The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says Labour has called for a vote in Parliament over ministers’ pay. It also reports how a man was jailed for life for the murder of a bank messenger almost 11 years ago.
The Malta Independent says the Children’s Commissioner left out a crucial conclusion of a divorce study, which said that by and large, the children do well. The commissioner quoted from the study on Monday to underline that divorce was harmful for children.
MaltaToday says that the honoraria issue may cost Gonzi his government.
In-Nazzjon gives prominence to the meeting yesterday between Lawrence Gonzi and David Cameron.
l-orizzont leads with comments by the GWU general secretary that occupational safety is a right not a privilege. It also says that detention service employees have joined the GWU.
The overseas press:
As auditors from the EU and the IMF conduct a quarterly review of austerity measures in Greece, Deutsche Welle reports that European politicians have warned against too much speculation that Greece's debt would need to be restructured. Speculation has mounted in recent weeks that Greece would need a drastic overhaul of the terms of last year's €110 billion bailout or that Athens might need a completely new bailout to stay afloat. There has also been speculation that Greece could abandon the euro altogether.
NATO warplanes have launched a new round of airstrikes in Tripoli. Al Jazeera says the attacks were the heaviest for several weeks. Reports say four buildings were targeted, including Col Gaddafi's family complex, the military intelligence agency and state TV headquarters. Brigadier General Claudio Gabellini, an Italian officer serving on the planning staff at NATO's headquarters in Naples, has denied that the coalition forces were targeting Gaddafi. NATO has meanwhile said it had carried out 6,000 raids over Libya since it assumed command of military operations there at the end of March.
Norway has refused asylum to the former nurse of Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi. Verdens Gang quoted several unnamed sources as saying 38-year-old Ukrainian Galyna Kolotnytska, who had been described as a "voluptuous blonde" by diplomatic cables, was still in Norway despite the rejection of her asylum claim.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticised China's crackdown on dissent, saying Beijing would fail on its efforts to resist democracy. In an interview with The Atlantic, published during high-level talks with a Chinese delegation in Washington, Mrs Clinton said China was running scared because of the popular uprisings in the Arab world and was trying “to stop history”.
Tribune de Genève quotes Western diplomats sayog Kuwait would replace Syria as a candidate for a seat on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council. Syria’s violent campaign against anti-government protests has drawn increased criticism from western, Arab and Asian countries. A Syrian human rights group says 757 civilians have been killed in Syria since an uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in mid-March.
The sons of Osama bin Laden broke their silence on Tuesday, denouncing his "arbitrary killing" and saying the whole family felt demeaned and humiliated by the father's burial at sea. In a statement given to The New York Times, the sons asked why their father "was not arrested and tried in a court of law so that the truth is revealed to the people of the world". The statement also called for the al-Qaeda leader's three wives and 13 children to be released.
USA Today says President Obama has called for a comprehensive overhaul of US immigration laws. Speaking in Texas, he said fixing the system would reduce the number of people entering the country illegally to look for work and allow border agents to focus on threats from drug traffickers and terrorists. It is estimated there are some 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
In London, The Times alleges that six FIFA officials offered to work as fixers for Qatar's bid to host the World Cup and suggested paying "huge bribes" as part of a strategy to win the race. A Commons committee was told that FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou from Cameroon and Jacques Anouma from the Ivory Coast received bribes of $1.5 million to back Qatar's 2022 bid. Qatar easily won 2022 hosting rights, with Australia receiving just one vote of the 22 on offer.
Meanwhile, Daily Star said a former head of the English football association has accused four FIFA executives of seeking bribes in return for supporting England’s bid to host the world cup in 2018. Lord David Triesman said one member of FIFA’s executive has asked for several million dollars while another requested a knighthood. England was knocked out in the second round of the ballot, mustering just two of 22 votes. Russia later went on to win with 13 votes.