The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times reports how twin bombs at the Boston Marathon killed at least two. It also says that a man is in critical condition after an explosion in his house in Mqabba.
The Malta Independent says a settlement has been signed between Joanne Cassar and the government. Joanne Cassar had a sex change operation and was not allowed to marry.
In-Nazzjon says the police commissioner ordered maximum security over fears that an experienced gang of thieves could strike.
l-orizzont says underage fathers are not recognised by the law. It also highlights a meeting between the GWU and the parliamentary secretary for justice in which the union said industrial law must apply to government workers.
The overseas press
Security has been stepped up across the United and other cities worldwide following two explosions at the Boston Marathon which caused two deaths and injuries to some 125 more in a terrifying scene of broken glass, smoke and severed limbs. One of the victims was an eight-year-old child. Associated Press reports that the Sheriff's Department in Los Angeles activated its emergency operations centre and increased patrols at transit hubs, schools and county buildings, while in New York, critical response teams were deployed citywide and officials stepped up security at hotels and other prominent locations. Meanwhile, police in Washington, San Diego, Las Vegas, Detroit and Atlanta were monitoring events closely and assessing potential increases in security measures. The Federal Aviation Administration placed a no-fly zone over the site of the explosions.
The Boston Globe reports the authorities have still not identified what caused the explosions. President Obama said authorities "will get to the bottom of this". Home security agencies were also stepping up their social media response, telling the public via Twitter and Facebook to report suspicious activity to the police.
The explosions also spurred a review of security at upcoming sporting events. British police said they were re-examining plans for Sunday's London Marathon – the next major international marathon. Chief Superintendent Julia Pendry told Sky News security arrangements would be reviewed. Government and police officials involved in the security for Lady Thatcher's funeral tomorrow are also said to be looking closely at their arrangements.
Deutsche Welle says a report by EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom on human trafficking in the EU shows there were over 23,000 identified or presumed victims of human trafficking between 2008 and 2010 – an increase of 18 per cent. At the same time, the number of convictions dropped by 13 percent. The Commission's report indicated that 62 percent of the human trafficking victims had been used for sexual exploitation. Other victims were forced into labour jobs or had organs removed for trade on the black market. Eighty percent of all victims were women and girls. Only six of the EU's 27 members had ratified the European Parliament’s new measures at the national level.
Reuters reports that hundreds of protesters have clashed with Venezuelan police in the capital after opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles called for demonstrations to demand a recount of votes from Sunday's election to replace the late Hugo Chavez. Police used tear gas to disperse young demonstrators who threw rocks and sticks in an upscale district of Caracas. Capriles has refused to accept the official election result that gave a narrow victory to ruling Socialist Party candidate Nicolas Maduro, saying the result was a fraud because of election day irregularities.
Bloomberg says Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the government to come up with a plan to revive the flagging economy after Economy Minister Andrei Belousov warned that a recession was possible. Putin told Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who will address lawmakers tomorrow, to devise steps to aid “shoots” of growth. Russia’s $2 trillion economy is growing at the weakest pace since a 2009 contraction as Europe’s debt crisis curbed exports and prompted companies to trim investment as the government scaled back spending after elections. Gross domestic product will rise 2.4 per cent this year. Earlier projections had put it at 3.6 per cent. Putin told Medvedev yesterday the slowdown was hurting incomes.
Le Monde announces France's 37 government ministers, along with Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, have published a list of their assets and their values on a special government website. This follows former Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac's dishonorable discharge about an offshore Swiss bank account. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius topped the cabinet rich list with assets of just over $6 million. Eight of the ministers posted assets valued at over €1 million. President Francois Hollande, who had already published such a statement on the Elysee's website, is also worth just over one million. Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, with a total of 268,000 euros, was among the least wealthy.