10 years ago - The Times
Monday, October 6, 2008
Five tents gutted by fire at Ħal Far open centre
No one was injured when five tents at the Ħal Far open centre, known as Tent City, were gutted by fire after a gas cylinder exploded late yesterday afternoon.
Over 100 immigrants had to be relocated to other tents or given alternative accommodation in the form of sleeping bags. Five new tents will be set up this morning.
The fire, which was extinguished within an hour, left only the blackened metal frames of the bunk beds intact.
Police officers were on the scene questioning the immigrants over what happened but they said they did not suspect any foul play.
Boy dies after fall
Brian Johansen, 16, from San Ġwann, died after he fell off the bastions in Herbert Ganado Garden, Floriana, on Saturday evening. The teenager was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital where he died later in the evening.
The police said investigations revealed that the teenager was sitting on the bastion with some friends and slipped when he stood up, falling a height of about five storeys.
25 years ago - The Times
Wednesday, October 6, 1993
SGS-Thomson phasing out CFSs ahead of deadline
SGS-Thomson is voluntarily pumping hundreds of thousands of Maltese liri into protecting the environment. The semi-conductor giant has completed the phasing out of CFCs, the gases mainly responsible throughout the world for damaging the ozone layer, more than a year ahead of the phase-out date set by EC directives.
Another ambitious project has been the introduction of an electrodialysis reverse plant which reduced the company’s water consumption and the amount of acidic and alkaline pollutants. But a lot of the work is being carried out by the company on its own initiative as no enforcing legislation exists in Malta at the moment.
Antonio Facchetti, SGS-Thomson’s plant facilities and technical services manager, said the company’s total investment in protecting the environment would come close to $1,250,000.
Italian scholarships
A new two-kilometre pipeline is to be laid to eliminate sewage overflows at Miżieb and Xemxija, Environment Minister Michael Falzon said. The project will be started next year and is expected to take two years.
Half a century ago - Sunday Times of Malta
Sunday, October 6, 1968
Social worker on eight-week course in UK
Miss Victorine Gauci, a social worker of the Malta Welfare Society for the Mentally Handicapped, has left Malta on an eight-week training course in social welfare for the mentally subnormal and their families. She will be attached to the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children.
Miss Gauci will be spending some days at Pengwern Hall, Rhyl North Wales where she will have the opportunity of meeting social workers from all over the UK. She will work with a number of regional welfare officers of the Society in Liverpool, Manchester and London areas on case work and special projects, besides visiting various establishments for the retarded such as schools, training centres and hospitals.
Miss Gauci has been engaged in voluntary social work for the past 12 years.
Maltese teachers at Urbino
Refresher courses for teachers are an essential part of education. This summer, under the auspices of the Education Department, the Italian government granted bursaries to 15 Maltese teachers for a course in pedagogy at the University of Urbino.