Veteran Malta Labour politician Dom Mintoff dies at 96



Former Maltese Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, who played a dominant role in the island's politics for decades before and after its independence from the UK, has died, aged 96.

He was leader of the centre-left Labour Party from 1949 to 1984, and was PM twice, including from 1971 to 1984.

He was known for his confrontational style and fiery speeches.

As prime minister, he often clashed with the powerful Catholic Church and greatly expanded Malta's welfare state.

Mr Mintoff died at his villa near the capital, Valletta, on Monday.

Born in 1916, the son of a Maltese cook in Britain's Royal Navy, he studied at Oxford University.

After a rapid rise in the Maltese Labour Party, he first became prime minister of the then British colony in 1955.

But he resigned only three years later when his campaign for integration with the UK collapsed in the face of fierce opposition from the Catholic Church.

Later, he switched sides to become an ardent supporter of Maltese independence, which was achieved in 1964, albeit under the rival centre-right Nationalist Party.