The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Sunday Times quotes Justice Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici saying that the courts should deny bail to repeat offenders. It also carries an interview with the new president of the MFA, who says that Michael Mifsud should not remain national team captain once he is not playing for any club.
The Malta Independent on Sunday says it was second time unlucky for a man who allegedly took part and was injured in the HSBC hold-up and was injured in another hold-up on Friday. It also reports that Spain declared a state of alert after an air traffic controllers’ strike caused chaos.
Malta Today says the president of the Labour Party is refusing to give up his unofficial position of coordinator of Maltastar. Evarist Bartolo is set to take over from him. It also reports that there is outrage over how a person on bail allegedly took part in another hold-up.
Illum quotes Carm Mifsud Bonnici saying a review is needed of how bail is awarded by the courts.
It-Torca says the government has confirmed that social security contributions will rise. It also reports that there is a fresh dispute between Enemalta and pump owners on the payment of commissions.
Il-Mument discusses who is leading the PL campaign against the waste recycling plant at Marsascala. It also reports that Malta will host the European Oscars ceremony in 2012.
Kullhadd says Malta has the worst European record on customer care for complaints on water and electricity bills. It also says that the government has so far sold €643 million in assets.
The overseas press
El Pais reports that Spain’s air space was slowly reopening as about 90 per cent of air traffic controllers returned to work after Madrid declared a state of “alert” over their wildcat strike. But it is expected to take up to 48 hours for services to get back to normal. The controllers were angry over plans to make them work longer and a partial privatisation of the industry.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned he might dissolve the Palestinian Authority and ask Israel to resume full control of the West Bank if troubled peace talks fail. Dismantling the Palestinian Authority would be a last resort, Abbas told Palestine TV in an interview broadcast yesterday. However, his comments marked the most explicit warning yet that he's considering a step that could crush lingering hopes for a Mideast peace deal. Meanwhile, The Daily Star quotes US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying the United States was still working to relaunch Middle East peace talks despite the Palestinian assessment that negotiations with Israel had collapsed.
Euronews says many European countries were still on high weather alerts, with authorities now reporting up to 60 weather-related deaths. Air, train and road transport continue to be disrupted, and people are being warned to travel only if it is absolutely necessary. The big freeze was making life difficult for some, but for others the heavy snowfalls are a source of amusement.
El Tiempo reports that the toll from weeks of heavy rains and mudslides across Colombia has risen to 174 people dead, 225 injured, 19 missing, 1,821 homes destroyed or damaged and over 1.5 million homeless. Rains were hitting 95 per cent of the country and some regions saw more than 12 hours of non-stop rain.
El Universo announces that the authorities in Ecuador have begun evacuating people from the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano after it started spewing ash. Scientists say fast-moving currents of extremely hot gas and rock could be seen flowing from the volcano's crater. Tungurahua, some 135km southeast of the capital, Quito, has been in an active state since 1999.
Jeune Afrique reports that the African Union was sending former South African President Thabo Mbeki to the Ivory Coast to help mediate the current political crisis. Laurent Gbagbo and opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara have both sworn themselves in after claiming victory in a presidential run-off. Mr Ouattara was initially declared the winner but the results was overturned in the incumbent's favour. The AU has warned the crisis could have "incalculable consequences".
The latest leaked US cables published in The New York Times suggest senior Chinese figures were behind the hacking of Google earlier this year which forced the search engine to quit the country. One cable, released by whistle-blowing site Wikileaks, cites a "well-placed" contact as saying the action against Google was "100 per cent political". A politburo member is said to have been angered after Googling his name and finding critical comments online.
Menwhile The Washintong Post confirms that the US military has put measures in place to try to stop its Iraq-deployed soldiers from viewing WikiLeaks documents, an army spokesperson said Saturday. Soldiers logging on to the internet receive an automatic legal warning concerning the website.
Secret Santas have roamed the streets of North Carolina, handing out $100 handshakes. The Charlotte Observer reported that the crew of donors, who insist on anonymity, handed out the money to anyone who looked like they could use it. The donors take thousands of dollars from their own bank accounts to hand out. It's the fourth year the random acts of kindness have been done in Charlotte.
Franz Beckenbauer has told Bild newspaper that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar should be played in January and February, when the temperatures in the Gulf state are more moderate. The German soccer great and FIFA executive committee member says it would be possible to make a one-time change to European league fixtures to allow for the World Cup to be played in winter. Such a solution would mean a break in the European leagues but would be a cheaper solution than air conditioning all stadiums.