Bertrand Borg
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Articles by Bertrand Borg
Freispruch nach Mord an Journalistin in Malta
Knapp neun Jahre nach dem Autobomben-Mord an der Journalistin Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta ist der Geschäftsmann Yorgen Fenech von dem Vorwurf freigesprochen worden, Drahtzieher der Tat gewesen zu sein. Eine Jury sprach den 44 Jahre alten Unternehmer in Valletta sowohl vom Vorwurf der Beihilfe zum Mord als auch der kriminellen Verschwörung frei. Das Abstimmungsergebnis der Jury fiel mit 8 zu 1 deutlich aus.
Freispruch nach Mord an Journalistin in Malta
Knapp neun Jahre nach dem Autobomben-Mord an der Journalistin Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta ist der Geschäftsmann Yorgen Fenech von dem Vorwurf freigesprochen worden, Drahtzieher der Tat gewesen zu sein. Eine Jury sprach den 44 Jahre alten Unternehmer in Valletta sowohl vom Vorwurf der Beihilfe zum Mord als auch der kriminellen Verschwörung frei. Das Abstimmungsergebnis der Jury fiel mit 8 zu 1 deutlich aus.
Malta PM Abela secures new term as Labour Party wins
Malta's governing Labour Party has won the EU country's general election, paving the way for a second term for Prime Minister Robert Abela. Official results show the MLP garnered 51.8 per cent of the vote, defeating the conservative Nationalist Party (PN) which took 44.7 per cent. "We have made history by winning for the fourth time in a row," Abela said in a television interview on Sunday after initial results showed his party in the lead.
Maltese hold vote, expected to favour prime minister
Polls have closed in Malta after citizens voted in a snap general election, with Prime Minister Robert Abela's centre-left Labour Party (MLP) widely expected to secure another victory in the European Union's smallest member state. More than 341,000 residents were eligible to vote before polling stations closed at 10pm on Saturday (6am on Sunday). Beforehand, polling suggested Abela's governing MLP party was ahead of Alex Borg's conservative Nationalist Party (PN).
What happened to Labour's 2022 urban park promises?
It was February 2022, and the Labour Party was raring to go. Hours after announcing a March 26 general election, Robert Abela told journalists that Labour's big idea was a €700 million, seven-year investment to develop “green urban lungs” that would create a network of gardens, green areas and car-free areas across towns and villages. The following day, he unveiled the five big projects that would be the crown jewels in that plan. Each targeted a densely populated urban area.
This is what Labour is pledging for Malta's planning and construction sectors
Labour would like to revise Malta’s contested local plans, overhaul the planning appeals tribunal and make it easier for “non-starter” development applications to be thrown out. The proposals feature in the party’s electoral manifesto for the 2026 general election, which provides some insight into the ruling party’s vision for the planning and construction sector over the next five years.
Live blog: General election campaign enters its ninth day
It’s Wednesday, May 6 and the general election campaign is in its ninth day. Yesterday saw Labour make promises to separated and divorced couples looking to get into the property market, while the Nationalist Party unveiled its grand vision to develop an offshore LNG terminal that would lead to the tanker docked at Delimara being moved out permanently. Follow events with our live blog. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
As journalists duck for cover, a legal expert suggests an unconventional shield
One hundred and twenty-nine journalists were killed around the world last year, making it the deadliest year for the media in three decades. Nomi Bar-Yaacov believes solving this will require paperwork, not protective gear. Bar-Yaacov, a veteran mediator and international law expert, says the global community needs a new international treaty to protect the press.
Day 9: PN pledges big Marsa project as Labour promises to help businesses
On the ninth day of the electoral campaign, Robert Abela announced a new round of proposals aimed at helping businesses, while the PN promised it would invest €350 million to create a creative district in Marsa and the Grand Harbour area. Later, PN's Alex Borg also announced three proposals related to succession tax.
Live blog: PN has a plan for Hurd's Bank as Labour takes the ferry
It's Tuesday, May 5, and the general election campaign is entering day eight. Robert Abela will inaugurate the new Sliema-Buġibba-Gozo fast ferry service this morning, while the Nationalist Party will speak to the press - and voters - about its economic plan. Labour has hinged its reelection hopes on the promise of an annual €1,000 bonus payment to every worker.
Live blog: Malta enters election race as Abela calls snap poll
Robert Abela has fired the starting gun on the 2026 general election, with voters going to the polls on May 30. The snap election announcement – delivered, somewhat unusually, through a video message posted to social media – ends weeks of speculation about an eventual election date. The 33-day campaign is the shortest possible allowed under electoral law, and follows similarly short electoral races in the 2022 and 2017 campaigns.
Hili companies sued for over €500,000 by sacked former executive
The former managing director of Hili Properties, George Kakouras, has launched legal proceedings against his former employers, alleging wrongful termination and demanding more than €500,000 in unpaid wages from two group subsidiaries. Kakouras served multiple roles within the Hili group, acting as managing director of the company's property arm, Hili Properties, managing director of group subsidiary Harvest Technology and managing director of Harvest subsidiary Apcopay Limited.
Live blog: Father accused of trying to kill his own children back in court
A 49-year-old man who stands accused of trying to kill his own children returns to court on Wednesday as the case against him continues. The man, who is from Catania but cannot be named under court order, is pleading not guilty to attempted murder. He was picked up by police following a days-long manhunt that began when his 10-year-old daughter told police he had tried to strangle her and also attacked her brother, 12.
Malta-flagged container ship hit in Strait of Hormuz
A Malta-flagged container ship was struck by a projectile believed to be a missile off the coast of Oman while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. The Safeen Prestige issued an emergency call and contacted Maltese authorities to report being hit by a missile at around 1pm Malta-time. The 13-year-old ship was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, from Shargah in Dubai en route to Jedday, Saudi Arabia. It was expected to reach Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Five reasons Judge Mintoff's declaration about Abela should worry citizens
Judge Lawrence (Wenzu) Mintoff's explosive email to ministers about Robert Abela has left Malta's political and legal classes reeling. The judge's unprecedented sworn declaration has tanked his chances of being appointed chief justice while also confirming suspicions that negotiations for the post are not being conducted in good faith. The Opposition has focused on the specific allegations the judge made about the prime minister in his declaration.
Cabinet stunned by 'kamikaze' letter from judge’s personal email
Ministers have expressed shock at receiving a "kamikaze" letter from the personal email address of a sitting judge, detailing his anger at being passed over for Malta's next chief justice. The email was sent from Judge Lawrence (Wenzu) Mintoff's personal email address and landed in cabinet members’ inboxes on Monday morning at around 9am.
The 4% pivot: How the Vision 2050 blueprint has changed
Malta Vision 2050 was launched with a bang on Friday evening, but a closer look at the strategy’s final document reveals quiet and unannounced changes to the vision’s headline targets. Arguably, the most significant changes have been to the metrics the government says it will use to measure the strategy’s overall success. A GDP growth target has been revised downwards to annual growth of 4% - down from the 5% cited when the strategy was first opened to consultation.
Judge cites use of AI chatbot in ruling on Balluta apartment lease
A judge has cited AI tool Gemini in a ruling about Malta's historic rent laws, indicating that artificial intelligence chatbots are also being leveraged by the country's judiciary.
Private equity firm eyes Malta acquisitions through €150m fund
A private equity firm is preparing to acquire controlling stakes in Maltese companies, as part of a €150 million fund it will launch this year. Mediterrania Capital Partners founder Albert Alsina says the company is especially interested in family-run businesses that are struggling with succession plans. “You have someone whose kids don’t want to take over the company. He’s got, say, five more years. We can come in, take 60%, help him take the next step, and get some cash.
Austrian who lost €500,000 on Maltese gaming site loses bid for a refund
An Austrian doctor who lost almost €500,000 while gambling on Malta-registered sites has lost a legal bid to force the company to pay him back his losses. The court decision is the latest legal salvo in a back-and-forth battle over gaming sector regulation that has also seen the European Court of Justice get involved.
Companies, politicians are using GDPR to shut journalists up, report warns
Companies, entrepreneurs and politicians are increasingly leaning on the EU's data protection rules to force journalists to back away from critical reporting about them, a new report has warned. The report into SLAPP [Strategic Lawsuits and Against Public Participation] across Europe also notes that an EU-wide law intended to shield the media from such lawsuits must be bolstered if it is to work as intended.
How free childcare fuelled an income boom but also a poverty paradox
Free childcare has helped thousands of women move out of economic dependence while also fuelling a national poverty paradox, a Central Bank analysis has noted. The analysis noted an explosive increase in employment among women aged 25 to 49 starting from 2014, the year childcare services became free for working parents. That boost in employment led to Malta's median disposable income rising considerably, and at a much higher rate than the European average.
Maksar gang lose appeal against lifetime prison sentences
The Maksar crime gang have lost an appeal against lifetime prison sentences handed to them last year, after a jury found them guilty of being involved in two separate murders. Adrian Agius, Robert Agius, Jamie Vella, and George Degiorgio were condemned to spend the rest of their lives behind bars in June 2025, when a jury convicted them of charges related to the killings of lawyer Carmel Chircop in 2015 and journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia two years later.
Franco Debono cross-examines Einstein’s special relativity theory
Franco Debono has spent almost 30 years cross-examining witnesses in Malta’s criminal courts. Now he has turned his sights on a defendant with a 100-year alibi: Albert Einstein. Debono, one of Malta’s most prominent criminal lawyers and a former MP, has published a paper in a peer-reviewed astronomy journal titled ‘Lacunae in the philosophical foundations of special relativity’. With Debono listed as its sole author, the paper features in the 2025 edition of Open Astronomy.
Smoking rates hit record lows in Malta, but it’s only the men
Cigarette smoking rates have fallen to record lows, but Malta’s 20-year progress against tobacco use is entirely attributed to men, new research shows. The percentage of male smokers has plummeted from 2001 to 2023, while for women it has remained virtually unchanged over the same period, the General Population Survey on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use in Malta, shows. Researchers conducted a survey through phone calls with 3,500 people across different age groups and regions in 2023.
Malta-based private jet crashed due to electrical fault, Turkish official says
A Malta-registered plane that crashed in Turkey on Tuesday, killing eight people, reported an electrical fault minutes before losing contact with air traffic control, Turkish officials have said. Harmony Jets flight HMJ185 was carrying high-ranking Libyan army officials back to Tripoli following official meetings with Turkish government officials. The French-made Falcon 50 jet was leased from Harmony Jets, a Malta-registered company that has provided private jet chartering services since 2017.
Joseph Portelli to acquire Fort Tigne from MIDI and turn it into hotel
Joseph Portelli is poised to take over Fort Tigne from MIDI, in a €2.5 million deal that would allow the mogul to convert the historic fort into a hotel. MIDI said in a statement to the market on Tuesday afternoon that it has entered into a promise of sale with Portelli’s firm J Portelli Projects Ltd. The company currently has 75 years left on a lease it signed for the site at the turn of the century.
Malta pushes EU to find alternatives to its €210bn Ukraine loan plan
Malta has joined Belgium, Italy and Bulgaria in pushing the EU to find alternatives to using Russian billions to help finance Ukraine. In a joint declaration seen by Times of Malta, the four member states urged the EU Commission and the European Council to look for alternative options “presenting significantly less risks,” than the current plan being discussed to help Ukraine.
How the PN fell into a Media.Link financial black hole
The Nationalist Party is in financial trouble, and the audited accounts it published this week suggest it is struggling to dig itself out of its money pit. The party’s latest financial statements show liabilities of roughly €11.7 million and a pattern of losses that has persisted across most of the past decade. But that is only the headline. The bigger structural risk - and one that is kept hidden – lies in the financially toxic relationship the PN has with its media arm, Media.Link Communications.
Pietà's Grade 1 protected church to get five-floor block across the road
A five-storey apartment block is set to rise across the road from the Pietà parish church, after planners approved a proposal to replace three mid-century houses with a 13-unit construction. The application (PA 04190/23) on Triq Santa Monika was approved by the Planning Commission on Wednesday. The site sits just metres away from the Grade 1 protected Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima and Grade 3 protected Villa Gauci. Grade 1 is the Planning Authority's highest form of planning protection.
One scrapyard, two fires and a long list of environmental infringements
A Marsa scrapyard that caught fire on Friday was engulfed in a similar, massive raging fire four years ago and had previously been warned about a long list of environmental infringements. The site on Marsa's Triq Giuseppe Garibaldi caught fire at around 10am on Friday, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky and across the surrounding areas, forcing residents to shut doors and windows and workers in the area to pack up and go home for the day.
Reckless driver who killed passenger must be retried
A driver who killed his passenger and injured another person while driving recklessly in August 2017 must be retried because of an error in sentencing, a court of appeal has ruled. Godfrey Gambin was sentenced to four years in prison and fined €11,600 in April 2025 when a court found him guilty of involuntary homicide and reckless driving. Gambin smashed into a car while driving on the wrong side of the road on Triq Sir Temi Zammit in Mġarr on August 20, 2017. The car overturned upon impact.
Your questions about the tribunal's Malta-Steward decision answered
It’s been more than one week since the government announced that international arbitration between Malta and Steward Health Care has been concluded. The International Chamber of Commerce’s decision has been the subject of much commentary and even more political spin. And while the ICC’s 200-page award document has been published, its legal language makes it difficult for the average person to easily understand.
Budget 2026 speech as it happens
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana will outline the government's spending and income priorities for 2026 when he delivers his annual Budget speech tonight. Caruana's speech in parliament is expected to begin at around 6.30pm. Times of Malta will be running a live blog throughout, providing real-time updates of budget measures and reactions from across politics and business. Feel strongly about a measure or sector? Share your thoughts at newsroom@timesofmalta.com or send us a message on Facebook.
Traffic overtakes cost of living to become people's biggest concern
Traffic, parking and public transport-related issues are now Malta’s biggest headache, and by a large margin. New poll data published by Times of Malta suggests frustration with traffic-related issues has reached new heights, with people citing them as both the country’s biggest problem as well as the biggest hassle in their own personal lives.
For years, PN voters wanted Metsola. Then Alex Borg came along
For the first time in more than two years, Nationalist Party voters have the leader they want. A large majority of PN voters say Alex Borg is the best man to lead the party, with the 30-year-old appearing to have dragged the Opposition party out of Roberta Metsola’s shadow. A new Times of Malta survey carried out by Esprimi research company reveals that Metsola, who for the past two years ranked as PN voters’ favoured leader, is now a long distance behind Borg among their preferences.
Times of Malta poll
Labour is five per cent ahead of the Nationalist Party and would win an election held tomorrow by around 15,000 votes, according to a new Times of Malta poll. The governing party’s lead has narrowed slightly from February, when the predicted gap between the two parties stood at 6.5 per cent, or an estimated 18,700 votes. The narrowing is mainly due to a decline in Labour’s predicted vote share, rather than an increase on the PN’s side.
Local plan for Villa Rosa site unchanged despite public consultations
A revised local plan for the Villa Rosa site in St George’s Bay has remained unchanged following two rounds of public consultation by the Planning Authority. Robert Abela’s cabinet has approved the final plan and will announce it in the coming weeks, Times of Malta is informed.
'I killed your rabbits,' accused allegedly confessed to partner
Updated 1pm A pensioner accused of killing two men in an apparent family feud angrily told the mother of one of them “I killed your rabbits” when she called him hours after the shootings, a court heard on Wednesday. Karmenu (Carmelo) Ciantar, 72 and known as Id-Durga, allegedly shot dead Dennis Mifsud, 51, and Anthony Agius, 57, in a field in Baħrija, near Rabat, on July 29. He is pleading not guilty.
Malta backs EU Commission plan to partially suspend Israel from research funds
Malta is endorsing a European Commission proposal to partly suspend Israel from the EU’s Horizon science research programme, Times of Malta is informed. The proposal was presented to member states at a meeting on Tuesday evening and would, if enacted, lead to Israeli firms being ineligible for millions of euros in research funding on disruptive technologies.
Hili Ventures revealed as mystery buyer of 4.99% Bank of Valletta stake
Hili Ventures has added a minority stake in Bank of Valletta to its investment portfolio, acquiring a 4.99% stake in the bank from Unicredit. The Malta-headquartered firm, which is led by entrepreneur Melo Hili, acquired the stake in a transaction dated July 10, public records show. It is its first known investment in the bank.
Unicredit sells half its stake in Bank of Valletta
Unicredit has slashed its position as a minority shareholder in Bank of Valletta, selling half its shares in the local bank. According to a company announcement issued on Monday, the Italian bank reduced its BOV shareholding to 5.21% of the bank, down from its previous 10.2% shareholding. It is BOV's second-largest shareholder, after the Maltese government. Based on the bank’s €1.840 share price as of Monday afternoon, Unicredit sold the equivalent of just over €50 million in BOV shares.
Bidnija road rage murder case continues, eyewitnesses to testify
The case against alleged Bidnija road rage killer Mohamed Hamdan continues on Monday, with the victim’s wife expected to continue testifying about the June 29 shooting. Hamdan stands accused of murdering Jean Paul Busuttil following a collision on a country lane in Bidnija early on a Sunday morning. Busuttil’s wife and mother-in-law were in the car at the time and witnessed the murder first-hand.
Bidnija 'road rage' murder case begins in court
Mohamed Hamdan, 46, stands accused of having shot Jean Paul Busuttil dead following a collision in Bidnija on June 29. The Libyan national is pleading not guilty to criminal charges. Prosecutors allege that Hamdan got into an argument with Busuttil following the crash, then left the scene on his son’s motorcycle and returned a few minutes later with a gun. He is alleged to have shot Busuttil in the presence of a LESA warden.
Did Holland's 8-0 thrashing of Malta come with a dose of revenge?
Malta’s 8-0 thrashing at the hands of the Netherlands is, sadly, not a massive outlier for local football. But for the Dutch, the walloping was an opportunity to avenge a match that took place 41 years ago in Seville. "Is that the son?" Dutch national team manager Ronald Koeman said when asked about Malta’s national team goalkeeper Harry Bonello in a press conference ahead of the match.
Chris Cardona to testify in Maksar trial
Former minister Chris Cardona is expected to testify on Thursday as lawyers representing four men charged with two separate murders mount their defence. Cardona will testify after the prosecution’s star witness said the former politician was involved in an initial plan to murder Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Abela mulls a miniature reshuffle, but Byron Camilleri is staying put
Updated 12.20pm Plans to reassign much of Byron Camilleri's portfolio to Owen Bonnici have been called off following talks at Castille on Wednesday morning. But while that switch is not happening, the prime minister still intends to make "minimal" changes to ministers' portfolios and reward Bonnici, sources said.
Owen Bonnici poised for promotion as Abela mulls a miniature reshuffle
Owen Bonnici is poised to assume responsibility for the police, army, civil protection department and prisons as part of a miniature cabinet reshuffle. Bonnici, who is currently Culture Minister and cabinet’s longest-serving member, will assume the lion’s share of Byron Camilleri’s current portfolio. Camilleri is to retain ministerial responsibility for employment and citizenship, including migration-related issues.
'Ċens, they will kill you or me'
The star witness in the case against four men accused of involvement in two separate murders has recalled his lawyer telling a police investigator he was afraid both of them would end up dead. Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, said his then-lawyer Arthur Azzopardi had told investigator Keith Arnaud “Ċens, they will kill you or me in the near future.” “Arnaud witnessed that,” Muscat said, adding that he feared his children would also be attacked with acid.
Koħħu says he 'never shot a person' as defence lawyers get told off by judge
Vincent Muscat has claimed he never shot a person or owned a weapon and felt he could not refuse payment for his role in two separate murders because he feared the Maksar brothers. Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, said he was afraid that brothers Robert and Adrian Agius would “turn on me” if he refused to help kill lawyer Carmel Chircop and journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. That same fear meant he could not refuse payment for those crimes, he said.
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