Malta and international press digest

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

The Times carries a front page picture of Inter players celebrating their Scudetto triumph. The main story is that the MLP executive tomorrow will discuss the report commissioned by the party on its election defeat. It also reports that officials of the Public Transport Association are to be invited to view the certification of those carrying out emission tests on buses.

The Malta Independent carries a picture of bikers from the Rebel Riders’ Brotherhood who held demonstrations for charity yesterday. It says mock exams at Mcast have been postponed as an industrial dispute drags on. It also carries comments by Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, MLP president, on how the leadership election will launch a process of change.

l-orizzont continues to follow the progress of young Jaime Zammit who suffers from a rare disease and requires a bone marrow transplant. It also reports that Joe Mifsud has confirmed he will seek election as deputy leader for party affairs of the MLP. He previously served as international secretary.

In-Nazzjon reports Finance Minister Tonio Fenech saying that incentives given in the last budget are helping to cushion the current international turmoil. It is for this reason that the government has promoted tax cuts.

The Press in Britain…

The Daily Express reports that the “amazing” new drug, which British scientists claim to stop the spread of the deadly MRSA bug, could be ready in just three years. The revolutionary compound, codename XF-73, is easily applied in a gel to the nostrils.

The Guardian claims that on the eve of a series of Commons votes on the human fertilisation and embryology bill, a scientist has accused the Tory frontbench of misrepresenting his research on abortion to call for a cut in the upper limit.

The Independent says England's green and pleasant land is in catastrophic decline, with some of its most precious wildlife at risk of disappearing for ever.

Experts quoted by The Daily Mail say middle Britain has been hit by a devastating debt crisis with even apparently well-off people with good jobs have plunged into the red. Debt advice centres in middle-class areas have seen increases of up to 500 per cent in the numbers of people pleading for help.

The Telegraph reports that taxes on families and an end to "reckless" state spending will be at the heart of the Conservative Party's campaign to oust Labour from power. In a speech ahead of the Crewe and Nantwich by-election on Thursday, leader David Cameron will say that taxpayers "can't take any more pain" and warns that the economy is being undermined by government waste and high borrowing.

Children as young as eight are carrying knives, says a shock report in The Daily Mirror. More than 900 potentially lethal weapons have been seized by police from schoolchildren, who claim they arm themselves because they fear attacks by other youngsters.

The Scotsman says President Bush has told leaders of the oil-rich states of the Middle East that they must face up to a future without their precious commodity. In a stark warning, he said their supplies were running out and urged them to reform and diversify their economies.

The Times says parents will be able to instigate an inspection of their child's school if they feel that teachers are coasting or failing to stretch pupils to their full potential.

The Daily Star reports more than 75,000 Manchester United and Chelsea supporters are on their way to Moscow, splashing £100m, to make the Champions League Final the greatest ever.

And elsewhere…

Myanmar Times reports that the leader of Burma's increasingly isolated ruling junta has made his first public visit to a relief camp. General Than Shwe visited the camps as state media condemned criticism that it was closing the door on aid to millions in desperate need after Cyclone Nargis. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to visit the disaster zone this week to increase pressure on the regime to allow entry for humanitarian groups. The official death toll now stands at 78,000 with another 56,000 listed as missing.

The People’s Daily says China has begun three days of national mourning, for the victims of the earthquake that struck a week ago. Public entertainment has been suspended, flags kept at half-mast and a three-minute silence observed to mark exactly a week since the quake. The Beijing Olympic torch relay has also been suspended for three days. The confirmed death toll has now topped 32,000 while another 220,000 victims suffered injuries and about 9,500 others remain buried in Sichuan.

International Herald Tribune says President Bush has wrapped up his five-day tour of the Mideast by saying peace in the region is possible by the end of the year, warning that achieving such a peace would require action on both sides and tough sacrifices from Israel. Bush also denounced Iran over its nuclear drive and criticised nations in the region over the lack of political freedom and human rights

Al Jazeera reports Osama bin Laden has attacked Arab leaders for "sacrificing" Palestinians and called on militants to help break Israel's "blockade" of Gaza.

Jerusalem Post quotes Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert saying his government is very close to a decision on how to deal with continuing rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. Several cabinet ministers have called for a full-scale military offensive on the territory, which is controlled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Kuwait Times says Sunni and Shiite Islamists have won more than half of parliament's 50 seats. Sunni Islamists gained about 40 per cent, four times more than they gained in the previous parliamentary elections in 2006. No one of the 27 women contesting the election was elected.

The Irish Times reports that the members of the public are being invited to apply to be a European Space Agency astronaut.