The Times says a police constable was yesterday cleared of the involuntary killing of his uncle. He was shot accidentally in a hunting incident when a radio aerial got caught up in the trigger housing. It also says that the opposition in Zimbabwe appears to be on the verge of taking power from Robert Mugebe.
l-orizzont says the PN executive is due to meet today to discuss the Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando case, among other issues. Work is being made behind the scenes for a compromise on this issue after Dr Pullicino Orlando reportedly did not tell the prime minister everything about the case. The executive will also discuss which seats will be given up by candidates elected from two districts at the general election.
In-Nazzjon says the PN executive will meet tonight to discuss which districts will be given up by candidates elected from two districts. It carries comments by the Maltese parish priest of Farnborough, where a light plane crashed into a house two days ago, killing five people on board. The paper says domestic tourism to Gozo last weekend reached a record level
The Malta Independent says there are fears that the cost of living adjustment made in January as a result of the Budget is already being eroded because of rising food prices.
Malta Today midweek says George Abela appears determined to contest the MLP leadership election and Alfred Grixti will contest the post of general secretary.
The Press in Britain...
The Independent analyses the seemingly imminent demise from office of President Mugabe.
The Times leads with speculation that Robert Mugabe's reign in Zimbabwe may be coming to an end as South Africa reportedly leads talks on power sharing.
The Guardian also focuses on the events in Zimbabwe, reporting that the opposition is putting pressure on President Mugabe to recognise defeat.
The Scotsman leads on the chilling find of a woman's head on a Scottish beach. Two young girls playing on on the sand found the head in a black plastic bag.
The Daily Express looks at Gordon Brown's reaction to a parliamentary inquiry's call for immigration levels to be capped.
Metro leads with a a story about the creation of a part-human, part-animal hybrid by British scientists. Embryos were created by implanting DNA derived from human skin cells into eggs taken from cows ovaries with virtually all their genetic material removed.
The Daily Mail reports that millions of parents are unaware of the dangers posed by social networking sites. It says teenage girls "think nothing" of posting provocative pictures and personal information.
The Daily Telegraph has the news that First Direct has stopped offering mortgages to any new customers.
The Mirror reports that Channel Five newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky is three months pregnant. The news comes just weeks after the 35-year-old started work at the station following a high-profile move from the BBC reported to be worth £1m a year.
And elsewhere...
The Standard said that with results from 131 of Zimbabwe's 210 constituencies announced, the Movement for Democratic Change had won 67 parliament seats while Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) trailed slightly with 64. There has been no official word on the battle for the presidency between 84-year-old Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Speaking to reporters in Harare, Tsvangirai declined to claim victory, saying he wanted to wait for official results. The opposition and government have denied media reports that they have entered negotiations to transfer power.
Meanwhile, the European Union has called on President Mugabe to step down, saying failure to do so would amount to a "coup d'etat". Strasbourg's L'Alsace says quotes Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel telling journalists after addressing the European Parliament, "If Mr Mugabe continues, it will be a coup d'etat." The Washington Post reports that the United States administration has said that Zimbabweans "voted for change" at the weekend and has urged officials there to announce final results.
Gazeta Polska reports that Poland's lower house of parliament has endorsed the European Union's reform treaty. There had been concerns that opposition parties could have blocked the ratification process. Prime Minister Donald Tusk had threatened to put the issue to a referendum. The charter still needs approval of the upper house and the signature of President Lech Kaczynski.
International Herald Tribune reports from Kiev that President Bush has said that Russia had no right to veto the entry bids of the two ex-Soviet republics.Now in Bucharest, to take part in a NATO summit starting tomorrow, Bush vowed to promote the entries of Ukraine and Georgia into NATO despite Russian resistance. Russia views the attempts by Ukraine and Georgia to enter the western military alliance as a threat. Bush's desire to expand NATO eastward has been met with opposition by some members, including Germany and France.
Baghdad's Pan-Arab newspaper, Al-Ahrar quotes British Defence Secretary Des Browne saying that Britain has postponed plans to withdraw around 1,500 of its troops from Iraq. The decision follows an upsurge in violence that has swept Baghdad, the southern city of Basra and other areas after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki launched a crackdown against Shiite militias. Street battles have left more than 200 dead.
Le Parisien says President Sarkozy of France plans to send a humanitarian mission to Colombia to treat a high-profile hostage Ingrid Betancourt, held by Farc rebels for the past six years. He appealed directly to the left-wing group's leader to release of Betancourt who was reported to be in danger of imminent death. Meanwhile President Uribe of Columbia said he will suspend military operations in any area where the mission plans to travel. He said the French mission, which would be accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, had his full backing.
The Malaysian Star reports that a man divorced his two wives within three minutes. In the Lower Syariah Court, businessman Roslan Ngah, 44, divorced both wives by pronouncing talak (intention to divorce) to each of them. He pronounced talak to his second wife Mastura Ahmad, 35, about 11.50am, then to Norhayati Ismail, 46, before judge Wan Abdul Malik Wan Sidek. The judge said this was the first time in the court's history that two wives had sought a divorce at the same time. Outside the court, Roslan said he felt sad to be separated from his wives whom he claimed had asked him for the divorce.