10 years ago - The Times
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Fishermen lease plane to look for missing boy
The Armed Forces of Malta and fishermen yesterday conducted separate aerial searches for 11-year-old Theo Bugeja who is still unaccounted for since his father’s fishing vessel sank two weeks ago.
A spokesman for the AFM said the search for the boy continued using an Italian Military Mission helicopter. A representative of the National Fisheries Cooperative explained that fishermen contracted a plane – a Piper, belonging to Azzopardi Fisheries – to look for the boy. The searches yielded no results.
Both were not in a position to ascertain whether searches will continue today because this depended on a variety of factors such as the weather. A decision would be taken this morning, they said.
The AFM spokesman was not in a position to say with certainty how long yesterday’s helicopter search lasted.
He explained that the duration of a flight alone was not a telling factor as one had to take into account various variables such as the search area, among other things.
Ray Bugeja, from the cooperative, said the rented plane had set off in the morning and flew from 8am to 5pm. On Thursday, the plane searched from 9am to 7pm.
25 years ago - The Times
Monday, July 26, 1993
High success rate of kidney transplants
Kidney transplants in Malta are having a very high rate of success, according to information given in Parliament by Louis Galea, Minister of Home Affairs and Social Development.
Nine transplants were carried out in 1991. Only one patient has since died, of a cause which had nothing to do with the transplant. All other patients are fine, but one has reverted to the kidney machine.
Two transplants were made last year and four this year. The patients are fine.
AD youths against proposed opening hours for Paceville outlets
Alternattiva Youths are against the proposed opening hours for Paceville outlets suggested by the Paceville Monitoring Group, saying they are discriminative against pubs and bars and favour discos.
The decision, the group said in a statement, affected the not-so-young youths and adults who preferred to go out very late.
Half a century ago - Times of Malta
Friday, July 26, 1968
Union protest strike gets mixed reception
The Malta Government Clerical Union (MGCU), which claims to have over 1,800 members in government service, yesterday decided not to participate in the strike today called by the Action Committee of the General Workers’ Union in protest against what the Union claimed was the government’s failure to ask for a revision of the London run-down agreement.
The Action Committee resolved on Wednesday to hold a “day of protest by all its members and those who wanted to support the Services employees in their struggle against the run-down”. It was decided that the “day of protest” would take the form of a strike, which started at 6 am today.
Three other unions, the Society of Administrative and Executive Civil Servants, the Malta Civil Service Association and the Malta Customs Federation, have not issued directives to their members to take part in the strike. The MCSA claims to have some 900 members in government service.
A spokesman for the Society of Administrative and Executive Civil Servants said that although the union sympathises with the Services employees, the executive council had not been given enough time to call a general meeting to decide on a line of action.