10 years ago The Times
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Unions’ rally told of possible 15% tariffs cut
The government plans to cut the utility rates by 15 per cent in the coming weeks, General Workers’ Union general secretary Tony Zarbsaid yesterday, adding the information came from a “little bird”.
“This is not enough. We want real changes not cosmetic ones,” Mr Zarb insisted during a rally held at the GWU headquarters in Valletta, attended by about 300 people.
Mr Zarb started by thanking the government for bringing the 11 unions fighting the new utility tariffs together. His reference to “the government” was greeted by jeers from a part of the audience.
“We are the defenders of workers not their traitors,” Mr Zarb said to a cheering crowd, in an obvious reference to the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin and the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions’ decision.
Stubborn beggar jailed
A Romanian was yesterday jailed for a week after being found guilty of begging outside churches in Valletta. Alexandru Luca, 31, would wait in Republic Street for people leaving church after Mass and beg for money.
25 years ago - The Times
Monday, February 28, 1994
PM hints at solution in hunting issue
Hunters aggressively barracked the Prime Minister yesterday and security personnel had to intervene to eject them when they seemed bent on getting close to him.
The incident, which created a pandemonium in the hall, arose at a Nationalist Party dialogue meeting in Paola which was supposed to discuss local councils.
The proceedings were temporarily disrupted but resumed when most of the hunters were made to leave.
The incident had a mild beginning, with one of the hunters calmly telling Dr Fenech Adami that his government’s decision – to introduce restrictions on hunting and trapping – was turning to be to him a slow death.
“In the Community,” the hunter said, referring to the European Union, “there are countries where they have hunting throughout the year, at times for something, at others for something else.”
He said it was too much that hunters in Malta could not now do anything between January and September – the new close season, which came into effect on January 1, bans hunting between February 1 and August 31, with some exceptions. Until last year hunting and trapping were allowed also in spring, as from March.
Half a century ago - Times of Malta
Friday, February 28, 1969
300 doctors for meeting
Nearly 300 doctors, mostly from Britain and Northern Ireland but also from other countries, will meet for four days in Malta to discuss matters of great medical interest between April 9 and 12 next. The occasion will be the 12th Annual Clinical Meeting of the British Medical Association. Normally held in some town in the UK, this year the meeting will be held here at the invitation of the Malta Branch.
This is considered to be a matter of great importance to the local medical profession. The speakers will be experts in their particular field, many of them acknowledged authorities. Maltese medical people will also be taking part as speakers.
High January tourist figures
The total number of tourists visiting Malta in January was 5,829, an increase of 28.53 per cent over the same period last year.
Since 1959, when the first tourist statistics were taken, January had always recorded the lowest monthly total of tourists. Yet, from the odd 506 tourists in 1959, a steady increase was sustained during the first decade of tourism and this year’s January figures were as high as those registered in the peak-season month of June 1966 (5,931).