The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Maltese media is dominated by developments yesterday in the John Dalli case.
The Times of Malta reports how John Dalli flew to the Bahamas after being alerted to the EU probe which eventually led to his departure from the European Commission. The Malta Independent says Mr Dalli denied wrongoing in his trip to the Bahamas. In-Nazzjon says OLAF may reopen its case against Mr Dalli.
In other stories, The Times of Malta says the local plans are to be revamped.
In-Nazzjon gives prominence to the meeting today of the Security Committee after a request by the Leader of the Opposition.
l-orizzont features a question in Parliament yesterday which showed that €23m were spent on consultancies on five projects by the former government.
The overseas press
Le Monde quotes French President François Hollande saying allegations that the US bugged European embassies could threaten a huge planned EU-US trade deal. He said there could be no negotiations without guarantees that spying would stop “immediately”. The allegations that US security services bugged EU missions and the embassies of friendly European countries – including the French, Italian and Greek embassies – were published at the weekend by Der Spiegel in Germany and The Guardian in Britain.
Meanwhile, Russian and US security agencies are reportedly discussing how to deal with the man behind the leaks. Ria Novosti reports a Russia Foreign Ministry official has said that former American intelligence analyst Edward Snowden has applied for political asylum in Russia on Sunday night. In his first public statement since arriving at Moscow Airport a week ago, Snowden accused President Obama’s administration of putting pressure on countries where he might have been granted safe sanctuary from the US where he is wanted for prosecution over the leaking of thousands of classified documents. A senior Russian official said President Putin and President Obama have ordered the chiefs of their respective agencies, FSB and FBI, to find a way out of the impasse,
Fox News reports that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has released thousands of pages of documents related to sexual abuse by clergy as part of a deal reached in federal bankruptcy court between the archdiocese and abuse victims suing it for fraud. The 6,000 pages of documents include personnel files of 42 priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse against them.
Avvenire reports that the director and deputy director of the Vatican bank, the Institute for Religious Works have both resigned. A Vatican statement Paolo Cipriani and Massimo Tulli had decided this course of action would be in the best interests of the bank and the Holy See. The resignations came three days after the arrest of Monsignor Nunzio Scarano and two others suspected of trying to move €20m illegally. Last week, Pope Francis set up a commission of inquiry to look into the bank, which has been beset by allegations of money laundering for decades.
Cairo Radio reports that President Mohammed Morsi’s office has said he would stick with his own plans for national reconciliation to resolve Egypt’s political turmoil. It was the president’s first response to the army’s ultimatum, issued on Monday giving politicians from all sides 48 hours to sort out the crisis. The presidential statement the military’s intervention would only sow confusion. Meanwhile, the Egyptian armed forces, which issued the ultimatum, rejected accusations made by the Muslim Brotherhood that they were preparing a military coup. They said they were “simply responding to the feelings of the people on the streets”.
O Globo reports truck drivers in Brazil have started three days of nationwide protests demanding lower fuel prices and exemption from road tolls. Brazil’s national football team won the Confederations Cup final against Spain on Sunday and there had been expectations that this might appease the protesters. Millions had been demonstrating during the tournament against the cost of holding next year’s world cup, the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, corruption and poor public services.
Ansa says an Albanian woman was killed in northern Italy after her husband threw her from the balcony of their ninth-floor apartment during an argument. Police said the 30-year-old Albanian, who has a criminal record, man initially claimed his wife had committed suicide, but police noted deep scratches on his face and stomach indicating there had been a violent struggle. Neighbours said the Albanian woman had told them her husband had a lover in their homeland who he had refused to stop seeing. The woman had also said she suffered threats and domestic abuse from her husband but had never reported him to police.
The Las Vegas Sun reports a performer in the famous Cirque du Soleil has died after falling off a stage during a show in Las Vegas. Paris-born Sarah Guyard-Guillot, 31, was performing in the Ka show at the MGM Grand. The mother of two was pronounced dead in hospital after falling 15 metres from the stage. Her death is believed to be the first fatality during a live performance in the show's 30-year history. More than a million people have watched Cirque du Soleil's show since it opened in Las Vegas in 2005, marveling at the technical mastery that allows performers to seemingly defy gravity at dizzying heights.