The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press today:
The Times reports the death of the soldier who was involved in an incident while training at Chadwick Lakes last Friday.
The Malta Independent quotes the Prime Minister saying that the 14 offers made in the Malta Shipyards privatization exercise showed confidence in the country. It also quotes Joseph Muscat saying the full truth still has to come out about the project for the extension of St John’s Museum.
In-Nazzjon also leads with Dr Gonzi’s comments on positive signs for job creation.
l-orizzont reports Dr Muscat saying more has to be revealed on the proposed extension of St John’s Museum.
The Press in Britain
The Sun reveals that a British and a French nuclear submarine collided in mid-Atlantic earlier this month, when submerged on separate missions and could have both sunk or released deadly radioactivity. The Royal Navy’s HMS Vanguard and the French Navy’s Le Triomphant are both nuclear powered and were carrying nuke missiles. Between them they had around 250 sailors on board.
The Daily Express leads with a claim that migrant workers are prepared to work for just £2 an hour.
The Mirror claims cancer patient Jade Goody and her partner exchanged rings yesterday in a tearful riverside ceremony.
The Daily Star says Jade got her dying wish when her lover Jack Tweed asked her to be his wife.
The Times leads with ministers’ condemnation of bonuses for bankers, which it says signals the end of City fat-cats.
The Guardian declares the government will ban executive bonuses for banks which are partially government owned.
The Telegraph leads with comments by the chairman of the Financial Services Authority, who said HBOS could have been saved without the Lloyds takeover.
The Independent reports into the alleged misuse of $125bn of American reconstruction funds in Iraq – “a fraud bigger than Madoff”, it says.
According to the Daily Mail, a new drug has been developed by scientists who claim it erases bad memories.
And elsewhere…
Shimbun reports that Japan’s economy contracted 3.3 per cent in the fourth quarter – the fastest pace in 35 years. Figures issued by the government early today show Japan's GDP dropped at an annual pace of 12.7 per cent. That's the steepest drop for Japan since the oil shock of 1974. It far outpaces declines of 3.8 per cent in the US and 1.2 per cent in the euro zone.
El Mundo says Venezuelans have voted to lift limits on terms in office for elected officials, allowing President Hugo Chavez to stand for re-election. With 94 per cent of the vote counted, 54 per cent had voted to end term limits.
Chicago Tribune quotes climate researchers warning that carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 3.5 per cent per year during the past nine years, despite widespread concern over global warming. International scientists said sea levels were also rising faster than expected.
The Age reports that memorial services have been held across Australia to mourn the victims of bushfires that have killed more than 180 people. In an effort to stop the fires from spreading, controlled burning has been carried out in Victoria over the weekend, where eight fires were still burning.
The Irish Times quotes Irish Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche saying it would be unwise for the country to rush into a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in the next few weeks. Reacting to a request that a new vote be taken in April, Roche said he agreed Ireland needed to reaffirm its commitment to Europe as soon as possible, but he claimed a number of issues must be sorted out first to ensure that Irish voters are more positive this time around.
Chicago Tribune quotes climate researchers warning that carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 3.5 per cent per year during the past nine years, despite widespread concern over global warming. International scientists said sea levels were also rising faster than expected.
Chumhuriyet reports Turkish police have arrested 50 stone-throwing demonstrators across the predominantly Kurdish south-east of Turkey during protests marking the tenth anniversary of the capture of rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan. Some 20 people, including police officers, were injured.
Afghan Times quoted President Hamid Karzai saying he will send a delegation to the United States to join Washington's strategic review of its war on terror.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Times reports that Taliban militants have said they will adhere to a 10-day-long cease-fire in Pakistan's Swat Valley during peace talks with the government. The announcement came a day after Taliban militants in the region freed a Chinese engineer held captive for nearly six months.
El Universal says seven tons of cocaine have been seized by the Mexico's navy, using help from the United States coastguard.
Space Observer reveals the US Federal Aviation Administration has received reports of falling debris across Texas, which could be related to a recent satellite collision.
Chile’s El Mercurio reports that a helicopter carrying firefighters from a forest fire has crashed into a hill near Chanco, killing 13 people on board.
O Globo says the HIV infection rate in women over 50 in Brazil has more than tripled since 1996, making this population group the prime target of the government's HIV/AIDS prevention campaign during the carnival festivities. A survey by the Health Ministry found that 55.3 per cent of Brazilian women aged between 50 and 64 regularly have sex, but only 28 percent practise safe sex including condom use with casual contacts, that is with men who are not their regular partners.