The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press
The Sunday Times features an opinion survey which shows that the people’s top concern is the cost of living. It also says that the deadline for the submission of the draft Air Malta restructuring plan to the EU has been moved to the end of January.
The Malta Independent on Sunday says the Air Malta restructuring plan is in an advanced stage. It also reports that the Health division has ordered that births may be induced only when necessary.
MaltaToday focuses on the issues which are likely to divide the country this year while Illum focuses on the challenges for the country.
It-Torca names Mgr Victor Grech as the personality of the year 2010 and also reports how a Gozitan woman was seriously injured in a domestic argument late on Friday.
Il-Mument highlights that Stephanie Spiteri was named by a survey as the most popular female presenter. It also reports on yesterday’s exchange of greetings between national leaders.
KullHadd lists the top maltese of 2010. It also says there was chaos at the Valletta bs terminus during New Year celebrations.
The overseas press
VOA reports the US Capitol and surrounding buildings were evacuated and fighter jets were scrambled after an airliner flying into Washington's Reagan airport went out of radio contact. Capitol Police issued an evacuation order, warning workers that an aircraft entered restricted airspace. The order was called off after controllers made contact with the plane and it landed at Reagan, which is directly across the Potomac River from Washington.
The Egyptian Gazette reports that President Hosni Mubarak has accused "foreign hands" of carrying out a deadly New Year's Day attack on a church that left 21 people killed 79 others injured in Alexandria. In a televised speech Mubarak urged his country's Copts and Muslims to stand united against terrorism and those who threatened security, stability and unity of the country. The Copts make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 80 million people in the mostly Muslim country.
Meanwhile, Euronews reports there has been widespread condemnation of the attack. The European Union has "unreservedly" condemned the apparent Islamist attack. EU High Representative Catherine Ashton has demanded the right to gather and to worship be protected. President Obama described it as “outrageous”. During New Year's Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI also condemned religious intolerance, especially against Christians.
Sydney Morning Herald says Queensland was suffering a flood disaster of ''biblical proportions'' that could cost the state's economy more than $1 billion, according to the state’s Treasurer Andrew Fraser. Authorities confirmed that 200,000 people hade been affected and 22 cities and towns inundated by the worst floods in Queensland's history. While the rain has stopped, rivers are still surging to new heights and overflowing into low-lying towns as the water makes its way toward the ocean.
Al Quds reports a 36-year-old Palestinian woman has died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli forces during a protest against the Israeli separation barrier built around the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority condemned what it called an Israeli "war crime".
The Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper suggests the United States has been in secret contact with Syrian officials in the hope of realizing a comprehensive Israel-Syrian peace treaty. It says the past few weeks had witnessed an "unprecedented Syrian cooperation" in the peace process, prompting Washington to talk with Syrian officials to reach a peace agreement between Syria and Israel.
O Globo leads with the swearing-in of Dilma Rousseff as Brazil’s first female president, capping a rapid political trajectory for the career technocrat and former Marxist rebel who was imprisoned and tortured during the nation’s long military dictatorship. In her inaugural speech, the 63-year-old has pledged to build on the policies of her hugely popular predecessor and mentor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Her top priorities were to eradicate extreme poverty and improve education and health.
Athens News quotes Citizen Protection Minister Christos Papoutsis saying Greece was planning to build a fence along its border with Turkey to keep out illegal immigrants. He said the Greek society had reached its limits in taking in illegal immigrants. Greece's 206-kilometer border with Turkey is the most common entry point for illegal immigrants to the European Union from Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia.
Pravda says Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly chastised Russia’s energy minister and the Moscow region governor over difficulties and delays in restoring electricity to hundreds of Russian villages after freezing rain broke power lines. They had to change their plans for ringing in the New Year after he ordered them to start the New Year in those blacked-out villages, which they did, with television cameras in tow.– The 35 villages had been without power for nearly a week.
Metro reports an open prison in the UK has been the subject of an inquiry after balaclava-clad inmates went on the rampage and torched buildings in a New Year’s Day mutiny sparked by an attempted clampdown on contraband alcohol. A number of buildings were burned to the ground. It was claimed that only two prison officers and four support staff were on duty at the time to manage a population of almost 500 inmates.
El Pais says some of the toughest restrictions on smoking in public in Europe have just come into force in Spain. Now, all smoking in enclosed spaces has been prohibited as is lighting outdoors near hospitals, playgrounds or schools.
Globe & Mail reports a number of people with Hotmail accounts have posted complaints on Microsoft forums complaining that their e-mails from their inbox and from other folders have been deleted. The company said it is working to rectify the problem and apologised to customers for any inconvenience.
Romanian TV says the country has changed its labour laws to officially recognise witchcraft as a profession. The move came as part of the government's drive to crack down on widespread tax evasion. In addition to witches, astrologists, embalmers, valets and driving instructors are now considered to be working real jobs, making it harder for them to avoid income tax. For months the measure had been debated, protested by witches and mocked by the media. A witch said that she plans to cast a spell to create discord in the government.