10 years ago - The Times

Monday, February 23, 2009

Speed cameras a tax – Muscat

The new speed cameras are a form of tax in­tended to make good for the government’s inefficiency, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said yesterday, adding his weight to the opposition against the devices. The Labour Party was in favour of road safety but it was ridiculous to set the cameras at a limit lower than the national limit which stood at 80km/hr, he said.

The cameras, installed this week on the Birkirkara bypass, Sta Venera tunnel exits, Mdina Road, Qormi, and Tal-Barrani Road, Żejtun, have a speed limit of just 60 kph. They have drawn a hostile reaction and were des­crib­ed as useless by two prominent road experts.

Dr Muscat said people should only be fined if they go past the 80-kilometre mark or else the government should lower the speed limit to 60 in line with the cameras.

Man critical after falling off carnival float in Nadur

A 20-year-old man was in critical condition yesterday after falling off a float during the carnival celebrations in Nadur on Sunday night. The police said Jason Vella was on the float with friends when he fell a height of about one storey and sustained grievous injuries to his head.

25 years ago - The Times

Sunday, February 23, 1994

FOI calls for privatisation

The Federation of Industry yesterday put forward its proposals for privatisation and hit out at the government for remaining silent on the subject.

Speaking at the FOI’s annual conference, ‘Winning through competitiveness’, the FOI’s leader of the company affairs working group Joe Caruana Curran said the government’s attitude almost led to the belief “they are remaining silent in the hope privatisation will go away”.

“Think about it. Is the real business of the State to be running restaurants, hotels, quarries, tug companies and factories?” he asked. “Surely government, you have more important things to do, like running the country.”

Student on hunger strike

Jean Paul Mifsud, 19, of Valletta went on a hunger strike yesterday at 11.30am over the education system being followed at the Gian Franġisk Abela Upper Lyceum at Msida and other post-secondary schools.

Until last Monday Mr Mifsud was chairman of the Students Council at the Lyceum.

Mr Mifsud is against the one final examination system. He and other students claim that such a system was creating undue pressure on them.

Half a century ago - Sunday Times of Malta

Sunday, February 23, 1969

Cancer research in Malta

The British Empire Cancer Campaign for Research has made available a yearly grant of £1,400 to Dr H.M. Sultana, consultant radiotherapist at St Luke’s Hospital.

Dr Sultana is using his grant to establish a Cancer Registry with a view to investigating the epidemiology of the various forms of malignant disease in the Maltese islands.

The Ministry of Health is supporting this project by providing accommodation for the Cancer registry at St Luke’s Hospital and by asking all medical practitioners and the public to cooperate fully with the work of the registry.

Girl found dead in bathroom

21-year-old Patricia Ferro, of St Julian’s, was found dead in the bathroom at her parents’ residence on Friday. A post mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was due to asphyxia from drowning. Patricia had returned to Malta recently with her parents from Germany where her father (Major Laurence Ferro) served with the 1st Regiment RMA in Mulheim.

Maltese tug-boat adrift

The tug-boat Fox Terrier, drifting in rough seas off the North African coast since Wednesday morning, has not yet been traced.

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