Press digest

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

The Times reports that Justice Minister Chris Said is seeking the truth over mistakes in charge sheets which have led to acquittals.

The Malta Independent says the IMF had lauded Malta’s impressive turnaround but warns of modest economic growth.

MaltaToday says there is all out war at Air Malta. It says CEO Peter Davies is planning to file libel proceedings against the PL media. There is also anger in the cabin crew union that some workers were seen to be excess to requirements but the airline is still planning to recruit staff.

l-orizzont says an EU report shows zero Maltese participation in the EU’s Erasmus programme in 2010-2011 because of the shortcomings of the Education Ministry.

In-Nazzjon reports praise for Malta in the IMF country report.

The overseas press

The Wall Street Journal reports that Greece's political turmoil showed no signs of abating yesterday as hopes faded that leading political parties could form a coalition government after Sunday's splintered election result – increasing the possibility that Greeks would be called back to the polls as early as next month. As chances diminish that a new government would emerge from the talks, Greek political leaders were already setting their sights on the next election, now expected to take place in June. The repeat vote is likely to pit New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras and Alexis Tsipras, leader of the left wing Syriza bloc, against each other in what could turn into a referendum for a choice between the euro and the drachma. Tsipras has been given three days to form a government - after the leading conservative party New Democracy failed to do so. Forbes predicts Greece could be out of the Eurozone as early as this summer.

Kathimerini quotes Tsipras saying he would try to form a coalition based on rejecting all terms of the austerity measures from the EU and IMF bailout deal. He put forward the argument that last Sunday Greek voters had "clearly nullified the loan agreement". He has three days to reach a coalition deal and has told the two major parties to end their support for the austerity terms if they want to take part. The European Commission and Germany say countries must stick to budget cuts. Forbes

The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso has dismissed claims the French and Greek election results represented a rejection of EU policies. The Irish Independent quotes Barroso saying that the pursuit of consolidation and growth measures was the best combination to ensure Europe's recovery. He urged member states to be consistent and implement the policies that they had agreed to. But, after French voters chose a new president on Sunday in Francois Hollande who has advocated greater focus on growth, EU leaders are to meet on 23 May for an informal meeting at which his proposals would be discussed.

Tripoli Post says former Libyan rebels have launched an attack on the prime minister's office in Tripoli, leaving at least one guard dead and four other wounded in the clashes which lasted several hours. Officials say about 200 armed men, some carrying mortars, tried to storm the building but were repelled by security. The attackers had fought to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi last year and were demanding compensation promised by the government. Prime Minister Abdurrahim al-Keib was safe, one of his advisers, Ashur Shamis, told the BBC. Sources said he had been in the building at the time.

The UN special envoy Kofi Annan told the UN Security Council that his peace plan could be the "last chance to avoid civil war" in Syria. The New York Times says he told a closed session that the plan was "not an open-ended commitment" and highlighted continuing violations. The Syrian army is now using fewer heavy arms, he said, but human rights violations appear to be intensifying. Meanwhile, Metro says the Red Cross, the only international aid agency working inside Syria, has  appealed for an extra $27 million (€20.7 million) to fund its operation this year as hundreds of thousands of people remain in need of humanitarian assistance.

CBS News reports that the man at the heart of the latest “underwear” bomb plot, which the US and its allies say they foiled, was in fact a double agent, working for the CIA and Saudi Intelligence when he was given the bomb. US officials are quoted as saying that the person dispatched by Yemen-based al-Qaeda to attack a US-bound plane had infiltrated the group. The agent then passed the device to the Americans. FBI analysts are now studying the device. It is said to contain no metal parts and is designed to escape detection at airport security.

Pravda says hundreds of helmeted Russian riot police have dispersed a crowd of up to 300 anti-Putin protesters who took over a Moscow square for most of the day yesterday. The impromptu rally had moved to the Chistiye Prudy Square after police broke up a demonstration by hundreds of opposition activists who had spent the night outside the presidential administration offices to protest at Vladimir Putin’s return as Russia’s president. The police reported at least 30 detentions.

Sky News reports that nine men – eight Pakistanis and one from Afghanistan – have been found guilty in Britain of being part of a child sexual exploitation ring involving vulnerable girls. The jury of three men and nine women heard that the defendants plied the girls, some as young as 13, with fast food, drink and drugs so they could “pass them around” and use them for sex. One 13-year-old victim became pregnant and had the child aborted.