The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says that alleged victims of child abuse have reported having had ‘amazing' meetings with Vatican top official Mgr Charles Scicluna. It also reports that a court will decide today on a request by a group of residents seeking a warrant to stop the firing of fireworks near their homes.
The Malta Independent says a 38-year-old Maltese man has been held in Italy for alleged drug trafficking. It also highlights protests held in Valletta by a group of youths while the Israeli Foreign Minister held talks in Castille.
In-Nazzjon leads with the €700,000 investment by a hotel in Mellieha. It also reports that a Turkish man has been jailed for 25 years and fined €100,000 for importing 11.5 kilos of heroin.
l-orizzont quotes a local contractor describing the White Rocks project as ‘monkey business'. It also highlights the 25-year jail term for a drug trafficker.
The overseas press:
The Washington Times says Barack Obama and Dimitry Medvedev have marked a warming in relations between their countries during the Russian President's first visit to the US. After wide-ranging talks, President Obama described Medvedev as "a solid and reliable partner". Medvedev said Russia and the US had taken steps towards a better relationshipship that had made the world a safer place.
Toronto Star reports the leaders of the world's industrialized and emerging countries, representing 85 percent of the global economy, are arriving in Toronto for crucial back-to-back summits of the Group-8 and G-20 nations.
USA Today says the US Congress has approved tough, unilateral sanctions against Iran aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions which the Americans believe include nuclear weapons. The extra sanctions are aimed at Iran's energy and banking sectors and would also penalise foreign companies that do business with Iran.
Athens Post reports that a letter bomb delivered to the Greek public order ministry building has exploded, killing a senior official and close aide of Civil Protection Minister Michalis Chryssohoidis. The blast occurred near the minister office.
Le Soir says police investigating cases of sexual abuse on minors searched the home of the former head of the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, seizing computer files after fresh allegations were raised of child sex abuse by pedophile priests. In Leuven, east of Brussels, police also searched the office of the Church commission which has been tracking complaints and compiling evidence about child sex abuse.
Le Parisien reports that French workers went on strike to protest against plans to raise the retirement age to 62. Paris commuters crammed into overcrowded buses and Metro trains where many drivers were on strike. Disruption and cancellations hit the airports because of strikes by air traffic controllers. The French government says the reform to the money-losing pension system was an "obligation", given France's growing deficit and its ageing population.
La Tribune says a 39-year-old prisoner, dubbed France's Hannibal Lecter, has been jailed for 30 years after ripping out his cellmate's lung and eating it. Nicolas Cocaign admitted responsibility at the court for the murder of Thierry Baudry in 2007.
The New York Post reports that the alleged drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has arrived in the US to face trial after being extradited from Jamaica. Coke had been wanted on drug and gun-trafficking charges. At least 73 people died during four days of violence when police and soldiers try to capture him last month. If convicted, he faces life in prison and millions of dollars in fines.
O Globo says Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has promised a massive relief effort for north-eastern regions devastated by floods. After flying over areas to see for himself the extent of the damage he approved more than €240 million in emergency aid.
Metro says a trend in unmarried women in their late thirties having children has helped remove immigration as the main cause of Britain's rising population. The country's population rose by 394,000 to 61.8million last year, with net migration - at 176,000 - accounting for 45 per cent of the increase. There were 58 per cent more unmarried mothers over 35 than married, figures from the Office for National Statistics show. Married women in their twenties and early thirties were still more likely to give birth than their unmarried peers.