The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times says the labour leader was evasive when questioned on the alleged drug case in a PL club yesterday. It also reports that young cancer fighter Leah Xuereb is having to receive cancer treatment once more.
The Malta Independent reports that the party leaders faced a confrontational crowd in a debate at Mcast yesterday.
MaltaToday says Tonio Fenech made a bold statement when he said that beneficiaries of gifts from rogue oil trading were part of Enemalta corruption.
l-orizzont said that despite the inauguration of new operating theatres in Gozo Hospital, the corridors are not ready. It also says that equipment at Malta Shipbuilding is to be auctioned.
In-Nazzjon also focuses on the Mcast debate and says the prime minister guaranteed jobs.
The overseas press
Russia and the Arab League say they want to broker direct talks between the Syrian government and opposition in a bid to end the country's civil war. Huffington Post says the move comes as the opposition Syrian National Coalition is due to begin a two-day meeting in Egypt to discuss a framework for a possible solution. According to the UN, some 70,000 people have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011,.
Darik Radio announces the resignation of Bulgaria’s government after days of violent protests fuelled by outrage over rising energy costs, corruption and a general economic decline. Tens of thousands of Bulgarians had turned out in cities across the nation of 7.3 million people since Sunday in protests. They accused their leaders of having ties to crime and demanded that the government resign.
El Mundo says Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has defended his conservative government's economic austerity and reform programme, saying there was no alternative to the current austerity drive. He also fought off recent allegations that he and other party leaders had accepted regular secret payments from the private sector for almost two decades. Rajoy proposed that the finances of all public officials be audited at the end of their mandates and that the statute of limitations would be extended for corruption-related offenses.
Ethnos reports tens of thousands of protesters have filled city streets across Greece in an effort to curb fiscal policies they say are damaging recovery efforts. Unions called the strike to force the government to do more for workers, including strengthen collective bargaining rights and heal the ailing labour market. The 24-hour general strike came amid projections of 30 percent unemployment this year.
Deutsche Welle says travellers could face fresh inconvenience at airports in Düsseldorf and Cologne today as strikes by Germany’s transit security union continue in a dispute calling for improved security personnel wages. At Hamburg airport, about 140 flights were cancelled on Wednesday. The union, which argues that the majority of workers are underpaid, said it would meet with management today to try to resolve the dispute. Still, the strikes could continue through Friday.
Ansa reports that former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has prompted a legal complaint and was accused of trying to buy votes ahead of Sunday’s general election after sending an election letter to the Italian people about a property-tax rebate, promising to scrap a much-hated property tax if he won the election. Rival politicians said the letter was deceptive as it looked like an official document informing people about how to obtain a rebate, rather than an election pamphlet.
Mail& Guardian says lawyers representing Oscar Pistorius have challenged police testimony accusing the South African sprinter of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. On the second day of Pistorius's bail hearing in Pretoria, lead detective Hilton Botha gave contradictory evidence in court and admitted to procedural mistakes at the crime scene. He said the evidence at the scene was "consistent" with Pistorius's claim that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, and conceded that detectives had uncovered no evidence to directly challenge the Olympian's story.
The pressure group Human Rights Watch says Mexico has failed to properly investigate human rights abuses committed by the security forces. The group has documented almost 250 disappearances during the term of former President Felipe Calderon. It says evidence suggests that in more than half of the cases the security forces participated either directly or indirectly in the disappearances. HRW has called on the new government to find the missing.
Ansa quotes Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi saying Pope Benedict may issue a document on the rules of the conclave to elect his successor before he steps down as pontiff on February 28. Meanwhile, La Stampa reported Pope Benedict would receive a monthly pension of €2,500 which would double to €5,000 if the new pope grants him the title of Cardinal Emeritus. The Holy See has yet to determine Benedict’s new title, the colour of his new dress and whether he would keep the name Benedict or return to his birth name of Joseph Ratzinger.
Associated Press says Sony has unveiled its next-generation gaming system, the PlayStation 4, and promised social and remote capabilities. The new PlayStation's controller resembles that of the PlayStation 3, but adds a touchpad, motion control and a "share" button. The Japanese electronics giant said the console will be part of a new ecosystem focused on hardware, software and “the fastest, most powerful gaming network”.
The BBC reports Adele, Emeli Sande and Ben Howard have been honoured at this year's Brit Awards ceremony at London's O2 Arena. Sande won best British female and British album, while Howard scooped best British male and breakthrough. Adele won best single for her James Bond theme Skyfall – but she was not at the event, instead choosing to rehearse for the Oscars in Los Angeles.