The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times of Malta reports that the Valletta access scheme (the CVA) is to be reformed. It also reports on the trial of a man accused of human trafficking and how migrants drowned as they tried to leave Malta
The Malta Independent also reports that the CVA may be revised or scrapped.
MaltaToday says John Dalli has deplored ‘false, libellous allegations’ by Simon Busuttil, who said the former minister’s agreement with the prime minister to work at hospital must have been reached before he was cleared of criminal prosecution.
In-Nazzjon says the permanent secretary at the Environment Ministry has resigned. It also reports on anger by the Mobile Squad members over plans to integrate them with the SAG to form a rapid intervention unit.
l-orizzont leads with how a security company renews the probationary period of its workers instead of giving them a fixed job.
The overseas press
VOA News quotes US Secretary of State John Kerry saying Washington was not looking for a confrontation with Moscow over former American intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, who is now in Russia avoiding arrest for disclosing secret details of US government surveillance of telephone and Internet activities. A day after warning Russia of “consequences” for helping Snowden, Kerry said there was no need to “raise the level of confrontation”.
Meanwhile Ria Novosti says that while visiting Finland, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed allegations Russia was breaking the law as “nonsense and rubbish”. Putin said he would not extradite Snowden because he had not broken any laws in Russia. He said Snowden was a free man and the sooner he chose to move on from a Moscow airport transit area, the better for him and Russia.
The Chinese government has also reacted angrily at Washington's statements that Beijing's conduct regarding Snowden had hurt trust-building efforts between the two countries. The People’s Daily reports that China Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the Chinese territory of Hong Kong had acted in accordance with the law when Mr. Snowden left Hong Kong on Sunday. Tensions over the former National Security Agency leaker came to a boil Monday as the White House ripped into Hong Kong and China and issued warnings to Russia and Ecuador, where Snowden has sought asylum, sharply dialing up global pressure for his return to face espionage charges.
The Washington Post says President Obama has delivered his most forceful push for action on global warming, declaring that his administration would impose tighter pollution controls on coal- and gas-fired utilities and establish strict conditions for approval of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. Obama also announced that the government would take climate change into consideration in its everyday operations. The shift could affect decisions on a range of issues, including bridge heights, flood insurance rates and how the military gets electricity overseas. The actions make clear that the president will bypass Congress in seeking to reshape the federal government and the nation’s electricity sector.
Ansa quotes Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta waring that the European Union must show it was moving forward and working to solve people's problems or it risked losing itself. Speaking ahead of a summit of EU leaders later this week, Letta said the EU has not done enough to dispel doubts about the future of the single currency. Measures to defend budget stability and, at the same time, revive economic growth across the eurozone were crucial. This week's summit will focus on measures to address youth unemployment.
Luxemburger Wort says the EU has decided to postpone talks with Ankara aimed at moving forward on Turkey's membership in the bloc until later this year. Germany had pushed for the delay, saying that a signal should be sent of the EU's disapproval of the recent crackdown on anti-government protests. Talks were due to start today on opening a new chapter in the accession process. But the crackdown on anti-government protests in cities across Turkey has dismayed many European countries. Led by Germany, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg voted to delay the start of talks until mid-October at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Turkish police have detained at least 20 people allegedly involved in violent protests, as the country’s Prime Minister continued to lash out at protesters, claiming were part of a conspiracy to harm Turkey. The state-run Anadolu news agency reported the police searched some 30 addresses in the capital Ankara and rounded up 20 people with alleged links to “terror” groups and suspected of “attacking police and the environment” during three weeks of protests that swept Turkey. It was the second police sweep against demonstrators in the city this week.
Estado de Minas reports some 100,000 people are expected to join a protest this evening to demand better public services and to complain about the cost of the World Cup before Brazil plays Uruguay in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup. Local officials have declared a holiday in Belo Horizonte and authorities said they were expecting confrontations with the demonstrators. Belo Horizonte has seen some of the most violent clashes between police and protesters since the country was swept by a wave of demonstrations calling for better education, transport and health services. Protesters have filled cities across the country to air a wide spectrum of grievances, including the high cost of hosting next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. There have been many violent protests before Confederations Cup matches, including in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Fortaleza.
Adnkronos says Italian finance police have raided the offices of 41 soccer clubs including top Serie A sides Milan, Naples and Lazio, as well as Serie B and lower-division clubs. They were searching for documents related to contracts between hundreds of players, managers and recruiters, as well as PR and TV rights contracts. The searches came amid a probe into criminal association, international tax evasion, false invoicing and money-laundering.