Malta and international press digest

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

The Times says UN experts have sharply criticized Malta’s detention policy and conditions in immigrants’ detention centres. It also reports that a man jailed for life for stabbing his former girlfriend will appeal.

The Malta Independent highlights the waste management strategy, unveiled yesterday, and also reports how three were killed in a Belgian nursery yesterday.

In-Nazzjon also highlights the waste management strategy, which will involve an investment of €163m. It also reports that €5m are to be invested by RS2 software.

l-orizzont quotes opposition leader Joseph Muscat demanding an explanation on Mata’s oil purchasing agreements.

The Press in Britain

The Daily Telegraph warns Britain is heading for an economic depression after it entered a recession that shows every sign of developing into the worst since the Second World War, with unemployment soaring above three million by next year.

The Financial Times reports that the sharp fall in economic output has dashed Gordon Brown's hopes of a swift recovery.

The Times leads with an interview with City Minister Lord Myners who blamed the economic downturn on greedy bankers.

The Independent says ministers are being accused of profiting from the soaring number of people facing bankruptcy after they announced huge increases in fees at debtors' court.

The Daily Express reports that drinking just two glasses of apple juice a day could delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

And elsewhere…

The Wall Street Journal says President Barack Obama has met with congressional leaders to discuss a new economic stimulus plan, a day after the House of Representatives backed a package of tax cuts and spending programmes as part of the $825 billion economy boosting package.

The New York Times quotes United Nations officials saying Israel was allowing the daily transfer of 120 truckloads of food and medical supplies into Gaza – more than it did before it launched the military offensive against Hamas militants last December. The United Nations is currently working with other parties to ease the Israeli blockade.

L’Echo says two children and an adult have been killed in a knife attack at a day care centre in the small town of Dendermonde, some 30 kilometres west of Brussels. At least 10 others were injured in the attack. A Belgian interior ministry spokesman said the attacker had been arrested by police.

Morgunbladid leads with Iceland Prime Minister Geir Haarde’s announcement that he was stepping down and has called for early elections on May 9. The government has been under growing pressure from a financial collapse that shattered the island's economy.

The International Herald Tribune reports police in Mali and Niger have launched a major search after four European tourists were kidnapped along their common border.

Kinshasa Times says the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo will seek the extradition of Tutsi rebel general, Laurent Nkunda from neighbouring Rwanda. This comes after Nkunda was arrested in a joint operation involving both the Rwandan and Congolese armies.

Gazeta Polska reports that over 250 Polish lawmakers have urged President Lech Kaczynski to ratify the European Union's Lisbon reform. Kaczynski refused to sign the treaty after Irish voters rejected it last June, even if the Polish parliament approved the Lisbon accord..

France 24 says France's justice minister, Rachida Dati, who sparked controversy this month when she returned to work five days after giving birth, is leaving the government. She is to seek election as an MEP in June.

USA Today says the state of Michigan is giving a father a choice: pay the medical bills for his daughter's birth or marry the girl's mother. Gary Johnson was billed $3,800 for the birth of JaeLyn because he is not married to the mother, Rebecca Witt. It comes after the Michigan Legislature amended the state's paternity act to waive birthing costs for a father - if he marries the child's mother.

The Washington Post says an American toy company which makes the popular Beanie Babies dolls has been accused of exploiting Barack Obama's daughters after calling the latest products in its range "Sweet Sasha" and "Marvellous Malia".