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19 August 2026, Wednesday

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‘I will defend myself’: St Julian’s shooting suspect admits firing at police officers, court hears

A 74-year-old man accused of shooting two police officers admitted firing in their direction after warning them not to enter and that he would defend himself, because he believed they had sided with a...

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Schembri was never considered a suspect in Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, court hears

Inspector Kurt Zahra resumes his evidence today after a lengthy day on the stand. On Tuesday, the jury was taken through recordings of Yorgen Fenech's police interrogations following his arrest...

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34 cars added per day during second quarter of 2026 – NSO

In the second quarter of 2026, the stock of licensed motor vehicles increased by 3,086 over the previous quarter. At the end of June 2026, the stock of licensed motor vehicles stood at 463,734....

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Cartoonist, author and academic Ġorġ Mallia dies aged 68

Cartoonist, children's author and academic Ġorġ Mallia has died at the age of 68, leaving behind a decades-long legacy spanning education, illustration, publishing and the Maltese...

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Mater Dei Hospital starts providing Emicizumab to patients with Haemophilia A in Malta

The Ministry for Health has started providing a new treatment, through the medicine Emicizumab, to people with Haemophilia A, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Patients with...

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Autonomous Bus public testing phase begins in Gozo

The autonomous bus project in Gozo commenced its public testing phase after the completion of the commissioning phase, marking another important milestone in the rollout of this innovative EU-funded...

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Gozo Channel carries nearly 150,000 passengers during Santa Marija rush

The Gozo Channel has reported a significant increase in ferry traffic during the eight-day Santa Marija period, operating 814 ferry trips while carrying nearly 150,000...

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Johann Vella discharged from hospital after surviving life-threatening St Julian’s shooting

Johann Vella, the police officer who narrowly survived critical gunshot wounds sustained during the St Julian's armed standoff has returned home after being discharged from Mater Dei...

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Prison van and truck collide in Ħal Far leaving 6 hospitalised

A car crash involving a prison van on Wednesday afternoon has resulted in six persons being hospitalised, a police spokesperson told The Malta Independent. On Wednesday, at 2:45pm, a Renault...

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€570,673 in penalties issued as MFSA addresses reporting breaches and governance shortcomings

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has published an overview of the work undertaken by its Enforcement Function in 2025, highlighting its continued focus on regulatory compliance, market...

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PN praises Gozo autonomous bus project: ‘the type of innovation Malta should be exploring’

The Nationalist Party praised a pilot project started in Gozo which will see an autonomous bus operating in the streets of San Lawrenz and Gharb, saying that this is the type of innovation that Malta...

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recent poll

Blogs & Opinions

Emmanuel J. Galea

Why cannot we be Monaco?

Frans Camilleri

Who has heard?

Alfred Sant

The GWU and foreign workers

Kevin Aquilina

Does the jury system breach human rights?

Frans Camilleri

Stranger than fiction

David Spiteri Gingell

The poverty we have only just begun to see

Ivan Castillo

Traffic is not the problem

Katya De Giovanni

Learning to stop: When working hard is no longer enough

Emmanuel J. Galea

When the smoke clears

Marco Bonnici

Twenty years later - a renewed call for a Trade Union Council

Warning issued over fraudulent tax refund text messages

The Police have issued an urgent warning following a sharp rise in reports regarding deceptive text messages being sent in the name of the Malta Taxation and Customs Administration. These...

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Fenech: Three people, including Muscat, knew Schembri wanted Daphne killed, court hears

Yorgen Fenech told police following his arrest in November 2019 that Keith Schembri was behind the plot to assassinate Daphne Caruana Galizia, while naming former prime minister Joseph Muscat, Adrian...

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latest comment from Memphis Belle, 18/08/2026 19:40: Yes Muscat have changed completely the spectrum of the murders in Malta,he succeeded to dismantle a protected criminal web and corrupt buisness people that have been all working together for many years to reach different targets without ever been brought infront of justice,conclusion is should there was nt Muscat we will ended up again like in many previous cases of Karen Grech,Raymond Caruana , Zeppi il Hafi and RCC,The greatest oil scandal and many more unsolved cases that have been shelved without an answer for many years to be covered up,,Yes the price that Muscat have to pay is high but at the end the majority of the people in Malta appriciates all his efforts while continue to support him and his family for many year to come...

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TMID Editorial: When soldiers become a substitute for the police

There is something deeply unsettling about seeing soldiers deployed on the streets of a peaceful country to deal with the kind of disorder that should ordinarily be handled by the police. The...

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latest comment from J.Degabriele, 19/08/2026 08:53: This may all be true. But we have come to a pass where the situation as it is has become untenable. These louts who come to our island as tourists disrespect the locals and the police themselves. Maybe the presence of the soldiers will be an inhibition for them. This is what we have come to.

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ASA defends reputation after Cirovic claims

The Aquatic Sports Association of Malta has moved to defend its reputation following comments made by former national team head coach Milan Cirovic during a television interview. In an interview...

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Tributes pour in for beloved academic Ġorġ Mallia

Tributes have poured in for beloved author, cartoonist and academic Professor Ġorġ Mallia following his death aged 68, with people remembering him as a man whose work influenced generations...

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The hidden politics of time: How clocks, calendars - and now-contentious time zones - came to be

It flies. It heals all wounds. It can be of the essence, and it can be money. We thrill in the best of it, lament the worst. We're warned not to waste it, since we can't turn it back - even as we try...

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PN calls for answers over allegations of political interference in waterpolo

The Nationalist Party has called on the Government to provide immediate answers in a statement following serious allegations made by former Malta national waterpolo coach Milan Ćirović, who...

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New prison facility in Ħal Far for foreigners reaching end of their sentence prior to deportation

The government has opened a new building which will serve as a prison facility for foreigners who are reaching the end of their prison sentence and who would then be deported from the country after it...

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news in pictures

events

Sports

Premier League is back and uncertainty pervades start of post-Guardiola era

Nightmarish start for Maresca as Arsenal outclass Man City in Community Shield

Paris Saint-Germain retain UEFA Super Cup as Doué goal seals 2-1 win over Aston Villa

Yorgen Fenech named others in Daphne murder during 2019 interrogation

The trial by jury of Yorgen Fenech continues today with the testimony of police inspector Kurt Zahra. Fenech has pleaded not guilty to two principal charges: complicity in the wilful homicide of...

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latest comment from RF, 18/08/2026 11:30: With all this evidence in their hands, the Police Commission would have us believe that none other than accused Yorgen Fenech was involved. Time for heads to roll. But who will do it, surely not the current cabinet the majority of whom must have been aware of the heinous plot.

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PN calls for explanation over exclusion of Malta Ranger Unit from Ċirkewwa Marine Park agreement

The government and the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) have been urged to explain why the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU) has been excluded from a new management agreement for the Ċirkewwa Marine Park,...

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latest comment from Santana, 18/08/2026 19:23: It is not an exclusion of the Rangers from the ecological sensitive areas. It is an expulsion for doing their duty. The press need to find whose rich toes were stepped upon. Things will be clearer then. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2f29003c9e8098e45b0231fb058d8793f92c6010c9918e987b2907eaf9dd3e0f.png

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Two seriously injured after motorcycle accident in Attard

Two people were seriously injured on Tuesday afternoon after a motorcycle accident in Attard. Police said they were informed of the accident at around 4.30pm in Triq l-Imdina. Preliminary...

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Student organisations and NGOs raise alarm over ERA decision on Comino development

Student organisations and environmental NGOs have expressed deep concern over a decision by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) Board to allow excavation works and the uprooting of hundreds...

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Gambian man arrested in Paceville on drug trafficking charges

A man from Gambia was arrested in Paceville after being found in possession of several different types of drugs. The arrest was made in the night between Monday and Tuesday, as police officials...

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PDSA raises alarm over end of ranger monitoring at Ċirkewwa Marine Park

The Professional Diving Schools Association (PDSA) has expressed concern over the immediate withdrawal of monitoring at the Ċirkewwa Marine Park, warning that any lapse in enforcement could...

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latest comment from RF, 18/08/2026 12:43: Like hunting on land, illegal activity at sea needs to be left unhindered. Enforcement is a joke.

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Rescuing the orphaned company: The special manager beyond liquidation

A company can only act through its organs. Its board of directors manages it, and the shareholders (through the general meeting) appoint the board. Where a director's seat is vacated, a new director...

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Government must stop taking decisions affecting children without proper consultation – PN

The government must stop taking educational decisions which affect children without proper consultation, the Nationalist Party said in a statement reacting to findings by the Ombudsman's...

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Joseph Muscat fails to force prosecution of hospitals' deal court expert

A court has rejected an attempt by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to force the police to prosecute a Serbian court-appointed expert whose work formed part of the evidence leading to criminal...

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latest comment from Divi, 17/08/2026 18:35: Cini who is Egrant

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TMID Editorial - Birkirkara police station: the government owes the public answers

There is something particularly troubling about the government's silence over the future of the Birkirkara Police Station. Governments are usually quick to respond when criticism is directed at...

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latest comment from C Xerri, 18/08/2026 10:09: .... and what about the Courts? Shouldn't they deal with the appeal at he earliest possible?

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Business

BOV opens its first Home Finance Hub in Mosta

Malta Freeport welcomes new-generation CMA CGM Berenice methanol dual-fuel container vessel

Why emotional intelligence makes better leaders

BOV strengthens ties with Gozitan community through dedicated customer event

Melita reports progress across sustainability, community and digital innovation goals

PRISM EuroQCI project concludes with Malta’s first quantum communications testbed

‘I will defend myself’: St Julian’s shooting suspect admits firing at police officers, court hears

Schembri was never considered a suspect in Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, court hears

34 cars added per day during second quarter of 2026 – NSO

Cartoonist, author and academic Ġorġ Mallia dies aged 68

Mater Dei Hospital starts providing Emicizumab to patients with Haemophilia A in Malta

Autonomous Bus public testing phase begins in Gozo

Gozo Channel carries nearly 150,000 passengers during Santa Marija rush

Johann Vella discharged from hospital after surviving life-threatening St Julian’s shooting

Prison van and truck collide in Ħal Far leaving 6 hospitalised

€570,673 in penalties issued as MFSA addresses reporting breaches and governance shortcomings

PN praises Gozo autonomous bus project: ‘the type of innovation Malta should be exploring’

Warning issued over fraudulent tax refund text messages

Fenech: Three people, including Muscat, knew Schembri wanted Daphne killed, court hears

TMID Editorial: When soldiers become a substitute for the police

ASA defends reputation after Cirovic claims

Tributes pour in for beloved academic Ġorġ Mallia

The hidden politics of time: How clocks, calendars - and now-contentious time zones - came to be

PN calls for answers over allegations of political interference in waterpolo

New prison facility in Ħal Far for foreigners reaching end of their sentence prior to deportation

Fenech told investigators Schembri sent him ‘script’ on what to say, jurors hear

Fenech trial: Police surveillance of Theuma led investigators to Fenech, court hears

Yorgen Fenech trial now second longest in Maltese history

Roderick Azzopardi charged in connection with Zabbar murder, remanded in custody

Malta lifts blood donation ban for people who lived in UK between 1980 and 1996

Man grievously injured in Swieqi traffic accident

Burmarrad traffic accident leaves two hospitalised

Man admits to injuring former partner with a knife, granted bail

Man pleads not guilty to domestic violence charges involving mother

Yorgen Fenech named others in Daphne murder during 2019 interrogation

PN calls for explanation over exclusion of Malta Ranger Unit from Ċirkewwa Marine Park agreement

Two seriously injured after motorcycle accident in Attard

Student organisations and NGOs raise alarm over ERA decision on Comino development

Gambian man arrested in Paceville on drug trafficking charges

PDSA raises alarm over end of ranger monitoring at Ċirkewwa Marine Park

Rescuing the orphaned company: The special manager beyond liquidation

Government must stop taking decisions affecting children without proper consultation – PN

Joseph Muscat fails to force prosecution of hospitals' deal court expert

TMID Editorial - Birkirkara police station: the government owes the public answers

US tourist dies after being struck by lightning while hiking Sicily's Mount Etna

Belgian wildfire approaches Germany despite rain as Greece probes deadly blaze

‘Very unusual’: Malta records no loggerhead turtle nests despite 11 nesting attempts

Public spaces upgraded as regeneration agency completes 10km of beautification works

Summer Carnival 2026 returns to Buġibba and Marsaskala with 15 floats

TMID Editorial: When the smoke clears