The following are the top stories in the national and international press today.
The main story in the national newspapers today is Louis Grech’s candidature for the PL leadership election.
The Sunday Times leads with Mr Grech’s initial comments after he was announced as the sole contender. MEP Grech tells the newspaper that he is “fit and ready” for the challenge.
The Malta Independent on Sunday says there smooth election ahead for PL deputy leader. It also quotes the country’s leaders appeal for national unity in view of the upcoming general election.
Malta Today says that Mr Grech was pushed by Labour leader Joseph Muscat to be the PL’s answer to Simon Busuttil. In another story, it says that rebel Nationalist MP Franco Debono is considering forming a new party with whom to contest the next election.
Il-Mument says that Mr Grech was imposed for deputy leader by Dr Muscat. It says that Christmas tourism indications are positive.
It-Torca says that Mr Grech is uncontested. In another story it says that this will be a cold Christmas for prisoners. It also says that now that the election is getting closer, new vacancies are being created to accommodate certain people.
KullHadd says that is wide consensus in favour of Mr Grech. It says that a Labour government will be committed to eradicate poverty.
Illum says that Dr Muscat can now take a four-day break following Mr Grech’s nomination. Candidates tell the newspaper that constituents most ask for jobs with government and Mepa permits.
The international press
Preliminary results released by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood showed that the disputed constitution has received a "yes" majority of more than 70 per cent in the second and final round of voting. Al Gumhuria says the results, posted on the Brotherhood's website early today, showed that eight of the 25 million Egyptians eligible to vote cast their ballots yesterday – a turnout of about 30 percent.
L’Avvenire reports that Pope Benedict used his annual Christmas message to denounce gay marriage, saying it destroyed the “essence of the human creature”. In one of his most important speeches of the year, the Pope stressed that a person’s gender identity was God-given and unchangeable. As a result, he sees gay marriage as a “manipulation of nature”. The Pope has said that gay marriage, like abortion and euthanasia, is a threat to world peace.
According to Ansa, Italian Premier Mario Monti will outline his "road map" for Italy later today, but he will not say whether he intends to stand at upcoming elections until some days later. Monti plans to illustrate the measures his unelected technocrat government has taken over the last year and what reforms remain to be implemented at a hotly-awaited press conference scheduled.
Deutsche Welle reports that the former finance minister Peer Steinbrueck, set to challenge Angela Merkel as German leader next year, has criticised her centre-right government for letting arms exports surge and vowed to end that if his centre-left opposition wins power. Arms exports are a sensitive issue in Germany due to its Nazi past and successive German governments placed tight restrictions, especially to regions where there were armed conflicts or where human rights were poorly respected.
Dawn says a suicide bomber in Pakistan has killed nine people including a provincial government official at a political rally held Saturday by a party that has opposed the Taliban. The rally in Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was held by the Awami National Party, whose members have been repeatedly targeted by the Taliban.
Ria Novosty quotes Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying Moscow would welcome any country's offer of a safe haven to Syrian President Bashar Assad, but underlined that Moscow itself had no intention of giving him shelter if he stepped down. Russia has repeatedly used its veto right along with China at the UN Security Council to protect its old ally from international sanctions, but it has increasingly sought to distance itself from Assad.
Heavy rain and gale-force winds have brought misery to millions of travellers attempting to leave the country or return home for Christmas. Sky News says unseasonably heavy rain has already led to flooding across the country, and forecasters predict the conditions would continue throughout today and Monday. The Environment Agency yesterday issued four severe flood warnings – meaning there is a danger to life – across south-west England and a further 129 flood warnings across Britain.
Thousands of extra police have been deployed in Argentine cities where looting earlier had left two dead, some 100 injured, and hundreds arrested. News Com reports that the government and labour unions traded blame for the Thursday and Friday violence, which came amid a growing wave of anger with President Cristina Kirchner's administration over rising crime and economic uncertainty. In Buenos Aires, crowds stormed two supermarkets and stole TV sets, bicycles and electrical appliances.
After days of protests over the gang-rape and beating of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi, The Press Trust of India says Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has announced the government would hold an official inquiry that would look into the attack and what measures were needed to improve the safety and security of women in India. The six are accused of gang-raping the woman and beating her male friend with iron rods as the bus they were in travelled through the city for hours. Finally the men stopped and dumped the naked pair on the side of a road.