The following are the leading stories in the Maltese and international press:

The Times says Brussels is insisting on immediate action to stop Spring hunting, and the College of Commissioners may decide today to take Malta to the European Court.

In-Nazzjon says the pharmacy of your choice scheme is working and is to be extended to most localities by the end of this year. It also reports on its front page Dr Gonzi’s speech during the parliamentary debate on the ratification of the Lisbon treaty.

l-orizzont, quoting Labour leader Alfred Sant, says the ultimate aim of a Labour government will be to remove the power surcharge. It also reports that Malta has slipped in a league table by Transparency International on the least corrupt countries.

The Malta Independent says the Go group has spent €94 million on a stake in a Greek telecoms company.

Business Today says the MFSA is being secretive on whether there will be a revision of bank charges.

The Express reports four men have pleaded guilty to an Islamic terrorist plot to abduct a British soldier off the streets and behead him “like a pig”. The plan was to spread fear within British forces.

The Times says a woman's quest for justice against rapist Iorworth Hoare - who won £7m on the lottery - is to end in victory, meaning that thousands of sex assault victims will be able to sue their attackers.

The Independent says scientists performing experimental brain surgery stumbled across a mechanism that could unlock how memory works.

The Telegraph’s lead story claims the number of people paying the highest level of income tax has almost doubled since Labour came to power.

The Guardian says more than a million homeowners face losing their properties because of an economic slowdown.

The Financial Times reveals Société Générale is to call in independent auditors to examine events leading to the rogue trading scandal.T

he Mirror reports that Girls Aloud's singer Cheryl Cheryl has confirmed she is leaving disgraced husband Ashley because she can’t take it anymore following reports that he had sex with a 22-year-old hairdresser. However, the paper leads with the revelation of a man, who won £19m on the Lottery, that a heart defect could kill him at any moment, declaring he would give all the money back if he could have the chance to live a longer life with his wife.

The Sun says Tory leader David Cameron has vowed to give powers to the police to step in and tackle street crime on the spot. It also reports that both Cheryl Cole and the hairdresser her husband was involved in “are on the verge of a nervous breakdown”.

Meanwhile, the Star claims Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has 'fallen' for two fat ladies. Manchester Evening News reports the Home Office thwarted Sven-Goran Eriksson’s plan to bring Nashat Akram, a 24-year-old star of Iraq's Asian Cup-winning team, to play for his Manchester City side by refusing the Iraqi footballer a work permit. The Home Office says to gain a work permit a player's national side must be in FIFA's top 70. Iraq isn't.

and elsewhere…

European leaders have urged Kenyan leaders to use a new dialogue in a bid to bring an end to the cycle of violence sweeping the country. The Nation says the EU call came as former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan begun formal crisis talks in Nairobi between Kenya's rival leaders. Yesterday, 22 people were killed, including an opposition politician.

The Miami Herald leads with Hillary Clinton’s win of the Democratic primary in Florida in a largely symbolic victory, boosting her White House bid ahead of Super Tuesday when more than 20 states vote on February 5. With 35 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton was leading Barack Obama by 49 percent to 30 percent in the vote. Meanwhile John McCain was running neck and neck with Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination.(He eventually won it).

The Wall Street Journal reveals the FBI is probing 14 sub-prime mortgage firms suspected of possible fraud or insider trading in connection with loans made to risky borrowers.

Chumhuriyet reveals Turkey's Islamic-rooted government has submitted a compromise proposal to parliament to ease the ban on wearing Islamic-style headscarves at Turkish universities, proposing only loosely-tied scarves under the chin would be allowed. The main opposition Republican People's Party has vowed to challenge any changes in the Constitutional Court, calling a lifting of the ban a threat to the republic.

Beijing Morning Post says China’s worst winter storms in five decades are showing no signs of letting up, as cities suffer power cuts and transport systems remain paralysed. Thousands of train services and flights have been cancelled, disrupting travel plans for millions of Chinese striving to return home for the Lunar New Year, which begins next week. The extreme weather has been blamed for more than 50 deaths so far.