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Malta Independent

Sun, 02 May 2021 09:00:00 +0100
Controversial Ġgantija apartment block application temporarily suspended
A controversial application for the construction of a block of apartments near the historic Ġgantija temples in Gozo has been temporarily suspended at the request of the applicant. The application, filed in December of last year, has been met wi...

Sun, 02 May 2021 08:30:00 +0100
SVP contract: Catering price inflated to make up for ‘free’ investment – NAO
The capping set on the price of catering in a contract issued by Saint Vincent De Paul residence was inflated to compensate for ‘free’ investment at the elderly care home, the National Audit Office has opined. The NAO has slammed a €...

Sun, 02 May 2021 09:30:00 +0100
Parliament: Generational change and a way to get rid of unwanted MPs
When he was Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat had suggested that any head of government should serve for a maximum of two terms while MPs should not be allowed to retain their parliamentary seat for more than four legislatures.In other words, his suggest...

Sun, 02 May 2021 09:31:00 +0100
Over 30s can apply for Covid-19 vaccine from Tuesday
People over the age of 30 will be able to register for the Covid-19 vaccine as from Tuesday, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced on Workers’ Day.The announcement comes barely a week after the jab rollout was extended to include those over 40...

Sun, 02 May 2021 08:00:00 +0100
Covid-19’s impact on Malta’s workforce and the future of remote working
A hybrid system - Marisa Xuereb, President of the Chamber of CommerceWhen the pandemic struck, many businesses that would never have considered teleworking realised that the only way to keep operating was to actually provide remote work arrangements,...

Sun, 02 May 2021 07:30:00 +0100
Covid-19: Malta’s coronavirus reproduction rate remains at 0.5
The Coronavirus reproduction rate in Malta has remained the same from last week’s figures as the rate stands at 0.5, statistician Vincent Marmara said.In his weekly blog for The Malta Independent on Sunday, Marmara said that statistics are show...

Sun, 02 May 2021 07:42:00 +0100
Funds funnelled through Malta: Miami money manager gets 4 years in Venezuela bribery case
A federal judge has sentenced a Miami money manager to nearly four years in prison for his role in a $1.2 billion conspiracy to embezzle funds from Venezuela’s state-owned oil company.Prosecutors had been seeking a much stiffer sentence&nb...

Sun, 02 May 2021 10:30:00 +0100
Four youths injured in Wied iz-Zurrieq traffic accident
Four youngsters were injured in a traffic accident on Saturday afternoon, police said on Sunday morning.The accident took place at Triq Wied iz-Zurrieq in Qrendi between an Isuzu TFS pick-up and a Mazda Demio.The Mazda was being driven by a 20-year-o...

Sun, 02 May 2021 07:13:00 +0100
Pope prays for pandemic's end and for a 'horizon of hope'
Pope Francis in a special prayer service on Saturday in St. Peter's Basilica invoked the end of the pandemic and a return of what he called “a horizon of hope," including a scenario in which scientists can figure out how to conquer the coronavi...

Sun, 02 May 2021 10:00:00 +0100
MFSA launches Payment Accounts Fees Comparison Tool for consumers
The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has recently launched a new Comparison Tool that allows consumers to compare the fees being charged by Credit and Financial Institutions in respect of Payment Accounts held in Malta.The tool allows consum...

Sun, 02 May 2021 11:00:00 +0100
TMIS Editorial: Moneyval pass - Not a means to an end
The Maltese economy, the financial services sector in particular, breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday after it emerged that Malta has passed the crucial Moneyval test. Malta had been facing the prospect of failing this important assessment and, as ...

Sun, 02 May 2021 11:00:00 +0100
50 Shades of Greats: Isard du Pont was a naughty legend - Raymond Clifton
Raymond Clifton was born on 12 August 1942. He is married to Pauline Darmanin and has five children, Sandra, Vicky, Lorraine, Romina and Daniela.Though born in Malta, Raymond left the island at a very young age. “Since my father Charles John wa...

Sat, 01 May 2021 13:18:00 +0100
Watch: ‘Government continues to maintain a good quality life for workers’ – Robert Abela
On the occasion of International Workers' Day, Prime Minister Robert Abela said the past week has shown how well the government has maintained a good quality life for workers.Abela said that this does not mean that no one in Malta is going through a ...

Sat, 01 May 2021 12:31:00 +0100
Covid-19: 15 new cases, as number of patients drops to below 300; two deaths registered
Fifteen new Covid-19 cases were recorded Saturday, as the number of active cases dropped to below 300, health authorities said.The number of deaths has however increased by two, to 415, after five days with no victims.Two men, aged 70 and 91, died at...

Sat, 01 May 2021 11:23:00 +0100
Watch: PN leader thanks workers for their contribution in the face of Covid-19 struggles
On the occasion of Worker’s Day, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said that although the past year has been difficult in view of the Covid-19 pandemic and the varied impact it has had on workers, “we must ensure that after the pandemic, th...

Sun, 02 May 2021 07:03:00 +0100
Pharmacies opening today between 9am and noon
Floriana: Floriana Dispensary, 29, Vincenzo Dimech Street; Marsa: Trinity Pharmacy, 32 Marsa Road; Qormi: Tal-Ħlas Pharmacy, Ħelsien Street; Birkirkara (Fleur-de-Lys): Marrit Pharmacy, 1st Mejju Street; Msida: Regional Pharmacy, E. H. Furse...

Sat, 01 May 2021 10:34:00 +0100
Prison agency denies claims of torture made by inmate serving life term
The prison agency has denied claims made by an inmate serving a life term that there is a systematic campaign of terror, fear and torture at the Corradino Correctional Facility.The inmate, who was found guilty of a double murder, requested a magister...

Sat, 01 May 2021 11:48:00 +0100
Watch: Biker in ‘wheelie’ stunt at newly-opened Santa Lucija underpass
Footage of a biker performing a “wheelie” all the way through the Santa Lucija underpass has emerged on the social media.The video, posted on Tiktok (which can be seen below), shows the biker doing the wheelie while someone films him from...

Sat, 01 May 2021 17:03:00 +0100
May Day protesters demand more job protections amid pandemic
Workers and union leaders dusted off bullhorns and flags that had stayed furled during coronavirus lockdowns for slimmed down but still boisterous — and at times violent — May Day marches on Saturday, demanding more labor protections amid...

Sat, 01 May 2021 07:26:00 +0100
Girl, 9, injured in Marsa traffic accident
A girl aged nine was injured and a man was seriously hurt in a traffic accident in Marsa on Friday evening, the police said.The accident took place in Triq il-Karmnu at 11.15pm.It involved a Toyota Auris driven by a 30-year-old man of Qormi, and a Ho...

Sat, 01 May 2021 10:25:00 +0100
Two men arrested in police raid in Marsa
Two men were arrested by the police in a raid carried out in Marsa on Thursday.One of the men, aged 35 of Marsa, was arrested in connection with drug trafficking. The second man, aged 21 of Kalkara, was arrested as he was found to be breaching bail c...

Sun, 02 May 2021 07:22:00 +0100
Substitutes put Inter on brink of Serie A title
A Europa League final in his first season.An almost-certain Serie A trophy in his second year.Just like at Juventus and Chelsea, Antonio Conte is leaving his mark at Inter Milan.The Nerazzurri won at last-placed Crotone 2-0 on Saturday to give themse...

Sun, 02 May 2021 07:20:00 +0100
King to kingmaker: Liverpool can seal EPL title for Man City
Liverpool will like nothing more than to officially hand over its title as English Premier League champion to Manchester City on Sunday.City moved to the brink of reclaiming the league crown by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 on Saturday. One more win wil...

Sat, 01 May 2021 07:48:00 +0100
Sliema kiosk ‘illegal structures’ removed – local council
Illegal structures placed next to a kiosk in Sliema have been removed, the Sliema local council said.In a post on Facebook, the council said it was “pleased to announce that the illegal structures placed on either side of the kiosk at the Stran...

Sat, 01 May 2021 17:07:00 +0100
Charity, military vessels take 800-plus migrants to Italy
A charity group’s ship sailed toward a Sicilian port Saturday with 236 migrants who were rescued in the Mediterranean from human traffickers' boats, while Italian coast guard and border police vessels brought 532 more rescued migrants to a tiny...

Sat, 01 May 2021 09:10:00 +0100
Russia blacklists 8 EU officials in retaliatory action
Russia on Friday blacklisted eight officials from the European Union in retaliation for EU sanctions over the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.The Russian list includes European Parliament President David Sassoli and Vera Jour...

Sat, 01 May 2021 19:26:00 +0100
Bottas takes pole for Portuguese GP, denies Hamilton 100th
Valtteri Bottas took pole position for the Portuguese Grand Prix and denied Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton a record-extending 100th Formula One pole on Saturday.Bottas clinched the 17th of his career and a much-needed one after he crashed in the la...

Sat, 01 May 2021 09:08:00 +0100
The EU should be less confrontational with Russia - Alfred Sant
Former Labour Prime Minister Alfred Sant abstained on a European Parliament resolution on Russia and said that the way forward for the EU and Russia should be less confrontational and more objective.In explaining his vote, Alfred Sant told the E...

Sat, 01 May 2021 07:35:00 +0100
Pfizer, BioNTech seek EU's OK to use COVID vaccine on kids
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech have submitted a request to the European drug regulator for the approval of their coronavirus vaccine to be extended to include children 12 to 15 years old, in a move that could offer younger and less at-risk populations in E...

Sat, 01 May 2021 07:36:00 +0100
UK allows dancing without distancing at nightclub test event
Several thousand music fans on Friday became the first people in Britain in more than a year to legally dance, drink and listen to music in a nightclub, as part of a test to see whether social distancing measures can be eased without triggering new c...

Sat, 01 May 2021 07:54:00 +0100
TMID Editorial: Planning Authority strong with the small, weak with the big
The much-criticised Planning Authority stooped to a new low in the past week.This after it ordered the destruction of a stone garden that a man had, out of his own free will, created out of what was previously pretty much a derelict dump at Top of th...

Sat, 01 May 2021 07:51:00 +0100
Pharmacies opening today between 9am and noon
Valletta: Empire Pharmacy, 77, Old Theatre Street; Ħamrun: Chemimart International Pharmacy, 650, St Joseph High Road; Qormi: Drugshop Dispensary, Vjal De La Cruz; Birkirkara: The Local Dispensary, Kan. K. Pirotta Street; Pietà: St Luke's...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 13:47:00 +0100
Updated: Maltese man who contracted Covid-19 in India passes away
The Maltese man who contracted Covid-19 while he was in India with his wife to finalise details for the adoption of a baby girl has passed away.The Health Ministry confirmed in a statement on Friday that the 47-year-old, who was expected to arrive in...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:35:00 +0100
Updated: Relative of FKNK official let child use shotgun, BirdLife claims; FKNK denies
A hunter has been filmed hunting with a child in Mizieb, BirdLife Malta said in a statement."The suspect in question, as confirmed from last year, is a close relative of a high Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) official, who last year wa...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:03:00 +0100
Michel Rizzo suspends himself as Allied Group managing director
Michel Rizzo has suspended himself from his position as managing direct of Allied Group, as the company expressed its “immeasurable surprise” at the decision to prosecute him and one of its companies, Progress Press, over money laundering...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:59:00 +0100
Malta likely to be on UK’s travel green list from mid-May, British travel expert says
Malta is one of 24 countries which is likely to be included in the United Kingdom’s travel green list as from 17 May, a British travel expert said on Friday.Paul Charles, the CEO of travel consultancy firm PC Agency, said that 24 countries were...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 15:23:00 +0100
Sixth form student councils appeal to government to re-open post-secondary institutions
Three sixth form student councils have issued a joint statement to the government calling for post-secondary institutions to re-open their doors for in-person education.While primary, middle and secondary schools re-opened their doors a few weeks ago...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 12:07:00 +0100
16 new Covid-19 cases found as active cases continue to decline
Sixteen new cases of Covid-19 were found overnight, the health authorities said on Friday.More details were given by Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci during her weekly briefing.The number of active cases is now 331 and the total number of cases ...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:16:00 +0100
Evarist Bartolo rails against PN MEPs over European Parliament resolution
Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo railed against the Nationalist Party and its MEPs over a European Parliament resolution yesterday which he described as an “attack on Malta.”In his daily morning missive, Bartolo said that the PN h...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 14:26:00 +0100
PN hackers extend deadline, but party insists it will not negotiate
Hackers who got into the Nationalist Party’s IT systems and stole party and company data have given the party a week-long extension to meet its demands, but the PN remains insistent that it will not negotiate.The situation dates back to last we...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 12:16:00 +0100
Police to charge three in relation to illegal villa party
Three people are expected to be charged in court over the organisation of a lockdown-breaching birthday party earlier this month.The birthday party, which took place earlier this month and was exposed after some attendees uploaded footage online, dre...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 12:39:00 +0100
Magistrate raps police ‘inefficiency’ in Zurrieq double-decker tragedy case
A magistrate has rapped the prosecution in the compilation of evidence against the driver of a double decker bus that was involved in a fatal accident in 2018.Charles D’Amato stands accused of involuntary homicide. Two people had died when the ...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:29:00 +0100
‘Barbarians at Mdina’s Gates’, NGOs warn after hotel approval
Heritage and environment NGOs Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar and Moviment Graffitti have condemned the Planning Authority decision, to conditionally approve the construction of a 6-storey hotel on Saqqajja hill. The site is ...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:25:00 +0100
Workers’ Day: ‘working for the good of the community’ - ADPD
Serving the community during the Covid-19 pandemic is a way for students to learn that knowledge and skills gained through study can and should be used for the good of communities, the Greens' Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo saidHe was accompanied by Ra...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 17:43:00 +0100
MEP Alex Agius Saliba appointed S&D Coordinator in reform process of European Parliament plenary
The Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba was appointed by the Socialists and Democrats to present the political group in a new reflection process "Parliament after the COVID-19 pandemic."The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, launched the i...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:06:00 +0100
India's COVID-19 human crisis spirals with record new cases
India’s coronavirus cases climbed again Friday, prompting the army to open up its hospitals in a desperate bid to control a massive humanitarian crisis created by an acute shortage of beds, medicines and oxygen.With 386,452 new cases, India now...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 08:12:00 +0100
‘We received messages from members on the brink of suicide’ – MEIA President
Artists simply cannot go and find another job, Howard Keith Debono, president of the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association, told The Malta Business Weekly."Their craft is something they have perfected over the years, often an extension of...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 14:23:00 +0100
Covid-19 pandemic offers way to build a better society
The Covid-19 pandemic offers the possibility to build a better society, Professor Simone Borg, who heads a steering committee for a post-pandemic strategy, said on Friday.During the first couple of months of this year the Steering Committee for the P...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 14:03:00 +0100
Air Malta launches Summer 2021 schedule with 20 destinations
Air Malta has launched its summer flight schedule with a planned operation to 20 cities.The airline said that, during the six-month program (covering May till October 2021), it will operate 3,012 flights and will offer for sale over half a million se...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:08:00 +0100
Israeli rescue service: 44 killed in stampede at festival
A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in northern Israel killed at least 44 people and injured some 150 others early Friday, medical officials said, in one of the country's deadliest civilian disaster...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 13:56:00 +0100
€10 million investment in Bulebel industrial area will create 100 jobs – Silvio Schembri
The Bulebel industrial zone will benefit from an investment of more than €10 million. An investment which will lead to the creation of 100 new full-time jobs, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri announced on Friday.Speaking on the 50th anniversary ...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 09:29:00 +0100
TMID Editorial: Speaker’s abstention - Consenting to ethics breaches
Once again, Parliament’s ethics committee has been rendered toothless, this time through the Speaker’s vote, or rather, the absence of one. Anglu Farrugia decided to abstain on a vote on whether the committee should adopt a report, by Sta...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:13:00 +0100
EU Parliament: COVID-19 pass should guarantee free movement
European lawmakers said Thursday that COVID-19 certificates aimed at facilitating travel across the European Union should be enough to move freely this summer, a position likely to clash with member states' prerogatives in their upcoming negotiations...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:06:00 +0100
Two Allied Newspapers Group officials plead not guilty to fraud, money laundering; bail granted
Allied Group managing director Michel Rizzo and the company's former financial controller Claude Licari have been charged with money laundering and fraud.The pair were arraigned in court on Thursday as part of a sprawling police investigation followi...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:19:00 +0100
Malta passes Moneyval test after addressing anti-money laundering shortcomings
Malta has passed the Moneyval assessment after strengthening its ant-money laundering regime, government sources have confirmed.The Council of Europe body had given Malta until last year to conduct an overhaul of its anti-money laundering legislation...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:41:00 +0100
27 Covid-19 cases reported as 31 recover
27 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Thursday.31 people meanwhile have recovered from the virus, meaning that the number of active cases has decreased marginally to 370.For the fourth consecutive day, no new deaths related ...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:53:00 +0100
Plans for hotel on Saqqajja hill conditionally approved
A hotel on Saqqajja hill, partly replacing the site of the Tattingers club, has been conditionally approved by the Planning Authority,.The 81-room hotel plan received a non-executable permit, which will only be confirmed if the necessary geological s...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 18:05:00 +0100
Tumas Gaming fined €233,000 after FIAU finds several compliance breaches
Tumas Group’s gaming arm Tumas Gaming has been fined €233,156 by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) after it identified a number of compliance breaches in its operation.The penalties were imposed in particular over breaches of...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 17:22:00 +0100
PA defends enforcement notice issued against Gharghur ‘rock garden’
The Planning Authority has defended its decision to issue an enforcement order of “illegal” structures built by rock gardener at Gharghur, saying that the contravenor had agreed to remove the structures “voluntarily.”Public ou...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 10:38:00 +0100
Watch: Falzon ‘convinced’ internal scrutiny will be carried out on irregular SVP €274m contract
Social solidarity Minister Michael Falzon said today he is convinced that “internal scrutiny” will be carried out into a highly irregular €274 million Saint Vincent de Paul contract.The contract was given to a consortium formed by Ja...

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:15:00 +0100
Man United beat Roma 6-2, on course for Europa League final
Manchester United handed Roma another heavy beating at Old Trafford, winning 6-2 Thursday thanks to doubles from Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes to move in sight of the Europa League final.Fourteen years after getting thrashed 7-1 in the Champions...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 21:13:00 +0100
90-year-old grievously injured after crash between ambulance and construction truck
A 90-year-old woman suffered grievous injuries after the ambulance she was in was involved in a crash with a construction vehicle.Police said on Thursday that at around 3pm, a crash occurred between an ambulance and a construction truck in Triq l-Ass...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:18:00 +0100
Prices of ‘large amount’ of medicines reduced to increase accessibility and affordability
The prices of a 'large amount' of medicinal products will be reduced in order to increase accessibility and affordability for Maltese and Gozitan citizens, Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Clayton Bartolo announced on Thursday afternoon.I...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 17:09:00 +0100
Government not distributing laptops to educators is ‘shameful’ – MUT
The government’s lack of distribution of laptops to educators in state and church schools is ‘shameful’, the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) has said in a press statement.In 2016, the government announced a €15.4 million investme...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 09:48:00 +0100
MEPs pass resolution on Malta’s rule of law, stress need to investigate all corruption allegations
Members of the European Parliament have adopted a resolution stating that all allegations of corruption and fraud in Malta, especially at a high political level, should be investigated and prosecuted with the appropriate rigour and at the appropriate...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 11:49:00 +0100
PA orders destruction of ‘Top of the World’ stone garden
The Planning Authority has ordered a stone garden in an area known as ‘Top of the World’ in Gharghur to be destroyed, stating that the development is illegal.The man who made it his daily vocation to take care of the area – which wa...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 08:32:00 +0100
Yorgen Fenech is the only mastermind in Caruana Galizia murder, Melvin Theuma insists
Self-confessed middleman in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Melvin Theuma, has insisted today that “only Yorgen Fenech” had masterminded the murder.At a point in his three-hour-long testimony in the compilation of evidence against t...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:26:00 +0100
42% of people aged 40 and over have received their first vaccine dose - Fearne
42% of people aged 40 and over have received their first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne has announced.Fearne shared the statistic on his Twitter page, where he also announced that 67% of those age...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:37:00 +0100
Maltese trust police, media less than EU average, but have more faith in health system
58% of Maltese respondents in a Eurobarometer survey said they trust the police, while the health sector has a much higher trust rating of 85%.By comparison, EU citizens in general trust the police more than the Maltese (69%) but trust the health ser...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 08:37:00 +0100
Summer looking positive for businesses, ‘but uncertainty still looms’ – Chamber of SMEs
With the way things are turning out and the strategy in place for Malta, summer is looking positive for small and medium sized businesses, CEO of the Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Abigail Mamo told The Malta Independent. Howeve...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 07:37:00 +0100
UK authorities ask for further paperwork to justify request for Adrian Hillman extradition
UK authorities have asked for more paperwork to justify Malta’s request for extradition proceedings to start against Adrian Hillman, Times of Malta reports.The UK’s National Crime Agency is reviewing the application to have the former All...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 10:16:00 +0100
Carmelo Abela indicates case closed on ethics breach allegation
Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela has said that the process over his alleged breach of ethics regarding adverts which appeared in local media has now been "exhausted."Writing on Facebook, Abela said that after the process...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 07:09:00 +0100
More than half of Europeans should have received virus vaccine in two months
More than half of Europe's population should have received the coronavirus vaccine in the next two months, allowing governments to consider easing lockdown rules for those who've been immunized, the head of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech said...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 07:40:00 +0100
Malta Enterprise supports first European Medical Cannabis Tech Accelerator in Malta
Malta Enterprise said it is supporting TechforCann EU with   €2.5 million to establish the first European tech accelerator for the medical cannabis industry, in Malta. The funding will support startups  setting up in Malta, who ar...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 08:39:00 +0100
TMID Editorial: Migrants – These lives matter too
With Covid-19 still taking up much of the public’s attention, little space and thought were given to the latest migrant tragedy.In the past days, a boat carrying 130 persons capsized in the sea north of Libya, and it is believed that all the oc...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 11:29:00 +0100
Number of social security dependent citizens dips drastically
Recent statistics published by the National Statistics office (NSO) show that through new social security measures, the amount of people living of social benefits has reduced drastically. During a press conference Thursday, Minister for Family, Child...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 16:46:00 +0100
€274 million Saint Vincent de Paul contract slammed by National Audit Office
The National Audit Office has expressed doubt on whether a €274 million tender awarded to a consortium to manage four blocks at Saint Vincent de Paul secured value for money.The NAO also found that no political authorisation to enter into a nego...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 09:49:00 +0100
Nomination of Martin Sammut as European Delegated Prosecutor accepted by CEP
The College of European Prosecutors has accepted the nomination of Dr Martin Sammut to act as Malta’s European Delegated Prosecutor, the government said.This role falls within the structures of the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO) esta...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 16:41:00 +0100
Less than 24 hours to go before hackers’ deadline, PN says it took all necessary precautions
With less than 24 hours to go before the deadline set by a hacker group that threatened to publish sensitive documents obtained by breaching the PN's IT systems, the Nationalist Party's Secretary General Francis Zammit Dimech said that "we have taken...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 16:47:00 +0100
Government recently avoided 'toxic' Nexia BT even when they won tenders, Brian Tonna claims
The government has in the past couple of years actively avoided Nexia BT, even when the audit company won tenders like any other company, on the basis that the company had become “toxic”, Brian Tonna claimed on Wednesday.Speaking at parli...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 21:41:00 +0100
Authorities investigating case of thrombosis by person who received Covid-19 vaccine
The health authorities are investigating a case of thrombosis by a person who has recently taken the Covid-19 vaccine.The health ministry said the person, 58, suffered a blood clot two weeks after taking the first dose of the vaccine. It did not spec...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 18:58:00 +0100
Standards Commissioner’s report on Carmelo Abela not adopted after Speaker abstains vote
Speaker Anglu Farrugia abstained his vote regarding the report published by the Standards Commissioner which suggested that Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela breached ethics, which means that the report will not be adopte...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:35:00 +0100
15 new Covid-19 cases found, no new deaths for fourth day running
15 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Wednesday, while no new deaths related to the virus were reported for the fourth consecutive day.41 people meanwhile have recovered, meaning that the number of active cases has now decre...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 09:35:00 +0100
Former police superintendent arrested on suspicion of leaking information about Daphne murder
Former Economic Crimes Unit superintendent Ray Aquilina has reportedly been arrested in connection with an investigation into leaks of information about the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder.The Times of Malta reported that Aquilina was taken in for poli...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 16:15:00 +0100
Eurobarometer: 53% of Maltese satisfied with government’s handling of Covid pandemic
53% of Maltese respondents in the latest Eurobarometer survey said they are very satisfied or fairly satisfied with the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.44% stated that they were not very satisfied or not satisfied at all.In th...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 20:25:00 +0100
Two children grievously injured in Mgarr crash
Two young children were grievously injured in a traffic accident in Mgarr on Wednesday morning.The accident took place at around 8am in Triq San Pawl, the police said.Preliminary investigations showed that a Toyota Funcargo driven by a 70-year-old wo...

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 07:12:00 +0100
Man City rally to win 2-1 at PSG in first leg of Champions League semifinal
Paris Saint-Germain lost its composure and the match as Manchester City rallied to win 2-1 away from home in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Wednesday.PSG led 1-0 through captain Marquinhos’ early header from a corner, but ...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:30:00 +0100
Watch: Hunter shoots down protected turtle dove at Chadwick Lakes
A Maltese hunter was caught on video shooting a protected turtle dove.Footage of the incident was uploaded to Twitter by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS).It said the footage was taken by one of its teams in the field at Chadwick Lakes.The ...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:39:00 +0100
Hunter granted bail after pleading not guilty to shooting Honey Buzzard
A 44-year-old hunter has pleaded not guilty to a string of hunting charges, including shooting down a protected Honey Buzzard.The incident allegedly took place on Tuesday at Mizieb.Jimmy Muscat, 44, was released on bail.Police inspector Elliott Magro...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:44:00 +0100
Modernist Balzan house to be demolished in favour of apartment block
A modernist house in Balzan has been handed its death knell after the Planning Commission approved its demolition and replacement with a five-storey block of apartments.The building on Old Railway Street in the quiet village will make way for a maiso...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:31:00 +0100
All MTA licence fees for 2021 waived as government seeks to support tourism industry
All licence fees of agencies falling under the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) will be cancelled for the rest of the year, Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Clayton Bartolo announced on Wednesday afternoon.This move, Bartolo continued, will ...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:44:00 +0100
PN to present plans to electorate regarding economic sector in coming weeks – Grech
The Nationlist Party will be presenting a number of proposals to the electorate regarding new sectors for the economy which will aim to protect the environment and avoid making any profit from precarious work, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said.&nb...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:18:00 +0100
NGOs to inform Council of Europe on ‘draconian’ fundraising rules
A newly-set up action group representing voluntary organisations is going ahead with plans to tell the Council of Europe about the new ‘draconian’ fund raising rules.Robert Aquilina, from the Voluntarjat Action Group, described the new ru...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 11:29:00 +0100
7,966 passengers came to Malta on cruise liners in first quarter of 2021
Total cruise passenger traffic during the first quarter of 2021 amounted to 7,966 passengers, a decrease of 80.2% over the corresponding period in 2020, the National Statistics Office said.During the first quarter of 2021, there were 9 cruise liner c...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 10:51:00 +0100
Face mask requirements can be relaxed when fully-vaccinated people meet – ECDC
People who are fully vaccinated and meet each other do not need to wear masks, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said.This comes a few hours after the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also suggested that ...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:25:00 +0100
FKNK suspends hunter arrested for allegedly shooting down protected bird
The Federation for Hunting and Conservation Malta (FKNK) has suspended the membership of a hunter who was arrested by police for allegedly shooting down a protected bird on Tuesday.In a statement, the FKNK said that they had suspended the hunter&rsqu...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:12:00 +0100
Man seriously injured in Birkirkara fire
A man was seriously injured in a fire which developed in a private residence in Birkirkara early on Wednesday, the police said.The fire developed in a house in Papa Piju XII at around midnight.The 55-year-old man, who lives in Balzan, suffered seriou...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:18:00 +0100
India tops 200,000 dead as virus surge breaks health system
India crossed a grim milestone Wednesday of 200,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of new infections tears through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelms health care systems on the brink of collapse.The health minist...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:25:00 +0100
Brussels bracing for illegal festival amid fears of violence
Brussels prosecutor's office warned potential partygoers they should stay away from an unauthorized gathering planned this weekend in one of the city's biggest parks as police briefly detained one of the organizers on Tuesday.After an April Fools&rsq...

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:53:00 +0100
TMID Editorial: That boy’s letter to Metsola
We had a heart-wrenching story a few days ago.Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola used her Facebook page to speak about a letter she received from a six-year-old boy, who described how some of his colleagues at school were going hungry because their pare...



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