Seventy per cent of Malta’s adult population is now fully vaccinated, Health Minister Chris Fearne said today.This means that they have received two doses of the Pfizer, Astra Zeneca or Moderna vaccines, or the one dose of the Johnson & Joh...

Malta will recognise UK Covid vaccine certificates from the 1st of July, a health ministry spokesperson told The Malta Independent.The UK government announced Thursday that British citizens returning from Malta, and people visiting the UK from Malta,...

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has highlighted three points which Malta must fulfil in order to move off the grey list of financial jurisdictions.In a press conference on Friday, meeting president Marcus Pleyer explained that even though good...

The Maltese government has stuck its description of the FATF’s decision to greylist Malta as undeserved, but has committed to addressing the shortcomings raised by the international body in the “shortest time frame possible.”In a st...

The head of the World Health Organization said the COVID-19 delta variant, first seen in India, is “the most transmissible of the variants identified so far,” and warned it is now spreading in at least 85 countries.At a press briefing on ...

A biker was grievously injured on Friday afternoon in a traffic accident in Zejtun, the police said.The accident took place in Ghar Dalam Street at 5.45pm.It involved a Yamaha bike and a Toyota Passo, driven by a 27-year-old woman of Rabat.The biker,...

Nature Trust (Malta) is appealing to all beach users at night, to enjoy the beach but use the beach responsibly. While many go to enjoy a nice evening on the sand there are small irresponsible groups that tend to flood the beaches with noise and...

Italy’s unbeaten streak won’t last forever, and Austria coach Franco Foda is plotting to be the one to stop it.The Italians have become one of the favorites at the European Championship after winning all three of their games in the group ...

After three emotional European Championship matches in Copenhagen, Denmark will next play in a city that Christian Eriksen once called home.The Danes will take on Wales in the round of 16 at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Saturday, a stadium where Eriksen...

Five new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Friday from over 3,000 swab tests.Three people meanwhile have recovered from the virus, while no new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.This means that Malta currently has 29 ac...

The Health Ministry has confirmed that measures relating to the wearing of face masks will be relaxed on 1 July for those who are fully vaccinated, while bars, restaurants, band clubs, and snack bars will, from Monday, be allowed to remain open until...

Balzan’s mayor Ian Spiteri has stepped down from his post for personal reasons.Spiteri announced the news on his personal profile on Friday morning, saying that he was very sad to share the news.He will be stepping down both as mayor and as cou...

Children aged between 12 and 15 years old will start receiving their Covid-19 vaccine invitations as from today, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced on Friday.They are the latest cohort to start receiving the jab after the vaccination programme wa...

Airlines and holiday providers on Friday expressed frustration with the U.K.’s plans to ease travel restrictions, saying uncertainty about how and when the new rules will be implemented make it difficult for people to book summer vacations.The ...

159 people were still unaccounted for Friday, a day after an oceanside condominium building collapsed into a pile of rubble, and searchers combing through a twisted, shifting pile of concrete and metal feared the death toll of at least four could go ...

Malta may have been placed on the UK’s green list on Thursday, but British people visiting Malta still have to quarantine, at least for the time being.This is because Malta currently only recognises vaccination certificates issued by the Maltes...

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) said it expected a steady recovery in the tourism sector this summer.Welcoming the news that Malta has been added to UK’s green list, MHRA President Tony Zahra stated that, &ldq...

Maltese businesses do not deserve a grey listed country, the Chamber of SMEs said Friday.It was reacting to reports that Malta has been placed on the grey list by the Financial Action Task Force.The fact that Malta has carried out an impressive level...

No one was injured in an armed hold-up that took place in Birkirkara on Friday but the robber fled with a wad of cash. The case took place at a lotto shop in Triq Dun Filippu at around 9:45am, the police said.The assailant, wearing a mask and armed w...

A motorcyclist was grievously injured on Friday in an accident involving two other cars.The accident took place in Triq l-Ingiered in Luqa at around 9:15am, the police said.The casualty, 29, from Luqa, was riding a Ducati Monster.The motorcycle was i...

Civil society NGO Repubblika has filed a constitutional case asking the courts to declare that corruption in the Electrogas contract is leading consumers to pay extra on their energy bills. It is also asking the court to order that consumers be refun...

The United Kingdom has added Malta to its green travel list, with the British government revealing the news on Thursday night.The Maltese government responded with a statement on Thursday night stipulating that only those with a vaccination certifica...

With a maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees celsius, Malta was the hottest place in Europe on Thursday.An image posted by popular Facebook page Maltese Islands Weather, which is known for its expert insight into the weather in and around Malta, showed...

The global financial watchdog’s decision to grey list Malta on Wednesday came as no surprise to anyone. The writing was on the wall. Despite the government’s best efforts to lobby in Malta’s favour, and despite the positive reforms ...

Commissioner for Standards in Public Life George Hyzler has said that his office cannot investigate a complaint against PL MP Rosianne Cutajar over bags of oranges which she handed out as gifts because the matter is under investigation by the police ...

As more people scratch the itch to travel, the check-in and welcomers’ halls at Malta International Airport are becoming increasingly busy.Passenger numbers have, in fact, already increased by 20 per cent since the reopening of tourism on 1 Jun...

Another 40 people have fallen victim to email or SMS scams, with scammers pulling just over €50,000 out of the bank accounts of these victims in just the last 24 hours.Police said in a statement that it was receiving record amounts of reports of...

Three new Covid-19 cases were reported by health authorities on Thursday.Two people, meanwhile, have also recovered from the virus.  With no new deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, the number of active cases currently stands at 27.2,271 swab t...

Labour Party exponent and diehard Mario Philip Azzopardi has described the party’s primetime political show ‘Pjazza’ as “nauseating” to the point that it follows the propaganda style famously mentioned in George Orwell d...

Three Maltese MEPs have voted against a report which calls on member states to protect and enhance women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, and labels total bans on abortion as human rights violations.PN MEPs David Casa and Roberta Me...

The Nationalist Party ‘reserves the right’ to take all appropriate action against the Governor of the Central Bank, Edward Scicluna, “including asking for his resignation or filing a motion of no confidence in parliament,” Opp...

The health authorities will be administering the second AstraZeneca dose earlier than planned to 7,000 people “as a precaution against the Indian Delta variant”, the Malta Independent is informed.People who received the first dose and who...

97% of adults with Maltese citizenship consider Maltese as their first language, a survey published on Thursday revealed.The survey, which saw the participation of 1,025 people between the ages of 18 and 80, was carried out by the National Council fo...

The away-goals rule was abolished Thursday by UEFA after 56 years as a fundamental way of deciding matches in its European club competitions.The move was often proposed in recent years by club coaches who felt an idea from the 1960s was no longer rel...

Marco Gaffarena has lost an appeal he had filed over his attempt to force the sale of part of an Old Mint Street Property, which was part of an expropriation scandal.The government had paid the businessman €1.65 million for part-ownership of the...

Three new schemes to help businesses which were forced to shut their doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic have been announced by the government.The three schemes, which are part of the government’s economic recovery plan, will together see an inv...

As the temperature continues to rise, the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate has advised the public on the importance of taking the necessary precautions to stay healthy and avoid adverse consequences from the effects of the heat."It...

The impunity and corruption that characterised the political scene and Maltese institutions over the past years, as well as the decision by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to grey list Malta are exposing the lives on many families to great ris...

What should I know about the delta variant?It’s a version of the coronavirus that has been found in more than 80 countries since it was first detected in India. It got its name from the World Health Organization, which names notable variants af...

During the first quarter of 2021, the Labour Force Survey estimates that 263,400 people were employed, 1.1% less when compared to the previous year, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.In a statement issued on Thursday, the NSO said that this a...

Kylian Mbappé scored the most goals in France last season, and Harry Kane did likewise in the Premier League.It’s not just the fact that neither Paris Saint-Germain nor Tottenham won their leagues that links them. Nor the fact that both ...

The U.K.’s travel industry held a day of action Wednesday, pressing the British government to allow more quarantine-free travel and provide cash-strapped businesses with much-needed financial support.Hundreds of industry workers, including trav...

Members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have voted to grey list Malta in a vote taken during a plenary session on Wednesday. The move, which has been widely expected, could have negative consequences on Malta’s financial services and ...

The FATF’s decision to grey list Malta was “unjust” and “undeserved,” Prime Minister Robert Abela said this evening. Addressing a press conference alongside Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, Abela said he would have prefer...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech called on the government to work with the opposition by setting up a national task force with the goal of placing Malta back on the FATF white list as soon as possible. Following reports made by the media regardin...

 Sydney was going through one the “scariest” times of the pandemic as a cluster of the highly contagious delta variant infects more people, an Australian state leader said on Thursday.New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said s...

A motorcyclist was grievously injured on Thursday morning when the bike she was on was involved in a collision in Msida.The police said the accident took place at 3am in Tal-Qroqq Street.It involved a Peugeot Kisbee bike and a Citroen C1, driven by a...

In 1978, Viv Anderson became the first black footballer to play for England. It was a huge breakthrough and, when it happened, the English media had given it great importance. Anderson earned 30 caps over the following 10 years.Anderson’s prese...

The police have charged Keith Testa, 29, and accountant Carlos Dimech, 27, in their personal capacity and as directors of Pietà Marina Caterers Ltd which operates the restaurant Onda Blu in Pietà, in connection with suspected ...

The news that Malta has been grey listed by the Financial Action Task Force has dealt a devastating blow for the Maltese economy which will stretch its resilience to its limit, the Malta Employers' Association said.Unlike the COVID pandemic, this cri...

The line-up for the round of 16 at the European Championship has been completed with some standout matches.England will play Germany at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday and defending champion Portugal will face top-ranked Belgium in Seville on Sunday.World...

The second-half subs saved Germany’s day at the European Championship.Leon Goretzka scored in the 84th minute after Timo Werner’s shot was blocked following a run through the defense from Jamal Musiala.That gave the Germans a 2-2 draw wit...

Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals are adding up fast, and they are taking Portugal deeper into yet another tournament.Ronaldo scored two penalties Wednesday to help the defending champions secure a 2-2 draw with France and give the team a spot in the r...

In a grilling during a Public Account Committee (PAC) meeting where barely any answers were provided, Paul Apap Bologna, a former Electrogas director, remained mum when asked whether “he plays table tennis” with former Prime Minister Jose...

No new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Wednesday.One person meanwhile has recovered from the virus, and with no deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, Malta currently has 26 active cases.1,692 swab tests were done on Tuesday...

Multiple media outlets in the United Kingdom are reporting that Malta could be one of two destinations added to the UK’s green travel list as early as tomorrow.First reported by The Times and later picked up by the Independent and the Mirror, a...

Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli has launched a new scheme to support family businesses in Malta by providing them the opportunity to hire professionals who can help them draw up a strong succession plan. ...

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said that €3 million worth of vouchers have already been used by the Maltese public since the scheme was introduced on 7 June.The second voucher scheme was introduced by the government to encourage public spendin...

The Court has found human rights violations against Christopher Bartolo, a kidney transplant patient who was sentenced to a five-year jail term in 2017 for trafficking cannabis.Under its jurisdiction as a Constitutional Court, the First Hall Civil Co...

A 32-year-old man from Valletta was arrested by the police for suspected drug trafficking.The man was arrested by the Drug Squad, assisted by the Rapid Intervention Unit.After days of surveillance, the police on Tuesday stopped a vehicle on Triq Borg...

Robert Lewandowski had just headed the ball off the crossbar twice in as many seconds when it landed back at his feet.Standing right in front of Sweden's goal, surely the world player of the year couldn’t fail to score again? Incredibly, he cou...

A bizarre blunder by the goalkeeper helped Spain find its scoring touch at the European Championship.And it also helped them advance to the round of 16.An embarrassing own-goal by goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka in the first half put Spain on its w...

A 30-year old Nepalese man from Qormi was taken to Mater Dei Hospital after being injured in a traffic accident.The accident took place in Triq il-Kbira San Ġużepp in Ħamrun, at around 11:30am.The police said there was a collision betw...

A damaged underground cable has led to a power cut in the central part of Malta, Enemalta said.In a statement on its Facebook page, Enemalta said that its engineers and technicians are working to repair the damage which led to a power cut in Naxxar, ...

A Briton who drowned in Qawra last week had moved to Malta to start a new life, the Mirror reports.He was also due to get married later this year.Stephen Martin Thomas, 63, was pronounced dead after being pulled from the water in Qawra on 12 June.The...

A man was taken to hospital with grievous injuries following a fight in Marsa, the police said.The incident took place in Triq it-Tigrija at 10.50pm on Tuesday.The man, aged 44 of Qormi, was involved in a fight with another man and a woman, aged 40 a...

After enjoying nearly four months without any community transmission of the coronavirus, New Zealanders were on edge Wednesday after health authorities said an infectious traveler from Australia had visited over the weekend.New Zealand has taken a ze...

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is set to vote on whether or not Malta will be grey-listed later on today.Despite the fact that Malta passed the Moneyval test after introducing a raft of reforms, particularly to fight money laundering, the cou...

A 17-year-old boy was injured on Tuesday evening when the bike he was riding was involved in a crash in Rabat.The accident took place in Triq il-Hobbejza on Tuesday at 6pm.It involved the biker, of Rabat, and a Toyota Starlet driven by a 32-year-old ...

Ponte Ferries’ high-speed craft, HSC Artemis, will operate daily return trips to the conveniently located port of Augusta from August 6.The 96m-long catamaran – which comfortably accommodates 600 passengers and features a deck for both ca...

A motorcyclist was grievously injured on Wednesday morning when he lost control of the Yamaha bike he was riding a crashed, the police said.The accident took place in Valletta Road, Rabat, at 1.30am.The biker, aged 30 of Mosta, was taken to hospital ...

Through the Empowering Children Campaign, during the month of July 2021 Malta Public Transport will donate the full registration fee for the Child Tallinja Card to the Malta Trust Foundation. The campaign contributes to a project by the foundation ra...

The Chamber of Advocates has felt the need, once again, to issue a statement expressing its disappointment that lawyers were still the subject of attacks “in sections of the media” and “on the social media”. These attacks, it ...

At least England now knows it can rely on Raheem Sterling for goals.The scoring touch missing at his last three tournaments has been rediscovered on home territory, and it gave his team first place in its group.It was Sterling's second goal at Euro 2...

The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) and the Institute for Education (IfE) have come together to set up a Masters course in STEM Education and Engagement. The initiative was taken in response to the growing demand of educational instit...

The message communicated by government advertisements should be of sufficient relevance to justify the public funds spent on it, according to draft guidelines issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. The guidelines, whic...

Five new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Tuesday.One person meanwhile has recovered, meaning that the number of active cases currently stands at 27.No deaths related to the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours.1,649 swab ...

A demonstration by artists that was planned for Thursday evening has been suspended, but the event could be back on if no agreement is reached with the authorities. The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) had planned to hold...

Suspended Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar has called out Repubblika’s “double standards,” saying the NGO remained silent when PN MP Jason Azzopardi donated food to a women’s charity located in his district.Last week, ...

The Degiorgio brothers have filed two cases against the President’s decision to refuse their request for a presidential pardon.George and Alfred Degiorgio – both accused of being hitmen behind the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia – ...

The Sliema local council has clamped down on the use of e-scooters on the town promenade, saying that a number of avoidable incidents had taken place involving the illegal use of such vehicles.The council said in a statement that it had received nume...

An English man who was reported missing last month has been found 'safe and well', police said on Tuesday.57-year-old Gerry Eaton was reported missing on 23 May after being last seen near his residence in Mellieha.Police said in a statement that Eato...

A new scheme by Malta Enterprise will allow businesses to benefit from up to €20,000 to reduce the use of plastic.Malta Enterprise has launched a scheme to support retail shops and businesses who want to reduce single-use-plastics in their opera...

Luka Modrić lurked on the edge of the area, waiting for the ball to come to him before perfectly stroking it into the top corner with the outside of his boot.At 35, this may well be the Croatia captain's last European Championship, and he doesn&...

The south of Malta found itself in traffic gridlock on Tuesday morning after shoddy work by a contractor at the Santa Venera tunnel.An Infrastructure Malta spokesman said that a contractor had cleared a water culvert in preparation for resurfacing wo...

The Malta Developers Association (MDA) said in a statement that it is closely monitoring the serious threat of Malta being grey listed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).On Wednesday, the FATF is expected to take a decision on whether or not t...

Thunderstorms brought a much-needed cooldown to parts of Western Europe over the weekend as the continent sweltered under its first summer heat wave. Dozens of people were reported drowned as they sought relief from the heat.Forecasters predicted fur...

In the LGC Toxicology Case Study performance report issued in April 2021, which included 21 participating laboratories, Mater Dei’s Toxicology Lab obtained the highest overall performance score, a statement read. “Samples of the Exte...

Two men from Bangladesh were taken to Mater Dei Hospital at 10am on Tuesday, after suffering injuries on a construction site.The accident occurred on Triq Vincenzo Dimech, Floriana. The two men, aged 40 and 24, were injured as stones fell on them. Bo...

UEFA has declined the Munich city council’s application to have its stadium illuminated in rainbow colors for Germany’s final European Championship group game against Hungary on Wednesday.The governing body said in a statement Tuesday tha...

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said Monday that he will be spending the next 48 hours trying to persuade “those who need convincing” that Malta deserves to pass the FATF test. Malta is facing the prospect of being grey listed by the Finan...

The Maltese government wants to position Malta as a flourishing “digital island of the future” and amongst the best global economies, with national competitiveness as its core, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said.Schembri said that such...

It was great to hear that EU institutions are taking the issue of SLAPP lawsuits seriously, and seem to be working on ways to tackle this issue. Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) are aimed at chilling free speech. It i...

Mask-wearing outdoors in Italy will no longer be required in virtually all of the country starting on June 28.Health Minister Roberto Speranza tweeted Monday night that the mask requirement for outdoors will be eliminated in those parts of Italy in d...

With a place in the round of 16 secured before taking to the field again, England has a chance to rediscover its attacking flair against the Czech Republic on Tuesday at the European Championship.“We’ve got to produce the football that gi...

Weapons, munitions and explosives were found at the bottom of the sea in Rabat on Sunday, police said on Monday.Several reports on Monday afternoon said that the find was linked to Robert and Adrian Agius - better known as the Maksar brothers - who c...

The Daphne Caruana Galizia prize for journalism is set to be launched today at 2pm.Journalists are invited to present their submissions in a competition for outstanding journalism through the European Parliament, with the prize money set at €20,...

The government has once again advised the President to refuse a pardon request by George and Alfred Degiorgio.In a short statement, the government said that it had advised the President not to accept the request for pardon and that it was doing so in...

A webinar discussing ‘Strengthening Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: Freedom of Expression and Information,” took place today, with special attention given to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).Th...

After scoring a goal to help Denmark advance at the European Championship, Joakim Maehle walked straight to a TV camera and formed a “10” with his fingers.That was for Christian Eriksen.Maehle's 82nd-minute goal put some extra gloss on a ...