It will be a different Carnival this year in Gozo, as the accommodation sector is facing a dry spell and is expected to get worse as the famous events in Nadur have been cancelled by the local council in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.The month of Feb...

Rapid Antigen Test to detect whether one has Covid-19 or not costs significantly higher in Gozo compared to Malta, with the price tag of €65 per test, The Malta Independent is informed. Instead of the normal PCR Covid-19 swab tests, one may opt ...

Transport Minister Ian Borg has denied that he swore on live television, instead alleging that Nationalist Party media had edited a clip to make it seem like he did.A video shared widely on social media on Tuesday night shows the minister as a guest ...

The Cabinet on Monday rejected a request for pardon submitted by one of the three alleged hitmen in the Daphne Caruana Galizia caseThe request by Vince Muscat, known as il-Kohhu, was discussed by the Cabinet on Monday, sources told Times of Malta.Mus...

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant has again hit out against plans by Infrastructure Malta to build a flyover at Mriehel, using agricultural land.Last month, “my friend Minister Ian Borg” told us to judge on the idea when the plans are mad...

Having peaked at 25.8 degrees celsius, the maximum air temperature for Saturday 9 January went down on the Meteorological Office’s records as the highest temperature reached in the first month of the year since 1923.In a statement, the Malta In...

A Kansas woman was executed Tuesday for strangling an expectant mother in Missouri and cutting the baby from her womb, the first time in nearly seven decades that the U.S. government has put to death a female inmate.Lisa Montgomery, 52, was pronounce...

240 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Tuesday as the number of active cases of the virus exceeded 2,500.80 people meanwhile have recovered, while one Covid-19 patient has died.  The Health Ministry said an 85-year-old man who tested po...

The traditional Nadur carnival will not take place this year, the locality’s council said on Tuesday.In a statement, the local council said that it will not be holding any events and that it will not issue any permits for any activities.They sa...

Prime Minister Robert Abela is endangering public health through his hard-headedness, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said. He was referring to the redeployment of Covid-19 team member Kenneth Grech, reportedly after he advised against the reopening ...

The Medical Association of Malta on Tuesday registered an industrial dispute with the government saying the transfer of a public health consultant for expressing his professional judgement “is unacceptable”.The decision was taken by the u...

Former PL MP Gavin Gulia will make his return to Parliament after winning the casual election to replace former Finance Minister Edward Scicluna.Three candidates who contested the seat were former Rabat mayor Charles Azzopardi, MTA chairman and forme...

The PN agrees with the proposed law to introduce more equality in the House, but amendments need to be made in order to improve it and give it greater equality, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said in Parliament.The Opposition leader echoed PN MP Her...

Pope Francis has accepted a request by the Franciscan Order to have Fr Donald Bellizzi defrocked.Bellizzi is currently serving a three-year prison sentence after having been found guilty of sexually abusing a young man. The case took place between 20...

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne said that the proposed Bill for parliamentary equality by itself is not enough but is a big step forward towards more equality between genders.“Today, we are making a big change in the hist...

It’s been a long, expensive and often turbulent journey, but Manchester United is back in a place it used to know so well.Top of the Premier League.A 1-0 win at Burnley on Tuesday, secured by a deflected volley from Paul Pogba, lifted United ab...

AC Milan beat Torino on penalties on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup, where it could face Serie A title rival Inter Milan.After the match finished 0-0, Milan scored all its penalties and won the shootout 5-4, with Hakan Ç...

Some 500 people have objected to plans for a drive-in cinema on ODZ land in Marsascala, NGO Moviment Graffitti said in a statement. Last October, plans for a drive-in cinema on agricultural land in Marsascala were submitted to the Planning Autho...

The start of the Formula One season was delayed by one week on Tuesday after the Australian Grand Prix was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.With the race in Melbourne moved from March to November, the season will now start in Bahrain on Mar...

The restoration of ‘normality’ largely depends on the spread of the virus, the UHM – Voice of the Workers told The Malta Independent.The union was responding to a question posed by this newsroom about the temporary agreements made b...

PN MP Hermann Schiavone said that the gender equality mechanism for parliament should also include those who are from third parties and get elected into Parliament.  “It is not right that we are introducing laws that only include the two m...

In 2019 and 2020, over 600 planning applications that proposed partial or full developments in Outside Development Zones (ODZ) areas were approved by the Planning Authority (PA), despite the case officer recommending for their refusal.This informatio...

The Public Service Commission will soon be given wider powers, included for cases where public sector officials refuse to take a drug test, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said.Camilleri was replying to a series of Parliamentary Questions by PN...

The year 2021 will see Malta Freeport Terminals increase the potential for more work and the creation of more job opportunities, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said on Tuesday.Speaking during a visit to the Freeport, Schembri said this is thanks to...

The European Medicines Agency said AstraZeneca and Oxford University have submitted an application for their Covid-19 vaccine to be licensed across the European Union. In a statement Tuesday, the EU regulator said it has received a request for t...

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise, and Industry commended the government on its decision to postpone the second round of stimulus vouchers in the interest of public health. Yesterday, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri hinted that the issu...

There are many questions surrounding the next general election. While 2022 will mark five years since the 2017 election, it is not unheard of that a government would call one early.Prime Minister Robert Abela, on Sunday, said that before the 2017 ele...

Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg visited the Għeriexem project, which has reached its final stages, where storm water culverts are being built in order to address the problem of water flooding in this area.In ...

An application that will see the construction of 71 apartments in Nadur would create a precedent to destroy existing fields, will be an eyesore and will result in other problems, Nadur residents who contacted The Malta Independent said.A recently fil...

Well-known Gozitan tourism entrepreneur Lino Cefai has passed away, aged 62.Cefai was the founder of the popular Ta’ Frenc restaurant and director of Gozo Village Holidays. He is considered to be one of the first people who started renovating o...

133 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Monday.95 people meanwhile recovered from the virus, and – in what is a rare occasion – no new deaths related to the virus were registered.This means that Malta now has 2,36...

The gender corrective mechanism can only work if more women take the initiative to run for elections, Prime Minister Robert Abela said in Parliament, which has started debating the bill proposing gender balance.The bill aims to increase the number of...

Parliament’s ethics committee has no remit to continue investigating Joseph Muscat over a consultancy role he had given to Konrad Mizzi because he is no longer an MP, Speaker Anglu Farrugia ruled on Monday.Standards czar George Hyzler had found...

Health consultant Kenneth Grech has been removed from the Covid-19 public health response team, prompting anger from doctors and members of public health, The Malta Independent can confirm.The Health Ministry have denied that Grech was dismissed outr...

A plane flying to Catania on Monday turned back to Malta after a passenger refused to wear a face-mask, resulting in her arrest.A court heard this afternoon how Freya Angeolova Moutafova, a 24-year-old Italian national resident in Bulgaria, boarded t...

After a long period of silence, former Parliamentary Secretary for Elderly Silvio Parnis addressed the criticism he received from the Opposition on his handling of elderly homes during the pandemic, saying he has always had people’s support and...

Prime Minister Robert Abela does not care about what experts say and prefers to simply take decisions by himself, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Monday.In a short video statement, Grech said that the removal of the head of the Covid-19 response team...

The second round of Covid-19 vouchers will be issued after consultation with the stakeholders, the Economy Ministry said on Monday.It was reported last week that the vouchers would be issued by mid-January, but the ministry's statement signalled that...

Air Malta has launched its second ‘lifeline schedule’, following the worsening of the Covid-19 pandemic all over Europe.The schedule, intended to ensure essential passenger and cargo connectivity to and from the Maltese Islands to key air...

Bitcoin traders have been warned against investing in the virtual currency after a huge drop in value over the weekend. The value of Bitcoin had reached a record high over the weekend, but prices dropped by around 12% on Monday. The UK’s Financ...

While many protocols and guidelines to physically protect the elderly from the Covid-19 pandemic are in place, further measures need to be developed to better care for the mental health and wellbeing of those staying in residential care homes, the Of...

In a Facebook post on Monday morning, in the week marking a year from his swearing in as Prime Minister, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that he was honest throughout the year, like his own government was.   Prime Minister Robert Abela was...

Infrastructure Malta issued almost €27 million worth of direct orders over the past two years.The information was tabled by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg in reply to a Parliamentary Question by PN MP David Thake.The latter asked...

Hands up, who has a few items at home never used, never worn and are lurking at the back of a cupboard? Whilst most of us are guilty of an impulsive purchase, a change in taste or stashing away an unwanted gift, have you ever wondered what you could ...

Last night Air Malta flight KM423 from Brussels to Malta transported the first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to the Islands. More consignments are expected in the coming weeks, Air Malta said in a statement.This vaccine is the second vacci...

A man was stabbed and another was arrested after a fight in Gzira, the police said.The incident took place at The Strand at around 11.30pm.The two men involved are an 18-year-old from Senglea and a 26-year-old man from Msida.The teenager was stabbed ...

Parliament is set to resume this week after the festive season break. Two of the first items to be discussed this week will be a report regarding certain changes to some electoral districts presented by the electoral commission, as well as the bill p...

A man who attempted to leave a residence via a roof fell onto the road and was seriously injured, the police said.The accident took place in Buttar Street, Santa Venera, at 11.30pm on Sunday.The man, a Filipino aged 37, and resident in Qrendi, found ...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Donald Trump as she pushes the vice president and the Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority force him out, warning that Trump is a threat to democracy a...

The Covid-19 pandemic was one of those events nobody could have seen coming. As such, the impact on world economies was massive.In Malta, the impact on the tourism industry had a ripple effect on many other sectors. Coupled with restrictions, busines...

In 2019, Malta was at the bottom of the table in terms of the share of electricity coming from renewable energy, mustering only a measly 8% when compared to the average 34% of the EU, a Eurostat statistic shows. Compared to the previous year, this is...

Labour MEP Alfred Sant has asked the European Commission to provide concrete steps including a timeline regarding the setting up of a fund specialising in Initial Public Offerings for small and medium sized enterprises, a process of offering shares o...

A former high-ranking minister in the government of Saudi Arabia who is currently exiled in Canada and who claimed to be the victim of a state-sponsored assassination attempt is one of the names which has appeared on the most-recent list of people gr...

184 new cases of Covid-19 were registered on Sunday, the health authorities said in their daily update. This brings the number of active cases up to 2,322.On Sunday, 82 people recovered from the virus. In total, since the start of the pandemic, there...

It will likely take around two to three years for the country to reach the economic levels seen in 2019, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry David Xuereb told The Malta Independent.Xuereb, along with the CEO of the Chamber o...

In their memoirs, all Prime Ministers in office during 2020 will probably write that the year which has just ended was the most difficult for them.The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it a variety of unprecedented problems which forced tough decisions,...

The mild weather experienced over the weekend is to be followed by days of wind and rain, with a sharp temperature drop, according to the Met Office.People marvelled at the beauty of the red skies on Saturday and held barbecues in mild January weathe...

Two men are in hospital after a fight in Sliema, the police said.The incident took place in Old College Street at 11.30am.The fight involved a 46-year-old man of Hamrun and a 23-year-old man of Iklin.The police said the fight started in the street an...

While the government has announced that it was decided that the wage supplement will run until March, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that if needs be, the scheme will be extended in order to ensure that no businesses fall behind.He was speaking dur...

Hamrun Spartans powered their way to the top of the standings beating Mosta 3-1 to open up a two-point lead over second placed Hibernians.The Spartans however only came to life when they were reduced to ten men, eight minutes from the break.Until the...

Gianluca Mancini’s late goal saw Roma snatch a 2-2 draw at home to title rival Inter Milan on Sunday and dent its opponent’s Serie A aspirations.Mancini headed in the equalizer four minutes from time after goals from Milan Škriniar...

The biggest mismatch in the FA Cup’s 150-year history delivered a predictably one-sided result as Tottenham showed no mercy to an eighth-tier opponent whose lineup featured a garbage collector and a factory worker.It was left, then, to Crawley ...

If Charles Azzopardi is elected to Parliament in the upcoming casual election, he should join the Labour Party's Parliamentary Group, Bernard Grech said on Sunday, adding that if Azzopardi is not comfortable doing so, then he can always sit on the op...

The first consignment of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Malta on Sunday night, Health Minister Chris Fearne said.Moderna was the second vaccine approved by the EU to be distributed among EU countries. The EU has ordered 80 mill...

A 91-year-old man has become the latest Covid-19 victim.He tested positive for the virus on 28 December and died on Saturday at Mater Dei Hospital.The Health Ministry expressed its condolences to the family and urged everyone to follow the Covid-19 p...

Four drivers were caught behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol, the police said.Inspections were carried out in Zejtun on Saturday night by the district police, and members of the Armed Forces of Malta and the Rapid Intervention Unit.Other ...

Unions representing workers and employers contacted by this newsroom attribute the confusion that ensued about the number of vacation leave days for 2021 to conflicting information given by the government in the aftermath of the budget presented in O...

Two people were injured in a crash while riding a motorbike in Paola at 11.50am.A 65-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman from Birzebbugia were taken to Mater Dei Hospital after the accident on Vjal Santa Lucija.The driver of the motorbike crashed in...

The Malta Health Students' Association (MHSA) has urged the health authorities to offer the Covid-19 vaccine to all Faculty of Health Sciences students so that they can receive it at the same time as health care professionals.The MHSA issued a statem...

New research carried out by Vincent Marmara shows that the opening of schools results in a reduction in the number of cases of Covid-19, with the statistician saying that teachers and school employees are essential when it comes to controlling the vi...

Fuel stations policyKey changes to the Fuel Station Policy were announced in what was deemed as a very positive albeit long overdue move. The new policy was welcomed by various stakeholders and environmentalists mainly due to the strict restrictions ...

Two men were injured in a fight on Saturday night in St Paul's Bay, the police said.The incident took place at 9pm near Misraħ il-Bajja and involved a group of people.The group attacked a 28-year-old man and a 34-year-old man who live in the loc...

The government representatives on the parliamentary committee for standards in public life are arguing that former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat should not be sanctioned over his role in the granting of a consultancy position at the Malta Tourism Auth...

The police have arrested a 31-year-old man from Valletta, after he was found to be in possession of cocaine and cannabis.The police yesterday searched a hotel room in St Julian's and found the drugs. From a search in the man's Valletta home, more wer...

André Schembri was born on 27 May 1986. He is married to Clarissa Ellul, a well-known TV personality. They currently live in Cyprus due to André’s football commitments.At the age of 34 it’s not a long way to recall his child...

Britain’s new U.N. ambassador says the government is feeling “gung ho” about continuing its role as an important player on the world stage despite its exit from the European Union.Barbara Woodward pointed to the United Kingdom&rsquo...

Another grim record has been set after 245 cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Saturday.It is the highest ever number of cases reported in a single-day in Malta, surpassing the 224 cases reported last Wednesday.Coupled with 69 re...

The Union of Professional Educators – Voice of the Workers (UPE) has claimed that the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) and the Ministry for Education and Employment are currently conducting ad hoc agreements behind closed doors without consulting ...

Two more Covid-19 patients have passed away, taking the total number of deaths in Malta up to 232.In a statement, the Health Ministry said that an 85-year-old man who tested positive for the virus on 7 January and a 77-year-old woman who tested posit...

Jeffrey Pullicino Orland has thrown his hat into the ring for what will certainly be a hotly contested three-way fight in the casual election for the seat vacated by former Finance Minister Edward Scicluna.Pullicino Orlando submitted his nomination o...

Valletta: Empire Pharmacy (Branch), 46, Melita Street; Ħamrun: Thomas' Pharmacy, 796, St Joseph High Road; Santa Venera: Collis Williams Sta Venera Pharmacy, 532, St Joseph High Road; Birkirkara: Herba Pharmacy, 183, Main Street; Pietà: S...

The number of attempts by migrants to enter the European Union without authorization dropped to its lowest level in seven years in 2020, the EU border and coast guard agency Frontex said Friday.Frontex said it detected around 124,000 “illegal b...

Indonesian divers on Sunday located parts of the wreckage of a Boeing 737-500 at a depth of 23 meters (75 feet) in the Java Sea, a day after the aircraft with 62 people onboard crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta.“We received reports fro...

Milan bounced back from its first Serie A loss by beating relegation-threatened Torino 2-0 and extending its lead in the standings on Saturday.Milan, which is bidding for a first league title in a decade, was firmly in control at halftime following a...

Straining to reach the high notes of an Adele ballad, Chorley's footballers have become the part-timers heard around the world as an incredible run in the FA Cup continues.In a knockout competition — the oldest in world football — that be...

Hibernians  moved to the top of the BOV Premier League after beating basement side Senglea in the first match played at the Hibs Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Paolites were coming from a last-gasp win against Balzan by a 2-1 scoreline. This...

A man was seriously injured on Friday night when he was hit by a bike in Gzira, the police said.The accident happened in Sliema Road at 11.45pm.The pedestrian, a 37-year-old from Belarus and resident in Msida, was hit by a bike ridden by a 28-year-ol...

The Commissioner for Mental Health has welcomed the initiative taken by a patient to speak up about mental health issues, saying that changes are needed to improve the situation.The setting up of the Office of the Commissioner within the remit of the...

The governing Labour Party could lose yet another Parliamentary seat in what looks to be another blunder by its leader, Robert Abela. We are speaking, of course, about Tuesday’s casual election, during which Edward Scicluna’s recently vac...

A man was injured after a fall in a construction site in Gozo, police said on Saturday.In a short statement, the police said that at around 10:30 in the morning on Saturday, police were informed that a man had been taken to hospital after an incident...

A jet carrying 62 people lost contact with air traffic controllers minutes after taking off from Indonesia's capital on a domestic flight on Saturday, and debris found by fishermen was being examined to see if it was from the missing plane, officials...

@realDonaldTrump, the Twitter feed that grew from the random musings of a reality TV star into the cudgel of an American president, has died. It was not quite 12 years old. The provocative handle was given birth by a New York real estate tycoon ...

International agency DBRS has confirmed Malta’s rating at A (high) level with stable outlook. This means that our country continues to enjoy the best rating ever given by this agency, the government said.The report by these international expert...

President-elect Joe Biden says that President Donald Trump isn't “fit for the job,” but he repeatedly refused to endorse growing Democratic calls to impeach him a second time.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to members of her c...

Schools will physically reopen their doors on Monday after an agreement between the government and the representatives of teachers was reached.A number of strengthened measures related to the reopening will come into being as of Monday when students ...

By the end of 2022, The European Union is aiming to introduce a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) program to its tourism industry. The ETIAS will act as a visa waiver system for passport holders from countries whose citizen...

191 new cases of Covid-19 and two more deaths related to the virus were reported by health authorities on Friday.77 people have meanwhile recovered from the virus, meaning that the number of active cases has now surpassed the 2,000 mark again - stand...

Gavin Gulia has thrown his hat into the ring for what could well be a hotly contested casual election for the seat vacated by former Finance Minister Edward Scicluna.Gulia submitted his nomination on Friday.Currently the Malta Tourism Authority chair...

The Covid-19 vaccine has started being administered to around 4,400 elderly people residing in 37 elderly care homes around Malta, the government said in a statement.Earlier this week, the vaccination process had also started in the St Vincent de Pau...