Malta and international press digest

The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press today:

The Times leads with the resignation of the Director of Prisons, whose request to go back to the police corps was accepted. It also reports how Labour MP Karl Chircop will be taken to the UK for specialised treatment tomorrow.

The Malta Independent leads with a story on housing, saying Maltese couples are $1.75bn in debt.

Malta Today Midweek asks if Charles Azzopardi is above the law, saying no action has been taken over alleged fishing irregularities.

l-orizzont says shots were fired on Monday-Tuesday night at a house near Siggiewi. A mother and her daughter who live there were not hurt.

In-Nazzjon highlights the work which has started on the building of a new government boys’ secondary school at Iz-Zokkrija, near Mosta.

Business Today reports that despite privatisation, Malta Shipyards will still have a promotional stand at a Tripoli fair in October. It also reports that the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has reported a 1% drop in tourism in July.

The Press in Britain…

The Daily Mail says the number of civilians given police powers increased by nearly 500 over two years. Staff at private security firms, NHS trusts and housing associations have received Home Office accreditation to hand out fines for various offences.

The Daily Express leads with the same story, saying the Tories have accused the government of "policing on the cheap". The Daily Telegraph's main story covers a deal struck by the NHS to provide patients, at risk of going blind, with a sight-saving drug.

The Independent reveals the credit crunch has caused traffic levels to drop for the first time since congestion began to be measured.

Metro says mortgage lending is down 65 per cent, first-time buyers need an average deposit of a £40,000 and a quarter of owners with a 'sub-prime' mortgage are falling behind on repayments.

The Times quotes shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley saying overweight people need to face up to reality to conquer obesity and live healthily.

The Mirror has a picture of Olympic heroine Rebecca Adlington with new gold designer shoes - the second pair she has been presented with after bringing home two gold swimming medals for Team GB.

And elsewhere…

Pravda quotes President Medvedev warning Russia might respond to a US missile shield in Europe through military means. He said the Russians were "not afraid" of another Cold War.

Choson Sinbo says North Korea has said it is reversing steps to disable its Yongbyon nuclear facilities and is considering restoring the reactor to its original state. The move comes after the United States refused to take North Korea off its terrorism black list.

ABC reports Barack Obama's former nomination rival Hillary Clinton – whose name has become shorthand for party disunity at the Democratic Party convention – thanked her supporters, urged them to back Obama in November, and emphasized the Democrats' plan to regenerate the economy.

Al-Jamahariya reports that a hijacked Sudanese passenger aircraft with an estimated 95 passengers on board landed in Kufra in southern Libya. Three senior members of the former Sudan Liberation Movement are on board the plane.

Toronto Star says an Air France-KLM Boeing 747 aircraft skidded off the runway at Montreal's Trudeau airport on Tuesday but there were no injuries or serious damage.

Het Parool reports that a Dutch passenger jet bound for Turkey with more than 110 passengers on board has been grounded after a threat of a possible hostage taking or hijacking was made to a police emergency number.

Zimbabwe Independent quotes the Movement for Democratic Change saying President Mugabe's opening of parliament Tuesday was "illegal" and called for power-sharing talks to resume quickly.

Le Matin says hurricane Gustav hit Haiti last night, causing a landslide that killed a man in Benet. Forecasters said that Gustav will strengthen as it heads towards Cuba, where it is expected to hit today.

Beirut’s Daily Star says a leading international rights watchdog has called for an investigation into the number of immigrant maids dying in Lebanon. Human Rights Watch said that at least 95 have died since 2007, mostly in suicides or attempts to escape abuse.

Corriere della Sera says an Italian priest who said he wanted to hold the world's first on-line beauty contest for nuns has decided to cancel the project, saying he was misunderstood. Antonio Rungi said he had never intended to put sisters on the catwalk, but had wanted to erase a stereotype of them as being old and dour.