The Malta Independent

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5 November 2026, Thursday

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Gozo tourism operators report stable summer season amid infrastructure, operating challenges

The Gozo Tourism Association's latest summer performance survey reveals a largely stable season for the island's tourism sector between June and September 2026, though business operators continue to...

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BREAKING: Lorin Scicluna sentenced to 8 years in prison

Photo: Lassane Cisse (left) and Lorin Scicluna

Judge Natasha Galea Sciberras sentenced Lorin Scicluna to eight years in prison after a jury found him guilty by six votes to three of causing grievous bodily harm to May Malimi in February 2019 and...

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Midterm elections crack open political map, putting conservative states back in play

For a decade, the political map has been largely stagnant, locked into the same half-dozen or so political battlegrounds, reflecting a polarized, evenly divided country. On Tuesday, voters took a...

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MHRA welcomes on-the-spot cannabis fines for tourists, calls for stronger police presence

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) has welcomed plans to introduce on-the-spot fines for cannabis-related offences involving tourists, saying that visible police enforcement and...

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The leader of a German conservative party is found dead at a Berlin hotel

Hubert Aiwanger, the leader of a conservative party that has become a mainstay of Bavarian politics and sought to expand its influence across Germany, has been found dead at a Berlin...

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National Archives launch 2035 strategy with plans for new facilities and greater digital access

Plans for new National Archives facilities, improved infrastructure in Gozo and greater investment in digitisation form part of a new strategic vision for the National Archives of Malta, launched by...

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Enemalta to invest €11 million in strengthening Gozo’s electricity network

Enemalta has issued two major tenders with a combined value of almost €11 million for the supply and installation of new cables in Gozo, marking another important step in strengthening the...

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TMID Editorial: Making life harder for TCNs is no economic strategy

Malta has reached a point where it can no longer ignore the consequences of an economic model built on the continuous expansion of its workforce. Overpopulation, congestion, pressure on infrastructure...

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KM Malta Airlines to launch direct flights to Bordeaux from April 2027

KM Malta Airlines will introduce a new direct flight service between Malta and Bordeaux, France, from 1 April 2027, with flights operating twice a week as part of the airline's expanded European...

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Momentum accuses PBS of sidelining smaller parties from Budget 2027 debates

Momentum has accused Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) of excluding smaller political parties from televised discussions on Budget 2027, calling on the Broadcasting Authority to intervene and ensure...

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Maltese minor returning to Malta after detainment after €700,000 cash bust off Sicily

Foreign Affairs Minister Chris Fearne stated on Wednesday that "a young Maltese boy" who was being held in Catania, Sicily under an Italian court order is on his way back to Malta following weeks of...

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recent poll

Blogs & Opinions

Alfred Sant

Inter-generations

Mark Said

Directional perceptions, domestic violence, and San Anton Gardens

Emmanuel J. Galea

The battery nobody owns

Alfred Sant

Foreign workers

Adrian Delia

Malta’s overpopulation problem - The government admits the problem, but where is the solution?

Katya De Giovanni

Mental health first aid should be required by law, just like physical first aid

Frans Camilleri

The reality of migrant workers

Romilda Zarb

Beyond financial support: Building opportunity through social justice

Emmanuel J. Galea

Buried faster than born

Jerome Caruana Cilia

Another budget, the same problems persist

Jerma redevelopment EIA should not be accepted in present form, residents’ group says

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed redevelopment of the former Jerma Palace Hotel should not be accepted in its present form, according to the Marsaskala Residents’...

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Driving Licence Surrender Scheme applicants to receive approval letters ‘in the coming weeks’

Transport Malta will be issuing decision letters to those who applied for its Driving Licence Surrender Scheme "in the coming weeks," this newsroom can confirm. Approved applicants will eventually be...

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Champions League: Real Madrid pull off another comeback, Liverpool upset by Fenerbahce, Como score 9

Real Madrid produced another late comeback in the Champions League as Federico Valverde struck in stoppage time to seal a 3-2 win over AEK Athens on Wednesday. Liverpool, however, fell to a...

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Voters deliver rebuke to Trump by handing Democrats control of the Senate

Voters delivered a significant rebuke to President Donald Trump on Tuesday by handing Democrats control of the Senate, rejecting his handpicked candidates while airing widespread concerns about high...

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latest comment from Memphis Belle, 04/11/2026 09:06: Europe must do like the US democrats and put aside the EPP once for all,we had enough of them now just scrap them..

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PN MEPs accuse Abela of confusing national interest with personal interests

PN Head of Delegation in the European Parliament David Casa and PN MEP Peter Agius today rejected Prime Minister Robert Abela's allegation that their calls for justice and the restoration of the rule...

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Malta to hit tourists with instant €235 penalty for public cannabis use

Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield has announced that tourists caught smoking cannabis in public places will soon face an instant fine of €235. Although cannabis was legalized in Malta...

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Malta spent €4.16 million in humanitarian aid in 2025, with Palestine receiving €368k

Malta reported preliminary humanitarian assistance and expenditure amounting to €4.16 million during 2025, according to information tabled in Parliament by Foreign and European Affairs Minister...

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Lorin Scicluna to be sentenced on Thursday as prosecution urges maximum punishment

Submissions on punishment began on Wednesday in the trial of Lorin Scicluna, with the defence urging the court not to impose the maximum prison sentence following his client's conviction on two of...

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news in pictures

events

Sports

Champions League: Real Madrid pull off another comeback, Liverpool upset by Fenerbahce, Como score 9

YoHealth Malta Premier - Valletta finish top as Hibernians return to Top Six

Champions League: Man United in dramatic comeback, PSG hit six, Barcelona and Bayern win

Updated: Spanish player dies after on-field collision in second-division match

Mastantuono’s late winner ends Fiorentina's 52-day winless run

Everton beat Newcastle for the second time in four days as boos ring out at St James' Park

Arsenal beat Liverpool 1-0 to end Anfield torment and go top of the Premier League

Mbappé scores again as Real Madrid win and Lazio go 3 points clear in Serie A with late winner

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest champion in F1 history at age 20

Kane scoreless as Bayern draws in Klassiker and Milan beat city rivals Inter

Outbound trips up 5% in third quarter, NSO says

Total outbound tourist trips for the third quarter in 2026 were estimated at 284,486, an increase of 5.1 per cent over the corresponding quarter of 2025. Total nights spent increased by 1.3 per cent...

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Investment to improve safety and efficiency for fishermen inaugurated in Marsaskala

The government is continuing its investment in the modernisation of winches at various fishing ports across Malta, with the aim of further strengthening safety, efficiency, and infrastructure for the...

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Five arrested in St Paul's Bay police drug bust

Five people have been taken into police custody following a targeted law enforcement operation into alleged drug trafficking in St Paul's Bay, the police said Wednesday. The operation commenced...

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Flights across Europe searched and diverted after hoax bomb threats

Several flights across Europe received hoax bomb threats Tuesday that prompted searches, diversions and, in one case, an escort by the Italian Air Force until landing, officials said. The flights...

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TMID Editorial: Mental health first aid should be as mandatory as physical first aid

There is something fundamentally wrong with a system that recognises the importance of protecting employees from physical injuries but does not place the same emphasis on protecting their mental...

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Malta national rugby team to play 100th match, government promises more investment in sport

Malta’s National Rugby Team will play its 100th international match on Saturday against Germany at the Hibernians Stadium in Paola, with Sports Minister Byron Camilleri promising more investment...

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Sandro Lauri appointed CEO of the Energy and Water Agency

Inġ. Sandro Lauri has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer at the Energy and Water Agency having held the position on an interim basis for the past few months, the agency said in a...

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Malta Public Transport announces temporary closure of Bombi 1 bus stop

The Bombi 1 bus stop is temporarily closed as of Wednesday, 4 November, until Saturday, 21 November due to road works, Malta Public Transport announced on Tuesday. As a result, any passengers who...

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Work begins to 'transform Manoel Island into a national park'

Extensive cleaning and maintenance works have begun on Manoel Island, marking the first steps towards its transformation into a national park, the government said Wednesday. These works represent an...

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President visits Maltese patients undergoing treatment in the UK

President Myriam Spiteri Debono departed for an official visit to the United Kingdom on Wednesday morning. During her visit, President Spiteri Debono will meet with Maltese patients receiving...

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Business

ECB holds rates at 2.5% amid rising inflation risks

Roma Outlet Village opens its doors on 6 November

Malta records 7.5 million active online gambling accounts and nearly 850,000 casino visits

Emirates honoured at Sky Media Travel Awards held in Malta

Gozo tourism operators report stable summer season amid infrastructure, operating challenges

BREAKING: Lorin Scicluna sentenced to 8 years in prison

Midterm elections crack open political map, putting conservative states back in play

MHRA welcomes on-the-spot cannabis fines for tourists, calls for stronger police presence

The leader of a German conservative party is found dead at a Berlin hotel

National Archives launch 2035 strategy with plans for new facilities and greater digital access

Enemalta to invest €11 million in strengthening Gozo’s electricity network

TMID Editorial: Making life harder for TCNs is no economic strategy

KM Malta Airlines to launch direct flights to Bordeaux from April 2027

Momentum accuses PBS of sidelining smaller parties from Budget 2027 debates

Maltese minor returning to Malta after detainment after €700,000 cash bust off Sicily

Jerma redevelopment EIA should not be accepted in present form, residents’ group says

Driving Licence Surrender Scheme applicants to receive approval letters ‘in the coming weeks’

Champions League: Real Madrid pull off another comeback, Liverpool upset by Fenerbahce, Como score 9

Voters deliver rebuke to Trump by handing Democrats control of the Senate

PN MEPs accuse Abela of confusing national interest with personal interests

Malta to hit tourists with instant €235 penalty for public cannabis use

Malta spent €4.16 million in humanitarian aid in 2025, with Palestine receiving €368k

Lorin Scicluna to be sentenced on Thursday as prosecution urges maximum punishment

Casa at SiGMA: Your workforce is your greatest asset

Italian filmmaker Tinto Brass dies at 93

YoHealth Malta Premier - Valletta finish top as Hibernians return to Top Six

Gozo Channel to be free of charge for pedestrians as from next year, Prime Minister says

Shadow Minister told by Minister to give Budget 2027 analysis before seeing measures

Public survey launched as part of the Malta in Motion plan

Repubblika calls for independent review of entire justice system

Tourists spending less despite record arrivals, Alex Borg says

Malta Book Festival opens its 47th edition with focus on discovery and storytelling

Outbound trips up 5% in third quarter, NSO says

Investment to improve safety and efficiency for fishermen inaugurated in Marsaskala

Five arrested in St Paul's Bay police drug bust

Flights across Europe searched and diverted after hoax bomb threats

TMID Editorial: Mental health first aid should be as mandatory as physical first aid

Malta national rugby team to play 100th match, government promises more investment in sport

Sandro Lauri appointed CEO of the Energy and Water Agency

Malta Public Transport announces temporary closure of Bombi 1 bus stop

Work begins to 'transform Manoel Island into a national park'

President visits Maltese patients undergoing treatment in the UK

Father denies repeatedly slapping son at dental clinic

15-year-old boy charged with injuring mother during family argument

Champions League: Man United in dramatic comeback, PSG hit six, Barcelona and Bayern win

MUMN says measures against TCN nurses threaten health and elderly care sectors

Expect congestion: 7.2km new electricity cables to strengthen Gżira-Sliema network

Woman assaulted by partner seeks help from police on Coast Road