The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says state school teachers will go on strike today after talks failed. Social Policy Minister John Dalli, meanwhile, called for a fresh effort to forge a Social Pact.
The Malta Independent says Brussels was seeing an urgent need for Malta to modernise its pension system because of growing demands from an aging population. It also says Malta will be absent from an EU swine flu meeting because of lack of pairing.
The lack of pairing is the main story on In-Nazzjon, which says the PL remains the ‘no’ party.
l-orizzont says an internal board of inquiry has been set up following its reports of dumping of remains outside Addolorata Cemetery. It also says the MUT felt threatened by a letter sent by the Education Division on the eve of the teachers’ strike.
The Press in Britain
The Sun focuses on the swine flu virus which is confirmed to have infected five people in Britain. It reports a school was closed after a 12-year-old girl was found to have the disease,
The Prime Minister's attempt to stop Gurkha war veterans living in Britain was overturned in what The Daily Telegraph is calling a "humiliating defeat".
The Times claims Gordon Brown is struggling to maintain his authority over Labour MPs.
The Daily Mail says the vote puts the PM under "overwhelming pressure".
The Daily Express shows Joanna Lumley celebrating with Gurkhas after the Government's defeat.
The Guardian sees hope for the economy as consumer confidence is the highest it has been for a year.
The Daily Mirror reports a two-year-old girl who knows the capital of nearly every country in the world is "Britain's brainiest child".
And elsewhere…
As fear and uncertainty about the swine flu circled the globe, La Tribune de Geneve says the World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its pandemic alert for swine flu to the second highest level, meaning a global outbreak of the disease is imminent because of widespread human-to-human transmission. WHO confirmed at least 114 cases in nine countries.
In other developments:
El Universal quotes the mayor of Mexico City, the centre of the epidemic, saying the outbreak seemed to be stabilising and he was considering easing the city-wide shutdown that closed schools, restaurants, concert halls and sports arenas. Swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people in Mexico and infecting 2,400.
The The International Herald Tribune says Germany confirmed three swine flu cases and Austria one, while the number of confirmed cases rose to five in Britain and four in Spain.
Texas Globe reports the US reported the first death outside Mexico, that of a 23-month-old Mexican boy who had travelled with his family to Houston, Texas.
Al Ahram says Egypt’s government ordered the slaughter of all pigs in the country as a precaution, though no swine flu cases have been reported there. Egypt’s overwhelmingly Muslim population does not eat pork, but farmers raise up to 350,000 pigs for the Christian minority.
Al Jazeera reports the central African nation of Gabon became the latest nation to ban pork imports, despite assurances that swine flu was not related to eating pork.
According to Trabajadores, Cuba eased its flight ban, deciding just to block flights coming in from Mexico.
Asian Observer reports Asian nations greeted travellers with teams of medical workers and carts of disinfectants, eager to keep swine flu from infecting their continent.
Le Parisien says France will ask the European Union to suspend flights to Mexico. The US, the European Union and other countries have discouraged non-essential travel to Mexico.
The Dominion Post reports New Zealand’s number of swine flu cases rose to 14 and tests were taking place on 44 other possible cases.
Sydney Morning Herald says in Australia, officials were testing more than 100 people with flu symptoms for the virus and the government gave health authorities wide powers to contain contagious diseases.
In other news…
RIA Novosti reports a Russian anti-submarine vessel has seized a vessel with 29 suspected pirates on board off the coast of Somalia.
Asian Tribune says the visiting French and British foreign ministers have urged the Sri Lanka government to accept a ceasefire in its war with ethnic Tamil rebels to save the lives of civilians in the war zone.
The Washington Post says President Barack Obama has said he was pleased but not satisfied with the progress achieved during his first 100 days in office.
Choson Simbo quotes a North Korea Foreign Office statement saying Pyongyang would conduct nuclear and missile tests unless the UN Security Council apologises for criticising its rocket launch earlier this month.
Dawn reports the Pakistan army has killed more than 50 militants in an operation to halt a push by Taliban militants toward the capital Islamabad.
Belgium Times says a Europe-wide alert system for missing children has received a one million euro handout from the European Commission on the eve of the second anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance from a Portuguese holiday resort. Her parents have campaigned for closer co-operation between EU countries to help prevent child abductions across borders.
Advertising Age says scenes of abused children, singing dogs and sexy cartoons featured in the ten most controversial adverts of 2008. But despite a record total of 26,000 complaints – an increase of 27 per cent – for the first time, none of the ten most controversial adverts was banned.