Malta and international press digest

The following are the top stories in the Maltese and sections of the international press today.

THE TIMES

The accused in the Pembroke murder case says he prayed for the victim.

The prisons are to have sections for inmates who are ‘clean' of drugs.

IN-NAZZJON

Private sector jobs have risen by 4,600 in two years, including an increase in the number of self-employed and the number of women in the labour sector, Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo said.

Two car bombs in Algiers have left some 70 people killed.

Prof Kenneth Wain has been appointed Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations.

L-ORIZZONT

Maltese arrested in Libya on allegations of human trafficking.

THE MALTA INDEPENDENT

Thousands of books presented to school libraries.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Industry hope to sign a memorandum of understanding for a merger by the end of the year.

The British dailies....

The Daily Mirror reports that the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz has "been stripped of any sign" of Madeleine McCann as residents try to move on from her disappearance, seven months ago.

According to the Daily Express, it was the priest who gave comfort to Kate and Gerry McCann that had his church stripped of memories of Madeleine.

The Daily Mail leads on the row over prisoners being released early, reporting that a convicted wife-beater murdered his girlfriend just five days after he was released from prison before he finished his sentence to ease overcrowding.

The Record says a six-week-old girl has been battered to death at the home of her mum's boyfriend.

The Independent reports that today Prime Minister Gordon Brown will announce a major change in strategy on Afghanistan, likely to cause consternation among hard-liners in the White House, because it could mark the end of a "bloody six-year war"... or is it just a spin? it asks.

The Guardian features the car bomb blasts that killed dozens of people in Algiers but leads with a story that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will travel to Lisbon to sign the EU treaty... but will miss the official ceremony and sign it later on his own. The picture features the man at the centre of the secret donations row, David Abrahams, opening a hair salon.

More than one in five births in Britain last year were to women from overseas, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The Scotsman reports that new figures show that the number of Scots who hold discriminatory attitudes towards Muslims has increased over the last three years. The newspaper has also been on the trail of an endangered eagle which went missing seven weeks ago and is now the subject of a police investigation.

The Financial Times leads with the story of three oil industry executives who face the UK's first ever criminal prosecution for price-fixing under a landmark deal with the US.

Thousands of homeowners face repossession and homelessness after taking on mortgages they can't afford, reports the Metro.

The Sun has an exclusive on House of Horrors murderer Rose West, who it says has demanded an inquiry into the death of her guinea pig in prison.

Fabio Capello, the man tipped to become the new England boss, has declared war on foorballers' wives and girlfriends, according to the Daily Star.

... and elsewhere

Algeria's independent Al-Khabar reports that the North African branch of al-Qaeda has taken responsibility for the two bombings in the Algerian capital which left at least 45 people dead. One of the targets was a UN office, where it is feared that up to 12 members of staff were killed. A second explosion near the city's Supreme Court within 10 minutes of the first killed 30 people. The attacks were condemned by UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

The Washington Post leads with CIA Director Michael Hayden's explanation how videotapes of terror suspect interrogations were made under one of his predecessors, George Tenet, and were destroyed under another, Porter Goss. Hayden,who was giving evidence to a Congressional hearing behind closed doors, said he wasn't able to completely answer all questions but promised he would make available to the committee all witnesses who "know about this far better than I" available.

Teheran's English-language daily, Iran News reports President Ahmedinehad took an unusually soft tone toward the United States yesterday, saying a new US intelligence report marks an opportunity to resolve US-Iranian differences. The conciliatory line appeared aimed at deflecting Washington's attempts to win further sanctions came as diplomats from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany held a 90-minute conference call to discuss a draft plan for new sanctions.

Milan's business tabloid, Il Sole 24 Ore says Italian Transport Minister Alessandro Bianchi ordered the end of a highly-disruptive truck drivers' strike, saying the move was necessary to protect the delivery of essential supplies. He issued the decree after talks broke down between unions and government on the second day of a planned five-day strike.

The New York Times reports former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has been convicted of abuse of authority by ordering an illegal search seven years ago and sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of $134,900. This was the first criminal conviction for Fujimori, who also faces three other trials on charges that include murder, kidnapping and corruption.

Kansas City Star says the death toll as a result of the ice storm that has hit the has risen to 23. Officials in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma have declared states of emergency, and hundreds of thousands of people are without electricity.

Jerusalem Post reports Israeli troops have launched their biggest incursion into the Gaza Strip since Hamas seized power there six months ago, killing eight Palestinians near the territory's border with Egypt. The Palestinians claimed the attack undermined peace negotiations scheduled to resume today in Jerusalem for the first time in seven years.

Kiev's Pravda reports that the Ukrainian parliament has rejected the candidacy of Yulia Tymoshenko, the Orange Revolution leader, for Prime Minister amid accusations of vote tampering. Only 225 deputies in the parliament, one less than the minimum needed, backed President Yushchenko's choice of Ms Tymoshenko to lead the Government. Her allies blamed faulty electronic voting equipment for the setback, insisting that all the coalition deputies had voted for the reformist leader.

Kampala's independent The Daily Monitor says the death toll from the Ebola outbreak in Uganda has risen to 30. Another 86 people are known to be infected with the virus. The outbreak began in Bundibugyo district, which is home to about 250,000 people.

The Medical Journal reveals that researchers in Lausanne found that smokers have a far greater risk of developing diabetes. A study looking at the link between smoking and Type 2 diabetes revealed smokers have a 44 per cent increased risk of developing the condition. Heavy smokers had a 61 per cent increased risk, compared with lighter smokers where the risk was 29 per cent higher than a non-smoker,.

Berliner Morgenpost reports Michael Schumacher took over the wheel of a taxi to get his family to the airport on time. The retired Formula One champion was worried that they would miss their flight. He gave the driver a €100 tip and they made it on time.

The Dominion Post says a surfer in New Zealand was "bumped" by a shark twice in the same day. Olivia Hislop said that she would not be returning to the beach in Kaikoura, on the South island, where her board was attacked.