The Times leads with a story on restaurant owners who are worried they might have to close their establishments if the gas supply runs out. Gas distributors are currently on strike awaiting a decision by the Fair Competition Office. In another story, it says that Malta Transport Official Konrad Pule has received a threat in a Christmas card after he escaped unhurt when a bomb was placed outside TM’s offices some days ago.
L-Orizzont also leads with a report on the gas strike. In another story, it says that the health care department at Mater Dei has been out of certain devices required for heart operations for the past eight months.
The Malta Independent reports on negotiations between the government and unions on renewal of the renewal of the civil service agreement.
In-Nazzjon says that former police inspector David Gatt, who is being charged with being the mastermind behind a number of crimes, may have to run trial. It says that the main witness, PC99 Mario Portelli, was receiving police protection.
The international press
Al Jazeera quotes a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman saying China would be willing to assist countries in the eurozone in returning to financial health, and would also support the International Monetary Fund element of a bailout package for the bloc. Making this announcement in Beijing, Jiang Yu said that the euro zone was one of China's most important foreign-exchange investment areas. Her comments followed reports that China could step in to shore up European finances. The EU is China's largest trading partner.
Ansa reports that foreign embassies in Rome were on high alert after parcel bombs injured staff who opened them at the Swiss and Chilean diplomatic missions. One of them may lose an eye. An Italian anarchist group, Federazione Anarchica Informale, said it was behind the attacks. A suspect package was also reported at the Ukrainian embassy but no dangerous items were found. There were also two bomb scares at Rome city council offices.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has claimed he could be killed if he is detained in an American jail. But in an interview with The Guardian, he also said it would be "politically impossible" for Britain to extradite him to the United States for espionage. American authorities are reportedly considering whether they could extradite him to stand trial for espionage over leaked US diplomatic cables.
Meanwhile, Granma says Cuba says it would publish on the internet more than 2,000 US documents released by WikiLeaks. The official Cubadebate.cu website said the aim was to highlight US "imperialist" policy and efforts to "subvert" the Cuban revolution. The first seven documents, translated into Spanish, are already on the site. In some of them, US diplomats criticise Cuban opposition groups as divided and out of touch with ordinary people.
More political and financial pressure is being applied to Laurent Gbagbo and his advisers for refusing to stand down after losing the presidential elections last month. Violence since last month's disputed election has left 173 people dead. The New York Times says the UN General Assembly has now formally recognised Mr Gbagbo's rival, Alassane Ouattara, as president as Ivory Coast's rightful president. And Le Soleil reports from the Senegalese capital Dakar that the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) has blocked funds to the administration of Mr Gbagbo.
Globovision reports that the police in Venezuela have used water cannon and rubber bullets to break up a protest against a law that increases government control over universities. The protesters said the new law would be used to promote President Hugo Chavez's socialist ideology in universities. The government said it is designed to make them more democratic.
The Washington Times says the United States has accused North Korea of using belligerent tricks as the two Koreas continue their war of words over the North’s artillery attack on a southern island last month, which left four people dead. Asia Observer reported that North Korea has threatened a "sacred war" against the South, whose military has been holding live-fire drills near the border. Seoul and Pyongyang traded strong rhetoric, with the South warning of a "powerful response" to any attack from the North.
La Tribune says more than 50 people have been sentenced to death in Algeria for their role in a failed attempt to assassinate Abdul Aziz Bouteflika three years ago. All but one of the accused are on the run.
According to Asahi Shimbun, the Japanese car manufacture Toyota has agreed to pay $10 million in compensation to the relatives of four people killed in a 2009 crash which sparked the recall of millions of the company’s vehicles. Investigators discovered that a faulty floormat trapped the accelerator and caused the tragic crash.