Press digest

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

The Sunday Times says the equivalent of €84 million in old Maltese currency have still not been exchanged since euro adoption. It also reports on the Environment Forum held yesterday by NGOs, where many of those present made complaints against Mepa and the Piano project for Valletta.

The Malta Independent says a crisis intervention team has been set up to help people not to contemplate suicide. It also says a 15-year-old girl is being held at Corradino prison after having allegedly breached bail conditions. There are no facilities for young women outside the prison.

MaltaToday says Malta has low penalties for bribery cases. The Council of Europe has urged Malta to remedy the situation. It also says that the Petitions Board revokes 62 per cent of contested fines.

It-Torca says the government is to buy hospital beds in St Philip's Hospital at a price which is 40 per cent higher than that paid by the private sector.

Il-Mument says this was a record year for Malta with €259 million invested in bonds by the people. It also says two major projects were inaugurated after having been completed on time - the Palace Square rehabilitation and the building of Pembroke primary school. In another story, it says the Chamber of Commerce has reported improved business sentiment, after a survey.

Illum says the company which advised Enemalta to award the power station extension contract to Danish firm BWSC had been blacklisted by the World Bank.

KullHadd says Joseph Mizzi, the local representative of BWSC, also had links to the firm, blacklisted by the World Bank, which advised Enemata to engage BWSC to extend the power station.

The international press

Copenhagen News says the police arrested nearly a thousand demonstrators during a climate change protest in the Danish capital. Hundreds of youths dressed in black threw bricks and smashed windows as at least 30,000 people demonstrated in the centre of the city as world leaders debate global warning.

The Washington Times reports that President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev talked by telephone yesterday about ongoing negotiations for a successor to an expired nuclear weapons treaty.

The Jerusalem Post quotes Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemning an attack on a mosque in the village of Yasuf in the occupied West Bank and calling for the arrest of those responsible. Jewish settlers are suspected of launching the attack, burning books and scrawling hate-messages in Hebrew.

The Herald quotes Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe saying he planned to regain his hold over the country he has ruled for nearly three decades. Mugabe appeared triumphant after being re-elected to the leadership of his ZANU-PF party, which has been severally weakened after it lost its parliamentary majority in last year's contested elections.

Bangkok Times says Thai security forces seized more than 35 tons of arms, including missiles and explosives, and arrested five crew members after a cargo plane made an emergency landing to refuel at a Bangkok airport. The flight from North Korea was thought to be heading for Sri Lanka.

German news magazine Der Spiegel reports that the German government has begun investigating technology giant Siemens over two shipments to Iran which allegedly contained parts destined for the country's nuclear arms industry.

The Mail on Sunday reveals Queen Elizabeth is to hand over a substantial part of her public duties to Prince William to help him prepare for the day when he becomes King. A confidential document reveals plans to ease the strain on the 83-year-old monarch and her 88-year-old husband, Prince Philip, are at an advanced stage.

Los Angeles Times says the French rock star Johnny Hallyday, 66, is in a medically induced coma in Los Angeles after surgery to fix the damage from a botched back operation in France. Paris police were investigating an assault by two men on Dr Stéphane Delajoux, who did the first operation.

Globe & Mail announces that leggy brunette Kaiane Aldorino, from Gibraltar, has been crowned Miss World 2009 at a glittering two-hour pageant in Johannesburg, even if the loudest cheers were kept for hometown beauty Miss South Africa, Tatum Keshwar who was the second runner up. The first runner up was Miss Mexico, Perla Beltran Acosta.