The following are the top stories in the national and international news.

Times of Malta says the government subsidy for the operation of public transport is expected to increase substantially. In another story it says animal farms in Malta are operating illegally as the facilities that had to be built by the government to treat waste from dairy, poultry and pig farms do not yet exist, six years after the original deadline.

The Malta Independent says former Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia has handed over his tablet to the Malta Information Technology Agency following “the mysterious disappearance” of an email he sent to the media containing a statement and the content of his resignation letter.

In-Nazzjon says patients are being discriminated in the POYC scheme because of their political colour.

l-Orizzont says the Prime Minister promised that people who suffered injustices in the past legislature which have not yet been addressed will not be forgotten.

Malta Today reports that CABS found 72 illegal bird callers and that the police have apprehended 24 offenders.

International news

O Globo reports violent protests have broken out in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro following the death of a young dancer allegedly beaten by police who reportedly mistook him for a drug trafficker.

Yonhap says the confirmed death toll from the South Korean ferry disaster has risen to more than135 – the victims mainly students.

Kyiv Post reports Ukraine’s acting president Oleksandr Turchynov has re-launched military operations against pro-Russian militants in the east after two men, one a local politician, were found “tortured to death”.

The developments came just hours after US Vice President Joe Biden left the Ukrainian capital. The Wall Street Journal announces the US is to provide an additional $50 million (€36 million) for political and economic reforms in Ukraine.

Sega daily reports European Parliament President Martin Schulz has warned that sanctions against Russia might lead to serious economic and financial consequences for the EU. In his words, EU’s leaders should prepare EU citizens for an increase in energy fees in Europe as well as suspension of Russian investments in the EU. Voice of Russia adds Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stated on Tuesday Russia would minimize the damage by turning to other markets.

Moscow Times says Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been found guilty of slandering a municipal lawmaker and ordered to pay a fine of €6,0900. He was sued by municipal deputy Alexei Lisovenko for calling him “a lawmaker-drug addict” on the social networking site, Twitter.

Avvenire says the Vatican has refuted the claims that Pope John Paul II turned a blind eye over an abuse scandal involving an order of priests he had championed for years.

After a seven week search has failed to find any trace of the plane, the team searching for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 have said they were looking at the possibility the plane might not have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean, but could have been re-directed to another country or made a crash landing. Speaking to the New Straits Times, a source said: “We may have to regroup soon to look into this possibility if no positive results come back in the next few days.”

Metro reports a teacher accused of sniffing the feet of schoolchildren for “sexual gratification” has appeared in court, accused of 13 counts of sexual activity with young boys.

Okazaki News says a Japanese woman has been arrested after she allegedly battered her mother to death with a kettle.

 

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