10 years ago - The Times

Friday, September 26, 2008

EU migration pact – Malta gets its way

The concept of burden-sharing in the case of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers has been entrenched in the new European Union pact on migration which, if approved by the EU leaders next month, will set the EU policy in this sector for the years to come.

EU justice ministers yesterday accepted Malta’s insistence to include burden-sharing as part and parcel of the EU pact and reached a final political agreement that now technically only needs the endorsement of the European Council next month.

Over the past weeks Malta had been insisting on the need to include a commitment towards burden-sharing with its counterparts, who at first resisted the idea.

However, following pressure at EU Permanent Representatives level and discussions between Malta’s Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and European Commissioner Jacques Barrot, the last resisting member states lifted their objections.

“We have managed to reach our target,” an upbeat Dr Mifsud Bonnici told The Times soon after the Council meeting in Brussels.

“We were already very positive that the French presidency was pushing forward this new migration pact.”

25 years ago - The Sunday Times

Sunday, September 26, 1993

Nail delays Air Malta flight by nine hours

A nail discovered in the nosewheel of an Air Malta Airbus at Heathrow airport yesterday caused its return to Malta to be delayed by nine hours. The airline said that the delay was partly because it proved to be impossible to procure a replacement wheel in London.

The nail was discovered during a routine transit check after the arrival at Heathrow of flight KM100/1. When the nail was removed the wheel deflated.

Air Malta said that a number of A320 operators in the UK and mainland Europe invariable yielded negative results because of variances in A320 wheel assembly types.

It was then decided to airlift a replacement nosewheel on Air Malta’s second flight of the day, KM102, to Heathrow.

Air Malta explained that since the crew of KM100 would be coming out of hours, KM102 left Malta an hour late in order to take with it a replacement crew.

But by the time the nosewheel had been fitted on to the A320 in London, the flight has lost its slot and had to wait for another hour.

The flight eventually left Heathrow after a delay of nine hours and five minutes.

Half a century ago - Times of Malta

Thursday, September 26, 1968

Cyclist succumbs to injuries

William Leeks, 16, of Balzan died yesterday at St Luke’s Hospital from injuries sustained in a collision between the bicycle he was riding and the car driven by Anna Howich of Naxxar on Tuesday. The magistrate on duty was informed and ordered a postmortem examination which is to be held today.

Stabbing incident at Msida

Evidence was heard yesterday by Magistrate Dr C. Schembri in a case in which Edwin Caruana, 23, of Msida, stood charged with having broken the public peace on Thursday, September 19, at noon uttered obscene words, hit out at Emmanuel Delceppo with a sharp-pointed instrument and struck George Cachia causing him an injury of a slight nature. He was also charged with having kept in his possession a weapon withou the necessary police permit. The incident occurred at Msida.

Dr A. Kissaun, who had examined Cachia after the incident, testified that the blow with the pointed instrument had ruptured a main artery on Cachia’s shoulder and it was probable that Cachia would suffer from loss of sensation in the lower part of the arm as a result.

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