The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times quotes the leader of the Opposition criticizing the government for not keeping its electoral promises and Budget projections. It also reports on the compilation fo evidence in the case of a man accused of killing his Ukrainian wife last week. It says the victim and her jealous husband 'fought a lot'.
The Malta Independent also picks up the theme when it reports Joseph Muscat's reaction to the Budget. It also reports the Australian Prime Minister's apology for abuses committed against child migrants
l-orizzont quotes Labour leader Joseph Muscat saying in Parliament that the Budget had offered no solutions to the country and households. The newspaper also recounts the experiences of Maltese child migrants in Australia and says an Australian government apology made yesterday came too late.
In-Nazzjon reports Finance Minister Tonio Fenech saying that Joseph Muscat in his Budget speech reaction had ignored the Budget measures to stimulate the economy. The newspaper also reports on ETC efforts to stamp out illegal employment and the Australian apology to child migrants.
The Press in Britain...
The Times reports British forces are being told to "bribe" potential Taliban recruits to stop them from fighting for insurgents. The claim comes as yet another British soldier was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan - bringing the British death toll there so far this year to 97.
The Guardian says Prime Minister Gordon Brown has raised the prospect of agreeing a timetable for the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, claiming almost half of al-Qaida's leadership had been killed.
The Independent reports on a former soldier, silent for six years, who broke ranks to accuse his superior officer and former comrades of beating and torturing Iraqi prisoners.
The Daily Telegraph says some of the country's most dangerous suspected terrorists have received more than £600,000 to pay for living costs while under surveillance.
The Financial Times claims Children's Secretary Ed Balls has requested an inflation-busting £2.6bn budget increase over three years for education.
According to The Scotsman, a judge spoke of society's "horror and despair" as he sentenced two girls and a boy for torturing a 14-year-old and filming the violence.
The Sun says council tax increase a staggering £21.3 billion last year and has doubled under Labour in 10 years.
The Daily Mail says that despite a fall in oil prices, petrol had gone up by 26 per cent in one year and warns that a further £5 increase per gallon is expected by Christmas.
The Daily Express reports a Labour candidate caused outrage after he called the Queen a "parasite" and likened her to "vermin" on Facebook.
Metro warns rail commuters that although regulated fares will drop next year, others will rise by as much as 15 per cent to compensate.
The Daily Mirror has an interview with singer Susan Boyle who claims she was beaten and bullied as a child.
The Daily Star reports Model Katie Price, aka Jordan, sparked mayhem by stripping off twice within an hour of arriving at the "I'm A Celebrity" jungle camp.
The Herald says Alex Salmond has rapped the BBC for failing to commit to the Commonwealth Games in 2014 as it emerged a bailout is to plug a shortfall from TV money.
And elsewhere...
Brussels' Le Soir reports environmentalists have called for a global ban on the trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, after the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the body responsible for managing stocks, cut the 2010 quota for eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna from 22,000 tonnes in 2009 to 13,500 tonnes. It did not suspend outright fishing of the threatened species.
China Post says President Barack Obama gave a delicate but pointed reminder to China about its poor human rights record at the start of his first visit to the country.
The People's Daily reports President Obama is now in Beijing to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao. Trade, climate change and economic issues were expected to dominate.
Koha Ditore says Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci claimed victory in local elections after securing 16 of the 36 municipalities. Run-offs will now be held in a month's time between the top two contenders in the remaining 20 towns.
Berliner Zeitung quotes German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledging to support Serbia in its bid to apply for EU membership.
USA Today reports space shuttle Atlantis has rocketed into orbit with six astronauts and a full load of spare parts for the International Space Station.
Mail & Guardian reports that a woman has survived after being thrown off a 200ft bridge by car thieves in South Africa. Kavisha Seevnarain was carjacked and forced at gunpoint to go to cash machines to take out money. The 26-year-old suffered seven broken ribs and a fractured pelvis from the fall.
Journal de Monaco announced that a man who drove away from a French bank with €11.6 million in an armored car turned himself into police after two weeks on the run. Toni Musulin, 39, surrendered to authorities in Monaco. Musulin, who worked as an armored car driver, drove off in the work van after two colleagues had gone back inside a bank to collect more money.