Malta and international press digest

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

The Times says the subsidy on Maltese bread may be lifted. It also reports that Vanni Xuereb has been appointed chairman of the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (Meusac).

The Malta Independent also says that the price of Maltese bread may rise. It questions whether bus drivers will strike today.

l-orizzont asks if the time has come to discuss divorce, adding that there are 2,309 divorced people in Malta, even though divorce is not granted locally. It also highlights a steep rise in inflation.

In-Nazzjon says the Public Transport Association is complaining over the way emission tests are being carried out. The government has insisted that regulations have to be followed.

The Press in Britain...

The Independent leads with a moving story about the Chinese earthquake. It says that when rescuers arrived the town of Beichuan, set in a beautiful valley, they found a scene of unimaginable devastation and despair.

Metro reports that mankind could have wiped out more than a quarter of animal populations on the planet in the past 35 years. As the number of humans has grown from 4 billion to 6.5million, the spread of other creatures has declined by 27 per cent.

The Guardian reports Gordon Brown has sanctioned a last-ditch move to secure a deal over the proposed increase in the period of detention without charge to 42 days.

The Daily Telegraph says fixed-price mortgage rates for new customers have hit the highest level since the start of the decade. The average rate for a two year fixed loan is now 6.64%.

The Times reports that speed limits on thousands of residential roads will be reduced to 20mph under government moves to cut road deaths.

The Financial Times reports that the UK's biggest banks are preparing to swap £80bn-£90bn of mortgage-backed assets for Treasury bills with the Bank of England.

The Daily Star says Paul Gascoigne has hit the self-destruct button and is turning into his idol George Best by turning back to alcohol.

And elsewhere...

The People's Daily reports that the country's disaster relief office estimates that more than 50,000 people have died since Monday's earthquake in Sichuan province. Some 20,000 have already been confirmed killed. Dozens of extra helicopters and planes are being sent to drop aid and lift out injured from rugged regions. Teams have cleared rocks to reopen three key access roads and the government says it will allow in the first foreign rescue teams, from Japan and Taiwan.

Asian Herald quotes journalists, who have visited Burma's Irrawaddy Delta, which took the brunt of Cyclone Nargis two weeks ago, saying thousands of survivors are begging for food. Myanmar volunteers have stepped in to help victims of the destructive Cyclone Nargis while the military regime restricts critically-needed international aid.

The New York Times says UN humanitarian chief John Holmes is still in Thailand waiting for a visa to visit Rangoon to press Burma's regime to open access to aid agencies. Burmese state media say the country can rebuild the devastated region without foreign help.

EUobserver says 60 heads of state from the EU and Latin America and the Carribean (LAC) meet in Peru today for the fifth EU-LAC summit. Although the leaders will focus on two key issues - combating inequality and tackling climate change - poverty, social inclusion, sustainable development, energy and the environment in general are also set for discussion. At the summit, the commission is to announce a €5 million fund for Latin American projects that tackle climate change. Additionally, the two camps are hoping to boost trade and increase economic co-operation.

The Irish Times quotes prime minister Brian Cowen warning he will not tolerate opponents to the EU treaty from within his own party Fianna Fail, raising the prospect of explusion for any rebels. His words came on the same day as a "no" organisation launched an eye-catching poster campaign.

The Daily Star reports Arab mediators have brokered an agreement to end Lebanon's worst internal fighting since the civil war. It includes lifting a Hezbollah-led blockade on the capital's port and airport, and ending the military's presence in the streets.

The Jerusalem Post quotes President Bush telling the Israeli parliament that the United States will stand with Israel in opposing Iran should it try to obtain nuclear weapons. Bush, who's on a visit to mark the founding of the Jewish state 60 years ago, told the Knesset that Israel could also count on an unbreakable bond with the United States.

Lagos Times leads with an oil pipeline explosion on the outskirts of Nigeria's biggest city Lagos that has killed at least 100 people. Local Red Cross officials say flames spread through nearby homes and a school after the pipe was ruptured during the construction of a road.

Al-Ayyam reports that US and Iraqi troops have moved against al-Qaida on two separate fronts with house-to-house searches in Mosul and an operation in the desert to stop the flow of insurgents and weapons to that northern city. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is taking personal charge of the military operation to rout al-Qaida in its last major stronghold.

Ottawa Gazette announces Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will deliver a public apology for a decades-long government policy requiring Canadian Indians to attend state-funded church schools - often scenes of physical and sexual abuse.

Le Monde leads with the one-day strike staged by French teachers, postal workers and other public servants staged a one-day strike against President Nicolas Sarkozy's planned job cuts. Tens of thousands marched through French cities in the widespread protest.