Most local newspapers lead with the election of Anglu Farrugia and Toni Abela as MLP deputy leaders of the Malta Labour Party.

The Times carries the news on the back page and the lead on its front page is that there is no criminal case against Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando over the controversial Mistra disco project. Three others, however, are being arraigned.

In an interview with The Malta Independent, Labour leader Joe Muscat says he would propose introducing divorce.

In-Nazzjon says that Labour suffered the third resignation since Dr Muscat became leader a week ago: that of a member of the Bormla (Cospicua) local council.

Apart from the Labour deputy leadership race, l-orizzont says that the General Workers’ Union is ordering strike action at Air Malta.

Il-Gens Illum reports that the Church in Malta could have permanent deacons as the Presbyterian Council will meet this morning to discuss the issue.

The Press in Britain…

Under the heading “Irish voters sign death warrant for EU Treaty”, The Times leads with the news that Irish voters have "torn up the European Union's blueprint for the future" by voting no in a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. Some 46 percent backed the pact while more than 53 percent voted against it.

The outcome of the Irish vote is also The Guardian's top story, which features a similar picture of the No camp rejoicing at the outcome.

The Telegraph also covers the referendum in Ireland, reporting that Tory leader David Cameron has called for the treaty to be declared dead.

The Sun says that the Irish have shown remarkable display of people power in rejecting the ‘hated EU Treaty’.

The Herald says that now the European Union is in political turmoil.

The Daily Mail looks at the ongoing trouble at the petrol pumps, saying some drivers are starting to panic, despite being told not to by the government.

The same ‘panic situation’ story makes the front lead of The Daily Express, which warns that further strikes could take place in the next few months, resulting in what it calls ‘a summer of discontent’.

The Scotsman says only two tankers left the Grangemouth oil refinery in seven hours after the drivers' strike began.

The Independent publishes the results of an investigation which show that restaurants run by some of Britain's largest food chains are failing to meet basic legal hygiene standards.

The Mirror has an insight into the Rooney wedding - revealing the big news that Wayne joined band Westlife on stage to sing for new wife Coleen at their wedding reception.

And elsewhere…

EU Observer reports that despite Ireland's rejection, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has urged other EU member states to continue the process of ratifying the Lisbon Treaty.

Le Monde leads with the arrival in Paris of President Bush on the latest leg of his European tour. Speaking at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Bush praised the historic ties between the United States and Europe and called for greater unity on issues such as the fight against terrorism and the support of emerging democracies and liberty worldwide.

Asahi Shimbun says Finance Ministers from the world's eight leading industrialised powers are meeting in Japan to discuss the economic threat from soaring food and oil prices. The price rises have stoked inflation in many countries, raising fears for the world economy, which has already been hit by a major financial crisis.

Afghan Daily reports more than 1,000 prisoners, including 400 Taliban, have managed to flee in a major jailbreak when Taleban insurgents launched an attack on the main prison in the southern city of Kandahar. They reportedly blew up the prison gates, causing an unknown number of casualties.

The Chronicle quotes President Mugabe saying veterans of Zimbabwe's war for independence will take up arms if the opposition wins a presidential run-off on June 27. Mugabe told a conference of his party's youth wing that veterans had approached him after the first round of elections on March 29, threatening to fight if opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is allowed to win the presidency.

Pakistan Times says tens of thousands of protesters are pouring into Islamabad to press the new government to restore judges ousted under President Pervez Musharraf last year. The rally is set to be one of the largest ever seen in the capital.

Jerusalem Post quotes US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying permission to build 1,300 homes for Jewish settlers in east Jerusalem is “undermining Israeli-Palestinian ties”. Rice is due in Jerusalem for talks today.

El Pais says the largest Russian-led criminal organisation in the world had been broken up after 18 people were arrested in the south of Spain. The network allegedly spread to the US and several European states.

Sydney Morning Herald reports a woman refused bail tried to escape from jail though an air-conditioning duct and had to be rescued when she became stuck. Police in New South Wales said that she would be charged with trying to escape.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.