Malta and international press digest

The following are the leading stories in Maltese and foreign newspapers.

The Times' lead story reveals that a severe shortage of heroin has personnel in drug prevention services worried about the possible repercussions the bad quality blend available may have on users.

The Malta Independent quotes GWU Secretary General Tony Zarb claiming that four years after joining the EU, the Maltese government has still not yet ratified any ILO convention on occupational health and safety.

The same story is the lead in the GWU's l-orizzont, which also reports the pending closure of Mc Neill Ltd, a German-owned school bag factory in Hal Far. Redundancy notices have already been handed out to its 85 Maltese workers.

In-Nazzjon leads with the Nationalist Party's scathing attack on Dr Alfred Sant's surgeon, deploring his comments at the Labour Party's general conference and accusing him of using the operation to gain personal political mileage.

Il-Gens illum quotes Archbishop Paul Cremona, who yesterday celebrated the first anniversary of his episcopate, suggesting a programme in preparation for the Pauline Year that starts on June 29.

The Press in Britain

The Daily Mail says the parents of Madeleine McCann, the three-year-old who vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal nine months ago, are in talks to secure a deal with two of America's biggest chat show stars.

The Daily Express also reports that Oprah is in a £1m bid to get the McCanns on her TV show but leads with a story on restricted open days held by the fire brigade in a bid to recruit more ethnic minority staff.

The Mirror leads with the claim that Girls Aloud's Cheryl Cole has reacted angrily to news of her husband Ashley's alleged fling with a hairdresser.

The Sun also splashes a picture of the once-happy couple on its front page and quotes angry Cheryl telling Ashley: "It's over! Get out! You have ruined it all".

The Daily Telegraph has a picture of 20-year-old Harriet McCormick, who killed herself nine months after being raped. An inquest into her death heard she blamed herself for the attack.

The Times reports that the dangers of internet sites that encourage suicide and says discussion about taking your own life are to be part of an official review of child safety on the web.

The Guardian claims that Boris Johnson's London mayoral campaign is receiving financial support from a controversial Japanese company that has clashed with Ken Livingstone over plans for development in the capital.

The Scotsman reports on controversial plans to erect 176 wind turbines on the protected Isle of Lewis.

The Star has the news that fearful of body-snatchers, armed police are guarding the corpse of Heath Ledger, who died this week from a suspected overdose.

And elsewhere...

Middle East Times reports that Egyptian authorities have failed in their attempts to seal the Rafah frontier with the Gaza Strip after the hardline Palestinian Hamas movement used a bulldozer to force another breach in the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Thousands broke through police barriers and streamed toward Egyptian towns.

Vienna's Kurier says far-right political leaders from four EU nations have unveiled plans to form and launch a pan-European "patriotic" party by 15 November. The heads of far-right parties from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and France said their aim was to defend Europe against "Islamisation" and immigrants.

Brussels' Le Soir unveils EU plans to revise toy safety standards throughout the 27-nation bloc, including a ban on some chemicals and on packaging toys as giveaways with foods like sweets or cereals. Enterprise Commissioner Guenther Verheugen said he also wanted a complete ban on toys containing carcinogens across from 2009.

Le Parisien reports French police have searched the Paris apartment of a rogue trader 31-year-old Jérôme Kerviel, who lost his bank, Société Générale, a massive €4.9bn. Police officers left with several briefcases after spending more than two hours in the apartment. Legal action has been started against the junior trader.

Hillary Clinton and John McCain have won a major endorsement ahead of key primary elections in their parties' nomination contest. The New York Times said the former First Lady would be "the best choice" for the Democrats, and endorsed Republican McCain for his stance on Iraq. It attacked former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, describing him as "a narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man".

La Nuova Sardegna reports the American flag was lowered for the last time yesterday at the United States Navy nuclear submarine base at La Maddalena. The base, set up by a secret accord in the depths of the Cold War, provided support for nuclear submarines as well as ships in the US Navy's IV Fleet and NATO ships. The Pentagon decided to withdraw from the base, which housed 2,600 Americans, in 2005 because the international situation had changed and it was time for the Americans "to move on''.

Afghanistan's Payam-e-Muhajid reports that more than 330 people, many of them children, have died in a spell of arctic weather conditions. ActionAid has appealed to the international community to help over 28,000 people in 179 villages in the Jawzia province where temperatures as low as -30⁰C have been registered.

Ashar-Al-Awsat quotes President Musharraf of Pakistan dismissing concerns over the forthcoming general election, insisting it will be "free, fair and peaceful". Speaking in London on a visit which will see him hold talks with Gordon Brown, Musharraf rejected suggestions that US troops could be brought in to root out al-Qaeda extremists, or guard nuclear weapons.

Las Vegas Sun reports a fire at the Monte Carlo hotel-casino in Las Vegas forced guests and gamblers to flee and sent a plume of smoke above the world-famous Strip. The blaze spread from the centre section of the hotel across the roof before easing an hour later. MGM Mirage, the casino's owner, said officials went door-to-door evacuating the 3,000 rooms in the 32-storey hotel.