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5 August 2026, Wednesday

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Health Ministry planning to replicate the Regional Health Centre model in the north of Malta

The Health Ministry is planning to replicate the model which has seen the creation of the Ċensu Moran Regional Health Centre in the north of Malta, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday....

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‘No Valletta, No Party’, ‘Sassicaia’: Fenech’s chats with Malta’s most powerful shared with jury

Yorgen Fenech's close relationship with a network of high-profile people in Malta was laid bare to the jury tasked with hearing his trial on Wednesday, as investigators shared details from the...

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WATCH: Government seeking ‘happy medium’ on feast fireworks, Minister says

Culture Minister Malcolm Paul Agius Galea told journalists on Wednesday that the government has begun discussions to find a compromise on village feast fireworks, after a legal precedent may have been...

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Wrap: Jury hears of 'No Valletta, No Party' group chat in 31st day of Yorgen Fenech trial

The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 31st day, with the cross-examination of former yacht captain Logan Wood expected to continue before Madam Justice Edwina...

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ERA may allow 800 trees in Comino to get the chop, NGO warns; company says claim is inaccurate

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is set to decide whether to grant Hili Group permission to remove hundreds of trees from the Comino nature reserve, as well as issue the go-ahead required...

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WATCH: CrediaBank-HSBC takeover expected to close in Q2 2027, HSBC Malta CEO says

The CEO of HSBC Malta, Geoffrey Fichte, has told The Malta Independent that HSBC Malta's takeover by Greek bank CrediaBank is currently awaiting regulatory approval. Once this sale is approved to...

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latest comment from Harold Hare, 05/08/2026 10:23: From a respected Global entity to a Greek bank ....not alot to celebrate here I'm thinking. Malta has a thriving economy and this looks like a mistake by HSBC.

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Michelle Muscat and Kenneth Camilleri rebut Keith Schembri’s Castille gunshot story

Michelle Muscat and former OPM security guard Kenneth Camilleri have both stated that Keith Schembri's account in his testimony, where he said that Camilleri's holstered gun once fired a sudden,...

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Four cases of Hepatitis A traced back to Qormi food establishment

Public health authorities are investigating a cluster of four cases of Hepatitis A associated with a food establishment located in Qormi, the same authorities said in a statement on...

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Four arrested over illegal sale of peptides and steroids

Four people were arrested by police in connection with the illegal sale of peptides, steroids, and other illegal substances in an operation which panned out over the last few days. Police said...

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Orange weather warning issued for Saturday, with temperature set to feel close to 40°C

An orange weather warning is set to be issued for Saturday, with Malta set to face another bout of heavy heat in the coming days, the Meteorological Office said in a statement on Wednesday. The...

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Malta Employers calls for long-term infrastructure planning to safeguard competitiveness

Malta Employers has reiterated its call for a coordinated, long-term approach to infrastructure planning, stressing that the recent electricity outages should be viewed as part of broader structural...

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recent poll

Blogs & Opinions

Graham Bencini

Quality tourism starts with respect for residents

Emmanuel J. Galea

Powerless and shameless

Frans Camilleri

Excruciatingly slow progress

Alfred Sant

Investments

Kevin Aquilina

Proposals for a new human rights and equality law

Valerie Visanich

Lady Marmalade, Ta’ Ġieżu edition

Thomas Bajada

Productivity with education is the next economic question

Katya De Giovanni

Intelligence beyond examinations: Valuing every child's talents

Emmanuel J. Galea

The island that aged first

Frans Camilleri

Is thrift good or bad?

Woman charged with drug trafficking after being caught with litany of substances

A 37-year-old woman was arrested by police and charged in court with drug trafficking after she was caught while in possession of a litany of drugs. Police said in a statement that a search in...

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MFSA sets new direction for Financial Crime Compliance with Strategy 2026

New strategy establishes a forward-looking supervisory framework focused on risk, outcomes and collaboration, supporting Malta's alignment with evolving EU anti-money laundering reforms and the...

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Roberta Metsola pays tribute to Rose Vella on third anniversary of her death

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has paid tribute to Rose Vella on the third anniversary of her death, remembering the mother of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia as a symbol of...

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Trump says deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday

U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday, as Iran and Oman inched toward an agreement to reopen the critical waterway and potentially help bring...

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Nearly €3 million in funding distributed to support 31 audiovisual productions

31 local film projects were given an accumulated €2,883,916 in financial support through the government's Screen Support Scheme on Wednesday. The applications granted this funding include...

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Court forced to put off Lilu King hearing after prison officials fail to produce accused

A hearing in an assault case against Libyan boxer Mohamed Ali Ahmed Elmushraty, better known as Lilu King, was brought to a standstill after prison authorities failed to bring him to...

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Cabinet approves land transfer for new basketball facilities in Ta' Qali

The Cabinet has approved the transfer of land adjacent to the existing Sports Pavilion in Ta' Qali to the Malta Basketball Association, paving the way for the development of new sporting facilities,...

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TMID Editorial: The price of bad behaviour

Barely a month after introducing on-the-spot fines for non-residents, the government has already doubled the minimum penalty from €25 to €50. The swift revision is welcome, but it also...

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latest comment from J.Degabriele, 05/08/2026 11:31: Not enough. The price of a good meal!

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news in pictures

events

Sports

San Ġiljan reign supreme with commanding Knock-Out final victory

UEFA declares no confidence in Infantino and vows accountability for failed World Cup equity plan

Infantino abandons plans to sell World Cup profits to private equity following massive pushback

Franco Baresi, AC Milan and Italy legend, dies aged 66

UEFA members to boycott FIFA competitions in protest of World Cup private investors plan

PN says businesses need fairer conditions to invest and expand

The Nationalist Party said it wants to ensure Malta provides the right environment for businesses to continue investing and expanding, as Opposition leader Alex Borg highlighted the need to address...

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Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, charged with organising the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, is on trial

The man who prosecutors say orchestrated the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur is scheduled to go to trial Monday, almost 30 years after the fatal drive-by shooting in Las...

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Trial: 'You're my best friend’: Ex-deputy police chief Silvio Valletta's text to Yorgen Fenech

The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 30th day, with the prosecution expected to continue calling witnesses before Madam Justice Edwina Grima. Monday’s sitting saw...

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latest comment from J.Degabriele, 04/08/2026 15:02: The incredible filth that is coming out of the court confirms to what level the country has sunk. ROT at the very top, police in cahoots with criminals, arms, venom, you name it! A EU country? Don't think so. Every country has its own rot but THIS has been taken to a new level. And EVERY SINGLE ONE in authority MUST have known about what was going on. If the common people (the sane ones) suspected, even not knowing about all this, even if not the ramifications, then the authorities were very well aware of this. So they're guilty as well, though maybe not to the same degree.

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Law Report: Interim dividends under Maltese law: When can they be clawed back?

A company pays an interim dividend to its shareholders in June. Several months later, it emerges that the company did not have sufficient distributable profits to justify the payment, or that the...

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Facilities upgraded at 19 Maltese beaches during peak summer season

Facilities at 19 beaches across Malta have been upgraded through works aimed at improving safety, accessibility and comfort during the peak summer season, the government said. The interventions...

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latest comment from Joey Falzon, 04/08/2026 17:37: WOW !!!! A minister took the trouble to announce such very IMPORTANT things...u hallina...THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT AND PRESSING ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED THAN JUST THIS. Anything is good to make oneself seen to be DOING SOMETHING!!!!

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WHO chief arrives in Congo to support Ebola response as cases near 4,000

The head of the World Health Organization has arrived in Congo to support measures being ramped up to slow the world's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak, the agency said Wednesday, as confirmed cases...

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Jurors shown texts revealing friendship between Fenech and ex-deputy police chief Silvio Valletta

Jurors in the trial against businessman Yorgen Fenech on Tuesday were shown Signal messages in which former Deputy Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta described the businessman as his "best friend,"...

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latest comment from J.Degabriele, 05/08/2026 11:33: Some friend! Out for what he can get. Asking where he could rent a private jet! The real meaning is ' Could you possibly pay for a private jet for us?'

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Man filmed breaking car window in Swieqi denied bail

Rohit Uniyal appeared under arrest before the court charged with intentionally damaging an Audi and a Yamaha motorcycle during an incident which allegedly took place in Swieqi, at around 6am on 1...

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The responsibility of building for tomorrow

A centenary in operation invites reflection. Yet for a family business, the more important question is not simply what has been achieved, but what each generation has chosen to carry...

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Minimum on-the-spot fine for tourists doubles to €50

The minimum that can be charged in an on-the-spot fine has doubled from €25 to €50, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Tuesday morning. The change was made through a legal notice...

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latest comment from Mario aquilina, 04/08/2026 09:12: gimmick... 50€ is a small amount.. other countries fine minimum of 200€.

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Business

MFSA sets new direction for Financial Crime Compliance with Strategy 2026

MaltaPost celebrates iconic landmarks with SEPAC stamp issue

The responsibility of building for tomorrow

MFSA publishes administrative penalties methodology for credit institutions

HSBC Malta delivers strong half-year results with robust capital and liquidity

BOV branch in Żejtun officially reopens following refurbishment

Mapfre Economics forecasts that the economy will grow 3% in 2026 and 3.1% in 2027

APS Bank posts record interim profit of €23.9m on the back of strong all-round growth

MeDirect delivers a profitable first half as growth accelerates

Fast Shift secures EMI Authorisation from Malta Financial Services Authority

Health Ministry planning to replicate the Regional Health Centre model in the north of Malta

‘No Valletta, No Party’, ‘Sassicaia’: Fenech’s chats with Malta’s most powerful shared with jury

WATCH: Government seeking ‘happy medium’ on feast fireworks, Minister says

Wrap: Jury hears of 'No Valletta, No Party' group chat in 31st day of Yorgen Fenech trial

ERA may allow 800 trees in Comino to get the chop, NGO warns; company says claim is inaccurate

WATCH: CrediaBank-HSBC takeover expected to close in Q2 2027, HSBC Malta CEO says

Michelle Muscat and Kenneth Camilleri rebut Keith Schembri’s Castille gunshot story

Four cases of Hepatitis A traced back to Qormi food establishment

Four arrested over illegal sale of peptides and steroids

Orange weather warning issued for Saturday, with temperature set to feel close to 40°C

Malta Employers calls for long-term infrastructure planning to safeguard competitiveness

Woman charged with drug trafficking after being caught with litany of substances

MFSA sets new direction for Financial Crime Compliance with Strategy 2026

Roberta Metsola pays tribute to Rose Vella on third anniversary of her death

Trump says deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday

Nearly €3 million in funding distributed to support 31 audiovisual productions

Court forced to put off Lilu King hearing after prison officials fail to produce accused

Cabinet approves land transfer for new basketball facilities in Ta' Qali

TMID Editorial: The price of bad behaviour

Bedingfield expresses support for Spain and calls for tough response to irregular migration

Quality tourism starts with respect for residents

HSBC Malta delivers strong half-year results with robust capital and liquidity

Immanuel Mifsud awarded 2026 European Homer Medal for Poetry and the Arts

Malta International Food Festival returning to Floriana Granaries for 10th edition

MFSA publishes administrative penalties methodology for credit institutions

Hundreds of migrant children are stranded in Spain's Ceuta after mass crossing

TMID Editorial: Protecting the victims of violence

Matthew Caruana Galizia pinpoints Electrogas as top story Daphne was working on before her death

PN says businesses need fairer conditions to invest and expand

Duane 'Keffe D' Davis, charged with organising the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, is on trial

Trial: 'You're my best friend’: Ex-deputy police chief Silvio Valletta's text to Yorgen Fenech

Law Report: Interim dividends under Maltese law: When can they be clawed back?

Facilities upgraded at 19 Maltese beaches during peak summer season

WHO chief arrives in Congo to support Ebola response as cases near 4,000

Jurors shown texts revealing friendship between Fenech and ex-deputy police chief Silvio Valletta

Man filmed breaking car window in Swieqi denied bail

The responsibility of building for tomorrow

Minimum on-the-spot fine for tourists doubles to €50

Birzebbuga feast fireworks hit by court order after fire allegedly caused over €100,000 in damages

‘Clear plan with solutions needed to address power-cut crisis,’ PN says in social partners meeting

NCPE warns repeated bail for alleged violent offenders is putting women at risk

Yorgen Fenech trial – Jury enters 29th day, as Matthew Caruana Galizia testifies

Government distributes palm fronds to fisherman for the lampuki season

Major electrical equipment installed for second Malta-Sicily interconnector