The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times reports that Arriva has sacked a driver who was involved in an incident with two women passengers. The incident may be related to homophobia. The newspaper also reports on fears over the Mosta valley oil spill.
The Malta Independent reports that Greek politicians have delayed austerity talks. It also reports that Arriva has sacked a driver who was involved in an incident with a passenger.
In-Nazzjon says that Malta and Italy were the only countries to reduce their debts in 2011. It also says that Labour is refusing to specify how it would reduce government spending.
l-orizzont leads with a new collective agreement for Toly Products which includes payment for the full period of maternity leave. It also says that €100,000 on maintenance of the breakwater bridge are to be spent by the contractors. It said the money was about to be spent by Transport Malta before attention was drawn to contract details.
The overseas press
Al Jazeera reports the Syrian army has continued its onslaught on the city of Homs for a third day, killing at least 40 people, as world powers scramble for a diplomatic strategy to end the violence in the country. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to arrive in Damascus today to press President Bashar al-Assad to implement democratic reforms after Russia and China vetoed any UN-backed measures against the Syrian government over its crackdown on the 11-month uprising.
Kathimerini says Greece's party leaders meet later today to discuss the austerity measures, amid calls from the country's unions for another general strike. Leaders of the three parties in Prime Minister Lucas Papademos’ coalition publicly oppose steep cuts in private-sector pay demanded by the EU, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, but their backing is needed for the government to reach a deal for a massive bailout. Earlier the European Commission said Greece was already “beyond the deadline” to end the talks.
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc has announced that he and his government would resign immediately to protect the stability of the country. Adevarul says he was resigning after weeks of protests over austerity measures that he introduced in 2010. He defended his record, saying he had taken “difficult decisions thinking about the future of Romania, not because I wanted to, but because I had to”.
L’Osservatore Romano reports that bishops from 100 countries and the leaders of 33 religious orders are in Rome for a Vatican summit to find ways to root out paedophilia in the clergy. Mgr Charles Scicluna, expert on the abuse crisis at the congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith emphasised that the protection of children is a paramount concern for the Church. The conference will also launch a child protection centre in Germany to fight sex abuse by the clergy in the Church worldwide. Victims' groups have slammed the summit as a PR stunt.
Ansa says the Italian government has taken emergency measures to conserve gas supplies amid bitterly cold weather that has killed at least 24 people in the country. A reduction of supplies from Russia to Europe has led to critical shortages. Meanwhile, the big freeze continued to overwhelm parts of Europe as record snowfall and harsh temperatures brought entire regions to a standstill, causing traffic chaos, blocking roads, and shutting down airports.
A British court has granted bail to a radical Muslim cleric. Judges and the British government have expressed concern that the cleric, Abu Qatada, once described as “Osama bin Laden's right hand man in Europe”, was a threat to national security. The Daily Express says his release was “another human rights disgrace” while The Daily Mail says expresses concern that under the radical Islamic preacher's bail conditions he would be allowed to walk his youngest child to school.
Amnesty International says the remote Curtin detention centre, in far north Western Australia, needs to be closed immediately. ABC quotes Amnesty refugee co-ordinator Graeme Thom saying that after meeting with some of the 860 men currently housed there, there was an "air of hopelessness" among asylum seekers. The detainees' mental health was “obviously being crushed” by spending up to three years waiting, he said. A four-person delegation from Amnesty is on a 12-day tour of Australian detention facilities.
Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue says she is been harassed by an online stalker. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the singer told her million-plus Twitter fan base that she had reported a series of creepy messages received through the social networking tool to the police.
After Barbie, also the Simpsons have been targeted by the Iranian government's censorship and banned. The progressive newspaper Shargh reports the cartoon characters featured in the popular American sit-com have been banned within the framework of a campaign against the values and symbols of Western culture. Instead, Superman and Spiderman were allowed because they are considered to be "oppressed" heroes.
The BBC points out that the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Victorian novelist Charles Dickens is being celebrated across the world today through a 24-hour "readathon". A ceremony will be held at his birthplace in Portsmouth and another at his tomb at Westminster Abbey, attended by a large gathering of the author's descendants