The following are the top stories in the Maltese and foreign press.
The Times says Lawrence Gonzi and Joseph Muscat have exchanged offers of talks on strengthening democracy. It also reports that the cost of funerals may decline following the liberalisation of licensing of hearses.
The Malta Independent also leads with the different priorities set by the government and the opposition for talks. It says the two sides have also expressed disagreement on the Public Administration Bill, currently before Parliament.
l-orizzont asks if senior Malta Shipyards executive Graham Crouser had ‘escaped or been helped to escape’ before his three year contract expired.
In-Nazzjon says passenger traffic at Malta International Airport has continued to grow. It also features the exchange of letters between the government and the MLP.
The Press in Britain
The Daily Mirror reports that world leaders at the G8 summit dined on an eight-course banquet prior to talks to discuss the world hunger crisis.
The top story in The Financial Times is the "very frank" talks between British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Relations between the two countries have fallen to their lowest point since the Cold War after Russia refused to extradite to Britain an ex-security guard who is accused of poisoning Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.
The Independent claims that Treasury figures show that the Chancellor is facing a £7.5bn "black hole" in his Budget for next year as a result of the economic downturn.
The Times has a picture of the general synod of the Church of England which is facing a split within its ranks after members voted for the ordination of women bishops.
The Telegraph quotes Tory leader David Cameron’s call for the restoration of personal responsibility, saying people who are poor, fat or addicted to drugs have themselves to blame.
Metro leads with the story - and dramatic picture - of the moment a commuter in Bournemouth was ordered to the floor and searched by armed police, who later realised they had the wrong man.
The Daily Express reports on the latest victim of knife crime in London – a teenager who died after being stabbed 20 days ago.
The Daily Mail says Grand Prix boss Max Mosley has told the court his tawdry £2,500 sex session with five women was a “perfectly harmless private activity”.
And elsewhere…
Le Figaro reports that European Union ministers, meeting in Cannes, have agreed on a common policy to stem illegal immigration in the 27-nation-bloc, expfressing optimism that the "European Pact on Immigration and Asylum" could be finalised by October.
Asahi Shimbun says G8 leaders were cornered into doing more for Africa yesterday as the plight of millions of destitute Africans dominated the agenda in Japan
Washington Post leads with the first-ever meeting between President Medvedev and President Bush on the sidelines of the G8 summit. Medvedev said Moscow and Washington should keep up dialogue despite failing to overcome differences on US missile defence plans in Europe, NATO expansion plans and the status of Kosovo.
Belgrade News reports the Serbian Parliament has backed new Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic's pro-European government, ending five months of political deadlock, triggered by Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia.
Wiener Zeitung reports that the Austrian conservative Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer has called for early elections after accusing his Social Democrats coalition partners of having abandoned the government's common EU policy.
Az-Zaman quotes Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki saying his country wants a timetable for a withdrawal of US troops included in ongoing negotiations with Washington. President Bush is opposed to the idea.
The Jerusalem Post leads with the signing by Israel and the Hezbollah of a UN-mediated prisoner exchange deal which they negotiated last month.
La Gaceta reports that a court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced British mercenary Simon Mann to over 34 years in prison for his confessed role in a failed coup plot in 2004.
The Daily Afghanistan says a Taliban suicide car bomb has hit the Indian Embassy in Kabul, killing 41 people and wounding 141.The Afghan authorities said the attack was coordinated with foreign agents in the region, a likely reference to Pakistan.
The Lancet quotes researchers from the Imperial College in London suggesting lowering blood pressure among people aged over 80 could cut their chances of dementia by 13 per cent. Lower blood pressure is already linked to fewer heart attacks and strokes, according to researchers.
Amsterdam’s Het Parool quotes a study showing that drinking four or more cups of coffee or tea a day can reduce the chances of a pregnancy by 26 per cent. Doctors in the Netherlands said the effect of coffee was the same as that of drinking excess alcohol, being overweight or smoking.
Variety announces that actress Nicole Kidman has given birth to a baby girl. A statement released on behalf of the actress and her husband Keith Urban said that the child has been named Sunday Rose Kidman Urban. Both mother and daughter were doing well.