The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
Times of Malta features an interview with the Maltese bishop of Benghazi, Sylvester Magro, who says he will be going back to the East Libyan city. It also follows up the disclosure of Swiss accounts held by former ministers.
The Malta Independent quotes Lawrence Gonzi saying former ministers have to account for the funds in their Swiss accounts.
In-Nazzjon also carries comments by Mgr Magro.
L-orizzont highlights comments by Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi denying an extramarital affair.
The overseas press
Greece has unveiled an outline summary of reforms which will be presented to eurozone leaders, albeit 24 hours late, in order to secure a bailout extension. Alpha TV reports the summary contains measures that had been widely anticipated, including creating a fairer tax system and combating tax evasion, tackling corruption and targeting fuel and tobacco smuggling, implementing labour reforms on collective contracts, and tackling Greece’s “humanitarian crisis” with housing guarantees and free medical care for the uninsured unemployed.
Al Ahram says almost 15,000 Egyptians have fled war-torn Libya in the wake of Islamic State’s murder of 21 Coptic Christians. It was reported over 3,000 Egyptians left on Monday alone.
Le Parisien reports French authorities have for the first time confiscated the passports of six nationals who were allegedly planning to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State militant group.
Le Monde quotes President François Hollande saying he plans to introduce new criminal penalties for anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic hate crimes.
It was announced in Paris that Charlie Hebdo’s newest issue would be released tomorrow as it resumes publication. The French satirical weekly rushed out a “survivors’ issue” the week after the shooting but since then it had been absent from newsstands. The cover features an illustration of a range of political and religious figures, including the pope, as a pack of rabid dogs over the headline, “Here we go again!”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has discounted war with neighbouring Ukraine as “unlikely”. In an interview on Russia Today TV, Putin described such a war as “an apocalyptic scenario” which he hoped would never happen. He also stressed his support for the recent Minsk ceasefire deal as the best way to stabilise eastern Ukraine.
A leaked secret cable obtained by Al Jazeera and shared with The Guardian suggests that in 2012, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu misled the UN about Iran’s nuclear programme. His claim that Iran was “probably a year away” from being able to make nuclear weapons was not supported by his own intelligence service.
The New York Times reports a US court has found the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority liable for attacks in Israel over 10 years ago which left 33 people dead and hundreds more wounded. The jury ruled in favour of 10 American families who were seeking damages related to the six attacks and awarded victims more than €218.5 million.
A disturbing video has emerged showing an elderly man being tasered by Florida police. The Miami New Times says the video shows officers yelling at people to get out of their minivan. As the elderly man exits, an officer tased him.
AGI reports an Italian church in the province of Venice has been penalised for the noise pollution caused from the ringing of its bells, prompting its priest to suspend the centuries-old tradition. Guiseppe Gianotto, the legal representative of the Pramaggiore church, has been fined €1,312 by the regional environmental protection agency, which stated the church bells were too noisy and had exceeded normal noise pollution levels. The priest, who told his parishioners about the fine during Sunday mass, noted the permitted maximum was exceeded by only a few decibels.
Ansa says the mayor of Chiavari, Roberto Levaggi, has written to the Genoa police to ask for a more effective presence in the area in front of the Cathedral of Our Lady Dell’Orto, especially in times of religious services. He said, in front of the cathedral, prostitution by women from Eastern Europe, had spread to the point of causing discomfort among citizens and harm the dignity of city.