Malta and international press digest

The following are the top stories in the Maltese and international press today:

The Times carries a picture of the yacht which was destroyed by fire in Marsmaxett yesterday afternoon. Its front page stories feature Louis Galea’s nomination as Speaker and the arraignment of the Peace Band Club committee following the discovery of hidden fireworks last Saturday. It also reports that five tonnes of waste were collected in Gozo as the separated waste scheme was introduced.

In-Nazzjon leads with the nomination of Louis Galea to serve as Speaker. It also claims that many labourites were surprised by reports that Michael Falzon, MLP deputy leader for party affairs, was not shown the party’s pre-election opinion polls. It also reports how hotels in Gozo had a busy weekend due to the Gozo 1234 festival.

The Malta Independent carries a picture of the devastation caused by a cyclone which killed 4,000 in Myanmar. It reports on Louis Galea’s nomination as Speaker and the Naxxar arraignments and also reports that the UHM is ready to restart social pact discussions.

l-orizzont leads with the arraignment of the Peace Band Club committee in connection with the discovery of fireworks stored illegally in the club’s basement.

The Press in Britain

The Daily Mail reports British ministers are set to begin a fight to cut the number of abortions by limiting a woman’s right to have a termination for ‘social reasons’, saving 2,500 babies a year.

The Times leads on a catastrophic cyclone in Burma that has killed at least 10,000 people.

The Independent runs the same story, highlighting how the "pariah state" is making an unprecedented plea for international help.

The Guardian adds aid workers believe at least one million people have been left homeless by the storm, which brought 190kph winds and torrential rain.

The Daily Express reveals MPs are secretly plotting to award themselves a pay rise of up to £15,000 a year.

The Daily Mirror features a picture of one of the sons of Austrian Josef Fritzl, who had seven children with his daughter, whom he kept as a sex slave in a locked cellar for 24 years. Proudly grasping a candle at his first communion, Alexander Fritzl looks like any other happy youngster.

The Sun alleges police suspect Fritzl may also have raped a granddaughter he fathered. It also quotes police saying Fritzl prepared a dungeon for his daughter over 30 years ago.

The Daily Telegraph warns estate agencies are closing branches at the rate of 150 a week, with 4,000 job losses since the start of the year.

The Financial Times tells of how the number of criminal prosecutors pursuing insider dealing and other illegal market activity has more than doubled under the City watchdog – the clearest sign yet of its aggressive new approach to enforcement.

The Daily Star quotes friends of Paul Gascoigne fearing he faces the rest of his life in a mental home.

And elsewhere...

Prague's Blesk reports NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has repeated his organisation's support for a US missile defence shield in Eastern Europe. He was speaking at a missile defence conference in Prague, organised by the Czech Republic.

Corriere della Sera says the European Commission has given Italy a May 19 deadline to respond to questions on the multimillion-euro government bailout for Italian carrier Alitalia. The struggling airline has confirmed receiving a 300 million euro loan which was promised by the Italian government last month. The European Union has warned the bridge loan may violate competition rules on state aid.

Berliner Morgenpost quotes German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier calling on the European Union to support reforms in Cuba. Speaking in Berlin, the minister said the changes initiated by Raul Castro were "small developments and not merely gestures" and further progress also depended on Europe supporting the Cuban reform process.

Jerusalem Post leads with the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas saying they have made progress on drawing up the final borders of a future Palestinian state. A senior official told Israel Radio that they had also made much progress on future security arrangements. President Bush will visit the region next week.

Ha'aretz reports that the Israeli army has imposed a three-day security lockdown on the occupied West Bank ahead of the Jewish state's 60th anniversary celebrations.

Der Spiegel reports the arrest by German police of a 44-year-old woman on suspicion of killing three infants after their bodies were found in her freezer. Her children were looking for pizza when they came across the body parts. The woman turned herself in after being confronted by her children. Prosecutors in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia say they are awaiting autopsy results to determine for sure how the babies died.

Toronto Star quotes the findings of a major study by Canadian researchers which shows that breastfeeding boosts the intelligence of children. Experts looked at almost 14,000 Belarus children for more than six years and found that those who were breastfed did significantly better in IQ tests. At the age of six and a half, exclusively-breastfed children scored 5.9 points higher on average in tests of their overall intelligence.

Baltimore Sun says a study by researchers in Maryland suggests long-legged women are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Scientists measured the arm length and knee height of 2,798 men and women with an average age of 72. Five years later, 480 of the participants had dementia. The scientists found that for every extra inch of leg, women's chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer's were reduced by 16 percent.