Press digest

The following are the top stories in the local and international press today:

Most of the local newspapers report on the traffic accidents yesterday evening, which left two young people dead.

The Times has a photo of the Floriana accident and says that besides the two deaths, another five people were injured. The accident was also reported in Orizzont and in-Nazzjon. In another story The Times says that New Year’s Eve was the best night for the entertainment industry.

The Malta Independent says that Malta’s High Commission in New Delhi shall be opening this week. It says that the mother of two involved in a road accident in Kalkara last Sunday was in a critical condition.

l-Orizzont asks if a mystery bomb found at sea on the Um El Faroud was a warning. It says that procedures have not been taken against a PN councillor who falsified a certificate.

In-Nazzjon quotes Public Health director Ray Busuttil saying that the A H1N1 vaccine was necessary. It also reports on a Jaguar car show in Mdina.

The international press

Most international media lead with the United States’ and Britain’s closure yesterday of their embassies in Yemen because of threats from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as the two countries announced they were stepping up efforts to help the Yemeni Government fight terrorism. On its web site, al-Qaida in the Yemen urged Muslims to kill "every crusader who works at their embassies or other places".

The Washington Post reports that security procedures for airline passengers travelling into the US have been tightened, with particular attention being given to those arriving from seven other nations, including four that the US lists as "state sponsors of terrorism" – Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. The new measures, with effect from today, were being brought in after Umar Faroul Abdul Mutallab allegedly tried to blow up a plane while he was on board a flight to Detroit on Christmas Day.

In London, The Times says Prime Minister Gordon Brown signalled a major tightening of security at UK airports, insisting it was “essential” to respond to new terrorist threats. He said the authorities were acting quickly in the wake of the failed Detroit airliner plot and body scanners were already on order. “This is a new type of threat and it is from a new source which is obviously Yemen, but there are many other potential sources – Somalia, as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Mr Brown said.

El Mundo announced that Spain had also decided to close its embassy in Sanaa today, Monday, and on Tuesday.

The Italian news agency Ansa reports that the Italian government would decide later today what steps it would take, in line with the EU.

Afghan Times says Afghan and NATO forces killed 25 Taliban fighters in Kunduz province, once considered the most peaceful area of Afghanistan. In Maidan Wardak province, Afghan and NATO troops killed one militant commander and arrested three others.

The Malaysian Star announces that the government would appeal a court ruling that allows The Herald, a Roman Catholic weekly, to use "Allah", the Muslim word for God. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak appealed for calm, saying “let the matter be resolved through the courts". Muslim groups in Malaysia have said the word Allah should be used exclusively by Muslims and represented a sacrilege of the Muslim faith when used by non-Muslim publications.

Manila Times reports a moderate, 5.3-magnitude earthquake has struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao early today. This followed an earlier strong, 6.5 magnitude earthquake near the Solomon Islands in the western Pacific. In both cases, there were no immediate tsunami warnings.

China Daily says heavy snow and extreme cold have disrupted life in Beijing with meteorologists saying even colder weather was on its way. As much as 12.7 cm of snow blanketed parts of Beijing forcing the closure of two of three runways at Beijing International Airport, canceling 86 flights Sunday.

Berliner Zeitung reports an Air Berlin aircraft with 165 passengers and six crew members headed to Spain's Canary Islands slipped off the runway at Dortmund airport in western Germany on Sunday. No one was injured. The low-budget German airline’s Boeing 737-800 slid off the runaway after the pilot detected "technical irregularities" and aborted takeoff.

About 6 million Americans list government-issued food stamps as their only income. State data collected by The New York Times shows these Americans claim they receive no welfare benefits, pensions, unemployment insurance, disability pay or child support. The newspaper said such food stamp recipients range from laid-off former executives to homeless people, and that they rely on food stamps to survive.

Iranian media reports say Iran’s football federation official spokesman had resigned after his e-mailed New Year's greetings to FIFA members were mistakenly forwarded to Israel's soccer federation. Mohammad Mansour Azimzadeh Ardebili had sent the e-mail through FIFA. It was supposed to go to all FIFA members except Israel, but was apparently forwarded to Israel's soccer federation, too. Since Iran's Islamic rulers came to power in 1979, the country has not recognized Israel. Iranian athletes avoid playing Israeli teams in any sport event.