The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press today:
The Times says Malta is facing an uphill battle to have the EU accept burden sharing in a new Immigration Pact. It also reports how 10 students were shot in a rampage in a school in Finland.
The Malta Independent says the EIB has granted Enemalta €150 million for capital projects. It also reports that the Malta has slipped three places in the international corruption perceptions index.
l-orizzont leads with a statement by Labour leader Joseph Muscat, who said yesterday that the immigration issue has become ‘a national crisis’
In-Nazzjon focuses on an industrial zone for SMEs being built near Zabbar, saying it has the potential to create 200 jobs.
Malta Today discusses the cancer risks faced by young children who use mobile phones. It also reports that Joseph Muscat is helping Joseph Cuschieri find a job. Cuschieri is to give his parliamentary seat to Muscat.
The Press in Britain…
Most newspapers lead with British Prime Minister Gordon speech defying calls to quit and vowing to stand by his beliefs.
Other stories reported:
The Daily Mail leads with Google’s launch of its first mobile phone – a serious competitor to Apple's much sought-after iPhone.
The Times says tens of thousands of theatre tickets will be given away to young people as part of a government campaign to foster a lifelong love of drama.
The Guardian claims that billionaire John Paulson has been one of the hedge fund bosses who has been short-selling UK bank shares.
The Independent quotes a report saying the controversial drug Ritalin is being over-prescribed to children to control unruly behaviour.
The Herald says the report suggests Ritalin should no longer be the first treatment offered for calming hyperactive children.
The Sun reports Variety Star Jade Goody's cancer ordeal has worsened and the grueling chemo she needs will now last a year.
The Daily Mirror says Britain's first "Barbie and Ken" dolls for Muslim children have been launched.
According to The Daily Star, one in five young Britons wants to quit the UK because the credit crunch is so depressing.
The Daily Express reports motoring groups have renewed calls for a cut in fuel duty.
And elsewhere...
The New York Times leads with President Bush’s farewell address to the UN General Assembly accusing Iran and Syria of continuing to sponsor terrorism. He warned that the UN was needed more urgently than ever to fight extremism.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Abrar quotes President Ahmadinejad telling world leaders in New York that some "bullying" powers were trying to thwart Iran's peaceful nuclear ambitions. He said Tehran would resist and defend its right to nuclear power.
Nikkei Weekly reports that Japan's central bank has injected1.5 trillion yen, the equivalent of 14.2 billion dollars, into the Tokyo money market as worries about a US financial rescue plan sparked fresh turmoil on global bourses. The OECD has welcomed the rescue plan.
Akhbar al-Youm says the 19 hostages seized in the Egyptian desert last Friday are being held in a border region between Sudan, Libya and Egypt. The paper quotes a Sudanese government spokesman saying there were no plans for any rescue operation that could harm the hostages – five Germans, five Italians, a Romanian and their local guides. The kidnappers are reportedly demanding a ransom of up to 15 million euros.
Helsingin Sanmat leads with the killing of 10 people during a shooting rampage at a vocational school in Kauhajoki in western Finland. The police had interviewed the shooter on Monday, in relation to an internet video he had posted of himself firing a pistol.
Globe and Mail says South Africa's ruling African National Congress is in tatters following the shock resignation of 11 cabinet ministers and three deputy ministers. The Ministers walked out after the party ousted President Thabo Mbeki, six refusing to serve under ANC deputy leader Kgalema Motlanthe, who is expected to be elected acting president by parliament tomorrow.
Bangkok’s The Irrawaddy says Burma's longest-serving political prisoner, journalist Win Tin, has been freed after 19 years in jail.
Adevarul says President Basescu of Romania has dismissed Labour Minister Paul Pacuraru over corruption charges.
24 Heures reports that the multi-billion euro machine designed to reveal the secrets of the beginning of the universe will be out of action until the second quarter of 2009. Scientists said a faulty electrical connection between magnets was likely to blame for a helium leak which caused the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to be shut down last Thursday.
The Straits Times says a compound found in soy beans and chickpeas could benefit people who have suffered a stroke