Press digest

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

The Times and the other newspapers give prominence to the fireworks factory explosion at St Catherine fireworks factory near Marsaxlokk yesterday. A fireworks enthusiast is fighting for his life.

The Malta Independent in its second front page story, features the last phase of the general election in the United Kingdom.

MaltaToday carries a picture of Joseph Muscat and says he has been outmanouvred in the power station extension issue as Gonzi's appeasement strategy rallies backbench support. It also reports that the Finance Ministry has withdrawn the contract awarded to a blacklisted company.

In-Nazzjon says San Gwann council has started feeding the power grid with electricity it produces from photovoltaic units.

l-orizzont says S&R Handaq, which was convicted in the VAT fraud scandal, was also awarded government contracts in Gozo.

The overseas press:

The Financial Times reports the eurozone's debt, and fears over China's economic recovery, were causing stock markets across the world to falter. The euro dropped to a one-year low against the dollar, European shares reached two-month lows and the bond markets of weaker eurozone economies fell as rattled investors sold risky assets.

Kathemerini says Greek unrest heads into its second day, as private sector employees join public workers in their ongoing 48-hour protest at the harsh new austerity measures. Today's action was expected to paralyze Athens. Yesterday, protestors unfurled banners at the iconic Acropolis monument as others, mainly teachers and pensioners, marched through central Athens, demanding that the government stop "stealing" their wages and pensions.

The New York Times reports man has reportedly been arrested in Pakistan over the failed car bombing in New York's Times Square. Another suspect, , 30-year-old Faisal Shahzad, an American man of Pakistani descent, has been charged with international terrorism and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Metro says airspace over Scotland and Northern Ireland has been closed as the Icelandic volcanic ash returned once again to UK airspace made flying unsafe. The CAA announcement followed disruption yesterday as hundreds of flights were cancelled. There were concerns that the ash cloud would continue to move south, potentially affecting airports in the north-west of England.

Meanwhile, EU Observer reports EU transport ministers have agreed to back a proposal to unify European airspace. It quotes Jose Blanco, transport minister for Spain, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency saying they tried to accelerate a number of mechanisms already planned in the Single European Skies package. However, ministers were less enthusiastic about the idea of providing financial aid to airlines grounded by the volcanic ash cloud last month. European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said there was no money available.

The UK General Election is still too close to call as the campaign enters its final frenetic phase. Research for ITV News and The Independent showed the Tories on 37 per cent, Labour 29 per cent and the Liberal Democrats 26 per cent. If repeated evenly across the country tomorrow, the figures would leave David Cameron with the most seats, but still significantly short of an overall majority.

Corriere della Sera reports that Italy's minister for economic development has resigned over allegations that he has been involved in corruption. Claudio Scajola has been accused of paying for a luxury apartment in Rome with money from a developer caught up in a legal investigation. He denies any wrongdoing and says he will clear his name.

Bangkok Post says the Red Shirts protesters in Thailad have agreed to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's proposal to hold new elections on November 14 in exchange for an end to their protests that paralysed central Bangkok for nearly two months. A protest leader said they "unanimously welcomed the reconciliation process".

Le Figaro reports that the French parliament has voted to return the mummified heads of at least 15 Maori warriors to New Zealand. The heads, taken by European explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries, are currently on display in several museums in France. The Maoris believed the preservation of the heads kept their spirits alive.

The New Yorker says a Pablo Picasso painting - "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" - has set a new record for the most expensive art work sold at auction, fetching €81.8 million. The winning bid, at Christie's auction house in New York breaks the record held by Giacometti's "Walking Man I", which sold in February for €80.5 million. Another work by Picasso, "Garçon a la Pipe", had previously held the record when it sold for €80.3 million in 2004.

The Irish Post quotes the Guinness World Records announcing the death of the world's oldest person, Japanese woman Kama Chinen, a week short of her 115th birthday. Chinen's death hands the title of world's oldest person to Eugenie Blanchard, a 114-year-old French woman living on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Blanchard was born on February 16 1896.

Gulf News reports that a married Pakistani couple has been cleared of indecency charges in Dubai after they argued a policeman could not have seen them committing an indecent act inside their car since it had tinted windows. The ruling was the latest in a string of cases involving sex in Dubai. Last March, a British couple was found guilty of kissing in public.

The Daily Mail reports that a British 15-year-old girl needed an emergency operation after having her tongue pierced in a tattoo parlour. Reece-Marie began to bleed heavily following the procedure to insert a silver bar. She was taken to hospital by ambulance and had to be placed under general anaesthetic before doctors removed the bar and stemmed the bleeding from a suspected ruptured vein. Her case is a warning to the thousands of young people every year who have their tongue pierced.