The following are the top stories in the national and international press today.
The Sunday Times of Malta says a review of Malta’s detention policy held following the death of two migrants in custody two years ago had recommended irregular immigration should be taken out of the military’s hands and be run by a civilian agency. The newspaper also interviews Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona who refuted popular belief that he is suffering from depression or mental health problems, insisting his ailments boiled down to sheer exhaustion.
Illum says that although the Resources Ministry had received four submissions for the operation of the San Frangisk Animal Hospital, the National Audit Office found no traces of the evaluation process which led to the centre being run by its present operator.
Il-Mument says that former Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia is expected to be appointed Foreign Affairs Minister possibly before or during the Easter holidays.
Malta Today says government claims in 2011 that it was considering disciplinary action against the custodians of Nigerian asylum seeker Ifeanyi Nwokoye, who died after escaping from detention in Safi, misled the public because then Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici had already directed the Detention Services commander not to take any action.
Kullhadd says the European Commission has informed the Nationalist government that Enemalta’s agreements with Shanghai Electric and Electrogas were in line with its treaties.
The Malta Independent on Sunday says that according to its latest survey, recent controversies may not have had a negative impact on the popularity of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat or his government.
It-Torca quotes Foreign Minister George Vella insisting that Malta had never interfered and had no intention of interfering in Libya’s internal affairs.
International news
The New York Times reports two New York police officers have been shot dead in Brooklyn in an ambush by a gunman who had posted anti-police statements on social media. Police said the 28-year-old gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, also died after turning the weapon on himself after fleeing into a subway station. The shootings come amid anger in the US over the chokehold death of an unarmed black man by a white police officer in New York and the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson.
Journal du Dimanche says French police have shot dead a man after he stabbed three officers inside a police station while shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is great). The attack comes less than a week after police carried out raids targetting suspected would-be jihadists who authorities believe were preparing to join Islamic State fighters in Syria.
ABC News reports a 37-year-old mother has been charged in a bedside hearing at Cairns Hospital with the murder of seven of her children and her niece after their bodies were found at a home in Cairns, in far north Queensland, on Friday. Mersane Warria has been charged with eight counts of murder of the four girls and four boys aged between two and 14.
The Washington Post says the White House has reaffirmed its claim that North Korea was responsible for hacking attacks which led the movie studio Sony Pictures to cancel its release of the movie “The Interview” – a comedy about a plot to assassinate the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un. National Security Council spokesman Mark Stroh’s remarks came after North Korea called the US accusations “groundless slander”, proposing a joint investigation with the US into the cyber-attack, which resulted in the disclosure of a huge quantity of internal Sony data, including unreleased films, personal information on employees and executive e-mails.
Granma quotes Cuban President Raoul Castro said the island would not give up its socialist principles despite last week’s rapprochement with the United States. He said he was open to discussing a wide range of issues with Washington but his country would not bow to pressure.
Foreign students could be forced to leave the UK after their courses finish under tough new rules being considered by the Home Secretary. Theresa May wants the Conservative party's next manifesto include a pledge to make non European Union graduates return home and apply for a work visa from abroad if they want to continue living in Britain, according to The Sunday Times. At the moment most students switch easily to a work visa from within the UK.
Panapress reports a demonstrator has been killed in clashes with police in the African state of Gabon. Protesters, including several leading opposition figures, gathered in the capital to call for the resignation of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose family has run the country for almost 50 years.
The Franciscan Order founded by St Francis of Assisi, who advocated a life of poverty, is appealing for help after the discovery it is in deep financial trouble due to massive fraud. Italy's Panorama magazine said the 800-year-old order had invested tens of millions of euros in suspect firms currently under investigation in Switzerland for dodgy practices. The Italian press has also questioned the order's financial wisdom in spending millions of euros on renovating Il Cantico, a luxury hotel it owns in Rome.