The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says prisoners are popping pills like there is no tomorrow. These are mostly prescription drugs.
The Malta Independent says a decision will be taken by Mepa today on whether to grant a permit for a gaming outlet in the heart of Senglea.
l-orizzont reports how a large part of one side of the Azurre Window in Dwejra Gozo has collapsed, widening the ‘window’ but possibly making the structure more dangerous.
In-Nazzjon says the extension of the MCESD announced by the prime minister has been welcomed.
The overseas press
The New York Times reports that the UN Security Council early this morning strongly condemned North Korea's rocket launch, announcing it would impose new sanctions and warning of further action if Pyongyang conducted another launch or a new nuclear test.
Expansión reports that the Spanish government has warned regional governments it could seize control of their finances as the country struggles to cut its budget deficit – one of Europe's largest – and shore up investor confidence.
El Pais says that the Spanish government has denounced “the hostile and arbitrary announcement” by Argentina of plans to nationalise a Spanish-controlled oil company, YPF, owned by Spanish firm Repsol.
Dagbladet reports that the man accused of killing 77 people in bomb and gun attacks in Norway last July is due to take to the stand on the second day of his trial in Oslo. Yesterday, Anders Behring Breivik pleaded not guilty to acts of terror and mass murder. He admitted carrying out twin attacks – a car bombing followed by a shotting rampage on a youth camp. He said he had acted to protect Norway from multi-culturalism and Islam.
The Wall Street Journal says the World Bank has chosen American academic Jim Yong Kim as its next president. A 52-year-old US health expert and educator, President Obam’s nominee was chosen over the Nigerian Finance Minister. South Korea-born Kim succeeds outgoing Robert Zoellick. The US-raised physician and anthropologist, with degrees from Harvard University, has a strong record in developing programmes to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in poor countries.
The Los Angeles Times reports from Beirut that as six members of the UN monitoring mission began setting up operations headquarters and reaching out to both sides of the Syrian conflict, the violence continued to slip toward the level it had been before a cease-fire began last Thursday.
Kabul Times says President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan has blamed intelligence failures, particularly on the part of NATO forces, for the biggest coordinated militant attacks on Kabul in 10 years of war. Mr Karzai's accusation came after an 18-hour assault by squads of Taliban, some disguised as women in burkas, on government offices, embassies and foreign bases in Kabul and neighbouring provinces. The attacks left 51 dead, including four civilians, 11 members of the security forces and 36 militants.
ABC quotes an Israeli army spokesman saying it had suspended a senior officer who was videoed striking a foreign peace activist in the face with an assault rifle in an apparently unprovoked attack. The footage, shot by a Palestinian cameraman, was posted on YouTube and then rebroadcast by Israeli television stations. It shows Lieutenant Colonel Shalom Eisner walking up to a man taking part in a bicycle ride in the Jordan valley near Jericho, and without warning, hitting him in the face with his M-16 automatic weapon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack.
Al Jazeera reports Sudan's parliament has branded South Sudan an "enemy" and called for the swift recapture of a disputed oil-producing region. South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan last July, seized the contested Heglig oilfield last Tuesday, prompting its northern neighbour to vow to recapture the area by "all means". South Sudanese information minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin called the decision "ludicrous".
The Washington Post says a harrowing photo of a young girl standing screaming in the middle of a pile of bodies after a suicide bombing in Afghanistan has won its photographer a Pulitzer Prize. Photographer Massoud Hossaini's Pulitzer for breaking news photography was the first to be awarded to the Agence France-Presse news agency, which he works for. The New York Times was the only multiple winner, picking up prizes for international reporting and explanatory reporting in a year with a number of first-time winners, including Politico and The Huffington Post.
Dawn reports that doctors in Pakistan are fighting to save the life of a baby boy who was born with six legs because of a rare genetic condition which affects only one in a million or more babies. The baby's father, an X-ray technician, said he was grateful his son was being treated.
MSNBC quotes statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons which show that “chinplants” – surgical procedures that enhance and define the chin line – increased by 71 percent between 2010 and 2011, outdoing breast augmentation, liposuction and even Botox, which increased a mere five percent between 2010 and 2011. The society reported that the procedure is now popular with both men and women, with nearly 21,000 Americans opting for the operation last year alone. The biggest increase was in people over 40.
United States authorities have blamed an aggressive swan for the drowning death of a man in the state of Illinois. The Chicago Tribune says the 37-year-old man was kayaking in a pond when the swan attacked him and he fell into the water. Witnesses said the swan continued to attack the man as he struggled to stay afloat, and he eventually drowned.