The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times reports how John Dalli was interrogated at police headquarters. It also reports how two former priests yesterday lost their appeal on child sex abuse convictions.
The Malta Independent reports that Dalli and Zammit were questioned at police headquarters. It also features a big picture of Tonio Borg and highlights his hearing yesterday.
MaltaToday says developments are expected after the 24-hour Dalli interrogation. It does not say what developments are expected.
l-orizzont says John Dalli was held at police headquarters for 34 hours. Businessman Silvio Zammit was also held.
In-Nazzjon quotes Tonio Borg saying he had represented Malta in the best way possible during yesterday's hearing before MEPs.
The overseas press
L’Echo reports that workers across the European Union have started off a series of protests against rising unemployment and austerity measures. The Day of Action and Solidarity calls on leaders to tackle growing social anxiety and abandon austerity measures. Some 40 groups from 23 countries are involved in today’s protests, ordered by the European Trade Union Confederation. Strikes are already in force in Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy. Other protests are planned in Belgium, Germany, France the UK and some eastern EU states.
EU Observer says efforts to agree an EU budget for next year are in disarray after Euro-MPs failed to turn up for talks with Europe's finance ministers. European Parliament president Martin Schulz said negotiators on behalf of the parliament would not attend because there was no agreement among the member states about a supplementary budget for the current year. Talks collapsed last Friday when the European Commission – which also backs an inflation-busting increase of 6.8 per cent despite the economic crisis – insisted it must have a "supplementary budget" of €9 billion to cover a shortfall this year.
The next generation of China's leaders, expected to rule for the next decade, will be officially nominated today. Asia News forecasts Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang would become party leader and deputy respectively. Xi is also expected to take over from Hu Jintao as China's president next March.
The Washington Times reports President Obama is standing by his top military officer in Afghanistan, after General John Allen was dragged into the sex scandal surrounding the sudden resignation of CIA boss David Petraeus. The US Defence Department is investigating claims that General Allen exchanged thousands of "flirtatious" emails with one of the women involved in the Petraeus affair. The emails are said to be to 37-year-old Florida socialite Jill Kelley, who filed the complaint that led the FBI to uncover General Petraeus's affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. General Allen's nomination for the post of NATO's supreme commander has been put on hold after he was accused of "inappropriate communication". He has denied any wrongdoing.
France 24 says France has become the first Western power to recognise Syria's opposition coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The move was announced by President Francois Hollande at a televised news conference in Paris. Syrian opposition groups struck a deal in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday to form a broad coalition to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Gulf Arab states have declared the coalition to be the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. More than 36,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime began in March 2011.
In London, the i leads with details surrounding the release of cleric Abu Qatada, including reports it would cost the Government £5 million (€6.25 million) a year to enforce the strict bail conditions he has been imposed with. David Cameron has said he is "fed up" that Abu Qatada was still in the country, as the cleric returned home after his release from prison. The 52-year-old refugee was freed after a UK judge ruled he could not expect a fair trial if he was returned to Jordan, where he is wanted on terrorism-related charges.
Akron Beacon Journal reports a condemned killer who claimed he was innocent of stabbing a woman 138 times, slitting her throat and cutting off her hands has been executed in Ohio. Brett Hartman was the 49th inmate put to death since Ohio resumed executions in 1999. The US Supreme Court denied a last-minute appeal on Monday. Amnesty International said only China, Iran, North Korea and Yemen executed more people than the US last year.
Tribune de Genève says a 76-carat internally flawless colourless diamond, originally from the ancient Golconda mines in India, has sold for a world record price of £13.5 million (€16.9 million) at a Swiss auction. The Archduke Joseph Diamond was the first of two exceptional diamonds being auctioned off this week in Geneva. It was expected to sell for £9.45 million (€11.8 million), but eventually sold for more than triple the price paid when it was auctioned almost two decades ago.
According to Toronto Star, a severely brain-injured Canadian who has been in a vegetative state for more than a decade, has been able to communicate in what is thought to be a world first. Scott Routley, 39, suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident 12 years ago, and he appeared to be in a vegetative state, unable to communicate. But when his doctor asked him questions while having his brain activity scanned in an MRI machine, the test showed Mr Routley was choosing to respond. Mr Routley was able to tell his doctor he is not in pain. It is the first time an uncommunicative, severely brain-injured patient has been able to give answers clinically relevant to their care.