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26 July 2026, Sunday

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Abela orders Enemalta to speed up works on distribution system after 'inexcusable' power cuts

Prime Minister Robert Abela said Enemalta has been instructed to "significantly accelerate" works to strengthen the electricity distribution system, while describing the recent power outages...

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latest comment from mohhmiftuh, 26/07/2026 13:49: Kellna sitwazzjoni simili 3 sjuf ilu u l-heffa fix-xoghol kellha tibda minn dak inhar.Hemm xi haga semplici li tista' tevita kaos iehor. Qabel ma jinhareg permess ghall-bini, li hafna drabi qed ikun jikkonsisti minn qabda appartamenti, jsir stharrig bis-serjeta' li d-distribuzzjoni fl-area fejn se jitla' tiflah iz-zieda fil-konsum. Jekk l-area ma tiflahx l-ewwel l-izviluppatur jew jirrevedi l-pjanti jew irid isir ix-xoghol infrastrutturali li hemm bzonn qabel ma johrog il-permess. Hemm bzonn li l-frazi ippjanar fit-tul tidhol fil-vokabularju tal-kostruzzjoni u anke f'dak tal-gvern tal-gurnata.

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Updated (2): Father and five-year-old son die after boat collides with dinghy at Ġnejna Bay

A 43-year-old man and his five-year-old son from St Paul's Bay lost their lives in a tragic maritime accident after the dinghy they were travelling in was struck by a boat off Ġnejna Bay in the...

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Updated: St Julian's shooting suspect pleads not guilty to attempted murder of police officers

John Agius pleaded not guilty to charges of arson and attempted homicide after allegedly opening fire on police officers during a standoff in St Julian's that lasted more than two hours on...

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Police end public appeal after missing mother and son found

Police have confirmed that eight-year-old Khyl Agius Bonavia and Lorraine Bonavia have been found, bringing an end to a weeks-long search that prompted repeated public appeals for information. In...

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‘Your dream, our project’… Until the lights go out

When Labour sought a fresh mandate in May, it did so under the slogan "Il-ħolma tiegħek, il-proġett tagħna" - Your dream, our project. It was an ambitious promise. It suggested a...

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‘I took a risk’: Rebekah Borg says targeting non-voters and floating voters paid off

Rather than spending the election campaign knocking on the doors of the Nationalist Party's traditional supporters, PN MP Rebekah Borg took what she describes as a calculated risk, directing almost...

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Norris ends wait for F1 win in Hungary as Antonelli stretches championship lead

Lando Norris ended an eight-month wait by "flying" to a Formula 1 victory with strong pace and a dose of good fortune at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. The defending champion was on pole but...

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Udated: PN accuses Abela of shifting blame over power cuts; PL replies

The Nationalist Party has accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of attempting to shift responsibility for recent nationwide electricity outages onto Enemalta instead of accepting political...

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Police sergeant injured during assault in St Julian’s

A police sergeant was injured after being assaulted while responding to an incident in St Julian's early on Sunday morning. The police said the incident happened at around 4am when police...

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New PL CEO talks finances: Labour Party has more assets than liabilities

The Labour Party does have debt in its name, but is in a solid financial position with more assets than liabilities, the Labour Party's new CEO Ivan Falzon told The Malta Independent on Sunday in an...

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latest comment from onDmove, 26/07/2026 08:00: All stolen on the back of the people. It never directly bought any property. It just took some property for free during previous Labour administrations and negotiated them down the years. THAT is the source of its funds.

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'Discipline has nothing to do with gender' – Gunner Winonah Peplow on her AFM training

A young woman who swapped a career in private finance for the discipline of the Armed Forces of Malta says her five months of recruit training pushed her further than she ever imagined, telling The...

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recent poll

Blogs & Opinions

Romilda Zarb

From hope to parenthood: How Labour’s IVF reforms changed lives

Marilena Gauci

Malta's film industry deserves better

Michael Briguglio

Buses, numbers, people

David Spiteri Gingell

The generation that climbed (Part IV): Where the attack on legal migration leads

Emmanuel J. Galea

The ministry at the helm

Frans Camilleri

Going to the dogs

Katya De Giovanni

Band clubs: Schools of culture, values and community

Jerome Caruana Cilia

Strengthening inclusive higher education in Malta through student partnership

Mark Said

Revisiting the Speaker’s role

Ivan Bartolo

Let us mature

TMIS Editorial: Alex Borg’s real challenge begins now

Alex Borg's confirmation as Nationalist Party leader was never in doubt. As the sole candidate seeking to remain at the helm, his endorsement was always expected. What was not expected was the scale...

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Van slams into crowd at Berlin Pride festival, killing 1 and injuring 16, as police identify suspect

A van slammed into people gathered for Berlin's famed Pride festival on Saturday night, killing one person, injuring at least 16 others and prompting police to call off the celebrations and a concert...

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Fenech jury hears forensic evidence before watching search of Keith Schembri's office

The Yorgen Fenech trial on Saturday was dominated by digital evidence and the search of Keith Schembri's Castille office, with forensic expert Keith Cutajar explaining the complexities of recovering...

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St Julian’s shooting suspect to be charged on Sunday as injured officer in stable condition

The 74-year-old St Julian's resident arrested following Friday's shooting of two police officers in Ta' Giorni is scheduled to face court on Sunday morning. John Agius was taken into custody...

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Momentum criticises minister's response to power cuts

Momentum has criticised Tourism Minister Jo Etienne Abela's response to the recent nationwide power cuts, arguing that the government's reaction highlights a failure to plan for predictable challenges...

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France and Spain battle wildfires as more than 250,000 people are forced to flee homes

France sent a hulking military cargo plane to dump tons of flame retardants as it battled raging wildfires on Saturday and slashed the final stage of Tour de France to redeploy security personnel to...

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Yorgen Fenech trial: Expert defends digital evidence as jury shown Schembri office search

The jury trial of businessman Yorgen Fenech enters its 22nd day today, with the court set to hear from a fresh slate of witnesses following an explosive sitting on Friday. Proceedings resume...

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latest comment from J.Degabriele, 25/07/2026 16:21: And they say that crime does not pay!

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'I cannot accept that an officer went to work and ended up fighting for his life' – Bedingfield

Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield said Saturday he could not accept that a police officer who had simply gone to work to protect society ended up in hospital fighting for his life, describing...

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latest comment from Verita', 25/07/2026 15:56: MInister of Home Affairs, glenn bedingfield, stated " that society can no longer tolerate a mentality that places other people's lives at risks". Malta and Gozo, maltese and gozitans are ALL at risks - trafficking, population, few electricity, less hospitals with Mater Dei 'trafficking" etc etc etc.

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news in pictures

events

Sports

Norris ends wait for F1 win in Hungary as Antonelli stretches championship lead

Norris snatches pole at Hungarian Grand Prix as Hamilton and Antonelli hit with penalties

Spain’s World Cup champions return home for parade in front of almost 2 million

Kevin Keegan, England soccer star who transcended the game with celebrity status, dies at 75

Mbappé wins another Golden Boot, and Spain's Rodri gets Golden Ball with World Cup title

Spain win World Cup by beating Argentina 1-0 on Ferran Torres' goal in extra time

Two officers trapped in yard as police reveal new details of St Julian's shooting siege

Two police officers were trapped inside the yard of a St Julian's residence for around 20 minutes during Friday's shooting siege, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà revealed, as he disclosed fresh...

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latest comment from RF, 25/07/2026 08:46: Seems to me that fire was started by owner in his own property after the construction workers trespassed in cage in his property. One must never take law in one's hand but not be provoked or ignored by authorities either.

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Pharmacies open today 9am to 12pm & 4 to 7pm

Valletta Empire Pharmacy, 77, Triq it-Teatru l-Antik; Ħamrun Fra Diego Dispensary, 94, Triq Villambrosa; Qormi Brown's Pinto Pharmacy, 43, Triq San Bastjan; Birkirkara Remedies Pharmacy, Triq...

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Government says it fulfilled another promise in IVF and genetic testing access

Prime Minister Robert Abela, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Ian Borg and Minister for Equality and Civil Rights Rosianne Cutajar, visited the ART Clinic and the IVF...

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Stronger enforcement must now be matched by stronger laws, MHRA says

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) said Saturday it welcomed the clear political direction towards stronger enforcement against anti-social behaviour. The strengthening of on-the-spot...

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‘Betrayed’: NGOs protest against Manoel Island padel courts decision

"We have been betrayed" NGOs said Friday as they protested against the Planning Authority decision to sanction illegal padel courts on Manoel Island following a protest organised by Moviment Graffitti...

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latest comment from KLAUS, 25/07/2026 11:04: Natura 2000 sites are not empty land waiting for development. They are protected under EU law because they safeguard habitats, wildlife and landscapes that belong to all Europeans. If you witness illegal construction, habitat destruction, dumping, or other activities that may harm a Natura 2000 site in Malta, document what you see: take photos, note the location and date, and report it to the authorities. If you believe the authorities are failing to enforce EU environmental law, you can also submit a complaint directly to the European Commission. Citizens’ reports are an important source of information for detecting possible breaches of EU law and can help trigger further investigation. EU complaint portal: https://ec.europa.eu/law/application-eu-law/report-breach/ Protecting nature starts with speaking up. Silence helps the damage continue. Please help to share this information. Malta is worth it.

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Tourists admit charges after €150 public on-the-spot fine spirals into police chase

A €150 on-the-spot fine for public urination in Paceville turned into a police chase and ended with two French teenagers pleading guilty to a string of offences in court. Nineteen-year-old...

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latest comment from J.Degabriele, 25/07/2026 16:25: One teenager overpowered 5 officers? What was he GOLIATH?!

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Restaurant owner granted bail over alleged €2.4 million tax fraud

A 53-year-old Italian restaurateur who was extradited to Malta under a European Arrest Warrant to face allegations of more than €2.4 million in tax fraud and money laundering has been granted...

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PN says power cuts crisis damaging tourism industry

While the Malta Tourism Authority emphasises "achieving excellence in every aspect of tourism", and the Government speaks, in fine words, about shifting tourism from quantity to quality, the facts are...

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Power outages highlight the need for climate-resilient buildings, FAA says

The widespread power outages experienced across Malta this week during an intense heatwave have exposed the vulnerability of both our electricity infrastructure and built environment, Flimkien ghal...

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latest comment from Kurt Zammit, 25/07/2026 22:12: We need an electrical network that is fit for purpose.

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Norris snatches pole at Hungarian Grand Prix as Hamilton and Antonelli hit with penalties

Defending Formula 1 champion Lando Norris took his first pole position of 2026 when he snatched it from Lewis Hamilton by just 0.012 of a second at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday. Hamilton...

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Business

BOV and ASA launch the BOV Girls Water Polo Academy

MBR reports another year of strong growth, digital transformation and international recognition

EY Engage returns with a focus on AI, technology and business transformation

David Micallef appointed as Head of Business Unit of PwC Digital Services in Malta

FinanceMalta eyes new opportunity in US as Malta strengthens global financial services presence

ElectroGas Malta and Żibel join forces to support marine clean-up efforts

Mizzi Organisation agrees to sell Arkadia supermarket business

St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation signs new collective agreement

CareMalta Group representatives participate in leading European course on Dementia Care Ethics

Abela orders Enemalta to speed up works on distribution system after 'inexcusable' power cuts

Updated (2): Father and five-year-old son die after boat collides with dinghy at Ġnejna Bay

Updated: St Julian's shooting suspect pleads not guilty to attempted murder of police officers

Police end public appeal after missing mother and son found

‘Your dream, our project’… Until the lights go out

‘I took a risk’: Rebekah Borg says targeting non-voters and floating voters paid off

Norris ends wait for F1 win in Hungary as Antonelli stretches championship lead

Udated: PN accuses Abela of shifting blame over power cuts; PL replies

Police sergeant injured during assault in St Julian’s

New PL CEO talks finances: Labour Party has more assets than liabilities

'Discipline has nothing to do with gender' – Gunner Winonah Peplow on her AFM training

TMIS Editorial: Alex Borg’s real challenge begins now

Van slams into crowd at Berlin Pride festival, killing 1 and injuring 16, as police identify suspect

Fenech jury hears forensic evidence before watching search of Keith Schembri's office

St Julian’s shooting suspect to be charged on Sunday as injured officer in stable condition

Momentum criticises minister's response to power cuts

France and Spain battle wildfires as more than 250,000 people are forced to flee homes

Yorgen Fenech trial: Expert defends digital evidence as jury shown Schembri office search

'I cannot accept that an officer went to work and ended up fighting for his life' – Bedingfield

Police boat crashes into bridge in central London, sending officers into the Thames

Yorgen Fenech trial: Camilleri testifies Joseph Muscat told him: 'It's best that I don't know'

Watch: Two police officers shot, one seriously, before armed suspect surrenders in St Julian's

Two officers injured in St Julian's shooting named

Watch: St Julian’s shooting incident - The moment of surrender

TMID Editorial: A World Cup that became more than football

More than 200,000 people flee raging wildfires in France and Spain, some escaping by boat

Yorgen Fenech trial: Witness accuses defence lawyer of meeting with Keith Schembri

Bedingfield, PN leader, PL express support for injured police officers after St Julian's incident

Two officers trapped in yard as police reveal new details of St Julian's shooting siege

Pharmacies open today 9am to 12pm & 4 to 7pm

Government says it fulfilled another promise in IVF and genetic testing access

Stronger enforcement must now be matched by stronger laws, MHRA says

‘Betrayed’: NGOs protest against Manoel Island padel courts decision

Tourists admit charges after €150 public on-the-spot fine spirals into police chase

Restaurant owner granted bail over alleged €2.4 million tax fraud

PN says power cuts crisis damaging tourism industry

Power outages highlight the need for climate-resilient buildings, FAA says

Norris snatches pole at Hungarian Grand Prix as Hamilton and Antonelli hit with penalties

Elderly man dies after falling into sea in Buġibba

Malta Police Union appeals for blood donations of type O- after officer seriously injured

Trump returns to correspondents' dinner for a rambling, insult-filled speech 3 months after shooting

Church commission calls for serious long-term plan to tackle power cuts

81% of catering establishments open to using EU funds for future investments, study finds

Deputy Prime Minister meets 138 newly graduated doctors starting clinical training