Malta and international press digest

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

The Times like all the newspapers, reports on its front page that the proposed underground extension of John’s Co-Cathedral museum has been dropped.

The Malta Independent carries a one word heading: ‘Scrapped’ with reference to the Co-Cathedral museum extension project. It also reports on the backpage how a court was told that an employer allegedly told his employees to vote PN.

l-orizzont also carries a big heading on the museum extension story saying: “Gonzi gives in.”

In-Nazzjon says the Prime Minister and the Archbishop had recommended to St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation that the museum extension project be stopped. It also reports an increase in the gainfully occupied in September.

The Press in Britain

The Guardian says Gordon Brown suffered "his darkest day of the recession" when he was forced to approve the resignation of Sir James Crosby from the Financial Services Authority.

The Daily Telegraph focuses on the Governor of the Bank of England's warning that the economy will this year experience its worst slump since the Second World War.

The Financial Times reports the Bank of England has been forced to "tear up its monetary rule book" amid fears of a prolonged recession.

The Times says ministers are "fizzing" after the Office of National Statistics chose to reveal that the number of foreign workers in the UK increased last year on the same day as announcing the number of British workers fell.

According to the Daily Mail millions of families face another increase in heating bills to pay for an expansion of green energy under plans criticised as a stealth tax.

The Independent leads on claims of a breakthrough in the search for a cure for HIV.

The Daily Mirror reports Prince Harry is being sent on an Army equality course after using racist language to describe a fellow officer.

And elsewhere…

EU Observer says the bloc’s 27 member-states will meet in Brussels on March 1 to try and quell disputes about whether some members are pursuing protectionism.

The Washington Times reports that US lawmakers have reached a compromise deal on a $789 billion package of tax cuts and spending meant to help rescue the country's ailing economy.

The Age says residents of some towns devastated by the worst wildfires in Australia's history have begun returning home. Some areas remain off limits as the search for victims continues and police look for evidence of arson.

The Jerusalem Post says that as both Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu claim victory in Israel's general election, Avigdor Lieberman's far-right Yisrael Beiteinu is the real winner, having emerged as the potential kingmakers with 15 seats.

The Zimbabwean leads with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s swearing-in as prime minister under a power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled the nation since 1980.

Die Welt says the European Commission has opened an anti-trust investigation into the sale of Austrian Airlines to the German flag-carrier Lufthansa. The commission has expressing doubts about whether the price Lufthansa paid for the struggling Austrian carrier reflected its market value.

Wall Street Journal reveals Ruth Madoff withdrew $15.5 million a day before her husband Bernie was arrested in connection with his $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Government officials investigating the case have not charged her with any wrongdoing, but they have taken away her passport as a possible flight risk.

Variety announces the death of Molly Bee, who became an overnight country music star when she recorded “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” in 1952. She died following a stroke.

Mail & Guardian reports that a South African TV station mistakenly broadcast that former US President George Bush had died. For three seconds, ETV News ran a moving banner headline saying 'George Bush is dead'. A spokesman later explained that a member of staff wanted to see how a rolling banner headline looked and pressed the 'broadcast live for transmission' button instead of the one for a test-run.

According to research by a consumer magazine Which? three million people have resorted to "do-it-yourself dentistry". A poll which found around a quarter of those who decided to treat themselves had attempted to remove a tooth with pliers. Three in 10 tried to whiten their own teeth using household products, and 12 per cent attempted to take a tooth out using a string tied to a door handle.