The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:

The Times reports that the Budget will be announced on November 9. It also reports that Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday said that the Black Monday events of 1979 should never have taken place.

The Malta Independent says the bus network is to increase by 71 percent.

In-Nazzjon reports that the bus network is being radically reformed, with an increase in routes and frequencies. It also reports that activity at SmartCity is going according to plans.

l-orizzont reports how the food bill has increased by 15%. It also quotes the president of the healthcare section of the Chamber of Commerce saying that the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme while good in principle, had been introduced too quickly before an election, without sufficient consultation with the players involved.

The Press in Britain...

The Times says the Middle East peace process is on the brink of collapse with Britain and others failing to back Israel in a key UN vote.

The Daily Telegraph asks why the Crown Prosecution service has not acted on two-year old evidence that could lead to the prosecution of two Libyan men for the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher.

The Independent leads with a Cambridge University report that says British children are getting a worse education than in Victorian times.

The Guardian quotes the same report, saying schoolchildren should not start formal lessons until they are six.

The Financial Times says there is a widening gap between the resurgence of Wall Street and the struggling underlying economy.

According to the Daily Mail, a year after the recession hit Britain, bankers are gorging on bonuses and high-risk mortgages are back too.

Metro reports that Tory MP David Wilshire will stand down at the next election after allegedly claiming over £100,000 in expenses for his own firm.

The Daily Record reports a pregnant 17-year-old has died at a Scottish hospital after catching swine flu.

The Daily Express says pregnant women are being urged to have the swine flu jab after two young mums-to-be and an unborn baby died.

The Evening Standard reports theatregoers in London were stunned when they discovered the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh had secretly slipped in to the stalls to watch a performance of the acclaimed World War I drama, "War Horse".

The Daily Star reports that Leona Lewis has pulled out of a promotional tour and gone into hiding.

A confidential police file seen by The Sun has revealed the last hours of tragic Stephen Gately.

The Daily Mirror reports the grieving Boyzone members will sing at Stephen Gately's funeral.

And elsewhere...

Corriere della Sera leads with Italy's denial of a report in London's The Times which alleged its secret services had paid "tens of thousands of dollars" to Taliban commanders and warlords in the Surobi district to stop them killing its soldiers patrolling in Afghanistan. Premier Silvio Berlusconi's office said the report was "completely groundless" and legal action against the newspaper would be taken.

Dawn quotes President Zardari of Pakistan's saying a new wave of attacks in Lahore, which left 40 people dead, would not deter his government from eliminating extremists.

The Washington Times reports President Obama has signed a $7.5 billion (€5.2 billion) aid package for Pakistan into law, after Congress offered assurances the plan did not violate Pakistani sovereignty.

El Tiempo quotes President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela confirming he had seized the landmark Hilton hotel on Margarita Island because its owners dared impose conditions on its use by his government to host a summit there last month.

Timpul reports people were wounded in a grenade explosion in the heart of the Moldovan capital Chisinau where thousands had massed for an outdoor concert.

Asia Times says North Korea has accused South Korea of intruding into its territorial waters, further raising tension on the peninsula already heightened by the North's launch this week of a barrage of short-range missiles.

New Strait Times says China has sentenced three more people to death for murders committed during riots in the far western Xinjiang region in July which left200 dead. It brings the number of people now facing execution after the unrest to nine.

Times of India reports that doctors have advised people in two towns in Uttar Pradesh state to avoid eating dairy-based sweets. The announcement came after police arrested 28 people in raids at two factories found making milk and milk products with detergent and animal fat. Some 1,000 litres of synthetic milk were seized.

According to Berliner Zeitung, three people have been charged in court with creating Hitler Youth-style camps where uniformed children were "schooled" in far-right racial theory and shown Nazi propaganda. The three were charged with inciting racial hatred and distributing propaganda.