Malta and international press digest

The following are the top items in the Maltese and overseas press today:

The Times follows up the Simshar investigation report. It says EU records show there were no boats near the Simshar when it blew up, contrary to what the sole survivor said.The newspaper also features shooter William Chetcuti who won silver in double trap in the Mediterranean Games yesterday.

The Malta Independent says Malta will press the UNHCR for a greater presence in Libya and Malta. It also reports that the Malta Council for Science and Technology is today expected to hear calls for an airstrip on the sister island. The MCESD will be meeting in Gozo.

l-orizzont reports that youths have presented a memorandum to MPs on marriage and the family. They said the biggest problem for married life was excessive debts. It also says the government has withdrawn a call for quotations for security services for the Jazz festival which capped payments for security guards in a way which, the GWU had said, would have encouraged exploitation.

In-Nazzjon says the Budget consultation process has been launched. It also reports Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi telling PN staff that they must always be prepared to serve. He made his comment during a birthday reception given in his honour. It also says five were injured in a fight in Zebbug.

The Press in Britain

The Independent reports that scientists have discovered a link between schizophrenia and manic depression, a breakthrough that could lead to a treatment for both conditions.

A pioneering treatment that blasts prostate cancer with ultrasound is the lead story in the Daily Express. The newspaper reports 92 per cent success.

Metro says Michael Jackson stipulated in his will that Motown legend Diana Ross should raise his children if his mother dies.

The Daily Mirror adds that in his will, Jacko made it clear he was leaving “absolutely nothing” to his former wife. The Sun leads with the latest lines on Michael Jackson – including the claim that the dead singer's chimp, Bubbles, is "too violent to join the memorial".

The Times says rail passengers could face years of overcrowded trains as plans to upgrade the railways are cancelled or put on hold.

The Guardian reports about a £30bn funding crisis facing Britain's transport system as the East Coast main line was nationalised by the government.

The nationalisation is also on the front page of the Financial Times, which reports that the move is a blow to National Express' hopes to own a railway line.

The Daily Mail reports great train robber Ronnie Biggs faces dying behind bars after Justice Secretary Jack Straw turned down his parole.

The Daily Telegraph says student loans and grants will be frozen next year thanks to the economic downturn.

And elsewhere…

London’s Al-Quds Al-Arabi reports that Amnesty International has accused Israel of war crimes for killing hundreds of Palestinian civilians and destroying thousands of Gaza Strip homes during the recent war on Gaza. Amnesty called on Israel to publicly pledge not to use artillery, white phosphorus and other imprecise weapons in densely populated areas and urged Gaza's militant Hamas to stop rocket fire against Israeli civilians.

Kabul Press says US marines and Afghan troops have targeted Taliban-held villages in the southern province of Helmand to clear insurgents before the nation's August 20 presidential election. It is the first major offensive under President Barack Obama.

Az-Zaman quotes official figures which show that 437 people were killed in June, as Iraqi forces officially took charge in the country's urban areas a day after the pullout of American troops six years after the invasion. This was the bloodiest death toll in 11 months.

The Iranian English-language channel Press TV says all but one of the nine British Embassy staff arrested in Tehran at the weekend have now been released. The remaining Iranian national in custody was being held on suspicion of playing a prominent role in recent violence.

Metro Express leads with the surprise resignation of Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader. The 56-year-old conservative leader, who is also quitting politics altogether after a 20-year career, said the time had come for others to take over at the top.

South China Morning Post reports that tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Hong Kong to push for democratic rights on the 12th anniversary of the former British colony's return to Chinese rule. The Chinese province is assign through a phase of slumping economy and rising unemployment

Le Parisien says 12-year-old Bahia Bakari, the only known survivor of Tuesday's air crash off the Comoros islands, was flying home to her father in Paris. Bahia, who is only suffering from a broken collar bone and burns to the knee, was rescued 10 hours after the Yemenia airlines Airbus A310 crashed into th Indian Ocea , killing all 152 others on the flight to Moroni - including her mother.

Kathemerini reports new public smoking ban in restaurants, bars, coffee shops and workplaces have come into force in Greece. EU figures show that 37.6 per cent of Greeks aged over 15 smoke on a daily basis – the highest level in the community. The habit kills 20,000 Greek smokers every year and another 700 die as a result of passive smoking.

Le Point says VAT for restaurant and cafe owners in France has been slashed from over 19 percent to just 5.5 percent. Industry bodies said they will pass on the tax cut to their customers – and an average espresso will now cost just one euro, a drop of 20 euro cents.

Variety reports the death of actor Karl Malden, who won an Oscar for his role in “A Streetcar Named Desire”. He was 97. He made his screen debut in 1940 but greatest fame came as Detective Mike Stone in the 1970s TV series “The Streets of San Francisco”, in which he co-starred with Michael Douglas.

Moscow Times says tens of thousands of casinos and slot-machines across Russia closed doors as sweeping new laws confining gambling to four remote regions came into effect. Russian TV said the restrictions will put an estimated 400,000 people out of work.

France Football quotes an international study which shows that the multi-billion dollar global football sector has become a vehicle for money laundering and other forms of corruption. The study, by the Financial Action Task Force, shows money laundering through the football sector was deeper and more complex than previously thought. The inter-governmental body, formed to fight money laundering and terrorist financing, said international response was required.