A study conducted by the University of Malta on patients who are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) revealed that ALS in Maltese patients affects genes which are rarely damaged in other Europeans with ALS. ALS is “a progressive ...

Labour MEP Alfred Sant has questioned the implementation of the EU global strategy on Covid-19 vaccinations and said that many questions remain over the transparency of the whole deployment process of vaccines.Under the EU Vaccines Strategy launched ...

When the government first announced that Covid-19 vaccinations were going to start being administered, concerns were raised that elderly residents from Mellieħa, St. Paul’s Bay and Naxxar were being given appointments to go to the Mosta He...

On 28 December of last year, 50-year-old Marcel Pisani was reported missing by the police after failing to respond to numerous calls from his family and friends. Almost a month later, the police have not seen any developments in them across the ...

The Government and Public Entities Section within the GWU registered an industrial dispute in favor of its members within the Public Service Works Division.The GWU had met with management to ensure that workers performing high-risk work were paid in ...

The Nationalist Party have announced its new shadow cabinet, with a number of MPs retaining their previous portfolios and, notably, with former PN leader Adrian Delia refusing to take on a shadow role.Robert Arrigo and Stephen Spiteri amongst others ...

A 28-year-old man was grievously injured this morning in a traffic accident in St. Paul’s Bay, police said.Police said that the man, who is Italian, was riding a Honda motorcycle was in a traffic crash with a Hyundai i20 being driven by a 53-ye...

A recent survey by the European Investment Bank has revealed some very interesting and at the same time worrying results, particularly with regard to youths and their thoughts on the ecomomy and their finances.In fact, youths aged between 20 and 29 a...

Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg addressed the first Transport Foundation board meeting during which prospective plans for the transport sector were discussed.Minister Ian Borg congratulated each one of the members...

Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday, declaring that "democracy has prevailed." He swore the oath of office to take the helm of a deeply divided nation and inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any f...

Innovative online casino operator Rootz LTD is celebrating the launch of its third online casino. Wheelz Casino follows hot on the heels of breakout brand, Wildz and last year’s eagerly awaited release, Caxino, building on the roaring succ...

A biker was seriously injured on Wednesday afternoon when he was involved in a collision with a car in Cospicua, the police said.The accident took place at 6pm in St Paul’s Street.The biker, aged 62 of Senglea, was involved in a collision with ...

Prime Minister Robert Abela said Wednesday that the investigations into Miriam Pace’s death are currently underway and moving at a satisfactory pace.Abela was speaking in Parliament after the government presented a draft bill on the new constru...

In reply to a letter sent by Arnold Cassola regarding Ian Borg swearing on live TV, Standards Commissioner George Hyzler said that although he does not agree with Borg’s version of the events, he does not believe an investigation into the case ...

Youths are more concerned about potential financial crises than they are about migration – which is the direct opposite of what adults said they are more concerned about between the two subjects, a new survey shows.The survey commissioned by th...

187 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Wednesday as another 1,274 people were vaccinated.189 people meanwhile have recovered from the virus, while two more patients passed away in the last 24 hours.It means that the number o...

The Malta Chamber of Commerce is calling for the government and financial entities to implement stricter enforcement with regards to public procurement in order to better regulate its processes, make them more transparent, and ensure that the law is ...

It wasn't long after Paul Pogba chased back 40 meters to regain possession and thwart a dangerous-looking counterattack that the Manchester United midfielder collected the ball just outside the penalty area, with three Fulham players near him.Pogba t...

Cristiano Ronaldo scored to help Juventus win a record-extending ninth Italian Super Cup by beating Napoli 2-0 on Wednesday.Napoli missed the chance to take the match to extra time when captain Lorenzo Insigne missed a late penalty and Álvaro ...

Several Nationalist Party MPs who are angered about a reshuffle of portfolios by leader Bernard Grech were absent for a three-hour parliamentary group meeting held on Tuesday, The Malta Independent is informed.Grech has been holding one-to-one meetin...

Malta International Airport ended what was initially set to be another year of traffic growth with 1,748,050 passenger movements, translating in a drop of 76.1 per cent over 2019.This is the lowest traffic result to be reported by Malta Internat...

Birdlife Malta said on Wednesday it was disappointed by how the environment has fared in Bernard Grech’s shadow cabinet reshuffle.It said that the only two major changes were related to the removal of portfolios from two people who were vocifer...

Former minister Joe Cassar has been named new president of the Cana Movement, a non-governmental organisation run within the structures of the Church.The Curia said in a statement that Cassar will replace Arthur Galea Salomone, who held the post for ...

Infrastructure Malta invested over €15 million in the reconstruction and upgrading of 102 countryside roads in 2020, a statement by the agency revealed.The Government of Malta financed €12 million of this infrastructural investment, whilst ...

A number of shortcomings by LESA – the Local Enforcement System Agency – have been highlighted in a report drafted by the National Audit Office.These range from the authority’s reliance on traffic fines to generate revenue, to a lac...

Samantha Pace Gasan has been appointed Commissioner for Persons with Disability, replacing Oliver Scicluna who was co-opted to Parliament as an MP last Monday.Pace Gasan, 27, graduated in political science in 2017 and obtained a Masters in creativity...

Claudio Grech will likely be in charge of the Nationalist Party’s policy transformation, innovation, and the electoral programme as PN leader Bernard Grech continues managing his reshuffle of his party’s parliament bench.The reshuffle pro...

Sixty-two tickets were handed out to drivers due to excessive noise from their cars in 2020, Home Affairs Minister said.He was answering a Parliamentary Question by PN MP Ryan Callus.The 2020 figure is the lowest in 8 years; less than one third of th...

The Maltese are the people most in favour of stricter government measures which would force citizens to change their behaviour to tackle climate change in the European Union, a new bloc-wide survey has shown.Results from a survey on climate change ca...

A loud explosion apparently caused by a gas leak has partially destroyed a residential building in the center of Spain's capital on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring at least two more, according to officials.The first images and footage shar...

Donald Trump pumped his fist and waved as he departed the White House on Marine One Wednesday for the last time as president, leaving behind a legacy of chaos and tumult and a nation bitterly divided.Four years after standing on stage at his own inau...

At the end of 2019, there was more than double the number of valid residence permits permitting non-EU citizens to reside in Malta than at the end of 2016, Eurostat figures show.Statistics showing all valid permits on 31 December of each year reveal ...

Marcel Pisani remains missing, 20 days after his disappearance was first reported by the police.The police on Wednesday renewed their appeal for information that can lead them to locate the 50-year-old man, who is wheelchair-bound.Pisani was last see...

 Joe Biden swears the oath of office at noon Wednesday to become the 46th president of the United States, taking the helm of a deeply divided nation and inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors.The ve...

The government is investing in a living green wall at Kordin Industrial Estate to further enhance the area of Kordin and its surroundings through the creation of a better atmosphere for the community, improved air quality and to serve as a noise barr...

Donald Trump will walk out of the White House and board Marine One for the last time as president Wednesday morning, leaving behind a legacy of chaos and tumult and a nation bitterly divided.Four years after standing on stage at his own inauguration ...

The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden will take place in a Washington on edge, after the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol unleashed a wave of fear and unmatched security concerns. And law enforcement officials are contending not only with the ...

Joe Biden will be sworn in as the United States’ 46th President today, ending a four-year leadership by Donald Trump.November’s election saw Biden triumph over Trump who has since refused to accept defeat and is now facing impeachment pro...

The number of new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday reached 200, while another death was registered.The latest victim is an 84-year-old woman, who died at Mater Dei Hospital. The total number of victims is now 242, health authorities said.Active cases have a...

While three psychiatrists who analysed Melvin Theuma’s mental state presented their findings in Court, the publication of said findings has been banned.The three testified during the compilation of evidence against Yorgen Fenech, the man charge...

Gavin Gulia will not be automatically reinstated as Chairman for Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), The Malta Independent is informed.Before he regains the post he held only a week ago before all that came about following his casual election win, he ...

PN Leader Bernard Grech will this evening continue to meet MPs as he works on a shadow Cabinet reshuffle.One-to-one meetings with MPs have been ongoing for the past week or so, sources said, adding that the PN leader was finding some resistance by a ...

The race against the virus that causes COVID-19 has taken a new turn: Mutations are rapidly popping up, and the longer it takes to vaccinate people, the more likely it is that a variant that can elude current tests, treatments and vaccines could emer...

Five years after achieving the unthinkable, Leicester is back atop the Premier League and making another improbable run at the title.For big-spending Chelsea and its under-pressure manager, Frank Lampard, any ambitions of winning the league already a...

Spezia advanced to the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup with a 4-2 win against nine-man Roma after extra time on Tuesday.Former Roma winger Daniele Verde and Riccardo Saponara scored in extra time for Spezia, which next plays Napoli.The match changed...

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte squeaked through a crucial Senate confidence vote Tuesday night, allowing him to keep his wobbly coalition afloat but failing to secure the reliable support needed from lawmakers to help him effectively govern the count...

The authorities look to make life easier for car drivers, but refuse to cater for the needs of other road users, the president of ROTA Michelle Attard Tonna told The Malta Independent. ROTA is an NGO that advocates for cyclists and pushes the governm...

Minister for Research, Innovation and the Co-ordination of Post Covid-19 Strategy Owen Bonnici and Minister for Education Justyne Caruana announced that the newly built MCAST Resource Centre will open its doors to staff and students by the new academ...

Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri confirmed that discussions are underway with the relevant authorities regarding enforcement in Gozo during the Carnival season. PN MP Maria Deguara suggested that stricter regulations need to be put on youths "who think ...

Hundreds of drivers were booked for traffic irregularities during inspections carried out by the police in the last three months of 2020, the police said in a statement.Some 7,000 vehicles were stopped by the police in inspections carried out between...

The National Book Council (NBC) appealed to the government and to the Prime Minister to ensure “unencumbered and full access” to the Mediterranean Conference Centre in order to be able to hold the Malta Book Festival on the 10th to the 14...

Nature Trust - FEE Malta has renewed its appeal to the public to reduce marine litter after a dead juvenile loggerhead turtle was found entangled in plastics and abandoned fishing nets.This was not a one-off case, the NGO said, adding that several si...

The Nationalist Party has filed a complaint with the Broadcasting Authority against PBS after the national station failed to report on the testimony given by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in the case instituted by Adrian Delia on the privatisat...

A biker is in hospital following a collision that took place at 9.15am in Tal-Balal bypass, San Gwann.The accident involved a Kia Rio, driven by a 77-year-old man from San Gwann and a motorcycle Kawazaki z300, driven by a 28-year-old man from Birzebb...

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte won a crucial vote in Parliament's lower house Monday night after a coalition defector's lawmakers abstained in the balloting, but he must clear a much tougher hurdle less than 24 hours later in the Senate to hold on to...

After having announced that it would dedicate its sponsorship to the cause, the LifeCycle Malta Foundation has donated the sum of €25,000 to the University of Malta’s Research, Innovation & Development Trust (RIDT) for its research int...

A disciplinary board has revised a decision to fail more than 250 first-year commerce students, a statement by the Faculty of Economic said.Students found to be directly involved in suspected cheating have been reprimanded and had marks deducted "acc...

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has arrived at the law courts where he is to testify in proceedings on the VGH case.The case was instituted by former Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia.Muscat had missed the last sitting in December, saying tha...

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he has full confidence in the Prime Minister and the government on the way forward with regard to the privatisation of three public hospitals.He was speaking to journalists after testifying in the case brought...

Having the elderly queue for the Covid-19 vaccine is not only unacceptable, but also dangerous.On Friday afternoon, a video published on social media showed elderly people queuing outside the Gzira health centre in the rain, awaiting their Covid-19 v...

While it is still too soon to audit ongoing actions or assess the impact of Covid-19 related public health EU initiatives, these experiences can provide lessons for any future reform of the EU’s competences in this field,” according to th...

Former Opposition Leader Adrian Delia said today that former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had confirmed in court that the Vitals group did not meet the obligations listed in the contract it signed with the Maltese government.Speaking to journalists a...

PN Leader Bernard Grech has launched a shadow cabinet reshuffle exercise, as MPs were being called in for a meeting with the leader on Monday, the Times of Malta reports.The MPs were reportedly holding one-on-one meetings with Grech, and that these m...

A court has revoked permission for former PM Joseph Muscat and his wife Michelle to participate in a perjury case against former FIAU official Jonathan Ferris, Times of Malta reports.They had previously been granted ‘parte civile’ status ...

Malta’s residency programme is being revamped, and the fees that have to be paid by beneficiaries are being more than doubled, Parliamentary Secretary Alex Muscat said on Monday.The new programme will be called Malta Permanent Residence Program...

Environmental NGOs have a number of ideas as to how they would improve the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), from granting it a veto on planning decisions, to changing how board members are appointed.The Environment and Resources Authority h...

Oliver Scicluna has been sworn in as an MP after earlier in the day he announced that he has resigned from the role of Commissioner for Rights of Persons with Disability to take up the new role of a Labour MP.Scicluna had replaced Gavin Gulia who res...

Zlatan Ibrahimović scored twice to help 10-man AC Milan win 2-0 at Cagliari on Monday and reclaim first place outright in Serie A.Ibrahimović converted a first-half penalty and doubled his tally early in the second period. They were his fir...

Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finally ended his scoring drought in the Premier League with two second-half goals in a 3-0 win against Newcastle on Monday as the Gunners try to claw their way out of mid-table.Aubameyang, who hadn’t s...

154 new cases of Covid-19 were found overnight and two more patients have died, the health authorities said.There are currently 2,764 active cases out of a total of 15,742.The patients who died were two males, aged 73 and 84, who passed away at Mater...

A 2019 Labour Force Survey shows that there was an average basic pay difference of over €2,000 between Maltese and Gozitans.The data was tabled in Parliament on Monday by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, following a parliamentary question from PN...

Lawyers and legal procurators at the Attorney General’s Office have resorted to industrial action “in the wake of the management’s refusal to start talks on a collective agreement,” UHM Voice of the Workers said.UHM said it wo...

In a discussion during a plenary session regarding a new set of proposed laws relating to the Courts of Justice, Minister for Justice, Equality, and Governance Edward Zammit Lewis said that the Courts of Justice need to be more efficient.Reducing the...

Composer and musician Sammy Galea has passed away, PBS reports.Galea, aged 86, had toured the world  and through his long career achieved success both locally and abroad.Among other things, he had composed Singing This Song, which saw Renato rep...

There are significant associations existing among University of Malta (UoM) students between fear of COVID-19 and self-reported increase in alcohol drinking as well as increase of negative emotional conditions such as depression, exhaustion and lonel...

Parliament should find more common ground when dealing with issues that would benefit the whole country as they did with Bill for Equality in House, Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar said. “Our politics are polarised, but we need to...

Fr Fabio Attard, a Maltese priest who lives in Rome, describes the situation in Italy as ‘surreal’, saying that uncertainty looms across the nation, yet there are lessons to take from this experience, he believes.  Fr Attard is a Sal...

A planning application that will see the construction of 72 residential units and an underlying parking area right next to the Trade Fair grounds in Naxxar is set to be decided by the Planning Authority this Thursday.The proposal will see residential...

Ambjent Malta has embarked on a landscape-level habitat restoration project in Comino, which forms part of the Natura 2000 network, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia said.The minister explained that the conserva...

A Church commission did not find any criminal offenses in relation to the local, highly controversial religious sect Kommunità Ġesu’ Salvatur (KĠS), despite finding various instances of psychological and spiritual abuse during ...

Every day, 13 Christians worldwide are killed because of their faith, 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked, 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned, while another 5 are abducted. Today, one in eight Christians worldwide are perse...

The Malta Chamber of SMEs welcomed the extension granted through the Central Bank of Malta's Directive regarding moratoria facilities, due to the exceptional circumstances the country is experiencing. "In effect, there is therefore once again the pos...

The Malta Police Association is wondering why its members have to deal with so much trouble in Paceville and other entertainment areas when clubs and bars are supposed to be shut.In a statement, the association said that these places should not open ...

As the wan winter sun sets over France's Champagne region, the countdown clock kicks in. Laborers stop pruning the vines as the light fades at about 4:30 p.m., leaving them 90 minutes to come in from the cold, change out of their work clothes, hop in...

Conflict of interest, along with clientelism, is one of the main problems in Maltese politics. It is an issue that crops up almost on a daily basis, mainly due to the small size of the country and the fact that ‘everyone knows everyone’ i...

The two architects involved in the construction project which Miriam Pace’s house collapsed into last March have not had their warrants to practice as architects suspended, The Malta Independent on Sunday can reveal.Roderick Camilleri, who was ...

Top management personnel at the Gozo General Hospital (GGH) have been told to start seeking employment elsewhere, in an indication that the hospital could soon go back under government management, sources have told The Malta Independent on Sunday. Th...

We’ve been told several times that the government is moving as one on the way the pandemic should be tackled.We’ve been told many times that Prime Minister Robert Abela and his deputy, Health Minister Chris Fearne, are on the same page on...

The COVID Alert Malta app will become interoperable with those of other EU Member states in the coming weeks, this newsroom is informed.Back in September of 2020, the government launched a contact tracing app under the name ‘COVID Alert Malta&r...

141 new cases of Covid-19 were found on Sunday, the health authorities said.One more patient has died, bringing the total up to 239, but details were not immediately available.There are now 2,753 active cases out of a total of 15, 588.136 people have...

Malta’s Covid-19 reproduction number now stands at 1.55 after the number of cases found in the past week increased once again, statistician Vincent Marmara told The Malta Independent on Sunday in his exclusive weekly video blog on the Covid-19 ...

With the Covid-19 UK variant that has been identified pervading the UK and wreaking havoc on the country’s healthcare systems and economy, as well as some of the toughest lockdowns in the world, residing in the UK seems to be a daunting task fr...

What we witnessed on Wednesday with Gavin Gulia’s lightning-fast resignation from Parliament was a slap in the face of our democratic system.It was a devious chess game played by the Labour Party to save face and avoid having a former PL Mayor-...

Four games without a win for the first time since 2017. Three games without scoring for the first time since 2005.The dominance of last season is becoming a distant memory for the defending Premier League champions.Liverpool's 0-0 draw with leader Ma...

Juventus’ nine-year stranglehold on the Serie A title was at risk of unraveling after a 2-0 loss at Inter Milan on Sunday.Nicolò Barella scored one goal and set up another for former Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal as Inter moved level ...

Zejtun and Santa Lucia extended their positive streak with a low profile 1-1 draw. Both sides should and could have offered more, but in the end both were happy with the result obtained, a result that leaves Santa Lucia in a healthy mid-table positui...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech this week came up with the most undemocratic proposal one can come up with, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday morning.He was referring to the casual election won by Gavin Gulia, who resigned his Parliamentary ...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday that the government is choosing to ignore the expert opinion of doctors, leaving us with a high number of Coronavirus cases and a situation that takes us far away from normality.During a political event ...

The U.K. government plans to offer a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to every adult by September as the nation’s health care system battles the worst crisis in its 72-year-history.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Sunday that the government wi...

Former Italian Premier Matteo Renzi is testing his already low popularity by provoking a political crisis that could bring down Italy's coalition government at a critical juncture in the coronavirus pandemic.Renzi orchestrated the resignations of two...