• Editorial: Identity Malta needs to get its act together

    Many were taken aback earlier this week when an MP revealed that he knew of instances in which some people were in possession of more than one identity card.  But if they were taken aback by that, they must surely be bowled over by the revelation we are publishing today ...

  • Malta EPP congress: 2,000 participants invited including German Chancellor Angela Merkel

    The European Parliament’s largest political group, the European People’s Party, will be holding its congress in Malta on 29 and 30 March, to which some 2,000 participants have been invited, from over 40 countries.Foreign and security policies will be the focus of the event, which is being more broadly dedicated ...

  • Russian Laundromat: four Malta-based companies received USD3 million in laundered funds

    Four Maltese companies received close to USD3 million in laundered Russian funds according to research published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project this week.The transfer of the funds all occurred between August 2013 and January 2014. The largest share of laundered funds went to a firm named ASAP ...

  • Updated (2): 'We will not allow you to meddle with democracy,' Busuttil warns government

    Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil insisted this morning that the PN would not allow the government to mess with democracy and tamper with the elections. He was referring to a news story, published in The Malta Independent on Sunday, which reported how Identity Malta is facing an internal collapse of the ...

  • INDEPTH: Chris Cardona’s alibi might not be enough

    Economy Minister and PL Deputy Leader Chris Cardona needs more than a video showing him participating in an EU conference in Germany as an alibi to refute allegations levelled by journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia that an eyewitness saw him at a German brothel engaging in sex for cash.Replying to questions ...

  • Malta-Slovakia: Pietro Ghedin optimistic ahead of another World Cup qualifier

    Silvio Vella Like anybody else, national coach Pietro Ghedin is well aware that today’s World Cup qualifier from Group F against Slovakia at Ta’ Qali will be yet another extremely difficult test for Malta.Speaking to the media at the MFA technical centre before Malta’s fifth game in this qualifying group, ...

  • Anyone appointed by elected officials should publicly disclose worldwide assets – UBS whistleblower

    Along with Ministers, all individuals appointed by a country's elected officials such as those in positions of trust should, upon being appointed, publicly disclose all their worldwide assets, according to UBS whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld.In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Mr Birkenfeld explained: "By doing so, there will ...

  • Striking a balance between the environment, development and people’s expectations

    A report commissioned by the Environment Ministry published in August 2016 found that the infamous sea sludge came mainly from the fish farms. This resulted in the Planning Authority's removal of six illegal cages in the St Paul's Bay area the following October. However, in recent weeks sea slime has ...

  • NSO 'trends' report predicts fewer workers, more pensioners by 2055

    Population projections found in a recent report called "Trends in Malta 2016", released by the National Statistics Office, shows worrying predictions regarding the future of Malta's population composition in terms of age groups.Currently, employers are already complaining about the lack of potential employees easily found in Malta to fill empty ...

  • INDEPTH: 'I am in favour of removing garnishee orders against journalists, but not DCG,' - Cardona

    Economy Minister and PL Deputy Leader Chris Cardona denied that he was against the removal of garnishee orders as proposed by Government in the new media bill, yet he believes that he was right in being the first politician to file such a garnishee against a journalist, freezing nearly €50,000 ...

  • Malta's Robotics Olympiad in its second day

    The Malta Robotics Olympiad is in its second day of events.The Malta Robotics Olympiad (MRO) is the largest technology event in Malta organised by the Ministry for Education and Employment in Partnership with GO at the MFCC Ta'Qali.This year, for the first time ever the MRO took place over two ...

  • Police force launches recruitment process to attract more police officers

    The police force has announced a recruitment drive, aimed at recruiting more police officers to the force, where applications will be accepted at the Floriana Headquarters until 17 April.In a statement, the Home Affairs Ministry said that the fight against criminality, a police constable is the one to preserve peace ...

  • Manoel Island could be developed into natural park without taxpayers forking out 1c - PD

    Manoel Island could be developed into a natural park without the tax payer having to fork out a single Euro, Partit Demokratiku’s Marlene Farrugia said this morning at a press conference.She explained that many concessions given to commercial entities by previous governments were done so under the arrangement that the ...

  • Air Malta is ‘a small fish in a shark tank’ - GWU secretary for aviation

    The biggest problem with Air Malta is that it is a "small fish in a shark tank", GWU Secretary for the Aviation and Maritime sectors Sandro Vella told The Malta Independent.He was asked for his reaction to proposals put forward by the PN this week which, the party says, would ...

  • FAA expresses concern about restoration work at Mediterranean Conference Centre

    Flimkien għal  Ambjent Aħjar welcomes the restoration to take place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, however expresses concern about the assessment of works to be carried out, "with the Planning Authority granting the permit before the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage gave its final approval.""This was compounded by the illegality of ...

  • The problems female migrants face accessing Malta’s workforce

    Whilst there are a number of female migrants in Malta who would not like to give up their role as caregivers to their families, others have ambitions of pursuing careers and entering the country's workforce. However, according to Migrant Women Association Malta (MWAM), employment is one of the main factors ...

  • Gender equality, Islam, young people and party politics

    In an era that is slowly becoming defined by our political divisiveness, it seems that young people are becoming less engaged in the politics that surround them.The Malta Independent met with Sara Ezabe, a 20 year old law student, who is the Public Policy and Rights Commissioner at National Youth ...

  • We're not interested in one-sided coalitions, says Alternattiva Demokratika

    Alternattiva Demokratika is not interested in one-sided coalitions in which small political parties end up being gobbled up by their larger partners, AD chairman Arnold Cassola said today.  Prof. Cassola said that while coalitions in more advanced democracies allowed parties to keep their identity intact, in Malta politicians were more interested ...

  • World Tuberculosis Day 2017: Most TB cases in Malta are imported cases

    While stating that Malta is a low Tuberculosis incidence country, the Ministry of Health said in a statement that the large portion of TB cases which are present on the islands are imported cases.24 March commemorates World Tuberculosis Day, and the overall goal of this day is to raise awareness ...

  • 'The EU is already very much a federation' – PN Leader Simon Busuttil

    PN Leader Simon Busuttil said today that the EU is already very much a federation, "even if some want to deny or even contest it.""Federalism actually means unity and collaboration. It is in Malta's interest for us to remain at the heart of the European Union," he said.Dr Busuttil was ...

  • 'Solidarity in the EU should go beyond migration' – Prime Minister Joseph Muscat

    Prime Minister Joseph Muscat insisted today that solidarity between EU member was not only limited to migration but also economic and social issues.Dr Muscat was speaking in Rome, on the eve of the signing of the Declaration of Rome, 60 years after the founding of the EU.  He was addressing a ...