The Malta Independent

Keep me signed in with social media

29 October 2026, Thursday

View E-Paper

Spain reckons with 2nd deadly train crash of the year ahead of national election

Spain's second high-speed rail disaster this year, a crash in which one train struck another from behind, killing 68 people, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country's rail...

Comments (0)
Share

Paola mayor says developer froze his personal bank accounts after council appealed development

Paola mayor Jason Silvio has said his personal bank accounts were seized following legal action by a developer after the local council appealed a Planning Authority decision concerning a development...

Comments (0)
Share

TMID Editorial: The ‘budget conclave’ should never have been scrapped

For decades, what journalists referred to as the "budget conclave" was an established feature of Malta's annual Budget Day. A few hours before the Finance Minister rose in Parliament to deliver the...

Comments (0)
Share

Abela on TCN fees: ‘Which country gives all services for free?’

Prime Minister Robert Abela has defended the government's decision to introduce new fees and remove certain benefits for third-country nationals (TCNs), arguing that no country provides every service...

Comments (0)
Share

PN challenges government to justify Budget measures with studies and investment plans

The Nationalist Party has called on the government to explain the studies underpinning the measures announced in Budget 2027 and how the additional revenue will be invested. Speaking at a press...

Comments (0)
Share

Three consortia submit bids for new €1.8 billion geriatric hospital in Luqa

Three consortia involving major players in Malta's healthcare and catering sectors have submitted bids ranging from €1.74 billion to €1.87 billion for the construction and operation of a new...

Comments (0)
Share

Commemorative plaque installed inside Parliament to mark 105 years of Maltese political life

A commemorative plaque featuring the names of all Speakers of the House of Representatives across Maltese history has been installed outside the Parliament Chamber, inside the Parliament building in...

Comments (0)
Share

Lorin Scicluna in murder trial: 'It was supposed to be a cat. It ended up being three migrants'

15:36 The prosecution formally closes its case , having concluded the presentation of its evidence. The defence subsequently confirms that the accused will take the witness stand...

Comments (0)
Share

Rosianne Cutajar ‘not personally comfortable’ with Budget 2027 measures affecting TCNs

Equality Minister Rosianne Cutajar has expressed discomfort with Budget 2027 measures affecting third-country nationals (TCNs), warning that the changes risk deepening divisions and fuelling...

Comments (0)
Share

‘Budget 2027 is creating a country that segregates people by nationality,’ 24 organisations warn

24 organisations warned that Budget 2027 represents a "shocking leap towards a country that officially segregates people on the basis of their nationality," condemning measures targeting third-country...

Comments (0)
Share

Health Minister says Budget 2027 to invest in care services that grant families peace of mind

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health, Ian Borg, said that the health-related proposals in Budget 2027 will invest in health services and elderly care services that give families peace of...

Comments (0)
Share

recent poll

Blogs & Opinions

Alfred Sant

Brazil

Mark Said

Police officers and identity cards

Emmanuel J. Galea

Last in Europe, first in spin!

Frans Camilleri

Church vs State

Alfred Sant

Against impunity

Adrian Delia

Families need more than money

Katya De Giovanni

School-based assessment: Weighing the pros and cons

Marco Bonnici

An employee-centred national agenda

Emmanuel J. Galea

Gozo by the side door

Frans Camilleri

Debt and the balance sheet

Seven hunting licences suspended or revoked between February and May 2026

Seven land-based bird hunting licences were suspended or revoked between February and May 2026, according to information provided by Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri in response to parliamentary...

Comments (0)
Share

Late own goals help Inter beat Venezia 2-0 in Serie A while Milan lose 4-2

Defending champion Inter Milan needed two late own goals to scrape a 2-0 win at last-place Venezia in Serie A, while AC Milan's unbeaten league run under coach Rúben Amorim ended with a 4-2...

Comments (0)
Share

Site visit conducted in trial of ex-soldier accused of racially motivated murder

Photo: Lassane Cisse (left) and Lorin Scicluna

Seven years after the murder of Lassana Cisse, murder accused Lorin Scicluna visited the crime scene on Wednesday alongside the judge and jurors presiding over his trial. Cisse, a 42-year-old...

Comments (0)
Share

National equality body calls for impact assessment on new foreign worker policies

Malta's National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) has urged the government to conduct an Equality Impact Assessment before implementing proposed policy measures targeting third-country...

Comments (0)
Share

Just over 45,500 people in Malta living with diabetes, Health Minister says

A total of 45,551 people in Malta are living with diabetes, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ian Borg has confirmed in a parliamentary reply. Borg provided the figure in response to...

Comments (0)
Share

BOV raises 2026 profit guidance as nine-month earnings reach €189.6 million

Bank of Valletta has raised the lower end of its full-year profit forecast to €230 million after reporting €189.6 million in profit before tax for the first nine months of 2026, supported by...

Comments (0)
Share

Italian national strike on Friday may disrupt flights and public services, Embassy warns

A general national strike scheduled to take place in Italy on Friday, 30 October, may cause delays and cancellations for travellers flying to, from or within the country. The Embassy of Malta in...

Comments (0)
Share

APS Bank profit jumps to record €35m in first nine months of 2026

APS Bank plc on Wednesday reported a record pre-tax profit of €34.5 million at Group level for the nine months ended 30 September 2026, up 94% from €17.8 million in the corresponding period...

Comments (0)
Share

news in pictures

events

Sports

Late own goals help Inter beat Venezia 2-0 in Serie A while Milan lose 4-2

Lazio rout Sassuolo 6-2 to stay top of Serie A, humiliating cup exit for Espanyol

Arsenal embarrassed in penalty-shootout loss to 4th-tier Fleetwood in English League Cup stunner

YoHealth Malta Premier - Spartans stun leaders Valletta

Kane becomes first Englishman in 25 years to win Ballon d'Or and Putellas wins her third

Kimi Antonelli wins US Grand Prix and tightens his grip on historic F1 title chase

Man United humbled by Bournemouth to leave Carrick's job under threat, Liverpool beat Brighton

Mbappé leads Real Madrid to 2-1 win over Barcelona in clasico, Bayern back on top in Germany

Man City fall at Aston Villa and Arsenal move level on top of the Premier League

Roma hold Napoli to dramatic draw and Dortmund beat Frankfurt ahead of Bayern clash

Updated: At least 64 dead in high-speed train crash in central Spain

A high-speed train slammed into the rear of another train that had stopped, derailing two cars and killing at least 64 people on Wednesday in central Spain, according to local media. Spanish...

Comments (0)
Share

Total tax revenue reaches almost €7.5bn, NSO says

In 2025, total tax revenue stood at €7,471.6 million (nearly €7.5bn), indicating a tax burden equivalent to 30.3 per cent, the NSO said Wednesday. Tax revenues increased by €698.9...

Comments (0)
Share

King Charles III can't escape Britain's role in slavery as he tours the Caribbean

For Britain's royal family, slavery is the issue that won't go away. As King Charles III tours the Bahamas, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda over the next nine days he will be repeatedly reminded...

Comments (0)
Share

Son accused of threatening parents for drug money found hiding on boat after two-day search

A 24-year-old man from Żabbar has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to threatening and intimidating his parents for money to sustain his drug addiction, before allegedly fleeing...

Comments (0)
Share

‘You all deserve to be blown up,' accused tells courtroom

"You all deserve to be blown up!" a 49-year-old man told the court during his arraignment on Tuesday. "You've neglected serious cases, yet you're nit-picking over mine. You should be ashamed of...

Comments (0)
Share

Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family land in Miami

Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family landed in Miami on Wednesday after fleeing Brazil. The stunning move came after 48 hours in which Bolsonaro...

Comments (0)
Share

Accor & Corinthia Group launch collaboration to bring Verdi Hotels to Handwritten Collection

Accor, a world leading hospitality group, and The Corinthia Group, a renowned hospitality and real estate investment firm trading as IHI plc, today announce the signing of an agreement to bring Verdi...

Comments (0)
Share

Exit polls suggest no clear winner in Israel's election, but Netanyahu is far from defeated

Israeli voters delivered a rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's far-right and religious governing coalition, but exit polls Wednesday suggested the election had no clear winner and...

Comments (0)
Share

MBB calls for a strong EU Budget to safeguard Maltese Businesses

The Malta Business Bureau (MBB) has issued a clear call for proactive, aligned advocacy across government and industry to secure a business-friendly European framework and an advantageous EU budget...

Comments (0)
Share

Ex-orchestra chief Sigmund Mifsud jailed 6 months for obstructing justice in sex harassment scandal

Former Malta Philharmonic Orchestra CEO Sigmund Mifsud has been handed a six-month effective prison sentence after the court found him guilty of trying to obstruct justice. The case revolves...

Comments (1)
Share

latest comment from RF, 27/10/2026 12:12: The Perpetrator who had admitted to the harassment got a suspended sentence only and favoured with a ban on his name. The inconsistency of judicial sentencing is awesome.

Click to rate
0
0

Business

How Bitcoin Pushed Its Way Over the $65,000 Marker

MBB calls for a strong EU Budget to safeguard Maltese Businesses

HSBC Malta: Strong and resilient results continued through Q3 2026

Does Europe’s low compute matters in the AI race

Bank of Valletta to host second edition of Investor Days

APS Bank introduces three AI-powered assistants to support colleagues

BOV wins WSBI-ESBG AWARD for inclusive banking and social impact

Spain reckons with 2nd deadly train crash of the year ahead of national election

Paola mayor says developer froze his personal bank accounts after council appealed development

TMID Editorial: The ‘budget conclave’ should never have been scrapped

Abela on TCN fees: ‘Which country gives all services for free?’

PN challenges government to justify Budget measures with studies and investment plans

Three consortia submit bids for new €1.8 billion geriatric hospital in Luqa

Commemorative plaque installed inside Parliament to mark 105 years of Maltese political life

Lorin Scicluna in murder trial: 'It was supposed to be a cat. It ended up being three migrants'

Rosianne Cutajar ‘not personally comfortable’ with Budget 2027 measures affecting TCNs

‘Budget 2027 is creating a country that segregates people by nationality,’ 24 organisations warn

Health Minister says Budget 2027 to invest in care services that grant families peace of mind

Seven hunting licences suspended or revoked between February and May 2026

Late own goals help Inter beat Venezia 2-0 in Serie A while Milan lose 4-2

Site visit conducted in trial of ex-soldier accused of racially motivated murder

National equality body calls for impact assessment on new foreign worker policies

Just over 45,500 people in Malta living with diabetes, Health Minister says

BOV raises 2026 profit guidance as nine-month earnings reach €189.6 million

Italian national strike on Friday may disrupt flights and public services, Embassy warns

APS Bank profit jumps to record €35m in first nine months of 2026

TMID Editorial: Rehabilitation matters, but so does public safety

Chamber of SMEs, Childcare Centre Association blast government over end of free childcare for TCNs

Lorin Scicluna gave conflicting accounts of Lassane Cisse murder during interrogations, jury hears

From rules to realpolitik: Geopolitical tensions and the International Law of the Sea

PN says Budget 2027 could increase cost of living and traffic congestion

All you need to know about this year’s edition of the Malta Book Festival

Arsenal embarrassed in penalty-shootout loss to 4th-tier Fleetwood in English League Cup stunner

Lazio rout Sassuolo 6-2 to stay top of Serie A, humiliating cup exit for Espanyol

‘Human dignity has no passport’: Church Commission condemns Budget measures targeting TCNs

Updated: At least 64 dead in high-speed train crash in central Spain

Total tax revenue reaches almost €7.5bn, NSO says

King Charles III can't escape Britain's role in slavery as he tours the Caribbean

Son accused of threatening parents for drug money found hiding on boat after two-day search

‘You all deserve to be blown up,' accused tells courtroom

Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family land in Miami

Accor & Corinthia Group launch collaboration to bring Verdi Hotels to Handwritten Collection

Exit polls suggest no clear winner in Israel's election, but Netanyahu is far from defeated

MBB calls for a strong EU Budget to safeguard Maltese Businesses

Ex-orchestra chief Sigmund Mifsud jailed 6 months for obstructing justice in sex harassment scandal

Over 5,300 patients to benefit from two new free mental health medicines

Attard says Planning Appeals reform seeks balance between appellants and permit holders

Yorgen Fenech granted 10-day extension to respond to Attorney General's appeal against acquittal

Keith Schembri and co-defendants lose constitutional appeal over asset freezing order

ADPD leader calls for TCNs to report budget measures en masse for potentially breaching EU law

Budget 2027 is ‘throwing TCNs under the bus’, Friends of the Earth Malta says