Covid-19 measures, most notably mask-wearing and social distancing, have resulted in a marked drop in patients contracting respiratory diseases, including influenza and common colds, The Malta Independent was told.Speaking to President of the Medical...

Around 3,000 Moroccans, a third of whom were presumed to be minors according to Spanish authorities, swam and used inflatable boats Monday to cross into Ceuta, the largest number of migrant arrivals in a single day into Spain's enclave in northern Af...

Personal details on over 21,000 current and former PN members have been leaked online after the Nationalist Party refused to pay a ransom to cyberhackers.The data was stolen in March by a group called Avvadon Ransomware.It is understood that the leak...

Drinks were raised in toasts and reunited friends hugged each other as thousands of U.K. pubs and restaurants opened Monday for indoor service for the first time since early January. Yet the prime minister sounded a cautious tone, warning about a mor...

Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar has tested negative for a drug test after a video featuring Cutajar’s partner alongside a man who appears to be taking cocaine surfaced on social media, The Times of Malta has reported.Cutajar and her partner Daniel F...

The investigation that the police is conducting into Minister Carmelo Abela’s alleged involvement in the failed HSBC heist renders his position in the government untenable, and therefore he should "either resign or be kicked out", the PN said i...

 The compilation of evidence against Adrian Agius, his brother Robert Agius, and their associates Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio continues this morning.The Aguis brothers are facing charges of involvement in two murders, including that of Daph...

What is Cryptocurrency?Cryptocurrencies were introduced to the global market in 2009 as a revolutionary new way to make payments. Devoid of any government interference, money held in this peer-to-peer system is in many ways more secure, and not impac...

It’s been just over a week since restaurants and cafes were able to reopen and thus far business seems to have been good.Walking through the streets of Valletta and Sliema, one could see diners sitting at tables again, giving a sense of livelin...

Four new Covid-19 cases were registered on Monday, while 15 people recovered from the virus.This means that the number of active cases has dropped to 147.There have been no new deaths reported, meaning the total stands at 417.424,325 vaccine doses ha...

Alexandra Mamo will become Malta’s first female deputy police commissioner, Minister for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement Byron Camilleri confirmed on Monday.Camilleri confirmed Mamo’s new position in Parliament, after ...

Speaker Anglu Farrugia has urged Standards Commissioner George Hyzler to try and expedite investigations involving Cabinet members who are under suspension, like Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar.The suggestion was made during a meeting of the...

Godfrey Farrugia has been told by the chairperson of Parliament’s health committee that a Bill to decriminalise abortion cannot be discussed at this stage.Farrugia had written to Labour MP Silvio Grixti requesting that the Bill presented by Mar...

Hunting lobby the FKNK have gone to court to protest against what they called the “repeated, systematic and regular spying” by BirdLife Malta activists on their members.In a statement, the FKNK said that it was referring to incidents from...

OPM Minister Carmelo Abela said on Monday he has gone to the police HQ to release a statement about the “calumny” levelled against him by the PN.The Nationalist Party said earlier in the day that the investigation that the police is condu...

President Emeritus and Malta Trust Foundation’s chair Marie Louise Coleiro Preca told The Malta Independent that she is against abortion, but believes that women should not be criminalised for it.This comes after Independent MP Marlene Farrugia...

Independent MP Godfrey Farrugia has asked the Social Affairs Committee to debate the abortion decriminalisation Bill during its next sitting.The Bill was presented by Marlene Farrugia last Wednesday.In a letter to committee chairperson Silvio Parnis,...

The Lija local council has ‘strongly objected’ to a proposed development in the locality, which would see the construction of 65 residential units, comprising of maisonettes, apartments and penthouses as well as 163 garages.The site is lo...

The Tourism Ministry will promote the country as a tourist-friendly one, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced, saying that he wants Malta to be a centre of tourism-excellence.For this reason, the Minister has also announced a think tank in orde...

Last week, 1,078 fines in relation to breaches of Covid-19 measures were issued, the authorities said.809 fines were issued to people for not wearing masks. 160 fines were issued to people for being in groups larger than are allowed by law.Seven cate...

Malta’s Eurovision hopeful Destiny has been given the all-clear to take part in the song contest’s semi-final tomorrow after she and the Maltese delegation tested negative for Covid-19.Destiny, who is one of the favourites to win the comp...

A magistrate leading proceedings in the libel suit instituted by Minister Carmelo Abela against PN MP Jason Azzopardi has been told that the parties have no interest in mediation.Azzopardi claimed that the minister was an accomplice in a failed bank ...

Audit firm PwC had flagged an accounting error found in Progress Press's business proposal to obtain a cash grant from Malta Enterprise on the purchasing of printing equipment.Testifying in court on Monday, two auditors from PwC explained that the co...

Russia will be resuming regular air service with Malta from May 25, the Russian national anti-coronavirus crisis centre said on Friday. This was reported by news agency TASS, a report on a Russian aviation website said.Other countries that will also ...

The first week during which restaurants were allowed to reopen went ‘better than expected’ the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) President Tony Zahra told The Malta Independent.Restaurants and cafés&nbs...

The Medical Association of Malta has called for the withdrawal of the cannabis white paper, saying it is "poorly thought out" and presented without the input of health and social professionals who deal with the after effects of cannabis useIn a ...

The compilation of evidence against brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, and their associates Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio continued on Monday, with several witnesses testifying about the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ca...

Malta has topped the LGBTI rights index by far for the 6th year running, as Prime Minister Robert Abela praised the achievement. “We have strengthened the score from previous years & are committed to keep improving in the years ahead,&...

Malta’s rugby union clubs and a number of student organisations have come together in a joint initiative to encourage youths to get vaccinated against Covid-19.The social media initiative titled #GetVaccinated, which was spearheaded by the Univ...

Malta’s national airline has taken quite a beating over the past year and a half. From troubles with unions, to Covid-19… it has not been an easy journey.The latest news is that performance bonuses of Air Malta’s top management hav...

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri recently donned the fire-fighters’ suit in order to understand the risks that they undertake on a daily basis.Writing on social media, Camilleri said that to understand what one goes through, one needs to s...

Parliament Speaker Angel Farrugia, having witnessed the worsening of the situation on the ground, has called for the immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Israel right now finds itself in conflict with Palesti...

Pounding beats? Check. Uplifting lyrics? Check. Huge, backlit white wings? Check.After last year's Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is roaring back to life this year with coronavirus bubbles added to its hea...

Australia’s oldest-ever man has included eating chicken brains among his secrets to living more than 111 years.Retired cattle rancher Dexter Kruger on Monday marked 124 days since he turned 111, a day older than World War I veteran Jack Lockett...

For the first time in months, Izhaar Hussain Shaikh is feeling somewhat optimistic.The 30-year-old ambulance driver in India’s metropolis of Mumbai has been working tirelessly ever since the city became the epicenter of another catastrophic COV...

Independent MP Marlene Farrugia insists she remains pro-life and still believes that life starts from inception but argues that the decriminalisation of abortion would be a first step in reaching true equality.She also said on this week’s editi...

Travelers in England were packing their bags, bartenders were polishing their glasses and performers were warming up as Britain prepared Sunday for a major step out of lockdown — but with clouds of worry on the horizon.Excitement at the reopeni...

Only two new Covid-19 cases were registered on Sunday, while 21 people recovered from the virus, the health authorities said in their daily update.The number of active cases has thus dropped to 158. No new deaths were registered, meaning that the tot...

Performance bonuses of Air Malta’s top management have been permanently scrapped as a raft of reforms at the Air Malta has been kickstarted by the Executive Chairperson, David Curmi. The Malta Independent on Sunday is informed that Curmi sent a...

In the past years, there has been a strong effort to raise more awareness on the negative effects of tobacco. Campaigns were launched on how smoking cigarettes could cause lung cancer and other physical ailments, some of them fatal. Laws were enacted...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has underlined his stance against the decriminalisation of abortion bill, saying that the Nationalist Party defends the value of life and that "without life, you have absolutely nothing".Following the proposal the bill...

Prime Minister Robert Abela said he could not understand how a major political party did not make any submissions and decided to be absent from the Cannabis White Paper consultation.He was interviewed briefly on ONE Radio.Abela, who is currently in q...

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela said that he expects PN MP Jason Azzopardi to resign 'pushing fabricated lies'.In a Facebook post, the Minister said that he was again asked about "the lie being made about me," in refere...

Well-known Maltese TV director Steven Dalli was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome around eight years ago, but he has practically lived his entire life with the condition. “If I had to live my life over again, I would not change a thing but would...

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson made the 80-meter journey into West Bromwich Albion's penalty area, more in hope than any expectation of scoring the stoppage-time goal that would keep alive his team's chances of qualifying for the Champions League.After...

Milan, Napoli and Juventus will have to wait until the final day of the season to see which two teams qualify for next season’s Champions League.Milan, which is bidding to return to Europe’s elite after an eight-year absence, could only d...

A sit-down "Save Gozo" protest was held in Victoria, Gozo, on Sunday morning to raise awareness about the issue of overdevelopment which is threatening the island.The Save Gozo protest was organised by Gozitan citizens who want to preserve the h...

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) sufferers are not getting the recognition and the help that they deserve, both on a medical and institutional level, two sufferers of the chronic disease told The Malta Independent on Sunday.ME is a multi-system disease...

A 32-year-old man from Iklin was grievously injured in a traffic accident on Siggiewi Road, Zebbug at 11.30am.The man who was riding a motorbike, was involved in a collision with a car driven by a 26-year-old woman from Gozo. The Man was taken to Mat...

English Language Teaching (ELT) service providers are optimistic that this summer will see a rise in foreign students coming to Malta to learn English, an improvement from the intake of ELT students received in 2020.With ELT schools set to open on th...

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela is facing a police investigation into the HSBC heist claims, reports read.PN MP Jason Azzopardi had claimed that Minister Carmelo Abela was promised €300,000 in exchange for hel...

Malta has truly made great progress in the way it is handling the Covid-19 vaccine. There were only four new cases yesterday, and only one case was found the day before. The daily numbers are at their lowest ever since the pandemic reached Malta&rsqu...

The Coronavirus reproduction rate in Malta has decreased to 0.38, which reflects the substantial decrease of positive Covid-19 cases being reported, statistician Vincent Marmara said.In his weekly blog for The Malta Independent on Sunday, Marmara sai...

Charles Camenzuli was born in Vittoriosa on the  14th  June 1955,  son of the late Joseph and Theresa nee’ Camilleri. He is married to Anna since 1978 and has two sons,  Robert and Andrea.Yours truly and Charles have got man...

The Executive Committee of ADPD - The Green Party approved a resolution about abortion in response to the initiative taken buy independent MP Marlene Farrugia in Parliament earlier this week."The Maltese legislation on abortion is not fit for purpose...

Although for many years, Malta has known nothing but peace and tranquility, the island’s history was often quite turbulent, being caught up in numerous conflicts between various foreign powers. But apart from major wars, Malta was often under t...

Two men were stabbed in Marsa early this morning, the police said.The incident took place in Antonio Doublet Street at 12.45am.The two men went to the Hamrun police station to report that they had been attacked by three others.Both of them, aged 28 a...

British health workers, aided by the army, distributed coronavirus tests door-to-door Saturday in two towns in northern England, seeking to contain a fast-spreading variant that threatens plans to lift all lockdown restrictions next month.Cases of a ...

An elderly driver was grievously injured when the car he lost control of the car he was driving, and it overturned, the police said.The accident happened in Marfa Road, Mellieha, on Saturday at 4pm.The 71-year-old man, a Mellieha resident, was taken ...

Four new Covid-19 cases were registered today, while seven patients have recovered, health authorities said.No deaths were recorded for the eighth day in a row, leaving the number of victims at 417.In all, 30,478 cases were found in Malta, with 29,88...

The highly controversial bill proposing the decriminalisation of abortion was presented earlier this week, but its first major hurdle could see it not proceeding any further.On Wednesday, Marlene Farrugia informed Parliament that she was presenting a...

Regular cannabis use is associated with increased risk of schizophrenia, and by impacting brain maturation, may also negatively interact with depression, bipolar mood disorder and anxiety disorders, the Maltese Association of Psychiatrists said....

Valletta: Collis Williams Pharmacy, 15, Republic Street; Ħamrun: The Cross Pharmacy, 859, St Joseph High Road; Qormi: Anici Pharmacy, Anici Street; Birkirkara: St Anne Pharmacy, 24, Sant’Elena Square; Pietà: Charing Pharmacy, Mimosa...

Nationalist MP Toni Bezzina will not be charged over corruption that allegedly took place in 2012.The police have informed him that their investigation was completed and there is no case against him, the Nationalist Party said in a statement.His lawy...

When London’s Science Museum reopens next week, it will have some new artifacts: empty vaccine vials, testing kits and other items collected during the pandemic, to be featured in a new COVID-19 display.Britain isn’t quite ready to consig...

Malta’s chances of moving into England’s green list of countries for safe travel were dealt a blow on Friday as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that a revision was unlikely to happen in the near future.Johnson said that the UK’...

Poles pulled off their masks, hugged their friends and made toasts to their regained freedom as restaurants, bars and pubs reopened for the first time in seven months and the government dropped a requirement for people to cover their faces outdoors.T...

The proposed law presented by MP Marlene Farrugia is a blatant attempt to introduce abortion into Malta, allowing every pregnancy to be terminated by a mother or medical professional, and the baby in the womb destroyed, the Life Networkl Foundation s...

Youri Tielemans was preparing for the FA Cup final on Saturday when he received a text message with a clear instruction: Aim for the top corner.When the ball landed at the Leicester midfielder's feet, 63 minutes into the 140th final, a powerful shot ...

Juventus kept alive its Champions League qualification hopes by winning at Serie A champion Inter Milan 3-2 on Saturday, when Atalanta clinched a place in Europe’s premier competition.Atalanta consolidated second place in the Italian league bea...

The government of Malta announced the first scientific programme—Project Maleth—to be sent to the International Space Station. With great anticipation, this will usher Maltese science into a new era of space science and space diplomacy.To...

Authorities in the Netherlands have revised their travel advice for Malta as from today - Malta is no longer a COVID high-risk area for The Netherlands. This means that when visiting Malta, Dutch citizens will not be required to quarantine for 15 day...

Marsa residents and groups this morning held an activity in which they expressed their concern "at the sudden and unexpected decision to relocate huge oil cleaning tanks, operated by the Falzon Group, to Marsa". Whilst we welcome the removal of ...

President George Vella described Malta as a staunch supporter of a free, open, and secure internet that boasts a huge ability to promote connectivity, enhance social inclusiveness, and foster economic growth. Addressing a virtual summit convened by N...

An e-scooter rider was grievously injured this morning in an accident in Zejtun, the police said.The accident happened in Tal-Barrani Road at around 5.45am.The rider, a 50-year-old man of Zabbar, was involved in a collision with a Peugeot 3008 driven...

The communities of Swieqi and Mellieħa will be benefitting from an investment in embellishment projects in their localities. This was announced by Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia in the presence of t...

The US Food and Drug Administration expanded emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents 12 to 15 years of age on May 10, 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed with...

The news that a Maltese author has been disqualified from taking part in this year's European Union Prize for Literature because his book was published by a media house with a political affiliation caused an uproar in the literary community this week...

Corporate Service Providers (CSP) are gearing up and preparing to face challenges brought on by the introduction of new regulations.The Company Service Providers Act was passed by Parliament as Act No. L of 2020 and published late last year. The Act&...

St Andrew's chapel in Zurrieq has been restored using European Union funds.€30,000, including European funds, were used to give a new lease of life to a seventeenth-century chapel in Żurrieq. European funds are being used to preserve our cu...

The Labour Party has released a statement following the presentation of a motion for a Bill proposing the decriminalisation of abortion by independent MP Marlene Farrugia earlier this week.The PL Parliamentary Group met today to discuss the motion."T...

After Germany reviewed its advice and declared Malta as no longer being 'a Covid-19 risk area,' today, Denmark, as part of its transition to the gradual reopening of tourism activities, announced that Malta will now be the first country in its 'yello...

Caritas Malta has come out in support of the position that persons who use cannabis or are dependent on cannabis (or any other drugs) should not be jailed, however has serious concerns with the Cannabis White PaperIn a statement, Caritas said that it...

President George Vella has told The Malta Independent that his position on the subject of abortion “remains unchanged.”Vella had previously stated that, should a law introducing abortion end up on his desk, he would have “no other o...

Authorities say 17 migrants drowned and two were rescued Thursday after a boat trying to carry them to Europe sank off the Tunisian coast.A naval mission saved two women from Nigeria off the coastal town of Zarzis who said their inflatable boat had s...

The Curia has issued a statement, indicating the form in which feasts will take place for 2021."For 2021, Parish feasts and other religious feasts that take place within Church buildings (Liturgical celebrations) will take place on the normal day the...

Only one new case of Covid-19 was found overnight and no deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours.More details were being given by Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci during her weekly briefing.The number of active cases is now 180 and the total n...

Maybe the replacement for departing Manchester City great Sergio Aguero is already in the squad.Ferran Torres demonstrated his scoring instincts by netting a hat trick as newly crowned champion Manchester City won a record 12th straight away game in ...

Yorgen Fenech, the businessman accused of orchestrating the murder of journalist Daphne Caurana Galizia has claimed that the Public Inquiry appointed in the wake of the murder is prejudicing his fair trial rightsIn a note of observations filed before...

26 human rights entities wrote to Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo, urging the government to "condemn in the strongest terms the continuing occupation of Palestine" by Israel."The number of civilian fatalities, including children, is rising, ...

Gozo Fast Ferry Ltd’s sleek, eco-friendly, high-speed passenger crafts have just arrived from Singapore in time to start operating a shuttle service between Malta and Gozo from June 1.The 40-metre, state-of-the-art vessels, which come at an inv...

Three new Sliema bye-laws have been published. These bye-laws were proposed by the Sliema local council and approved by José Herrera as Minister responsible for Local Government.The catering establishments bye-law comes into force on 7 June, 2...

While most of the Maltese population is currently busy debating a pink Eurovision outfit, a masturbating priest and now a bombshell Private Member’s Bill to decriminalise abortion, a new migration crisis is brewing a few miles off our coast.Whi...

As from 1 June 2021, all Tallinja Cardholders will be able to pay for their fast ferry trips between Malta and Gozo with their Tallinja Card and benefit from discounted fares. Malta Public Transport said in a statement it is teaming up with Gozo Fast...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson voiced anxiety Thursday about a rise in the U.K. of the coronavirus variant first identified in India, after a closely-monitored study of infections in England found it becoming more prevalent — just ahead o...

The Labour Party will pronounce itself on Marlene Farrugia’s Bill on the decriminalisation of abortion after it holds a discussion within its Parliamentary Group. Farrugia presented the Private Member’s Bill in Parliament on Wednesday eve...

There should be no more hiding, no more stigma, no more contempt, Independent MP Marlene Farrugia said about women’s issues, a day after presenting a bill in Parliament proposing the decriminalisation of abortion. Instead, she said, there shoul...

A court hearing the case of a police inspector accused of divulging confidential information to a lawyer has been told that the information supposedly leaked consisted of information available on the electoral register.Police Inspector Elton Taliana,...

Archbishop Charles Scicluna delivered an indirect response to independent MP Marlene Farrugia's bill proposing the decriminalisation of abortion, stating that the womb is a sacred place.During his homily in mass, the Archbishop said: "The womb is a s...