10 years ago - The Times
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Labour leader: no place for prima donnas
Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday called on everybody to roll up their sleeves and get ready to work hard – there would be no place for “prima donnas” in the party he said in the wake of the election of the party’s administration.
“The holidays are over. Whoever assumes that the ‘earthquake’ within the party will not happen is mistaken. Where we failed in the past we will renew, and where we succeeded we’ll build on,” he said. Addressing the second session of the extraordinary general conference at the party headquarters in Ħamrun last night, Dr Muscat started his speech by hailing the party’s founding father Dom Mintoff who turns 92 today.
Karl Chircop in deep coma
Labour MP Karl Chircop is in a deep coma and his condition is still critical after he suffered a stroke on Sunday. The 42-year-old family doctor was still in intensive care after a cerebral haemorrhage, the Health Division said yesterday.
Describing Dr Chircop’s condition as precarious, the Labour Party said medical tests were being carried out to determine his state of health.
The father of four, who turns 43 tomorrow, was rushed to hospital late on Sunday.
25 years ago - The Times
Friday, August 6, 1993
Inquiry into ship’s grounding
Transport and Communications Minister Francis Zammit Dimech yesterday launched a preliminary inquiry to find out why the container ship Catania ran aground close to Senglea Point on Wednesday.
The Department of Information said that it did not appear any port installations had been damaged. However, the ship had been damaged and legally this was a shipping casualty.
The preliminary inquiry, headed by former director of ports William Scicluna, will determine if there would be need of a formal inquiry by the Court of Magistrates.
Following the preliminary inquiry, a report will be made to the minister.
The ship was safely dislodged from its resting place by two Tug Malta Ltd tugboats in a two-minute-long operation less than 10 hours after the grounding.
Robbed at gunpoint
A man of Arab nationality is being held for questioning after a woman was robbed at gunpoint in Gżira on Wednesday night.
Rita Muscat, 24, of Gżira, was about to enter her home in Edgar Bernard Street just after 11pm when she was held up by a man with a gun.
50 years ago - Times of Malta
Tuesday, August 6, 1968
Sliema store burgled
Georges Store at High Street, Sliema, was burgled on Sunday night. The thieves got away with £71 in cash, 18 bottles of whisky, six of gin and other spirits and £15 worth of cigarettes.
Emanuel Schembri, owner of a nearly bar, saw the door of Georges Store ajar when he opened his bar at 7am. Mr Schembri immediately informed the police.
Alfred Agius and Grace Agius, son and daughter of the owner, Thomas Agius, were surprised to find the police when they went to the store.
St John Ambulance Brigade: Maltese team in Swansea
When Princess Margaret visited the St John Ambulance Brigade International jubilee camp at Singleton Park, Swansea, last week, she told the officer in charge of the Maltese contingent: “You seem to have brought the fine weather with you.”
The South Wales Evening Post, in an article on the camp, said that the Maltese “dressed in their rainbow-hued national costume, which splashed with dashes of brilliant colour had something special to offer to Princess Margaret – their rhythmic and cheerful national dance”.