The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press today. The local newspapers are dominated by the Naxxar tragedy and the appointment of the Cabinet, both of which feature in the front pages.

The Times carries a large front page picture of the site of the tragedy with the heading Deadly explosion, It carries other pictures in the inside pages, as well as a detailed report. It also reports on the Cabinet with pictures of all the ministers and parliamentary secretaries. On the back page, Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando says he understands the Prime Minister's position in not giving him a Cabinet position.

l-orizzont carries a large picture over its front and back pages on the scene of the Naxxar explosion . It also reports on the Cabinet appointments and reports that Francis Zammit Dimech, Louis Deguara, Jesmond Mugliett and Ninu Zammit were not given any appointment despite having been elected on Saturday.

In-Nazzjon carries a report on the explosion on the front page as well as a report on the new Cabinet under the heading: A Cabinet to serve the people.

The Malta Independent also carries the two main stories as well as a report on the MLP leadership battle, saying the contest is expected to be held next month.

The Press in Britain...

Practically all London papers assess the first Budget from Chancellor Alistair Darling, who promised stability in a global downturn and announced an increase in alcohol taxes to raise £1.7 billion for child poverty targets...

The Times calls it "The Hangover Budget" as alcohol duties increased by 6 percent above inflation from midnight on Sunday - adding 4p on a pint of beer - in a crackdown on "binge drinking Britain".

The Daily Telegraph says Darling has waged a war on family cars by announcing an overhaul of the vehicle excise duty system to introduce a "showroom tax" of up to £950 for the most polluting vehicles.

The Sun warns readers "Don't Drink OR Drive".

The Daily Mail says that Darling, whom it calls "the man with the rose tinted glasses" predicts the UK economy will grow despite global financial crisis... but the middle classes must pay more taxes.

The Daily Express says the taxes announced yesterday are the highest in British history.

The Financial Times' analysts say Darling has played it safe in face of global market turmoil.

The Independent refers to Darling's ministerial red box as "a box of tricks".

The Guardian calls Darling as "the hestitant debutant".

The Scotman labels the budget as "The great whisky con".

And elsewhere...

The New York Times reports that UN authorities have told Belgrade to stop interfering in Serb areas in Kosovo where a Serb boycott is fuelling speculation that Belgrade is trying to partition the territory. Kosovo declared independence last month which Serbia and its backer Russia have said they will not recognise.

Al-Quds Al-Arabi claims Israeli undercover forces have killed four members of the Palestinian militant Al Aqsa brigade in a car raid in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The brigade is the armed wing of the Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Earlier, Israeli troops killed an Islamist Jihad commander in the town of Tulkarem.

Le Monde says French police investigating the world's biggest rogue trading scandal have arrested another employee of Societe Generale as they probe unauthorised deals that cost the bank almost five billion euros. Police traced the man after checking the telephone records of Jerome Kerviel who is being detained in a Paris prison on a number of charges related to the scandal. Police suspect the second man helped Kerviel place more than 50 billion euros in unauthorised deals.

Liechtenstein Vaterland says police have issued an international arrest warrant fora 42-year-old Liechtenstein citizen and former employee of LGT Bank suspected of selling client data to German secret services. The German government last month admitted paying more than four million euros to an informer, for bank data that led to the biggest tax fraud probe ever in Germany.

New York Post annpounces the resignation and retirement from political life of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer following allegations that he had hired the services of a prostitute in a Washington hotel. He is due to be replaced on Monday by David Paterson who will become New York's first black governor.

Bild Zeitung reports that a regional court in the western German city of Münster has found six former army instructors guilty of abusing army recruits and handed down fines and suspended sentences ranging from 10 to 22 months. The court found that over 160 soldiers were forced to endure abuses when taking part in a hostage survival training exercise in 2004. Recruits were tied up, humiliated and some were given electric shocks.