Press digest

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

The Times reports on the riots in Greece as new austerity measures were approved by lawmakers. The newspaper also recalls Whitney Houston.

The Malta Independent quotes the prime minister saying Education is no game. Joseph Muscat is quoted as saying that he is the enemy of bureaucracy.

In-Nazzjon quotes the prime minister saying he wants the best for Malta's children in education.

l-orizzont quotes Joseph Muscat saying the government is in panic. It also says the phone service of the Inland Revenue's Customer Care Department is to be privatised.

The overseas press

Le Soir reports EU officials breathed a sigh of relief after the Greek parliament early this morning approved a new round of tough austerity measures designed to fend off bankruptcy and keep the country in the eurozone. The further budget cuts were demanded by EU, the European Central Bank and the IMF in return for a €130 billion bailout. Kathimerini says the vote was carried by 199 votes in favour, and 74 against. Coalition parties expelled some 40 deputies for failing to back the Bill. Lawmakers have also approved a related deal to write off €100 billion of Greek debt held by private banks.

According to Ta Nea, the vote came amid some of the worst violence seen in Greece in years, with protesters outside parliament throwing stones and petrol bombs. Several buildings were set on fire in Athens. The police responded with tear gas. According to Associated Press, dozens of police officers and at least 37 protesters were injured, 23 suspected rioters were arrested and a further 25 detained. Reuters reports as many as 80,000 people joined demonstrations in Athens, with another 20,000 protesting in Thessaloniki. Violent protests also spread to other Greek town and cities, including the holiday islands of Corfu and Crete. Prime Minister Lucas Papademos urged calm, saying violence had no place in a democracy.

Syria has “categorically” rejected a decision by the Arab League to call for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force. Al Ahram quotes the Syrian ambassador to Cairo aying the decisions of the Arab League reflected what he called “the hysteria of these governments” after the failure of a UN Security Council resolution calling for intervention in Syria. The Arab League's foreign ministers, meeting in Cairo, approved a resolution this afternoon ending the mission of their observers in Syria, asking the UN to deploy a peacekeeping force, and calling for a suspension of all forms of diplomatic cooperation with Damascus. The ministers also stressed the need for economic sanctions and agreed to “open all channels of communication with the Syrian opposition and give all forms of support to it”.

E! reports that Whitney Houston's autopsy has been completed but the results were not being released yet due to security concerns. According to The Sun, Whitney was found dead, head underwater in her bath at her hotel after a 48-hour binge. Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was released from a Los Angeles hospital where she was taken suffering from anxiety. The Mirror report he screamed at police to allow her see he mother’s body. Meanwhile, father Bobby Brown, heading back to Los Angeles to be with her, has asked the media to respect the family’s privacy.

Meanwhile, CBS News announces that British singer Adele made a triumphant return at Sunday night's Grammy Awards, winning five awards – including song and record of the year for Rolling in the Deep – during a ceremony that had the difficult task of celebrating music's best while mourning the loss of Whitney Houston, one of its greatest. Adele, who owned the year's best-selling album with "21," was triumphant in her first performance since vocal chord surgery forced the cancelation of a tour and months of vocal rest. As the world wondered whether her voice would still soar, she answered with her performance of "Rolling in the Deep," and received a rousing standing ovation from the crowd. She also won best pop vocal performance for "Someone Like You," best pop vocal album for "21" and best short form music video for "Rolling in the Deep."

The Times says silent-era romance The Artist has won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for best film in London's Royal Opera House. The film also picked up best director and best original screenplay for Michel Hazanavicius and best actor for Frenchman Jean Dujardin. As predicted, Meryl Streep won the BAFTA for best actress for her powerful portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. There were no surprises in the best supporting actor and actress categories either, with Christopher Plummer winning for Beginners and Octavia Spencer being honoured for her role in The Help. Veteran actor Gary Oldman missed out in his bid for a BAFTA for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, although the Cold War thriller did pick up the gong for outstanding British film. Senna won best documentary, while Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In was named best foreign language film.

Euronews reports that temperatures continued to plummet in parts of Europe close to minus 40 degrees Celsius in the coldest February snap the region has seen in decades. Rivers, lakes, beaches and even seas have been iced over by a Siberian freeze, creating some incredible sights, but also more tales of tragedy. Meteorologists say it could last till the end of the month.   

L’Union reports that celebrations continued until the early hours of this morning in Zambia after the country’s national football team managed to clinch its first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title by beating tournament favourites Ivory Coast on penalties. The 8-7 result saw Ivory Coast lose out on winning their second title, despite not conceding a goal from open play in the entire competition. The win, meanwhile, represented an emotional victory for Zambia, 19 years after a plane crash killed 18 members of their squad off the coast of the Gabonese capital.