The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says two attempts at mediation of the public transport dispute have failed.
The Malta Independent says the transport strike is characterised by violence and intimidation.It also reports on the official visit to Malta by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Malta Today quoted Transport Federation president Victor Spiteri saying Transport Minister Austin Gatt had offered compensation of €60,000 to be distributed among the 10 hearses owners as compensation for liberalisation.
l-orizzont carries a large heading reading A Violent Strike.
In-Nazzjon leads with the arraignment of four minivan drivers. They were all refused bail.
Business Today says One Productions has been granted a licence to operate cell phone services.
The Press in Britain
The Daily Express reports that immigration is the single biggest cause of public concern.
The Guardian says Tory leader David Cameron has joined the bitterly-contested argument over family breakdown and race by praising Barack Obama’s warning that too many black fathers have abandoned their responsibilities to their children.
The Independent claims the Pope is leading an unprecedented drive by the Roman Catholic Church to prevent the fragmentation of the worldwide Anglican Communion. At the same time, it was announced that the Archbishop of Canterbury is to meet with Muslim leaders to discuss elements of Christianity which he admits may be "offensive" to followers of Islam.
The Daily Mail reveals Home Office plans to detail every phone call, e-mail, text message, internet search and online purchase in the fight against terrorism and other serious crime.
The Daily Mirror carries a story on the sons of canoe wife Anne Darwin who yesterday told of their anger at learning she had let them believe their dad was dead for five years.
The Times has learnt that Britain’s third-largest airline, bmi, will fly near-empty aircraft from this autumn to preserve its coveted multi-million pound take-off and landing slots at Heathrow.
The Telegraph says home owners and others acting in self-defence have been given the legal right to fight back against burglars and muggers free from fear of prosecution.
Metro's leading story suggests young people accounted for half of all new sexually-transmitted infections last year, despite making up just one-eighth of the population.
London Evening Standard reports Robert Murat, a named suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, has reportedly settled libel claims against several British news outlets for £500,000.
The Herald says firefighters have agreed to ballot for strike action after a colleague was sacked over claims he was overweight.
And elsewhere…
The Irish Times says President Nicolas Sarkozy’s declaration that Ireland would have to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty has caused fury within the Irish government.
Le Monde reports that the idea that the EU might agree to allow all member states to keep a permanent commissioner to satisfy Ireland was gaining ground.
Meanwhile, The Washington Times quotes Declan Ganley, the leader of Libertas, one of the leading organisations in the “No” campaign, saying it would be ridiculous and anti-democratic to have a second Lisbon Treaty referendum.
The Washington Times reports that US presidential candidate Barack Obama has said the United States must end its "single-minded" focus on Iraq, as he called for a broad revamping of the national security approach
The Wall Street Journal reports President Bush’s efforts to allay fears surrounding the US economy, saying the US banking system was “basically” sound, despite his administration's rush to prop up the country's ailing mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack. The president spokes as the dollar fell to a record low against the euro after US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke warned of a rough road to economic recovery.
The Jerusalem Post reports that the Israeli cabinet has given final approval for a prisoner swap with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah
Stuttgart Zeitung says a German court has convicted three Iraqi men of belonging to a terrorist organisation and plotting to kill former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi during a visit to Germany in 2004.
De Standaard reports that Belgium's King Albert II has begun talks with parliamentarians to try to pull the country back from a political crisis. Belgium's government collapsed on Tuesday after the lapse of a deadline to establish a compromise on behalf of the country's Dutch and French speaking communities. There is fear the country could split in two if a compromise is not reached.
The New York Times says a UN panel has granted China permission to import elephant ivory from African government stockpiles.