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

The Times gives details of a 1993 investigation by the Commission Against Corruption following claims made against Frank Sammut, then a director of Enemalta.

The Malta Independent says Frank Sammut’s job was terminated two months after Austin Gatt said there was no conflict of interest. It also quotes Joseph Muscat saying Malta’s EU membership is not up for negotiation.

l-orizzont focuses on how the head of the PN security was granted a Valletta garage by Jason Azzopardi’s ministry on encroachment terms after claiming mobility problems.

In-Nazzjon says the PN programme has 125 proposals for a leap in the people’s quality of life.

The overseas press:

Reuters reports seven people, including a policeman, were shot dead in the Egyptian city of Suez during nationwide protests against President Mohamed Mursi on the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. More than 450 others were injured across the country in unrest fuelled by anger at Mursi and his Islamist allies over what the protesters see as their betrayal of the revolution. Meanwhile, Al Masry Al Youm  said some Egyptian citizens unleashed dogs to help the security forces tackling the protesters.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has told the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that despite stabilised markets in the eurozone, much more needed to be done to get the "real" economy back on track. Deutsche Welle quotes Draghi saying that markets for stocks, bonds and bank credit had "a new, restored sense of tranquillity" but he added, "we haven't seen an equal momentum on the real side of the economy and that's where we will have to do much more." The forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation that hosts an annual gathering of the global political, academic and business elite in Switzerland.

Euronews reports polling stations in the Czech Republic reopen today for the final day of voting to choose a new president between leftist former Prime Minister Milos Zeman and conservative Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. Some eight million Czechs facing recession are entitled to decide between the two advocates of European integration, who emerged from a first round of 16 candidates on January 11-12.

Kathimerini says Greek riot police stormed a subway depot in Athens to break up a nine-day strike by subway workers who were angry at planned wage cuts. Striking workers returned to the job after more than a week. Trade unions reacted to the government's decision to impose emergency powers by calling workers with Athens' tram, bus, and trolley services off the job. Further strike action is planned for next week.

Pravda reports Russia’s lower house of parliament has approved a draft law banning “homosexual propaganda”. At least 20 people were detained after scuffles broke out outside the Duma between Orthodox Christians and gay activists.

Senior Israeli officials have told Haaretz that Senator John Kerry, US President Barak Obama’s nominee for Secretary of State, was expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority in February to try to reignite the peace process. During a confirmation hearing in Washington, Kerry said he prays the Israeli election results would lead to renewed peace talks.

AFP reports at least 50 people were killed and 90 others wounded in clashes at a prison in northwest Venezuela. A hospital director who was at the scene said most of those injured at the Uribana prison in Lara state suffered gunshot wounds. He called the death toll "alarming," saying it was based solely on bodies brought to the hospital.

France 24 says the Oscar-nominated film “Amour,” which scooped up a Golden Globe for best foreign language film earlier this month, is one of the top contenders for France’s top movie awards, the Cesars. The Franco-Austrian picture, also a winner of the Palme d’Or award at last year’s Cannes festival, has been nominated in 10 different categories, including best movie. The winners will be presented in a ceremony in Paris on February 22. The film has been nominated in five categories including best picture in the Academy Awards, to be held two days later.

According to Huffington Post, best-selling writer Stephen King, known for bloody novels filled with fictional horror and gore, has made an impassioned plea for an end to real-life violence involving firearms. In an essay entitled "Guns" and sold by Amazon.com's Kindle Store, the horror writer inveighs against "an America awash in guns". King, who said he wanted to help provoke constructive debate, has sold hundreds of millions of books, a number of which have been adapted into successful Hollywood movies.

ABC News quotes US Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart saying Lance Armstrong lied in his confessional interview with Oprah Winfrey, and the shamed cyclist has until February 6 to "cooperate fully" if he wanted to lessen his life ban. In an excerpt of an interview with the CBS network to air in full on Sunday, Tygart said Armstrong lied about several key points – including his claim that he raced clean in his comeback in 2009 and 2010. Tygart said he has written to the shamed cyclist and offered him a deadline of February 6 to "cooperate fully and truthfully" in exchange for a possible lessening of his lifetime ban from sports.

 

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