The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says Malta is close to a deal on burden-sharing. The issue comes to a head today in a meeting of EU Justice Ministers which will discuss an Immigration Pact. The newspaper also reports that the collapse of Lehman brothers cost Bank of Valletta 0.5 percent of its investment portfolio.
The Malta Independent says Social Policy Minister John Dalli has warned that the government will be tough against the exploitation of workers.
In-Nazzjon says Joseph Muscat is introducing Glenn Bedingfield as his successor in the European Parliament. It also reports that the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development is discussing new power tariffs which will remove the need for the surcharge.
I-orizzont reports that latest estimates show that 60,000 are below the poverty line in Malta. It also reports that Joseph Muscat will resign from the European Parliament this afternoon.
The Press in Britain…
The Times says Gordon Brown's effort to stamp his authority on the Labour Party suffered a setback with the loss of Cabinet ally Ruth Kelly who is resigning as Transport Secretary to spend more time with her young family.
The Daily Mail asks whether Kelly quit or was pushed out of the government but leads with what it calls the 'Great Nuclear Sell-Out' as Britain's only nuclear power company prepares to be bought by the French energy giant EDF.
The Financial Times says the money markets have seized-up again in America as uncertainty deepens over Congress approving a financial rescue plan.
The Guardian leads with news that the British government has drawn up plans to end the 300-year-old exclusion of Catholics from the monarchy.
The Independent reveals the Queen has requested more cash from the government to meet the monarchy's growing expense.
The Daily Telegraph reports that pregnant women are to be given flu jabs from next year, to protect the health of their babies.
The Daily Express leads with claims that hormone replacement therapy can prevent breast cancer.
Metro quotes with a warning from researchers that millions of men who take anti-depressants are at risk of infertility because such drugs “could break up the DNA”.
The Daily Mirror reports that Sir Paul McCartney will need to spend £1.5m on security when he performs in Israel later today.
And elsewhere…
USA Today quotes Republican presidential candidate John McCain saying he was suspending his campaign and returning to Washington to try to seek consensus on a $700-billion bailout plan for Wall Street. The Arizona senator called for a delay to a planned presidential debate with Democrat Barack Obama that had been scheduled to take place tomorrow. Obama, however, says he wants the debate at the University of Mississippi to go ahead.
Meanwhile a Washington Post-ABC News opinion poll finds Obama leading McCain by a clear nine percentage points: 52 per cent to 43 per cent.
Choson Sinbo says North Korea has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it plans to restart its Yongbyon plutonium-reprocessing facility by next week. Agency monitors have already removed all seals and cameras from the reactor.
Helsingin Sonomart quotes Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen calling for stricter gun laws following Tuesday's school shooting in Kauhajoki which left 11 people dead, including the gunman
The New York Times reveals that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany have cancelled a meeting to discuss their efforts to curb Iran's nuclear programme. The talks were called off after the Russian foreign ministry issued a statement saying that Moscow didn't consider it urgent enough.
New York Post says world leaders have renewed pledges to help Africa dramatically reduce poverty, but African governments told rich nations they are lagging on previous promises of increased aid. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it would take $72 billion a year to help Africa.
Az-Zaman reports that Iraqi lawmakers have adopted a law that paves the way for provincial elections in 14 out of 18 provinces by the end of January. MPs agreed to postpone the polls in Kirkuk and three northern provinces that are part of the autonomous Kurdistan region until a formula "satisfactory to all sides" was found.
Akhbar al-Youm reports that Sudanese officials have located the whereabouts of a group of 19 hostages, which includes a number of European tourists. Sudan's foreign ministry said the hostages and their captors were about 25 kilometres into Sudanese territory near the borders with Egypt and Libya.
Gazzetta di Parma reports that a man has been fined €500 for for vet expenses and emotional damage after he threw his wife's cat out of the house for urinating in his briefcase. The wife said she had found the cat on the balcony shivering and hungry after spending the night trying to get back into their apartment.