Malta Independent
An inspirational gesture
President Myriam Spiteri Debono has met a nine-year-old British girl whose decision to donate her hair to help children who have lost theirs due to illness has inspired a charitable book in aid of the Malta Community Chest
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PN says ARMS knew about 50,000 eco reduction billing failures; ARMS denies and says figure is untrue
PN Shadow Ministers Mark Anthony Sammut and Graziella Galea have accused ARMS and the Labour Government of knowingly allowing serious billing failures to persist for more than a year, resulting in 50,000 consumers being denied the eco reduction they...
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STORM HARRY THE AFTERMATH
Malta is counting the cost after Storm Harry lashed the islands over an extended period between Monday and Tuesday, leaving behind widespread damage to farms, coastal businesses, construction sites and maritime infrastructure. While no fatalities or...
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Storm Harry lashes Malta
Maltese Islands hit by strong winds, rough seas • Trees uprooted, roads flooded, billboards upended No fatalities, Home Affairs Minister tells Parliament • CPD receives multiple calls for assistance • Ferry services to and from Gozo not operated Postal...
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‘Unless necessary, stay indoors,’ Minister warns as Storm Harry batters Malta
Minister for Home Affairs Byron Camilleri on Monday advised all members of the public to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary during Tuesday as Malta is expected to be battered by Storm Harry. Following Monday morning’s red alert, the Minister...
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Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport to introduce licensing of sports facilities, new tribunal in 2026
2026 will be a year of reform in Maltese sports, as the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport embarks on a process to introduce the licensing of sports facilities, a new sports tribunal, and to reduce bureaucracy, the authority’s CEO told The Malta...
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Record number of flights used Malta’s airspace in 2025
The government said that a record number of flights flew through Malta’s airspace in 2025. The government said that in the wake of a number of conflicts, including in the Eastern Mediterranean area, Malta Air Traffic Services played a vital role in...
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President warns of a world drifting from law as Malta calls for diplomacy and restraint
In a world she described as increasingly unmoored from law, stability, and trust, President Myriam Spiteri Debono used her address to Malta’s diplomatic corps on Thursday to issue a calm but pointed appeal for diplomacy, multilateralism, and...
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Trial begins to determine accused’s mental state in fatal Rabat shooting
Proceedings began on Monday with a jury being told to determine whether 41-year-old Noel Azzopardi was legally responsible for his actions at the time of the fatal shooting that took place in Rabat on New Year’s Day 2024. The case centres on the...
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Icy swim
A swimmer swims in the icy water in a lake near Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday, with air temperatures at -15 degrees Celsius and water temperatures at 0.5 degrees Celsius.
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‘A setback for transparency’: Standards Czar on ministerial asset declarations not being published
The Commissioner for Standards in Public Life has described the Cabinet's decision regarding ministerial declarations of assets as "a setback for transparency in public life." The Commissioner for Standards in Public Life wrote to the Prime Minister...
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Freezing temperatures hit parts of Europe
Snow, ice and freezing temperatures hit parts of Europe on Tuesday, causing treacherous traffic conditions that left at least five people dead in France and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights from one of the continent’s busiest airports....
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Maduro says 'I was captured' as he pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges
A defiant Nicolás Maduro declared himself the “president of my country” as he protested his capture and pleaded not guilty on Monday to the federal drug trafficking charges that the Trump administration used to justify removing him from power. “I was...
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Government calls for ‘peaceful and democratic solution’ in Venezuela
The Government of Malta is calling for de-escalation and a peaceful and democratic solution in Venezuela, following the situation in the country. In a military strike, the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores,...
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Festa ta’ Ġenerożità telethon raises over €1.5 million for Id-Dar tal-Providenza
The first day of the year was again a show of generosity towards Id-Dar tal-Providenza, with €1,556,543 collected during the “Festa ta’ Ġenerożità” (feast of generosity). At the end of the televised marathon, Mgr. Martin Micallef, director of the...
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Malta enters the rocket age with student organisation’s historic first launch
Malta witnessed a historic milestone with the successful launch of MERILL II, the first rocket ever launched from Maltese soil, by the University of Malta-based student organisation UM Rocketry. Timothy Schembri, committee member of UM Rocketry, told...
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US offers Ukraine 15-year security guarantee as part of peace plan, Zelenskyy says
The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, though he said he would prefer an American commitment of up to 50 years to deter...
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Brigitte Bardot passes away
Brigitte Bardot, the French 1960s sex symbol who became one of the greatest screen sirens of the 20th century and later a militant animal rights activist and far-right supporter, has died. She was 91. She is here pictured posing with a huge sombrero...
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Disciplined forces collect and distribute food to those in need around Malta
For the sixth consecutive year, disciplined forces officers have collected and distributed food to various residential homes around Malta during this festive season. Joined by the Minister for the Interior, Byron Camilleri, disciplined forces officers...
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Abela issues ‘hands off’ warning on development in Fort Tigne, rules out hotel conversion
Prime Minister Robert Abela has declared that Fort Tigné is “hands off” for development, insisting that the historic structure must be preserved and ruling out any possibility of it being converted into a hotel. Speaking to journalists after a press...
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Car catches fire in Mellieha
No one was hurt when a car caught fire on the Mellieha by-pass on Monday morning. The car, however, was destroyed in the blaze, which occurred at around 11am, police said. Civil Protection Department officers were on site to handle the fire. Photo:...
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Coming together for Christmas
Political and religious leaders came together over the Christmas period to address the nation with a shared message of unity, solidarity, and social responsibility, during the annual Milied Flimkien activities held in Valletta on Saturday.
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Firefighter’s funeral
A relative of Ho Wai-ho, the firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty during the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court on November 26, holds his picture during his funeral in Hong Kong on Friday.
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Rising cost of living the top concern for Maltese, new Eurobarometer finds
A new Eurobarometer has found that inflation and the rising cost of living is the top concern for the Maltese public, both on a national level and a personal level. The survey found that the public is only getting more concerned about the issue: the...
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Ready to be used
The flyover forming part of the €35 million Msida Creek infrastructure project was inaugurated on Wednesday and scheduled to open for traffic at midnight on Thursday. Commuters coming from Pieta' can now take the flyover to direction of the Msida...
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‘It beggars belief’, Archbishop says following ethics ruling on truthfulness of MPs, Repubblika raises alarm
Civil society organisation Repubblika has expressed serious concern over a recent decision by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, which concluded that, under the current rules, Members of Parliament are not under a formal obligation to tell...
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PM meets Pope Leo XIV as Malta marks 60 years of diplomatic relations with Vatican
Prime Minister Robert Abela met with Pope Leo XIV on Monday at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The meeting marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malta and the Holy See. “Diplomatic ties between Malta...
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Calls for investigation into Minister Galdes mount following news of another property deal
Calls for investigations into Housing Minister Roderick Galdes continue to mount as another property deal he was involved in was reported. Last month it was reported that Galdes purchased a penthouse and garage in Victoria, Gozo for a price of just...
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Armed Forces rescue 61 migrants in distress, one person dies
Some 60 migrants were rescued by the Armed Forces of Malta on Friday, and one person is believed to have died. The migrants in distress were spotted in the water by a fisherman outside of Malta’s territorial waters. In a statement to The Malta...
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‘Shape your space’: Government invites ideas for White Rocks, Manoel Island, Fort Campbell parks
Prime Minister Robert Abela and Environment Minister Miriam Dalli on Thursday launched a public consultation for three national parks, inviting the public to share its ideas on the website parksinmalta.mt. The three planned parks in question would be...
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Retired judge Toni Abela sworn in as Malta’s first Commissioner for Standards of the Judiciary
Retired judge Toni Abela on Wednesday was sworn in as Malta’s first Commissioner for Standards of the Judiciary, after his nomination received unanimous agreement. President Myriam Spiteri Debono appointed him for a three-year term in a ceremony at...
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Zelenskyy refuses to cede land to Russia as he rallies European support
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffimed his firm refusal to cede any territory, resisting U.S. pressure for a painful compromise with Russia as he continued to rally European support for Ukraine. “Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to...
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Zabbar Local Council and residents protest against approved five-storey elderly home in square
The Zabbar Local Council and Zabbar’s residents gathered in the locality’s main square, Misraħ tal-Madonna Medjatriċi, to protest against the Planning Authority’s approval of a five-storey elderly care facility that will overlook the town’s designated...
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Rental e-scooters can be useful if reintroduced under clear rules, with proper infrastructure – Rota
Sustainable mobility advocacy group Rota told The Malta Independent that it is open to rental e-scooters returning to the country if they are brought back “under clear rules and with proper infrastructure.” Rota acknowledged that the ban on rental...
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Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians
Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians stand amid the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Gaza City. Photo taken on Friday, 5 December, 2025.
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Madonna of Carafa restored
The Madonna of Carafa has emerged renewed after an intensive restoration and now takes pride of place at St John’s Co-Cathedral for a limited period of veneration, before being put back in the Chapel of Philermos on 10 December.
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‘I have nothing to hide,’ Minister Roderick Galdes says in response to calls for investigation
Affordable Housing Minister Roderick Galdes has said that he has “nothing to hide,” when asked about calls for investigations into an apartment he had purchased. The minister has come under scrutiny recently after news emerged that he had bought a...
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Student charged over Pembroke school stabbing, pleads not guilty
A 14-year-old student has been charged with stabbing a school peer at a Pembroke school. Brought before a court on Tuesday, the student pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, causing grievous injury, carrying a weapon and keeping an explosive...
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14-year-old boy stabbed at St Clare’s College, Pembroke; another student questioned
A 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital after he was stabbed, allegedly by a fellow student at St Clare’s College in Pembroke. The episode occurred just before school lessons started at 7.45am. Police were interviewing the student believed to be...
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Maltese see foreign disinformation, distrust in institutions, as top challenges to democracy in the EU – Eurobarometer
A new Eurobarometer survey shows that Maltese citizens view growing public distrust toward democratic institutions, foreign information manipulation, and AI-driven political content as the most serious challenge s facing democracy in the European...
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Rabat residents file judicial protest over farmhouse garden’s ‘destruction’
Rabat residents have filed a judicial protest against the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH), the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), and against a developer, Michael Bugeja, for “destroying the mature garden of a farmhouse.“ The...
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Planning Authority approves height increase for db Group towers despite opposition
The Planning Authority on Thursday granted approval for significant height extensions to the two db Group towers, authorising the addition of seven and six floors, respectively. With this decision, the towers will reach 25 and 23 storeys. The permit...
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All five accused cleared in Melvin Theuma phantom job case after testimony ruled inadmissible
The court has acquitted Keith Schembri, Yorgen Fenech and three former government officials in the criminal proceedings tied to the phantom job allegedly given to state witness Melvin Theuma. The ruling was delivered on Wednesday morning, which found...
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Valletta Christmas tree lights switched on
This year’s Christmas in the Capital programme was officially launched during a ceremonial switching-on of the Christmas lights and Christmas tree yesterday.
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48% of Gozo tourism operators report improvement in business last summer, 18% see decline – survey
Some 48% of tourism operators in Gozo reported an improvement in business in summer 2025 when compared to 2024, while 18% saw a decline, a survey commissioned by the Gozo Tourism Association said. During the past weeks, the Gozo Tourism Association...
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Child protection remains ‘reactive,’ with abuse often reported after harm occurs – CPS Director
Director of Malta’s Child Protection Services (CPS) Antonella Mizzi said that despite national efforts in prevention, CPS will unfortunately always be a reactive service, as it receives reports of allegations of abuse that have already...
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Swieqi residents say armed police stormed wrong apartment in 'terrifying' mistaken raid
Four people living in Swieqi have come forward with claims that heavily armed police officers mistakenly raided their apartment, holding them at gunpoint and restraining them in a violent mix-up. The incident, which occurred last month on Triq...
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Hospitals ruling: Government claims vindication, Opposition says people were betrayed
A heated parliamentary debate unfolded Monday following the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) ruling on the hospitals concession involving Steward Health Care. While the tribunal rejected both Steward’s claim for damages and Malta’s...
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‘Next year’s Budget will be even better,’ Robert Abela tells supporters
Prime Minister Robert Abela told supporters on Sunday morning that while the Budget announced a couple of weeks ago was the “best ever”, next year’s “will be even better.” Abela spoke at a short Labour Party activity in Ghaxaq on Sunday, with his...
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Government publishes 200-page Steward arbitration ruling
The 212-page ruling in the arbitration proceedings between Steward Healthcare and the Maltese government over the hospitals deal has been published by the government. Last Monday, the government said that the international arbitration tribunal had...
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Israeli jets strike southern Lebanon towns, escalating near-daily attacks
Israeli jets struck several towns in southern Lebanon on Thursday after urging residents to leave, marking an escalation in their neardaily strikes on the country. The airstrikes came hours after militant group Hezbollah urged the Lebanese government...
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Roderick Cassar pleads guilty to femicide of Bernice Cilia, gets 40 years in jail
Roderick Cassar has been jailed for 40 years after admitting to the murder of his estranged wife, Bernice Cilia. Cassar changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday morning, weeks before his trial by jury was due to begin. Cassar, 43, fatally shot his...
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White Rocks will be turned into a national park, Prime Minister says
Prime Minister Robert Abela has declared that the government will turn White Rocks into a national park. The White Rocks complex in Pembroke was once a military barracks built in the 1960s, but was later turned into a holiday complex. It has since...
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Borg presents 50 PN proposals, says Budget fails to address Malta’s everyday challenges
A week after Finance Minister Clyde Caruana presented the 2026 Budget, Opposition Leader Alex Borg presented a Budget replica with 50 proposals in Parliament on Monday, while lambasting the government for failing to offer concrete solutions to Malta’s...
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Removing tax on COLA would be ‘administrative nightmare’, and last year’s tax cut method was best way forward – Finance Minister
Removing tax on the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) would be an administrative nightmare, and last year’s tax cut method was the best way forward, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana told The Malta Independent. The Nationalist Party and others have been...
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Mass transport unmentioned in Budget because it is still at planning stage, Transport Minister says
Mass public transport was not mentioned in Budget 2026 because it is still at the planning stage, Transport Minister, Chris Bonett, said on Friday while responding to questions from the media. He remarked that people will eventually hear “much more”...
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Government estimating that it will collect €480 million more in taxes during 2026
The government is estimating that it will collect €480 million more in taxes during 2026 when compared to this year, financial estimates published by the Finance Ministry show. Finance Minister Clyde Caruana presented the Budget for 2026 in Parliament...
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‘The fruit of a devilish pact’: Activists will continue campaign against planning bills as camp protest ends
The camp protest which has been ongoing for four days has concluded, but the “Ġustizzja ghalArtna” campaign will continue, Andre Callus of Moviment Graffiti stated as he addressed the media outside of Parliament on Wednesday. Callus said that the days...
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Hurricane strikes Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa intensified Tuesday before making landfall in Jamaica, where officials and residents braced for catastrophic winds, flash flooding and landslides from the Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history. In the...
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What’s in it for you…
COLA for the coming year will be €4.66 per week 68,000 parents are expected to benefit from new income tax measure All persons above 75 years of age will receive an additional €75 in their annual grant 100,000 retirees, invalidity pensioners, widows...
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‘Potential impact of the legal notices could be bigger than the Bills’ – Chamber of Architects President
The potential impact of the legal notices proposed by the government, which would allow owners of illegal developments to apply for a concession or for a regularisation permit, could be bigger than the proposed planning Bills, President of the Chamber...
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Maksar gang members claim ‘miscarriage of justice’ in Caruana Galizia and Chircop murder trial
The murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Carmel Chircop have resurfaced in court, as brothers Robert and Adrian Agius, together with Jamie Vella, are alleging that the failure to allow George Degiorgio to testify during their jury trial resulted in...
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Malta is flouting EU law and court rulings by reopening illegal bird trapping season – BirdLife
Malta has once again reopened the trapping season for finches, golden plovers and song thrushes, directly challenging the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the European Commission, BirdLife said Thursday. Despite two ECJ rulings confirming that...
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Laid to rest
Bodies of unidentified Palestinians returned from Israel as part of the ceasefire deal are buried in a mass grave in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
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Sarkozy imprisoned
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy leave their home in Paris on Tuesday as Nicolas Sarkozy heads to prison to serve time for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya.
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LESA officers to be equipped with body cams
LESA officers will be equipped with a system of body-worn cameras to provide a better service to citizens and improve conditions for the officers, the Government has announced. In addition, LESA officers will receive new uniforms, and an investment is...
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PM slams PN over EU debate: ‘They’re trying to paint the picture that Malta’s rule of law is weak’
Prime Minister Robert Abela took aim at the Nationalist Party during a PL political event on Sunday, saying that PN MEPs pushed for a debate on Malta’s Rule of Law to be held within the European Parliament this week. Abela was speaking about the...
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Car bomb in Italy targeted journalist
A car belonging to one of Italy’s leading investigative journalists exploded outside his home late at night on Thursday, prompting an investigation by Italy’s anti-Mafia authorities and condemnation Friday from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and others....
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EIGHT YEARS ON
A silent gathering in memory of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia took place in Bidnija on Thursday, on the site where she was assassinated eight years ago. Flowers were laid at the site.
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Court tells tribunal to re-evaluate Stivala’s Townsquare expansion
Sliema residents scored a partial victory on Wednesday in their long-running battle against developer, Michael Stivala, after a court ordered the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) to reassess his plans to expand the controversial...
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Protests in Belgium
Belgian police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse tens of thousands of people who flooded Brussels on Tuesday to protest Prime Minister Bart de Wever's proposed austerity measures. In the above photo, police use a water cannon against protestors...
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Hamas releases hostages, Israel frees prisoners
Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages on Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians. Under the deal, Israel released over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and is...
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PN environment bill ‘may have been reasonable but was vague’, Pyrotechnic Association president says
The Nationalist Party’s private member’s bill, which sought to amend the provisions of the Constitution by introducing and recognising the right to live in a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a human right, may have had reasonable...
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Keith Schembri files criminal complaint over experts in Vitals inquiry
Former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri has lodged a criminal complaint with the Commissioner of Police, demanding an investigation into several courtappointed experts who participated in the Vitals inquiry and other proceedings. The complaint...
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Israel and Hamas will exchange hostages and prisoners after agreeing to a pause in the war
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their devastating twoyear war and the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners — a breakthrough greeted with joy and relief Thursday, but also caution. Uncertainty remains about...
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