Weekly News highlights

Twenty People were arrested last weekend in various localities in an operation to prevent the spread of drugs. Police said many of the arrests were made at a nightclub outside Rabat. There were no arrests in Gozo. The people arrested were aged between 17 and 31.

Upper Barrakka to open on May 1

The upper Barrakka garden, which has been undergoing a Lm250,000 upgrading project over the past months, is scheduled to be officially inaugurated by the Prime Minister on April 29 and will be open to the public on May 1, said Valletta Rehabilitation Project executive co-ordinator Ray Bondin.

New regulations on horse-drawn carriages

A series of measures are being drafted to ban horse-drawn carriages from major arterial roads and will not be permitted at all between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the summer months. Annuonced on Monday, it is hoped the regulations will be implemented by summer.

Animal-drawn vehicles will also be allotted an identification number plate, while discussions are going on to ensure that all horses are insured.

Debt growing by Lm12,500 an hour

Labour party general secretary Jason Micallef said on Tuesday said the national deficit, which last year should have stood at Lm78 million was actually Lm175 million, while the country had a debt of Lm1.3 billion, growing by Lm12,500 an hour.

Twenty cadets join Rapid Reaction Force

Twenty army cadets, including two women, successfully endured the Armed Forces of Malta's recruitment course to form part of the European Union's Rapid Reaction Force.

The RRF cadets, who were trained for EU humanitarian missions, graduated at Luqa barracks on Tuesday.

Labour Party leader Alfred Sant said they were against Maltese participation in the Rapid Reaction Force, and a Labour government would put a stop to it.

New procedures at Customs

There Will be a diversion of traffic of goods to the island for various reasons once Malta joins the EU, Customs director Alfred Mifsud said on Wednesday. Certain foreign exporters will direct traffic this way to test how rigorous the Customs monitoring and control system here is, hoping to avoid the huge charges the EU imposes.

Speaking at a news conference Mr Mifsud said "I do not feel, however, that on May 1 and soon after that day, Malta will experience an influx of imports."

Court orders Lm110,000 payment to contractor

A contractor has been awarded Lm113,224 for works carried out on behalf of the Ministry for the Environment. Francis and Pauline Fenech had been engaged by the ministry to carry out works at Marsaxlokk and Marsascala in 1986, but following the 1987 change of government the execution of the contracts and the payment for the works had changed.

Shop assistant held up

Armed robbers on Wednesday stole a few hundred liri from a shop in Rabat. No one was hurt in the hold-up which took place in Triq Santu Wistin shortly before 5 p.m.

Draft law on 'energy-saving' houses

All New buildings will have to be adequately insulated to save energy, according to proposed legislation. Large windows will have to be double- or triple-glazed, Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit said at a conference on Wednesday.

Emphasis would be placed on the size of wells, while the conference also covered such topics as energy- efficient structures for houses, the benefits of using domestic solar water-heaters, the efficent collection of rainwater and a general improvement in how energy is used and saved.

14,000 fake watches seized

Over 14,000 fake Rolex watches were found in a container at the Freeport by the enforcement unit of the Customs Department on Thursday. The container, which was supposed to be carrying socks, according to the vessel's manifest, had 47 boxes of 300 watches each, with a total value of around Lm1.4 million.

New lights on Grand Harbour

Fort St Angelo will start returning to its former glory through a Lm50,000 lighting project. The lights systems was inaugurated on Friday illuminating some of the buildings of the fort through the use of different shades of light. The whole project is expected to cost Lm70,000

Traffic fines' legal loophole removed

The government has removed the legal loophole by which people could avoid paying traffic fines simply by not signing registered letters.

Notification of a summons will be considered effected when it is delivered but it is not necessary for the individual to sign for it.

Unions propose three-year wage moratorium

The Four unions representing Air Malta's 1,950 employees are proposing a three-year moratorium on wages and increments as their contribution to a rescue plan proposed by Air Malta to save the ailing airline. They also want a clear declaration that jobs would be kept but are prepared to change bad work practices.