The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times of Malta says the Sant Antnin waste recycling plant is falling well short of its energy production targets. It also says that the police are yet to investigate Austin Gatt’s Swiss Bank details.
The Malta Independent reports that Judge Giovanni Bonello favours de-penalisation of drug possession for personal use. It also says that Tonio Borg urged Washington not to abuse the ‘special relationship’. The comment was over revelation of US data spying.
MaltaToday interviews John Dalli on the latest development in his case. He is also quoted as saying he would have been ready to serve as Gonzi’s deputy had that been offered.
l-orizzont focuses on official figures about people in poverty.
In-Nazzjon says the prime minister yesterday refused to make a statement to Parliament on the Franco Mercieca controversy.
The overseas press
US National Security Agency surveillance programmes have came under more scrutiny as European parliamentarians criticised Washington and demanded that it treat private data of European citizens as confidential. Deutsche Welle reports EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding told European parliamentarians in Strasbourg that she would raise privacy concerns “with determination” when she meets US Attorney General Eric Holder in Dublin on Friday.
Turkish riot police fired water cannon and tear gas to disperse thousands of demonstrators in the capital Ankara late on Tuesday, as clashes also raged in the city of Istanbul on the worst night of violence in nearly two weeks of nationwide anti-government unrest. Gazete Oku says the police intervention in the capital came as some 5,000 people took to the streets chanting: “Government, resign!” Cumhuriyet reports police in Istanbul have broken up a massive protest on Taksim Square, the centre of recent demonstrations against the Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The raid came hours after the premier said protests would no longer be tolerated.
Sky News says an anti-capitalist demonstration in London ahead of next week’s G8 summit has led to scuffles and 32 arrests. The West End saw running confrontations between police and protesters. Police used chainsaws to break into a building occupied by some members of the StopG8 network, which describes itself as an anti-capitalist network “made up of autonomous groups and individuals”. One man was tackled on the roof as he apparently tried to jump off.
Euronews reports the cash-strapped Greek government is to temporarily shut down state-run television and radio station ERT to save money, despite fierce objections from unions. It said on Tuesday it would streamline the organisation, including laying off 2,500 staff members. Downsizing public institutions is one of the requirements of Greece's €130 billion EU bailout.
The People’s Daily reports China has launched its most ambitious manned space mission yet, sending two men and a woman into orbit on a 15-day mission to dock with a space lab. The Shenzhou 10 capsule was launched from the edge of the Gobi Desert in China's fifth manned space mission, headed for the Tiangong 1, an experimental prototype for a space station China wants to launch in 2020.
A bill attacking Russia’s gay community and banning the distribution of information about homosexuality to children has been overwhelmingly approved by the lower house of parliament. Moscow Times says more than two dozen protesters were attacked by anti-gay activists and then detained by police, hours before the State Duma approved the Kremlin-backed legislation in a 436-0 vote.
Pope Francis has acknowledged the existence of a 'gay lobby' inside the Vatican's secretive administration for the first time. The Chilean website Reflexion y Liberacion reports that during an audience with Latin American Catholics, the Pontiff said that there was a “current of corruption” in the Roman Curia, the central governing body of the Catholic Church. He also admitted the existence of a long-rumoured “gay lobby” in the Curia, and hinted that he might take action over the issue. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi would not comment when asked by Adnkronos, saying only the meeting was private.
The world's oldest person and the oldest man ever to have lived has died of natural causes aged 116 years, media. Japan's Kyodo News reports that Jiroemon Kimura, who was born in 1897, died in hospital early this morning. The centenarian had seven children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grand children and 14 great-great grandchildren, and worked at a post office for about 40 years. After retiring he took up farming which he continued to do until the age of 90.
Metro says a bank clerk who fell asleep on his keyboard accidentally transferred €222,222,222.22 to one very lucky customer. The tired bank worker had been making a payment of €64.20 when he fell asleep at his desk with his fingers on the number two key on his keyboard. The huge transfer was then missed by the clerk’s supervisor and was only caught later in the day by another colleague who managed to correct the mistake before it cost the bank millions of euros.