The following are the top stories in the national and international press today.
Time of Malta says that National Express Group, a British firm in the race for Malta’s public transport service has expressed concern over the viability of the deal as laid out in the call for expression of interest issued by the government. In another story, the newspaper quotes Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi saying that the reduction in domestic utility tariffs, by an average 25 per cent, will come into force “by the end of this month.
The Malta Independent says that Social Solidarity Minister Marie Lousie Coleiro Preca, who is expected to be nominated President this week, harshly opposed a plan by Castille to transfer social workers from her responsibility to the health ministry.
L-Orizzont quotes Law Commissioner Franco Debono saying that there was nothing self defeating in the fact that Parliament was waiting for the Constitutional Court decision before continuing with the Farrugia Sacco impeachment motion.
In-Nazzjon leads with a report of Opposition leader Simon Busuttil’s address yesterday saying the Prime Minister was being dishonest with the people.
International news
Los Angeles Times says British director Steve McQueen's film 12 Years A Slave has won the best picture award at this year's Oscars. The Best Actor award went to Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club; Best Actress: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine; Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club and Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o for f'12 Years a Slave. The Best Director Award went to Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity and the Italian The Great Beauty won the Best Foreign Film Award.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted a proposal by German Chancellor Angela Merkel aimed at easing tensions in Ukraine. Deutsche Welle reports the German proposal involves a fact-finding mission and a “contact group” on Ukraine that could be led by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
RIA Novosti says Putin defended Russia's action against “ultranationalist forces” in Ukraine during the conversation. A Kremlin statement posted online said Putin spoke with Merkel by phone today, and that he “directed her attention to the unrelenting threat of violence” to “Russian citizens and the whole Russian-speaking population”.
Le Monde reports that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated the Alliance's concern with regard to the authorisation of an armed intervention against Ukraine granted by the Russian Parliament, and confirmed it will stand by Kiev.
VOA News quotes American officials saying US Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Kiev to lend support to the new interim leaders, adding that Russian forces now controlled the Crimean peninsula. He will be there on Tuesday.
Kyiv Post says the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky swore allegiance to pro-Russin authorities in Crimea – a mere day after his appointment by interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov.
Two Libyan MPs have been shot and injured as they were trying to flee from the General National Congress (Libyan Parliament) in Tripoli, attacked by gunmen on Sunday. Congress president Nuri Abu Sahmain told Al-Nabaa TV network the armed demonstrators broke into the building to protest against the extension of the term of the Congress, which should have been dissolved on last month, and for the kidnapping, overnight, of one of their supporters during a sit-in outside the building.
AFP quotes Nigerian police saying at least 74 people have been killed in three weekend attacks in Nigeria's restive northeast, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives since 2009.