Malta’s policy against the use of drugs has not been changed or updated in 13 years, Parliament has been told.Replying to a question by Nationalist Party deputy leader David Agius, who asked the government to table the country's policy on drug ...

The European Union on Monday defended its flagging coronavirus vaccine program, which has come under criticism from the World Health Organization, EU states and recently departed member Britain.Ten days of bad news about stalled deliveries from produ...

The government should help farmers switch to local organic production by bolstering demand, by buying their products through a requirement for sourcing organic foods in local public tenders, MEP candidate Peter Agius told The Malta Independent.This c...

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) has expressed its concern over the “substantial number” of foreign nurses leaving the country, something which is coming to the detriment of the whole health service in Malta. In an open ...

“Saved by the Bell” star Dustin Diamond died Monday after a three-week fight with cancer, according to his representative. He was 44.“Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful,”...

There is nothing wrong if journalists conducting TV shows on the national station ask tough questions to the Opposition Leader when he is invited for an interview. They are doing their job when they put him on the spot, like any other media with no l...

Much of Italy gingerly reopened Monday from pre-Christmas coronavirus closures, with the Vatican Museums welcoming a trickle of visitors to the Sistine Chapel and locals ordering their cappuccinos at outdoor tables for the first time in weeks.While m...

The Senate is poised to approve Pete Buttigieg to be transportation secretary, the first openly gay person ever confirmed to a Cabinet post, tasked with advancing President Joe Biden’s wide-ranging agenda of rebuilding the nation’s infras...

This article is continuously being updated - refresh the story for updates.Gozo bishop Anton Teuma told a court of how he had met the alleged victim of sexual abuse at the hands of two priests some 19 times, and of how he had urged the man to report ...

A suspected drug trafficker has won a constitutional court case in which he requested a statement he had given to police in the absence of a lawyer is not used as evidence in his trial.Morgan Onuorah was arrested and interrogated in 2010 over his all...

A lawyer representing former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in a libel case has insisted that Pilatus Bank whistleblower Maria Efimova should physically come to Malta to testify in the next sitting.Muscat testified on Monday in the libel case ha had in...

124 cases of Covid-19 were reported on Monday, while two more people have died while positive for the virus, according to the latest update provided by health authorities.Authorities said that an 81-year-old man and an 88-year-old woman passed away d...

A National Audit Office report has found that Malta is lagging behind when it comes to meeting its targets on recycling, and that any investment in infrastructure needs to be coupled with the increased adoption of the principles of the circular econo...

In 2020, Malta registered the highest number of prisoners it has ever experienced in its recorded history with over 900 inmates being held at the Corradino Correctional Facility in November.Last week, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, alongside ...

Aggravated theft, conversion of fines and possession of false documents, are the three most common offences committed by people serving time in prison, information tabled in Parliament reveals.The information was tabled by Home Affairs Minister Byron...

In 2020, Malta reached a new record of illegal hunting, with 210 known illegally shot protected birds retrieved by the police and BirdLife Malta, the bird conservation NGO stated. “The first year of Prime Minister Robert Abela’s rule...

An 18-year-old Eritrean had to be tasered after he threatened police officers with a hammer.The case took place inside a residence in Telgħa tal-Giżwiti in Marsa after the owners reported a break-in. The police received the report at around...

The salary of the Governor of the Central Bank of Malta was increased to address anomalies created when the salaries of the Deputy Governors were increased, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told Parliament on Monday.He was replying to a Parliamentary Q...

Two people were remanded in custody on Monday after they pleaded not guilty to a string of offences committed in Gozo on Sunday.A 27-year-old man from Zebbug was accused of having threatened to use violence and causing slight injuries. The incident t...

Malta recorded the worst statistic out of all European Union member states for organic farming areas, with its record of 0.5% well below the 8.5% EU average, new statistics showed.Organic farming is a technique which involves the cultivating and...

Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has expressed its “disgust” at the attitude of the Mental Health Commissioner John Cachia regarding the issue of illegal immigrants admitted to Mount Carmel Hospital. In a statement two days ago, th...

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to supply 9 million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the European Union during the first quarter, the bloc's executive arm said Sunday.The new target of 40 million doses by the end of March ...

Labour MEP Alfred Sant told the European Parliament that now is the moment for European countries to revaluate national housing policies as the on-going economic crisis is leaving behind a new poverty class on the continent.Sant voted in favour of a ...

The transportation situation in Malta has long been a source of debate. Most, if not all, people agree with the suggestion that, with almost a car per person registered in Malta, there are simply too many cars for such a small country.  However,...

While Air Malta's headcount has already gone down over recent years, the airline could operate with even fewer people, the airline's new Executive Chairman, David Curmi, said on Indepth.Curmi, who hails from an insurance and financial services backgr...

The first line of a mass transportation system would take 8-10 years to complete, if the country decides to implement such a project, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg told The Malta Independent on Sunday during an intervi...

182 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Sunday, while two more patients suffering from the virus have passed away.In their daily update, health authorities said that two people – a 78-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman – passed away ...

It took Bernard Grech more than 100 days to line up his shadow cabinet but, at the end of the day, he left many portfolios as they had been established by his predecessor.But what is more significant is that some of his attempts to shift responsibili...

Contrary to popular belief, it is very rare that children and adolescents go missing purely as attention seeking behaviour. The Malta Independent on Sunday delved deeper into the subject of disappering children after what seemed to be a surge in miss...

Malta’s Covid-19 reproduction rate – also referred to as the r-factor – now stands at 1.25, statistician Vincent Marmara told The Malta Independent on Sunday in his weekly video blog.The reproduction number of the virus is...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has confirmed that plans for Covid-19 vouchers are still on, but they will be distributed within a timeline that respects what the health authorities have to say. “We gave our word, and this government keeps its...

The Nationalist Party has a plan for the energy sector which would see the harnessing of new technology in order to cut bills and emissions, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.Addressing a political meeting in Valletta, Grech said that the PN wan...

Gzira United registered a double over Valletta beating the Citizens with a Maxwell Maia brace, a goal in each half. It was a deserved victory for the Maroons over a struggling Valletta side who suffered the second consecutive defeat, and for the seco...

With a trademark left-footed curler into the top corner and the deftest of finishes from a clinical counterattack, Mohamed Salah ended one of his longest goal droughts in the Premier League for Liverpool in style.The champions’ chief scorer is ...

Lazio gained revenge for their Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat, inflicting Atalanta’s first Serie A loss of 2021 including a stunning Adam Marusic curler and classic counter-attacks.There have been 21 goals in the last four competitive meetin...

Moviment Graffitti is strongly in favour of the EU proposal for a directive on an adequate minimum wage; a proposal that has long been advocated for by European trade unions. While the proposal is a good start, Moviment Graffitti thinks that the...

After a decade or so of constant leadership changes, the national airline might have finally found the ideal candidate for the job. The airline’s new Executive Chairman, David Curmi, was interviewed on this week’s edition of Indepth. He o...

Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. More than 4,...

The British government said Saturday that it does not expect any disruptions to its orders for coronavirus vaccines after the European Union emphasized it would not trigger an emergency provision of the Brexit deal as part of its strategy to monitor ...

A motorcyclist was rushed to hospital after he was seriously injured in an early morning crash on the Coast Road on Sunday, police said.Police said that they were informed of the incident at 5:40am, and preliminary investigations showed that a man &n...

Malta registered 136 new Covid-19 cases, while 149 patients have recovered, fuigures released by the health authorities show.Another person has died with the virus. He is an 85-year-old man who died at Mater Dei Hospital.So far, 25,822 vaccination do...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech insisted on Saturday that party media should not take advantage on certain situations when reporting, as it does not matter who the person or what their occupation is.Speaking during a radio interview on 103 Malta&rsqu...

Three Slovakian men were arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a fellow countryman earlier this week.The police said the 30-year-old victim was approached by the three men in Salib Street, Mellieha, last Wednesday.They forced him into a car a...

Eight persons were arrested by the police in separate drug raids in Marsa, Zabbar and Marsascala, the police said.On Friday morning, members of the Rapid Intervention Unit arrested two men, a Somali aged 23 and a Gambian aged 27, who were in possessi...

Floriana: Floriana  Dispensary, 29, Vincenzo Dimech Street; Ħamrun: St Gaetan Pharmacy, Kappillan Mifsud Street; Santa Venera: Lantern Pharmacy, Misraħ il-Kebbies; Swatar: Collis Williams – St Mark's Pharmacy, P. Borg Olivier Str...

The Government and Opposition held differing views regarding a report from the office of The Commissioner for Standards in Public Life citing concerns with Bill 159 which is currently before parliament. This comes after The Malta Independent asked qu...

A motorcyclist was seriously injured this afternoon after losing control of the bike he was riding and crashed, falling one storey onto the rocks, the police said.The accident took place on the Coast, Road, direction St Julian’s, at 12.30pm.The...

Melita Marine has invested five million eors in top quality maritime and engineering services.“As a government, we are committed to promote a Malta which is renowned as a centre of excellence in the maritime sector, a sector which is increasing...

A new green initiative grant scheme to turn ‘grey’ built-up residential areas into healthier ‘green’ places to live in has been rolled out. This was announced by Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron ...

A last-minute consolation and a bundled effort from a long throw-in are the only goals Manchester City has conceded in nine games across all competitions in 2021.Pep Guardiola, one of the most attack-minded coaches in soccer history, has constructed ...

Zlatan Ibrahimović missed a penalty but AC Milan won 2-1 at Bologna on Saturday to bounce back from a disappointing week and remain top of Serie A.Ante Rebić fired home the rebound after Ibrahimović’s penalty kick was saved and F...

In the first match played at the National Stadium on Saturday afternoon Sirens came from a goal down to beat Floriana by the odd goal in three. The goal which proved to be the winner by the St Paul’s Bay outfit materialized in the last seven mi...

The European Union introduced tighter rules Friday on exports of COVID-19 vaccines that could hit shipments to nations like the United Kingdom, deepening a dispute with London over scarce supplies of potentially lifesaving shots.But amid an outcry in...

Regulators authorized AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.The European Medicines Agency licensed the vaccine to be ...

Photos of a metal gate blocking public access to the picturesque Fomm ir-Rih bay let to feelings of anger and consternation this week, not only among environmentalists but also by many members of the public who often frequent the area. Access to Fomm...

A planning application proposing, among other things, a looped cycling and jogging track has been filed with the Planning Authority.The proposal seeks to upgrade existing car parks at Ta' Qali, the formation of a camping site with ancillary facilitie...

The Mental Health Commissioner has spoken out over the MUMN's decision, where the union ordered its members to refuse admission to illegal immigrants at Mount Carmel Hospital."Under Maltese law, mental health services must respect individual qua...

185 new cases of Covid-19 were found overnight and another three patients have died, the health authorities said on Friday.More details about today’s cases were given by Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci in her weekly briefing.The patients ...

By the start of this year, 90% of Gozitans who lost their job at the start of the pandemic found employment again, Prime Minister Robert Abela said.He was speaking during a business breakfast organised by the Gozo Regional Development Authority(GRDA)...

EU Commissioner Helena Dalli's son being jailed over drug trafficking charges is 'a private family matter,' a spokesperson from the EU Commission told The Malta Independent, thus indicating that she will not be resigning over the matter.The younger s...

A recent photo on social media has sparked a great interest among the general public regarding the story of more than a century old water reservoir built by the British at Luqa.In a press conference yesterday, Sustainable Development Minister, Miriam...

A man was grievously injured after falling off a wall in the St Julian's valley, the police said in a statement.The incident occurred at 4pm on Triq Birkirkara. The man, a Serb, was taken to Mater Dei Hospital. Investigations are ongoing

Balzan registered an important win and gained three precious points coming from a goal down to turn the score in their favour. It was a deserved win for Balzan who had Duric and Andrejic combining well in an offensive set up which reaped the desired ...

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has ordered its members to refuse admission to illegal immigrants at Mount Carmel Hospital.MUMN cannot tolerate that nurses and patients are put at high risk for their safety due to flagrant “abuse” ...

A gate that blocked access to Fomm ir-Rih Bay has been removed, the planning ministry said.Environmentalists fumed on Thursday after photos of the new gate were posted on social media.The gate is plastered with signs which say that the area is privat...

With demand for COVID-19 vaccines outpacing the world’s supplies, a frustrated public and policymakers want to know: How can we get more? A lot more. Right away.The problem: “It’s not like adding more water to the soup,” said ...

Infrastructure Malta will on Saturday introduce the first phase of an upgrade of the junctions of Tal-Barrani Road, limits of Santa Lucija and Zejtun, to gradually eliminate traffic lights and replace them with uninterrupted lanes and safer junctions...

The Planning Ministry has said that the Intelligent Planning Consultative Forum (IPCF) has entered its second phase, as it will be focusing on three key areas this year: the SPED review, a new aesthetics policy for our buildings, and the 2-Speed Appl...

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit's into the Hamrun building collapse leading to Miriam Pace's death is a crushing indictment of the state of the Maltese construction industry over the last 20 years, Flimkien Ghal Albjent Ahjar has said."Since 2018, ...

The Malta Refugee Council said Friday it was shocked by the “lack of sensitivity” shown by the nurses’ union and urged it to withdraw instructions it had issued earlier in the day.The MUMN earlier instructed nurses to refuse admitti...

Former Labour Minister Joe Micallef Stafrace has passed away, the Labour Party said. He was 88.In a statement, the PL said that Micallef Stafrace was "a politicians and journalist of great skills". His death deprives the country of a true patriot who...

The Public Broadcasting Services today defended a journalist’s right to ask tough questions, saying that a complaint filed by the Nationalist Party against it was an attempt to stop journalists from doing their duty.The Nationalist Party filed ...

It was a splendid moment, one that showed that the country can be apolitical if it wants to.We’re referring to the time when Health Minister Chris Fearne and his Opposition counterpart Stephen Spiteri turned up together to receive the Covid-19 ...

Steward Health Care Malta announced that it has completed an “extensive” upgrade project of the emergency and outpatients departments at the Gozo General Hospital.This was done as part its ongoing investment programme in its hospitals, it...

There was little effort to mask the gloating, just one month after Britain's full — and, at times, tempestuous — divorce from the European Union.In big bold type, the vaccination table produced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservati...

A deal has been reached between the European Parliament’s Rapporteur David Casa and the Portuguese Presidency of the Council on the almost €90 billion European Social Fund Plus – the European Union’s main tool to support employ...

A metal gate blocking a path down to the picturesque Fomm ir-Rih bay has prompted angry reactions from environmentalists.The discovery was made by environmentalist Raniero Borg, who is well-known for the organisation of clean-ups across the island, w...

208 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Thursday, while three more patients have passed away while positive for the virus.Authorities said that an 87-year-old man and a 69-year-old man passed away during the last 24 hours at ...

2020 was not a good year for small and medium enterprises, and if they don’t receive the help they need, a good number of them will end up shutting up shop, the Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) warned.Only one third of the b...

The compilation of evidence against the man alleged to have masterminded the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder, Yorgen Fenech, continued this morning. Inspector Keith Arnaud revealed that police had been informed of 'escape preparations' by Yorgen F...

The younger son of European Commissioner Helena Dalli was jailed three months after he was found guilty of trafficking ecstasy at a party in Paola in 2013.Jean-Luc Dalli, 25, was caught handing over six ecstasy pills to another man outside a party ve...

A number of Sliema Wanderers FC full-time football players are literally struggling to feed themselves and their families after not receiving salaries for months, the Malta Football Players Association (MFPA) has said in a statement.The MFPA said tha...

The police are investigating spontaneous celebrations that erupted in the streets of Ħamrun as well as a club after they won a key match against Valletta FC which took place at the Hibs Stadium. On Wednesday evening, videos of spontaneous g...

Roberto Firmino ended Liverpool's 483-minute goal drought in the Premier League to set the champions on their way to a 3-1 win over Tottenham on Thursday and revive their faltering title defense.Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane also netted as Li...

Former PBS head Reno Bugeja will lead a new Media Literacy Development Board, with veteran TV presenter Peppi Azzopardi and personality Ben Camille also on the board.The establishment of the Media Literacy Development Board was announced by Minister ...

With a score of 53, Malta is considered to be a ‘significant decliner’ in the 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), dropping seven points since 2015 and hitting ‘a new all-time low,’ Transparency International has said.The ...

PL MEP Cyrus Engerer is calling for all MEPs within the European Parliament to support the Maltese government's call for proactivity on a possible Covid-19 vaccine booster shot, in addition to the two that are currently being administered.This week, ...

The Early Childhood Development Association of Malta (ECDAM) has renewed its call for the professionalisation of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, saying that their role cannot be compared to that of a babysitter any longer.&nb...

The Building Construction Authority will serve as a one-stop-shop that people can use for anything they need to know in relation to the construction industry including construction site procedures, their rights in this regard and much more. This...

Floriana was not built as the garden for Valletta as was claimed in a particular opinion article. In fact, following the foundation of Valletta just after the Great Siege, the area known as Floriana was barren land. I am writing with reference to the...

Independent human rights experts who work with the United Nations say Italy failed to protect the “right to life” of over 200 migrants who died when the boat they were on sank in the Mediterranean Sea over seven years ago,The Human Rights...

Infrastructure Malta has completed the new 110-metre Qrejten Breakwater, a €4 million EU-funded investment to shelter the Marsaxlokk fishing port and surrounding coastal areas. For many years, Marsaxlokk fishers have been calling for a new ...

"Justice delayed is justice denied" is an oft-heard legal maxim. It means that if legal redress or equitable relief to an injured party is available, but is not forthcoming in a timely fashion, it is effectively the same as having no remedy at all.It...

On 29 January 2021, MaltaPost will issue a set of  three stamps  paying  tribute to Malta’s healthcare workers.The issue is in appreciation of the sterling work performed during the Covid-19 pandemic by the carers, nurses, doctor...

The Nationalist Party has filed a complaint with the Broadcasting Authority, claiming that an interview with Bernard Grech last week was “guided by the government and PL’s political narrative.”Grech was interviewed on TVM’s In...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced the extension of several measures and some new measures for the month of February, a lot of which target an expected influx of people going to Gozo over the carnival period.Amongst the new measures, Abela sai...

193 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Wednesday, while three more patients have died while positive for the virus.During the last 24 hours, an 83-year-old man and a 68-year-old man passed away at Mater Dei Hospital while a 86-year-old woman pass...

Two priests today pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually abusing an altar boy in Gozo several years ago.According to a statement issued by the police on Tuesday, they are facing charges of rape and sexual abuse.In separate proceedings in the Gozo ...

A controversial application for a drive-in cinema on outside development zone land in Marsascala has been withdrawn by the applicant.The plans have been riddled with controversy since they were first reported on last October.The land proposed to be u...

The Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) and Union of Professional Educators - Voice of The Workers (UPE) have turned down suggestions by the Prime Minister to postpone the mid-term holidays to a later date.“The MUT noted the restrictions that have ju...