officers saw a ve...

51 people are still employed with Air Malta, while €2.28 million is still being spent annually on it, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said in Parliament.The minister was responding to a Parliamentary Question posed by PN MP Mario de Marco.The air...

Parliament on Tuesday paid tribute to former PN Minister and architect Michael Falzon, who died aged 79 last week.Falzon served as a Minister in various Nationalist Governments, including as Minister for the Development of Infrastructure in the 1987 ...

This Government is failing to provide the most essential and necessary service for the elderly - the Home Help service, the Nationalist Party said Tuesday.It was a Nationalist Government that created this service, recognising from the very beginning ...

The government has a clear plan of how to take the country forward and address new realities with solutions and concrete action, with a clear example being the labour market management and the situation of third-country workers, the Labour Party said...

The Medical Association of Malta has said that Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela has “a poor definition of discussion” in mind, and accused the minister of presenting plans as if they were a “fait accompli.”The association issu...

On 11 January 2025, a gathering of volunteers participated in the annual White Wagtail roost counts at three key locations across Malta.This event has been a tradition in Valletta since 1985. In recent years, volunteers have expanded their efforts to...

Queen Elizabeth II wasn't told details of her long-time art adviser's double life as a Soviet spy because palace officials didn't want to add to her worries, newly declassified documents reveal.The files about royal art historian Anthony Blunt are am...

The European Commission denied on Monday that it had tried to cover up the state of health of its president, Ursula von der Leyen, after the head of the EU's executive branch was hospitalized with severe pneumonia.Von der Leyen, 66, is...

The Board of Inquiry appointed by Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon which looked into the facts and circumstances linked to the death of Nicolette Ghirxi last August has recommended that a risk assessment should be presumed necessary for all hara...

Labour Party MP Randolph Debattista has officially submitted his resignation as a Member of Parliament today, in the opening plenary session of 2025.He has resigned to pursue a new representative role as Malta's ambassador to Geneva.Debattista filed ...

Prime Minister Robert Abela's speech yesterday signifies just one thing, the Nationalist Party said Monday - that he wants immunity for corrupt politicians and their accomplices.To achieve this, Robert Abela intends to change the laws of our country,...

Ideally, when a government takes decisions, they are of benefit to both people and businesses.A government needs to find balance between commercial interests and the interests of the people in order to keep the country moving forward with a stable ec...

João Fonseca definitively introduced himself to the world as the latest teen sensation in men's tennis on Tuesday night, upsetting No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the first round of the Australian Open.It was quite a deb...

At the age of 93, the founder of the Peace Lab, Fr Dionysius Mintoff, saw another of his dreams come to fruition: the regeneration of the Peace Lab Garden, the government said Tuesfday Spanning around 2,000 square meters, this space - which aims to w...

The Nationalist Party said on Monday that it is filing three Bill amendments that, if accepted, would increase penalties and fines for persons who commit violent crimes against public security officials.Through a statement written by its spokesperson...

Achieving a permanent and immediate ceasefire as well as releasing all of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7th, 2023, are among the conditions listed by Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg for Malta to recognise Palestine as a state.Borg w...

The Malta Police Force said in a statement on Monday that 84 drivers were fined for excessive speeding during the first two weeks of the New Year.Police said that this was part of the Force’s commitment to regular traffic control in order to en...

The Gozo Ministry is nothing more than a "glorified local council", former Prime Minister Alfred Sant writes today.It has been less than effective in setting Gozo's strategic objectives which was done from Malta, apart perhaps from the adoption of po...

Prime Minister Robert Abela is promising legal changes which will "destroy what is left of the rule of law", Repubblika said in a statement on Monday.The NGO said that the Prime Minister is looking to change the law so that officials who allow minist...

There were 3,583,847 valid driving citation summons from 2013 to 2023, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said on Monday.Camilleri was replying to a question posed by Nationalist Party MP Ivan Bartolo, who asked the Home Affairs Minister for the n...

The Government has not only lost its social and moral compass, but is also caught in one lie after another, the Nationalist Party alleged.In a statement signed by PN MPs David Agius, Ryan Callus, Mark Anthony Sammut and Eve Borg Bonello, the National...

The Road Safety Bureau, which was initially planned to be operating by the end of 2023, is set to have its first proposals presented in the coming weeks, Transport Minister Chris Bonett said as he was answering questions during a press conference on ...

The educational and cultural production ‘RepubblikGħana' is set to be staged in schools starting on Wednesday, the Ministries for National Heritage and Education said in a statement on Monday.National Heritage Minister Owen Bonnici and Edu...

To say that Robert Abela's five years as Prime Minister have been eventful would be an understatement.From the Covid-19 pandemic to economic success, there have been positives - but many will say that those positives have been outweighed by the scand...

Prime Minister Robert Abela is "basically proposing extending impunity from corrupt politicians to servile civil servants who, in their personal capacity, are cheating the country", independent candidate Arnold Cassola said Monday.As Prime Minister, ...

Parliament will be back in session as from today after an extended Christmas break, signalling the opening of the political season for 2025.Under the watchful eye of Speaker Anglu Farrugia, MPs from both sides will take up their seats on their respec...

Novak Djokovic's first match with former rival Andy Murray as his coach did not start all that well, even against a 19-year-old making his Grand Slam debut.Still, after dropping his opening set at the 2025 Australian Open on ...

The Labour Party this afternoon held a press conference to list what its exponents said were five years of achievements under Prime Minister Robert Abela.Government Whip Naomi Cachia and Transport Minister Chris Bonett said that Abela's half a decade...

The CEO of Project Green Joseph Cuschieri has dismissed calls for his resignation over past controversies related to his previous role as CEO of the Malta Financial Services Authority, saying that such criticism is part of being in the public service...

It has been five years since Robert Abela became the leader of the Labour Party, and therefore prime minister.While his adversary at the time, Chris Fearne, ran a leadership campaign which was, in the eyes of a fair few, more akin to that of a nation...

Prime Minister Robert Abela used his five-year anniversary speech to blast opposition forces who he said “revel in hate”, as he said that new requests for magisterial inquiries against two of his ministers signify that “the red line...

The five years of Robert Abela as Prime Minister have been nothing but a continuation of what we saw before under the leadership of Joseph Muscat - five years of fraud, corruption, and scandals, the Nationalist Party said Sunday. You couldn't expect ...

"(Trump's) election is likely to intensify calls within EU circles for the establishment of a European Armed Forces."-  Policy consultant Brendan Zerafa, 10 November"It is unacceptable that the capital expenditure for Gozo keeps d...

The CEO of Project Green Joseph Cuschieri said that the coming years, starting from 2025, Project Green will be much more active, and it will "show that it is delivering on many aspects."Joseph Cuschieri was appointed CEO of Project Green, the agency...

The government has a “corrupt roadmap” that had the intent of taking over the Labour Party before moving onto the people’s assets, which it has no intent of changing, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said in his first address in 2025...

The Chief Executive of the recently launched Climate Action Authority (CAA) has told The Malta Independent on Sunday that she hopes for the public to view the new authority as a "driving force for sustainable transformation, supported by a clear, and...

The year started with yet another political bang as it was reported that the conclusions of a magisterial inquiry will lead to the arraignment of former Minister Konrad Mizzi and former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, among others.The two, along w...

Tottenham endured the humiliation of being taken to extra time by Tamworth, an opponent nearly 100 places lower in English soccer's pyramid, before winning 3-0 and avoiding one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history on Sunday.Defending champion Manc...

Without injured and unsettled star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli still took control of Serie A on Sunday.Napoli coach Antonio Conte confirmed the previous day that Kvaratskhelia - nicknamed "Kvaradona" by the fans in homage to Diego Maradona - h...

Zheng Qinwen's tennis resume is quite different from what it was when she showed up at the Australian Open a full year ago. No matter everything she accomplished in 2024 - a runner-up finish at Melbourne Park; an Olympic gold medal for...

Private healthcare providers on Sunday expressed concern about directives issued by the Medical Association of Malta.DaVinci Health said Sunday it is deeply concerned by the recent directives issued by the Medical Association of Malta (MAM), instruct...

A woman who was hit by a car in Fgura last Monday died in hospital on Saturday, the police said.The 24-year-old from Nepal was hit by a Toyota Hilux driven by a 20-year-old woman from Birzebbuga.Another woman from Nepal, aged 34, was also grievously ...