The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times reports that Finance Minister Tonio Fenech has warned that the government would itself import medicines if the importers stopped doing so after their prices were found to be excessive. It also says that Opposition leader Joseph Muscat did not take part in the 10-hour Budget debate on the Office of the Prime Minister, which ended yesterday.
The Malta Independent reports the arrival of King Juan Carlos on a two-day state visit. It also quotes Education Minister Dolores Cristina expressing optimism that the education reform launched yesterday would yield long term positive results. In another story, it says that aircraft maintenance firm SR Technics left Ireland and moved to Malta because of costs.
In-Nazzjon says Malta is seeking EU funds to carry out job-creating capital projects. It also says Lufthansa Technik is continuing to engage workers.
l-orizzont says the building of a new sports complex in Kirkop has been practically abandoned.
The Press in Britain...
The Independent leads on the Iraq War inquiry, claiming crucial information was withheld from public hearings on the grounds it is too .
The Daily Mail reports that Gordon Brown has been accused of engineering a new Iraq cover-up by giving Whitehall clearance to block the release of secret documents about the war.
Metro reports that Barack Obama has agreed to cut America's carbon dioxide emissions by more than four-fifths in the next 40 years.
The Daily Express says David Cameron has accused Gordon Brown of allowing taypayer money to go to Muslim schools linked to Islamic extremists.
The Sun leads with an interview with a cabbie who says he helped to capture fugitive killer Jane Andrews after she climbed into the back of his taxi.
The Guardian reveals Government plans to move hundreds of thousands of civil servants out of Whitehall and into the regions.
The Times reports on the bank's landmark court victory over unauthorised overdraft fees.
The Mirror says Susan Boyle has burst into tears on her US tour, prompting fears she may be struggling to cope with fame.
The Daily Star leads with Kate Price, aka Jordan, and her struggle to get back X-rated pictures from dumped lover Alex Reid before he sells them.
And elsewhere...
USA Today quotes President Barack Obama saying he will attend next month's Copenhagen climate change summit. The president will lay out his goals for reducing the United States' carbon dioxide emissions, pledging to cut heat-trapping pollution by about 17% from 2005 levels by 2020.
Strasbourg's L'Alsace says Euro-MPs have approved new Europe-wide rules helping car drivers choose the most efficient and quietest tyres. The European Commission says the move, which will come into force in 2012, could mean fuel savings equivalent to 6.6 million tonnes of oil across Europe by 2020 - more than the annual oil consumption of a country such as Hungary. The most optimistic forecast for reduced emissions is about the same as removing 1.3 million cars from the road every year.
Vietnam Express reports Vietnam it will build its first two nuclear power plants, costing €7.3 billion, to meet booming demand. Construction of the first plant will start in 2014. Vietnam projects that the country's demand for power is expected to grow 16 per cent a year until 2015.
Times of India says groups in Mumbai held vigils, calling for police reform and painting murals to remember the 166 killed in the deadly terror attacks that paralysed Mumbai for 60 hours, last year when 10 Pakistan-based gunmen fanned out across the Indian financial capital, shooting up luxury hotels, a major train station and other sites. Police and military struggled for nearly three days to regain control. Seven men were charged in Pakistan on Wednesday for their roles in the assault.
Toronto Star reports two of Canada's former military chiefs denied they ignored evidence that prisoners handed over to Afghanistan's intelligence service were tortured. They said reports by a former senior diplomat in Afghanistan never mentioned that prisoners were at risk of torture in 2006.
According to Corriere della Sera, Italian prosecutors have asked for jail terms for four current and former Google executives over a video showing a teen with Down Syndrome being bullied. The video, which showed four male high school students humiliating the youth, was filmed by a mobile phone and posted on the site in 2006, where it remained for two months. Google strongly denounced the case.
Tribune de Genève says film director Roman Polanski has been granted €3 million bail to be released from prison and kept under house arrest and electronic monitoring at his Swiss chalet.
Le Jounal de Tangier reports a Swiss pilot aiming to become the first person to complete an intercontinental crossing using a jet-powered wing was forced to ditch into the sea. Yves ‘Jet Man' Rossy, 50, was aiming to cross from Africa to Europe with the jet-propelled wing strapped to his back. But about 15 minutes after he took off from above Tangier in Morocco, Rossy parachuted into the sea.
The Washington Post says after 10 months in office, President Barack Obama has granted his first pardon - to Courage, a 20.5 kilo turkey spared from the Thanksgiving dinner table. Accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia, Obama stood under the North Portico of the White House to honour a holiday tradition that dates back to 1947 - receiving a bird from the National Turkey Federation. On the Thanksgiving holiday, the last Thursday in November, many Americans have turkey for lunch or dinner. Obama said Courage would spend the rest of his life in "peace and tranquility" at a Disneyland amusement park.