Malta and international press digest

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

The Times says swine flu patients are on the mend as the number of cases rises to 39. It also highlights a report by the Auditor General which says that vehicles which were reported for producing excessive emissions were not tested by the ADT.

The Malta Independent also leads with swine flu, saying Malta may move to the mitigation phase. It also says Malta is committed to reducing the deficit as requested by the EU, but not at any price.

MaltaToday says the EU has told Malta to trim the deficit by next year, or else… It also says the number of swine flu cases rose by 15 in 24 hours.

In-Nazzjon reports that Standard and Poors has confirmed Malta’s credit rating and the strength of the economy. It also quotes Finance Minister Tonio Fenech saying jobs will remain a priority as Malta seeks to reduce the deficit.

l-orizzont says the spread of the A (H1N1) virus has risen to 39 cases. It also asks whether wind farm plans are to be shelved, with the Infrastructure Minister having said that power from the power stations is far cheaper.

The Press in Britain…

The Daily Mirror leads on the memorial service for Michael Jackson and the "moving personal tribute" from his 11-year-old daughter Paris.

The Sun quotes Paris' words – “Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine and I just wanted to say I love him so much”.

The Daily Star has a picture of the singer's coffin, with the headline "Jacko RIP".

Metro reports on the moving tribute from Michael Jackson's daughter at the memorial service in Los Angeles.

The Guardian has a photo of Jackson's coffin being carried by family and friends at the Staples Centre memorial service.

The Times reports banking executives will have their pay linked to profitability under new rules designed to prevent a repeat of last year's financial meltdown.

According to the Daily Express, millions of holidaymakers, already struggling to afford trips abroad, are to be stung by hikes in passport fees of up to 19 per cent.

The Independent reports the government avoided a humiliating defeat over Gordon Brown's controversial decision to abolish the 10p starting rate of income tax.

The Daily Telegraph says British scientists have created human sperm using stem cells in a technique that could revolutionise fertility treatment.

The Daily Mail reports the Lords have rejected a bid to allow relatives to help terminally ill people travel abroad to die.

The Financial Times says Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling is due to outline a tough regulatory regime for the financial services industry.

The Daily Record quotes a minister’s safety fears over the standard of trains on the Edinburgh-London rail line.

The Herald says bus operators have warned of traffic "chaos" as Scotland's largest bus station closes to make way for a £400m city centre retail development.

And elsewhere…

L’Osservatore Romano leads with Pope Benedict’s call for a new world financial order guided by ethics, dignity and the search for the common good in the third encyclical of his pontificate. In “Charity in Truth,” he denounced the profit-at-all-cost mentality of the globalised economy and lamented such greed has brought about the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

As leaders of the Group of Eight industrialised nations meet in Italy today for this week's G8 summit, Corriere della Sera quotes Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi saying hoped the meeting would approve between €7 billion and €11 billion for food aid in an ambitious new initiative on food security.

The Irish Independent quotes UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon saying the world has never before experienced so many crises at the one time.

Asia News reports that Chinese police have fired tear gas to try to restore order as hundreds of Han Chinese armed with clubs marched through the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi, smashing shops and knocking over food stalls run by Muslims.

The International Herald Tribune says that President Barack Obama has called on the Russian people to "forge a lasting partnership" with the US. But, after talks with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, he acknowledged that on divisive issues there would not be "a meeting of the minds anytime soon".

Abrar quotes Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowing to make changes to his team and "respect" young people when his new government takes office after his disputed re-election.

New Straits Times says a Malaysian court has overruled a judge who sparked a legal stir because he wanted to personally cane a convicted robber.

According to South African daily newspaper Rapport, a teenager was held prisoner and repeatedly raped by her 53-year-old father after tracing him to South Africa. The 18-year-old German girl had never known her father but tracked him down on the internet and flew to meet him in February. The teenager told police he forced her to perform a sex act, then raped her at knifepoint.