The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times of Malta leads with the conviction of David Zerafa for the murder of a Gozitan lawyer. It carries a close-up of Zerafa’s eyes, which the victim’s wife identified. The newspaper also reports how Joseph Muscat has assumed the justice portfolio.
The Malta Independent leads with the prime minister’s press conference yesterday and what is describes as a ‘mini-reshuffle’.
MaltaToday reports on ‘secret chats’ on the John Dalli case between the Office of the Prime Minister (under the old government) and the European Commission office in Malta.
In-Nazzjon refers to yesterday’s ministerial statement in parliament and says the prime minister tried to hide the blacklisting of the Chinese company who will carry out a feasibility study on the possible Gozo bridge.
l-orizzont gives prominence to an address by GWU General Secretary Tony Zarb at an ILO conference where he insisted that exploitation of workers has to stop.
The overseas press
The process of declaring former Pope John Paul II a saint took a major step forward yesterday, when the board of theologians of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved his second miracle. Vatican sources have told ANSA that it seems likely that John Paul II – who was beatified on May 1, 201 – will be proclaimed a saint on October 20. The first miracle attributed to him was the “inexplicable cure” of a French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, from Parkinson's Disease. The second miracle that will be attributed to him remains a closely guarded secret but sources say it will “amaze the world”. The Catholic Church has been keenly awaiting the canonisation of the charismatic John Paul II, one of the most popular popes in history, since he died in 2005 aged 84.
According to Euronews, British Prime Minister David Cameron is claiming a remarkable set of agreements for the latest G8 summit, especially on Syria, where he said the leaders had been able to bring to the table a number of issues that had previously been thought to be off limits. Importantly, the G8 declaration will also carry Russia’s signature. He said “all share a vital interest in bringing this conflict to an end, and helping the Syrian people to achieve the change they want”. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned unproven claims of atrocities were a poor reason to arm the rebels.
Deutsche Welle announces the arrival in Berlin of President Obama at the start of a visit during which he will address crowds at the city's Brandenburg Gate. He last addressed Berliners as a presidential candidate in 2008 – drawing a crowd estimated at 200,000 in the once-divided city. He is first due to have talks with Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel.
The Associated News reports the Taliban and the US will hold talks on finding a political solution to ending nearly 12 years of war in Afghanistan, as the international coalition formally handed over control of the country's security to the Afghan army and police. The Taliban met a key US demand by pledging not to use Afghanistan as a base to threaten other countries, although the Americans said they must also denounce al-Qaida. Meanwhile, The Washington Post quotes US officials saying four American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan by insurgents at Bagram air base.
The US has foiled a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange because of the sweeping surveillance programmes at the heart of a debate over national security and personal privacy. The New York Times says the announcement was made by officials at the House Intelligence Committee hearing to defend the once-secret programmes and did little probing of claims that the collection of people's phone records and Internet usage has disrupted dozens of terrorist plots. Few details were volunteered
The Independent reports that a UK parliamentary commission has advocated that bank bosses should face prosecution if their actions lead to bailouts. The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards (PCBS), which was set up after last summer's Libor-manipulation scandal led to Barclays being fined £290 million (€338.3 million), said in its final report that all areas of British banking required urgent change.
RFI says French authorities have were forces to close the grotto at Lourdes and evacuated about 200 people following flash floods at the pilgrimage site. The grotto, where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a peasant girl in 1858, is not accessible due to 1.5 metres of water on its inside. The nearby Gothic chapel was not harmed by the floods.
Il Tempo says that a court in Rome has sentenced a young Romanian woman to four years in prison for attempted murder after she abandoned her newborn baby inside a Mc Donalds toilet bowl. Andreia Grancea, 21, gave birth to the infant in the bathroom at a Mc Donald's in Rome in December last year before fleeing the scene. The baby survived after it was rescued by two girls who entered the toilet minutes later.
O Globo quotes Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff saying she is proud of the tens of thousands of people who have taken to the streets to demand better education, schools and transport. Demonstrations, which began last week in response to rises in public transport fares, have turned into a nation-wide rally against bad governance and corruption. In her first comments since the demonstrations started, Rousseff said her government was listening to the voices calling for change.
Meanwhile, Folha reports FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denied that the Confederations Cup and World Cup were the causes for mass protests across Brazil. At a press conference on Tuesday he said Brazil had asked FIFA to host the World Cup. “We didn't impose the World Cup on Brazil. It's obvious that we had to build stadiums. But they aren't the only thing needed for a World Cup. There are also roads, hotels, airports and many things that remain as a legacy." Blatter said he was confident the protests would not affect the Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up event currently being played in six Brazilian cities.