Malta Independent
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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Anton Refalo defends Qala lease, insists he ‘did not know’ Totò Riina
Minister Anton Refalo on Tuesday again defended his long-term lease of a property in Qala, strongly rejecting any suggestion of links to notorious Sicilian mafia boss Totò Riina and insisting he did "not know him". The controversy follows...
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€75 million contract signed to launch new organic waste processing plant
The government and WasteServ have signed a contract worth €75 million to initiate works of a new organic waste processing plant, with the aim being for the project to be finalised in two years’ time. Once active, this facility will take organic waste...
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‘Most crimes happen away from witnesses,’ EPU inspector says on enforcement challenges
Environmental crimes in Malta are often committed in remote areas, at night or away from witnesses, making enforcement particularly difficult despite growing public awareness and reporting, Inspector Elliot Magro from the Environmental Protection Unit...
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University academics, senior clinical staff at Mater Dei call for durable healthcare proxy
An interdisciplinary group of academics from the University of Malta and senior clinical staff at Mater Dei Hospital is recommending the inclusion of a durable power of attorney for healthcare in Malta’s proposed Advanced Medical Directives Act,...
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Out-of-court tax settlement brings €1.5 million case to an end
Criminal proceedings against two accountants and a number of associated companies have been formally brought to an end after an agreement was reached with the tax authorities. Nigel and Mikaela Scerri, the individuals behind the firm Ennesse, had been...
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US, Israel, Iran agree to a two-week ceasefire but much remains unclear and some attacks continue
Iran, the United States and Israel agreed to a two-week ceasefire in an 11th-hour deal that headed off U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to unleash a bombing campaign to destroy Iranian civilization. But hours after the announcement, Iran and Gulf...
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Momentum and ADPD hold coalition talks, but no agreement reached yet
Malta’s smaller political parties are in ongoing discussions over a potential electoral coalition, but no agreement has yet been reached, according to their leaders. This comes after news reports saying that Momentum and ADPD are expected to join...
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US aviator rescued as Trump vows strikes on Iran’s infrastructure if Strait of Hormuz is not reopened
The United States said Sunday it rescued a service member missing behind enemy lines since Iran downed a fighter jet, as President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Tehran with a new looming deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran showed no...
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Maltese denied full human rights protection for a decade, Ombudsman says
Maltese citizens have been denied full protection against discrimination in local courts for the past decade because the government failed to incorporate a key international human rights treaty into national law, the Ombudsman said on Wednesday. In a...
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Spring hunting season for quail and turtle dove to open in April
The Ministry for Gozo and Planning has announced the opening of a limited spring hunting season for quails and turtle doves. In a statement, the Ministry said that the spring hunting season for quail opens on Monday 13 April and closes on Sunday 3...
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A quarter of Malta’s energy will come from renewables by 2030, Prime Minister pledges
Prime Minister Robert Abela has pledged that by 2030, in four years’ time, a quarter of the country’s generated energy will derive from renewable sources. During the Labour Party’s Freedom Day activity, on the eve of the public holiday, the Prime...
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Archbishop leads Palm Sunday mass, urges faithful to truly know Christ
Archbishop Charles Scicluna urged the faithful to truly understand and know Jesus Christ, as he celebrated Palm Sunday mass at St John’s Co-Cathedral, marking the beginning of Holy Week. The ceremony opened with the traditional blessing of olive...
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Mandatory course on Maltese culture and language introduced for third country nationals
A new mandatory course has been introduced for third-country nationals already in Malta, focusing on Maltese culture and the Maltese language, the government announced on Friday. The syllabus for this course was prepared by the Ministry for Home...
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Government has implemented 82% of electoral manifesto, Prime Minister says
In a press conference marking four years in office since winning the last general election, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that 82% of electoral manifesto measures have been implemented. Abela described Malta as having “exceptional economic...
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‘He’s going to kill us’: Son’s chilling words are described in court as case against father begins
Court proceedings have begun against a father accused of attempting to murder his two children in a case that has shocked the country, as harrowing testimony emerged about the events leading up to the alleged attack and the subsequent search that led...
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Missile wreckage
Israeli soldiers secure the site where an Iranian missile wreckage landed in the West Bank village of Kifl Haris Tuesday, 24 March, 2026.
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Two die in New York runway crash
Two people were killed and several others badly hurt when an Air Canada regional jet struck a fire truck on a runway while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, officials said. In the above photo, the Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia...
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Climber rescued in complex operation
On Saturday evening, Civil Protection Malta received a report of a female climber requiring medical assistance in the vicinity of the Red Tower, Mellieħa. "Given the severity of the situation, an Armed Forces of Malta helicopter was deployed to airlift...
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Iran threatens world tourism sites and says it is still building missiles three weeks into war
Iran threatened to target recreational and tourist sites worldwide and insisted it was still building missiles. Friday’s show of defiance came nearly three weeks into U.S.-Israeli strikes that have killed a slew of Tehran’s top leaders and hammered its...
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Identification and clearance phase starts after completion of marine survey
Interconnect Malta (ICM) said Thursday it has progressed into another phase of the project following the completion of the Detailed Marine Route Survey (DMRS) for the Second Interconnector (IC2). This transition marks the commencement of the...
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Israel says another top Iranian official has been killed
Israel kept up its campaign of targeting Iran’s leaders on Wednesday, killing the country’s intelligence minister, and an Iranian offshore natural gas field was struck in a sign of the war’s mounting pressure – from both sides — on the region’s...
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Government moves to scrap ministerial asset and spouse property declarations
The government’s proposed changes to the Code of Ethics and asset declaration requirements would formally do away with ministerial asset declarations, while also removing the requirement for MPs to list immovable property belonging to their spouses...
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CPD demonstration
The Civil Protection Department carries out a demonstration during a visit by Prime Minister Robert Abela to the department’s premises in Hal Far.
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Partisan atmosphere between the two major parties keeping people away from politics, minister says
Economy Minister Silvio Schembri believes that the partisan political environment in Malta is keeping people who can contribute away from entering politics. The minister was asked by this newsroom whether the way politicians from the two major...
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