The following are the top items in the Maltese and overseas press today.
The Times reports how a former policeman was accused of major crimes and how a bomb was found in Qormi yesterday. The stories also feature in other newspaper
The Malta Independent says that international couples will be able to choose which divorce law applies to them.
Malta Today also reports how the so-called ‘boss of bosses’ was charged in court yesterday.
In-Nazzjon leads with the former police inspector’s arraignment. It also reports how the toughest ever budget in Ireland was presented yesterday.
l-orizzont says businessman Joe Baldacchino, who was shot in Valletta, may have to live with a bullet in his back.
The overseas press
Environment Today quotes UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon describing the world's efforts to contain climate change "insufficient" and urging countries meeting in Cancun, Mexico,to come up with a "breakthrough". Ban told the UN-led talks of more than 190 nations that Cancun must represent a breakthrough. Delegates have said the two-week talks had been making steady progress, but largely on small issues, with the hardest decisions – including on nations' cuts in carbon emissions – put off until later. Mr Ban
The Financial Times leads with the bail refusal to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has vowed to fight attempts to extradite him to Sweden. The 39-year-old Australian was remanded in custody after appearing before a judge over claims he sexually assaulted two women in August. His legal team claimed the reopening of the inquiry was ‘politically motivated’ to appease the US, which had been humiliated by recent revelations on WikiLeaks. Mr Assange's lawyer Mark Stevens told Sky News he had described the Swedish process as “a persecution and not a prosecution”. Within minutes of the hearing, Swedish Globe quoted Swedish authorities insisting the charges had nothing to do with the Wikileaks website.
The Guardian reviews the latest batch of WikiLeaks documents, reporting that US embassy cables reveal the UK government's fear that Libya would have taken 'harsh and immediate' action if the Lockerbie bomber was not released early. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi made "thuggish" threats to halt all trade deals with the UK and harass embassy staff if Abdelbaset al Megrahi was not freed. The documents also suggested Tripoli offered a "parade of treats" to the Scottish devolved government if it let the convicted mass killer go. The incentives were refused.
The Wall Street Journal reports that stocks in the US have hit a two-year high as speculators bet that President Obama and Republicans have reached a deal over taxes that would lead to growth next year in the US economy. The deal that would keep tax cuts for the wealthy in place and unemployment benefits renewed.
The Daily Mail says Britain's education system was now inferior to that of Estonia, Poland and the Slovak Republic in reading, maths and science. The OECD report, which compared the standards of 15-year-olds in 65 developed countries, noted the world's richest countries risked losing the edge gained by better education as standards rose sharply in, for example, South Korea which outshone all other countries on the list. Girls beat boys on reading standards irrespective of whether their country was rich or poor.
The Times says 18 nations have joined China’s boycott of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony after weeks of pressure from Beijing over the plan to honour the jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo. The latest to declined invitations to Friday’s ceremony in Oslo were Pakistan and Serbia. The no-shows include Russia, Iran, Cuba, Vietnam, Venezuela, Colombia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. Many of the countries sent back invitations after Beijing warned of consequences if diplomats attended.
The New Zealand Herald reports a motorist caught speeding in London two years ago moved to New Zealand only to be booked by the same police officer for again exceeding the limit. Former London bobby Andy Flitton ticketed the man in Britain two years ago, shortly before migrating to New Zealand – then caught him again in September on a highway in the South Island.
The Columbus Dispatch says Richard Finch, co-founder and bassist of 1970s disco hitmakers KC and the Sunshine Band, was sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing several teenage boys. Court records showed that Finch, 56, had seven victims. Three of them were 14 or 15 years old at the time of the crimes.