The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says officials at the Maltese embassy in Tripoli are still at work despite a claim about bribes to issue Schengen visas.
The Malta Independent reports how the President proposed a public forum on constitutional reform.
MaltaToday says the situation of drugs in prison is completely out of hand.
l-orizzont highlights comments by Jesmond Mugliett that the government has a lot of policies but little action on sustainable development.
In-Nazzjon reports how the PN raised €467,880 in its televised fund-raising programme yesterday.
The overseas press
Le Soir reports that five people died and at least 123 were injured after a lunch-hour grenade attack and shooting in the eastern Belgian city of Liege. The police said the gunman died in the attack. Among the dead were two teenagers, a 75-year-old woman and a 17-month-old baby who died of wounds on Tuesday evening. It was not immediately clear what motivated the attack, but authorities said it was not a terrorist incident.
Meanwhile, La Republica says an Italian far-right author shot dead two African street traders and wounded many others before reportedly turning the gun on himself in Florence in an apparent racist attack. In what has been described as a raist attack. The 50-year-old author, Gianluca Casseri, was later found dead, apparently having shot himself.
According to the BBC, several countries – including France, China and Japan – have criticised Canada for formally withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Peter Kent, Canada's Minister of the environment, has said the protocol did not represent a way forward. The move makes Canada the first nation to pull out of the global treaty.
The Financial Times reports that hopes for a sweeping new EU treaty to bind the region’s economies more closely have come under strain as several leaders warned of difficulties pushing a far-reaching pact through their national parliaments. The pressure was particularly acute in non-eurozone countries, but cracks also emerged even inside the 17-member eurozone. European leaders have repeatedly insisted the pact’s substance would not be tailored to get through national referenda or parliaments, but growing questions in national capitals could force their hand.
Meanwhile, The Times says British Prime Minister David Cameron was facing a new ambush over Europe as Conservative MPs plan to force a further Commons vote on Britain’s membership of the European Union. Downing Street feared that Eurosceptics would hijack a vote intended to overhaul the eurozone bailout fund.
Reuters reports that Asian shares drifted lower and the euro floundered near an 11-month low this morning after the US Federal Reserve failed to take any new steps to stimulate growth and offset the chilling effects of Europe's still-unresolved debt crisis. The euro fell as far as $1.30090, its lowest since mid-January, before steadying at around $1.3037. US crude fell back below $100 a barrel and gold was steady around $1,633 an ounce.
A new study, published in the December issue of the Journal of Family Psychology, shows that working mothers have better health and fewer symptoms of depression than those staying at home. The researchers also found that mothers with part-time jobs can balance work and nurturing their children better than those with full-time jobs. They also appeared more sensitive with their preschool children and provided more learning opportunities for toddlers than stay-at-home mums and mothers with full-time jobs.
A collection of jewels owned by the late Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor is being auctioned in New York. Among the items was a necklace with a large pearl known as “la pellegrina” given to the actress by her husband Richard Burton in 1969. It reached a record price of more that $11 million. One buyer paid $600,000 for a diamond and sapphire ring given to Taylor by her friend, late singer Michael Jackson. It has been estimated the four-day sale will fetch more than $30m.