PL backbencher Silvio Grixti was on the receiving end of a direct order worth €37,200 from Transport Malta, data published in the Government Gazette shows.Grixti, a family doctor by profession, was given the direct order for “consultancy f...

Transport Malta dished out a massive 350 direct orders, worth a total of €13.6 million, in the first six months of 2021, data published in the Government Gazette shows.Amongst those were some familiar names, particularly in those who received di...

The government has launched the idea of an underground system that is intended to provide an alternative means of transportation to thousands of commuters and, in so doing, hopefully ease the traffic congestion on our roads.The proposal is to have th...

The newly-proposed metro system is a modular network so it can be extended as demand grows, the Transport Ministry told The Malta Independent on Sunday. The metro system proposal was announced last week by government together with a London-based firm...

Restaurants are being impacted by rising costs, Matthew Pace, secretary of the Association of Catering Establishment (ACE) told The Malta Independent on Sunday.This newsroom received some concerns regarding a number of catering establishments having ...

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic resulting in a global upsurge of mental health challenges, it has also had a “silver lining”; that of reducing the stigma around mental illness, leading psychiatrist, Anton Grech told The Malta Independent on...

Actress Marica Cassar would love to live in the mountains, where she would have lots of space to take care of animals. She has been to several music concerts abroad, but not of her favourite singer. Marica, who also serves as press officer of Caritas...

Government last week announced a proposed €6bn metro project and the country went into a frenzy. Suddenly, our “dream” of having an underground system, similar to the ones we love to use when travelling in foreign cities, became clos...

Thousands of demonstrators marched down Rome's famous Via Veneto and other streets on Saturday, some smashing their way into a union office and clashing with police as they protested Italy's new “Green Pass” vaccination requirement for em...

Guards at a Libyan detention center for migrants shot and killed at least six people amid chaos in the overcrowded facility, U.N. officials said Saturday as they again condemned widespread abuses against migrants in the North African country.The deve...

Prime Minister Andrej Babis' centrist party on Saturday narrowly lost the Czech Republic's parliamentary election, a surprise development that could mean the end of the populist billionaire's reign in power.The two-day election to fill 200 seats in t...

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Saturday that he will step down in a bid to defuse a government crisis triggered by prosecutors' announcement that he is a target of a corruption investigation.Kurz, 35, said he has proposed to Austria's presid...

Sixteen new Covid-19 cases were found on Saturday, while 35 patients have recovered, the health authorities said.This takes the number of cases registered in Malta to 37,325, with 36,194 recoveries.The number of deaths has remained at 459, while the ...

A new government strategy published on Saturday aims to address and minimise the waste generated by construction and demolition in Malta in a holistic manner.The strategy was announced by Environment, Climate Change and Planning Minister Aaron Farrug...

The monument dedicated for former President Ċensu Tabone and a historic fountain do not appear anywhere in the initial designs for the Balluta metro station as revealed last week.The monument, situated in one of the corners of the triangular ope...

Valletta: Collis Williams Pharmacy, 15, Republic Street; Ħamrun: The Cross Pharmacy, 859, St Joseph High Road; Qormi: Anici Pharmacy, Anici Street; Birkirkara: Mint Care Pharmacy, 5B-71 Brared Street; Msida: Mayer Pharmacy, 33, Ta’ Xbiex P...

A teenager was critically injured after falling three storeys into a shaft, the police said.The accident took place in a residence in Tempesta Street, Qrendi, at 6pm on Friday.The boy, aged 15, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.Magistrate M...

Denmark added to the most perfect campaign in World Cup qualifying on Saturday and England also eased toward winning its group.Wins for Scotland, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine moved each closer to at least a place in the playoffs next year ...

No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, and no we haven’t been hacked – what you’re seeing above translates from Korean to ‘Public Broadcasting Services.’The inspiration for our recently developed knowledge of ...

Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia promised that “all necessary environmental studies would be conducted” before the metro project is given the go-ahead.The government last week proposed a metro project that will cost around €6.2 bi...

A biker was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Birkirkara on Friday, the police said.The accident took place in Fleur-de-Lys Road at 6pm.The biker, a man aged 38 of Xghajra, was riding a Suzuki DL650 which was involved in a crash with a Rena...

When one considers all the known information, the metro proposal is not suitable, creates too many environmental problems and is a threat to both existing public spaces and our historical heritage, Carmel Cacopardo ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson, s...

Minister for Social Accommodation Roderick Galdes announced the strategy for the allocation of social housing.At a conference held on Friday evening, Minister Roderick Galdes announced that recently the Housing Authority has begun a process of alloca...

Moviment Graffitti today called on the Minister for Agriculture and the Cabinet of Ministers to intervene and put an end to the eviction of farmers from leased agricultural lands they have been tilling for decades.In a statement, the activist group n...

Russia’s daily coronavirus death toll hit a new record on Friday amid the country’s sluggish vaccination rate and the government’s reluctance to tighten restrictions.Russia’s state coronavirus task force reported 936 new death...

MALTA …………………………. 0SLOVENIA …………………….. 4Malta: H. Bonello, K. Shaw, J. Mbong (A. Magri Overend 68’), L. Montebello (J....

Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi announced new cut-off dates till March 2022 for the Business Enhance ERDF Grant Schemes, which give small and medium-sized enterprises the opportunity to expand their operations while incentivising more...

Lewis Hamilton mitigated the damage from his 10-place grid penalty at the Turkish Grand Prix by posting the fastest time in Saturday qualifying. It should have given the world champion his record-extending 102nd Formula One pole, but it didn't count ...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has confirmed that Pope Francis will be visiting Malta sometime in the first quarter of 2022. The Pope’s visit had been planned for December but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sources suggested that...

The father of a prison inmate who died by suicide last July has filed Constitutional proceedings against the State, claiming that a prison guard had helped his daughter kill herself.Martin Nicholas Borg Virtu’ filed an application before the Fi...

The Ministry for Equality, Research and Innovation, the University of Malta and the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry have committed to strengthening and incentivising research at the University at Post-Doctoral level in collaboration with...

Glen Farrugia, the building contractor accused of dumping an employee who suffered spinal injuries in a fall on the side of the road, has been released on bail.Glen Farrugia, 31, one of two shareholders and a director of the company J&G Farrugia ...

The frayed nerves and raw emotion of murdered entrepreneur Hugo Chetcuti’s extended family were evident this morning as his brother in law took the stand to tell the jury trying Bojan Cmelik for Chetcuti’s killing about Cmelik’s emp...

24 new Covid-19 cases were reported by health authorities as the number of patients in hospital remained in single digits.13 people have recovered, and with no new deaths reported, the number of active cases currently stands at 282.8 patients –...

The Secretariat for Catholic Education (SfCE) and the Church Schools Association (CSA) has expressed serious concerns at the direction taken by government to "rush through a bill on cannabis use at the tail end of this legislature."The government rec...

Some 400 employees of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services have found out that their employer failed to pay their social security contributions between 2000 and 2007, Voice of the Workers Weekly reported. The missing contributions amount to aro...

Former Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia will contest the seventh district, apart from his hometown on the eighth.The decision was taken unanimously by the party executive, Delia announced on his Facebook page.This brings to an end speculation ab...

The Gozo Chamber of Advocates has been set up to represent the interests of lawyers based in Gozo.In a statement, the Chamber said that this is an important step for lawyers who practice on the island, to ensure that their rights are safeguarded.Curr...

Archaeologists excavating at Tas-Silġ in Marsaxlokk have discovered the remains of another Neolithic structure. The newly-unearthed structure, still being excavated, has substantially increased the footprint of the land used in the Neolithic per...

The Netherlands is back in control of its World Cup qualifying group but hardly in convincing style.A 1-0 win over Latvia with a volley from Davy Klaassen lacked the swagger from last month's 6-1 dismantling of Turkey. Still, it was enough to build a...

The emergency phone number 112 is back to normal after a few hours of being unavailable due to technical issues, police said in a media statement on Friday afternoon.The police had initially appealed to the public to phone on 119 in the case of an em...

A new Council for the Malta Developers Association was appointed during its annual general meeting.Denise Micallef Xuereb was appointed as Vice-President, Michael Stivala was appointed as Secretary General, Alfred Camilleri was appointed as Treasurer...

In a bid to meet climate change goals, all ministries, government entities and agencies have pledged to obtain all goods and services in accordance to the green public procurement procedures by 2027. Announcing the new green criteria on Friday, ...

A man who threatened PN MP Karol Aquilina and his brother Robert, president of civil society group Repubblika, was fined and conditionally discharged on Friday.Sandro Farrugia had written in a Facebook post that the two “deserved a good beating...

The British government said Thursday that it is to relax travel rules further next week, a move that will open up many long-distance holiday destinations to travelers for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic a year and half ago....

Former energy minister Konrad Mizzi on Wednesday brazenly refused to appear before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, where he was set to be grilled over his role in the scandalous power station deal. That Mizzi chose to go down the path o...

Journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their fight for freedom of expression in countries where media outlets have faced persistent attacks.The Norwegian Nobel Co...

32-year-old Lamin Jaiteh was first abandoned on the road by his boss following a two-storey fall before crawling his way onto the pavement for some safety. Jaiteh testified in court on Thursday from his hospital bed, as he is being treated for s...

An abandoned car is occupying two parking spaces for disabled people outside the national pool complex at Tal-Qroqq.The Malta Independent is informed that the Gzira local council has been informed about the car, and it has contacted Transport Malta a...

An e-scooter rider was grievously injured in an accident involving a car in Gzira, the police said.The accident took place at 12.30pm on Thursday at the Ferries.The rider, an 18-year-old girl from Italy, was involved in a crash with an Audi A3 driven...

Healthcare workers and teachers are among those who will be offered a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in December and the decision to impose the wearing of face-masks for students while they are in class may be revisited, Health Minister Chris Fea...

A community of full-time fishermen operating from Marsaskala have serious concerns about the new plans for a yacht marina in the locality. In a press conference on Thursday evening in conjunction with NGO Moviment Graffitti, fishermen said that ...

A new ward aimed at providing critical specialised care to patients recovering from operations was inaugurated at Mater Dei hospital.Speaking at the inauguration, Health Minister Chris Fearne said the ward, to be known as the High Dependancy Unit war...

19 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities, as one patient is now being treated in intensive care. 15 people have recovered, taking the number of active cases up marginally to 271. 9 Covid-19 patients are currently being t...

The Nationalist Party’s youth wing Team Start has compared Malta’s state broadcaster to that of North Korea, as it demanded the withdrawal of a discussion-stifling memo which became public on Wednesday. In a political stunt on Thursd...

The government is not tied to the metro stations proposals that were put forward by Arup Group, a London-based design, engineering and planning firm that was engaged to commission a study in Malta, Transport Minister Ian Borg has said. On Thursd...

Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg has defended the government's decision to continue embarking on road infrastructure projects now that the metro has been proposed.Addressing a press conference in Msida, the minister said the Msida creek project is st...

13 government departments from different ministries will start working remotely from this month. This was announced by Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar at a press conference detailing the transition of the Public Service to remote working....

Kylian Mbappé redeemed himself with a goal and an assist as France came from two goals down to beat Belgium 3-2 Thursday and reach the Nations League final.Theo Hernández scored the last-minute winner to complete the comeback and send w...

The Pembroke local council is rejecting the idea of having a 22-storey tower built on the existing park and ride area close to the Luxol grounds.In a statement on Facebook, the council said that although this seems to be “a preliminary hypothet...

The Pope’s visit to Malta has been postponed to next year.It is the second time that the pontiff’s visit to the islands has been put off.He was originally scheduled to visit in May 2020, but that was postponed because of the Covid-19 pand...

An 86-year-old man was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Zebbug earlier on Thursday.Police said in a statement that at around 10:15am a traffic accident took place in Attard Road in Zebbug.The collision was between a Mazda Demio being drive...

Discussions on prostitution reform are still ongoing, Reforms Minister Owen Bonnici told The Malta Independent.The minister was asked to provide any updates on the proposed reform. “Currently internal discussions are ongoing with the working gr...

The speed cameras as one is driving out of the Santa Venera tunnels have been removed as “they are no longer necessary”.The cameras were removed after the Cabinet approved a recommendation by Transport Malta.Agency chairman Joe Bugeja sai...

The Cannabis reform Bill presented in Parliament this week will “normalise” the drug and lead to increased use, particularly among the younger generations, Caritas Malta and Fondazzjoni Oasi have warned. In a statement, the two organisati...

A woman was arrested by the police after 900 grammes of cocaine, worth €120,000, were seized on Monday, the police said.The arrest was made by the Vice Squad in an operation with the Customs Department.The woman, a 25-year-old from the Dominican...

Civil Society NGO Repubblika has written to the European Broadcasting Union about a controversial memo issued by PBS to producers of current affairs programmes.Earlier this week, PBS sent out a letter to producers, telling them that they have to pres...

The Nationalist Party has requested an urgent meeting of parliament’s Gozo Committee to discuss shortcomings at the courthouse on the sister island that have prompted lawyers to strike.Lawyers in Gozo have stopped practicing in the court situat...

The European Parliament approved the report on the protection of persons with disabilities by an overwhelming majority of 84.7%.MEP Alex Agius Saliba was the Rapporteur and the S&D spokesperson on the report. This is Agius Saliba’s thi...

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee resolved on Wednesday to issue another summon for former Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi to testify before in what was a stormy, and sometimes farcical, session. The committee – made up of PL MPs G...

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 for such an action. The bill's first reading had occurred on Monday in Parliament.Throu...

It happened twice in a matter of a few days.First it was the Malta Developers Association, and then it was the turn of the Hunters and Trappers Federation.A migrant was reported to have been dumped on the side of the road in Selmun after falling two ...

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has ordered the prison monitoring board to launch an investigation into claims that a former inmate was strapped to the ‘punishment chair’ or eight hours.The unnamed former prisoner told Peppi Azzopar...

PN MP Jason Azzopardi asked for an explanation on Wednesday on how the Egrant inquiry has not been reopened despite a call made by the magistrate who carried out the inquiry into Pilatus Bank.Foreign experts had looked into the operations of Pilatus ...

A judge has had to postpone, for the third time, handing down judgment in a constitutional case filed by the man accused of commissioning the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, sharply criticising the Commissioner of Police for his refusal to comply w...

MP Konrad Mizzi said today he was refusing to 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 meet...

The Education Ministry has ordered an investigation into reports that a three-year-old girl was forgotten on a school minibus.According to Lovin Malta, the girl spent around three hours locked into a garage.The girl’s mother raised the alarm af...

The Nationalist Party has branded former Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi as a “coward” and a “chicken” for refusing to face Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and field questions on the Electrogas power station.&n...

Spain ended Italy's record unbeaten run of 37 matches by beating the European champion 2-1 Wednesday in the Nations League semifinals after Roberto Mancini's team was reduced to 10 men.Ferran Torres scored two goals in the first half for Spain, the s...

The Nationalist Party has put forward a number of proposals with the aim of achieving a better work-life balance for workers, by ensuring that every employee would have flexibility at work.The proposals put forward are based on five objectives relati...

Over a thousand people were arraigned on domestic violence charges between January and August of this year, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told Parliament on Wednesday.Replying to a Parliamentary Question by PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami, Camilleri...

18 new Covid-19 cases have been reported by health authorities in their daily update. 43 people meanwhile have recovered, taking the number of active cases down to 267. 8 Covid-19 patients are currently being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, ...

Malta International Airport recorded its strongest month in terms of passenger volumes since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, welcoming a total of 418,473 passengers in September. While the summer holiday season typically reaches its peak in...

A family member broke down in tears and left the courtroom, sobbing, as jurors were shown pictures of the knife used in the murder of Hugo Chetcuti.The echoes of the woman’s sobs as she left the silent courtroom underlined the human aspect of t...

The Public Broadcasting Services this afternoon refuted allegations, made by the Nationalist Party, that it is stifling discussion on its current affairs programmes, but did not withdraw a directive in which it asked producers to decide on topics and...

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...

Forty-nine former dockyard workers have received compensation for illnesses they suffered as a result of being exposed to asbestos. Details were announced on Wednesday by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana and Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon. I...

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...

Archbishop Charles Jude Scicluna visited the works at the Adelaide Cini Institute in St Venera, which was transferred by the Church to Hospice Malta to establish St Michael Hospice – the first complex in Malta which will provide comprehensive p...

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...

Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo has upheld a request to open a magisterial inquiry into the late notary Ivan Barbara’s wife, Rosanne Barbara Zarb.This comes following a request made by three former clients of Barbara who had asked the court...

Malta’s first victim support centre within the community was launched on Wednesday.This centre, located in Santa Lucia will be followed by the opening of two others − one in the north of Malta and another in Gozo, Ministry for Home A...

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...