Malta’s cannabis reform was revealed by Minister Owen Bonnici, which will allow the cultivation of cannabis as well as the forming of non-profit associations. The possession of up to 7 grammes of cannabis for personal use by people over th...

MP Konrad Mizzi said today he will not attend a Public Accounts Committee hearing which was to question him on the Electrogas deal.In a statement on Facebook, the former Energy Minister said he has elected “not to participate in the meeting of ...

The Nationalist Party said that a PBS directive to producers who are to submit topics and guests for current affairs programmes two weeks before they are to be aired goes against free journalism and is anti-democratic.An email sent by PBS chairman Ma...

The Malta Chamber welcomed the recommendations proposed in The National Employment Policy launched yesterday by Minister Clyde Caruana, one which identifies the key challenges in our labour market. This Policy takes on board several of the propo...

An elderly man was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Gozo on Tuesday, the police said.The accident took place in San Anard Street, Xewkija, at 5.15pm.It involved the biker, a 73-year-old man of Nadur who was riding a Honda ANC125, and a Peu...

Malta needs a change in mentality when it comes to education rather than just contenting itself with building new schools or giving out iPads to students, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said on Tuesday.Caruana was speaking during the launch of Malta&...

PN MP Karol Aquilina will be taking action in due time against the "most corrupt" police officer who "manipulated footage" of him two years ago in an "attempt to accuse him of dangerous driving".The incident in question occurred in December 13 Road i...

Prepare your umbrellas, because rain is expected every day for the next seven days, according to the Met Office.As we head deeper into autumn, rain, strong winds and thunderstorms are forecast over the next few days while temperatures are set to drop...

The start of October always brings with it a special focus on the justice system.At the start of the forensic year, judges and magistrates attend a special Mass led by the Archbishop which is followed by an event in which the Chief Justice and the pr...

The knife used to murder entrepreneur Hugo Chetcuti was found in a pouch-like holster on the person of the man on trial for his killing, a jury has been told.Former Senior Police Inspector Nikolai Sant and other police officers testified to the arres...

Malta is not ready for a four-day work week owing to the share of workers who are low-skilled, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said on Tuesday.“We cannot speak about a four-day work week when 28% of our workers are low-skilled.  We can spea...

Fewer than a third of the number of police officers in Malta who left/concluded their service with the force since January 2020 were replaced, a series of Parliamentary questions have revealed.Between January 2020 and September 2021, 321 police offic...

PL MP Ian Castaldi Paris has been replaced by PL MP Jonathan Attard on the Public Accounts Committee.Castaldi Paris was under fire recently A couple of weeks ago, it was revealed that Castaldi Paris had discussed buying a £16 million Londo...

Malta’s Recovery and Resilience Plan has just been approved by the EU Council of Ministers for Economic and Financial Affairs, known as ECOFIN. This step will be followed by the signing the agreement that will allow Malta to start receiving gra...

Producers of current affairs programmes on PBS need to obtain approval on the topics to be discussed 15 days before the programme is aired, as well as the guests invited.The directive comes into force immediately, a memo signed by chairman Mark Sammu...

Prime Minister Robert Abela kept former parliamentary secretary Rosianne Cutajar as Malta’s representative on the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe for six months in spite of her facing an investigation into an alleged breach of t...

Full right of reply:On October 1st, 2021 the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) had informed Phoenix Payment Limited (the Company) that it has imposed an administrative penalty on the Company for what the FIAU considered as breaches in certa...

Twenty-five new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Malta on Tuesday as the number of patients in hospital rises two eight, up from six.For the fifth day running, however, there are no patients in intensive care.Health authorities said that 27 patients h...

A Malta Enterprise official testified on the Progres Press cash grant when the compilation of evidence against Adrian Hillman continued on Tuesday.The former Allied Newspapers managing director stands charged with money laundering, conspiracy to comm...

In March a primary health care centre is set to open in Rabat, Gozo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne said in Parliament on Tuesday.The government over the past three years has opened 14 health clinics across Malta and Gozo,...

The Nationalist Party has criticised Carmelo Abela, Minister responsible for state broadcasting, saying his interference in PBS reporting continues to hinder the PN and create an imbalance on the national station.PN deputy leader David Agius said tha...

The Treasury announced that by the closing date at 2.30 p.m. on Monday, 4 October 2021, the total value of applications for this year’s issue of the 62+ Malta Government Savings Bond received from new applicants and applicants who already ...

St Julian’s Mayor Albert Buttigieg has told The Malta Independent that he is against any further commercialisation of the locality’s village core.He lamented how the old part of St Julian’s, especially near the Sacred Heart School i...

Achieving the 2050 carbon neutrality targets requires more than just legislative changes but rather a holistic approach from businesses and enterprises, Minister for Energy, Enterprises and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli said. Addressing t...

Rosianne Cutajar said Tuesday that she had asked to be replaced by another Labour MP on the Council of Europe delegation well before she was put under investigation.On Monday evening, Deputy Prime Minster Chris Fearne announced that energy minister M...

3City Design Limited, a company belonging to the wife of former OPM chief Keith Schembri, saw thousands of euro transferred through it from Adrian Hillman, Allied Newspapers, and Schembri himself.During the compilation of evidence against Josette Vel...

A major French report released Tuesday found that an estimated 330,000 children were victims of sex abuse within France’s Catholic Church over the past 70 years, in France's first major reckoning with the devastating phenomenon.The president of...

A man was arrested in Marsa after he was found to be in possession of16 sachets of synthetic drugs, the police said.In a statement, the police said officers on patrol in Pitkali Street noticed that one of four men talking together appeared to be leav...

The Ruzar Briffa complex has been inaugurated after an investment of €15 million.Minister for the Elderly Michael Farrugia inaugurated the complex stating that the works are part of a bigger project which aims at strengthening the infrastructure...

As the days grow colder and wetter, many will look towards indoor activities rather than outdoor ones.This would mean enclosed spaces, heaters and the flu season. Malta has the Covid-19 pandemic under control, and the Covid-19 vaccines have been doin...

As at the end of 2020, the stock position of Foreign Direct Investment in Malta stood at €196.2 billion, while Direct Investment abroad amounted to €58.8 billion, the NSO said today.During the year 2020, FDI flows in Malta increased by &eur...

The Malta Union of Teachers is commemorating World Teachers Day 2021, which is held annually on 5 October. This year’s UNESCO World Teachers’ Day has the theme “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”. One and a half year...

Following the success of the first cultural symposium held jointly with the French Embassy in Malta, the Office of the President shall be holding a second cultural symposium, this time with a focus on the Sovereign Order of Malta. The symposium will ...

Malta-Serbia relations and relations between Western Balkan countries and the European Union  featured during high level meetings attended by Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo in the Serbian Capital, Belgrade. Minister Ba...

Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms are back online after a massive global outage plunged the services and the businesses and people who rely on them into chaos for hours.Facebook said late Monday that “the root cause of this outa...

The European Union’s drug regulator gave its backing Monday to administering booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 18 and older.The European Medicines Agency said the booster doses “may be considered at least 6 ...

Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa said on Monday that the police investigate all allegations of crime that come to its attention. He was being asked whether the police will be looking into the Pandora Papers revelations.The ICIJ-led investigation has r...

The five-year long transformation strategy for the Malta Police Force implemented last year started bearing fruit as trust rating by the public increased from 49% to 60%.During the publication of the progress report of the transformation strategy 202...

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli has swapped places with Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar in the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly.Cutajar was one of three Maltese MPs to form part of the assembly.  She is accused of breaching ethics when s...

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana this morning hinted that the income tax refund next year could be higher than the one that has just been received by all workers.This year, the lowest refund was of €45 for high income earners while lower-income wo...

Two men and a woman have been arrested by the police over the weekend in connection with €600,000 worth of cocaine that was seized.The police said that five kilogrammes of the drug were discovered.The first arrest took place on Saturday, when a ...

Two vehicles reported to be stolen from Canada were intercepted by the Criminal Investigations Squad Police and the Customs Department officials on Monday.The police said that last week, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) called for the assista...

Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms were down across wide swathes of the world Monday. Facebook's internal systems used by employees also went down.The company said it was aware that "some people are having trouble accessing (the) Faceb...

Minister for Reforms Owen Bonnici on Monday presented the first reading of a cannabis reform proposed by the government.In a post published on Twitter, Minister Bonnici said that the bill will establish a new legal framework governing responsible use...

Malta now accepting vaccine certificates issued by Kosovo, Palestine, Bermuda, Bahrain and Israel.Malta has started accepting Covid-19 certificates from four other nations; the Republic of Kosovo, Palestine, Bermuda and the Kingdom of Bahrain.Maltese...

A six-year-old boy suffered grievous injuries after being mauled by a dog in Marsascala, the police said.The incident took place at the national park at 3.45pm.The boy was mauled and bitten by the dog, and needed hospital treatment for grievous injur...

24 new cases of Covid-19 were registered on Monday the health authorities said, as 23 people recovered.The number of active cases now stands at 294. Currently, 6 people are being treated for Covid at Mater Dei Hospital, none of whom are in the ITU.82...

With over 4,000 students joining the University of Malta community, as it opened its door to a new academic year, University Rector Alfred J. Vella said that the university and its students do not afford to lose another year like last year.“We&...

Malta’s migrant community gathered in Valletta on Monday morning to protest against the inhumane treatment dished out by authorities and public entities like Identity Malta.Presenting a number of proposals to the home affairs minister Byron Cam...

During academic year 2019-2020, students enrolled in pre-primary, primary and secondary education totalled 58,284, an increase of 1.4% over the previous academic year, the National Statistics Office said.“The majority of students enrolled in pr...

Former Finance Minister and European Commissioner John Dalli owned an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands when he was an MP, an investigation by Times of Malta and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) ...

Former PN minister and European Commissioner John Dalli is seeking answers from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists after the publication of what are known as the Pandora Papers, in which it was revealed that when he was an MP o...

Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century, accord...

The secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires has been exposed in one of the biggest leaks of financial documents, the BBC reports.Some 35 current and former leaders and more than 300 public officials are featured in t...

In the last two weeks, this newsroom has taken on a sporting topic with sentiments that are well known, but scarcely reported on.Those involved in Malta’s footballing community – particularly those involved in the lower levels of the game...

The first phase of the proposed metro project would be completed within five to eight years, the experts tasked with designing the mass transport system said on Sunday. Speaking at a technical briefing, civil engineer Peter Adams from Arup &ndas...

The Maltese should vote for a change in government and elect the PN because the Nationalist Party is far more ambitious and can offer better prospects for Malta, according to Peter Agius, the PN’s chief spokesperson.He argues that contrary to w...

Mohamed Salah was too busy being asked about his wonder goal to get the chance to savor it again for himself so soon after full time at Anfield.“I have to watch it to see,” the Liverpool striker said. "It's a good goal. Nothing much to sa...

Napoli bounced back from its first loss of the season to maintain its perfect start to the Serie A campaign.Luciano Spalletti’s side rallied to win 2-1 at Fiorentina on Sunday, with Hirving Lozano and Amir Rrahmani scoring after Lucas Mart&iacu...

ONE TV’s Chairman Jason Micallef told The Malta Independent on Sunday that he believes the discriminatory accusations from the Nationalist Party against the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) are “unfair”.“I have an opinion on...

10 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported by health authorities, as the number of active cases continued to dip.30 people have recovered, meaning that the number of active cases currently stands at 293. Six patients are currently being treated at M...

Qawra Point is set to declared as a no-hunting zone, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said on Facebook on Sunday morning.The decision was taken after four flamingos were shot down by a hunter on Saturday – with a man having been charged in c...

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana stirred a hornet’s nest when he declared that Malta must start thinking of ways how to move away from relying so much on the construction industry.We must shift from having an economy that is heavily based on cons...

Jason Micallef, the Chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency, who recently inaugurated the Valletta Design Cluster (VDC), has proposed the enclosure of Pjazza Teatru Rjal with PV glass, to follow in the footsteps of the VDC’s sustainable buildi...

A small private plane carrying six passengers and a crew of two crashed on Sunday into a vacant, two-story office building in a Milan suburb, and Italian news reports said that all aboard perished.LaPresse news agency initially quoted firefighters at...

A thunderstorm which hit Gozo throughout last night left a trail of damage in the seaside village of Xlendi, with pictures showing the scenes through the night and on Sunday morning.The pictures, published by Facebook page The Weather Page Malta, sho...

The Nationalist Party’s proposal for a metro transport system for Malta will be better than what was proposed by the government this weekend, PN leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.Speaking in a telephone interview on party media, Grech said th...

A foreign man was arrested by police in connection with an argument which occurred on Saturday night in Msida.Police said in a statement that an argument between a group of people happened in an apartment block in Triq Dijonisju Famucelli in Msida at...

The company behind the Comino hotel and bungalow redevelopment project said that it “is in no way proposing to establish a residential complex on Comino.”An Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report about the Comino project was made publ...

The government on Saturday evening published the results of a study which deals with the possibility of having an underground system in Malta.The metro system as proposed will include three metro lines with a total of 35km of tracks and 25 stations a...

Colin Fitz, a presenter and producer on Campus FM, appears to be someone who really loves chocolate. The host at many events and festivals and a popular actor in theatre shops such as The Comedy Knights also sees himself having a conversation with tw...

Prime Minister Robert Abela will be meeting Pope Francis on Friday, with the Pontiff’s December visit on the agenda, a website dedicated to Vatican affairs reports.In its account of papal appointments for October, ACI Stampa said that the two w...

President George Vella yesterday joined the chorus of voices calling on the authorities to protect our natural environment, which is shrinking at an alarming pace. Speaking at an event organised by the Environment and Resources Authority, President V...

Google Cloud, in collaboration with digital native company Amagis Capital, held an event on the 17th of September 2021 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. This event, titled 'Cyber security & Cloud Services', was dedicated to CXO ...

Four men were involved in a fight in Paola, with two of them ending up needing treatment in a health centre, the police said.The fight took place in Ghajn Dwieli Road at around 8pm on Saturday.The four men are aged 68, 47, 85 and 42. The police said ...

The Malta Football Association has rejected the assertion that clubs in lower divisions are being left behind.In a right of reply to the story titled ‘As Malta’s footballing season gets into gear, those in lower divisions feel left behind...

Stevie Camilleri was born on 4 July, 1987. He is the son of Dr Stefan Camilleri and Dawn Evans. Camilleri is the father of two kids, Tommaso who is the elder, and Mattia. How were Stevie’s formative years? ‘As a child I was very active, I...

An Italian offshore supply vessel on Saturday rescued 65 migrants, including women and children, fleeing Libya to Europe on a crowded, wooden boat.The migrant boat was drifting after its engine stopped working and was spotted by the Seabird, an NGO m...

The Nationalist Party launched its pre-Budget 2022 document on Saturday, focusing on rebuilding Malta’s reputation, the rule of law, an economic transformation, the environment, the cost of living and Malta’s sustainability.The PN&rs...

A 35-year-old woman is the latest victim of Covid-19, the health authorities said.She is the second youngest victim of the virus in Malta. In February, a 30-year-old woman had died. The number of people who have died with Covid-19 is now 459.Six...

A 23-year-old hunter has been denied bail after being charged with shooting four flamingos.Miguel Zammit was arrested earlier in the day over the shooting of the protected birds near Qawra. The case was first reported by Birdlife Malta, which said th...

Valletta: Empire Pharmacy (Branch), 46 Melita Street; Ħamrun: National Pharmacy, 17, St Mary Street; Santa Venera: Fatima Pharmacy, 82, Ferrovija Street; Birkirkara: The Local Dispensary, Kan. K. Pirotta Street; Msida: Brown's Pharmacy, Shop 10,...

A Maltese couple has kept Maltese culinary delicacies alive in Toronto for the past 40 years, the Toronto Star reports.Antoinette and Charlie Buttigieg run the Malta Bake Shop, “a small but mighty presence” in the Little Malta neighbourho...

The Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit has fined a payment processing company €435,576 for a series of anti-money laundering breaches linked to cryptocurrency. The FIAU said it the fine had been imposed on Phoenix Payments Limited followi...

Tiles that were intended to embellish the side of the road outside the Tal-Qroqq tunnels on the Regional Road have been dislodged by the rain.The tiles, which were affixed at the entrances and exits to the tunnel as part of a rehabilitation project, ...

An earthquake close to Malta and a bigger one in Fiji were recorded by the Seismic Monitoring and Research Group of the University of Malta.A post on the group’s Facebook page said that a magnitude 3.8 earthquake about 130 km south of Malta was...

Grumbling to himself and shaking his head, Cristiano Ronaldo went straight toward the tunnel at the final whistle of Manchester United’s latest slip-up at Old Trafford.He had plenty to be aggrieved about.Not only had his team dropped more point...

Manuel Locatelli scored late as Juventus managed a narrow 1-0 win over Torino in their Serie A derby on Saturday.Locatelli scored four minutes from time but it was a disappointing performance from Juventus, whose struggles continued in the Italian le...

The British government has extended an emergency visa program for truck drivers as fuel shortages showed few signs of abating Saturday, particularly in London and the southeast of England.In an announcement late Friday, the Conservative government sa...

The Cabinet of Ministers approved a new five-year strategy for the Public Service with the ultimate vision of a service of excellence. This was announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela at a press conference marking the 5th anniversary of the Institut...

President of Malta George Vella expressed his hope that we will one day understand that the natural environment is a resource in itself – a resource which is not infinite. Speaking at the Buonamico Award 2021 ceremony organised by the Environme...

The government has extended the term by which a board of inquiry had to submit an analysis into the procedures adopted in prison.The government said on Saturday morning that a request for an extension is given to the board. The board, which was initi...

In line with his commitment to fostering greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation of Maltese culture and history, President of Malta George Vella is continuing with his initiatives to increase accessibility to and public awareness on three ...

If there is something which is truly, truly sickening it is racism.That someone feels that they have some sort of superiority over somebody else based simply on something like skin colour or where they happen to have been born or brought up is beyond...

A major crackdown in western Libya resulted in the detention of 4,000 migrants, including hundreds of women and children, officials said Saturday. The U.N. said initial reports were that at least one person was killed and 15 others injured in the cra...

Birżebbuġa cannot take more noise pollution, it is already bombarded from all directions, Melissa Bagley, a Birżebbuġa resident and Deputy Secretary General of ADPD - The Green Party and a candidate on beh...

The magistrate compiling evidence against a former official at Pilatus Bank has declared that there is sufficient prima facie evidence to proceed with an indictment on money laundering charges. Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech gave the ruling ...

The Swiss government decided Friday to set up a dedicated embassy to the Vatican, for which Switzerland's ambassador to Slovenia is currently responsible.Switzerland's governing Federal Council determined the current arrangement “no longer allo...

It’s a milestone that by all accounts didn’t have to happen this soon.The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 700,000 late Friday — a number greater than the population of Boston. The last 100,000 deaths occurred during a time wh...