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2 November 2026, Monday

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Black communities ask ‘Who will protect us?’ after Cisse murder acquittal

The African Media Association Malta has questioned whether Black communities in Malta are adequately protected against racist violence following the acquittal of former soldier Lorin Scicluna in the...

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LIVE: Opposition leader Alex Borg responds to Budget 2027 in Parliament

Opposition leader Alex Borg is responding to the Budget for next year in a speech in Parliament. This is his second Budget reaction since being appointed leader of the Nationalist Party, and he...

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Mqabba murder suspect told police he could not remember killing his mother

John Cassar, accused of murdering his mother and attempting to murder his father, told police he could not remember the alleged attacks during his police interrogation. Inspector Kurt Colombo...

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Ryanair CEO anticipates European airfare prices up as much as 20% next year as jet fuel prices rise

The CEO for Ryanair expects European plane ticket prices may climb as much as 20% next year with the conflict in the Middle East ongoing. "So we're facing 2027 where we have much higher oil...

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Driver spared jail over 2022 fatal horse sulky crash

A woman who fatally struck a horse sulky in Rabat has been spared jail after a court ruled that, although she had negligently caused a man's death, her driving did not amount to reckless or dangerous...

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Lorin Scicluna turned down 30-year plea deal before Lassana Cisse murder trial

Lorin Scicluna turned down a plea deal that would have seen him serve 30 years in prison for the murder of Lassana Cisse, choosing instead to stand trial before a jury which eventually acquitted him...

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Libyan government formally requested Lilu King’s extradition in September, Minister says

Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield has stated that a written request for the extradition of Mohammed Al Musrati, commonly known as "Lilu King," was received from Libya by the Maltese government...

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PL MP defends genetic testing expansion, says it does not diminish disabled people’s rights

Labour MP Romilda Zarb has defended the expansion of embryo screening for serious hereditary conditions against warnings from the disability sector, saying she does not see the opportunity it offers...

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Updated: Malta’s justice system has a serious problem; we cannot keep looking away - Repubblika

Repubblika on Monday expressed its anger, disappointment and profound concern at the jury's verdict acquitting Lorin Scicluna of the murder of Lassana Cisse and the attempted murder of three...

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latest comment from RF, 02/11/2026 09:15: Shame on jurors. No justice or remorse for poor widow and orphaned children who lost their husband and father through obvious racial hatred and killing in jest.

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Prosecution criticised as court acquits another traffic officer in Marsa overtime fraud case

Yet another traffic police officer has been acquitted of charges linked to the Marsa Junction overtime fraud scandal, with the court once again finding that the prosecution failed to prove its case...

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Freezers at supermarkets in several European countries hit by apparent cyberattacks

Supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia were hit Monday by problems with freezers and fridges that apparently were caused by cyberattacks, forcing some to dispose of ruined...

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recent poll

Blogs & Opinions

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

Cressida Galea

A bold yet social Budget for Malta’s next economic chapter

Michael Briguglio

Understanding Budget 2027

Ivan Bartolo

Where sorrow meets hope

German woman hospitalised after accident involving four vehicles in Luqa

A four-vehicle car crash on Monday afternoon resulted in a German woman being taken to hospital, police said. The accident occurred at 1:15pm, at Qormi Road in Luqa between four different...

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Refugees, people under temporary protection to keep free childcare, public transport, Minister says

Refugees and people granted subsidiary or temporary protection in Malta will continue to benefit from free childcare and public transport, despite the Budget 2027 measures withdrawing these services...

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Iliana Yotova wins runoff to become Bulgaria's first elected female president

Acting President Iliana Yotova won the runoff election to become Bulgaria's first elected female head of state and said she will work for national consensus by bridging political rifts. With all...

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Jet nosedives and erupts into fireball near busy roadway in South Florida, all 9 on board died

A business jet carrying nine people nose-dived into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday and erupted into a giant fireball that appeared to just miss homes near a busy roadway. Everyone on board was...

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Man acquitted of traffic charges after police officer records incorrect ID number

A man has been cleared of three traffic-related charges after a police officer recorded his ID card number incorrectly, casting doubt on whether he was behind the wheel. Burton Azzopardi had been...

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Court finds no medical negligence in magistrate’s death following Mater Dei operation

The family of a magistrate who died following an operation at Mater Dei Hospital has lost a medical negligence lawsuit, after a court ruled that his death resulted from a rare complication rather than...

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Free therapies and greater support announced for children and families with disabilities

Children under 18 with disabilities will soon have access to fully government-covered therapy sessions, offering much-needed peace of mind to their families, Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia said....

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Belgian Prime Minister quits after budget talks fail, King mulls whether to accept his resignation

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever handed in his resignation on Monday as a long-simmering budget crisis boiled over, but King Philippe has not yet decided whether to accept it. De Wever, a...

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news in pictures

events

Sports

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

Lewis Hamilton wins pole for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix

Pressure piles on Carrick as 10-man Man United beaten at Chelsea and Man City lose again

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

Greenland opens new international airport to lure tourists as it eyes future independence

Greenland has opened a new international airport, seeking to lure visitors from around the world as the Arctic island looks toward eventual independence from Denmark. Thursday's inaugural...

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Jury finds Lorin Scicluna not guilty of Lassana Cisse murder

Photo: Lassane Cisse (left) and Lorin Scicluna

The jury in the murder trial of former Armed Forces of Malta soldier Lorin Scicluna has begun deliberating after the presiding judge completed her final directions on Sunday morning. Madam...

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latest comment from Mario aquilina, 02/11/2026 08:03: Law of the jungle, people are loosing faith in the judiciary system.

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Archbishop tells people to pray for deceased loved ones in All Souls’ Day homily

Archbishop Charles Scicluna used his homily on All Souls' Day, 2 November, to remind everyone to pray for the deceased, stressing its importance. Archbishop Scicluna organised a mass for the...

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How much does Malta rely on TCNs, and who pays the price of Budget measures targeting them?

Malta's growing reliance on third-country nationals (TCNs) has once again brought migration, workers' rights and social inclusion into the spotlight, particularly following the government's decision...

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latest comment from J.Degabriele, 01/11/2026 15:29: It would be a very good first step if many employers paid proper wages to their employees. Maybe then Maltese workers would apply for those jobs! AND if government would stop fattening the public workforce before every election and drain the private sector for votes!

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Abela ‘totally disagrees’ with criticism that TCN measures are unjust or discriminatory

Prime Minister Robert Abela expressed total disagreement with criticism that measures impacting Third Country Nationals announced in the Budget are unjust or discriminatory. During last...

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latest comment from Anne R Key, 01/11/2026 19:51: The PM was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his sense of entitlement is beyond anything natural - he flaunts a Eur750k Azimuth yacht and tries to make us believe that he is in the same boat (excuse the pun) as our TCN's.

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New European youth card being considered for young members of Maltese band clubs

Young people involved in band clubs across Malta and Gozo could benefit from a new European youth card offering access to international exchanges, development opportunities and European programmes,...

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TMID Editorial: Tourist tax increases and how they can have the desired impact

Tourism has been an integral part of the Maltese economy for decades. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing - and there is a general consensus that this is the point that Malta...

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Malta’s newly increased tourist taxes will be among the highest across the European Union

Malta's newly revised tourist taxes will be among the highest across the whole European Union once they are implemented, an analysis by The Malta Independent on Sunday shows. Malta's tourist...

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latest comment from RF, 01/11/2026 13:25: Good. Maybe we will be spared the low quality noisy ones.

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Chamber President says TCN measures ‘not sufficiently calibrated’ to achieve economic transformation

The President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce William Spiteri Bailey has told The Malta Independent on Sunday that the government's new measures relating to Third Country Nationals do not appear to...

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latest comment from George Azzopardi, 01/11/2026 12:35: I find it difficult to believe that the TCN (Third-Country Nationals) directives announced in the 2027 Budget are merely coincidental to the €1,000 super bonus being offered by this administration. In my view, there appears to be a clear political connection between these measures. The bonus could be seen as an attempt to fulfill an electoral promise while simultaneously maintaining the goodwill and satisfaction of party supporters. This raises a legitimate question: Are these measures genuinely driven by long-term economic and social priorities, or are they being strategically timed to serve short-term political interests? Ultimately, government policies should be judged by their fairness, sustainability and benefits to society as a whole, rather than by their potential political advantage.

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Alex Borg says Budget fails to address strain from population growth

Opposition leader Alex Borg has criticised Budget 2027 for failing to address the pressure population growth is placing on Malta’s infrastructure, arguing that the country’s economic model...

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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

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

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

MBB calls for a strong EU Budget to safeguard Maltese Businesses

Total tax revenue reaches almost €7.5bn, NSO says

HSBC Malta: Strong and resilient results continued through Q3 2026