The Swieqi Local Council and the San Gwann Local Council have filed scathing objections to a private school’s application to build a new four-storey premises to relocate to outside the development zone land.The planning application was filed by...

The Lisa Maria Foundation blasted a “disgraceful” sentence where a child abuser was only handed probation after being found to have abused three young children.“It is a very sad day when three young children find the courage to disc...

Malta’s Miriana Conte served up a place in the Eurovision Grand Final after a strong performance in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday.Singing her song ‘Serving’ in the ninth spot in Thursday’s se...

38 Maltese citizens who were in Tripoli, Libya, were evacuated to Malta, the government said.Through coordinated efforts by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism and the Ministry for Home Affairs, Securi...

Team Blue Lagoon will kick start again the operation of the new "Book. Protect. Enjoy." visitor booking system aimed at protecting and preserving this popular and environmentally fragile Natura 2000 site after a court ruling delivered on Wednesday.Th...

A man who brutally assaulted an elderly jeweller during a failed robbery and left him to die has been sentenced to 32 years in prison, following the victim’s death from his injuries last month.Mohamed Anas Boualam, whose violent assault left 67...

The government has been making a push for renewable energy. This week, it was announced that the Government is launching a new call-for-offers scheme for installations that generate electricity from renewable energy sources.More than 40MW of renewabl...

Universal Air, a Maltese airline headquartered at Malta International Airport in Luqa, has announced that it will stop all scheduled operations on 30 May. Charter flights remain available.The company was founded at 15 Ap...

Prime Minister Robert Abela expressed his pride at the Labour Party being called socialist, while addressing Labour Party delegates during the closing of the party's extraordinary general conference."I am proud that we who militate in the PL have str...

A planning application for the demolition of the Empire Cinema complex in St Paul's Bay for the building of an 11-storey hotel has been approved by the Planning Authority.The application, filed by construction magnate Carmel Polidano - better known a...

If Prime Minister Robert Abela genuinely believes in democracy, then the residents of Għargħur should be given the opportunity to express their will once again through a new election, the Nationalist Party has said.Speaking at a press confe...

Avoid driving through the Msida Creek area unless necessary, warned the Msida Local Council on Thursday.The Local Council issued this warning on social media due to rising water levels in the area as a result of heavy rainwater. It attached pictures ...

During yesterday's sitting of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament, Government representatives blocked the Committee from continuing to hear the testimony of Film Commissioner Johann Grech and voted against allowing him to testify in another s...

The bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia on 16 October 2017 was active at 1.41am, more than 12 hours before the journalist was killed at around 3pm on the same day, a court heard on Thursday.FBI Agent Richard Fennern was testifying in the trial by...

Free first aid courses will be provided as part of a mental health protection initiative in the community, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela and Local Government Parliamentary Secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli stated on Thursday.The initiative, which th...

The OASI Foundation has raised concerns about abuse of Nitrous Oxide (N2O), better known as laughing gas."N2O is used in the food industry as a food preservative and in the automobile industry as a combustion agent. As mentioned, it is an effective i...

Connectivity between Malta and Gozo should no longer remain at the very bottom of the Government's list of priorities, the Nationalist Party has said."The lack of planning and long-term thinking affecting the infrastructure and the quality of the mar...

The Gozo Business Chamber (GBC) has taken note of "the grave situation" at the ferry terminals in Mġarr and Ċirkewwa.In a statement, it said that "though the situation at Mġarr and Ċirkewwa has already reached the limit, and much ...

Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis' pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops.But he also has said decisively t...

The proposal to introduce some form of mandatory trade union membership in Malta has reignited a contentious debate. Promised in the Labour Party's 2022 electoral manifesto and endorsed by trade unions, with General Workers Union chief Josef Bugeja e...

Malta has made it to the Eurovision Song Contest final only seven times in the last 17 years, and the last three participations have seen three eliminations in the semi-final.Malta's representative Miriana Conte, with her song "Serving", will be tryi...

A report published earlier this week by Grant Thornton and Dhalia states that a property which in 2013 cost around €150,000 is now being sold at an average price of €337,500. This represents an increase of 125%, more than double, over a spa...

A low-ranking Russian delegation arrived in Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday, while a Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and including other sen...

The Għargħur local council will now be led by the Labour Party after a confidence vote backed by a newly-independent local councillor toppled the Nationalist Party mayor Helen Gauci.The PN had a comfortable vote majority in the locality, ha...

Civil Society NGO Repubblika is opposing a government-proposed constitutional reform to introduce a new standards czar to oversee the conduct of magistrates and judges.Repubblika said in a statement that there is no place for a "czar," in any democra...

A planning application to turn what is reputed to be Malta's most haunted house into an elderly home has been suspended at the request of the project's architect after the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage requested amendments to the plans.Villa S...

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg has received the gavel to chair the Committee of Ministers for the next six months, with Malta officially assumed the Presidency of the Council of Europe for the fourth time ...

Pope Leo XIV vowed to take "every effort" Wednesday to work for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine and to actively promote the spirituality and traditions of the eastern rite churches, those Catholic communities with origins in the Mideast and east...

The Degiorgio brothers were not happy with the payment for Daphne Caruana Galizia murder, Vince Muscat, known as il-Kohhu, said today in court."Were the Degorgio brothers satisfied with the €150,000 they received for the (Caruana Galizia) murder...

Bologna ended a 51-year wait for a major trophy when it beat AC Milan 1-0 to win the Italian Cup on Wednesday.Dan Ndoye returned from injury to score the only goal and help Bologna to its first Italian Cup since 1974. The club, which is own...

The Victim Support Agency (VSA) has launched two new support services for victims of crime and domestic violence.One of the services ensures that a victim who needs to appear in court as a witness can leave their children under the age of three at on...

The Broadcasting Authority has once again reprimanded what is supposed to be the national broadcaster, finding it guilty of being unbalanced and partial in the way it attempted to censor the Opposition when reporting on measures announced by the Gove...

The Ministry for National Heritage has announced that the Artistic Heritage Scheme for 2025 will distribute an “unprecedented” €1 million towards beneficiaries working to support Maltese feasts this year.83 applicants shall be awarde...

144 doctors and 293 nurses were hired during 2024, as well as 2 pharmacists, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela stated in response to a question posed by Nationalist Party MP Jerome Caruana Cilia.Caruana Cilia had asked Abela how many doctors, nurses, ...

The Minister for Finance "has no issue" with the fact that the Executive Chairman of the Malta Stock Exchange, Joseph Portelli, a government appointee, is implicated in a company linked with breaches of regulations related to money laundering, the Na...

The Government is launching a new call-for-offers scheme for installations that generate electricity from renewable energy sources."This scheme is another step towards strengthening energy security. We want to continue supporting larger-scale project...

Competition in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off Tuesday, with sauna-loving Swedish entry KAJ gaining a place in the final and five countries going home after the first of two semifinals of the pan-continental music extravaga...

Malta ranked first on the 2025 Rainbow Map released by ILGA-Europe, which is the leading European organisation advocating for LGBTIQ+ rights, the government said.The map benchmarks 49 European countries based on seven key indicators based on the...

On 5 February 2025, the Court of Appeal (in its inferior jurisdiction), delivered its final judgment in the case of 'D.M. v X Insurance' which related to an appeal filed by X Insurance (the "Insurer"). Facts of the caseThe case in question relat...

A tragedy occurred in the Mediterranean this week.Four people, including two small children, died during a migration voyage."Following a mayday alert by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, the nonprofit group RESQSHIP said its vessel ...

The NGO Repubblika has accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of trying to put pressure on the courts in order for them to exonerate Joseph Muscat “and his clique” from the serious charges that they are facing over the hospitals deal.Repubbl...

Robert Aquilina, Fondazione Falcone's representative in Malta, has hit out at Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa, saying that the Commissioner should have conducted interrogations in the hospitals deal case.Aquilina issued a reaction to Gafa's statement...

Vince Muscat, who is one of the convicted hitmen behind the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, told a trial on Tuesday that his lawyer had tried to claim the €1 million reward on offer for information into the journalist’s death.The applica...

Vince Muscat, known as il-Kohhu, told a trial by jury that he does not have the guts to shoot.He was testifying in the trial by jury of the four men charged with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Carmel Chircop will continue on Tuesday mo...

There were over 12,500 property transactions in 2024, valued at €3.5 billion, marking a 3.4% increase from the previous year, a government statement read.Minister for Justice and Reform Jonathan Attard delivered a keynote address at the launch o...

Students at the University of Malta (UoM) have expressed "deep concern and dismay" over a recent decision implemented by the University to terminate the contracts of "casual part-time lecturers."The student association for psychology students at UoM,...

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has found no breach of Patrick Spiteri's rights in his arrest.In 2008 Spiteri was charged with fraud, misappropriation of funds and forgery of public documents. A European arrest warrant had been issued as he...

The Nationalist Party said Tuesday it considers Robert Abela's decision to reappoint Ronald Mizzi as Permanent Secretary to be an irresponsible act that further erodes accountability, transparency, and public trust.Mizzi, along with others complicit ...

Minister for Home Affairs Byron Camilleri has said that throughout the year 2024, the police received 2,225 reports of domestic violence. This equates to around six reports everyday.He was responding to a question asked by PN MP Jerome Caruana Cilia....

The Momentum Party has announced that it has been welcomed into the European Democratic Party.Within the European Parliament, all elected MEPs stemming from the European Democrats (PDE/EDP) join the centre-left group, Renew Europe.Partit Momentum sai...

A 70-year-old was grievously injured in a traffic accident.At around 11:15 a.m., the police were informed of a traffic accident in Triq l-Imġarr, Għajnsielem, Gozo.The police went to the scene, and from preliminary investigations, it emerge...

The motto of one newly elected American world leader: " Fight! " The other introduced himself to the world with his first public word as pope: " Peace."The contrast between President Donald Trump and Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV couldn't be more stark -...

As if we do not have already enough traffic problems, a trailer this morning was unable to continue its journey because it is higher than the bridge in Triq Santu Wistin, St. Julian's.The result? The trailer blocked the whole traffic system in Pacevi...

A Paris court on Tuesday found actor Gérard Depardieu guilty of having sexually assaulted two women on a 2021 film set, giving him an 18-month suspended prison sentence.The actor, 76, has been convicted of having groped a 54-year-old...

Ronald Mizzi has been reinstated as a Permanent Secretary, this time within the Office of the Prime Minister, despite the ongoing hospitals deal court case.Mizzi is one of the persons facing charges in the hospitals deal case. The court had decreed t...

Findings regarding Pope Leo XIV's familial roots appear to indicate that the pontiff's great-grandfather was Maltese, the New York Times reports.Elected and raised to the position of the head of the Catholic Church on Thursday in a two-day conclave, ...

PN MP Claudette Buttigieg criticised the government's proposed EcoHive project in Magħtab, warning that it is being falsely portrayed as an environmentally friendly initiative, when in reality, she said, it involves bundling together two inciner...

Court expert Jeremy Harbinson will be allowed to testify remotely in criminal proceedings related to the Vitals hospitals concession.In a decree issued on Monday, Magistrate Rachel Montebello approved a prosecution request to file a "letter rogatory"...

MIDI said Monday that the master plan for Manoel Island contemplates huge open spaces earmarked for the public.Replying to a statement issued by activists calling for the revision of the plan, MIDI said that unfortunately, the activists continue to c...

The recent presentation of Malta's National Palliative Care Strategy 2025-2035 - incidentally just days before a national consultation exercise on a form of euthanasia was launched - marks a pivotal moment in the country's approach to end-of-life car...

For the second consecutive year, St Lawrence Church of Vittoriosa is showcasing its' hidden gems which are normally not accessible to the general public during the year. This is an opportunity to delve into the heart of Vittoriosa's rich history and ...

Four people, including two small children, have died during a migration voyage in the Mediterranean, a German charity involved in their rescue said.The nonprofit group RESQSHIP said that dozens of migrants had departed western Libya on a flimsy rubbe...

Four lions and a leopard discovered in a building near the Għallis area in Naxxar last December without the necessary permits have been relocated to a secure site in Rabat, with authorities saying that the animals were in good health, despite be...

Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa has denied the allegations made by Robert Aquilina, Fondazione Falcone's representative in Malta.Aquilina had accused Gafà of undermining the criminal inquiry into Malta's controversial hospitals deal.The Commis...

Parliament on Monday unanimously passed a series of changes to the country's recreational cannabis laws, clarifying the definition of cannabis as well as putting tighter regulations on cannabis associations regulated by the Authority for the Responsi...

Robert Aquilina, Fondazione Falcone's representative in Malta, has accused Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà of undermining the criminal inquiry into Malta's controversial hospitals deal.In a statement published on social media, Aquilina said th...

Vince Muscat, known as il-Kohhu, on Monday was confronted with testimony he had given in the past which, according to the defence, contradicts what he told the court in a trial by jury in the past days.Muscat is testifying in the trial of four men ac...

The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) has said that it still holds the status of affiliate with the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, "which has been held during the past years."MFHEA issued a sta...

A man and woman were grievously injured in a fight in Sannat on Sunday, the police said Monday.The incident happened in an establishment in Triq ta' Cenc at 8pm.Officers who went on site found a 33-year-old man who had allegedly been injured after be...

The government must take responsibility for yet another failure in the education sector, the Nationalist Party said Monday, referring to the exclusion of the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) from the European Quality Assurance Reg...

Malta International Airport (MIA) confirms that runway operations resumed at 17:33hrs local time following an earlier incident involving a light aircraft.MIA said that at approximately 5pm, a light aircraft (TECNAM P2002S with registration FH-UBK) wa...

Brazil's soccer confederation said on Monday it has a deal with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti eyeing the 2026 World Cup.The 65-year-old Ancelotti, who will be Brazil's first full-time foreign coach in a century, is still under contract with Madri...

A planning application has been filed for the now rundown Prince Theatre in Birkirkara to be restored and turned into a gymnastics studio.Situated in a narrow street off Birkirkara's Valley Road, the Prince Theatre was once a destination which deligh...

Strong polarisation works against the Nationalist Party, PN Spokesperson for Transport and Mobility Mark Anthony Sammut told The Malta Independent.He was responding to questions regarding the political situation in Malta. In the first part of the int...

Reports that the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) has been denied entry to the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) are a "deeply concerning development with significant negative ramifications for Malta,...

 Pope Leo XIV on Monday called for the release of imprisoned journalists and affirmed the "precious gift of free speech and the press" in an audience with some of the 6,000 journalists who descended on Rome to cover his election a...

Daniel Joe Meli might not be extradited to the United States after a court ruled in his favour on Monday.The 28-year-old was arrested in Malta on 7 February 2024 for allegedly selling and training criminals in the use of Warzone, a Remote Access Troj...

U.S. and Chinese officials said Monday they had reached a deal to roll back most of their recent tariffs and call a 90-day truce in their trade war to allow for more talks on resolving their trade disputes.Stock markets rose sharply as the ...

Activists are not asking for Manoel Island to be expropriated, but for the contract to be renegotiated, the Manoel Island: Post Għalina Campaign said in a statement.It was reacting to a statement made by Prime Minister Robert Abela on Sunday, wh...

On the occasion of International Nurses Day, the Malta Council of Nurses and Midwives extended its heartfelt appreciation to all nurses Maltese, and foreign nurses practising in Malta. This year's theme, chosen by the International Council of Nurses ...

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia on Monday said that the European Union risks abandoning its founding ideals by shifting increasingly toward militarisation. He called on EU leaders to invest more in social resilience and diplomacy, and less in weapons, wa...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday challenged Russia's President Vladimir Putin to meet him personally in Turkey on Thursday, the latest move in a weekend-long exchange of proposals from both sides on the next steps in the U....

Get out the glitter balls, sew on the sequins and prepare to party: The Eurovision Song Contest approaches.The 69th annual musical extravaganza takes place in Basel, Switzerland this week. It will see acts from 37 countries vie for the continent's mu...

The number of vehicles on the roads is continuing to rise, data published by the National Statistics Office shows.In the first quarter of this year, each day 19 more vehicles were licensed than the previous day. That amounted to the stock of licensed...

At just 316 square kilometres, Malta is one of the smallest and most densely populated countries in the world. In recent years, the nation has experienced rapid demographic changes that have placed immense pressure on its infrastructure, environment,...

Pope Leo XIV said Friday that his election was both a cross to bear and a blessing as he celebrated his first Mass and details began to emerge of how votes swiftly coalesced to make him history's first American pope.Freed from their conclave, cardina...

Prime Minister Robert Abela on Sunday stressed the importance of not politicizing the debate on euthanasia,Government recently launched a two-month public consultation process on its proposed principles and safeguards on Assisted Voluntary Euthanasia...

Prime Minister Robert Abela is not content with having the institutions seized, but he now also wants to snatch away the leadership of the Gharghur locality, Nationalist Party Leader Bernard Grech said as he spoke in Mellieha on Sunday.Grech was refe...

 Pope Leo XIV called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff that featured some symbolic gestures suggesting a message of unity in a polari...

As crowds celebrated in St. Peter's Square, a man in white and red stepped onto the balcony of the basilica, prompting cheers from the plaza.It was American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost: Pope Leo XIV, as he will now be known. On May 8, 2025 - the ...

It is essential for there to be consensus between the government and the Opposition on the kind of long-term mass transportation project the country will go for, Nationalist Party spokesperson for Transport and Mobility Mark Anthony Sammut told The M...

By the time the last glitter cannon fizzles out over Switzerland on 17 May, the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest will have fulfilled its annual duty: confusing millions into asking, "Wait, who won again?"Once, Eurovision was a regal showcase of continent...

The election of Pope Leo XIV marked a watershed moment in the long history of the Catholic Church. Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955, Leo XIV became the first American to ascend to the papacy - an outcome that just a generation ago would...

Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) as an infant, Francesca Falzon has spent her life navigating the daily challenges of CF, but her story is one of strength, and a refusal to let her condition define who she is.CF is a genetic disorder that affects ...

Arsenal and Newcastle set up a Premier League showdown next weekend as the race for the remaining Champions League spots intensified Sunday.After a weekend of upsets and comebacks in the Premier League, the six-way battle to qualify for European club...

 Torrential rain and hail posed several problems on Sunday but not to Inter Milan's pursuit of Serie A leader Napoli.Amid a thunderstorm and delays, Inter managed a 2-0 win at Torino to cut the gap to Napoli to just one point after Antonio Conte...

The Minister for Energy Miriam Dalli, and Enemalta's Executive Chairperson Ryan Fava, visited Swatar where extensive work is underway to continue strengthening the electricity distribution system."The project includes the installation of approximatel...

This Mother's Day, as we honour those who nurture and protect us, let's not forget the one we all share - Mother Nature. She gives us clean air, birdsong, natural beauty and life itself. Yet today in Malta, Mother Nature is under attack. Bi...

A Chicago-born cardinal walks into a conclave. The rest of the joke tells itself.In the breathless day since Pope Leo XIV's election as the first American pontiff, the memes, doctored images and tongue-in-cheek references have piled up deeper than Ch...