Press digest

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

The Sunday Times reports that more than 40 prisoners have signed a letter saying that an inmate who died in August was never seen by a doctor despite complaining of chest pains. The claim is denied by the hospital doctor. The newspaper also reports that Labour has said it was unaware that the Deputy Mayor of Zebbug was involved in the theft of a laptop computer from the Aiberge de Castille two years ago.

The Malta Independent says Turkey contractor Charles Magro is standing by his allegations against Finance Minister Tonio Fenech and challenging the minister to sue him. It is alleged that the contractor carried out some private work for the minister in return for assistance to sell the Jerma Hotel.

It also says that the man who is accusing Chris Said of perjury is seeking to clear Justyne Caruana of any involvement in his case.

MaltaToday also leads with the claims by contractor Charles Magro. It also reports that just 16 per cent of the Maltese think the government is fighting corruption. lll

Il-Mument's front page focus is on the launching of the autumn schedule on Net television.

It-Torca leads with the 50^th anniversary of its headquarters, the Workers' Memorial Building. It also says that people living in properties built on expropriated land have a problem to sell their properties since the land was only transferred on promise of sale and the government still does not have title.

Illum says that PN president Paula Mifsud Bonnici was investigated for anonymous phone calls in 2003 to Justyne Caruana and her husband. Mifsud Bonnici was a local councillor at the time.

Kullhadd again features the allegations by contractor Charles Magro.

It also says that the Prime Minister has turned down calls by John Dalli for an investigation into people who may had contributed to the circumstances which led to his resignation.

The overseas press

The International Herald Tribune reports that the Obama administration was expected to issue a new travel alert to American tourists in Europe because of "credible threats from Al Qaida". A European official said the implications of a blanket "travel warning" for all of Europe could have devastating effects: cancelled airline and hotel bookings as well as non-US travellers from going coming Europe. In addition, many US college and university study-abroad programmes would not send students to countries for which a warning is in place for insurance and liability reasons.

Baltic Times says the centre-right government in Latvia has won a clear victory in yesterday's general election giving it a mandate to pursue its economic austerity measures. Previously it was a minority administration that had to rely on support from the opposition on an issue-by-issue basis.

Il Tempo reports that tens of thousands of protesters converged on Rome calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in the "No Berlusconi Day" rally called by the Purple People, an Internet-based civil society movement with no political party affiliation. They called for a law against conflicts of interest and new electoral law and early elections.

Le Journal du Dimanche says hundreds of thousands of people across France have taken part in demonstrations against President Sarkozy's plans to raise the retirement age. Trade unions said nearly three million people turned out in scores of demonstrations.

And in Reykjavik, Frettabladid reports protesters angry about the government's handling of the financial crash have demonstrated at the opening of Iceland parliament. They threw eggs and tomatoes at Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir and other politicians. The demonstrators have called for another protest tomorrow, when Sigurdardottir was due to make an annual speech to mark the parliament opening.

O Globo says some136 million Brazilian voters head to the polls today to choose their new president. Dilma Rousseff, a protégée of charismatic current President Lula, is favoured to become Brazil's first female head of state. A poll shows 54.7 per cent of Brazilian voters were supporting her.

El Universal reports gunmen in Mexico have kidnapped 22 men in the beach resort of Acapulco. The prosecutor's office said it did not know the motive for the kidnapping or who was responsible.

Az-Zaman says dozens of senior Palestinians have backed President Mahmoud Abbas' refusal to negotiate with Israel as long as it builds in West Bank settlements. He said there was no point in negotiating as long as settlements ate up more of the land Palestinians want for a future state. The Obama administration has said it will keep pushing to find a solution to the impasse.

A senior minister in the Ecuadorian government says parts of the law which provoke a police rebellion earlier this week would be re-written. Police Minister Doris Solice also told Reuters that President Rafael Correa would not now dissolve Congress - something it was suggested he might do to pass through his austerity measures.

Globe & Mail says Henry Okah, the former leader of the militant group which claimed responsibility for a dual car bombing that killed 12 in Nigeria, has been arrested in Johannesburg some time after Friday's bombings during the celebrations of Nigeria's 50th anniversary. The group blamed Nigeria's government for doing nothing to end the unceasing poverty in the Niger delta as the nation received billions of dollars from oil revenue.

The Observer says exiled Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has told a rally in Britain he planned to return to the country at the head of a new party in a bid to regain power. The former premier, who led Pakistan for nine years from 1999 after taking power in a military coup, addressed an audience of about 1,500 people in Birmingham.

Al Ahram quotes Egypt's Ministry of Culture saying archaeologists have unearthed the upper part of a double limestone statue of a powerful pharaoh who ruled nearly 3,400 years ago. The statue of Amenhotep III in Kom el-Hittan, was discovered at the site of the pharaoh's mortuary temple in the southern city of Luxor - one of the largest on the west bank of the Nile.

The Hindu says Dehli is all set to play host to over 6,700 athletes and delegates from 71 countries for the 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games that open at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium this Sunday evening. Some 100,000 regular and paramilitary police have been mobilized to protect the athletes, officials and spectators. The games the Indian government some €2.75 million.