The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times says Air Malta is to shed half its workforce and the government is considering alternatives for these workers.
The Malta Independent leads with the works on Biagio Steps, a Valletta building which will house a museum on the fortifications.
In-Nazzjon says that the PN executive will vote today on its position regarding divorce.
l-orizzont leads with Mubarak’s resignation. It also says that in the appeal on the waste recycling plant permit, the government is arguing that the Marsascala council cannot legitimately take a position against the plant.
The overseas press
World leaders have welcomed the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of peaceful protest, saying it was a historic victory for people power and that they now hoped to see a swift and peaceful transition of power.
Al Ahram reports that it was Vice President Omar Suleiman who, in a brief statement read out on television, announced that 82-year-old Mubarak had handed over power to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The military high command, headed by Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, has promised to protect “the legitimate demands of the people”. The anti-government protests that began on 25 January were triggered by widespread unrest in Egypt over unemployment, poverty and corruption. Mubarak, who on Thursday refused to step down, is now in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheik.
Al Gomhuria says the news of Mubarak’s resignation was greeted with a massive outburst of celebration by hundreds of thousands of people across Egypt with the focus in Tahrir Square in central Cairo. Celebrations continued throughout the nght,
Al-Ahrar quotes opposition figure Mohammed El Baradei describing the resignation as the greatest day of his life. He said that after years of repression, the country had been liberated. A senior Muslim Brotherhood leader said Egyptians had made history and were adding a new model of democracy to the world. Ayman Nour, Mr Mubarak's rival for the presidency in 2005, described it as the greatest day in Egypt's history. He told al-Jazeera the nation had been born again. “This is a new Egypt."
Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister, told Mena, the Egyptian news agency, that he would leave his post as secretary general of the Arab League "within weeks". He hinted that he might stand for president.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports jubilation throughout the Middle East and North Africa, including in Tunisia, where people overthrew their own president last month. From Beirut to Gaza, tens of thousands handed out candy, set off fireworks and unleashed celebratory gunfire, and the governments of Jordan, Iraq and Sudan sent their blessings. For the Arab League, Mr Moussa said events in Egypt presented an opportunity to build a national consensus.
Iran described the recent events as a "great victory". Abrar says Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi tasked the Egyptian army with "supporting and listening to demands of its great nation".
Gulf News quotes a statement from the United Arab Emirates which placed its confidence in the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in running the country in "these delicate circumstances."
Yemen’s Al Sawha reports that thousands of people took to the streets, chanting: "Yesterday Tunisia, today Egypt, tomorrow Yemenis will break their chains!"
Israel had a more guarded response, as a senior Israeli official told Reuters it was too early to foresee how the resignation “would affect things”. He expressed the hope that Mubarak's departure would "bring no change to its peaceful relations with Cairo". "We hope that the change to democracy in Egypt will happen without violence and that the peace accord will remain."
The New York Times says UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon commended the youth of Egypt for exercising their "legitimate" right to protest. He said now Egypt must ensure a "transparent, orderly and peaceful transition".
The Washington Post reports that the grassroots movement for change in Egypt was also praised by US President Barack Obama. He said Mubarak’s resignation was “just the beginning of Egypt’s transition to democracy. He praised the Egyptian people for their resolve and warned of many, as yet, unanswered questions. He called on the military to lift the state of emergency and start preparing for free and fair elections.
EU Times saidEuropean Union leaders reacted positively to the news of Mr Mubarak's resignation. Foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton said the EU "respected" the decision.
In other news…
Universal reports a magnitude 6.8 earthquake has struck central Chile, centered in almost exactly the same spot where last year's 8.8 quake spawned a tsunami and devastated coastal communities. Electricity and phone service were disrupted and thousands of people fled to higher ground following Friday's quake. There were no reports of damage or injuries.
Granma reports that the Cuban authorities have agreed to release two prominent dissidents who have refused for months to accept exile in Spain. However, one of the men quickly turned down the offer, telling his wife he would remain in jail until ailing prisoners were free and other demands were met.
The New York Post says New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has apologised to the Irish community for a comment he made about public drunkenness at an American Irish Historical Society event. Mr Bloomberg said he did not mean to offend anyone in his comments about the society’s Manhattan headquarters.
Kleine Zeitung reports that a 500-year-old grapevine, discovered 11 years ago hidden among dense underbrush on an Austrian hillside, has been vandalized – chopped to pieces. Officials said it was so severely damaged that it was unclear whether it would survive. The grapevine is believed to be one of two direct ancestors of Austria’s Gruner Veltliner. Before its discovery in 2000, the existence of the great grape-grandparent had been little more than folklore.