The following are the top stories in the national and international press today.
All newspapers give major importance to yesterday's judgement in which Magistrate Saviour Demicoli found two priests guilty of sexually abusing boys in their care 20 years ago.
The Times publishes a photo of the two priests outside the court and says that a charge sheet error led to one of the priests being acquitted of the charge.
MaltaToday said that the Pope last month signed a decree for the defrocking of Fr Charles Pulis from the priesthood but the MSSP has not yet implemented the decision.
The Independent published a photo of two of the victims and both l-Orizzont and in-Nazzjon say that the two priests have been given an 11-year jail term between them.
In another story, l-Orizzont says that the government does not deny it has plans to again increase the cost of water and electricity.
MaltaToday says that the two major political parties have reached an agreement with Enemalta on the payment of their utility bills.
The international press
The Financial Times says emergency government meetings are taking place in Spain and Italy after their borrowing costs hit new highs since the single currency was established. Sole 24 Ore reports Italian Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti has called an emergency meeting in Rome to assess the situation and was expected to meet Jean-Claude Juncker, the chairman of the Eurogroup meetings of eurozone nations, later today.
El Pais eports the increasingly bleak situation has led to Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero delaying his holiday to monitor developments. Spain's main stock market closed down 2.2 per cent after plunging 3.2 per cent the day before, and hitting its lowest level since July 2010.
Cyprus Mail says the government was facing calls from its largest bank for "immediate and effective action" to avoid being forced to seek a EU bailout. The country's economy was recently downgraded by ratings agencies.
The Wall Street Journal reports that markets have been worried again by fears the US economy may be sliding back toward recession. The Dow Jones industrial average in the US ended down 2.19 per cent, while the tech-based Nasdaq dropped 2.75 per cent despite the Senate approving an emergency bill by 74-26 to lift its $14.3 trillion (€10 trillion) debt ceiling. Under the deal, the debt limit would rise by at least $2.1 trillion seeing the Treasury through the 2012 Presidential election. The agreement cuts government spending by at least $2.1trillion over a decade and does not increase taxes.
Al Ahram says former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak starts undergoing trial today on charges of corruption and ordering the killing of protesters during the 18-day Egyptian uprising that toppled him after holding unquestioned power for 29 years. He is expected to appear during the trial sitting in a cage set up for him and his co-defendants, including his two sons and his former interior minister. The charges could bring a death sentence, traditionally carried out by hanging.
Corriere della Sera reports that an Italian parliamentary commission has approved a draft law banning women from wearing a burqa, naqib or any other garb that covers the face in public. The news agency Ansa said third parties who force women to cover their faces in public would be fined €30,000 and face up to 12 months in jail. The draft would be forwarded to Parliament after the summer recess.
The Norwegian mass circulation newspaper Verdens Gang quotes the leader of Norway’s right-wing Progress Party saying that former party member Anders Behring Breivik’s anti-Muslim views were “perversely unique” and not in any way linked to her party. Siv Jensen said that Breivik – who has confessed to the July 22 bombing and youth camp shooting spree that killed 77 people in Norway – had kept a low profile and never revealed his murderous plans while he was a member of the party until 2006. The Progress Party is one of Europe’s most successful anti-immigration parties.
The Guardian reports that former managing editor of the News of the World Stuart Kuttner, 71, has been released on bail after was questioned by the Metropolitan police on suspicion of phone hacking and inappropriate payments to police. He is the eleventh person to be arrested since Scotland Yard’s fresh investigation into phone hacking was launched in January.
Meanwhile, Metro says the protester who threw a foam pie at Rupert Murdoch has been jailed for six weeks. Jonathan May-Bowles, 26, pleaded guilty last week to assaulting the 80-year-old media tycoon as he gave evidence to a House of Commons committee about the phone hacking scandal.
Asharq Al Awsat reports that Saudi Arabia plans to build the world’s tallest tower. Kingdom Tower, at 3,280ft, would include a hotel, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums and offices, occupying roughly 5.4 million square feet. It is part of the first phase of Kingdom City, a sprawling project designed to cover a two-square mile area, in the Red Sea city of Jiddah. It is expected to cost €842 million.