Press digest

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

The Sunday Times says there is EU relief as Ireland said yes in a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. The newspaper also carries an interview with Nationalist MP Robert Arrigo. The heading is: ‘I would never cross over to Labour.' He however expresses disappointment over how backbenchers are being treated. The newspaper also reports that the father of a British motorcyclist who died on Friday as a result of a traffic accident wants his son to be buried under his real name. He had been travelling under a false name.

The Malta Independent on Sunday says the government is seeking a path to greener post-recession pastures. It also reports how Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi had said he will not seek election as Labour Party general secretary.

MaltaToday under the heading ‘Freefall' says a survey has shown that support for the Prime Minister is at the lowest ever, with only 23 percent trusting Dr Gonzi while 36 percent back Muscat. The PL is also leading over the PN although neither has a majority. The newspaper also carries an interview with John Dalli who says he is the father confessor of disgruntled MP.

Il-Mument says Joseph Muscat had been advised to remove Jason Micallef from all sections of the PL but opted to retain him in One Productions. It also says that Malta was in 11th place in a global survey on broadband services.

It-Torca quotes general secretary Tony Zarb saying the union is renewing itself for current challenges.

KullHadd reports job loses as the Metropole Hotel closes. It also says that a gas power station, promised as a millennium gift, has not materialised.

Illum says Joseph Muscat may be considering two people for the role of general secretary of the PL. It says Marlene Mizzi is being mentioned as a possibility, although she said she had not been contacted on the possibility.

The Press in Britain...

Following the Irish approval of the Lisbon Treaty, The Observer says David Cameron is facing a desperate fight to prevent divisions over Europe from wrecking his showpiece Conservative party conference.

The Sunday Times says Cameron is to unveil a plan to get Britain back to work by forcing millions of welfare claimants into training.

The Independent on Sunday publishes a poll revealing one in two voters has little idea what David Cameron stands for.

According to The Sunday Telegraph, the head of the British Army has given warning of the "terrifying prospect" of defeat in Afghanistan.

The Sunday Express reports that a leading expert who developed the cervical cancer vaccine has warned it may be riskier and deadlier than the cancer it is designed to prevent.

The traumatised family of nursery paedophile Vanessa George tell the News of the World how they unwittingly shared their home with pure evil. The People has a picture apparently showing Vanessa looking after kids at a school sports day. It says she was a teaching assistant before joining a nursery where she sexually molested toddlers.

A colleague of Vanessa reveals to the Sunday Mirror she obsessed about sex.

The Mail on Sunday claims Minister for Women and Equality Harriet Harman is being investigated by the police after allegedly leaving the scene of an accident in which she drove into a parked car while talking on her mobile phone.

Peter Andre tells the Daily Star Sunday how he has been assaulted in his own mansion.

And elsewhere...

Leaders across Europe have welcomed Ireland's resounding backing for the EU's Lisbon Treaty as a crucial step towards reforming the 27-nation bloc and giving it more global clout.The Irish Examiner said final results showed 67 percent voted in favour while 33 percent voted against in the key second referendum. Turnout in the three-million electorate was 58 percent.

The Lisbon Treaty is now awaiting ratification from Poland and Czech Republic. After the Irish vote, Prague Post says euroskeptic President Vaclav Klaus repeated he was not ready to sign the treaty until the Czech Constitutional Court ruled on a request by a group of senators to consider whether the treaty complies with the country's constitution.

Cumhuriyet says ahead of the G7 talks, European finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Istanbul have warned against currency volatility and put pressure on the United States to defend the dollar, which has weakened considerably. Some experts conclude that Washington was allowing the currency to slide as a way of boosting US exports by making them cheaper - a tactic that would weaken European exports.

Kathemerini predicts today's general election in Greece is likely to result in a victory of the socialist PASOK party of Giorgos Papandreou. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis called an early election at the beginning of September, after several scandals and a deteriorating economic situation made his position untenable.

Asia Observer says a moderate 6.3-magnitude earthquake has struck east of Taiwan, 85 miles south-east of the capital. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Corriere della Sera says tens of thousands of people, including journalists and media rights activists, gathered in a Rome square to defend press freedom, accusing premier Silvio Berlusconi of trying to silence critical voices. Mr Berlusconi, a media magnate, has dismissed the accusations as a "joke" and the demonstration as a "farce".

New China reports 17 passengers died and 54 were wounded when an overloaded coach overturned crashed as it descended a hill in central China.

The Herald Sun reports golf legend Greg Norman and tennis legend Chris Evert are separating just 15 months after their lavish wedding in the Bahamas.

Mitchigan Messenger reports that a man from Detroit has been sentenced to two years in jail after stealing the car of a woman he was on a first date with. The woman told the court that after a restaurant meal, Terrance McCoy said he left his wallet in the woman's car, asked for the keys and drove off.