The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times says Enemalta's former chairman Tancred Tabone was interviewed by the police in connection with fuel procurement.
The Malta Independent says TV presenters agree that there should be audience participation in debates, contrary to a Broadcasting Authority directive. It also quotes a government statement saying that Frank Sammut was on the Fuel Procurement Board in the PL government.
In-Nazzjon reports how the Italian government has given final approval for the interconnector project.
l-orizzont also reports how Tancred Tabone has been interrogated by the police in connection with investigations into oil purchases.
The overseas press
European leaders have reacted negatively to British Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that he would try to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with Europe, and then give Britons a straight referendum choice on whether to stay in the EU or leave. Some of Britain's EU partners have warned Cameron he could not have an “à la carte” relationship and that his strategy reflected a “selfish and ignorant” attitude.
L’Echo says European Parliament president Martin Schulz warned of "piecemeal legislation, disintegration and potentially the breakup of the union" if Britain was allowed to sign up only to the EU policies it agreed with.
Deutsche Welle quotes German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle saying Britain could not simply "cherry-pick" policies that it liked. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more sympathetic, saying she was ready to discuss Cameron's ideas but underlining: “Germany, and I personally, want Britain to be an important part and an active member of the EU.”
In an interview with France Info radio, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the UK wanted to join a soccer team and get them to play rugby. He quipped, "If Britain wants to leave Europe we will roll out the red carpet for you," echoing Cameron, who once used the same words to invite rich Frenchmen alienated by high taxes to move to Britain.
Talking to Ansa, Italian Prime Pinister Mario Monti praised Mr Cameron's view on a referendum on European Union membership, saying a vote would prompt citizens to realise the benefits of staying in the group. In a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Monti said the EU "doesn't need unwilling Europeans. We desperately need willing Europeans."
Ekonominytt quote Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt saying Cameron's flexible membership idea "sounds fine" but would lead to there being "no Europe at all. Just a mess."
London’s Independent says Cameron’s partner in government, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, said the prime minister had created “years and years of uncertainty” that would affect the UK’s ability to attract foreign investors”. He said the biggest challenge facing the UK was economic, not EU membership.
In other news…
The International Monetary Fund has cut its global growth forecast for this year as the recovery lags in Europe. The Wall Street Journal says the Washington-based global lender of last resort has predicted world growth of 3.5 per cent, down from the 3.6 per cent it forecast in October. Its chief economist Oliver Blanchard says some of the worst economic risks appear to have been averted over the past year, but growth is still likely to be constrained.
The New York Times quotes Pentagon officials saying American Defence Secretary Len Panetta is to remove the ban on women in the military serving in combat. The decision, to be announced formally later today, makes women available for hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and elite commando jobs.
Ad Dustour quotes the head of the Jordanian Electoral Commission saying that some 125,000 voters, or five per cent of the 2.3 million registered to vote, cast ballots in the first two hours of parliamentary elections touted as the start of a democratisation process that will see the king hand over considerable powers to the newly chosen legislature. The Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan's largest opposition group, is boycotting the polls in protest against an electoral law it says favours pro-king loyalists. Four other smaller leftist parties are also staying away.
ABC says a Brisbane company says it has discovered the equivalent of 233 billion barrels of oil beneath part of SA's outback, but doubts have been raised over whether the reserve can be profitably tapped. In a statement to the Stock Exchange, the company said reports from US-based consultants indicate underlying rock formations “are rich in oil and gas prone kerogen”.
El Universal reports a Frenchwoman jailed in Mexico in 2007 for 60 years for kidnapping has been freed, after the Supreme Court ruled her rights were violated. Florence Cassez had denied the charges and many irregularities were found in the case, including a staged televised police raid. The case provoked tensions between Mexico and France, where news of her release was widely welcomed.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange hit out on Wednesday at a Hollywood film about his secret-spilling website, calling the movie "a massive propaganda attack". AFP says that speaking to students at Oxford University by videolink from the Ecuadoran embassy in London, Assange revealed that he had acquired a copy of the script for "The Fifth Estate", due to be released in November. He described it as “a lie upon lie”.
CBS News reports Chely Wright, the first major American country music star to come out publicly as gay, has announced she and her same-sex spouse Lauren Blitzer-Wright were expecting twins in July. Wright's popularity among largely conservative country music fans took a hit in May 2010 when she went public about her sexual orientation, but she has continued to perform while continuing to campaign for gay and lesbian rights. Wright and Blitzer-Wright, director of marketing at Sony Music Entertainment, tied the knot in August 2010 in Connecticut, one of nine states that allow same-sex marriage.