The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
Times of Malta reports how a court has issued an injunction to halt the signing of the bus contract.
The Malta Independent says the prime minister is still confident that Malta will have a new bus system in January.
In-Nazzjon says the government had presented a Budget which lacked direction and was socially unfair.
l-orizzont says the government is taking a broad view on the environment, according to the prime minister.
The overseas press
Isranews reports widespread condemnation of yesterday’s early morning attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem when two Palestinians armed with guns and meat cleavers killed four men at morning prayers. An Israeli policeman later died in hospital. The two Palestinian cousins who carried out the attack were shot to death by the police. US President Obama has called the attack “horrific” and without justification.
El Pais says the Spanish Parliament has voted in favour of recognizing Palestine. MPs voted 319 in favour and two against the Bill which said the only solution to the conflict was the coexistence of two states, Israel and Palestine.
The New York Times reports the Human Rights Committee of the UN General Assembly has approved a resolution urging the Security Council to refer North Korea’s “harsh human rights situation” to the International Criminal Court.
London’s The Times says Britain has been granting citizenship to more migrants than any other EU country. Official figures showed almost a quarter of new passports handed out to migrants by the 28 EU member states were provided by Britain, making 193,000 foreigners into British citizens in 2012. A separate report, also published yesterday, said that a quarter of the people want to send home all immigrants – both legal and illegal.
People’s Post reports lawyers for Oscar Pistorius have filed court papers opposing a prosecution move to appeal the verdict and sentence in his murder trial. Defence lawyers say Judge Thokozile Masipa should not refer the Olympic runner’s case to South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal because there has been no error in law. Pistorius’ lawyers say she “correctly applied” the law when she acquitted him of murder.
South China Morning Post says Hong Kong police have clashed with pro-democracy demonstrators after a small group attempted to break into the city's legislature. Some 100 police used pepper spray and batons as they battled hundreds of protesters, some in helmets and waving umbrellas – a symbol of their movement – in an angry confrontation that broke out in the early hours.
LBC Radio reports a couple have been “fined” £100 by a Blackpool hotel they described as a “rotten stinking hovel” on travel review website TripAdvisor. Tony and Jan Jenkinson posted the negative comments after being unimpressed with the one night they spent at the Broadway Hotel. The hotel said its policy was to charge for “bad” reviews. Trading Standards from Cumbria County Council are investigating.
Colombia Times says Bogota police are looking for the father of an 11-year-old girl, who was captured smuggling 500g of drugs in her stomach. Police said the girl, who was hiding more than 100 capsules destined for Europe, is the country's youngest ever drug mule. The girl is recovering in hospital under armed guard following an operation to remove the drugs
AGI reports there are now 7.3 billion of people in the world and nearly 1.8 billion, including 600 million girls, are aged between 10 and 24. The United Nations Population Fund expects their number to rise to two billion by 2050. According to the UN agency, the youngsters should be seen as an opportunity to drive economic and social development, boost per-capita incomes and avoid poverty and ensure sustainable development. UNFPA warns the rights of young people must be recognised and protected.
A single 10-second kiss can transfer as many as 80 million bacteria, according to a Dutch scientists’ report published in the journal Microbiome. They monitored the kissing behaviour of 21 couples and found those who kissed nine times a day were most likely to share salivary bugs. Studies suggest the mouth is home to more than 700 different types of bacteria – but some are exchanged more easily than others.