Malta and international press digest

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

The Sunday Times says Parliament may be built on Freedom Square leaving the new building on the Opera House site as a cultural centre. It also reports that water bottlers may be enjoying much of their water supply for free.

The Malta Independent says that Pakistani human traffickers may be using Malta as a transit point to Europe. It also reports that the US economic stimulus package will be used to help Malta introduce a 'smart' power grid.

MaltaToday says that Tonio Fenech and Dolores Cristina are the two ministers whose comments Joseph Muscat asked the Police Commissioner to investigate yesterday. It also says MEPA helped itself to funds in the commuted parking scheme to buy Hexagon House.

Il-Mument quotes the Prime Minister saying Malta is gearing up for the post-recession period. It also says that Joseph Muscat may have been baited by Alex Sceberras Trigona into saying Malta is a net contributor to the EU. In another story, it reports that the first companies are expected to move to SmartCity in July 2010.

It-Torca focuses on Freedom Day, 30 years on. It also asks if mothers are to be forced to reveal the 'unknown fathers' of their children.

KullHadd reports how Joseph Muscat asked the Police Commissioner to investigate comments by two ministers on the way EU funds were acquired for the extension of St John's Cathedral museum. It also says that the Office of the Prime Minister, which is responsible for the environment, is hardly making use of photovoltaic panels.

Illum reports comments by Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea on how President-in-waiting Gorg Abela had helped his family.

The Press in Britain

The Sunday Times reports on how Gordon Brown's plans to introduce worldwide tax cuts have been ambushed by world leaders ahead of the G20 summit.

The Independent On Sunday takes an in-depth look ahead of the Thursday's G20 summit. The paper claims there will be anarchy in the UK.

The Observer claims low-income families and those on tax credits will benefit by getting top-ups from the government under the Chancellor's new plans to help kick-start the economy.

The Labour politican who has the highest expense claim of any London MP has told The Mail On Sunday he is not cheating the taxpayer.

The Sunday Telegraph claims the Archbishop of Canterbury has made a complaint to the director general of the BBC about the decline of religious programming at the corporation.

According to the Sunday Express, radical Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary wants Sharia law to replace the British justice system.

The News Of The World claims a High Court judge has criticised disgraced MP Nigel Griffiths over his attempts to "gag" the newspaper.

The Sunday Mirror reveals footballer Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen is three months pregnant with the couple's first child.

And elsewhere…

The International Herald Tribune says thousands of people have taken to the streets of Berlin and Frankfurt to demonstrate for a reform of the global economic order.

Dnevnik reports that several European Union foreign ministers meeting in the Czech Republic have voiced their support for pressing on with the bloc's expansion plans. However, German and French diplomats warned against taking in new member states until the Lisbon Treaty, meant to stream-line decision-making in the 27-member bloc, is ratified.

Magyar Demokrata says the leaders of the Czech Republic's two biggest political parties have agreed to hold early elections.

Jakarta Post reports that search and rescue teams dug through the mud with their bare hands in search of more than 100 people still missing after a dam burst outside Indonesia's capital.

USA Today says thousands of Fargo residents have been evacuated after the surging Red River threatened to unleash the biggest flood North Dakota's largest city has ever seen. The ice-laden river could climb as high as 43 feet, nearly three feet higher than the record set 112 years ago.

The Washington Times announced that President Barack Obama has invited leaders from 16 major economies to a forum on climate change next month. The White House said the meeting would aim to generate the political leadership needed to achieve an international pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this year.

Sydney Morning Herald reports that the floodlit cream shells of the famed Opera House dimmed as Sydney became the world’s first major city to plunge itself into darkness for the second worldwide Earth Hour, a global campaign to highlight the threat of climate change.

Asia Times says regional leaders have welcomed new US plans to tackle extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the new strategy would help his country fight terrorism and improve stability.

According to Ottawa’s Hill Times, animal welfare campaigners have repeated their calls for a ban on a commercial seal hunt in Canada.

Nyasa Times says Madonna is facing growing opposition over her plan to adopt another child from Malawi. Save the Children urged the singer to think again, while there were reports the family of the toddler she is seeking to remove from the impoverished African republic is fighting the adoption.

The Post reports that a retired US police chief was robbed by “probably the dumbest criminal in Pennsylvania”. John Comparetto, attending a 300 narcotics officers’ convention, said that as he came out of a stall in the men’s room, a man pointed a gun in his face and demanded money. Mr Comparetto gave up his money and mobile phone. But when the man fled, Mr Comparetto and some colleagues chased him. They arrested the 19-year-old thief as he was trying to leave in a taxi.