Eight people have been arrested in Malta over the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, after her car exploded.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced the arrests in a case that made world-wide headlines.

All of the suspects are Maltese nationals and the Prime Minister said most of them have criminal records.

Caruana Galizia, 53, was killed in October when her car blew up as she was driving it.

She was well-known in Malta as a journalist who ran a popular blog that doggedly reported claims of corruption among leading politicians.

Police have 48 hours to questions those arrested.

Caruana Galizia accused senior figures in both government and opposition of corruption and money laundering.

They have all denied the accusations and she had been hit with 36 libel suits in the nine months preceding her death.

Her murder raised concern within the European Union about the rule of law in Malta, and many saw it as an attack on independent media.

A group of EU lawmakers who concluded a fact-finding mission last week said there was a "perception of impunity" in the island.

The head of the Parliament's delegation, socialist lawmaker Ana Gomes, said the murder "was aimed at instilling fear in everyone, especially those involved in investigating and prosecuting cases of money laundering and corruption."