Times of Malta says works to fix defective concrete at Mater Dei Hospital is expected to cost €30 million. It also says most Maltese agree on organ harvesting.

 

The Malta Independent says 'terrified' Zonqor farmers fear university will ruin them.

 

In-Nazzjon reports how a company TEC Ltd, receiving more than half a million euro in government contracts in two years.

 

l-orizzont says a poisonous fish reported in Maltese waters was actually detected some years ago.

 

The overseas press 

Members of the European parliament have accused some member states of “passing the buck” by rejecting a Brussels plan for binding quotas for refugees making the dangerous Mediterranean crossing. France 24 reports members of the main groups voiced support for the European Commission plan to make the rest of the 28-nation EU share the burden of frontline states such as Italy, Malta and Greece. Britain, France, Spain and seven other EU nations have expressed opposition to migrant quotas. Meanwhile, 900 other migrants were rescued from the Mediterranean yesterday.

According to The Daily Telegraph, British Prime Minister David Cameron will propose new laws to control immigration in a speech later today. According to extracts of his speech released in advance by his Downing Street office, Cameron will give police the power to seize wages earned by illegal immigrants.

The mother of a 22-year-old Moroccan, arrested on suspicion of being one of the Bardo Museum attackers, has said she watched news of the March 18 massacre in Tunis unfolding on TV – along with her son. “On March 18 my son was in front of the TV,” Abdelmajid Touil’s mother told Ansa. “My son is innocent. He had nothing to do with the attack. He was in Italy,” she said. Neighbours also question whether police have the right man in custody.

Asharq Alawsat reports EU’s top diplomat has met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders during a 24-hour visit aimed at establishing the EU’s role in reviving a bilateral peace process. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told her that the new Israeli government posed a threat to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But appearing in front of reporters ahead of an evening meeting with Mogherini, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated his vision of a peace deal, saying he supports the vision of two states for two peoples and underlying that “Palestinians must recognise Israel as a Jewish State”.

Fighters from the Islamic State have taken full control of Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, opening the way for the armed group to advance towards key government-held areas. Al Jazeera says the militants seized the city from government forces in fierce fighting as civilians evacuated and Syria’s antiquities chief called on the world to save its ancient monuments. The capture of Palmyra is ISIS’ second major victory inside a week, after it seized Ramadi on Sunday.

Meanwhile, al bawaba quotes the UK-based Syrian Human Rights Observatory reporting militants from the Islamic State jihadist group beheaded three men accused of treason in Syria’s eastern province of Deir Ezzor. One of the men was a former IS fighter and the other two were purportedly collaborating with anti-IS movements in neighbouring Turkey.

The executions come after broadcaster Rudaw quoted the head of the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate’s saying ISIS had executed a TV journalist in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul after he refused to join the militant group. He was the seventh journalist from Mosul have been executed by the group. Last October, ISIS issued strict rules for journalists stating they must swear allegiance to the group and obtain its approval for all reports.

AP reports Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Anifah Aman visits Myanmar today to discuss Southeast Asia’s migrant crisis – a day after Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to offer temporary shelter to 7,000 stranded migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar after weeks of pushing their boats back. Thailand also said it would no longer push back the stranded boats.

Bloomberg says five of world’s largest banks will pay $5.6 billion (€5.03 billion) to resolve the so-called “Libor scandal” that saw bank employees manipulate the global exchange currency market for their own profit. Citicorp, JPMorgan, Barclays, and Royal Bank of Scotland admitted conspiring to manipulate currency prices while Switzerland’s UBS received conditional immunity in the antitrust case. According to US Attorney Loretta Lynch, many consumers have suffered damages in this “brazen display of collusion” between traders inside some of the banks.

Sky News says British police are investigating more than 1,400 prominent men, including politicians, celebrities and those linked to institutions, for historic child sex abuse. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said estimate they will receive around 116,000 reports of abuse by the end of the year – a 71 per cent increase over 2012.

Meanwhile La Stampa states Italian police have put under house arrest a former parish priest in the southern Italian city of Brindisi accused of sexual abuse against minors dating back over 20 years. Prosecutors launched a probe against 73-year-old Giampiero Peschiulli last year after he was unmasked by Italian TV show Le Iene that specialises in stings. Locals in Brindisi claimed Peschiulli’s abuse of minors was an open secret.

A new report published in the British Medical Journal reveals that a total of 38 members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords received over €83,500 worth of industry hospitality from major tobacco companies keen to influence votes on legislation. This kind of lobbying by major brands goes against international guidelines.

The Mayor of Copenhagen has reportedly banned city officials from flying with Ryanair. Ekstra Bladet says Frank Jensen issued the order to the city’s 45,000 officials in protest at wages paid to the airline staff and their lack of a collective bargaining agreement. Ryanair is not to be used for official business even if it is the cheapest option. Ryanair has hit back at the allegations calling them “inaccurate.