Malta Independent
Guns, bombs, leaks, and €150,000: Convicted hitman details how Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed
Prosecution witness Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, on Monday gave the jury a detailed account of how the plot to assassinate journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was organised, telling jurors about meetings, surveillance operations and payment...
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Plans for five-star tourist complex at ODZ British barracks site set for refusal
Plans for the construction of a five-star tourist complex at an ODZ British-era barracks site in Mosta have been recommended for refusal by a Planning Authority case officer. The application, filed by Manatura Operations Ltd, linked to businessman...
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Lincoln pool repairs Jurors hear how bomb which killed Daphne Caruana Galizia was under her car seat
Jurors on Friday heard testimony from several forensic experts who explained how they reached the conclusion that the bomb which killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was placed inside her car, under the driver’s seat. Yorgen Fenech, 44, has...
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New police recruits
27 police patrol and community support officers (pictured above) together with 18 new inspectors were inducted into the Malta Police Force in a ceremony on Thursday.
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Yorgen Fenech knew where Daphne Caruana Galizia’s laptop was, court told
In his fourth and final day of court testimony, lead investigator into the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder Keith Arnaud told jurors that Yorgen Fenech seemed to know that the journalist’s laptop had ended up in Germany. Defence lawyer Giannella De Marco...
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Investigators never found Keith Schembri’s phone and laptop, jury hears
Jurors in the trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech on Tuesday heard lead investigator Assistant Commissioner Keith Arnaud confirm that police never recovered former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri’s mobile phone or laptop, as his...
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Colours of Pamplona
Revelers celebrate as the txupinazo, the traditional rocket marking the start of the San Fermín festival, kicks off nine days of uninterrupted festivities in Pamplona, Spain,
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'Malta is still 100 years behind on enforcement,' Borg Manché says
Enforcement remains Malta's greatest weakness despite years of economic growth, newly appointed PN MP and Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Conrad Borg Manché said, arguing that stronger policing, more visible law enforcement and a more effective...
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Jury hears detailed account of investigation into Daphne assassination
Assistant Police Commissioner Keith Arnaud, the officer who led the investigation into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, on Friday spent an entire day guiding jurors through the police investigation that began within minutes of the 16...
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Vatican declares ultraconservative society in schism, excommunicates bishops
The Vatican responded aggressively Thursday to a traditionalist society that consecrated bishops without the pope’s consent, declaring the Society of St. Pius X in schism, excommunicating its bishops and priests and warning its faithful they too face...
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Yorgen Fenech trial over murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia begins
A breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics directly defied Pope Leo XIV by consecrating four bishops without his consent Wednesday, dismissing the resulting excommunications and schism by declaring it was a “sacred duty” to defend the Catholic...
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Gozo bus use up by 11%
One month after Gozo's public transport service has been fully electrified, Gozo's bus service has recorded more than 332,000 passenger journeys across more than 16,220 trips, reflecting an 11% increase in passenger usage when compared to the same...
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'Warning signs are not enough': Mayor urges closure of part of Imġiebaħ Bay amid safety fears
Mellieħa mayor Gabriel Micallef has called for part of Imġiebaħ Bay to be closed off from the general public amid safety concerns over a rock fissure appearing in the swimming area’s cliffside. Micallef expressed these concerns made by himself and the...
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Castillo says PN must build on election momentum
The Nationalist Party's reduced electoral deficit, despite not being a victory, nevertheless reflected a significant shift in public sentiment driven by a positive campaign, strong policy proposals and the leadership style of Opposition Leader Alex...
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PN Leader Alex Borg officially announces his Shadow Cabinet
Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg announced the official appointment of his Shadow Cabinet on Friday morning, ending days of speculation as to which MP would be shadowing which ministry. In a statement, the PN said this Shadow Cabinet is made up of...
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Palace tapestries restored
The historic tapestries of the Grand Master's Palace have returned to their home following an extensive two-year conservation project in Belgium. They were officially unveiled during a ceremony held under the patronage of President Myriam Spiteri...
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‘We haven’t even started yet,’ Borg tells activists at general council
Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg has pledged to press ahead with an ambitious programme of reform aimed at bringing the PN closer to voters, insisting that despite losing the 2026 General Election, the party has emerged stronger and better positioned...
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FIAU imposed €1.34 million in penalties as suspicious transaction reports rose by 13% in 2025
The Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) imposed a total of €1,340,242 million in administrative penalties and issued 71 enforcement measures in 2025, as the number of suspicious transaction reports received by the authority increased by 13%...
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Abela says Malta will stand against imposition of EU-wide taxes
Prime Minister Robert Abela told Parliament on Monday that Malta would stand against the imposition of any EU-wide taxes in order to sustain its budget. Speaking in a Ministerial Statement in Parliament on Monday, Abela told MPs of the European Summit...
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Government agrees deal with BP for Malta’s LNG supply till May 2027
The government has reached an agreement with global energy giant BP for Malta to be supplied Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) until the end of May 2027, as the country’s current hedging deal reaches its end date, the Prime Minister announced on...
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Fiscal Council endorses government’s 2026 economic forecasts
The Malta Fiscal Advisory Council (MFAC) has endorsed the government’s fiscal projections for 2026, concluding that they fall within an acceptable range and are consistent with the assumptions outlined in the Annual Progress Report 2026. In its...
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US and Iran sign initial deal to end war, ease sanctions and open strait as nuclear talks continue
President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran on Wednesday that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in a major...
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Major hurdle cleared for Second Interconnector as seabed route is secured for cable laying
Interconnect Malta said Wednedsay it has successfully completed the critical identification and clearance campaign for the offshore route of the Second MaltaSicily Interconnector (IC2) project, paving the way for the next phase of offshore works ahead...
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Three new PN candidates elected to Parliament in casual elections; four others retain seats
Seven Nationalist candidates were elected to Parliament this morning in casual elections held to fill seats vacated by other MPs who were elected twice. The counting process took place at the Naxxar Counting Hall, with three of the MPs elected being...
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Ministries to keep track of proposals’ progress through internal monthly updates
In the first MCESD meeting of this legislature, Cabinet Secretary Ryan Spagnol said that every ministry will be appointing a project manager to oversee the overall implementation of all electoral pledges under its cap. This project manager will also...
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‘Tourism is a new form of colonialism’: Activist launches anti-overtourism campaign
A newly launched Instagram page campaigning against overtourism in Malta is rapidly attracting attention by documenting what its creator describes as the everyday consequences of a tourism model that has prioritised visitor numbers over residents’...
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Labour casual elections: Two new faces in Parliament, six others make return
Eight Labour Party candidates were elected this morning in casual elections held to vacate seats of MPs who were elected from two districts in the general election held on 30 May. The exercise yielded four women and four men as new Labour MPs. In...
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St Peter’s Pool cliffside in danger of collapse, Public Works Department warns
The Department of Public Works has warned that the fractured cliffside at St Peter's Pool continues to pose a serious danger to the public, as it confirmed that access to the area was closed off on Thursday morning. In a statement issued following...
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Illegal Armier development continued despite notice for stop works, PA says
The Planning Authority has confirmed that an enforcement notice was issued against both Franklin Mangion and the Lands Authority over unauthorised development in a Natura 2000 site in Armier, Mellieħa, saying the contravener ignored instructions to...
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Delta Airlines inaugurates first ever direct service between Malta and New York
Delta Airlines has inaugurated the first-ever direct service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Malta International Airport, at an event attended by Prime Minister Robert Abela. The inaugural flight touched down at Malta...
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Mountaineer Rita Saliba becomes first Maltese woman to summit Denali
Maltese mountaineer Rita Saliba has become the first Maltese woman to reach the summit of Denali, completing the feat on 3 June and marking another milestone in her quest to conquer the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent. Saliba,...
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Government issues full list of ministerial responsibilities under Abela’s new Cabinet
The government has published the full list of responsibilities assigned to each ministry and parliamentary secretariat on Friday. The detailed breakdown, issued by the Department of Information, outlines the entities, sectors and responsibilities...
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Ministers take oath of office in Valletta ceremony, speak of challenges they will face
The new Cabinet of Ministers was sworn in yesterday, with 21 ministers and two parliamentary secretaries taking the oath of office at the Palace in Valletta. The list of ministers and parliamentary secretaries was announced on Wednesday evening...
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Robert Abela announces 24-person Cabinet
Prime Minister Robert Abela formally announced his new Cabinet on Wednesday night, having spent the better part of the day meeting most his newly elected MPs. Abela’s team features a whopping 21 ministers and two Parliamentary Secretaries. Adding...
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ADPD’s Sandra Gauci misses out on Parliament seat due to gender quota ignoring non-PN/PL candidates
ADPD chairperson Sandra Gauci will miss out on a seat in Parliament, despite securing results that surpassed those of candidates expected to benefit from Malta’s gender corrective mechanism. The gender corrective mechanism excludes candidates who do...
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The voters who stayed home deserve to be heard too
Election day has come and gone, the votes have been counted, and attention has naturally turned to the winners and losers of Malta’s 2026 general election. Yet amid the celebrations, analyses and political calculations, there is another group whose...
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The messages sent by the voters
The Labour Party has won its fourth election in a row, becoming the first ever political party to achieve such a feat. Robert Abela will be sworn in as Prime Minister of the country in a ceremony to be held on Monday morning, as thousands of Labour...
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Malta heads to the polls today as voters choose the next government
Malta is heading to the polls today as voters across the country cast their ballots in a general election that will determine who governs the country for the next five years. Polling stations, most of which are located in State schools across the...
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Election campaign comes to an end as day of silence comes into force
A short and sharp electoral campaign came to an end on Thursday, with Friday being a day of silence where political commentary or promotion cannot be done. Malta’s two major political parties – the Labour Party and Nationalist Party – ended their...
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Abela, Borg clash over economy, quality of life and credibility in final election debate
In the final debate of the electoral campaign, Prime Minister Robert Abela and Nationalist Party Leader Alex Borg faced off in a debate dominated by competing visions for Malta’s future, with both leaders focusing heavily on the economy, taxation,...
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Alex Borg pledges to resign if metro fails as Robert Abela skips debate
Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg has pledged to resign if a PN government fails to deliver an operational metro line within its first five years in office, making one of the boldest commitments of the election campaign during a debate that Prime...
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US Memorial Day
Michael Harper the bugle at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day on Monday in Washington. Photo: AP/Allison Robbert.
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Borg apologises for PN’s past mistakes in appeal to disillusioned voters
Nationalist Party Leader Alex Borg ended a mass meeting in Sliema with a direct apology to former Nationalist voters who had drifted away from the party, saying the PN had “done a lot of good” during its years in government but had also “made...
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PN presents plans for underground mass rapid transport system linking the airport to Pembroke
The Nationalist Party on Friday presented plans for the construction of an underground transport system linking the airport to Pembroke. The PN promised to build the first line in the next legislature, with eight stations being constructed...
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King strikes chord
Britain's King Charles III plays a ukulele while meeting members of the Loughries Men's Shed Ukulele Ensemble at Ards Allotments, near Strangford Lough in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, Thursday. Photo: Henry Nicholls/PA via AP
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STMicroelectronics takes next step with KK3 factory handover
The official handover of levels 0 and 1 of the KK3 Factory at STMicroelectronics took place on Wednesday, with government describing the project as a strategic investment in the country’s future economy. Addressing a press conference during the...
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Abela and Borg clash over economy, population and procurement in SMEs debate
At an election debate hosted by the Malta Chamber of SMEs on Tuesday, Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Alex Borg clashed over economic policy, labour shortages, public procurement and Gozo’s development, at times having a heated...
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Cheers and jeers dominate first election debate between party leaders
There was no shortage of cheers, chants, jeers, heckles, or boos in the first debate between party leaders in this general election campaign, on Monday afternoon, at the University of Malta. On Monday, at the Sir Temi Zammit Hall on University campus,...
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Abela says Labour electoral manifesto is a ‘contract and guarantee’ with the people
Prime Minister Robert Abela said that Labour’s electoral manifesto is a “contract and guarantee” with the public, adding that only Labour has the experience and team capable of implementing its proposals and continue leading the country through...
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Naxxar families evacuated after structural failure at construction site
Several families living near a construction site in Naxxar were evacuated on Thursday night after part of the foundations of a building under development failed, prompting an emergency response by the authorities. The Building and Construction...
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Another Labour government would increase support for band clubs, festas and NGOs, Abela says
Prime Minister Robert Abela on Thursday pledged continued investment in Malta’s festa culture and voluntary sector, promising less bureaucracy, more financial assistance and stronger support structures if the Labour Party is re-elected. Speaking...
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Historic deal sees Manoel Island and Fort Tigné returned to the public
Manoel Island and Fort Tigné have officially returned to public hands following the signing of an agreement between the Maltese government and MIDI plc. The agreement was signed on Manoel Island in the presence of Prime Minister Robert Abela, who has...
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Migrant rescue off Libya
The NGO boat SEA-EYE 5 was involved in two rescue operations in Libyan waters with a total of 72 people brought to safety from unseaworthy rubber boats. Several rescued individuals required medical treatment, and a helicopter evacuation was requested...
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Government announces masterplan for Gozo General Hospital, St Luke’s Hospital and Boffa Hospital
The Minister for Health and Active Ageing, Jo Etienne Abela on Monday announced the Masterplan that will lead to the development of a new hospital at Gozo General Hospital, the renovation and expansion of St Luke’s Hospital, and the renovation of Boffa...
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Five divers rescued
Five divers were rescued in a coordinated sea rescue operation after they were unable to safely return to shore following a dive off Qbajjar, Gozo. The divers were rescued by members of the Civil Protection Department (CPD) and the Armed Forces of...
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PN pledges 15% tax rate for micro-businesses, doubling VAT exemption to €70,000
The Nationalist Party announced how if in government, it would reduce corporate tax for micro-enterprises to 15% and raise the VAT exemption threshold for small businesses to €70,000. PN leader Alex Borg was speaking during a press conference...
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PN says it will raise tax threshold to €80,000, exempt first €10,000 of part-time earnings
The Nationalist Party has proposed raising the maximum tax threshold to €80,000 and tying all tax bands to COLA adjustments, alongside a €1,000 skills wallet for every adult, in a wide-ranging reform package it says is designed to increase take-home...
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€150 million MedTech firm Vantive facility planned for Ħal Far
An offshoot of US healthcare giant Baxter International is set to invest €150 million in a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Ħal Far, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Wednesday. The project will be operated by Vantive, a specialised...
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Abela launches new fast ferry linking Sliema, Buġibba and Gozo
Prime Minister Robert Abela has inaugurated a new fast ferry service connecting Sliema to Buġibba and extending onwards to Gozo, describing it as part of the government's effort to expand free and integrated public transport across the...
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Court annuls tribunal decision on major Comino hotel project
A court has annulled a decision by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) which had confirmed a Planning Authority permit for a major redevelopment project on Comino, NGO Moviment Graffitti said Monday. In a Facebook statement, the NGO...
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PN pledges to cut electricity bills by 30%
A future Nationalist government would slash electricity bills by 30%, Alex Borg announced during a party event in Cospicua, unveiling what he described as a major upcoming energy proposal aimed at easing the cost of living for Maltese and Gozitan...
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PN and PL hold first mass meetings of electoral campaign
The Nationalist Party and Labour Party got their electoral campaigns well and truly up and running on Friday, as both of them held their first mass meetings of the electoral campaign. PL supporters gathered in Castille Square to listen to addresses by...
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A green Valletta
The Valletta Green Festival officially opened on Thursday, transforming the capital with an assortment of floral arrangements and the creation of a garden in St George’s Square (pictured above). The festival runs till 10th May.
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Ousted President jailed
A South Korean appeals court on Wednesday sentenced ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol to seven years in prison for resisting arrest and bypassing a legitimate Cabinet meeting before his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Supporters of...
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Royal visit
President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave from the Blue Room Balcony during a State Visit arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday in Washington. Photo:
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Snap election on 30 May
Prime Minister Robert Abela on Monday called a general election for Saturday 30 May, almost one year before the legislature was supposed to end. The campaign will be the bare minimum provided for by the law: 33 days. Abela’s legislature was supposed...
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‘That fire never died,’ Deborah Schembri says on returning to politics
After years away from frontline politics, Labour Party candidate Dr Deborah Schembri is preparing for a return, describing her decision to contest the next general election as a “now or never” moment shaped by personal loss, professional growth, and an...
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Scrapyard fire
An industrial fire broke out at a scrapyard in Mqabba on Friday, prompting a response by the Civil Protection Department to contain the blaze. Residents living in nearby areas were advised to remain indoors and keep doors and windows closed as a...
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Transport Malta announces 15year national transport plan, including single €2.8bn metro line
Transport Malta has announced a national integrated transport plan, titled “Malta in Motion,” that outlines “a whole synchronised system” where every transport mode leads to another. The plan includes the awaited light-rail metro, referred to as the...
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Arms of Faith
Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday.
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Qormi tragedy
40-year-old Jurgen Cassar tragically lost his life early Tuesday morning after becoming trapped in the machinery of a refuse truck in Triq il-Kaccatur, Qormi. The incident occurred at approximately 6am while the victim, a local resident and the owner...
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Majority of hunters illegally target Turtle-doves during first week of spring season - BirdLife
An estimated 72% of hunters observed during the first week of this year’s spring hunting season were not targeting Common Quail but were instead primarily aiming at Turtle-doves, according to data collected by BirdLife Malta’s Spring Watch teams across...
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St Paul’s Bay mayor outlines Council’s limited role over delayed Bugibba Square works
St Paul’s Bay Mayor Censu Galea has defended the local council’s role in the ongoing Bugibba Square regeneration project, stressing that while the council has worked to represent residents’ concerns, it holds no authority over contractors or the...
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Next Labour electoral manifesto will be more ambitious than the last, Prime Minister says
Prime Minister Robert Abela said that the Labour Party’s next electoral manifesto will be more ambitious than the last, which featured 1,000 proposals of which, the government has implemented over 80%, he said. “Four years ago, we were very ambitious...
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Malta’s population projected to stand at 720,000 by 2100, Eurostat data shows
While Europe’s population is projected to dip by over 10% by the year 2100, the European Union’s statistics body Eurostat does not believe that will be the case for Malta, as it projects the country to host a population of over 720,000 people by that...
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School shooting terror
Turkish security forces and emergency staff stand in the courtyard of a secondary school where an assailant opened fire, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, Wednesday.
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