Malta and international press digest

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

The Times says HSBC Bank Malta is in good shape despite a drop in profits. The bank announced its annual results yesterday. The newspaper also reports that 11 trade unions have called a rally on the utility tariffs.

The Malta Independent says an agreement has been reached on EU co-funding for Malta to be connected to the power grid on mainland Europe. It also reports on the publication yesterday on a White Paper with proposals on parole.

In-Nazzjon’s focus is on two new worker training programmes funded by the EU and managed by the Employment and Training Corporation. It also gives prominence to the White Paper.

l-orizzont says European Commission comments and projections on Malta’s financial position show that the Maltese government is not being believed. It also gives importance to the rally being held on Friday.

The Press in Britain

The Daily Mail reports police are to scrap controversial race diversity targets that made it harder for white men to win jobs.

The Independent says Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned that the far right party, BNP, is set to win seats in the European elections.

The Daily Express splashes on pay-offs for civil servants, which have allegedly cost taxpayers £1 billion.

The Sun alleges Labour blew £900 million on redundancy deals for Whitehall penpushers – only to take on thousands more.

Further details about Jade Goody's wedding to boyfriend Jack Tweed is the main story for the Daily Star.

According to The Daily Telegraph, children must take part in random lotteries for school places in a government attempt to break a middle class stranglehold on the best schools.

The Financial Times says fears of the nationalisation of Citigroup and Bank of America shook global markets, triggering a sell-off in London stock.

The Daily Record reports that a priest has been kicked off a university course for pestering female students.

The Herald says the Scottish government is urged to take action against a German company that brought a new phase of the Edinburgh tram project to a standstill.

According to The Scotsman, killers could be forced to foot the bill for their victims' funerals under new laws designed to make offenders pay for their crimes.

And elsewhere…

Ha’aretz leads with Israeli right-wing Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Iran remained Israel's biggest challenge. He was speaking after President Peres asked him to form a new administration, following which he called on centrist Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak of the leftwing Labour Party to join his new coalition government.

Los Angeles Times leads with a White House spokesman’s statement that the US and its allies “could not delay” in addressing concerns over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons programme.

The Washington Post quotes US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying that human rights violations by China cannot block the possibility of significant cooperation between Washington and Beijing on the global economic crisis, climate change and security threats such as North Korea’s nuclear programme. Clinton's remarks elicited sharp condemnation from Amnesty International, which has urged her to move human rights near the top of the US-China agenda.

Baltic Times says Latvia's Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis has resigned after weeks of political instability resulting from Riga's handling of the economic crisis. Public anger at wage cuts and a perceived lack of accountability from politicians led to riots and street blockades in the Latvian capital.

France 24 reports from Krakow that Italy and Germany are among a group of some 20 NATO members who have responded favourably to US requests for additional troops and resources for Afghanistan ahead of an April NATO summit. Italy said it would send 500 more troops by April and Germany confirmed a pledge of 600 more. France reiterated it had no plans to send more forces.

Berliner Zeitung says a US military court in Germany has sentenced an army medic to life in prison for his role in the execution-style slayings of four bound and blindfolded Iraqi detainees. The sentence was handed down after nearly five hours of testimony.

Blesk reports that Europe’s healthcare services have been urged to boost “telemedicine” to monitor cardiac conditions by remote control. A review by Eucomed , which represents the European medical technology industry, shows that the use of medical checks using “remote implantable devices” reduced physicians’ time by up to 70 per cent and cuts medical costs by up to 60 per cent.

Variety quotes Academy Awards spokesman Leslie Unger saying a “leaked” list of the Oscar winners is a forgery. The document, with an authentic-looking letterhead, detailed the final winners for the 81st Annual Academy Awards - to be announced on Sunday night.

The New York Post has apologised for a cartoon comparing President Obama to a violent chimpanzee gunned down by police. The tabloid’s statement came after two days of protests by civil rights campaigners. The newspaper posted an editorial on its website saying the cartoon was meant to mock the government’s economic stimulus bill, but not the president.