The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times of Malta reports how Judge Ray Pace was found dead at his home. It also reports how Simon Busuttil praised Mario de Marco for deciding quickly to bow out of the PN leadership contest.
The Malta Independent says more changes are in store for the PN as the process of renewal kicks in. It also reports on the death of Judge Ray Pace.
In-Nazzjon quotes Simon Busuttil saying the PN leadership election meant unity and maturity in the party. It also reports on Judge Pace’s death.
l-orizzont reports how Judge Ray Pace was found dead in his home. It also carries an interview with Toni Abela who has urged supporters to keep their feet on the ground.
The overseas press
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed for restraint to avoid an escalation in Syria's civil war, expressing "grave concern" over Israeli air raids. The New York Times reports Ban spoke by telephone with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi about the attacks, which have triggered fears of further escalation in a conflict that has already killed more than 70,000 people in just over two years. UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson is set to purse the talks on the sidelines of the Somalia conference in London on Tuesday.
Israel’s second airstrike in Syria in so many days against what it calls “Iranian missiles en route to Hezbollah in Lebanon” has provoked sharp reactions in the region. Euronews reports the Arab League called on the UN to “immediately halt the Israeli attacks on Syria”, while the Syrians themselves warned Israel that they had opened a potential Pandora’s box. Syrian opposition forces said the airstrike hurt their efforts to take down the Assad regime. France 24 says Iran, a close ally of the Assad regime, condemned the airstrikes but gave no other hints of a possible stronger response from Tehran. Cairo called it a violation of international law, and a threat to regional stability that “made the situation more complicated”. Meanwhile US President Barack Obama, speaking after the first reported attack on Saturday, said Israel was justified in protecting itself.
Libya Herald reports the General National Congress, Libya's elected parliament, has overwhelmingly passed a law banning officials who served under Gaddafi from government posts. Out of 200 lawmakers present, 164 voted in favor and four against. The law could affect many of the country's new leaders who played key roles in the uprising that overthrew the former ruler. They will be banned from government positions for 10 years.
Le Parisien reports tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Paris on Sunday to mark President François Hollande's first year in office by accusing him of turning his back on the left. A coalition of left-wing parties opposed to the ruling socialist government say they drew 180,000 people to the rally.The demonstration come with polls showing Hollande as the most unpopular president in modern French history. Many voters are angered by an economy on the edge of recession and unemployment hitting a 16-year high.
London’s The Guardian reports Nigel Evans is to stand aside on a temporary basis as deputy speaker of the House of Commons as he fights “completely false” allegations that he raped one man and sexually assaulted another. Commons Speaker John Bercow feared Evans’ presence in the House could overshadow the Queen's speech on Wednesday, when the government's legislative programme is unveiled.
New Strait Times reports Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has said he would contest the results of the national elections, accusing the government of cheating and voter irregularities. He was reacting to the announcement that the ruling National Front coalition had secured 133 of Malaysia's 222 parliamentary seats, ensuring an extension to its 56-year unbroken rule. Ibrahim’s three-party coalition won 73 seats. The election commission said the other contested seats were still too close to call.
Dhaka Post says at least seven people were killed and 60 injured when Bangladeshi police used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse a huge demonstration by Islamist protesters in Dhaka calling for stronger Islamic policies. Rioters went on to set fire to shops and vehicles. The police managed to secure the business district early this morning and were searching for protesters hiding in nearby buildings.
East African Tribune says a woman died and 44 people were seriously injured when a bomb exploded in a Roman Catholic Church in northern Tanzania just before mass. Eyewitnesses reported that the bomb was thrown from a motorcycle into the church. The driver of the motorcycle had been arrested.
President Hollande’s partner Valérie Trierweiler is costing France three times less than former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Radio France Internationale says information released in parliament showed Trierweiler’s staff of five cost €19,742 a month. But the government “went to the trouble of providing similar figures for the previous administration for comparison”: Bruni-Sarkozy had a staff of eight at the Elysée at a cost of €36,448 a month. She also outsourced the running of her website, adding another €25,714 for two people’s salaries to the bill, bringing the total to €60,000 a month.