The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The front pages of the local newspapers are dominated by the life sentence handed down by a court yesterday on a man described by the judge as being a serial killer.
The Times says Salvatore Mangion was jailed for life. He was convicted of fatally stabbing a woman 26 years ago. He had previously been convicted of another murder and is awaiting trial for a third.
In other stories, The Malta Independent features comments by Mepa chairman Austin Walker defending the Authority from corruption claims.
In-Nazzjon features the opening of the trade fair and the PM's cautiously optimistic outlook on the economy.
l-orizzont highlights a statement by the GWU that EU statistics had proved its warnings about growing poverty correct.
The overseas press
Australia has its first female prime minister after the ruling party dumped Kevin Rudd and installed his deputy as leader. Canberra Times says the new leader, Julia Gillard, who was born in South Wales, stood unopposed at a vote in a meeting of the Labour Party's 112 MPs - just hours after a revolt against Mr Rudd.
The Washington Times reports President Obama has sacked his top US commander in Afghanistan, saying he would not tolerate division within his team. General Stanley McChrystal offered his resignation after criticising Mr Obama and his administration in an interview with "Rolling Stone" magazine. He will be replaced by 57-year-old General David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, who will oversee military action in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Spanish radio station Cadena Ser says a high-speed train travelling through a station near Barcelona has hit a group of young people crossing the tracks, killing at least 12 and injuring 17. The group, who had just arrived in the town to celebrate at a beach party marking the start of summer, crossed over the tracks above ground rather than using a designated tunnel underneath.
The International Herald Tribune reports that Belarus has threatened to shut off the flow of Russian gas to Europe within hours in a dispute over money. A European Union official has called the row an "attack" on the whole of the EU after Belarus told Russia it has until the morning to pay up €211 million in transit fees for allowing its supplies to Europe to cross its territory.
The New York Times says the UN body on climate change, accused of ignoring critics and allowing glaring errors into its work, has declared a broader range of experts would write its next report on global warming. The previous panel had 559 members, chosen from 2,000 nominations. This one has 861 experts, picked from 3,000 nominations. Some 60 per cent of the scientists are new to the role.
USA Today says BP chief executive Tony Hayward today handed over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to an American executive brought up in one of the states affected by the disaster. Bob Dudley is now the front man in the efforts to stop the leak and deal with the economic damage it has caused.
Luxembourg's Le Jeudi reports that the Council of Europe has unanimously voted against a general ban on the wearing of the burqa in public. Members of 47 European parliaments warned that if governments imposed such a ban they would be denying women "who genuinely and freely desire to do so" their right to cover their faces.
Journal de Monaco announces Prince Albert is engaged to marry South African former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock. The royal palace issued a statement announcing the engagement of the 52-year-old prince and 32-year-old Miss Wittstock, who worked as a school teacher before moving to the Mediterranean principality.
Sporting Life reports the longest match in tennis history has been suspended for poor light at Wimbledon - after an incredible fifth set of more than 100 games. The record-breaking clash between France's Nicolas Mahut and John Isner of the United States will continue this morning with the score at 59 games all in the fifth set.
The New Musical Express says the ubiquitous droning World Cup horn, the vuvuzela, is making a bid to score in the charts. A team of record producers created "Blow That Vuvuzela" and landed a distribution deal in the space of five days when it looked like the relentless racket could see the instrument banned from grounds. Now the group, calling itself The Voodoo Sellers, will today release the dance track on iTunes.
Television could damage your health! The International Journal of Epidemiology quotes the results of a research by the Medical Research Council showing that watching the World Cup on television could increase the risk of dying from heart disease. Every hour a day spent sitting in front of a television increases the risk of death from heart disease by seven per cent. The study found one in 35 died from heart disease over a 10-year period. The calculation took into account other risk factors such as smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and poor diet.