The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
The Times of Malta says a gang took more than two months to dig the tunnel to the HSBC branch in Swieqi. It also reports how a government document yesterday showed plans to raise revenue from indirect taxes.
l-orizzont says it appears that the tunnel towards the Swieqi HSBC branch was abandoned in March. It also quotes the prime minister saying that his first interest in overseas fora is Malta.
The Malta Independent says the police commissioner has welcomed an EU directive on the presence of lawyers during interrogation.
In-Nazzjon says the government it planning to raise revenue from indirect taxes by €50m, while reducing spending by €21m.
The overseas press
EU interior ministers meet in Luxembourg today to discuss the latest tragedy involving the death last week of some 360 illegal immigrants in Lampedusa. EU News says the European Commission remained fully committed to work on further measures and concrete actions that could be taken at European and national level to address the plight of the refugees and the difficulties of the member states affected. This included action with third countries. EC President Josè Manuel Barroso travels to Lampedusa tomorrow.
Die Presse says that the interior ministers are also expected to discuss a request by Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria to push for new rules that to enable the expulsion of EU citizens. A joint letter, calling on the Commission to take action against social tourism, has caused tension within the EU as its requirements contradict the rights for free movement of people within the EU – one of the basic EU rights.
Ansa reports that Italy's government is working on changing current asylum laws. The changes would be based on three European Union directives, according to preliminary work carried out during a technical workshop. Meanwhile, 20 other bodies were recovered from the sea yesterday, bringing the provisional total to 231. This morning, a further 250 immigrants, mostly Syrians and Palestinians, were taken to Catania after being rescued by a merchant ship flying the Panamanian flag.
The New Yorker says the UN predicts that close to two million Syrians will flee the country's violence in 2014 alone. A further 2.2 million will be displaced during the same year as a result of the country's infighting.
AFP reports China has taken centre-stage at the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, adopting a leadership role on the strength of its new-found economic might as the United States struggles to overcome its budget paralysis. President Xi Jinping told a business forum China would “firmly uphold regional peace and stability and help cement a foundation for a win-win situation in the Asia-Pacific”, emphasising that his country – the world's second largest economy – was the biggest trading partner and export market for many nations in the region.
President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff has hit out at alleged Canadian spying on her country’s Mining and Energy Ministry, demanding that the United States and its allies stop such practices. She said on her Twitter account that Globo TV revelations on Sunday “confirm economic and strategic motives” behind the electronic espionage. Canada's Ambassador to Brazil was summoned to the foreign ministry on Monday where Brasilia's chief diplomat Luiz Alberto Figueiredo delivered a strong protest and demanded an explanation.
The Libyan militant accused by Washington in the killing of the US ambassador has told The Associated Press he's not worried about being next on the list for capture by the Americans after the US commando raid that spirited senior al-Qaida suspect Abu Anas al-Libi out of Tripoli. Ahmed Abu Khattala's confidence reflects the power that Islamic militants have grown to wield in Libya since the 2011 ouster of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Meanwhile, The New York Times says the US military was holding and secretly interrogating Libi on board the USS San Antonio, an amphibious transport currently deployed in the Mediterranean. Libi, who was on the FBI's most wanted list with a $5 million bounty on his head for his alleged role in the 1998 twin bombings of US embassies in East Africa, was captured by special forces after covert weekend raids on Libya and Somalia which also targeted an elusive Shebab commander.
The Washington Post quotes a new World Bank report which states that the Palestinian economy could grow a leap of about 35 per cent if Israel abandoned restrictions imposed on the 60 per cent of the West Bank under the full control of the Jewish state. The Bank notes that more than half of the West Bank was inaccessible to Palestinians, who could earn an estimated $ 3.4 billion if allowed to work there.
Le Parisien says French judges have dropped an investigation into former President Nicolas Sarkozy over allegations that he illegally took donations from France’s richest woman on the way to his 2007 election victory. Ten others are expected to go to trial next year on charges including alleged fraud and abuse of someone in an impaired state in the case which involves Liliane Bettencourt, the 90-year-old L’Oreal cosmetics heiress. Speculation is rife Sarkozy might run for president again in 2017.
Esquire magazine has named Scarlett Johansson this year’s “sexiest woman alive” – seven years after bestowing the honour on her the first time. The 28-year-old actress (and occasional musician) graces the cover of the men’s magazine’s November issue and is the first to be named sexiest woman twice. Once known for roles in small films like “Lost In Translation” and “The Girl With the Pearl Earring”, she is now a global box office magnet with roles in such blockbusters as 2012′s “The Avengers”. Johansson recently announced her engagement to former French journalist Romain Dauriac.