Topics
Countries
Malta News
Would you like to access news/blog content published by sources located in Malta?
Code example
If you'd like to make a REST call, then make a following POST request:
Endpoint /api/v1/article/getArticles
Request body
{
"sourceLocationUri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta",
"resultType": "articles",
"apiKey": "API_KEY"
}
If you'd like instead to do a GET request then call:
/api/v1/article/getArticles?sourceLocationUri=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMalta&resultType=articles&apiKey=API_KEY
Example of JSON response
Below is an example JSON object that you would receive as the result of the request. You can retrieve also additional properties such as concepts, categories, source details, etc. by specifying additional parameters in the request as described on the documentation page.
{
"articles": {
"results": [
{
"uri": "9393152719",
"lang": "eng",
"isDuplicate": false,
"date": "2026-07-13",
"time": "19:06:46",
"dateTime": "2026-07-13T19:06:46Z",
"dateTimePub": "2026-07-13T19:05:00Z",
"dataType": "news",
"sim": 0.7490196228027344,
"url": "https://timesofmalta.com/article/us-immigration-agents-involved-another-fatal-shooting.1131342",
"title": "US immigration agents involved in another fatal shooting",
"body": "US immigration agents involved in another fatal shooting\n\nLast week an ICE agent shot dead a Mexican man in Texas\n\nA shooting on Monday involving US immigration agents killed a man identified by rights groups as a 26-year-old Colombian man, an incident likely to fuel more criticism of the Trump administration's deportation drive.\n\nThe shooting happened in Biddeford, a town of 22,000 people in the northern state of Maine and comes a week after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot dead a Mexican man in Texas.\n\n\"This morning a shooting occurred in Biddeford. A person was killed. ICE was involved,\" Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau wrote on Facebook.\n\nMaine Governor Janet Mills said that state police were working with federal officials to determine what happened. The FBI said it was investigating.\n\nOne eyewitness, Lucas Scott, told local media that he heard at least four gunshots after seeing several ICE agents surrounding a white sedan on Monday morning.\n\nThe Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition and Presente Maine, which jointly identified the victim as a 26-year-old Colombian but did not name him, said the man was authorised to work in the United States.\n\n\"We will not let this death be reduced to a footnote in this administration's enforcement statistics,\" said Crystal Cron, executive director of Presente Maine.\n\nThe Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately comment.\n\nSenator Angus King of Maine told reporters he understood, based on a conversation with Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, that the victim was the subject of an ICE arrest warrant over his immigration status.\n\nKing demanded a \"full, transparent and open investigation,\" but said the agents involved were apparently not wearing body cameras.\n\nImages from the scene showed a police cordon in place on a residential street, with a forensics unit stationed next to a red tent.\n\nAnti-ICE protesters were also gathered in the area and planned a rally Monday in response to the shooting.\n\n\"A person has died, and their loved ones and the people of our community deserve clear answers about what happened,\" Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain said in a statement.\n\n\"I recognise the fear and uncertainty that an incident of this magnitude has brought upon our city.\"\n\nTasked with enforcing Trump's mass deportation campaign, ICE's heavily armed agents have faced nationwide criticism for aggressive tactics, and for the shooting deaths of two US citizens this year in Minneapolis.",
"source": {
"uri": "timesofmalta.com",
"dataType": "news",
"title": "timesofmalta.com"
},
"authors": [
{
"uri": "agence_france_presse@timesofmalta.com",
"name": "Agence France-Presse",
"type": "author",
"isAgency": false
}
],
"concepts": [
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Immigration_and_Customs_Enforcement",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Immigration"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine",
"type": "loc",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Maine"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Maine"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "United States"
}
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biddeford,_Maine",
"type": "loc",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Biddeford, Maine"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Biddeford, Maine"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "United States"
}
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas",
"type": "loc",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Texas"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Texas"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "United States"
}
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico",
"type": "loc",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Mexico"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Mexico"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia",
"type": "loc",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Colombia"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Colombia"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Donald_Trump",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Presidency of Donald Trump"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Mills",
"type": "person",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Janet Mills"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Fecteau",
"type": "person",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Ryan Fecteau"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Maine",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Governor of Maine"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_King",
"type": "person",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Angus King"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportation",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Deportation"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_police",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "State police"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Speaker of the United States House of Representatives"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Federal Bureau of Investigation"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook",
"type": "org",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Facebook"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States",
"type": "loc",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "United States"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "United States"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship_of_the_United_States",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Citizenship of the United States"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markwayne_Mullin",
"type": "person",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Markwayne Mullin"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Homeland_Security",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "United States Secretary of Homeland Security"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "United States Senate"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Mayor"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Homeland_Security",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "United States Department of Homeland Security"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_warrant",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Arrest warrant"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minneapolis",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Minneapolis"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Minneapolis"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "United States"
}
}
}
}
],
"categories": [
{
"uri": "dmoz/Society/Issues",
"label": "dmoz/Society/Issues",
"wgt": 19
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Recreation/Guns/Competition_Shooting",
"label": "dmoz/Recreation/Guns/Competition Shooting",
"wgt": 20
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Computers/Artificial_Intelligence/Agents",
"label": "dmoz/Computers/Artificial Intelligence/Agents",
"wgt": 17
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Computers/Programming/Agents",
"label": "dmoz/Computers/Programming/Agents",
"wgt": 16
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Computers/Artificial_Life/Agents",
"label": "dmoz/Computers/Artificial Life/Agents",
"wgt": 17
},
{
"uri": "news/Politics",
"label": "news/Politics",
"wgt": 93
},
{
"uri": "iptc/crime,_law_and_justice",
"label": "iptc/crime, law and justice",
"wgt": 90
},
{
"uri": "iptc/society",
"label": "iptc/society",
"wgt": 87
}
],
"image": "https://cdn-attachments.timesofmalta.com/a20d13d4ab954f8180675702b152369a24446337-1783969397-20f99fcf-1200x630.jpg",
"eventUri": "eng-11827059",
"sentiment": -0.2470588235294118,
"wgt": 521665606,
"relevance": 1
},
{
"uri": "9393140343",
"lang": "eng",
"isDuplicate": false,
"date": "2026-07-13",
"time": "18:52:03",
"dateTime": "2026-07-13T18:52:03Z",
"dateTimePub": "2026-07-13T18:40:00Z",
"dataType": "news",
"sim": 0,
"url": "https://timesofmalta.com/article/government-continues-refusing-disclose-eurovision-song-contest-costs.1131341",
"title": "Government continues refusing to disclose Eurovision Song Contest costs",
"body": "New culture minister refers PN MP to answer given by predecessor in January\n\nThe Culture Minister on Monday refused to disclose costs linked to Malta's performance at the Eurovision Song Contest in May, referring instead to a reply given in parliament in January about the Malta Song Contest.\n\nThe January contest had been won by Aidan with his song Bella, and he went on to represent Malta in Vienna in May.\n\nIn January, PN MP Julie Zahra had asked for the cost of the local contest, including all services, flights, hotels, presenters and local and overseas guests. She also asked for a breakdown of what was paid by government entities and what was covered by private funding.\n\nThen-culture minister Owen Bonnici had said information about the local song contest costs was commercially sensitive.\n\nEarlier this month, Zahra asked the new culture minister, Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, for the total expenditure linked to this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.\n\nShe also asked for the costs of the marketing of the song in Malta and abroad, including billboards, magazines, and advertising and the cost of the accommodation and flights for every country the singer visited, including Australia, Norway, Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Romania, England, San Marino, and Lithuania.\n\nShe additionally asked how many people travelled with the singer during these trips and what role each of them had, how many people went with the singer to Vienna and what the role of each person was; and how much the flights and accommodation for the Maltese contingent, including the singer, in Vienna cost in total.\n\nBut instead of providing the information, Agius Galea referred Zahra to Bonnici's January reply, which had been given before Aiden's song started being marketed abroad.\n\nInformation on the contest's costs has occasionally been given in the past. In 2013, PBS, which organises the show, said it had cost €200,000, but it was a completely commercial activity, and the government did not fork out a cent.\n\nLast year, however, PBS refused to issue details on the costs of that year's concert, also saying that it was commercially sensitive.",
"source": {
"uri": "timesofmalta.com",
"dataType": "news",
"title": "timesofmalta.com"
},
"authors": [
{
"uri": "sarah_carabott@timesofmalta.com",
"name": "Sarah Carabott",
"type": "author",
"isAgency": false
}
],
"concepts": [
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Eurovision Song Contest"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta",
"type": "loc",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Malta"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Malta"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_of_parliament",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Member of parliament"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalist_Party_(Malta)",
"type": "org",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Nationalist Party (Malta)"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna",
"type": "loc",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Vienna"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Vienna"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Austria"
}
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Zahra",
"type": "person",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Julie Zahra"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Parliament"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Bonnici",
"type": "person",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Owen Bonnici"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBS",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "PBS"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Lithuania"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Lithuania"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Euro"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marino",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "San Marino"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "San Marino"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romania",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Romania"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Romania"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Norway"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Norway"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Greece"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Greece"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Cyprus"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Cyprus"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Bulgaria"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Bulgaria"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Australia"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Australia"
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania",
"type": "loc",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Albania"
},
"location": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Albania"
}
}
}
],
"categories": [
{
"uri": "dmoz/Arts/Music/Women_in_Music",
"label": "dmoz/Arts/Music/Women in Music",
"wgt": 12
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Society/Issues/Government_Operations",
"label": "dmoz/Society/Issues/Government Operations",
"wgt": 12
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Recreation/Pets/Contests",
"label": "dmoz/Recreation/Pets/Contests",
"wgt": 12
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Computers/Programming/Contests",
"label": "dmoz/Computers/Programming/Contests",
"wgt": 20
},
{
"uri": "dmoz/Arts/Music/Songwriting",
"label": "dmoz/Arts/Music/Songwriting",
"wgt": 16
},
{
"uri": "news/Arts_and_Entertainment",
"label": "news/Arts and Entertainment",
"wgt": 53
},
{
"uri": "iptc/arts,_culture,_entertainment_and_media/arts_and_entertainment/music",
"label": "iptc/arts, culture, entertainment and media/arts and entertainment/music",
"wgt": 100
}
],
"image": "https://cdn-attachments.timesofmalta.com/eb2f53ffcee0642d82b2e0f50fe5c7384a8eb368-1783968114-0534f72d-1200x630.jpg",
"eventUri": null,
"sentiment": -0.003921568627450966,
"wgt": 521664723,
"relevance": 1
},
{
"uri": "9393114311",
"lang": "eng",
"isDuplicate": false,
"date": "2026-07-13",
"time": "18:18:26",
"dateTime": "2026-07-13T18:18:26Z",
"dateTimePub": "2026-07-13T18:18:12Z",
"dataType": "news",
"sim": 0,
"url": "https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/143146/watch__swieqis_problems_reflect_government_failure_alex_borg_says_",
"title": "WATCH | Swieqi's problems reflect government failure, Alex Borg says",
"body": "Opposition Leader Alex Borg has said the ongoing problems in Swieqi are a symptom of a government that has abandoned local councils to deal with the consequences of its own policies.\n\nHis statement comes following a visit to the locality after the recent case involving tourists who were filmed throwing bottles into residential streets.\n\nThe group have been a fined a collective fine of €2,000, while a number of hosts were found to be operating illegally.\n\nBorg said the incidents taking place in Swieqi are the result of years of policies which prioritised mass tourism based on quantity rather than quality, coupled with rapid population growth, poor waste management and a lack of enforcement against anti-social behaviour.\n\nHe argued residents are paying the price for a model that has failed to strike a balance between economic activity and the quality of life of local communities.\n\n\"The situation in Swieqi reflects the attitude of a government that has left local councils to tackle problems it created itself,\" a caption on a video uploaded to Borg's Facebook page read. \"Mass tourism focused on numbers instead of quality, overpopulation, inadequate waste management and unethical behaviour that shows no respect for residents are threatening the safety and wellbeing of our communities.\"\n\nBorg said immediate action is needed before the situation deteriorates further, calling for stronger enforcement, better management of public spaces and policies that place residents at the centre of decision-making.\n\nHe warned communities cannot continue to shoulder the burden of policies that fail to protect public order and the character of residential localities.\n\nSwieqi councillors clash over claims locality is becoming \"the new Ibiza\"\n\nThe debate over Swieqi's future has also reached the Local Council.\n\nDuring an emergency council meeting, Swieqi Deputy Mayor Jordan Galea Pace and Labour Minority Leader Miguel Balzan clashed over whether the locality is on course to become \"the new Ibiza\".\n\nCouncillors approved a motion inviting Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Alex Borg to visit Swieqi and hear residents' concerns firsthand.\n\nGalea Pace argued rising property prices, increasing tourism pressures and a lack of enforcement are steadily changing the character of the locality.\n\nHe said Swieqi is already moving towards becoming \"the new Ibiza\" and insisted that stronger discipline and enforcement are urgently needed.\n\nBalzan rejected that assessment, dismissing the comparison.",
"source": {
"uri": "maltatoday.com.mt",
"dataType": "news",
"title": "MaltaToday.com.mt"
},
"authors": [],
"concepts": [
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Borg",
"type": "person",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Alex Borg"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swieqi",
"type": "loc",
"score": 5,
"label": {
"eng": "Swieqi"
},
"location": {
"type": "place",
"label": {
"eng": "Swieqi"
},
"country": {
"type": "country",
"label": {
"eng": "Malta"
}
}
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_councils_of_Malta",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 4,
"label": {
"eng": "Local councils of Malta"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leader_of_the_Opposition_(United_Kingdom)",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Tourism"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_management",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Waste management"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 3,
"label": {
"eng": "Euro"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_of_life",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Quality of life"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strike_action",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Strike action"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook",
"type": "org",
"score": 2,
"label": {
"eng": "Facebook"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Abela",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Robert Abela"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balzan_F.C.",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Balzan F.C."
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_mayor",
"type": "wiki",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Deputy mayor"
}
},
{
"uri": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party_(UK)",
"type": "org",
"score": 1,
"label": {
"eng": "Labour Party (UK)"
}
},
{
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"date": "2026-07-13",
"time": "18:13:36",
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"url": "https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2026-07-13/local-news/Parking-is-country-s-biggest-problem-on-the-roads-not-travel-times-says-Transport-Minister-6736291332",
"title": "Parking is country's biggest problem on the roads, not travel times, says Transport Minister",
"body": "The Minister for Sustainable Mobility, Chris Bonett, told Parliament on Monday that \"our biggest challenge moving forward\" is not the time taken to travel from one location to another, but parking.\n\nDuring question time in Monday's plenary, Minister Bonett was asked to outline how the government aims to reduce parking struggles around the country - namely through its national parking strategy.\n\nThe PN's Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility, Ivan Castillo, also asked Minister Bonett whether the national parking and travel demand strategy has been completed and if he could table it to Parliament in its next plenary session. Castillo observed that nowadays, according to a recently published study, the average cruising time for drivers to find a parking spot ranges between six and twelve minutes, and so he questioned what government will be doing to address these frequent \"wastes of time\" on the road.\n\nIn response, Bonett said that parking difficulties will be addressed through measures coming in the next two years, as part of the government's Malta in Motion plan.\n\nAgreeing with Opposition MP Castillo, he said that \"our biggest challenge moving forward, some say it's the time going from A to B, but it's parking.\"\n\nThe Minister for Sustainable Mobility said however that he cannot share what these measures will look for the time being, as this is currently being discussed between the government and Arup Group - the main consultants for the Malta in Motion plan being undertaken to resolve Malta's longstanding traffic and public transportation issues and cultures.\n\nHowever, the Minister gave an idea of what is being envisioned here, without disclosing what exactly Arup's studies are currently considering.\n\nSharing what he can on this, he referenced the set-up of utilising circular buses to transport people going into residential areas and town centres. Minister Bonett mentioned that it would be ideal for locals to be able to find parking near their homes, while people entering localities they do not reside in can park outside these residential zones and catch circular buses to reach their final destination.\n\n\"We need a good bus service, especially in busy areas, so people do not need to park in town centres,\" Bonett said.\n\nHe commented that it is not feasible for parking meters to be installed for non-residents within any given locality around town centres to guarantee that locals are prioritised.\n\nHe noted that wherever the government added parking and circular buses in this regard, people seem to have reacted positively. As a result, \"we hope for this to be the way forward,\" Bonett said.\n\nSpeaking about the Malta in Motion plan, this time while responding a PQ posed by PL backbencher Nigel Vella, Bonett said that \"we cannot get it wrong,\" that \"it is a complicated project,\" and that he will not pledge any \"unrealistic targets.\"\n\nHe said that the next phase of the implementation of this long-term plan focuses on circular buses, installing a fast ferry in Marsaskala, and the awaited new bus concession scheduled to come in 2030.\n\nMore on the Malta in Motion plan, Bonett stated that the solutions being sought through this long-term strategy, in his view, will naturally factor in Malta's increasing population.\n\nIn this regard, Opposition MP Beppe Fenech Adami criticised how Prime Minister Robert Abela said earlier this weekend that Malta's foreign population shall be increasing by 70,000 people over the next five years, and asked Minister Bonett how he, as minister responsible for transport, will look into this added, growing strain on public infrastructure.\n\nHe commented that \"the pressure on our roads did not start yesterday\" and stressed that Malta can no longer rely on a public transport system that is fully reliant on just its bus network.\n\nDuring these PQs, Minister Bonett said that he extended a hand for the government and PN Opposition to work together, share data and knowledge, to address the country's traffic problem.\n\n\"If we sit down and work together, we can neutralise this subject together,\" Bonett said, pleading for convergence between both sides of Parliament on a way forward to address traffic in Maltese roads.\n\nBonett commented that, given how the PN came out with its own metro proposal during May's election campaign, it seems that the PN is not interested in collaborating with the government to resolve this issue. He noted that the government had informed the Nationalist Party what it and Arup had in mind, regarding its own metro proposal, while the PN did not reciprocate this.\n\nThese comments were addressed towards the Opposition's Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility, Ivan Castillo.\n\nTransport Malta asked to look into methodology behind bus overcrowding studies by Bonett\n\nBonett also said that he is \"not happy\" with Transport Malta's bus overcrowding inspections, after it emerged from a TM study that just one case from over 52,000 inspections in 2024 and 2025 featured overcrowding in a bus ride.\n\nThis result was revealed in a recent parliamentary question (PQ) that was put forward by PN MP Julian Borg.\n\nIn this TM study, no cases of overcrowding were reported in Maltese buses out of 22,118 inspections throughout 2024 and a single case of overcrowding was identified from the 30,572 inspections carried out in 2025. In this PQ response, Bonett had stated that in the first five months of 2026, four cases of overcrowded buses were spotted from 16,026 inspections.\n\nDiscussing this on Monday, Bonett said that he is obliged by the Constitution of Malta to report these figures honestly, based on the information he is provided while answering PQs, though he is not happy with this study's results.\n\n\"I am not happy with this statistic,\" Bonett said, remarking that it does not add up with the complaints he hears when talking to people from all around the country on the national bus network.\n\nBonett told the House of Representatives that \"overcrowding is one of the [main] issues affecting public transport today\" and he believes that this study's methodology \"could have been a lot better.\"\n\n\"I spoke to the CEO of Transport Malta when looking into this PQ and asked him to look into the methodology behind these inspections,\" Minister Bonett said, \"Speak to the people because I want a real picture of what is happening.\"\n\nHe concluded that he will hold Transport Malta accountable, as well as the country's public transport system, for such figures to be true to the national situation.",
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"url": "https://timesofmalta.com/article/437-fines-taking-trash-wrong-time-first-six-months-2026.1131337",
"title": "437 fines for taking out trash at the wrong time in first six months of 2026",
"body": "Four fines issued to people mixing waste until the end of April\n\nThe environment and resources authority issued 437 fines in the first six months of the year to people who took out their trash bags outside of the waste collection schedule.\n\nA total of 357 warning letters were issued between January and April to people who mixed their waste, while four were fined by ERA.\n\nEnvironment Minister Miriam Dalli provided the data in parliament on Monday in reply to questions by PN MP Norma Camilleri.\n\nShe noted that before people are fined over mixed waste, they are first issued with a warning letter.\n\nIf they are caught, once again, mixing their waste, they will be fined, and the amount depends on whether the waste originated from a commercial establishment or a domestic one.",
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"body": "MCAST's pivotal role in enhancing marine intelligence through digital services\n\nMarine digital services (MDS) are advanced tools and platforms that collect, process, analyse and distribute marine environment information and are a key component of the emerging concept of the \"Digital Ocean\" and the broader European Digital Twin Ocean initiative.\n\nBy integrating data from satellites, oceanographic instruments, models and monitoring networks, these tools create virtual representations of the marine environment. These allow scientists, policymakers, businesses and citizens to better understand, monitor and predict changes in the sea, supporting decision-making, safety, environmental management and economic activities.\n\nAs society becomes increasingly dependent on reliable environmental information, MDS are emerging as an essential component of the digital economy. By turning ocean data into actionable knowledge, MDS support safer maritime operations, healthier marine ecosystems, more resilient coastal communities and more informed responses to the challenges posed by climate change.\n\nMalta has a long-standing history of developing and using MDS. Over the past three decades, efforts to run operational forecasting systems and integrated digital platforms have evolved through the Physical Oceanography Unit (PO-Unit).\n\nA significant milestone was the development of operational ocean observing and forecasting systems capable of providing daily measurements and predictions of sea conditions. Under the PO-Unit, these systems continued to evolve in the CALYPSO series of research projects within the Italia-Malta Interreg programmes.\n\nThe ROSARIO forecasting system currently running at MCAST represents Malta's most advanced operational marine forecasting capability, providing routine forecasts of marine conditions several days in advance.\n\nMore recently, Malta has moved towards integrated digital marine services through the STREAM web portal and smartphone app developed at MCAST. The platform combines numerical models, satellite data, environmental observations and artificial intelligence tools to provide data layers in the form of indices, climatologies, forecasts and alerts.\n\nWith STREAM, data is available to all users, including the public, and seamlessly connects users to data by a select, click and go facility. STREAM provides the data at the location for the needed time in a fast, free and easy way, meeting the targets to popularise marine data for use and reuse for the benefit of society.\n\nA major bottleneck persists, as we still rely on research project-based funding to support systems and there is no mandated effort to build and deliver a nationally coordinated marine observation and forecasting infrastructure.\n\nBy leveraging cutting-edge technology and fostering stakeholder collaboration, Malta can unlock new potentials in marine data use, contributing significantly to the marine value chain and propelling a diversified, sustainable ocean-based economy.\n\nVisit the ROSARIO forecasting system at backend.stream-srf.com/rosarioms.html and STREAM: app.stream-srf.com/auth/welcome\n\nSTREAM is financed by Xjenza Malta through the Space Research Fund programme.\n\nAldo Drago specialises in oceanography at MCAST. He serves as the Maltese delegate for the UN/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and acts as the national focal point for GOOS. His main endeavours since the early 1990s include the setting up of the Physical Oceanography Unit, leading to operational real-time marine observations, numerical modelling and data services, linking science to policy by providing stakeholders with essential information for decision- making and planning in the marine environment.",
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"date": "2026-07-13",
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"title": "Pensioner jailed three years after jury convicts him of attempted murder of his wife",
"body": "A jury has found 68-year-old Emanuel Borg guilty of attempting to murder his wife during a hammer attack at their Mellieħa home, with the court sentencing him to three years in prison.\n\nFollowing their deliberations, the jurors convicted Borg of attempted murder.\n\nAt the same time, they accepted that the offence had been committed under the excusable circumstance of sudden passion and mental agitation, as well as voluntary desistance, circumstances that may be taken into account under the law when determining criminal liability and sentence.\n\nDeliberations began on Monday after both the prosecution and defence concluded their cases and the presiding judge delivered directions to the jury.\n\nThe jury acquitted Borg of the separate charge of causing grievous bodily harm.\n\nAfter the verdict, the court sentenced Borg to three years' imprisonment. The judgment was delivered after considering various provisions of the Criminal Code, including those relating to attempted homicide, the excusable circumstance of sudden passion and mental agitation under Article 227, and voluntary desistance.\n\nThe court also ordered Borg to pay €9,178 in expert fees incurred during the proceedings.\n\nIn its judgment, the court declined to rule on the prosecution's request concerning compensation and other ancillary orders because the victim died of causes unrelated to the offence while the criminal proceedings were still pending.\n\nThe case dates back to November 2019, when Borg was accused of attacking his wife with a hammer after an argument over money. Prosecutors alleged he repeatedly struck her while she slept, causing severe head and facial injuries.\n\nThroughout the trial, the jury heard testimony from medical experts, police officers and other witnesses. The prosecution argued that Borg deliberately armed himself with a hammer before launching the attack and later admitted responsibility to police officers at the scene.\n\nBorg denied intentionally trying to kill his wife. Testifying in his own defence, he claimed the injuries occurred during a struggle over the hammer after an argument, insisting that his wife had grabbed the weapon and that \"she pulled the hammer and hit herself.\" He maintained that both were holding the hammer at the time and said he immediately called an ambulance when he realised she was bleeding.\n\nAfter hearing all the evidence, the jury returned a majority verdict finding Borg guilty of attempted murder, while accepting the partial excuse of sudden passion and mental agitation together with voluntary desistance, before the court imposed a three-year prison sentence.\n\nLawyers Kevin Valletta and Justine Brincat from the Attorney General's office are prosecuting. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Lennox Vella are representing the accused. Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera presided over the trial.",
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"url": "https://timesofmalta.com/article/planning-sea-mediterranean-need-maritime-spatial-planning.1131013",
"title": "Planning the sea: why the Mediterranean is in need of maritime spatial planning",
"body": "MEDSEAPLAN project enhances marine planning in the Mediterranean through innovative GIS model\n\nThe Mediterranean Sea is a victim of its own success. This semi-enclosed basin, characterised by high biodiversity, complex oceanographic gradients and strong anthropogenic pressure, covers less than 1% of the world's oceans, yet is home to 10% of all known marine species.\n\nConcurrently, it is also one of the world's most intensively used seas. Every day, commercial shipping, fisheries, tourism, aquaculture, offshore energy developments and submarine infrastructure compete for the same limited marine space. As these activities expand and overlap, pressures on ecosystems intensify and conflicts between users become more frequent.\n\nThis is why Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is critical. MSP is a way to organise human activities at sea in a more structured and sustainable way. The EU recognised the importance of this approach and adopted the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive in 2014, asking member states to develop marine spatial plans.\n\nBut the Mediterranean Sea is shared by many countries with different policies, priorities and levels of data availability, which makes planning complex.\n\nThe MEDSEAPLAN project supports a more coordinated approach to marine planning in the Mediterranean. It brings together scientific institutions and planning authorities to improve the way we understand and manage marine space.\n\nThe project is implemented by a consortium of 16 partners from eight countries, reflecting its strong cross-border and multi-sector nature.\n\nA key development of the project is the generation of the Sequential Hierarchical Intersection Layers (SHIL) model - a GIS-based decision-support framework designed to assist MSP through the systematic integration of ecological, environmental, and socio-economic information. Instead of considering marine data separately, SHIL combines layers of information, such as habitats, species distribution, biogeochemical parameters, human activities and environmental pressures.\n\nBy intersecting these layers sequentially, the model identifies spatial relationships that may not be evident during independent data analysis, allowing highlighting of zones of high ecological value, areas under pressure, and places where careful planning is needed to balance protection and development. The result is a clear and transparent method to support decisions, helping planners understand where interactions matter most.\n\nBy supporting more coherent and evidence-based marine planning, MEDSEAPLAN contributes to the objectives of the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the sustainable development of the Blue Economy, facilitating the longevity of marine ecosystems and coastal communities to continue thriving.\n\nProject MEDSEAPLAN is financed by Xjenza Malta through the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership that is supported by the European Union through Horizon Europe.\n\nAlfonso Siciliano, PhD, is a marine scientist specialising in marine ecology, GIS-based spatial analysis and innovative technologies applied to marine science. He is a senior research officer at MCAST's Applied Research & Innovation Centre, contributing to projects on marine spatial planning, ecosystem-based management and environmental monitoring.",
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"url": "https://www.illum.com.mt/ahbarijiet/qrati_u_pulizija/75448/tliet_snin_abs_gal_emanuel_borg_wara_li_nstab_ati_ta_attentat_ta_qtil_fuq_martu",
"title": "Tliet snin ħabs għal Emanuel Borg wara li nstab ħati ta' attentat ta' qtil fuq martu",
"body": "Il-ġurija sabet lil Emanuel Borg ħati tal-ewwel kap tal-akkuża ta' attentat ta' qtil, filwaqt li aċċettat li aġixxa taħt iċ-ċirkostanza skużabbli ta' passjoni f'daqqa u aġitazzjoni mentali, kif ukoll b'waqfien volontarju mill-att. Il-Qorti kkundannatu għal tliet snin priġunerija wara li qieset ukoll il-kondotta nadifa tiegħu u l-fatt li kien first-time offender\n\nIl-ġurija sabet lil Emanuel Borg ħati tal-ewwel kap tal-akkuża, jiġifieri attentat ta' qtil, filwaqt li aċċettat li l-każ kien jaqa' taħt iċ-ċirkostanza skużabbli ta' passjoni f'daqqa u aġitazzjoni mentali, kif ukoll li kien hemm waqfien volontarju mill-att. Min-naħa l-oħra, il-ġurati sabuh mhux ħati tat-tieni kap tal-akkuża relatat mal-ġrieħi gravi.\n\nFis-sentenza tagħha, il-Qorti qieset ukoll il-kondotta nadifa tal-akkużat u l-fatt li kien qed jaffaċċja l-ġustizzja għall-ewwel darba, qabel ikkundannatu għal tliet snin priġunerija.\n\nIl-każ kien jirrigwarda allegat attentat ta' qtil fuq martu, Maria Dolores Borg, li seħħ fid-dar tal-koppja fil-Mellieħa. Skont il-prosekuzzjoni, l-akkużat kien attakka lil martu b'martell waqt li kienet rieqda wara argument dwar flus. Min-naħa tagħha, id-difiża sostniet li l-ġrieħi seħħew waqt taqbida bejn il-koppja fuq il-martell, bil-Borg jixhed li martu kienet qabdet il-martell u li t-tnejn spiċċaw jiġbdu fuqu qabel ma hija sofriet il-ġrieħi.\n\nMatul il-ġuri nstemgħu xhieda mediċi, forensiċi, familjari u psikjatriċi. L-esperti mediċi spjegaw li l-vittma kienet sofriet diversi ksur f'rasha u f'wiċċha kawża ta' diversi daqqiet b'oġġett iebes u tqil, filwaqt li ġie ċċertifikat li meta ddaħħlet l-Isptar Mater Dei kienet tinsab f'periklu ta' mewt. Il-ġurati semgħu wkoll dwar l-istorja ta' saħħa mentali tal-akkużat, li kien ilu snin ibati bid-dipressjoni u kien taħt kura medika.\n\nFilwaqt li kkundannat lil Borg għal tliet snin ħabs, il-Qorti astjeniet milli tieħu konjizzjoni tat-talba tal-prosekuzzjoni magħmula skont diversi dispożizzjonijiet tal-Kodiċi Kriminali, peress li l-vittma, Maria Dolores Borg, mietet matul il-pendenza ta' dawn il-proċeduri b'kawża li ma kinitx relatata mar-reat inkwistjoni.\n\nIl-Qorti laqgħet ukoll it-talba tal-prosekuzzjoni biex Emanuel Borg iħallas €9,178.97, li jirrappreżentaw l-ispejjeż tal-periti skont il-liġi.\n\nIl-prosekuzzjoni qed titmexxa mill-avukat Kevin Valletta f'isem l-Avukat Ġenerali, filwaqt li l-avukati Arthur Azzopardi u Lennox Vella qed jirrappreżentaw lill-akkużat.",
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"date": "2026-07-13",
"time": "17:32:33",
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"url": "https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2026-07-13/local-news/Guns-bombs-leaks-and-150-000-Convicted-hitman-details-how-Daphne-Caruana-Galizia-was-killed-6736291331",
"title": "Guns, bombs, leaks, and €150,000: Convicted hitman details how Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed",
"body": "Prosecution witness Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, on Monday gave the jury a detailed account of how the plot to assassinate journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was organised, telling jurors about meetings, surveillance operations and payment arrangements that, he said, preceded the murder.\n\nMuscat was testifying in the trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech, 44, who has pleaded not guilty to two principal charges: complicity in the wilful homicide of the journalist and criminal association to commit the murder. Caruana Galizia, a columnist with The Malta Independent, was killed in a car bomb on 16 October, 2017.\n\nMuscat is serving a 15-year prison sentence after admitting his role in the murder and striking a plea agreement with the Attorney General. Another four men have also been convicted of the murder.\n\nIn yesterday's sitting, Muscat first described what he said was an earlier murder plot dating back to 2015.\n\nHe testified that George Degiorgio had asked him to drive him to Portomaso for a meeting with then minister Chris Cardona. According to Muscat, Degiorgio later told him that Cardona wanted Caruana Galizia killed and proposed that he, Muscat and Jamie Vella carry out the assassination. Degiorgio and Vella are two of the other men convicted in connection with the murder.\n\nMuscat testified that the agreed price was €150,000. He said Degiorgio claimed there were four people who wanted the journalist dead, although he did not identify them or explain their motives.\n\nMuscat told jurors that he and George Degiorgio later conducted surveillance near Caruana Galizia's Bidnija home after Jamie Vella pointed out the location because he owned a nearby farmhouse.\n\nThe original plan, he said, was for Vella to shoot Caruana Galizia as she drove out of her residence. However, the operation was abandoned because the promised €50,000 advance payment never arrived.\n\nMuscat claimed Degiorgio repeatedly argued with lawyer David Gatt, whom he described as being close to Cardona, over the missing payment before the surveillance eventually stopped.\n\nHe also recalled conversations in which Jamie Vella allegedly dismissed Cardona as \"all talk\" who would not follow through. Muscat added that former police commissioner Michael Cassar had also been mentioned during discussions, although George Degiorgio never provided further information.\n\nThe witness then turned to events in 2017, describing how Alfred Degiorgio, known as \"Il-Fulu\", approached him about what was described as a \"big job\". Muscat said the contact came through Darren Debono, known as \"it-Topo\", after Melvin Theuma asked to meet the Degiorgio brothers.\n\nMuscat testified that although he drove Alfred Degiorgio to an initial meeting with Theuma at Busy Bee in Msida, he remained outside.\n\nHe said Degiorgio later informed him that the target was Caruana Galizia. According to Muscat, he and the Degiorgio brothers agreed to carry out the assassination for €150,000, with a non-refundable €30,000 deposit.\n\nMuscat told the jury that four burner phones were purchased for those involved and that during a subsequent meeting at Busy Bee, Theuma handed Alfred Degiorgio the €30,000 inside a cigarette packet. The money was allegedly divided equally, with each man receiving €10,000.\n\nHe said surveillance of Caruana Galizia then began before Theuma later instructed them to suspend the operation because of the 2017 general election.\n\nAccording to Muscat, the plot resumed after the election. He testified that Theuma later gave Alfred Degiorgio another €1,000, telling him to \"buy a drink\".\n\nMuscat described surveillance of Caruana Galizia's movements, including observations outside her Bidnija residence, where he said the group noted the weekly arrival of a maid driving a red Toyota Vitz. He also recounted watching the journalist at a café in Naxxar, where she was sitting alone with her laptop after buying cigarettes.\n\nMuscat recalled Theuma informing him and the Degiorgio brothers that Caruana Galizia was on the verge of exposing \"something big,\" warning that if she published the information before she was killed, the person behind the contract would call off the entire plot.\n\nIn an effort to reassure Theuma that the group was carrying out what they had been instructed to do, Muscat says Degiorgio drove Theuma to the \"nest,\" which is the surveillance point they used to monitor the victim's movements.\n\nDavid Gatt, Chris Cardona, and Silvio Valletta\n\nOriginally, Muscat said, the plan was, again, to shoot Caruana Galizia.\n\nHe explained that Alfred Degiorgio was supposed to pull the trigger from a window overlooking fields and trees. Muscat and Degiorgio had gone to the location to analyse the view, and from there they could see Caruana Galizia sitting at her computer inside her house.\n\nWith them, Muscat and Degiorgio brought sacks concealing a shotgun obtained from Jamie Vella and Robert Agius. They were supplied with three firearms in total.\n\nMuscat testified that he frequently drove Alfred Degiorgio to Valletta, where Degiorgio claimed he was meeting with then-Economy Minister Chris Cardona.\n\nMuscat notes he would see Degiorgio entering the Auberge de Castille, though he could not personally confirm if the meetings with Cardona actually took place.\n\nHowever, Muscat recalled Degiorgio claiming that Cardona was receiving information from Assistant Commissioner Silvio Valletta - who was initially in charge of the murder investigation before being removed following a legal challenge after it was revealed that he had travelled with Yorgen Fenech.\n\nThe plan for the assassination changed as George Degiorgio preferred using explosives to guns since shooting carries a greater risk of police passing by.\n\nThree bombs were obtained from Robert Agius and Jamie Vella, who smuggled them into Malta from abroad.\n\nMuscat explained that the explosive device was around five inches long and consisted of a SIM card, two wires, and a switch. A bottle filled with petrol was also attached to the bomb.\n\nMuscat and Alfred Degiorgio later obtained a rental car from a company in Buġibba which was the same model as Caruana Galizia's vehicle, allowing them to practice gaining access to her car.\n\nThe prosecution asked whether Muscat knew what information Caruana Galizia was allegedly about to publish. \"I don't like asking questions,\" Muscat replied. \"It didn't interest me.\"\n\nMuscat told the jury that lawyer David Gatt would occasionally visit the Marsa potato shed, and that during these visits, Gatt would frequently make an upward-pointed gesture with his index finger, Muscat recalls, adding that it appeared to be a habitual mannerism.\n\nOn what that gesture meant, Muscat recalled that George Degiorgio had explained that the gesture was not meant to refer to Chris Cardona, but instead was used to refer to Keith Schembri without mentioning him by name. The gesture was used to refer to Schembri as the number one.\n\nMuscat recalls a separate occasion where Gatt had made a sound imitating an explosion.\n\nHowever, Muscat says that he had never discussed the assassination of Caruana Galizia with Gatt.\n\n'We started to think the bomb hadn't worked'\n\nMuscat told the jury that on the evening before the assassination, he drove the group to the road beside Caruana Galizia's residence, after which they proceeded on foot through the surrounding fields to avoid attracting attention from other vehicles.\n\nThe men were carrying the bomb and the tools needed to attach the explosive device to the journalist's car.\n\n\"That night, Alfred was the one who planted the bomb in Daphne Caruana Galizia's car,\" Muscat said.\n\nGeorge Degiorgio headed out on his boat, the Maya, early the following morning. According to prosecutors, this is where the SMS was sent to detonate the bomb and kill the journalist.\n\nVince Muscat and Alfred Degiorgio then went to the latter's apartment in St Paul's Bay, where they had coffee before returning to the area at around 5:30am in the white car which was spotted by neighbours on the day of the assassination.\n\nMuscat explained they took position inside a roofless room overlooking the area. They waited in that room with an umbrella, a walkie-talkie, a mobile phone, and the car keys.\n\n\"Ċens, the light is on,\" Muscat recalled Alfred Degiorgio suddenly remarking, referring to the gate light on the victim's property which would flash whenever it was opened.\n\n\"She left but came back soon after,\" Muscat explained. \"We thought she wasn't going out.\"\n\nHowever, a short while later, Daphne Caruana Galizia left her home again.\n\nMuscat said the Degiorgio brothers had previously agreed that Alfred would notify George, who would then trigger the bomb remotely.\n\n\"As soon as she started moving downhill, we left. I saw white smoke... We started thinking it hadn't worked because we didn't hear an explosion,\" Muscat said.\n\nAfter leaving the area, Muscat switched on his radio and listened to the news.\n\nVince Muscat then drove to Rabat and stopped at Serkin for pastizzi.\n\n\"The pastizzi made me sick... after what had happened,\" he says, explaining that he has to cross the road and sit on a bench.\n\n\"I felt very bad,\" Muscat says, describing his reaction to the killing.\n\nThe €120,000 they were still owed was collected in Marsaskala a few days later.\n\nHitman did not believe he would be arrested\n\nMoving onto when the police began to close in on the trio, Muscat said that George Degiorgio was aware of what was happening.\n\nHe recalled Alfred Degiorgio telling him one morning at the potato shed police were planning to raid the premises and arrest George.\n\nAccording to Muscat, they learned about the impending operation two or three weeks in advance and used that time to remove items that \"might have incriminated us.\"\n\nFrom that point onwards, Muscat says he noticed Degiorgio brothers frequently speaking privately among themselves, which made him increasingly suspicious.\n\nMuscat told the jury Melvin Theuma came to the Marsa potato shed, looking worried, and told Alfred Degiorgio: \"The tip you received that the police were coming here on 4 December matches the information I received.\"\n\nMuscat told the jury on one occasion he drove Alfred Degiorgio to meet a man known as Toni l-Iblaħ, whom he describes as an associate of Chris Cardona.\n\nHe said the two men spent around 30 minutes together and both appeared worried when they returned.\n\n\"I never asked what it was about, but Alfred told me he was going to meet him again,\" Muscat testified.\n\nSpeaking to Muscat, Degiorgio remarked that, \"we should have received millions for what we did\"\n\nMuscat said they were expecting the police to arrive at the potato shed on 4 December.\n\n\"We were waiting for the police,\" he told the court, adding that they even knew officers were expected to arrive at around 8am. \"I don't remember how I got to know that information\"\n\nHe said that despite knowing about the planned raid, he still went to the potato shed because he did not believe he would be arrested.\n\n\"I didn't know they were going to arrest me, but, I assumed they might have, but I didn't think they were going to arraign me I didn't know what they had on me,\" he said.\n\nAG lawyer Godwin Cini asked: \"Did you ever drive Alfred anywhere else?\"\n\nAccording to Vince Muscat, sometime after the assassination, he drove Alfred Degiorgio to a bar in Siġġiewi to look for former minister Chris Cardona, who was known to frequent the establishment. Degiorgio intended to get information about the 4 December raid and any investigations. \"He wasn't there that day.\"\n\nHe added that he himself would occasionally go to the bar for a couple of beers because he knew the people there, and confirms he had seen Cardona there on previous occasions.\n\nMuscat went on to recount conversations he says took place with the Degiorgio brothers while they were in prison.\n\nHe told the jury the brothers claimed they had paid €100,000 to a now former judge and also spoke about money allegedly intended for various people to help them secure bail.\n\nThey never secured bail.\n\nMuscat will continue his testimony on Tuesday.\n\nIT expert says he was never asked to clone Keith Schembri's phone\n\nIl-Kohhu's testimony followed further cross-examination of court-appointed IT expert Martin Bajada, who was questioned by the defence on mobile phone evidence, recovered electronic data and photographs linked to the case.\n\nMuch of the questioning by defence lawyer Gianella de Marco centred on mobile phone data extracted from devices belonging to former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.\n\nBajada confirmed that two of Schembri's mobile phones had been seized and analysed, although neither was the handset that Schembri reported losing shortly before police searched his home.\n\nThe defence questioned him about contacts stored in Schembri's address book, including Kenneth Camilleri, whose number was allegedly saved under the nickname \"ir-Rukkell\", and Johann Cremona, an associate of Melvin Theuma, whose contact appeared under the nickname \"ix-Xlukkajr\".\n\nBajada later confirmed that approximately 237 emails recovered from Daphne Caruana Galizia's accounts referred to Schembri, while around 274 mentioned former minister Chris Cardona.\n\nQuestioned about photographs showing Cardona and Alfred Degiorgio at a bachelor party, Bajada said he could not confirm the identities of the people appearing in the image.\n\nJurors later questioned Bajada about how investigators managed to recover data from Caruana Galizia's mobile phone after it was destroyed in the bomb explosion.\n\nHe explained that because the original device was beyond recovery, investigators purchased an identical phone and inserted a SIM card registered with the same number, allowing data to be restored from cloud backups. The only information lost, he said, was about one week's worth of WhatsApp messages because they had not yet been backed up.\n\nJurors also asked whether the same process could have been used for Schembri's missing phone. Bajada replied that it was technically possible but no such request had ever been made. He added that such requests should ideally be made within 48 hours while a suspect is in custody because data could otherwise be deleted. He further noted that no court-appointed IT expert had been engaged at that stage of the investigation.",
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