The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times reports that a review of bus routes is on the fast lane. It also focuses on the funeral of Mary Fenech Adami, held yesterday.
The Malta Independent and In-Nazzjon also report about the farewell to the former First Lady. In-Nazzjon in another story, reports on the judicial protest by Air Malta against the airline pilots’ association.
l-orizzont reports on the crash of a light plane in Gozo yesterday. It also marks the third anniversary of the disappearance of the fishing boat Simshar and says that what really happened is still not certain.
The overseas press
The Washington Times quotes US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton saying that President Assad of Syria has lost legitimacy in the eyes of the United States and was not indispensible. In what observers saw as the strongest statement yet by the Obama administration, Clinton said the United States had no interests in President Assad being in power and expressed hope for a democratic transformation in Syria.
The hacking scandal in Britain has escalated and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is under growing pressure with several newspapers from his News International Corporation now under suspicion. The Guardian claims the former prime minister, Gordon Brown, was repeatedly targeted by The Sun and the Sunday Times, which allegedly hacked his voicemail, obtained his bank details and his family's medical records. Among claims made by the broadsheet are that details from his son's medical records were obtained by The Sun, who published a story about the child's serious illness. In a statement, Brown said he was "shocked" by the allegations that his family's personal details were hacked by News International journalists.
Börzen Zeitung quotes eurozone finance ministers declaring they were determined to stop the Greek debt crisis from spreading to larger economies such as Spain and Italy. After meeting in Brussels, Eurozone chairman Jean Claude Junker said they had taken a series of measures including giving countries more time to repay bailout loans and lowering interest rates.
Betar Radio says at least 44 children – 38 Muslim and six Hindus –died in Bangladesh when a truck carrying schoolboys back from watching a football match crashed and flipped over into a water-filled ditch. The police said 10 other children were taken to hospital in a critical condition.
Jan Morcha reports that railway workers have began clearing the mangled wreckage of a derailed passenger train in northern India after ending a rescue operation that found 68 bodies. At least 239 passengers were injured when the train jumped the tracks near Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh state.
La Razon says the Bolivian government has appealed for help from neighbouring countries to reach thousands of people stranded by the worst snow storms in 20 years. It aid it needed helicopters to drop aid to isolated communities and heavy machinery to clear the roads.
Cyprus Mail reports that the country’s defence minister and military chief have both resigned over an explosion of seized containers of gunpowder at the island’s main navy base which killed 12 people, including the head of the navy and the commander of the base. A government spokesman said a recent meeting concluded that safety at the site needed to be improved but the recommendations had not been implemented.
Al Ahram says masked gunmen have blown up a terminal of the Egyptian natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan in a predawn attack this morning. Security officials said four assailants ordered the guards on duty to leave and then blew up the terminal, starting a huge fire that sent flames shooting into the air that lit up the night sky. There were no casualties.
Meanwhile, The Egyptian Gazette quotes Prime Minister Essam Sharaf promising to reshuffle his cabinet within a week in response to protests against the slow pace of reform following the overthrow of President Mubarak last February. He had set the deadline of July 15 for the dismissal of police officers accused of killing protesters during the uprising.
Levante says doctors in Spain have carried out the world’s first double leg transplant, giving new limbs to a patient who lost both at mid-thigh in an accident. The Valencia regional government said the surgical team was led by Dr Pedro Cavadas, who in 2009 carried out Spain’s first face transplant – the first anywhere to include a new tongue and jaw. It said the operation at La Fe Hospital in Valencia was extremely complex and Dr Cavadas will wait at least 48 hours to release more information. The operation began Sunday night, and lasted some 14 hours.
ABC News reports that a baby boy weighing 16 lbs (7.26 kg) has been born in Texas – more than double the average weight of a newborn. Baby JaMichael, who has been nicknamed “Moses”, was the heaviest baby to be born at Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview, and reportedly the largest newborn in the Lone Star State. The mother’s obstetrician said both his mother and father were large people, and she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which contributed to the baby's size. Both mother and baby were doing well, even if parents have been warned of the increased risks due to the baby’s size.