Malta and international press digest

The following are the leading stories in the Maltese and international press.

The progress registered by Opposition Labour leader Alfred Sant, recuperating from major surgery he undergone last Thursday, and the repercussions his health condition might have on the Malta Labour Party and the general elections are featured in most of the local media.

The Sunday Times reveals that "part of Sant's colon (was) removed" and quotes MLP officials say he will lead the party into the election.

The Malta Independent on Sunday quotes the governor of the Central Bank saying that 290 million Maltese lira banknotes, 55 million of which are in Lm20 notes, are still in circulation.

Maltatoday calls 2007 as "the year of reckoning" and asks whether the electorate will forgive Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's "ageing and unchanged administration's blunders" in the next general election, despite the fact that "he achieved an economic turnaround".

il-mument sees the introduction of the euro as an international message on Malta's economic achievements. It announces that Lm600,296 were collected during yesterday's telethon ‘L-Istrina' and reveals that there are over 53,000 vacant dwellings, mostly in Sliema and Victoria, Gozo.

Illum carries an exclusive interviews with Dr Sant's 87-year-old mother, Josephine, who says that she misses his daily visits and reveals that he would have liked to undergo the operation after the election. His sister Marlene describes him as "a fighter".

it-torca leads with a quote from Dr Sant's surgeon Prof. Anthony Zammit, who says that he is very satisfied, even more now that the MLP leader has started reading.

KullHadd quotes Bishop Emeritus Nikol Cauchi saying that children's rights not being safeguarded enough.

The Press in Britain...

The Observer leads on the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, saying the hunt for her killers is being impeded because it cannot be agreed on whether she was shot or suffered fatal blast wounds from the suicide bombing.

The Mail on Sunday says that in a secret e-mail to David Miliband, Ms Bhutto had claimed three allies of Pakistan's President Musharraf were out to kill her.

The Sunday Times reports Gordon Brown's pledge to honour members of the public for heroism during terrorist attacks has been labelled a sham after dozens of civilians who went to the rescue of London bombing victims were snubbed for awards.

The Sunday Telegraph says British ministers have admitted for the first time the Government's sex education initiatives are failing to control spiralling teenage pregnancy rates.

According to the Sunday Express, people who miss doctors' appointments could face fines because they are costing the NHS £1bn a year.

The Independent on Sunday claims thousands of assaults are being carried out each year on children in custody by the people employed to look after them.

The News of the World says that Manchester United footballers have been fined a record £1m over their sordid Christmas party, which ended in a rape allegation against one player.

The Sunday Mirror claims a 13-month-old toddler killed by the family rottweiler was snatched from the arms of his seven-year-old aunt, who bravely fought to rescue the child from the jaws of the 10-stone dog.

Three Scottish newspapers - The Sunday Post, The Sunday Mail and The Sunday Herald -lead with Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell's death after collapsing during his team's match against Dundee United. They say Scottish football was shocked by his tragic death.

Daily Star Sunday says Arsenal's Arsene Wenger has called Alan Shearer "stupid".

and elsewhere...

Karachi's The Dawn leads with President Pervez Musharraf's order to quell mass rioting by Benazir Bhutto's grieving followers that have left at least 44 people dead and cost tens of millions of dollars in damage. Demonstrators have clashed with police and torched hundreds of buildings, trains and vehicles. Meanwhile, the Pakistan People's Party is set to choose Bhutto's successor later today and decide whether to take part in elections.

The Times reports that the Pakistan government has offered to exhume the body of Benazir Bhutto, as the row over the murdered opposition leader's cause of death intensifies. The Interior Ministry claims the former leader died after hitting her head on her car's sunroof during a suicide attack. But Ms Bhutto's party have branded the government's explanation "ludicrous" as new pictures emerged of the suspected gunman moments before the first shots were fired.

Corriere della Sera gives details of the agreement between Italy and Libya to mount joint patrols in the Mediterranean Sea to stop illegal immigrants crossing from Libya to Italy. Italian Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said the deal would save lives and curb criminal gangs.

International Herald Tribune quotes US commander General David Petraeus saying there had been a remarkable improvement in the country's security over the past year. In a year-end briefing to journalists, the top American general also warned that the gains could be reversed. The warning came as a tape purportedly by Osama Bin Laden urged Iraqis to reject the US aim of a national unity government.

Meanwhile, according to an Associated Press count, at least 3,901 members of the US military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003. The figure includes eight military civilians. At least 3,175 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

Nairobi's Sunday Nation reports that Kenya's knife-edge election count is expected to continue this morning after it was suspended amid chaotic scenes at the counting centre in Nairobi when party rivals demanded recounts of Thursday's vote. The delays have sparked violence and looting across Kenya, with at least three deaths reported. Latest figures suggest that President Mwai Kibaki is now neck and neck with his opponent Raila Odinga.