The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Sunday Times says that Nationalist MP Franco Debono had been contemplating his parliament walk-out for three weeks. It also reports that there has been a chilly reaction to the conclusions of the climate change conference.
The Malta Independent on Sunday says Franco Debono's actions had been met with skepticism by the public.
Malta Today quotes Dr Debono saying the PN backbench has no function. It also says the recession has cast a shadow on Christmas.
It-Torca says 47 contracts in the health sector have been cancelled in the past four months.
Il-Mument quotes PL deputy leader Anglu Farrugia saying that what the PL did after 1971 was an example to the world. It also compares Malta's Budget with those in the UK, Greece and Ireland.
KullHadd carries a picture of the Prime Minister and Franco Debono and says a hidden hand is shaking Gonzi.
Illum says Vince Farrugia has strongly criticized the government over the new utility tariffs.
The international press:
The Washington Times says Democrats in the US Senate have secured the vote of a key holdout senator and will now have the 60 needed to pass sweeping healthcare reforms. Senator Ben Nelson had been concerned that federal money would be used to fund abortions. But Democrats agreed phrasing that would secure his vote.
The International Herald Tribune reports that wild weather across parts of Europe and North America has caused major traffic delays in several major cities. The cold snap brought traffic to a stand still, with emergency crews kept busy clearing snow from major roads.
Abrar says Iran's judiciary has acknowledged that at least three prisoners detained after the disputed presidential election died as a result of physical beatings by their jailers. Indictments have been issued against 12 officials in charge of Kahrizak prison, three of whom were charged with premeditated murder.
Agencie France Press reports that the condition of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the Libyan sentenced to life imprisonment for the Lockerbie bombing and repatriated in August, has deteriorated and the cancer that afflicts him has spread through his body. The agency was quoting a medical bulletin issued early today by the Tripoli Medical Centre where Megrahi is being treated for terminal cancer. The bulletin received by AFP said Megrahi, 57, arrived at the hospital on Saturday coughing and vomiting.
EU Observer says the European Parliament is planning to cram the individual hearings of the 26 would-be EU commissioners into seven days in January, grilling up to six a day and at times late into the evening. However, the hearings may yet be
disrupted by a strike by parliament officials over pay. The strike is due
to start on the first day of the panels.
The New York Times reports President Obama approved firepower, intelligence and other support requested by the Yemeni government to help it strike Al-Qaeda militants.
Gulf News reports three members of an Indian family in Dubai committed suicide due to financial troubles in a pact initiated by a fourth who survived his suicide attempt.
O Globo says Brazilian doctors have successfully removed four sewing needles near the heart and lungs of a two-year-old boy who was allegedly a victim of a ritualistic attack at the hands of his former stepfather. It was the first of a series of operations to remove some 30 needles that were inserted up and down the boy's body, in what his former guardian confessed was part of his revenge on his ex-wife. The operation lasted four hours.
Polska Gazeta reports that Polish authorities have stepped up security checks at airports and border crossings and searched scrap metal yards as the search intensified for the infamous Nazi sign stolen from the Auschwitz death camp memorial. The sign bearing the German words "Arbeit Macht Frei" - "work makes you free" - spanned the main entrance to the Auschwitz death camp, where more than 1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed during World War II.
The News of the World claims Tiger Woods' wife Elin aims to drive the golfer out of her life with three hard-hitting shots: divorce, sole custody of their kids... and half his estimated £370 million fortune.
The Times announces the death of Dame Victoire "Paddy" Ridsdale, the secret service secretary who inspired the character of Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond stories. She was 88. Ian Fleming and Dame Paddy worked together in the wartime Naval Intelligence Department.