The Malta College of Family Doctors said it is disheartening that Malta cannot set a target of herd immunity, made up of the combined vaccinees and those with natural immunity from prior COVID-19 infection, as the official statistics for the populati...

A man was grievously hurt on Thursday evening when he fell off scaffolding, the police said.The accident took place at 6.30pm in Dun Xard Street, Dingli.The 58-year-old man, who lives in Dingli, was taken to hospital with grievous injuries.

Police in southwest England said six people were killed, including the suspected shooter, in the city of Plymouth Thursday in a “serious firearms incident” that wasn't terror-related.Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement on Twitte...

Stifling heat kept its grip on much of Southern Europe on Thursday, driving people indoors at midday, spoiling crops, triggering drinking water restrictions, turning public libraries into cooling “climate shelters” and complicating the al...

This Maltese summer has heralded three separate heat waves, with temperatures rising above the 40 degrees Celsius mark becoming more and more of a frequent occurrence.Many have found it difficult to cope with the heat, preferring to seek refuge in th...

The compact surroundings of the recently built, 17,250-seat Brentford Community Stadium will usher in another Premier League campaign on Friday.In reality, though, a season that will be marked by the return of capacity crowds for the first time in 17...

Afghanistan’s rapidly-advancing Taliban insurgents entered a western provincial capital, an official said Friday, hours after they captured the country’s second and third largest cities in a lightning advance just weeks before America is ...

Romelu Lukaku sealed a return to Chelsea on Thursday by moving from Inter Milan for a reported $135 million, a record transfer fee for the European champions that made the Belgium striker the seventh most expensive player of all time.Lukaku is back a...

Matthew Caruana Galizia showered Keith Arnaud, the main investigator in his mother’s murder, with praise when testifying in court on Thursday.“For me Keith Arnaud is a hero,” Caruana Galizia said under cross-examination by the lawye...

Kenneth Camilleri, a former police officer detailed as a security with then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat refused to answer questions in court on Daphne Caruana Galizia murder middleman Melvin Theuma on Thursday.The prosecution informed the court that...

Mark Camilleri will from Thursday no longer serve as the Executive Chairman of the National Book Council after his contract with the entity was not renewed.Posting on his personal Facebook profile, Camilleri said that his contract had expired and tha...

A woman fell off a Gozo Channel vessel on Thursday evening as the ship was crossing between the two islands, the police said.The accident happened at around 7.15pmThe woman, whose personal details are unknown, was picked up from the sea by a Transpor...

The Malta Union of Midwives & Nurses has temporarily suspended industrial directives which were going to hit the primary health care sector, The Malta Independent is informed.This newspaper understands that Primary Health Care (PHC) has acknowled...

The appointment of a former member of the Prison Board of Governors to an inquiry board looking into the state in Malta’s prisons is not a conflict of interest, the Home Affairs Ministry told The Malta Independent.Replying to questions on the a...

The actions of PN party members which detract from the party’s work or confuse its message have been described as “inherently problematic” by the party’s chief spokesperson Peter Agius.Agius was writing on Facebook after a spa...

51 new cases of Covid-19 were registered by health authorities on Thursday.118 people have recovered in the last 24 hours, and with no new deaths reported the number of active cases has dipped to 741.42 Covid positive patients are currently being tre...

As from this November, Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air will commence its first-ever direct connection between Malta and Israel by launching direct flights to Tel Aviv International airport.The news was described as a big win for the recuperation of Malt...

The government has received almost 70 applications for a €3.6 million scheme to help the construction industry can invest in more sustainable and clean energy machinery.Details about the uptake for the scheme, which was launched in 2020, were gi...

NGO Repubblika has spoken about a “fascist” attack against civil society after a Nationalist Party candidate lashed out at an idea that the PN could be replaced by a new party.Repubblika chief Robert Aquilina said that he is all for dialo...

Increase in foot passengers in Gozo, an additional 50 daily trips that together with the Gozo Channel schedule covers over 120 trips per 24-hour period and a reduction in traffic, are just some of the benefits of the new Fast Ferry service bestowed u...

The arts and culture ministry, together with the Malta Entertainment Industry & Arts Association (MEIA) is “considering other means” besides the current financial schemes set to ease the hardship of Malta’s creative sector, Mini...

As Britain enjoyed a summertime lull in COVID-19 cases, the nation’s attention turned to the end of pandemic-related restrictions and holidays in the sun.But scientists are warning the public not to be complacent, saying high levels of infectio...

Two fires have been reported within a space of a few minutes in St Julian’s, the police told The Malta Independent.Fire engines and medical personnel, as well as police officers, rushed to Lapsi Street and St Augustine Street.The latter fire is...

The process for creating “balanced” nation-wide regulations for caravan sites across the island have been initiated by the government, Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, José Herrera told The Ma...

The Maltese government will continue to implement planned measures and step up as necessary towards the fight to climate change, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia has told The Malta Independent. He was replying ...

Malta and Italy baked in sweltering temperatures, with Spain and Portugal bracing for the arrival of a dangerous heat wave that has grilled southeastern Europe and is starting to push west toward the Iberian peninsula.A heat wave fed by hot air from ...

It was exactly a month ago, on 11 July, that we had written a leader decrying the situation at the Corradino Correctional Facility.That leader was written following the death of a 29-year-old inmate three weeks after a suicide attempt. She had been i...

New Zealand, which has completely stamped out the coronavirus, plans to cautiously reopen its borders to international travelers early next year, the government said Thursday.Officials also said they would delay second shots of the Pfizer vaccine in ...

Thomas Tuchel made the bold call, and Kepa Arrizabalaga made the big saves.Brought on as a substitute with seconds remaining in extra time, Kepa kept out two spot kicks as Chelsea beat Villarreal 6-5 in a penalty shootout to win the UEFA Super Cup on...

Medical Association of Malta (MAM) President Martin Balzan has urged all doctors, nurses and health care professionals to work together in light of the recent streaming problems at health centres across Malta and Gozo. Up until a few weeks ago, ...

18 organisations representing those in the agricultural sector have called on the government to find an “immediate” solution to the unprecedented threat of farmers losing their fields owing to court action.It comes after a landmark judgem...

Malta will start accepting Australian Covid-19 vaccine certificates as from Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne has announced.The move will be welcomed by many Maltese who have relatives living in Australia.Malta currently accepts vaccine cert...

Former PN leader Adrian Delia has filed a libel suit against Lovin Malta over a story which read that Delia had been in contact with alleged murder mastermind Yorgen Fenech during a parliamentary debate on 17 Black.Delia said that the allegations pub...

A short-term solution to fix the damages on the distribution network is being put into motion given the heat wave, Minister for Energy Miriam Dalli told The Malta Independent yesterday.During the recent spate of power cuts, numerous localities such a...

A 79-year-old woman has passed away as 87 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Wednesday by health authorities.The elderly woman passed away in the last 24 hours at Mater Dei Hospital while positive for Covid-19, becoming Malta’s 429th victim fr...

Two men suffered grievous injuries in two separate traffic accidents, police said in statements on Wednesday afternoon.The first accident happened at Triq San Gorg in Qormi at 7am, with preliminary investigations showing that a 31-year-old man from Q...

Wednesday could be the hottest day so far this summer, as the temperature is set to rise to 42 degrees Celsius.The Met Office had initially set the forecast at 41 degrees (see below), but later changed it to 42 degrees.The feel like temperature is 43...

A 21-year-old Frenchwoman was seriously injured after crashing a quadbike into a parked vehicle.The accident took place in Triq in-Nadur, in Rabat, Gozo, at around 5:30pm.The woman was riding a PEDA quadbike that lost control and crashed into a parke...

Lionel Messi said he's “in the right place” to win another Champions League trophy and cited a reunion with Neymar as a key factor in his decision to sign with Paris Saint-Germain.The 34-year-old Argentina star spoke at his introductory n...

People complaining about smells that still emanate from the Maghtab landfill will have to wait for another two decades for their wish to have an odourless complex to be fulfilled.This is because it will take another 20 years for the stink coming from...

The field which once belonged to the infamous Ċikku Fenech will be turned into an open green space as part of a national urban greening project, the government announced on Wednesday.The field in Mosta, which has since been abandoned, measures o...

In brief, the pertinent facts of the case are as follows.BackgroundVia sworn application tabled on the 23 December 2020, the plaintiff established that she had engaged the defendants' services to carry out a number of dental interventions consisting ...

The president of the Labour Party, Ramona Attard, told The Malta Independent on Sunday in an interview that the State which was under investigation in the inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia is not the State we have today.She&rsq...

The Malta Police Union has lamented the decision to stop extra ‘traffic management’ duties, which helped officers boost their income. The MPU said the decision was taken without any form of consultation.The MPU’s Executive Committee...

NGO Repubblika has said that former Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia should call it quits from politics if reports that he had inappropriate conversations with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech are true.The group was reacting to a story that appeared...

The Malta International Airshow will make a comeback after three years of absence, the government said, and will be held on 25 and 26 September.The event will take place along the coast of St Paul’s Bay while the static display will be held at ...

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation Tuesday over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations in a fall from grace a year after he was widely hailed nationally for his detailed daily briefings and leadership during some of the darkest days...

51 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Tuesday, as the number of people in intensive care decreased.70 people have recovered from the virus, and with no new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the number of active cases cur...

With everyone having spent more time at home due to Covid-19, animal shelters around the island saw a slight uptake in pet adoptions as people sought companionship in animals. However, many are opting to home a puppy or a small dog breed as opposed t...

Health authorities have resolved technical problems related to the COVID-19 vaccine certificate of individuals who were administered the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In a statement, health authorities said that this technical fix was required follo...

Nicholas Grech, the man believed to be responsible for the Mosta cat killings but acquitted of all charges due to insanity, is challenging his seven-year detention inside the Mt Carmel mental health facility.Grech, now aged 44, was in 2014 sente...

The Planning Authority has given the thumbs up for plans for anew Outpatients Block at Mater Dei Hospital.The plans include a brand new outpatients building at Mater Dei Hospital which will be situatied near the Life Sciences Park, on the grounds lea...

A €1 million regeneration project has been announced for Ġnien ir-Rinella in Kalkara. The garden, also known as the ex-military cemetery, is set to be completed during the first quarter of 2022. The project was announced by Minister fo...

The ‘Slow Streets’ scheme was announced on Tuesday, with a total of € 344,085 being distributed to ten local councils around the island.This was announced by Minister for National Heritage, Arts and Local Government Josè Herre...

Lionel Messi finally signed his eagerly anticipated Paris Saint-Germain contract on Tuesday night to complete the move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona and sends PSG into a new era.The French club said in a statement ...

Last month’s traffic through Malta International Airport totalled 311,692 passenger movements, recouping 39 per cent of July 2019 traffic levels, MIA said in a statement.This shows that Malta is recovering at a slower pace than its Southern Eur...

The conclusions and recommendations of the board of inquiry on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia are being undermined, as the Government pays lip service while deflecting its responsibility to address their implications, Moviment Graffitti ...

The Nationalist Party has called for a national conference to be held to serve as the basis of an Action Plan on climate change. The plan would focus specifically on how to manage the impact of climate change on the environment and society.The party ...

The number of final deeds of sale relating to residential property amounted to 1,354 in July 2021, an increase of 205 deeds when compared to those registered a year earlier. On the other hand, 1,105 promise of sale agreements relating to residential ...

One of Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime accusers sued Prince Andrew on Monday, taking accusations that she has repeatedly publicly lodged against him, including that he sexually assaulted her when she was 17, to a formal venue.Lawyers for V...

According to the met experts, Malta is heading into yet another heatwave this week – the third one this summer. Given how things have been going at Enemalta, it is reasonable to assume that Malta will experience more power cuts during the hot d...

The Spanish league season begins this weekend and it will be unlike any other in the last 17 years.It will be the first without Lionel Messi, its all-time top scorer and one of its greatest players ever.For the first time since 2004, Barcelona will b...

France took a big step Monday into a post-pandemic future by requiring people to show a QR code proving they have a special virus pass before they can enjoy restaurants and cafes or travel by plane, train or bus across the country.The measure is part...

An international team of scientists have obtained strong evidence of a groundwater reservoir off the coast of Malta, a scientific website reports.The Science Daily reports that the team was made up of scientists led by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Oce...

Israel has reported more than 6,000 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily increase since February.Israel rolled out one of the world’s most successful vaccination campaigns starting late last year, but in recent weeks has been battling ...

The Salina Nature Reserve is once again producing salt after many years, the reserve said on its Facebook page.Samples of the salt will be sent abroad for laboratory testing to confirm their quality.It is hoped that the salt will be later packaged fo...

Two more Covid-19 patients have passed away, bringing Malta’s death tally up to 428 so far, health authorities announced on Monday.Authorities said that a 63-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman had passed away at Mater Dei Hospital while Covid...

Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia has once again brought himself into hot water over a decision to not convene parliament to discuss a motion of no confidence into government minister Edward Zammit Lewis.The decision has led many government critics...

Malta’s summer carnival is the latest event to have to face the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Festivals Malta announcing that it will not be taking place in 2021.Festivals Malta announced on Monday that this year’s edition of the...

Earth’s climate is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent, according to a report released Monday that the United Nations calls a “code red fo...

Yorgen Fenech helped fund the Degiorgio brothers' legal defence following their arrest, the court heard on Monday.The compilation of evidence against Fenech continued this morning, with middleman-turned-state witness Melvin Theuma testifying before t...

Corradino Correctional Facility has become a suicidal facility rather than a correctional facility under the current management, the Nationalist Party said on Monday. The reporting of another suicide attempt by a prisoner – the second in two mo...

The Santa Marija weekend in Gozo this summer is looking relatively busy despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) says that a significant amount of people have opted to book farmhouses, hotels and other accommodation as t...

A suicide attempt by a prisoner has promted the government to set up a board to evaluate prison procedures.The Correctional Services Agency said in a statement Sunday that a prisoner, a Maltese man aged 30, was found in his cell after a suicide attem...

A judge has ordered that statements released by the man awaiting trial for the murder of Baron Francis Sant Cassia be removed from the case records.Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera ruled that two statements released by Carmelo Camilleri to the police we...

€40 million in EU funds has been set aside to be invested into turning Malta’s public transport fleet all-electric, Transport Minister Ian Borg announced on Monday.A pilot project involving the installation of solar panels on the roof of b...

In a bid to diminish the lighting energy consumption of architectural landmarks across the island, as well as enhance their aesthetics, the Mosta Basilica is the next cultural heritage site in line to be granted an investment of €850,000 euro by...

Despite a sluggish start, the European Union's COVID-19 vaccination drive has caught up to that of the United States, where the slowdown of the country's once-vaunted campaign has contributed to the virus's deadly comeback.In mid-February, less than ...

It’s pretty clear by now that Edward Zammit Lewis is – with apologies to Margaret Thatcher – not for turning.He remains committed to holding on to not just his green seat within Parliament, but also his ministerial seat – desp...

A man was seriously injured on Sunday evening after a fall in Floriana, the police said.The accident took place in Sa Maison Street at around 9.15pm.The man, aged 61 of Rabat, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.Magistrate Doreen Clarke is le...

Two men on a bike were grievously hurt on Sunday evening in an accident in Msida, the police said.The accident took place in Rue d’Argens at 9.30pm.It involved a Kymco Agility bike with two Nepalese men on board and a Toyota Vitz driven by a ma...

The State mentioned in the public inquiry into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia is a different State than the one we have today, PL President Ramona Attard said during an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday.“A n...

The government has drafted its action plan to get Malta off the FATF grey list and is currently discussing to see whether any refinements are required, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told The Malta Independent on Sunday. Caruana also pledged to reduc...

Given the pandemic, the local village feast has become more of a fireworks tour than ever. On the 31st weekend of the year, the locality of Hal-Lija celebrated the feast of Christ the Saviour and The Malta Independent was there to document the tradit...

Two people have died while positive for Covid-19, health authorities said on Sunday – taking the total number of deaths registered in the country as a result of the pandemic up to 426.The two were a 77-year-old male and a 63-year-old female, wh...

A few days ago, the presenter of a popular programme on PBS said he will not carry on with the show on the national station because of interference which prevented him from being loyal to his audience. In other words, what Mark Laurence Zammit was sa...

Daphne Caruana Galizia’s sister Corinne Vella has blasted Ramona Attard after she was interviewed by The Malta Independent on Sunday this week.“Ramona Attard does not speak from moral high ground”, Vella said as she reacted to Attar...

It began with a virus and a yearlong pause. It ended with a typhoon blowing through and, still, a virus. In between: just about everything.The Tokyo Olympics, christened with “2020” but held in mid-2021 after being interrupted f...

A number of nightclub and disco owners expressed their disappointment and frustration after the government decided not to allow standing events for the time being, despite expectations that such events would be allowed from this month. While Deputy P...

Prime Minister Robert Abela once again doubled down on the claim that the country’s next budget will not include any new taxes, despite the economic blow of the Covid-19 pandemic.Speaking in a telephone interview on party media on Sunday, Abela...

Every day which Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis spends in his post is a day wasted from “possibility of getting on the [FATF’s] white list”, Opposition and PN leader Bernard Grech said in an interview on Sunday. The Justice Min...

Discussions between Air Malta and the European Commission on the airline’s request for state aid are still ongoing, more than four months after a second formal petition was lodged, this newsroom has been told. The national airline, whose operat...

Two women were injured in a Taxien traffic accident on Sunday afternoon, the police said.The accident involved an Audi A1 driven by an 18-year-old resident of Marsaskala and a Fiat Punto driven by a 23-year-old resident of Birkirkara.Both were taken ...

34 birds have been confiscated by police after they were illegally put up for sale by sellers in Floriana, police said on Sunday.In a statement, the police said that its Environmental Protection Unit together with the Wild Bird Regulation Unit had di...

A motorcyclist was grievously hurt on Sunday afternoon in a crash in Marsalforn, the police said.The accident took place in the road which leads to Victoria at 12.15pm.The biker, a 31-year-old man of Victoria, was riding a KTM bike which was involved...

Lionel Messi began crying before he even started speaking. The “most difficult” moment of his career had arrived and he wasn't ready for it.It was time to say goodbye to Barcelona after more than two decades with the Catalan club.“I...

The Law Enforcement Services Agency (LESA) has warned about fake notifications that are being received by consumers.In a statement, the public informed the public to ignore these messages, sent via SMS, and obey only the official notices sent by the ...

Aren’t we a lucky country. In its century of representative government and democratically-elected parliaments, Malta has never had a Member of Parliament, still less a Cabinet Minister, who spent even one day in jail (save for Labour MPs in the...

Under pressure minister Edward Zammit Lewis said Saturday evening that a leaflet that is bearing his signature and is being distributed to voters on the eighth electoral district is not his.Neither is it being sent by his canvassers, he said in a Fac...