Malta and international press digest

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

The Times says that over a third of Maltese secondary school children live with one parent, according to a recent survey of 41 countries. In other stories, the newspaper says the UHM is insisting on consultation on MEPA reform. It also reports that Malta is expected to achieve its ambitious waste management targets by 2020.

In-Nazzjon leads with John Dalli’s announcement that a White Paper on rent law reform will be published by the end of this month. It also reports that Gozo Channel carried a record number of passengers in May.

l-orizzont says the GWU is still awaiting the government’s proposals for the dockyard. The GWU presented its own plan to the government weeks ago.

The Malta Independent gives prominence to the protest by Italian and French tuna fishermen outside the EU offices in Ta’ Xbiex. It also reports that there will be six contenders for the post of MLP general secretary – incumbent Jason Micallef and Alfred Grixti, Gino Gauchi , Darren Zammit Marmara. Joe Vella Bonnici and Keith Grech.

The Press in Britain…

The Financial Times carries a message from Bank of England governor Mervyn King that British households must learn to live with higher prices and without increased wages.

According to The Times, hundreds of thousands of public sector workers are threatening to demand higher pay as the cost of living surges.

And The Daily Mail reports that for the first time, pay rises have fallen behind inflation.

The Sun says inflation has rocketed to 3.3 percent but leads with the story that a plan by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to put a British aircraft carrier in an EU Navy has been condemned as "madness".

The Daily Telegraph reports on Osama bin Laden's "right-hand man in Europe", Abu Qatada, being released from jail after a judge ruled that there were no grounds to detain him.

Metro also leads on the release on bail of cleric Abu Qatada, whose sermons are believed to have influenced the September 11 attackers.

The Guardian focuses on Zimbabwe, and says violence and intimidation are increasing ahead of the run-off election.

The Daily Express reports senior MPs have demanded a 21 percent pay rise to take their salaries to £75,000.

The Daily Mirror says cut-price supermarket booze is to be banned in an attempt to reduce binge-drinking.

And elsewhere…

The International Herald Tribune reports that NATO, the White House and the European Union have welcomed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's announcement that France had decided its future security is best guaranteed within Europe and the NATO military alliance and his plans for an overhaul of the military.

Meanwhile, Kiev Post quotes NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer saying he will try to persuade all NATO members to back the idea of extending a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Ukraine.

The Jerusalem Post quotes Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak stating that reports of a ceasefire with the Palestinian militant movement Hamas were "premature."

Al Ayyam says Hamas officials were confident all militant groups in Gaza would abide by the agreement, which was brokered by Egypt

Al-Ahali says a car bomb in Baghdad has killed at least 51 people and injured dozens more. The explosion, the deadliest in Bagdad for weeks, took place at a busy bus stop in the mainly Shi'ite al-Hurriyah neighbourhood in the northern part of the capital.

Svobodnaya Gruzia reports that Georgian police have detained 14 Russian peacekeepers near its breakaway region of Abkhazia after they were found transporting weapons without permission.

The Chronicle reports Zimbabwe's main opposition party has lost a legal bid for its secretary general to be freed from custody.

Manila’s Daily Tribune says Al-Qaeda-linked militants have freed a popular TV journalist, her cameraman and a university professor more than a week after snatching them.

Miami Herald reports an investigation is under way after a small plane made an emergency landing on Florida's Interstate 95 highway.

Stockholm’s Expressen says the Miss Sweden pageant will not be held this year because the organisers cannot get support for a new contest that focuses more on the inner qualities of the contestants rather than on external beauty.