10 years ago - The Sunday Times

Sunday, January 18, 2009

IVF laboratory at Mater Dei has everything but patients

Mater Dei Hospital has a fully-equipped IVF laboratory, The Sunday Times has learnt. However, it is not being used because the costly treatment for infertile couples is not yet available on the national health service. Sources said the hospital’s lab is also stocked with special cryopreservation containers used to freeze sperm.

In a one-sentence reply to a series of questions, a spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretary for Health said that “policy regarding IVF has still to be developed and direction for service development has to be given from higher political levels”. According to hospital sources, this means that even though the state-of- the-art hospital has the capacity to provide IVF treatment, it will not be offered on the national health service unless Parliament enacts legislation to regulate the sector.

Joe Borg eyes second term

EU Commissioner Joe Borg admitted he would like to serve a second term, though permanent representative Richard Cachia Caruana and MEP Simon Busuttil are also in the running for the post. With 10 months to go to the end of the Commission’s term, the race for the seat of Malta’s next European Commissioner has begun.

25 years ago - The Times

Tuesday, January 18, 1994

Church influence weakening

The positive influence of the Church in Malta in man’s human and social progress is continually weakening, says Pastor, the publication of the clergy society Christus Rex.

There is a tendency, it adds, for wide sectors in higher education, in entertainment, the economy, justice, the means of communications, and the family, to be managed on humanistic lines which either ignore that which is spiritual, or which are in direct conflict with it.

Pastor’s comments are made in an editorial which comments on the Maltese Church’s leadership. The Church’s leadership, or absence of it, it says, is crucially important.

Hunters to maintain boycott

The hunters’ association yesterday vowed to continue boycotting local council elections and did not rule out the possibility of further action.

The Association for Hunting and Conservation told its members to continue their boycott until the new hunting regulations, which came into force last January 1, are reviewed.

“We will be discussing the possibility of further action at our annual general meeting in March, but that doesn’t mean we won’t take action before if we feel it’s necessary,” association president Joe Perici Calascione said.

Half a century ago - Times of Malta

Saturday, January 18, 1969

Australian mission to Malta

Australian High Commissioner Sir Hubert Opperman announced that an Australian tripartite mission will visit Malta between  January 28 and  31. It will comprise government, employers and trade union officials.

Jail for causing explosion

Mr Justice Flores, sitting in H.M. Criminal Court, yesterday sentenced Joseph Zerafa, 22, of Nadur, to 20 days imprisonment and fined him £8. Zerafa was found guilty of having caused an explosion which might have caused damage to Għajn Barrani, near Xagħra, on July 30, 1968, at about 6am. He was acquitted of a charge of having made use of explosives for fishing purposes. A policeman patrolling the beach had seen Zerafa, through binoculars, throwing something out of a sack into the sea, and touching it with a cigarette before throwing it into the water.

Stalemate at Car Assembly

There were no developments yesterday in the disputes between the GWU and Mizzi Bros, the Industrial Motor Company and Car Assembly Limited.No further coniliation meetings are at present envisaged.

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