The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
Times of Malta recalls the superpower summit 25 years ago in Malta between Presidents Bush and Gorbachev. It also quotes minister Manuel Mallia saying he never asked for a cover-up.
The Malta Independent says it stands by its investigation after Transport Malta denied that the records of a car which blocked a hospital helipad had been deleted.
In-Nazzjon highlights a judicial protest by the Malta Police Association, calling on the government to stop undermining the independence of the Corps.
l-orizzont leads with a court decision rejecting a request for an injunction to stop the granting of a casino licence to the Eden Leisure Group.
The overseas press
Russia lashed out at NATO yesterday, with deputy foreign minister Alexei Meshkov telling Interfax news agency the alliance risked “destabilising” Europe with military drills linked to a spike in tensions over the Ukraine crisis.
Meanwhile, Le Soir reports Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has voiced concern about Russia’s “aggressive” behaviour. He told a press conference that beginning early next year NATO will have a new reaction force ready, which can be deployed more rapidly on its eastern border.
Hurryiet says President Putin unexpectedly announced Russia was shelving the multi-billion dollar South Stream pipeline project to deliver Russian gas to the Europe, blaming the EU for throwing obstacles in its path.
Sole 24 Ore quotes Italy’s Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan saying the EU was struggling to exit a prolonged period of recession, with weak but clear signs of recovery. Addressing representatives of the 28 EU member states, he called on Europe to focus its policies on growth and employment.
La Tribune reports some 8,000 angry employers marched in coordinated rallies across France to protest against “policies that have suffocated businesses for the last 30 years” and calling for the deregulation of France’s economy.
Pope Francis and other religious leaders will today sign a joint declaration for faiths to work to eliminate modern forms of slavery and human trafficking by 2020. Ansa says the leaders include those of Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist faiths as well as other Christian churches, including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
The Associated Press reports President Obama has asked Congress for $263 million (€211 million) to improve police training, pay for body cameras and restore trust in policing. The request came after a week of nationwide protests over perceived policing injustices. Ferguson in Missouri was rocked by riots after a grand jury failed to charge a white police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man.
Oriental Daily says a prominent Hong Kong teen protest leader has said that he was going on a hunger strike after a failed attempt by pro-democracy activists to step up their flagging movement for democratic reforms by surrounding government headquarters. Joshua Wong’s announcement came after protesters battled police armed with pepper spray, batons and riot shields for hours before being driven off a main road outside the complex at dawn.
France 24 reports the French parliament is today expected to give official recognition to Palestine in what is seen as “a strong symbolic move”. Israeli officials have condemned the vote with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it “a serious mistake”.
Huffington Post reports health professionals have marked World AIDS Day by calling for redoubled efforts despite signs that treatment is giving relief to millions of sufferers. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the worst hit by the 30-year pandemic, which has killed up to 40 million people worldwide.
La Tribune de Genève says according to WHO, Liberia and Guinea have met a target for preventing Ebola’s spread. Sierra Leone has fallen short but could get on track shortly.
Diabetes ages the mind about five years faster than normal, and those diagnosed in their 50s are far more likely to experience mental decline by age 70, researchers said. The study in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found 19 percent more mental decline than expected in participants with poorly-controlled diabetes, and smaller declines for those with controlled diabetes and pre-diabetes.