The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times like other newspapers leads with the funeral of Bishop Nikol Cauchi. It also quotes Mepa director Michael Seychell saying that Dwejra will be restored to its original state,
The Malta Independent says Malta is under investigation by the EU for alleged violation of state aid rules in the updating of power station boilers.
In-Nazzjon says the Labour campaign against the power station extension contract ended up being only ‘smoke’.
l-orizzont says Gozo is proportionately producing more graduates than Malta.
The overseas press
Deutsche-Welle says Germany has stepped up its security in the light of information that Islamist terrorists might be planning an attack in the country. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters in Berlin that security was to be increased at all airports and train stations across the country. He said there was reason for concern, but no reason for hysteria... and called on all citizens to be vigilant.
Adnkronos International quotes the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation saying the bill for international food imports could exceed one trillion dollars this year amid a spike in most commodity prices. The agency warned that food prices could reach even higher levels in 2011.
The unstable Irish economy is featured in the Financial Times, which says Dublin was feeling under pressure to agree to a rescue package. According to the Wall Street Journal, European officials were pressing to recapitalise Ireland's wounded banks with money from an international bailout fund. Ireland was said to be under pressure to ask for a potential up to €100-billion EU bailout but has so far has made no such request.
Ireland's minister for European affairs has insisted with Sky News his government was not to blame for the debt crisis which continued to rock the eurozone, pointing his fingers instead at the markets. Dick Roche’s comments came ahead of a visit from EU and IMF delegates, who were working with Dublin to determine the best way of propping up Ireland's banking sector. He continued to deny that the mission's purpose was to bail out the Irish economy.
Meanwhile, The Times quotes British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne saying Britain ‘stands ready to support Ireland’ in whatever it needed to do to stabilise its troubled banking system. He said it was in Britain’s national interest to see stability restored at its eurozone neighbour.
Bild says Austria has declared it won't hand over its share of the funds for the next installment of Greece's €110-billion EU bailout until Greece fufillled its side of the bargain. On Monday, Eurostat announced that Greece's 2010 deficit would exceed earlier forecasts, climbing to 15.4 of GDP, almost 2 points higher than the previously indicated 13.6 percent. The EU has denied that the next loan payout would be delayed.
Ansa reports some 200,000 Italian students abandoned their classrooms and lecture halls in 100 towns and cities to stage demonstrations against government education reforms and cuts, causing disruption in many cities. The demonstration in Milan was marred by vandalism, which cost the public purse €150,000 euros.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has said he would not sign an execution order for Tareq Aziz, the former deputy of dictator Saddam Hussein sentenced to death last month over the persecution of Islamic parties. He told French television France 24 in an interview that he would not sign the order because he was a socialist and thus opposed to the death penalty and because he sympathised with Aziz because he was an Iraqi Christian and an old man who was over 70. Both the Vatican and Russia had called on Iraq not to carry out the death sentence on humanitarian grounds.
New Mexico Independent says parking attendants ticketed a car parked on the University of New Mexico campus three times without noticing a dead woman slumped in the front seat. Police found the body of the 47-year-old woman in the vehicle on November 11, seven days after her husband had reported her missing. The police said the woman’s death appeared to be a suicide.
Metro reports “Desperate Housewife” star Eva Longoria has filed for divorce from her basketball player husband Tony Parker after just three years of having a fairy tale wedding in an European Castle. The paper says recent infidelity reports might be the reason. Eva is 35 years old and Tony is 27.