The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press today:
The Times quotes Foreign Minister Tonio Borg saying the Irish referendum ‘no’ vote has to be respected but the Lisbon EU reform treaty must be kept alive. It also reports that no breakthrough has been made in the case of the Maltese oil worker kidnapped in Nigeria. A Maltese foreign ministry delegation has now returned from the African country.
In-Nazzjon says EU foreign ministers agreed yesterday that the Lisbon treaty should remain alive despite the Irish “no” vote. It also quotes Finance Minister Tonio Fenech saying the government will make life easier for SMEs by reducing financial reporting requirements. It also criticises Joseph Muscat for his decision to retain Charles Mangion as opposition leader, saying such a decision was the prerogative of the President, and this decision showed Dr Muscat was uncomfortable with Anglu Farrugia serving as opposition leader.
l-orizzont says 162 migrants arrived in Malta in 24 hours. It also reports how a Hamrun man was given a suspended sentence for damaging a number of cars. It reports Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici saying the Maltese Parliament ridiculed itself in the way it ratified the Lisbon treaty in three hours.
The Malta Independent says the post of PN general secretary is expected to be contested by Valletta mayor Paul Borg Olivier and party information secretary Jean Pierre Debono. Nominations close on Friday.
The Press in Britain…
The Daily Telegraph says inflation in the UK is predicted to keep rising, unemployment will hit 1.8 million and high street spending will drop off.
The Times confirms Britain’s two biggest lenders have raised their rates or withdrawn deals, tightening the credit crunch on families.
The Guardian claims the Government is on ‘inflation alert’ amid fears that dearer petrol and food will herald a year of ‘bad news’.
The Daily Mirror reports a garage boss in Exeter has risked the wrath of motorists by raising the price of unleaded petrol to £1.99 a litre.
According to Metro, a serious shortage of nurses is causing hospitals to refuse the admission of premature babies.
The Independent carries a picture of a bemused President Bush with a plant he bought at a school fair. The words ‘The Mighty Bush’, a reference to the cult comedy show, are written on the pot. The paper’s lead claims university lecturers are coming under pressure to ignore cheating.
The London Evening Standard quotes UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon urging action against people who commit crimes against journalists. Mr Ban spoke of ending "the culture of impunity surrounding crimes against reporters" as he unveiled a 32ft artwork at the unveiling of a memorial in London to journalists killed on assignment.
And elsewhere…
The Irish Times reports that EU foreign ministers said they would keep the Lisbon Treaty alive despite Ireland's No vote, but conceded the people's decision has to be respected and they had no quick fixes for rescuing it.
The International Herald Tribune reports President Bush has ended his week-long European tour after meeting leaders of the power-sharing administration in Belfast. Earlier, he met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London. Both leaders warned Iran to accept their "offers of partnership" or face tough sanctions and international isolation over its nuclear programme.
The Wall Steet Journal says oil prices have reached a new record high of just under US$140 a barrel in New York trading.
Chumhuriet reports Israel and Syria have concluded a round of indirect peace talks in Turkey with promises to continue the dialogue.
An-Nahar leads with the unannounced visit to Lebanon of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a show of US support for the country's western backed government.
Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe warned he would not step down even if he does lose the presidential election to be held later this month. He told the government mouthpiece Herald newspaper he would not give up the country “for a mere X” on a ballot.
Le Parisien has revealed French government plans to cut tens of thousands of defence jobs as part of a new strategy aimed at adapting the country’s forces to new threats. The plan, the biggest review in 14 years, calls for leaner but more high-tech fighting forces that can quickly deploy to battlefields in evolving conflicts from Afghanistan to Africa.
Los Angeles Times reports California has become the second US state to allow same-sex marriages after Masachusetts.
The New York Post reports hotelier Leona Helmsley’s dog, which was left $12m in her will, faces a more frugal lifestyle. The nine-year-old white Maltese, named Trouble, lost $10 million of her $12 million trust fund to charity after a judge signed off on a deal that gives the late billionaire's disinherited grandchildren a piece of the Helmsley fortune.