Press digest

The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press. The newspapers today are dominated by the explosion in a fireworks factory in Mosta.

The Times and The Malta Independent report that a man is missing, believed dead, following the Mosta blast.

In-Nazzjon says Mario Dimech was the fourth victim of fireworks this year.

l-orizzont says yesterday was a day of tragedies, with the loss of a man in the Mosta fireworks blast and another man who was electrocuted in Cospicua.

In other stories, The Times says Guido de Marco had died peacefully in his sleep.

The Malta Independent features tributes to Prof de Marco.

In-Nazzjon says the PN will salute Prof de Marco today.

The overseas press:

Börzen Zeitung reports the German economy grew by 2.2 per cent in the three months to the end of June, its fastest quarterly growth in more than 20 years. The main reason for the higher-than-expected growth was strong exports, helped by a weaker euro.

Meanwhile, EU Observer says the eurozone economy grew by one per cent during the second quarter. EU official statistics agency Eurostat said this compares with growth of 0.2 per cent in the first three months of the year. Initial estimates reveal the French economy grew by 0.6 per cent while the Spanish economy grew by 0.2 per cent . The pace of growth in the Italian economy remained the same, at 0.4 per cent. Greece, however, saw its economy shrink by 1.5 per cent during the second quarter.

The Washington Times reports President Obama has strongly defended controversial plans by Muslims in New York to build a cultural centre and mosque near Ground Zero, the site of the attacks of 2001 in which more than 3,000 people died. Opponents have protested against the plan claiming it was disrespectful to the memory of the dead. Mr Obama acknowledged "sensitivities" surround the 9/11 site, but said Muslims had the same right to practice their religion "as anyone else".

Iran will open its first nuclear power plant next week. Sergei Novikov, a spokesman for Russia's nuclear agency Rosatom, told Pravda uranium fuel shipped by Russia would be loaded into Iran's Bushehr reactor in a ceremony next Saturday marking the beginning of its physical start-up. He said that from that moment the Bushehr plant will be officially considered a nuclear-energy facility.

Deutsche Welle reports that a suspected agent of the Israeli secret service Mossad has been set free on bail in Cologne, allowing him to return to Israel. The agent known as Uri Brodsky was extradited from Poland after he had been arrested at Warsaw airport. Brodsky is charged with illegally obtaining a German passport, which was later used in the killing of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai on January 19. The Cologne prosecutor said that the current charges against Brodsky were not enough to detain him.

Le Parisien says France's transport ministry is mulling sanctions against Easyjet, after the UK-based budget carrier repeatedly refused to let unaccompanied disabled passengers on board.

A poll published in today's Sydney Morning Herald and The Age - a week before the country's general election - showed Australia's ruling Labour Party has a commanding lead over the conservative opposition, reversing the position of the past two weeks. The poll showed Labour leading the opposition by 53 to 47 percent on a 'two-party' basis. As preferred prime minister, Julia Gillard led opposition leader Tony Abbott by 52 percent to 38 percent.

According to USA Today, the US state of Alabama has sued BP and Transocean for damages sustained from the Gulf of Mexico oil leak. State attorney general Troy King did not name a figure. However, State governor Bob Riley disagreed with the attorney general's course of action as he wanted to wait to see what compensation BP offered first.

Il Gazzettino reports mother-of-two Giorgia Boscolo was set to break 900 years of male dominance and become Venice's first official female gondolier after she passed the practical exam, considered to be the most difficult of those required to pilot a boat on Venice's canals. Mrs Boscolo, 24, must pass one further hurdle, a written, multiple-choice exam, in order to join the guild of official gondoliers. Deputy Mayor Sandro Simionato said her success

German president Christian Wulff's preference for bread and baked goods made in Hanover has got the country's newly-elected head of state into hot water. German media like Bild and Berliner Zeitung have criticised him for importing the bakery specialities to Berlin, calling it a waste of taxpayer money. Wulff was previously state premier of Lower Saxony in Hanover. The practice began under his predecessor Roman Herzog, president from 1994 to 1999.

The Daily Express reports that the likelihood of Prince William marrying Kate Middleton next year is so high that bookmakers have stopped taking bets on them tying the knot. Instead, bookies are asking punters to decide which month is favourite for the royal wedding. So far, June is tops with odds of 1/2, closely followed by July at 3/1. Royal commentators are also speculating where a wedding will take place. St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle has been reportedly earmarked as a possible venue.

El Peruano says killer vampire bats have attacked 500 people in the village of Urakusa and infected at least four people with rabies. Medical supplies have been sent to the village, where the indigenous Aguajun tribe lives. A Health Ministry official confirmed that 97 per cent of those bitten have begun receiving anti-rabies medication.

Pennsylvania Post reports that a 27-year-old woman is suing Disney World for €35,000 claiming she was groped by Donald Duck as she tried to get his autograph in Orlando. April Magolon said she still had flashbacks two years later and was suing for negligence, battery and emotional distress. Disney said it had yet to see the complaint.