The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Sunday Times says Franco Debono is ready to meet the Prime Minister. It also reports how former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff was re-admitted to hospital yesterday.
The Malta Independent says the Health Ministry is finding resistance to change work practices at Mater Dei.
MaltaToday reports that the PN has set its eyes on a general election in 2013.
It-Torca focuses on development below Mdina which it says will create a new eyesore. It also says the government is keeping the Education Bill debate open in parliament to avert a vote.
According to KullHadd Franco Debono said the people have a right to know where the PN is getting its money from.
Il-Mument reports the prime minister's press conference yesterday where he said he will propose legislation on Internet access as a civil right.
Ilum says that Resources Minister George Pullicino engaged a consultant who is paid €6,000 monthly.
The overseas press
USA Today announces the death of Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music's queen until her majestic voice became raspy and hoarse and regal image was ravaged by drug use. She was 48. At her peak in the 1980s and '90s, Houston the golden girl of the music industry and one of the world's best-selling artists, winning multiple Grammys including album and record of the year. Among her hits were How Will I Know, Saving All My Love for You, and I Will Always Love You. Her success carried her beyond music to movies like The Bodyguard.
Le Republicain says Libya has demanded Niger hand over one of Muammar Gaddafi's sons, Saadi, who is under house arrest in the neighbouring African nation after he warned in a television interview that his homeland was facing a new uprising. Niger justice minister Morou Amadou confirmed the demand had been received but said Niger's government has refused to extradite him and others to Libya because they risk being killed. However, Amadou said the government would agree to extradite al-Saadi to the Hague at the request of the International Criminal Court.
On the eve of a crucial vote on fresh austerity measures, Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has called on parliament to assume a "historic responsibility". Nea says that in a televised address, he acknowledged that this new round of cuts would heap further hardship on the country but, he warned, the alternative – a default on the country's massive debt – was much worse. The acceptance of the new cuts is crucial for a €130 billion bailout from the EU, the ECB and IMF.
Al Ahram report that Arab foreign ministers meet in Cairo today to decide their next move after a resolution on Syria failed in the UN Security Council last week. The meeting comes as Syrian government forces continued to bombard Homs and entered the town of Zabadani. Al-Arabiya reports at least 67 people died, while a general was killed in Damascus.
According to the BBC, thousands of people have taken part in co-ordinated protests in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta). Demonstrators argued that Acta will limit freedom of speech online. However the agreement's supporters insist it will not alter existing laws, and will instead provide protection for content creators in the face of increasing levels of online piracy.
The Observer says Rupert Murdoch is expected to fly to the UK this week to tackle the latest allegations of impropriety at his newspaper offices as five employees of The Sun, a serving Surrey Police officer, a serving member of the armed forces and a Ministry of Defence employee were arrested over allegations of inappropriate payments to police and public officials. The National Union of Journalists condemned the arrests and suggested there was now a "witch-hunt" against journalists.
Abrar says President Ahmadinejad of Iran has promised "great" nuclear achievements which he said would be unveiled in the coming days. He made the announcement during a rally in Tehran to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which saw him deliver a series of strongly worded statements while also holding out the possibility of reviving talks with the West over Iran's nuclear ambitions. He also vowed never to give up Iran's uranium enrichment programme.
Der Speigel says people in Duisburg vote in a referendum today to decide whether to remove mayor Adolf Sauerland (CDU), whose term of office is set to expire in 2015. Twenty-one people were killed and over 500 others were injured in a mass stampede during the July 24, 2010 Love Parade in the city. Since then, organisers and the city council have continued to blame each other for the incident. Some weeks after the incident, Sauerland was under pressure to step down, but he has so far managed to keep his post.
Metro reports Italian football legend Alessandro del Piero has further cemented his legacy by allegedly waking a girl from a two-week coma just by speaking to her. The family of 12-year-old Jade, who lives in Ceredigion, Crotone, fell into the coma while watching Juventus in action a fortnight earlier. The family asked Juventus to do what they could to help wake her from the coma, and the club duly obliged by sending a message from Del Piero. The 37-year-old forward recorded both audio and video messages, in which he attempted to stir the youngster with encouraging words. Nurses played the tapes on a daily basis in an attempt to get a reaction – something they eventually achieved when she moved her hand and began to respond.