Malta and international press digest

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

The Times says an independent study by Deloitte has found that the model used in the drawing up of the new energy bills was correct but the verification of the data’s accuracy had still not been made. The exercise was conducted on behalf of the Malta Resources Authority. Meanwhile, 11 trade unions have written to the authority, requesting information on the tariffs,.

The trade union’s letter to the Resources Authority is also featured on the front page of The Malta Independent. The newspaper also follows-up the situation in Gaza and in New York, where a plane crash landed into the Hudson River on Thursday.

l-orizzont also leads with the tariffs. In another story, it says the MUT has appealed for greater unity among the trade unions, an appeal backed by the GWU.

In-Nazzjon says the Deloitte report shows that the compilation of the power bills was correct. It also reports on the annual meeting yesterday between the President, the Prime Minister and the Diplomatic Corps, saying the concern over the situation in the Middle East was the highlight of the speeches made.

The Press in Britain

The Financial Times focuses on the slump in Barclays shares, which at one point were down more than 24 per cent yesterday, and the bank's efforts to calm investors.

The Guardian reports on the slump in bank shares as the financial crisis worsens.

According to The Daily Telegraph, each taxpayer will be hit by a big bill from the bank bail-out.

The Independent reports the economic downturn has led to a surge in crime.

The Daily Mail and The Daily Express lead with Britain's top judge declaring a war on burglars through stiffer sentences.

The Mirror leads with the 15-month prison sentence imposed on 1980s pop singer Boy George for a "humiliating" attack on a male escort at his east London home.

And elsewhere…

The Jerusalem Post says Israel is considering a unilateral cease-fire in its offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet is expected to vote on the proposal at a meeting on Saturday. Talk of a truce comes after Israel won pledges from the United States and Egypt to help prevent arms smuggling into the Palestinian territory.

Earlier, Falesteen reported that Khaled Mashaal, Hamas' top political chief, refused to accept Israel's demands for a ceasefire, insisting the siege of Gaza must be lifted before his group halts rocket attacks. He asked a gathering of Arab leaders in the Qatari capital to back Hamas in its demands, to announce a boycott of Israel and cut off any ties with the Jewish state.

The Washington Post says a teary-eyed Condoleezza Rice bade a spirited farewell to an assembly of 700 State Department employees. Ms Rice said her own story – the first black woman to serve as secretary of state – showed how far the United States has come in making its ethnic, religious and racial diversity a catalyst for social progress.

The International Herald Tribune reports that the European Commission has threatened a “point-by-point” rethink of its relations with Russia and the Ukraine unless the gas supply crisis is revolved this weekend.

La Tribune de Geneve quotes WHO officials confirming that the death toll from Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic has risen to 2,225, with more than 42,000 others infected.

The East African Standard quotes an appeal by President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya over $400 million in aid due to the country's food crisis. Some 10 million Kenyans, nearly a third of the population, have been affected with the grain shortfall, due mainly to poor planning and high-level corruption involving the import, storage and sale of maize.

Corriere della Sera highlights the long-awaited trial of two former lovers charged with murdering British student Meredith Kercher. Amanda Knox, 21, from Seattle and Italian Raffaele Sollecito, 24, are accused of murdering the 21-year-old Leeds University student in a bungled sex game in November 2007. Both defendants deny any wrongdoing.

Sydney Morning Herald reports that environmental do-gooders caused devastation with a misguided plan to preserve an island seabird population. They decided to eradicate the feral cat population on Macquarie island, a World Heritage site in the South Pacific, to stop them preying on the birds. But that allowed the rabbit population to run riot and destroy much of the vegetation birds depend on for cover. The damage will cost €12 million to put right.

Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung says the erotic trade federation is asking the German government for financial help as sex shop owners and erotic film makers feel the pinch in tough economic times. The Germany sex industry’s plea for financial help comes on the heels of a request from Larry Flynt and Joe Francis that the US congress approve an economic support package worth $5 "to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America."