The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
All the newspapers report yesterday’s tragic death of a policeman whose car crashed into the sea at Cirkewwa.
In other stories, The Times reports how a student was charged over an attack on a dean two days ago.
The Malta Independent says Brussels wants less talk, more solidarity among member states over asylum seekers.
In-Nazzjon leads with the new car scrappage scheme.
The overseas press
Deutsche Welle reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis would not be solved overnight. Speaking to the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, Chancellor Merkel described the eurozone debt situation as "the worst crisis since the introduction of the euro" and said that resolving it was a process that would take years to achieve. In a speech to outline her government’s vision for securing the future of the common currency, Merkel called for a "sustained strengthening of the European economic and currency union", saying the process of creating a fiscal union had already begun.
Le Soir says tens of thousands of protesters have marched through Belgium’s capital to protest against new austerity measures brought on by Europe’s financial crisis. The unions specifically oppose the extension of early retirement, cuts in unemployment benefits and the social security budget. Union leaders are to meet Elio Di Rupo, the Socialist leader who pushed through the budget measures and is set to be sworn in as prime minister on Monday.
The Washington Times quotes US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta urging Israel to "mend fences" with Turkey, Egypt and others in the Middle East to reduce its growing isolation. In a speech in Washington, he said Israel was not entirely to blame, referring to an "international campaign" to isolate it. Mr Panetta called on Israel to restart peace talks with the Palestinians. He said the US remained committed to Israel's security and would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
Tribune de Genève reports the UN Human Rights Council has strongly condemned the violence in Syria and is to appoint a special investigator on the crackdown, during which some 4,000 anti-government protesters are thought to have been killed. Observers said this was the toughest resolution ever passed by the Geneva-based council. Earlier, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay called for "urgent" action to protect civilians in Syria.
According to Börzen Zeitung, Royal Dutch Shell has said it will halt its operations in Syria to comply with sanctions imposed by the European Union over the country's violent crackdown on anti-government protesters. It was not clear whether that will mean any reduction in Syria's oil output. The Anglo-Dutch firm is a minority partner in Syria's state-owned Al Furat Petroleum Company, which the EU blacklisted today due to the country's deadly crackdown on protesters.
Al Ahram reports that the ultra-conservative Islamist party, Salafi Nour, planned to push for a stricter religious code in Egypt after claiming surprisingly strong gains in the first round of parliamentary elections. Salafis advocate a strict interpretation of Islam that includes a staunch segregation of the sexes and constraints on individual freedoms. The party expects to get 30 per cent of the vote – enough to put it in a strong position to influence policy.
The New York Times quotes Human Rights Watch saying at least 18 people have been killed and 100 seriously injured in election violence in Congo, with most of the deaths caused by troops loyal to President Joseph Kabila, who is seeking re-election. The violence peaked on Saturday when tens of thousands of people descended on Kinshasa's airport to welcome leading opposition candidate Etienne Tshisekedi, who was returning from campaigning in the interior. Analysts are concerned that there could be further bloodshed when the election results are announced next Tuesday.
According to the BBC, a report in Saudi Arabia has warned that if Saudi women were given the right to drive, it would spell the end of virginity and increase prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce in the country. The report was prepared for Saudi Arabia's legislative assembly, the Shura Council, by a well-known conservative academic. Though there is no formal ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia, if they get behind the wheel, they can be arrested. Saudi women have mounted several campaigns to try to overturn the ban.
El Pais says prostitutes working on the street outside a town northern Spain have been ordered to wear reflective vests to make them visible to passing traffic and reduce the risk of accidents. Women touting for customers on a rural highway outside Els Alamus near Lleida in Catalonia have been told to don the yellow fluorescent bibs or pay fines of €40 under road traffic laws because they posed a danger to drivers. The prostitutes are in breach of 2004 law which states pedestrians on major highways and hard shoulders must wear the high visibility garments.