Valletta’s iGaming corridors have a new name on everyone’s lips: FIRST.com. The UK-licensed sportsbook, which soft-launched in February and went full-throttle for the Champions League final, is already being sized up by St Julian’s analysts as the fastest British brand to hit seven-figure active users since the 2020 lockdown boom. But what has Malta buzzing…
Valletta, Malta – When American conservative activist Charlie Kirk took to his podcast last night claiming that “the suspect in the Charlie Kirk murder case is now in custody” and that “President Trump personally told me,” phones began buzzing across the Maltese archipelago. At first glance, the story feels oceans away from our limestone balconies…
Valletta’s Eurovision watch-parties have always been a kaleidoscope of Maltese flags, glitter cannons and pastizzi crumbs, but the 2026 edition could feel eerily empty if Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS makes good on its threat to boycott should Israel be allowed to compete. The announcement, made late Tuesday evening on the Netherlands’ flagship current-affairs show Nieuwsuur, has…
**Man jailed for working illegally as cab driver for six months** A 34-year-old Egyptian national has been sentenced to six months imprisonment after being convicted of operating as an unlicensed taxi driver in Malta for over half a year, highlighting ongoing concerns about the underground transport economy that has flourished in the shadows of the…
**What’s next for MedTech? Malta’s tiny island thinks big** Strolling down Valletta’s Republic Street on a humid July evening, it’s easy to forget that 500 metres away, inside a deceptively quiet 17th-century palazzo, a team of engineers is 3-D-printing titanium jawbones that will be flown to North African hospitals before sunrise. The contrast—baroque balconies overhead,…
Valletta’s courts handed down a two-year suspended sentence on Tuesday to a 34-year-old Birkirkara man who admitted to stabbing a fellow villager during a late-night argument outside a kazin, lightly injuring him and reigniting debate about how Malta’s tight-knit communities handle simmering feuds. Magistrate Rachel Montebello heard how the accused, construction worker Darren Spiteri, produced…
Maltese film ‘Island of Oblivion’ to premiere at Kosovo festival Valletta – When the lights dim next week in Prizren’s open-air cinema, the 14th-century stone bridge that frames Dokufest will flicker with images of Malta’s own shores for the first time in the festival’s 23-year history. “Island of Oblivion”, a 26-minute Maltese documentary shot entirely…
**Why Belize is the New European Dream – And Why Maltese Travellers Are Leading the Charge** By *Hot Malta* Travel Correspondent For decades, Malta’s winter sun-seekers have followed a predictable trail: Tunisia for budget warmth, Egypt for reefs, the Canaries for something more exotic. But scroll through Instagram feeds from Sliema to St Julian’s this…
A 34-year-old Ghanaian national has been handed a six-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to operating as an unlicensed taxi driver in Malta for over half a year – a case that has reignited debate over the island’s booming but increasingly crowded ride-hailing scene. Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit heard how Joseph Mensah* cruised Sliema, St…
**Bad Bunny Boycotts US Tour Over Immigration Fears – What Malta’s Latin Community Thinks** Reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny’s shock decision to skip the United States on his upcoming “Mundo Extraño” world tour has ricocheted through Malta’s tight-knit Latin American diaspora, with many islanders praising the Puerto Rican artist for choosing principle over profit. The 30-year-old…
Watch: Malta’s low fertility is ‘greatest challenge of our time’ – Clyde Caruana By Hot Malta Staff Finance Minister Clyde Caruana pulled no punches on Monday evening when he told a packed Valletta conference that Malta’s collapsing birth-rate is “the greatest challenge of our time—bigger than any budget deficit, bigger than the price of gas.”…
**Judge rejects domestic violence sentence appeal, calls for tougher punishments** A Maltese judge has thrown out an appeal to reduce a domestic violence sentence, instead using the courtroom as a platform to demand harsher penalties for abusers and sparking a national conversation about protecting victims in the island nation. The decision came from Judge Consuelo…
