The Malta Independent’s Neil Camilleri and Giuseppe Attard are in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv, as their coverage of the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis continues.In a late night update on Thursday night, they explained how a delay in...

Russian troops left the heavily contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site early Friday after returning control to the Ukrainians, authorities said, as eastern parts of the country braced for renewed attacks and Russians blocked another aid mission to the b...

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that his country will be sending armored Bushmaster vehicles to Ukraine to help in its war against Russia.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically asked for them during a video appeal t...

At least 12,000 people are expected to attend Pope Francis' mass on Sunday at the Floriana Granaries.Others have also signed up to be on the waiting list for the mass, and these have already started to be contacted. Anyone without a ticket might also...

A woman is at risk of dying after she was involved in an early morning traffic accident on Friday.Police said that they were informed of a traffic accident in Triq in-Naxxar in Gharghur at 6am. Preliminary investigations showed that the accident took...

760 new cases of Covid-19 were registered on Thursday, bringing the total number of active cases up to 5,640.The cases were not formally reported, even though Malta now has a health minister, but are available through a health authority database. It ...

A humanitarian rescue vessel will enter Maltese waters on Friday with 106 rescued migrants on board.The ship will arrive in Malta's waters just one day ahead of a visit by Pope Francis."On Wednesday afternoon, March 30, 2022, a distress call was forw...

Health Minister Chris Fearne has tested positive to Covid-19.The minister announced his positivity to the virus on Facebook.He said that he did a swab test earlier today and it resulted to be positive.Fearne said he took the booster shot and has mild...

Preparations for Pope Francis' Apostolic visit to Malta are underway, the Archdiocese of Malta said.The Church of Malta has launched various initiatives as part of the preparation for the Pope's visit, including a Facebook page, 'Pope Francis in Malt...

President of Malta George Vella laid a wreath at the foot of the Freedom Day monument in Birgu on Thursday.Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech were, however, absent from the ceremony.Instead, representatives on their behal...

The Cabinet of Ministers has been appointed, with Prime Minister Robert Abela choosing a Cabinet that is a mixture of youth and experience, a Department of Information statement said. The main aim of the Cabinet is to implement the electoral pro...

Malta's participation status in the Open Government Partnership has been set to 'inactive'.In 2011, government leaders and civil society advocates came together to create a unique partnership-one that combines these powerful forces to promote transpa...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has justified the co-option of Randolph Debattista to Parliament a mere three days into his new legislature by saying that the “regeneration” of the PL and of government structures must continue.Debattista, who...

The greatest freedom Prime Minister Robert Abela wants to see for the country today, is freedom from politics of division, confrontation and hatred.Abela addressed a crowd near the Freedom monument in Birgu on the eve of Freedom Day.“Freedom Da...

With an annualised net dividend yield averaging 7% over the past 5 years, GO remains one of the best performing publicly listed companies in Malta. It has consistently delivered shareholder returns above the market average.  During 2021, th...

The Nationalist Party continues to lose ground.The election held last Saturday is the third massive defeat for the PN, and each time the distance between it and the ruling Labour Party becomes larger.Today more than 39,000 votes separate the two larg...

ROME — Italy’s leader is urging Europe to “cultivate all available land” as a partial remedy to reductions in agricultural imports, especially of Russian grain, due to the war in Ukraine.Premier Mario Draghi told reporters on ...

Members of Malta’s new Cabinet have started to give their first reactions to their Ministerial appointments, with many speaking to The Malta Independent in Valletta prior to their swearing in.In his first comments, Byron Camilleri – who w...

The Ukrainian president said his country's defence against the Russian invasion is at a “turning point” and again pressed the United States for more help in the hours after the Kremlin's forces reneged on a pledge to scale back some of th...

A German humanitarian group appealed Wednesday for Malta to take in 32 migrants who were rescued off Libya this week by the Ukrainian captain of a container ship.The request came as Pope Francis, who is scheduled to visit Malta this weekend, encourag...

717 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported by health authorities, as three more patients have died while positive for the virus.Case numbers are on the up, and Malta now has 5,183 active cases of the virus after 216 new recoveries were reported.The...

A temporary ramp is being built near the fast ferry terminal in Gozo to enable an easier access for the Pope from the ferry to the terminal, The Malta Independent is informed.An Infrastructure Malta spokesperson confirmed this in reply sent to this n...

The school run by the Salesians in Presov, Slovakia, looks like your typical educational facility, with students studying, playing football and hockey and running around the playground, only it isn’t. The 17 boys here are all Ukrainian orp...

Malta’s biggest third party ADPD has filed a constitutional case in order to be granted a seat in parliament, saying that as things stand, the 4,747 people who trusted the party with their first count votes are being ignored.“In a healthy...

Britain’s government has seized a superyacht owned by a Russian billionaire with ties to Vladimir Putin — the first vessel to be detained in the U.K. under sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine.U.K. officials, including Transpor...

By the end of 2021, the Government’s Consolidated Fund reported a deficit of €1,242.2 million, around €200 million less than 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated crises continued to bite public funds.In 2021, Recurrent Re...

The improvement of gambling sites around the globe is visible in the last couple of years. Just like in any other industry, gambling entrepreneurs have realized that the demands and requirements of the market are regularly changing. Because of that, ...

Summer has finally arrived with Air Malta launching operation of its significantly expanded Summer 2022 flying program. The seven-month schedule, which runs from 27th March till 29th October, will see the airline operate 125 weekly return direct serv...

Two women were grievously injured in a traffic accident in Tal-Barrani Road, limits of Tarxien.The accident took place on Tuesday at 3pm, the police said.It involved a Toyta Hiace van driven by a 41-year-old man of San Gwann, a Kia Rojo driven by a 3...

A man was grievously injured on Tuesday after falling three storeys down a shaft in Hamrun.The police said the accident took place in a block of apartments in St Vincent Street at 6pm.The man, aged 22 of Marsascala, was taken to Mater Dei Hospital wi...

The swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet of Ministers is to take place at 3.30pm today, the Department of Information has announced.The ceremony will be held before the Labour Party organises its Freedom Day activity in Vittoriosa, which will like...

The Labour Party this evening decided which seats are to be vacated by candidates who were elected on two districts.But there is a twist as the executive, on the proposal of the Prime Minister, will also be making a co-option, that of Randolph Debatt...

603 new Covid-19 cases were reported by health authorities on Tuesday, as daily case numbers exploded upwards.The cases were not formally reported as no Health Ministry has been formed, but are available through a health authority database.One Covid-...

We had been used to having very high turnouts in elections.Except for one time in 1966, since Independence Malta always exceeded the 90% line in terms of voter participation. Between 1976 and 2003, we even got near or exceeded the 95% threshold, and ...

GENEVA — The U.N.’s top human rights body has chosen a Norwegian former judge at the European Court of Human Rights to head a three-member panel to investigate possible abuses and violations in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.Er...

Russia's pledge to scale back some military operations in Ukraine drew skepticism even as the two nations planned to return Wednesday to talks that could produce a framework for ending the war that has imposed an increasingly punishing toll.Ukrainian...

Pope Francis will be focusing on the culture of care and hospitality when he visits Malta this weekend, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said Tuesday.He was presenting the 2-3 April Apostolic Trip to Malta, which is the Holy F...

Bernard Grech will be ceding the fifth district, the one in which he got fewer votes, as per Nationalist Party statute.The PN had on Monday said that, as per its internal structure, MPs who are elected from two districts are bound to give up the seat...

Cristiano Ronaldo will get another shot at lifting the World Cup.Portugal beat North Macedonia 2-0 in a European playoff on Tuesday, securing a fifth World Cup appearance for the leading men's international scorer. It was one of seven spots in soccer...

Malta International Airport (MIA) and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) have both welcomed the Prime Minister's pledge to remove Covid restrictions.The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) welcomed the statement made by A...

Outgoing ADPD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo will be filing a Constitutional Case on Wednesday to challenge Malta’s electoral law after his party achieved a national vote count which is higher than a quota in Saturday’s general election.ADP...

When, in early February, it was publicly announced that Pope Francis would be visiting Malta in the first week of April, it is probable that the date of the election had already been set.Prime Minister Robert Abela could have possibly whispered it in...

The European Commission recommended Monday that EU nations end golden passport schemes that allow wealthy people to buy their way into the bloc's citizenship, and urged them to assess whether Russian oligarchs linked to the Kremlin or who suppor...

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola has taken to writing to Chief Electoral Commissioner Joseph Camilleri on Tuesday, to address shortcomings, which happened during last week’s general election.The letter contains a list of suggestions which C...

British police said Tuesday that they were fining 20 people over parties held by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff during coronavirus lockdowns, and that more people could face penalties.The Metropolitan Police force said it wouldn't identif...

Gozo Channel will be suspending its ferry service on Saturday 2 April 2022 between 4pm and 7pm from Mgarr, Gozo and between 3.45pm and 7pm from Cirkewwa, Malta.The Pope will be visiting Gozo on the day.The 4.30, 4.40, 5.00, 5.30, 6.00, 6.15, 6.30 tri...

Malta Public Transport announces that trip frequencies will be increased on Saturday 2 April and Sunday 3 April, and Special Services will be operated in Gozo during the visit of His Holiness the Pope to the Maltese Islands. On Saturday 2nd April, an...

The Ornis Committee has turned down an FKNK “research project” which would have allowed all licensed trappers to trap turtle doves over a two week period next month; a decision which the hunters’ lobby has cried foul about.In a stat...

The first face-to-face talks in two weeks between Russia and Ukraine began Tuesday in Turkey, raising flickering hopes there could be progress toward ending a war that has ground into a bloody campaign of attrition.An adviser to the Ukrainian pr...

A person needs to have a strong fascination and a passion to carry out a job not many are willing to do – that of a post-mortem attendant.In an interview with The Malta Independent, a man who spent many of his working years doing such task, spe...

Former Labour Party delegate Mark Camilleri did not mince his words when he wrote about foreign policy on his website.Evarist Bartolo hasn’t been elected on the first count meaning he will be passed over for a ministerial appointment. This mean...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that he will 'extend a hand of friendship' to the opposition in his first address after being sworn into office on Monday morning.In a video message on Monday evening, Abela said that the electoral campaign, when ...

A 34-year-old cyclist from Żejtun was involved in an accident with a car, and suffered grievous injuries.The accident occurred at 7pm on Monday night in Żejtun, on Triq Għar Dalam.The car, a Toyota Auris, was being driven by a 23-year-...

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says seven people were killed in a missile strike on the regional government headquarters in the southern city of Mykolayiv.Zelenskyy, who spoke to the Danish parliament through a transla...

The 2022 election saw many new faces elected to Parliament, and a number of notable veterans lose out.The Nationalist Party suffered a major defeat at the polls, but the voters also seemed to show a preference for new blood.As was to be expected, the...

Sandra Gauci contested the general election with ADPD, of which she is also the deputy secretary general.She tells us that she cannot spend a day without coffee, but chocolate is also high on her list of preferences. What was the last book you r...

Robert Abela was sworn in as Prime Minister of Malta, at the President’s Palace in Valletta on Monday.Abela led the Labour Party to a third consecutive electoral victory, his first as PL leader.Thousands gathered in the capital city in the morn...

Besides providing the Nationalist Party with another electoral drubbing, this weekend’s result has also seen a number of the group known in 2020 as the party’s ‘17 Blue Heroes’ either underperform compared to the past, or not ...

Another round of talks aimed at stopping the war in Ukraine is scheduled for Tuesday as the fighting looks increasingly like a stalemate on the ground, with the two sides trading control of a town in the east and a suburb of the capital.Ukrainian for...

China began its most extensive coronavirus lockdown in two years Monday to conduct mass testing and control a growing outbreak in Shanghai as questions are raised about the economic toll of the nation's “zero-COVID” strategy.Shanghai, Chi...

Three people have died while positive for Covid-19, public data seen by The Malta Independent shows, even as the usual daily update on the state of the pandemic in Malta is yet to be published.The daily update is normally published at around 12:30pm ...

Carmel Cacopardo has announced that he will be calling time on his tenure as leader of ADPD, only a day after the party put in a much improved showing in the general election when compared to five years ago.Cacopardo said in a blog post reacting to h...

With the Labour Party now confirmed as being the winners of the 2022 General Election, the country's attention is on who will form part of Robert Abela's new Cabinet.A number of PL candidates were elected on two districts. Such a strong showing means...

The Nationalist Party has been granted two more seats in Parliament in order to reflect the House’s proportionality compared to the final voting tally.The Electoral Commission announced on Monday afternoon that Toni Bezzina and Ian Vassallo hav...

The Electoral Commission has published the election results in full.They may be viewed here

Only four women were elected to Parliament in Malta’s general election, down from the eight female MPs elected in 2017.If, once the casual elections are held to replace candidates who were elected on two districts, the number of women does not ...

Robert Abela led the Labour Party to a bigger electoral win than the one achieved by Joseph Muscat four years ago, but the Prime Minister obtained fewer total votes than his predecessor.Official results issued by the Electoral Commission show that Ab...

Long-serving MPs Evarist Bartolo and Jose Herrera have announced their departures from the political scene, after both were not re-elected in this weekend’s general election.Bartolo, who has been in parliament for 30 years, said that a “n...

Malta has voted for their preferred candidates, with the Labour Party romping to another historic electoral victory.The 65 candidates who have been elected – five in each district – have now been confirmed.This is not the full list of who...

A number of incumbent politicians will have to sweat things out over the course of the following week, as they will have to wait for a casual election to see if they will be returning to Parliament or not.There are other long-time MPs meanwhile who k...

There were no surprises at the Naxxar counting hall yesterday, except for a high level of absenteeism which, in itself, is a vote against the political parties.As amply predicted, the Labour Party secured a comfortable victory over the Nationalist Pa...

The Labour Party is on course for another landslide victory, with Labour media predicting a 39,474 majority, as the counting of votes at the Naxxar counting hall continues.Prime Minister elect Robert Abela claimed victory and PN Leader Bernard Grech ...

Eight people were hospitalised after being involved in a carcade crash in Marsa on Sunday afternoon.Police said in a statement that the accident happened at around 2pm in Triq Aldo Moro in Marsa.Preliminary investigations showed that the crash had ta...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the West of cowardice Sunday while another top official said Russia was trying to split the nation in two, like North and South Korea.Zelenskyy made an exasperated plea for fighter jets and tanks to hel...

At the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday night, attendees expressed support for Ukraine by going silent for 30 seconds.A tribute that started with words from the Ukrainian-born Mila Kunis ended with the Academy Awards fading to black a...

Robert Abela will be sworn in as Prime Minister on Monday at 11 am.Abela led the Labour Party to a victory in the polls, with his party expected to have a landslide victory over the PN.PN Leader Bernard Grech conceded defeat earlier today.PL media is...

In his first comments after winning the 2022 general election, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that the outcome of the general election which resulted into a landslide victory for the PL by a margin of 30,000 votes or more, ‘will bring on a gr...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said that it is his duty to continue to sustain the PN in the wake of their defeat in the general election.Addressing journalists at the Counting Hall in Naxxar, Grech said that a vacuum in the party would surely cause...

PN Deputy Leader Robert Arrigo has issued a plea on Twitter, saying 'please help us Roberta'.This comes in the wake of a predicted landslide defeat for the PN in the 2022 general elections.'Roberta' is most likely a reference to President of the EU P...

Prime Minister Robert Abela stated that although the Labour Party is projected to win the elections with a significant majority, “the PL is there to represent all voters and not just Labourites.”“Today Malta has won together, this s...

Labour Party supporters have taken to the streets and gathered around their headquarters in Mile End to celebrate the party’s third consecutive electoral win.Videos and pictures shot by The Malta Independent show the scenes outside the PL&rsquo...

After a movie year often light on crowds, the Academy Awards named an unabashed crowd-pleaser, the deaf family drama “CODA,” best picture Sunday, handing Hollywood’s top award to a streaming service for the first time in a...

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said Sunday that he will go before the structures of the Nationalist Party to be confirmed as party leader.This announcement came after reports indicated that the Labour Party is on course for another landslide victory...

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Sunday that the “movement we gave birth to” is not only alive but is stronger than ever.In a post on Facebook, Muscat said that “what we did was not for political convenience but a political,...

Two races into the Formula One season and defending champion Max Verstappen is already going toe-to-toe with Charles Leclerc rather than veteran Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time F1 champion whose crown he took last year.Verstappen and Leclerc, both 24 ...

Despite an increase in the number of registered voters, fewer people cast their vote this year than in 2017.In 2017, there were 341,856 registered voters, compared to the 355,075 registered this time round.However, while in 2017 there were 314,696 pe...

The PN’s parliamentary benches may very well have a different look by the end of the weekend, with early indications showing that a number of the party’s new candidates are out-performing some of their more established colleagues.Sources ...

Malta’s green party ADPD will contest the result of its total votes in court next week, as the country’s electoral system does not guarantee a parliamentary seat despite its increased vote tally.ADPD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo addressed...

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola said that, until 5pm, he has obtained a record high percentage of votes, with a 2.02% in the 10th district, and a 2.11% in the 11th district.Speaking to journalists at the Naxxar Counting Hall, Cassola said that h...

An 81-year-old man has died while positive for Covid-19, as 353 new cases of the virus were reported by health authorities on Sunday.163 people have recovered from the virus, meaning that the number of active cases has increased to 4,053.82 patients ...

Three persons were injured following a fire accident which engulfed a car in Żejtun.The accident, which happened in Misraħ Karlu Diacono, Żejtun, was apparently caused by flares, which engulfed the Honda Accord. The persons injured inc...

A man was grievously injured in Saturday evening after he was held up by another man, who made off with the former’s personal belongings.The incident took place at 10pm in Floriana, the police said.The victim told officers at the Msida police s...

Malta yesterday went to the polls in a general election, which saw the turnout drop when compared to previous elections. According to figures released late last night by the Electoral Commission, the approximate turnout was 85.5%.This means that 303,...

The 2022 election campaign is over. The people have voted, and the counting process will begin this morning.We will likely have a clear idea of the outcome by late morning. The Labour Party was in the lead according to surveys throughout the entire c...

Malta’s already sizeable Parliament could get quite a bit more populated when the full process of this weekend’s general election comes to a close in the coming days and weeks.The reason for this is that this is the first year when Malta&...

Lecturers at Junior College, as well as those at the University of Malta, were not at all consulted over the change in the entry requirements for Junior College which the government decreed last week.On Thursday, the government published a legal noti...

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has stepped up his pleas for negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine.Francis told the public in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday that “this cruel and senseless war” continues after more than a month...

Voting has ended across Malta and Gozo in the 2022 General Election. The ballot boxes from the various polling stations are being sealed and transferred to the countil hall in Naxxar. Political campaigns ended on Thursday and, after what is...

Labour Party leader Robert Abela and Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech have cast their votes in the 2022 General Election.Abela, accompanied by his wife Lydia, voted at around 9:30am at the Marsascala primary school.Grech, accompanied by his wif...