The following are the top stories in the local and international press today:
The Sunday Times says that San Ġwann’s Nationalist Party mayor Joseph Agius is expected to be charged with soliciting bribes after his son, who was allegedly his accomplice, yesterday pleaded guilty to similar charges. In another story it says that a health inquiry being conducted by the health authorities has found that a salesman had been running around Mater Dei corridors selling services while posing as a doctor. The newspaper also gives prominence to yesterday’s fatality in which soldier Jesmond Agius lost his life.
Malta Today leads with a story on allegations that PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier had accepted cheque donations on behalf of the PN from Sandro Chetcuti, who is being investigated for the attempted murder on GRTU director Vince Farrugia. It also says that David Spiteri Gingell has admitted to becoming a consultant with Zaren Vassallo.
Kullhadd also leads with the Spiteri Gingell story. In another story, it says that PBS has appointed Anton Attard as its executive head.
The Independent on Sunday says that the Labour Party yesterday decided to publish the European Commission letter to the Maltese government on the power station extension. The newspaper says that according to a Central Bank report, the confidence of investors grew in second quarter this year.
It-Torca says that the Curia’s investigation on alleged pedophilia at St Joseph’s Institute was concluded. It also reports on the arraignment on bribery charges of the son of the former San Gwann mayor.
Il-Mument says that Siggiewi labourites were angry at the way their party treated them in the issue of the PL club which has been transferred back to the government. It says that Malta has benefitted from close to €1.3 billion in its first 10 years of EU membership. The newspaper also reports that delegates for the biggest conference ever held in Malta had started to arrive.
Illum says that €640,000 less were collected from television licences. It carries Labour leader Joseph Muscat’s reaction to the developments at the Sliema council.
The international press
EU Observer quotes EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton saying she had no place at the US-brokered Middle East peace talks next month after calls by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner for her to attend. Kouchner told a conference of French ambassadors that as the greatest contributors of aid to Palestinian projects, EU member-states should play a greater diplomatic role in the peace process. But Ashton sought to quickly dispel any talk of her attending the talks, saying she already had plans to be in China for a strategic partnership summit next month.
Baltic Times says Serbian leader Boris Tadic was open to international dialogue on the UN draft resolution against Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008. However, he reiterated Serbia would never recognize the breakaway state. The resolution, due to be debated at the UN General Assembly next month, calls for talks on outstanding issues between Kosovo and Serbia. It also condemns the tiny state's unilateral declaration of independence.
The Czech Republic's foreign minister has described France's expulsion of Roma migrants as "contrary to the spirit of European Union rules". Writing in the Prague daily Lidove Noviny, Karel Schwarzenberg said he suspected "racist viewpoints" underlied the policy. The minister also criticised the way in which the debate on the issue was being held "without the new countries" of the EU, including the Czech Republic.
La Cuarta says engineers in Chile were working on a plan that they hope would dramatically speed up the rescue of the 33 miners trapped in a collapsed shaft. Workers would start drilling on Monday an escape shaft going about 700metres underground, which is likely to take four months to complete. But engineers say widening an existing tunnel may reach the men in two months.
Kigali’s New Times reports Rwanda has threatened to withdraw its troops from UN peacekeeping operations if the world body published a report accusing the Rwandan army of committing possible genocide in Congo in the 1990s. Rwanda's Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo told Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a letter earlier this month, the report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was "fatally flawed" and "incredibly irresponsible."
Abrar says three people – a woman and two children – have been killed and 40 other injured when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook the remote Semnan province, north-east of Iran. The death toll was not higher because the area is sparsely populated. The report 15 homes were damaged.
Focus says a study commissioned by the German government has recommended an extension of up to 20 years to the life nuclear power plants. After a tour of power plants around the country, Chancellor Angela Merkel said renewable energies should supply half of all energy needs by 2050 and that nuclear and coal power would continue until supplies could be met entirely by clean energy.
Knack reports that the Catholic Church in Belgium has confirmed that its former head, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, had advised a victim of sex abuse to delay a public statement until the bishop who abused him had retired. Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, who was also at the meeting, admitted to the abuse in April and resigned.
The News of the World says a 35-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly being caught offering to fix part of England's current cricket Test match with Pakistan. Secret filming appeared to show Mazhar Majeed, who allegedly offered to bribe certain Pakistani bowlers to manipulate the game, counting out £150,000 given to him by the newspaper in a London hotel the night, before the current fourth Test at Lord's.
Three British nationals – The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph and the Sunday Express – print of their front page a photograph of Prime Minister David Cameron with Florence, the new baby daughter his wife Samantha delivered last week. Mother and baby had avoided the media spotlight by leaving the hospital's Princess Alexandra Wing by slipping out through a back door and into a car with blacked out windows. The photographs were released by the family later.
Las Vegas Sun says American socialite Paris Hilton has been arrested in the US for alleged possession of cocaine. Las Vegas police stopped a car in which she was a passenger and found some suspicious powder, which later proved to be cocaine. She was booked into the county jail before being charged and released.
Liverpool Echo reports that a toilet belonging to John Lennon sold at auction for £10,000 – nearly 10 times its expected price. Lennon had removed the porcelain lavatory when the house was being refurbished, and suggested the builder, John Hancock, take it home and "put some flowers in it". Instead, the builder carefully stored it in a garden shed, where it remained for 40 years until he died, and his son-in-law put it up for sale.