The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Times quotes Angela Merkel saying her country would not force any country to seek bailout assistance. It also reports how a woman told a court that she was beaten repeatedly in a 10-hour ordeal.
The Malta Independent reports Mrs Merkel saying Europe is ready to make a fresh start in financial governance. It also reports on the situation at the Mater Dei E&A Department.
l-orizzont says the Cabinet, along with the parliamentary assistants, were costing the country more than before.
In-Nazzjon says the police have made a major discovery of stolen furniture. Two young men have been arrested.
The overseas press
The BBC reports that police have ordered the evacuation of parts of Australia's third largest city – Brisbane – as the biggest floods in years approach the Queensland state capital. Residents have been told to leave their homes in low-lying areas as the waters are rising fast and one local official said he saw the river level go up by 1.5m in just an hour.
The Sydney Morning Herald says at least 72 people are missing in the state of Queensland after flash floods which have already claimed eight lives. A massive deluge overwhelmed Toowoomba, a city west of the state capital Brisbane, without warning. The tropical storms began in November, triggering the worst flooding in the state in decades. The forecast is for more rain to come, and there are reports of flooding in neighbouring New South Wales.
The European Union Times reports that EU envoys in the Middle East are urging Brussels to treat East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state. The recommendation comes in a leaked report by the heads of 25 European missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah. The report also calls for an EU presence at the demolitions of Palestinian homes, and intervention when peaceful protesters face arrest. The document follows the razing of East Jerusalem’s Shepherd Hotel to make way for 20 homes for Jewish settlers.
El Pais announces that the Spanish government has rejected a permanent ceasefire declared by the terrorist group ETA, because it believes it did not go far enough. ETA has been waging an armed struggle for an independent state in the Basque region in northern Spain and south-western France. The organisation has been under pressure from its banned political wing which wants to run in local elections. The group is considered a terrorist organisation by Spain, the European Union and the United States, and it has killed more than 825 people since the late 1960s.
Akhbar Tounes says the Tunisian government has ordered all schools and universities to be indefinitely closed following continuing violent protests. The announcement came after students marched in the capital, Tunis, to protest against police violence. At least 14 people were killed over the weekend in the protests over unemployment and frustrations with the ruling elite.. However, protesters claim that the dead were more than 50.
USA Today reports that a man charged with trying to assassinate US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has appeared in federal court in Phoenix, Arizona. Jared Loughner, 22, faces five counts, including killing federal employees and attempting to assassinate Representative. During the 13-minute hearing, Loughner, who did not enter a plea, had an attorney appointed to defend him. The shootung on Saturday that left six people dead and more than a dozen injured.
The Washington Times says flags across the US were flown at half mast on Monday, and President Barack Obama said the nation was "grieving and shocked". He praised the "extraordinary courage" of the people at the scene who wrestled the gunman to the ground. The president was expected to travel to Arizona in the next few days. Lawmakers also paid tribute to Ms Giffords and other victims of the mass shooting on the steps of the Capitol building.
The New York Times reports former US House Republican Leader Tom DeLay has been sentenced to three years in prison on conspiracy charges. The Texas politician was convicted of conspiring to funnel corporate campaign contributions to legislative races in Texas, in violation of state law. DeLay has called the case a political vendetta.
DeutscheWelle says thousands of German farms closed by a poison feed scare have been allowed to reopen. Agricultural officials lifted a sales ban for 3,050 made to shut after livestock feed was contaminated with dioxin. But 1,635 farms were still closed. Almost 500 dairy farms were also again being allowed to sell their products, and Slovakia has lifted a ban on German farm products.
L’Avvenire reports that the Pope has stepped into the row over Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, declaring them an excuse for violence against non-Muslims and urging their removal. He issued one of his most pointed appeals yet for religious freedom in a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, saying it was a fundamental human right that must be protected in law and in practice. He told Pakistan to reverse the blasphemy laws, which carry a death sentence for insulting Islam, and noted the recent slaying of the Punjab governor who opposed them.
Meanwhile, Dawn quotes the bodyguard who murdered liberal Pakistani governor Salman Taseer saying he was inspired by sermons from two Islamic clerics. Police said they were now hunting the two men who preached to 26-year-old Mumtaz Qadri, who said he killed the politician for criticising laws that carry the death penalty for insulting Islam.
L’Equipe leads with the annual Fifa awards ceremony in Zurich, where Argentinian Lionel Messi was awarded the prestigious Ballon d'Or prize, recognizing him as the world's best soccer player for the second year in a row. In the award for the Best Men's Coach, the prize went to Jose Mourinho for leading Inter to the European Champions League title. Mourinho, who now coaches Real Madrid, led Inter to the Italian league and cup double before leaving for Spain. In the women’s award, Brazilian Marta won the title for an unprecedented fifth successive time.