The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press:
The Sunday Times reports that the heat is on for Gaddafi’s Malta spies. It also says that a Gozo child abuse case involving a priest is nearing its end.
The Malta Independent on Sunday says the Libyan people are grateful for Malta’s latest humanitarian mission. It also says that the Libyan rebels have found proof that Gaddafi was using immigration to harm Europe, including Malta.
MaltaToday says the Libya rebels stormed Palm City in their hunt for Gaddafi, but he was not there. Palm City is run by the Corinthia Group.
KullHadd says the prime minister is under pressure after his comments to the American ambassador on the quality of the parliamentary group.
It-Torca reports that according to a survey, 68 per cent view the prime minister as weak.
Illum says it is not clear whether a fire two years ago was aimed at the Lija Mayor or a PN activist.
Il-Mument says the CIA was in the past keeping a watchful eye on Malta because of Libya funding to the PL.
The overseas press:
As many as 400,000 people have joined demonstrations across Israel against the high cost of living. The Jerusalem Post describes the event as the largest show of force yet for the social-issues protest movement that had dominated the headlines for the last two months. The protesters, who turned out in their thousands in the streets of Jerusalem, Haifa, Afula, Karmiel and Eilat, have also been demanding cheaper housing, tax cuts and improved access to free education.
Turkey has said it will challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza at the International Court of Justice. Speaking on state-run TV, TRT 1, Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu said Turkey did not accept the findings of a UN report which said Israel's blockade of Gaza was a legal security measure but underlined that the Israelis had used excessive force against ships heading for Gaza, in which nine Turks were killed. Mr Davutoglu said the UN report had not been endorsed by the UN and was therefore not binding. The BBC quotes Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon insisting his country had nothing to apologise for and had done all it could to avoid a crisis with Turkey. Deutsche Welle reports that as tensions mounted between the former allies, Germany joined the EU and the UN in urging the countries to resolve the diplomatic spat.
Documents seized at the Libyan intelligence headquarters have revealed what CNN calls “a surprisingly close relationship” between the CIA and their counterparts in Britain and Canada and the regime of Muammar Gaddafi after 9/11. But The New York Times wrote that it could not confirm the authenticity of the documents, found by Human Rights Watch, but that their content was consistent with known facts about the US's transfer of terrorism suspects abroad for interrogation, a practice known as rendition. According to the New York Times report, US intelligence services sent terrorism suspects at least eight times to Libya for questioning. The Wall Street Journal said the files showed the CIA in 2004 had moved to establish a "permanent presence" in Libya.
The British Foreign Office told The Times: "It is the longstanding policy of the government not to comment on intelligence matters." Meanwhile, at a meeting of European foreign ministers in Poland, British Foreign Secretary William Hague insisted in an interview with Sky News television that the documents related to the previous government, adding that Britain was currently focused on "getting the necessary help to Libya, more recognition for the National Transitional Council, and getting the assets unfrozen so we avert any humanitarian problems in Libya".
Rebel forces in Libya will lay siege to pro-Gaddafi cities until a deadline for their surrender expires next week. Al Jazeera quotes NTC head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil telling reporters that his military forces were supplying the cities of Sirte, Bani Walid, Jufra and Sabha with humanitarian aid but would keep up a siege until the towns surrender.
L’Osservatore Romano says the Vatican has denied that it sabotaged attempts by Irish bishops to report Roman Catholic pedophile priests to the police. The Vatican issued a rebuttal to accusations made in July by Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny about the Church’s handling of such cases. The Irish Examiner quotes all-Ireland primate Cardinal Sean Brady welcoming the Vatican's response and claimed it conveyed "profound abhorrence" for the abuse.
According to Avvenire, the Vatican's second-in-command has warned politicians to not sacrifice workers' rights for the good of financial markets. During the annual meeting of the Association of Christian Italian Workers, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said the workers were “an integral part of the substance of democracy". In trying to cut spending by €45.5 billion and balance the budget by 2013, the Italian government has altered and scrapped retirement rules and pensions. Cardinal Bertone noted that a civil economy could not neglect social structure of a company and the corresponding responsibility for families of workers.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that a New Mexico state police officer has been fired after security cameras caught him having sex with a woman on the hood of a car. The officer, an eight-year veteran, has 30 days to appeal the dismissal. He had been named a 2009 state police officer of the year and was awarded a "Challenge Coin" last July – an honour given to officers who go above and beyond the call of duty.