The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times interviews Romina Deguara, the mother-of-twins who is offering a kidney following the appeal by Sarah Borg. It also gives prominence to the EU Commission's warning on bird trapping.
The Malta Independent focuses on the EU warning on bird trapping and on the launching of the strategic plan to regulate the environment and development.
In-Nazzjon leads with the public consultation on the new strategic plan for the environment and development.
l-orizzont says Franco Debono had a fresh outburst at the government yesterday.
The overseas press
The BBC reports that a fishing boat has reached the crippled Italian cruise ship adrift in the Indian Ocean with more than 1,000 people on board. The Costa Allegra suffered a fire in its generator room that caused it to lose power south-west of the Seychelles – an area where pirates are active. The vessel has no air-conditioning or cooking facilities and an emergency generator powering the radio "could fail at any minute", according to the Italian coast guard. The ship is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia, which capsized off the Italian coast in last month, killing 32.
Duetsche Welle reports that German parliamentarians have voted overwhelmingly to approve a second international bailout package, worth €130 billion for Greece. Chancellor Angela Merkel had urged them to approve the measure in Germany's interest. Parliamentarians passed the measure by a vote of 496 for and 90 against, including 29 members of the coalition. Merkel would now able to ratify the bailout plan by next Thursday's EU summit in Brussels.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times says ratings agency Standard & Poor's has lowered Greece's credit rating from "highly vulnerable" to "selective default", which, under the rating agency's criteria, represents the step prior to an actual default. S&P explained that the decision was taken following changes to the guarantees on some of Greece's debt.
Pravda reports that Russia has welcomed yesterday's constitutional referendum in Syria as a step towards democracy. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the 54 per cent turnover proved that the influence of opposition groups that called for boycotting the referendum was restricted and gave them no exclusive right to speak on behalf of the Syrian people. A statement issued by the ministry explained that the referendum was "an important step in the path of reforms started by the Syrian government towards a modern democratic state and a new Syria". The United States and western powers dismissed the referendum as "absolutely cynical" and a "farce".
Al Bawaba says that as much as 89 per cent of the 88.5 million Syrians who cast their ballots voted in favour of the constitutional reform promoted by President Bashar al-Assad. The new constitution, announced by the Syrian regime in response to ongoing protests across the country and growing international pressure, puts an end to over five decades of one-party rule by the Baath party, and introduces a presidential limit of two seven-year terms. The reform, however, would come into force only at the end of President Bashar al-Assad's current term of office, in 2014.
Meanwhile, activists of the Local Coordination Committees of Syria have told CNN that at least 125 people were killed across Syria yesteday. The highest number of casualties was once again reported in the city of Homs which has become the symbol of the popular revolt. Sixty-four civilians were killed at a checkpoint in the Abel area, as they were trying to flee shelling in Homs' Bab Amr neighbourhood. They said "security members and thugs (in plain clothes) kidnapped the women" of the group. Later, residents found 47 corpses in one area and 17 others in a second area outside Homs.
Kyiv Post reports that a Kiev court has sentenced former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, a key ally of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, to four years in prison for abuse of power and embezzlement by giving illegal bonuses and perks to his driver. From a cage in the courtroom, Lutsenko said the trial was politically motivated. The European Union has criticised the trial and the verdict, saying the ruling did not respect international standards as regards fair, transparent and independent legal process.
Various British nationals lead with the revelation that senior executives at The Sun were accused of spinning a web of corruption across public life. The Independent reports they had channelled hundreds of thousands of pounds towards a network of crooked police and officials. The Guardian reports the police officer leading the investigation into hacking and bribery claims at News International, Sue Akers, alleged The Sun created a "culture of illegal payments". The i quotes singer Charlotte Church saying that despite the fact that she had received a £600,000 payout from News International over phone hacking, she would continue the fight. "They' re not sorry. They're just sorry they got caught," she said.