10 years ago - The Times
Monday, December 15, 2008
Voluntary worker dies in bike accident
A 24-year-old man driving a high-powered motorbike died in a bad accident on the hill near Għar Dalam in Birżebbuġa yesterday afternoon. The young man, Daniel Farrugia, was riding up the hill on his Kawasaki Ninja when he was involved in a collision with a white Peugeot 106 on his lane, going in the same direction.
The bike careened towards the pavement while the rider was catapulted underneath a maroon Hyundai coming from the opposite direction. The police said he died on the spot.
The other people involved, a couple in the Peugeot and a man in the Hyundai, were largely unharmed although the Peugeot driver had to be treated for shock and slight injury to the nose.
The young biker from Birżebbuġa was an apprentice technician with ST Microelectronics and was an active volunteer with the Transplant Support Group after himself becoming the recipient of a cornea in 2003.
Shocked, the president of the group, Alfred Debattista, said Mr Farrugia was a very hardworking volunteer offering support to people who were about to undergo surgery similar to his.
25 years ago - The Times
Wednesday, December 15, 1993
AFM Commander resigns
Brigadier Maurice Calleja yesterday submitted to the inevitable and handed in his resignation as Commander of the Armed Forces.
It was a turn of events which could have had no other ending – the immense pressure was irresistible which has been piling up on him since The Sunday Times revealed that giving up the senior post in the army was expected of him.
The episode brings to an end a military career which ultimately closed on a sad, personal note – Brigadier Calleja’s daughter was earlier this month arraigned in court on drugs possession and trafficking charges.
His position as head of the armed forces, which with the police are engaged in fighting drug smuggling, was seen to have been compromised, and no other way out was available.
MLP’s tribute to Brigadier
Labour leader Alfred Sant, paying tribute to Brigadier Calleja, said his resignation confirmed the esteem he had won in his career.
Too often in Malta, Dr Sant said, few resigned their office to ensure that office remained above everything which could raise doubts about it.
Nothing perhaps did more honour to Brigadier Calleja’s sense of duty than the step he had taken, Dr Sant said.
Half a century ago - Sunday Times of Malta
Sunday, December 15, 1968
Electricity Board strike: no attempt at conciliation yet
Industrial and non-industrial employees of the Malta Electricity Board yesterday continued their strike in support of claims ranging from the introduction of a pension scheme to an increase in shift allowance and provision of transport. This strike, called by the Government Section of the GWU and NACSS, began on Thursday.
It is reliably understood that some 36 per cent of the clerical employees reported for work yesterday. On the first day of the strike, 28 per cent of the clerical employees reported for duty.
Over 1,000 essays in children’s competition
Over a thousand essays were entered for the Schweppes Organgeora Essay Competition in Malta and Gozo on the theme ‘Our National Heritage’.
The panel of judges, under the chairmanship of Mr Justice M. Caruana-Curran and comprising Prof. J. Aquilina, Mr G. Mangion Mr L. Spiteri and Mr F. Masini, have now presented the sponsors, Simonds-Farsons-Cisk Ltd, with their report.